Numerical study of heat transfer characteristics of semi-coke and steam in waste heat recovery steam generator for hydrogen production

With the steam obtained from the waste heat of high temperature semi-coke, the hydrogen production through gasification method is considered more commercially. The heat transfer of semi-coke bed and steam was investigated using an unsteady convection heat transfer three-dimensional model of semi-coke. The effects of particle size, steam flow and particle bed thickness on heat transfer characteristics were considered. The particle temperature calculated by three-dimensional model was in good agreement with the corresponding particle temperature of experiment. The heat transfer characteristics of single particle, the particle temperature, the amount of heat recovery and the heat flux were investigated. The results show that, in the first 10 min of the heat transfer of semi-coke bed and steam, the bottom particle temperature decreases rapidly, but the top particle temperature is almost unchanged. The heat transfer rate evolution of the single particle in different positions is revealed. The heat transfer rate evolution of the bottom particle is different from that of the middle particle and top particle, and the heat transfer rate evolution of middle particle is similar to that of the top particle. The particle size, the steam flow and the particle bed thickness have great influence on the heat transfer mechanism of semi-coke and steam, and the 7.5 kg/h is considered to be the best steam flow for heat recovery. The intrinsic heat transfer mechanism between semi-coke bed and steam was revealed.     

Second-law performance of heat exchangers for waste heat recovery

Exergy change rate in an ideal gas flow or an incompressible flow can be divided into a thermal exergy change rate and a mechanical exergy loss rate. The mechanical exergy loss rates in the two flows were generalized using a pressure-drop factor. For heat exchangers using in waste heat recovery, the consumed mechanical exergy is usually more valuable than the recovered thermal exergy. A weighing factor was proposed to modify the pressure-drop factor. An exergy recovery index (η_II) was defined and it was expressed as a function of effectiveness (?), ratio of modified heat capacity rates (C^∗), hot stream-to-dead-state temperature ratio, cold stream-to-dead-state temperature ratio and modified overall pressure-drop factor. This η_II–? relation can be used to find the η_II value of a heat exchanger with any flow arrangement. The η_II−Ntu and η_II−Ntu_h relations of cross-flow heat exchanger with both fluids unmixed were established respectively. The former provides a minimum Ntu design principle and the latter provides a minimum Ntu_h design principle. A numerical example showed that, at a fixed heat capacity rate of the hot stream, the heat exchanger size yielded by the minimum Ntu_h principle is smaller than that yielded by the minimum Ntu principle.     

Comparative assessment of alternative cycles for waste heat recovery and upgrade

Thermally activated systems based on sorption cycles, as well as mechanical systems based on vapor compression/expansion are assessed in this study for waste heat recovery applications. In particular, ammonia-water sorption cycles for cooling and mechanical work recovery, a heat transformer using lithium bromide-water as the working fluid pair to yield high temperature heat, and organic Rankine cycles using refrigerant R245fa for work recovery as well as versions directly coupled to a vapor compression cycle to yield cooling are analyzed with overall heat transfer conductances for heat exchangers that use similar approach temperature differences for each cycle. Two representative cases are considered, one for smaller-scale and lower temperature applications using waste heat at 60 °C, and the other for larger-scale and higher temperature waste heat at 120 °C. Comparative assessments of these cycles on the basis of efficiencies and system footprints guide the selection of waste heat recovery and upgrade systems for different applications and waste heat availabilities. Furthermore, these considerations are used to investigate four case studies for waste heat recovery for data centers, vehicles, and process plants, illustrating the utility and limitations of such solutions. The increased implementation of such waste heat recovery systems in a variety of applications will lead to decreased primary source inputs and sustainable energy utilization.     

Effects of porosity on heat and mass transfer in a granular adsorbent bed

In the present study, the mechanism of heat and mass transfer in an annulus adsorbent is handled. The heat and mass transfer equations for the adsorbent bed and the mass balance equation for the adsorbent granules are numerically solved to obtain the distributions of temperature, pressure, adsorptive density and adsorbate concentration in the adsorbent bed. The study is performed for the silica gel–water pair and for three different values of porosity as 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3. The distributions of temperature and adsorbate concentration are considerably influenced from the bed porosity. The adsorption period increases with the increase of the porosity value. The porosity affects the pressure and adsorptive density distributions at the beginning of the process and after a relatively short time, the averages of these dependent variables approach to the final equilibrium state.     

Convection heat and mass transfer in a hydromagnetic flow of a second grade fluid in the presence of thermal radiation and thermal diffusion

The convection heat and mass transfer in a hydromagnetic flow of a second grade fluid past a semi-infinite stretching sheet in the presence of thermal radiation and thermal diffusion are considered. The governing coupled non-linear partial differential equations describing the flow problem are transformed into non-linear ordinary differential equations by method of similarity transformation. The resulting similarity equations are solved numerically using Runge-Kutta shooting method. The results are presented as velocity, temperature and concentration fields for different values of parameters entering into the problem. The skin friction, rate of heat transfer and mass transfer are presented numerically in tabular form. In addition, the results obtained showed that these parameters have significant influence on the flow, heat and mass transfer.     

Experimental investigation on heat recovery from diesel engine exhaust using finned shell and tube heat exchanger and thermal storage system

The exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine carries away about 30% of the heat of combustion. The energy available in the exit stream of many energy conversion devices goes as waste, if not utilized properly. The major technical constraint that prevents successful implementation of waste heat recovery is due to its intermittent and time mismatched demand and availability of energy. In the present work, a shell and finned tube heat exchanger integrated with an IC engine setup to extract heat from the exhaust gas and a thermal energy storage tank used to store the excess energy available is investigated in detail. A combined sensible and latent heat storage system is designed, fabricated and tested for thermal energy storage using cylindrical phase change material (PCM) capsules. The performance of the engine with and without heat exchanger is evaluated. It is found that nearly 10–15% of fuel power is stored as heat in the combined storage system, which is available at reasonably higher temperature for suitable application. The performance parameters pertaining to the heat exchanger and the storage tank such as amount of heat recovered, heat lost, charging rate, charging efficiency and percentage energy saved are evaluated and reported in this paper.     

Numerical study of a combined heat and mass recovery adsorption cooling cycle

A new transient two-dimensional model for the simulation of a combined heat and mass recovery adsorption cooling cycle based on the zeolite NaX/water working pair is proposed in this paper. The model describes the transfer phenomena in the adsorber in detail and is solved by control volume method. Internal and external mass transfer limitations which are neglected by many researchers are considered in the model since they have significant effects on the performance of the adsorption cooling cycle. The numerical results show that the combined heat and mass recovery cycle between two adsorbent beds can increase the coefficient of performance (COP) of an adsorption cooling system by more than 47% compared to the single bed cycle. This numerical model can be used in system optimization and design of adsorption cycles.     

Optimization of heat transfer device and analysis of heat & mass transfer on the finned multi-tubular metal hydride tank

Based on the previous studies on heat and mass transfer characteristics of hydride tank, whether the reaction heat of hydride bed can be removed quickly is a determinant factor of the reaction rate. As the core part of reaction system, the heat transfer optimization in the tank can significantly enhance the reaction rate. In this paper, the optimization of heat transfer fins for a finned multi-tubular metal hydride tank is presented, and the heat transfer equations of tank with various configuration fins (radius, thickness and number) are derived. By analyzing the effects of fin configurations on the heat transfer device, we found that the thermal resistance of reaction system reduces with the increase of the fin radius, thickness and number. In order to study transient reaction process inside the hydride tank with various configuration and operation conditions, a 3-D mathematical model is developed and validated based on the experimental data from literature. Through simulation and optimization on hydride tank with different configurations, we got that the fin number has the most significant positive effect on the absorption reaction process. The numerical simulation results show that the hydrogen absorption rate is proportional to hydrogen pressure, heat transfer coefficient and fluid flow velocity, and the hydrogen pressure has the most remarkable impact among these factors. The H₂ absorption is accomplished in 1720 s at 1 MPa, and the absorption reaction is completed within 2000 s at the H₂ pressure of 0.8 MPa. Moreover, the maximum difference in absorption completion time is only 190 s under different heat transfer coefficients and fluid flow velocities.     

Second law analysis of a diesel engine waste heat recovery with a combined sensible and latent heat storage system

The exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine carries away about 30% of the heat of combustion. The energy available in the exit stream of many energy conversion devices goes as waste. The major technical constraint that prevents successful implementation of waste heat recovery is due to intermittent and time mismatched demand for and availability of energy. The present work deals with the use of exergy as an efficient tool to measure the quantity and quality of energy extracted from a diesel engine and stored in a combined sensible and latent heat storage system. This analysis is utilized to identify the sources of losses in useful energy within the components of the system considered, and provides a more realistic and meaningful assessment than the conventional energy analysis. The energy and exergy balance for the overall system is quantified and illustrated using energy and exergy flow diagrams. In order to study the discharge process in a thermal storage system, an illustrative example with two different cases is considered and analyzed, to quantify the destruction of exergy associated with the discharging process. The need for promoting exergy analysis through policy decision in the context of energy and environment crisis is also emphasized.     

Modeling of fractal heat conduction of semi-coke bed in waste heat recovery steam generator for hydrogen production

With the steam obtained from the waste heat of high temperature semi-coke, the hydrogen production through gasification method is considered more commercial. In order to improve the efficiency of waste heat recovery, the fractional model for heat conduction of semi-coke bed in waste heat recovery process was established. The non-destructive CT was employed to obtain the inner morphology of semi-coke bed and the image binarization processing was used to segment the CT image. With the MATLAB program, the box-counting method was used to calculate the fractal dimension of semi-coke bed. The fractional model for heat conduction of semi-coke bed was established by the fractal theory. The results showed that, the CT image and bit binary image of semi-coke bed can really reflect the inner morphology of semi-coke bed, and the inner morphology of semi-coke bed can be regarded as a fractal medium. The fractal dimension of semi-coke bed is 1.7537, which is very close to golden mean, 1.618, this could be the optimal structure for the heat conduction of semi-coke bed under the condition of natural accumulation. The one-dimensional heat conduction fractional equation of semi-coke bed was established and it can be accurately solved by fractal complex transformation and traveling wave transformation.     

Optimum arrangement and use of heat pumps in recovering waste heat

Relations are derived for the coefficient of performance of heat pump systems used to transfer heat from a low temperature heat source stream to a high temperature heat sink stream. The manner of use and operation of a number of heat pumps in such a system has been determined for the thermodynamic optimum for reversible and irreversible heat pumps.     

Development of an experimental prototype of an integrated thermal management controller for internal-combustion-engine-based cogeneration systems

As a kind of distributed energy system, internal-combustion-engine-based cogeneration system is attracting increasing attentions for its environmental friendly and economic qualities. Some problems are encountered in the application, such as jacket water temperature control and the recovery/management of waste heat. To solve these problems, the concept of “integrated thermal management controller” (ITMC) is presented in this paper. Experimental prototype is established to verify its operation principle. Experimental results show that the prototype can effectively control the temperature in variable working conditions. Water/R22 is a good combination of working fluid/non-condensable gas in temperature control. The regulation of hot water flow rate is an effective method to adjust the heat allocated to heat consumer.     

场地有机污染土壤原位热修复过程中热质传递机制研究

针对现有原位热修复技术能耗较高且在修复过程中热质传递机制不明的问题,研究了现场试验过程中的土壤温度场变化、修复效果和能耗,采用数值模拟方法对温湿度场的变化进行了验证。结果表明：加热井呈正六边形排布时,修复区域的受热较为均匀,各测温点在修复35 d后,温度均达到200.0℃以上,修复后场地满足第二类用地筛选值;在标准状态下,试验过程中天然气用量总计685 664.0 m³,每修复1.0 m³污染土壤约消耗62.8 m³天然气;加热井热量主要为修复场地侧壁供能,对于位置低于加热井的土壤作用较小,加热井轴向土壤体积含水率分布较为均匀,但加热井底部体积含水率较高,修复区域底部水分不利于修复场地温度的提升,数值模拟和试验数据的吻合度较高,平均相对误差MRE为20%,为场地有机污染土壤原位热修复技术应用提供技术支撑。     

A simple model for heat and mass transfer in absorption cooling systems (ACSs)

The article presents a simple technique for the purpose of heat and mass transfer analysis in an ACS. The LiBr/water ACS was selected as an example. based on optimum operation conditions (i.e., the maximum cooling temperature delivered by the ACS), simple but effective expression were derived in terms of the mass flow rate of absorbent—the most important parameter for practical design calculations. The results show that the proposed technique provides, for practical application purposes, a useful tool for a general analysis of the ACS as well as for the system design purpose.     

A numerical study on the heat and mass transfer characteristics of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells

The heat and mass transfer characteristics of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) need to be considered when designing SOFCs because they heavily influence the performance and durability of the cells. The physical property models, the governing equations (mass, momentum, energy and species balance equations) and the electrochemical reaction models were calculated simultaneously in a 3-dimensional SOFC simulation. The current density-voltage (I-V) curves measured experimentally from a single SOFC were compared with the simulation data for code validation purposes. The error between the experimental data and the numerical results was less than 5% at operating temperatures from 700 °C to 850 °C. The current density and the mass transfer rate of an anode-supported SOFC were compared with those of a metal-supported SOFC. The metal-supported SOFC had a 17% lower average current density than the anode-supported SOFC because of the bonding layer, but it showed better thermal stability than the anode-supported SOFC because of its more uniform current density distribution. The current density, temperature and pressure drop of the metal-supported SOFC were investigated for several channel designs. A high current density was observed near the hydrogen inlet and at the intersection of the hydrogen and air channels. However, there was a low current density under the rib and at the cell edge because of an insufficient reactant diffusion flux. When the proper channel design was applied to the metal-supported SOFC, the average current density was increased by 45%.     

Optimal waste heat recovery and reuse in industrial zones

Significant energy efficiency gains in zones with concentrated activity from energy intensive industries can often be achieved by recovering and reusing waste heat between processing plants. We present a systematic approach to target waste heat recovery potentials and design optimal reuse options across plants in industrial zones. The approach first establishes available waste heat qualities and reuse feasibilities considering distances between individual plants. A targeting optimization problem is solved to establish the maximum possible waste heat recovery for the industrial zone. Then, a design optimization problem is solved to identify concrete waste heat recovery options considering economic objectives. The paper describes the approach and illustrates its application with a case study.     

Analytical solution of adiabatic heat and mass transfer process in packed-type liquid desiccant equipment and its application

This paper presents an integrated analytical solution of adiabatic heat and mass transfer in packed-type liquid desiccant equipment based on proposed mathematical models in both parallel-flow and counter-flow configurations. In the derivation process, the desiccant concentration at the inlet and outlet of the absorber is assumed to be constant. That means this solution is suitable for high desiccant flow rate conditions. This analytical solution has good accuracy when compared with reliable experimental data available in the literature. The moisture removal rate is derived from this solution and every factor that influences performance can be easily analyzed. Another benefit is that it can be used to discover the optimum air-to-solution flow rate ratio with which the driving force may be kept constant throughout the column. The optimum flow rate ratio may be used for optimal system design and to realize a reversible heat and mass transfer process.     

高温热管在小氮肥余热回收中的应用

将高温热管蒸汽发生器应用于小氮肥造气工艺，以取代原普通余热锅炉回收煤气工段的高温余热，解决了合成氨生产工艺中煤气降温的难题，取得了很好的经济效益和社会效益。     

Investigations of filling mass with the dependence of heat transfer during fast filling of hydrogen cylinders

Much attention has been paid to study the state of charge (SOC) during fast filling process. However, investigation on identifying the foremost factors and contribution of them to the filling mass is still an open issue. In essence, the contributing factors are multiple, of which, the most important factors can be found out by thermodynamical analysis. Based on the thermodynamical analysis and mass flow rate balance, some equations calculating filling mass and heat transfer are outstanding. The mass filling rate, the initial pressure in the cylinder and the inlet temperature of hydrogen are confirmed to be the utmost important factors influencing the filling mass. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is established. The simulation results show the liner or inverse proportional relationship between filling mass and the three factors, hence, a formula for the final mass with diverse filling conditions is figured out. By means of studying the state of charge obtained by adiabatic and diathermal filling processes, a formula to investigate the heat transfer is proposed. Both the filling mass and heat transfer are coupled with the three factors. Therefore, the effect of heat transfer on filling mass has been investigated. It seems that the filling mass is dependent on the total heat transfer during fast filling.