On the pressure drop and the velocity distribution in the cylindrical vortex chamber with two inlet pipes for the control of vortex flow

Vortex flow is applied to a cyclone dust collector, a vortex combustion chamber, and a vortex diode for vortex control. In order to apply the vortex flow to the industries, it is necessary to keep the stable flow condition and to estimate the response time of the transient flow process and also the intensity of the vortex flow. For control vortex flow, two types of vortex chamber with two inlet pipes were designed. One of them is to promote the vortex flow named as Co-Rotating Flow System and another one is to hinder the vortex flow named as Counter-Rotating Flow System. The pressure drops and the velocity distributions were measured for these vortex chambers. The estimation of the tangential velocity by the application of the angular momentum flux is compared with the measured velocity by a cylindrical Pitot-tube. The characteristics of the total pressure drop could be explained by introducing the circulation.     

Experimental investigations on fiber motion within rotor spinning unit

An experimental platform is constructed to photograph fibers' motion within rotor spinning unit,which is mainly composed of a transparent rotor and a transport channel based on the similarity theory.The fibers will stretch and gather into a fiber bundle in the transport channel.The velocity of fibers is increasing along the inlet to the outlet of the transport channel,and the fibers' maximum velocity appears at the outlet of transport channel.The straightness of the fiber bundle is related to the convergence degree of the transport channel,and the greater the convergence degree is,the straighter the fiber bundle stretches.The results will provide a useful insight to the yam-forming mechanism of rotor spirming.     

Overview of Concentrated Solar Power

CSP （concentrated solar power） has been viewed as the technology that if properly developed could lead to a large scale conversion of solar energy into electricity. CSP is a type of solar energy converter that is classified as thermal converter because the output power produced is a function of the operating temperature. The main components of a CSP plant are the solar field which is made up of the heliostat arrays, the receiver tower, the heat transfer fluid, the molten salt thermal energy storage tanks and the power conversion unit, which is made up of the turbine and the generator. The main advantage of CSP is that of a cheap thermal storage （i.e., molten salt storage） which makes it possible to dispatch power at a cost comparable to the grid electricity. Simulations run with the SAM （systems advisory model） developed by NREL （National Renewable Energy Laboratory） showed that CSP is capable of delivering electricity at the cost of 17UScents per kWh for the 30-year life of the plant. The main disadvantage of CSP however, is that of low efficiency （8%-16%）. There are ongoing research works to improve the efficiency of the CSP. One way to improve the efficiency is to increase the operating temperature of the system. In this paper, the authors discussed different modules of the CSP plant and suggested ways to improve on the conversion efficiencies of individual modules. Finally, an overall systems performance simulation is carried using SAM and the simulation results show that electricity can be produced using CSP at the cost of RI.05 per kWh.     

Enhancement of Performance by Blade Optimization in Two-Stage Ring Blower

This paper describes the shape optimization of an impeller used for two-stage high pressure ring blower. Two shape variables, which are used to define an impeller shape, are introduced to increase the blower performance. The pressure of a blower is selected as an object function, and the blade optimization is performed by a response surface method. Three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations are introduced to analyze the internal flow of the blower and to find the value of object function for the training data. Relatively good agreement between experi- mental measurements and numerical simulation is obtained in the present study. Throughout the shape optimiza- tion, it is found that a hub height is effective to increase pressure in the ring blower. The pressure rise for the op- timal two-stage ring blower is successfully increased up to 1.86% compared with that of reference at the design flow rate. Local recirculation flow having low velocity is formed in both sides of the impeller outlet by different flow direction of the inlet and outlet of the impeller. Detailed flow field inside the ring blower is also analyzed and discussed.     

Coupling Heat and Electricity Sources to Intermediate Temperature Steam Electrolysis

The use of CO2-free energy sources for running SOEC （solid-oxide electrolysis cell） technologies has a great potential to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions compared to fossil fuel based technologies for hydrogen production. The operation of the electrolysis cell at higher temperature offers the benefit of increasing the efficiency of the process. The range of the operating temperature of the SOEC is typically between 800 ~C and 1,000 ~C. Main sources of degradation that affect the SOEC stack lifetime is related to the high operating temperature. To increase the electrolyser durability, one possible solution is to decrease the operating temperature down to 650 ~C, which represents the typical operating range of the ITSE （intermediate temperature steam electrolysis）. This paper is related to the work of the JU-FCH project ADEL, which investigates different carbon-free energy sources with respect to potential coupling schemes to ITSE. A predominant focus of the analysis is put on solar concentrating energy systems （solar tower） and nuclear energy as energy sources to provide the required electricity and heat for the ITSE. This study will present an overview of the main considerations, the boundary conditions and the results concerning the development of coupling schemes of the energy conversion technologies to the electrolyser.     

Influence of Coanda surface curvature on performance of bladeless fan

The unique Coanda surface has a great influence on the performance of bladeless fan.However,there is few studies to explain the relationship between the performance and Coanda surface curvature at present.In order to gain a qualitative understanding of effect of the curvature on the performance of bladeless fan,numerical studies are performed in this paper.Firstly,three-dimensional numerical simulation is done by Fluent software.For the purpose to obtain detailed information of the flow field around the Coanda surface,two-dimensional numerical simulation is also conducted.Five types of Coanda surfaces with different curvature are designed,and the flow behaviour and the performance of them are analyzed and compared with those of the prototype.The analysis indicates that the curvature of Coanda surface is strongly related to blowing performance,It is found that there is an optimal curvature of Coanda surfaces among the studied models.Simulation result shows that there is a special low pressure region.With increasing curvature in Y direction,several low pressure regions gradually enlarged,then begin to merge slowly,and finally form a large area of low pressure.From the analyses of streamlines and velocity angle,it is found that the magnitude of the curvature affects the flow direction and reasonable curvature can induce fluid flow close to the wall.Thus,it leads to that the curvature of the streamlines is consistent with that of Coanda surface.Meanwhile,it also causes the fluid movement towards the most suitable direction.This study will provide useful information to performance improvements of bladeless fans.     

Cavitation Rates in Water with Dissolved Gas and Other Impurities

Our objective is a better understanding of the role of physical properties of real fluids in the thermodynamics of cavitation in impure water. An extension to the classical homogenous nucleation theory suitable for mixtures is presented in attempt to address the discrepancy between the theoretical predictions and practical observations of cavitation rates in water at normal temperatures. The extension takes into account the non-equilibrium (dissipative) effects involved in nuclei formation through a substance dependent correction coefficient to be determined experimentally. The theory of thermodynamic fluctuations is applied to derive the work of formation of a bubble nucleus. The value of the correction coefficient is estimated using preliminary experimental data from a convergent-divergent nozzle. An application of the results to the numerical prediction of the cavitation zones in a radial-flow water pump is shown.     

Performance and flow condition of small-sized axial fan and adoption of contra-rotating rotors

Small-sized axial fans are used as air coolers for electric equipments. But there is a strong demand for higher power of fans according to the increase of quantity of heat from electric devices. Therefore, higher rotational speed design is conducted, although it causes the deterioration of the efficiency and the increase of noise. Then the adoption of contra-rotating rotors for the small-sized axial fan is proposed for the improvement of the performance. In the present paper, the performance and the internal flow condition of the small-sized axial fan are shown as a first step of the research for the contra-rotating small-sized axial fan and the important points to apply contra-rotating rotors to the small-sized axial fan are discussed. Furthermore, the numerical flow analysis is conducted to investigate the performance of the contra-rotating small-sized axial fan and internal flow conditions and pressure distributions are clarified and the effect of contra-rotating rotors is considered.     

Weibull Statistics in Dielectric Strength of Oil-impregnated Pressboard under Ramped AC and DC Voltages

AC and DC breakdown tests were performed on large populations of oil-impregnated pressboard samples. The effect of voltage ramp rate on dielectric strength has been investigated. A statistical analysis of breakdown data was carried out using the Weibull distribution. The 90% confidence intervals of Weibull graphs were calculated. The study shows that dielectric strength and shape parameter change versus ramp rate. The variations are attributed to the size and number of defects. Discharges occur from the oil to the oil-pressboard interface and lead to breakdown. DC dielectric strength is larger than that corresponding to AC voltage. This is ascribed to the dissipated energy difference under the two types of field and the fatigue produced by the alternating voltage. This phenomenon is related to space charge. Under DC stress, dielectric strength is higher under negative polarity. It is assigned to the different quantities of space charge accumulated under the two polarities.     

Evaluation of Building Integrated Photovoltaic Systems＇ Potential in the Industrial Sector： Case Study of Oinofyta-Viotia Zone,Greece

The aim of this paper is to propose a flexible and accurate methodology for the evaluation of the BIPV （building integrated photovoltaic） potential on industrial building roofs. The use of more realistic and case specific data obtained by accurate technical on-site audits is proved to be of significant importance in the reliability of the proposed methodology results. Moreover, the most recent PV market information is used, considering however that this factor is rapidly changing during the last years, owed to the vast growth of the PV sector. To this end, emphasis is given on the country of Greece, where besides the fact that there is an increase of PV installations; no progress has been met in the use of BIPV systems in the industrial sector, opposite to the situation met in other EU countries. Acknowledging the above, the proposed methodology is currently applied so as to evaluate the BIPV potential of a large industrial zone close to the Greek capital, Athens. The results of this study can be used by both other researchers, for similar evaluations, and energy policy makers, to support the clean energy production concept on the basis of BIPV systems in industrial areas.     

Determining parameters of heat exchangers for heat recovery in a Cu–Cl thermochemical hydrogen production cycle

A heat exchanger is a device built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. Shell and tube heat exchangers are separated wall heat exchangers and are commonly used in the nuclear and process industry. The CuCl cycle is used to thermally crack water in to H₂ and O₂. The present study presents the heat exchanger thermal design using analysis of variance for heat recovery from oxygen at 500 °C, coming from the molten salt reactor. Polynomial regressions in terms of the amount of chlorine in the oxygen, the mass flow rate on the tube side, and the shell's outlet temperature are estimated for various exchanger parameters and the results are compared with the bell Delaware method. Based on energy and exergy analysis, this study also discusses the best possible path for the recovered heat from oxygen. Optimal heat exchanger parameters are estimated by Design-Expert^® Stat-Ease for most effective heat recovery.     

Thermal-hydraulic performance of novel louvered fin using flat tube cross-flow heat exchanger

Experimental studies were conducted to investigate the air-side heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of a novel louvered fins and flat tube heat exchangers. A series of tests were conducted for 9 heat exchangers with different fin space and fin length, at a constant tube-side water flow rate of 2.8 m³/h. The air side thermal performance data were analyzed using the effectiveness-NTU method. Results were presented as plot of Colburn j factor and friction factor f against the Reynolds number in the range of 500–6500. The characteristics of the heat transfer and pressure drop of different fin space and fin length were analyzed and compared. In addition, the curves of the heat transfer coefficients vs. pumping power per unit heat transfer area were plotted. Finally, the area optimization factor was used to evaluate the thermal hydraulic performance of the louvered fins with differential geometries. The results showed that the j and f factors increase with the decrease of the fin space and fin length, and the fin space has more obvious effect on the thermal hydraulic characteristics of the novel louvered fins. __________ Translated from Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University, 2007, 41(3): 380–383 [译自: 上海交通大学学报]     

Determining the best type of heat exchangers for heat recovery

It is a common problem to choose the most appropriate heat exchanger configuration for heat recovery. In this study, a new model has been developed for determining the area and type of the most appropriate waste heat recovery heat exchanger for maximum net gain. A non-dimensional E number has been defined based on known technical and economic parameters such as the life-time, unit area cost of the heat exchanger, lower heating value of the fuel, overall heat transfer coefficient of heat exchanger, boiler efficiency, operation time per year, heat exchanger effectiveness, ratio of heat capacities, annual variation of the temperature of fluids supplied to the heat exchanger and present worth factor. The non-dimensional E numbers has been demonstrated in graphical forms as a function of NTU and ratio of heat capacities and corresponding heat exchanger area giving maximum net gain can easily be obtained from these graphs. The best heat exchanger type and its area can be determined comparing net gains or effectiveness of heat exchangers at NTU_max. Application of the new method has been given with a case study as a sample calculation.     

Heat transfer effectiveness of three-fluid separated heat pipe exchanger

A heat transfer model for three-fluid separated heat pipe exchanger was analyzed,and the temperature transfer matrix for general three-fluid separated heat exchanger working in parallel-flow or counter-flow mode was obtained.It was found that the forms of temperature transfer matrix are similar for heat pipe rows with equal or different heat transfer surface area.Furthermore,by using the temperature transfer matrix of the heat pipe exchanger,the relationship between heat transfer effectiveness θ 1,θ 2 and M,NTU,U,Δt i were derived for the exchanger operating in parallel-flow or counter-flow mode,and a simple special example was adopted to demonstrate the correctness of these relationships.     

Twisted bundle heat exchangers performance evaluation by CFD (CJ12/5054)

Shell and tube heat exchanger with single twisted tube bundle in five different twist angles, are studied using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and compared to the conventional shell and tube heat exchanger with single segmental baffles. Effect of shell-side nozzles configurations on heat exchanger performance is studied as well. Heat transfer rate and pressure drop are the main issues investigated in the paper. The results show that, for the same shell-side flow rate, the heat transfer coefficient of heat exchanger with twisted tube bundle is lower than that of the heat exchanger with segmental baffles while shell-side pressure drop of the former is even much lower than that of the latter. The comparison of heat transfer rate per unit pressure drop versus shell-side mass flow rate shows that heat exchanger with twisted tube bundle in both cases of perpendicular and tangential shell-side nozzles, has significant performance advantages over the segmental baffled heat exchanger. Optimum bundle twist angles for such exchangers are found to be 65 and 55° for all shell side flow rates.     

Numerical study of an exhaust heat recovery system using corrugated tube heat exchanger with twisted tape inserts

The purpose of this work is to investigate gas to liquid heat transfer performance of concentric tube heat exchanger with twisted tape inserted corrugated tube and to evaluate its impact on engine performance and economics through heat recovery from the exhaust of a heavy duty diesel generator (120 ekW rated load). This type of heat exchanger is expected to be inexpensive to install and effective in heat transfer and to have minimal effect on exhaust emissions of diesel engines. This type of heat exchanger has been investigated for liquid to liquid heat transfer at low Reynolds number by few investigators, but not for gas to liquid heat transfer. In this paper, a detail of heat transfer performance is investigated through simulations using computer software. The software is first justified by comparing the simulation results with the developed renowned correlations. Simulations are then conducted for concentric tube heat exchanger with different twisted tape configuration for optimal design. The results show that the enhancement in the rate of heat transfer in annularly corrugated tube heat exchanger with twisted tape is about 235.3% and 67.26% when compared with the plain tube and annularly corrugated tube heat exchangers without twisted tapes respectively. Based on optimal results, for a 120 ekW diesel generator, the application of corrugated tube with twisted tape concentric tube heat exchanger can save 2250 gal of fuel, $11,330 of fuel cost annually and expected payback of 1 month. In addition, saving in heating fuel also reduces in CO₂ emission by 23 metric tons a year.     

Sensitivity analysis and numerical experiments on transient test of compact heat exchanger surfaces

A single-blow transient testing technique considering the effect of longitudinal heat conduction is suggested for determining the average convection heat transfer coefficient of compact heat exchanger surface. By matching the measured outlet fluid temperature variation with similar theoretical curves, the dimensionless longitudinal conduction parameter λ₁, the time constant of the inlet fluid temperature τ⁺, and the number of heat transfer units N _tu can be determined simultaneously using the Levenberg-Marquardt nonlinear parameter estimation method. Both sensitivity analysis and numerical experiments with simulated measurements containing random errors show that the method in the present investigation provides satisfactory accuracy of the estimated parameter N _tu, which characterizes the heat transfer performance of compact heat exchanger surfaces. __________ Translated from Journal of Power Engineering, 2007, 27(2): 227-232 [译自:动力工程]     

Flow and heat transfer in compact offset strip fin surfaces

Experimental studies of air-side heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of offset strip fins and flat tube heat exchangers were performed. A series of tests were conducted for 9 heat exchangers with different fin space, fin height, fin strip length and flow length, at a constant tube-side water flow rate of 2.5 m³/h. The characteristics of the heat transfer and pressure drop of different fin space, fin height and fin length were analyzed and compared. The curves of the heat transfer coefficients vs. the pumping power per unit frontal area were then plotted. Moreover, the enhanced heat transfer mechanism of offset strip fins was analyzed using field synergy theory. The results showed that fin length and flow length have more obviously effect on the thermal hydraulic characteristics of offset strip fins. __________ Translated from Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University, 2007, 41(3): 366–369, 375 [译自: 上海交通大学学报]     

Reconstruction of a heat exchanger network under industrial constraints — the case of a crude distillation unit

Heat exchanger network retrofit using a pinch based approach is presented. In this approach, the criterion of minimum sensitivity of heat exchanger to fouling effects is accounted for. The present paper introduces this criterion without explaining its details that are described in the literature. A summary is given of HEN reconstruction in a crude distillation unit processing 4.2 million ton crude oil per year. While the total heat quantity of hot streams is 110 MW, the heat recovery in the existing HEN is 60 MW. Using Pinch Analysis, the target value of heat recovery at ΔT_min=10 K was determined at 91 MW. Measurements were carried out on the existing HEN with the aim to determine the influence of fouling effects on the heat transfer in the exchangers. Taking local constraints including fouling into account, HEN reconstruction was proposed. The heat savings in the reconstructed HEN was estimated at 75 MW.     

A probabilistic fouling and cost model for plate‐and‐frame heat exchangers

Fouling in plate‐and‐frame heat exchangers (PHEs) may be defined as the deposition of unwanted material on the heat transfer surface that reduces heat‐transfer and increases the resistance to fluid flow. Once the thermal–hydraulic performance decreases to a minimum acceptable level, cleaning of the equipment has to be done to restore the performance. The decision regarding periodic off‐line maintenance of the heat exchangers is generally based on a thermal–economic performance of the process. In this paper, we discuss a probabilistic maintenance model for PHE by incorporating the risk level and scatter parameter of the four random fouling growth models, namely linear, power law, falling rate and asymptotic models, which are integrated in the dimensionless cost model for a heat exchanger used in a steel plant. All the results are presented in terms of non‐dimensional plots. The results show that there is a strong relationship between t_down and the uptime, particularly in the region where the costs of operation and maintenance are minimum. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.