A simulation for the piston effect in supercritical carbon dioxide with the non-flow model

A simulation for piston effect in supercritical carbon dioxide by employing a simple model is conducted.In the first place,the thermal properties of carbon dioxide near its liquid-vapor critical point are discussed.It is calculated that the heat capacity ratio and isobaric expansion coefficient of supercritical fluids are extremely high.Furthermore,the simulation for piston effect in supercritical carbon dioxide between two infinite vertical walls is presented.The numerical results prove that piston effect has a much faster speed of heat transfer than thermal conduction under microgravity conditions.Moreover,the piston effect turns out to be stronger when closer to the critical point.     

Non-uniform porosity and thermal dispersion effects on natural convection about a heated horizontal cylinder in an enclosed porous medium

A numerical solution has been obtained for transient two-dimensional natural convection from a heated horizontal cylinder embedded in an enclosed porous medium. Non-Darcian effects are taken into consideration in the momentum equation, while the thermal dispersion effect is taken into consideration in the energy equation. The wall effect on porosity is approximated by an exponential function and its effect on thermal dispersion is modeled by a dispersive length. The governing equations in terms of the stream function, vorticity, and temperature are expressed in a body-fitted coordinate system, which were solved numerically by the finite difference method. Results are presented for the streamlines and isotherms, tangential velocity and temperature distributions, as well as the average Nusselt numbers at different values of Rayleigh number, dimensionless particle diameter, and Prandtl number. The non-uniform porosity effect tends to increase the temperature gradient near the wall while the thermal dispersion effect increases the effective thermal conductivity, both resulting in an increase in surface heat flux. The effect of thermal dispersion on natural convection in porous media at low to moderate Rayleigh number is small. With nonuniform porosity and thermal dispersion effects taken into consideration, the predicted average Nusselt numbers are found to be in better agreement with experimental data.     

A numerical investigation into the charge behaviour of a spherical phase change material particle for high temperature thermal energy storage in packed beds

基于高温相变材料,对填充床储热系统中储热单元球体的储热性能进行了模拟研究.研究了不同传热流体温度和球体直径对球体储热性能的影响规律,对导热为主的相变储热过程与导热和自然对流共同作用的相变储热过程进行了比较分析,同时还探讨了高温辐射换热的影响.结果表明,相变时间随球体直径的增大而增大,随传热流体温度的增大而减小.当考虑相变区域自然对流时,总的相变时间显著减少,和单纯导热相比,完全相变时间缩短了近16%.在导热和自然对流的基础上加上辐射传热后可以看出,辐射换热强化了球体内的传热过程,加快了相变材料的熔化速度,强化了自然对流的作用.     

Heat Transfer Characteristics of Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Molten Salt

Molten salt and supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO_2) are important high temperature heat transfer media,but molten salt/S-CO_2 heat exchanger has been seldom reported.In present paper,heat transfer in printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) with molten salt and S-CO_2 is simulated and analyzed.Since S-CO_2 can be drove along passage wall by strong buoyancy force with large density difference,its heat transfer is enhanced by natural convection.In inlet region,natural convection weakens along flow direction with decreasing Richardson number,and the thermal boundary layer becomes thicker,so local heat transfer coefficient of S-CO_2 significantly decreases.In outlet region,turbulent kinetic energy gradually increases,and then heat transfer coefficient increases for turbulent heat transfer enhancement.Compared with transcritical CO_2 with lower inlet temperature,local heat transfer coefficient of S-CO_2 near inlet is lower for smaller Richardson number,while it will be higher for larger turbulent kinetic energy near outlet.Performance of PCHE is mainly determined by the pressure drop in molten salt passage and the heat transfer resistance in S-CO_2 passage.When molten salt passage width increases,molten salt pressure drop significantly decreases,and overall heat transfer coefficient slightly changes,so the comprehensive performance of PCHE is improved.As a result,PCHE unit with three semicircular passages and one semi-elliptic passage has better performance.     

The Rayleigh–Bénard convection in near-critical fluids: Influences of the specific heat ratio

This article studies the natural convection in near-critical fluids under the Rayleigh–Bénard configuration. The governing equations are non-dimensionalized by using modified scaling factors and five dimensionless parameters are determined, out of which the specific heat ratio γ is investigated thoroughly in terms of its influences on the convection. The governing equations are solved by the finite volume method along with the low Mach number approximation technique. It is revealed that the strength of the piston effect increases with γ. Since the piston effect is more efficient than the convection in terms of heat transfer, as γ is reduced, the relaxation of temperature field is weakened, while the development of convection is enhanced. By comparing the temperature and velocity fields in different cases and analyzing the heat transfer characteristic, we conclude that the final quasi-steady state is almost unaffected.     

Heat Transfer Enhancement for PCM Thermal Energy Storage in Triplex Tube Heat Exchanger

Thermal energy storage is critical for reducing the discrepancy between energy supply and energy demand, as well as for improving the efficiency of solar thermal energy systems. Among the different types of thermal energy storage, phase-change materials (PCM) thermal energy storage has gained significant attention recently because of its high energy density per unit mass/volume at nearly constant temperature. This study experimentally investigates the using of a triplex tube heat exchanger (TTHX) with PCM in the middle tube as the thermal energy storage to power a liquid desiccant air-conditioning system. Four longitudinal fins were welded to each of the inner and middle tubes as a heat transfer enhancement in the TTHX to improve the thermal performance of the thermal energy storage. The average temperature of the PCM during the melting process in the TTHX with and without fins was compared. The PCM temperature gradients in the angular direction were analyzed to study the effect of the natural convection in the melting process of the thermal storage. The energy storage efficiency of the TTHX was determined. Results indicated that there was a considerable enhancement in the melting rate by using fins in the TTHX thermal storage. The PCM melting time is reduced to 86% by increasing of the inlet heat transfer fluid. The average heat storage efficiency calculated from experimental data for all the PCMs is 71.8%, meaning that 28.2% of the heat actually was lost.     

Effect of pressure and temperature on cluster and particle heat transfer in a pressurized circulating fluidized bed

The present work reports the influence of pressure and bed temperature on particle‐to‐wall heat transfer in a pressurized circulating fluidized bed (PCFB). The particle convection heat transfer plays a dominant role in determining the bed‐to‐wall heat transfer coefficient. So far, no information is reported on the effect of pressure and bed temperature on particle‐to‐wall heat transfer in a PCFB in the published literature. The present investigation reports some information in this direction. The effect of system pressure and bed temperature are investigated to study their influence on cluster and particle heat transfer. The particle convection heat transfer coefficient increases with system pressure and bed temperature due to higher cluster thermal conductivity. The increase in particle concentration (suspension density) results in greater cluster solid fraction and also the particle concentration near the wall is enhanced. This results in higher cluster and particle convection heat transfer between the bed and the wall. Higher particle convection heat transfer coefficient results in enhanced heat transfer between the bed and the wall. The results will also help to understand the bed‐to‐wall heat transfer mechanism in a better way in a PCFB. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of interfacial heat transfer on the onset of oscillatory convection in liquid bridge

In present study, effect of interfacial heat transfer with ambient gas on the onset of oscillatory convection in a liquid bridge of large Prandtl number on the ground is systematically investigated by the method of linear stability analyses. With both the constant and linear ambient air temperature distributions, the numerical results show that the interfacial heat transfer modifies the free-surface temperature distribution directly and then induces a steeper temperature gradient on the middle part of the free surface, which may destabilize the convection. On the other hand, the interfacial heat transfer restrains the temperature disturbances on the free surface, which may stabilize the convection. The two coupling effects result in a complex dependence of the stability property on the Biot number. Effects of melt free-surface deformation on the critical conditions of the oscillatory convection were also investigated. Moreover, to better understand the mechanism of the instabilities, rates of kinetic energy change and “thermal” energy change of the critical disturbances were investigated     

航天器密封舱降压法抑制自然对流的数值研究

航天器密封舱地面试验中常利用降压法来抑制自然对流的影响,但是降压比的选择往往取决于一些未知参数,使得自然对流的抑制得不到保证.本文建立了某一载人航天器密封舱流动换热的稳态数值模型,通过对比研究地面试验与空间状态不同通风量下流动换热的变化情况,综合考虑人体舒适度、消除自然对流影响和能耗三方面,给出了密封舱最佳通风量.通过对比研究密封舱内不同气体压力条件下地面与空间条件的对流换热系数与温度分布情况,给出了可以忽略自然对流影响的临界压力及对应的Gr/Re2数.     

基于传热系数反求法的船用柴油机组合活塞热分析

建立了柴油机组合活塞的2D有限元模型,并利用传热系数反求法对该模型进行热分析。在仿真分析中,将活塞头部外表面传热系数定义为设计参数,实测温度与仿真温度的差值定义为目标函数。通过仿真计算得到了活塞头部外表面传热系数的分布,并利用反求法得到的传热系数对有限元模型进行热分析,仿真结果与实测温度吻合;传热系数反求法收敛迅速,可以有效用于活塞及其他内燃机零部件的温度分布和热负荷分析。     

非均匀热流下水平管内混合对流大涡模拟研究

针对以槽式太阳能集热器为背景的高密度、高度非均匀热流下水平管内的混合对流换热问题,采用大涡模拟方法,研究了热流密度非均匀性对水平管内混合对流瞬态涡结构、脉动强度、湍流热通量及局部平均壁温的影响;揭示了非均匀热流下自然对流对管内湍流特性的影响规律;提出了适用于不同热边界条件下管内混合对流换热的强化措施。结果表明:均匀热流时,自然对流会抑制管顶部的湍流脉动,使流动层流化,造成传热能力局部恶化;非均匀热流时,随着自然对流的增强,近壁面速度脉动强度先减小后增大,二次流逐渐增强,换热能力逐渐提高,故管内换热能力受湍流脉动与二次流协同影响;在自然对流影响下,均匀加热时管顶部可采用针对层流的强化换热措施,非均匀加热时需着重提高管底部高热流区域的湍流脉动与涡强度。     

Heat transfer modeling and simulations for electronic cooling systems embedded with phase changing materials

Electronic systems used in communication devices and mission critical systems such as directed‐energy weapons and spacecraft call for requirements to dissipate high heat flux in limited spaces. This study attempts to model the heat transfer in an electronic module, dissipating heat to a coolant in a microchannel as well as to ambient by natural convection and radiation. These results have been used to compare the effectiveness of a new cooling system, embedded with phase changing materials within the heat spreaders. The heat transfer model takes care of the heat stored in the phase changing material, heat transferred by natural convection and radiation effects, in addition to the convection heat transfer in the microchannel cooling passage. Hence, the developed model can successfully take into account the effect of the variation in operating atmospheric conditions which are significant in systems employed in harsh thermal environments. Simulations have been performed for a wide range of heats and appropriate coolant flow rates are being set for a prescribed safe operating temperature of the processor. Simulations for cooling systems with phase changing materials embedded within the available heat spreader shows that it can provide stable operation of electronic systems during peak heat loads as well as in extreme ambient conditions.     

Thermodynamics of natural convection in enclosures with viscous dissipation

Consideration of the viscous dissipation effects in natural and mixed convection heat transfer must be taken carefully, both in what concerns the thermodynamics of the problem and the relevance of the dissipation term. This applies equally to external or internal natural and mixed convection, and to spaces filled with a single fluid or to spaces filled with fluid-saturated porous media. The main question is related to the fact that, in natural convection, the work done by the pressure forces must equal the energy dissipated by viscous effects, which is the unique situation compatible with the First Law of Thermodynamics, the net energy generation in the overall domain being zero. If only the (positive) viscous dissipation term is considered in the energy conservation equation, the domain behaves like a heat multiplier, the heat output being higher than the heat input. If this is not taken into consideration, erroneous conclusions about flow and temperature fields and heat transfer results are obtained. In mixed convection problems, part of the viscous dissipation term is equally due to the work of pressure forces. Attention is given mainly to the natural convection problem in a square enclosure, the main conclusions applying for general natural or mixed convection heat transfer problems.     

Laminar conjugate mixed convection in a vertical channel with heat generating components

Conjugate mixed convection arising from protruding heat generating ribs attached to substrates (printed circuit boards) forming channel walls is numerically studied. The substrates with ribs form a series of vertical parallel plate channels. Assuming identical disposition and heat generation of the ribs on each board, a channel with periodic boundary conditions in the transverse direction is considered for analysis. The governing equations are discretised using a control volume approach on a staggered mesh and a pressure correction method is employed for the pressure–velocity coupling. The solid regions are considered as fluid regions with infinite viscosity and the thermal coupling between the solid and fluid regions is taken into account by the harmonic thermal conductivity method. Parametric studies are performed by varying the heat generation based Grashof number in the range 10⁴–10⁷ and the fan velocity based Reynolds number in the range 0–1500, with air as the working medium. Results are obtained for the velocity and temperature distributions, natural convection induced mass flow rate through the channel, the maximum temperatures in the heat sources and the local Nusselt numbers. The natural convection induced mass flow rate in mixed convection is correlated in terms of the Grashof and Reynolds numbers. In pure natural convection the induced mass flow rate varies as 0.44 power of Grashof number. The maximum dimensionless temperature is correlated in terms of pure natural convection and forced convection inlet velocity asymptotes. For the parameter values considered, the heat transferred to the working fluid via substrate heat conduction is found to account for 41–47% of the heat removal from the ribs.     

Numerical investigation of the thermal mechanism of the solid-liquid phase changing process

由于相变换热储能技术可以协调能量在时间和空间尺度的分配,成为了目前研究的热点问题。本工作用焓值法分别对充填低温无机盐相变材料的二维和三维管壳式相变储能换热器模型的储/放热特性进行了模拟研究,采用Boussinesq近似研究了液相区密度变化引起的自然对流的影响。研究表明换热器的入口温度对相变换热效率影响显著;在储热过程中自然对流发挥了重要作用,换热效率与液相区的运动状态直接相关,而放热过程中的热交换主要依靠热传导完成;三维模拟的结果表明换热管出口温度与管壁的平均努赛尔数高度相关,且换热管水平放置的换热效率略低于竖直放置。     

Effect of horizontal pressure gradient on Rayleigh–Bénard convection of a Newtonian nanoliquid in a high porosity medium using a local thermal non-equilibrium model

A study of linear and weakly nonlinear stability analyses of Darcy–Brinkman convection in a water–alumina, nanoliquid-saturated porous layer for stress-free isothermal boundaries, when the solid and nanoliquid phases are in local thermal nonequilibrium, is conducted. The critical eigenvalue is found using the Galerkin approach. The effect of the pressure gradient, thermal conductivity ratio, interphase heat transfer coefficient, inverse Darcy number, and Brinkman number on the heat transport and onset of convection is examined and represented graphically. The critical values of wavenumber and nanoliquid Rayleigh number are found for different problem parameter values. The effect of increasing the porosity-modified ratio of thermal conductivity advances the onset of convection and increases the amount of heat transport, whereas the remaining parameters have the opposite impact on the onset of convection and amount of heat transport. The classical results of the local thermal equilibrium case and Darcy–Bénard convection in the presence of pressure gradient are obtained as a limiting case of the present problem.     

Experimental Study of Air Pressure Effects on Natural Convection From a Horizontal Cylinder

The topic of this research is the importance of convection heat transfer coefficient and the effect that ambient pressure has on it. Toward this end, an experimental study was performed to investigate the effects of air pressure on natural convection heat transfer from a horizontal cylinder. Pressure was varied from 1 to 220 kPa and the convection coefficient was obtained in the temperature range from 50 to 100°C. Various diagrams and tables were obtained to show the dependence of natural convection on pressure. A correlation was derived to describe the heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number as a function of pressure and Knudsen number or Rayleigh and Knudsen number. The rate of heat transfer by radiation was also compared with convection at different temperatures and pressures.     

A new general model for phase-change heat transfer of waxy crude oil during the ambient-induced cooling process

The thermal process during shutdown (a stoppage state of the pipeline), of which the essence is an irregular phase-change process accompanied by natural convection, non-Newtonian behavior, and sometimes turbulence, is a critical problem in crude oil transportation engineering. An accurate calculation of the thermal process during shutdown is more than necessary for the safety of crude oil pipeline; however, it faces some challenges due to the complexity of the phase change. In this study, the phase change of waxy crude oil during the cooling process is divided into four stages, which includes a pure liquid natural convection, solid/liquid dispersion natural convection, coexistence of dispersion system natural convection and porous media natural convection, and pure porous media convection, according to different heat transfer mechanisms on different stages. Based on this division, a general phase-change heat transfer model is proposed for the thermal calculation of waxy crude oil during shutdown. Compared with the previous research, this model appropriately includes the influences of non-Newtonian behavior, phase evolution as well as turbulence. With the proposed model, the temperature drop characteristic of a sample pipeline is analyzed and the influencing factors are investigated.     

Numerical investigation of an evaporating meniscus in a channel

A detailed numerical model is developed that describes heat and mass transfer from a meniscus to open air. The model accounts for the effects of evaporation at the interface, vapor transport through air, thermocapillary convection, and natural convection in air. Evaporation at the interface is modeled using kinetic theory, while vapor transport in air is computed by solving the complete species transport equation. Since the vapor pressure at the liquid–gas interface depends on both evaporation and the vapor transport in air, the equations are solved in an iterative manner. Evaporation is strongest at the triple line due to the highest local vapor diffusion gradient in this region. This differential evaporation, coupled with the low thermal resistance near the triple line, results in a temperature gradient along the interface that creates thermocapillary convection. The numerical results obtained show satisfactory agreement with experimental data for the evaporation rate and the temperature profile. Additionally, results from a simplified model neglecting thermocapillary convection are compared with the full solution, thus delineating the importance of thermocapillary convection-induced mixing in the energy transfer process. The present generalized model may easily be extended to other geometries and hence may be used in the design of two-phase cooling devices.     

On natural convection in enclosures filled with fluid-saturated porous media including viscous dissipation

Care needs to be taken when considering the viscous dissipation in the energy conservation formulation of the natural convection problem in fluid-saturated porous media. The unique energy formulation compatible with the First Law of Thermodynamics informs us that if the viscous dissipation term is taken into account, also the work of pressure forces term needs to be taken into account. In integral terms, the work of pressure forces must equal the energy dissipated by viscous effects, and the net energy generation in the overall domain must be zero. If only the (positive) viscous dissipation term is considered in the energy conservation equation, the domain behaves as a heat multiplier, with an heat output greater than the heat input. Only the energy formulation consistent with the First Law of Thermodynamics leads to the correct flow and temperature fields, as well as of the heat transfer parameters characterizing the involved porous device. Attention is given to the natural convection problem in a square enclosure filled with a fluid-saturated porous medium, using the Darcy Law to describe the fluid flow, but the main ideas and conclusions apply equally for any general natural or mixed convection heat transfer problem. It is also analyzed the validity of the Oberbeck–Boussinesq approximation when applied to natural convection problems in fluid-saturated porous media.