Contributions of system components and operating conditions to the performance of desiccant cooling systems

This study systematically analyzes the effect of various kinds of design parameters on the performance of a desiccant cooling system under two different system configurations. The considered parameters include system components such as the sensible heat exchanger, regenerative evaporative cooler and desiccant wheel, as well as operating conditions of outdoor conditions, regenerative temperature and rate of outdoor influx. Numerical simulation has been conducted for these 11 design parameters with 3 levels. The orthogonal array L₂₇(3¹³) is adopted for the analysis of variance. In the range of the parameters considered, the regenerative temperature is found to be the most dominant parameter of contribution ratio of 31.9% and 23.9% for each system configuration. In the case of confined interest of the applications such as a district cooling system or a solar system using medium-temperature collectors, the cooling performance of the regenerative evaporative cooler is the most crucial for the system performance.     

Use of compound desiccant to develop high performance desiccant cooling system

The paper is aimed to develop a high performance rotary solid desiccant cooling system using a novel compound desiccant wheel (DW). The unique feature of the desiccant wheel is that it can work well under a lower regeneration temperature and have a higher dehumidification capacity due to the contribution of the new compound desiccant materials. Experimental results indicate that the novel desiccant wheel under practical operation can remove more moisture from the process air by about 20–40% over the desiccant wheel employing regular silica gel. A mathematical model that is used to predict the system performance has been validated with the test results. By integrating the desiccant wheel with evaporative cooling, heat recovery and heating for regeneration sections, a solid desiccant cooling system can be formed. Simulation results show that because of the use of the new compound desiccant, the desiccant cooling system can work under much lower regeneration temperature and have a relative high COP, thus low grade thermal energy resources, such as solar energy, waste heat, etc., can be efficiently utilized to drive such a cooling cycle.     

小管径铜管换热器的性能及成本分析

对比分析采用R410A制冷剂的Ф7mm铜管换热器与Ф5mm铜管换热器的性能与成本。测试结果表明,在相同的测试工况和迎风尺寸下,Ф5mm铜管换热器的换热效果比Ф7mm铜管换热器的好,可以节约大量铜材和铝材,且制冷剂充注量减少。     

Heating performance enhancement of a CO2 heat pump system recovering stack exhaust thermal energy in fuel cell vehicles

A CO₂ heat pump system using recovered heat from the stack coolant was provided for use in fuel cell vehicles, where the high temperature heat source like in internal combustion engine vehicles is not available. The refrigerant loop consists of an electric drive compressor, a cabin heater, an outdoor evaporator, an internal heat exchanger, an expansion valve and an accumulator. The performance characteristics of the heat pump system were investigated and analyzed by experiments. The results of heating experiments were discussed for the purpose of the development and efficiency improvement of a CO₂ heat pump system, when recovering stack exhaust heat in fuel cell vehicles. A heater core using stack coolant was placed upstream of a cabin heater to preheat incoming air to the cabin heater. The performance of the heat pump system with heater core was compared with that of the conventional heating system with heater core and that of the heat pump system without heater core, and the heat pump system with heater core showed the best performance of the selected heating systems. Furthermore, the coolant to air heat pump system with heater core showed a significantly better performance than the air to air heat pump system with heater core.     

Effects of thermal conduction in microchannel gas coolers for carbon dioxide

A numerical code was developed for an accurate fully three-dimensional simulation of crossflow compact heat exchangers using finned flat tubes with internal microchannels; such components are often employed as gas coolers in transcritical refrigerating machines CO₂ operated. The equations describing the system were discretised by means of a finite-volume and finite-element hybrid technique for strictly adhering to the real heat transfer process regarding the finned surfaces. The numerical code uses recent correlations by different authors for predicting the heat transfer coefficients both refrigerant side and air side. The results of simulations are verified against experimental data reported in the open literature.The aim of this work is to investigate the effects of thermal conduction inside metal on the overall performance of the considered gas coolers; high-resolution meshes for the discretisation of separating wall and fins makes it possible to avoid much of the approximations typical of the traditional approaches. In particular the efficiency of finned surfaces, the real distribution of thermal fluxes between the two fin roots and the effects of thermal conduction along the walls of microchannel flat tubes are extensively discussed.The numerical simulations confirm that the traditional approach for describing fins, which assumes them as adiabatic at the middle section in order to decouple the equations accounting for the effect of different temperatures at the fin roots, can be considered acceptable in a wide range of applications. In a similar way, the conduction on fins along the direction of the air velocity and the longitudinal conduction on tubes produce a negligible effect on the performance of the considered class of heat exchangers.     

Selection of scattering enhancement particles for improving color homogeneity and luminous flux of phosphor-converted LEDs

Abstract

At the present time, color homogeneity and luminous flux are the two essentials utilized to appraise high-quality phosphor-converted LEDs (pcLEDs). In this paper, we present the search for the optimal selection among scattering enhancement particles (SEPs) to apply to improve these essentials for pcLEDs having correlated color temperature of 8500 K. The interested contenders include CaCO₃, CaF₂, SiO₂, and TiO₂. Each of them is added to yellow phosphor compounding (Y₃Al₅O₁₂:Ce³⁺). Firstly, the LightTools program is employed to do the optical simulations. Secondly, the obtained results are verified and analyzed based on Mie scattering theory. The scattering computation of SEPs includes the scattering coefficients, the anisotropic scattering, the reduced scattering and the scattering amplitudes at 455 and 595 nm. It is observed that TiO₂ particles provide the highest color homogeneity among the SEPs but the luminous flux reduces significantly as its concentration increases. By using CaCO₃ particles, the highest luminous flux of 792 lm is obtained. CaCO₃ particles can also reduce the deviation of color correlated temperature to 620 K at 30% concentration. Therefore, CaCO₃ particles should be selected to enhance both color homogeneity and luminous flux.     

Dynamic characteristics of a R-410A split air-conditioning system

This paper presents experimental results on the shut-down and start-up characteristics of a residential split system R-410A air-conditioner with a capillary tube. During shut-down, the transient characteristics are evaluated by measuring the high and low side pressures and temperatures of the system. The dynamic behavior of the system after start-up is also investigated at the standard cooling capacity rating condition of which the dry and wet bulb temperatures for the indoor and outdoor are 27/19.5 and 35/24°C, respectively. All experiments are performed in a psychrometric calorimeter. The cooling capacity, power consumption, dehumidification capacity and cycle characteristics after start-up are analyzed. The test results show that the cooling capacity and the coefficient of performance (COP) after start-up can be expressed as the combination of two exponential functions of time, approaching the cooling capacity of steady-state.     

Experimental study on the performance of a simultaneous heating and cooling multi-heat pump with the variation of operation mode

The cooling load in the winter season becomes significant in commercial buildings and hotels because of the wide usage of office equipment and improved wall insulation. In this study, a simultaneous heating and cooling multi-heat pump having four indoor units and an outdoor unit was designed and tested in five operation modes: cooling-only, heating-only, cooling-main, heating-main, and entire heat recovery. The performance of the system with R410a was optimized by adjusting the system's control parameters. In the cooling-main mode, the rate of the bypass flow to the heating-operated indoor unit was optimized by controlling the EEV opening of the outdoor unit. In the heating-main mode, the mass flow rate to the cooling-operated indoor unit was optimized by adjusting the EEV opening in the outdoor unit. In the entire heat recovery mode, the compressor speed was controlled to improve the system COP with appropriate heating and cooling capacities.     

Thermoeconomic optimisation of the condenser in a vapour compression heat pump

In the paper, the design optimisation of a heat exchanger is discussed, using a thermoeconomic approach. The investigation is referred to the tube-in-tube condenser of a conventional vapour-compression heat pump, with a two-phase refrigerant flowing in the inner tube and a single-phase fluid flowing in the annulus. A cost function to be minimised is introduced, defined as the sum of two contributions: (i) the amortisation cost of the condenser, related to the heat exchange area; (ii) the operating cost of the electric-driven heat pump in which the heat exchanger will work, depending on the overall exergy destruction rate in the system. In the paper, this latter contribution is related to the local irreversibility rate in the condenser, using the so-called structural approach. The optimal trade-off between amortisation and operating cost is therefore investigated, by minimising the above-mentioned cost function. A numerical example is discussed, in which, for a commercial heat exchanger, the design improvements needed to obtain a cost-optimal configuration are investigated. The analysis is carried out for three different refrigerants: R22, R134a and R410A.     

Comparitive analysis of an automotive air conditioning systems operating with CO2 and R134a

This paper evaluates performance merits of CO₂ and R134a automotive air conditioning systems using semi-theoretical cycle models. The R134a system had a current-production configuration, which consisted of a compressor, condenser, expansion device, and evaporator. The CO₂ system was additionally equipped with a liquid-line/suction-line heat exchanger. Using these two systems, an effort was made to derive an equitable comparison of performance; the components in both systems were equivalent and differences in thermodynamic and transport properties were accounted for in the simulations. The analysis showed R134a having a better COP than CO₂ with the COP disparity being dependent on compressor speed (system capacity) and ambient temperature. For a compressor speed of 1000 RPM, the COP of CO₂ was lower by 21% at 32.2°C and by 34% at 48.9°C. At higher speeds and ambient temperatures, the COP disparity was even greater. The entropy generation calculations indicated that the large entropy generation in the gas cooler was the primary cause for the lower performance of CO₂.     

Experimental research on residual carbon of Y211 inclusions in a melt-textured Y123/Y211 composite

The inherent doping of residual carbon during the preparation of Y₂BaCuO₅ (Y211) inclusions would degrade the physical and mechanical performance of the Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7-x (Y123) superconducting matrix. Y211 precursor powders were prepared by the oxalate coprecipitation process in this study. Residual carbon contents of Y211 powders under different heat treatment processes were studied by the high-frequency combustion infrared absorption method. The residual carbon content of Y211 reached the current best level ～0.012% when calcined in O₂ flow at 950°C for 20?h. Y211 powders with the lowest carbon content were used to prepare a small batch of melt-textured Y123/Y211 composites. All samples were single-domain crystals without macro defects, which were usually caused by the emission of CO₂. Among them, one sample (Ø27?mm?×?14?mm) has a maximum levitation force of 71?N (77?K, 0.5?T), with critical current density J_c of 3.2?×?10⁸ A/m² (77?K, 0?T).     

CO2-heat pump water heater: characteristics, system design and experimental results

CO₂ is one of the few non-toxic and non-flammable working fluids that do not contribute to ozone depletion or global warming, if leaked to the atmosphere. Tap water heating is one promising application for a trans-critical CO₂ process. The temperature glide at heat rejection contributes to a very good temperature adaptation when heating tap water, which inherits a large temperature glide. This, together with efficient compression and good heat transfer characteristics of CO₂, makes it possible to design very efficient systems. A heating-COP of 4.3 is achieved for the prototype when heating tap water from 9°C to 60°C, at an evaporation temperature of 0°C. The results lead to a seasonal performance factor of about 4 for an Oslo climate, using ambient air as heat source. Thus, the primary energy consumption can be reduced with more than 75% compared with electrical or gas fired systems. Another significant advantage of this system, compared with conventional heat pump water heaters, is that hot water with temperatures up to 90°C can be produced without operational difficulties.     

New correlation to predict the heat transfer coefficient during in-tube cooling of turbulent supercritical CO2

The Nusselt number variations of supercritical carbon dioxide during in-tube cooling are presented and discussed. Using data presented in this paper as well as prior publications, a new correlation to predict the heat transfer coefficient of supercritical carbon dioxide during in-tube cooling has been developed. The new correlation is presented in this paper. It is based on mean Nusselt numbers that are calculated using the thermophysical properties at the wall and the bulk temperatures, respectively. It is seen that the majority of the numerical and experimental values are within ±20% of the values predicted by the new correlation.     

Experimental performance analysis and modelling of liquid desiccant cooling systems for air conditioning in residential buildings

The paper presents a new desiccant cooling cycle to be integrated in residential mechanical ventilation systems. The process shifts the air treatment completely to the return air side, so that the supply air can be cooled by a heat exchanger. Purely sensible cooling is an essential requirement for residential buildings with no maintenance guarantee for supply air humidifiers. As the cooling power is generated on the exhaust air side, the dehumidification process needs to be highly efficient to provide low supply air temperatures. Solid rotating desiccant wheels have been experimentally compared with liquid sorption systems using contact matrix absorbers and cross flow heat exchangers. The best dehumidification performance at no temperature increase was obtained in an evaporatively cooled heat exchanger with sprayed lithium chloride solution. Up to 7 g kg⁻¹ dehumidification could be reached in an isothermal process, although the surface wetting of the first prototype was low. The process then provides inlet air conditions below 20 °C for the summer design conditions of 32 °C, 40% relative humidity. With air volume flow rates of 200 m³ h⁻¹ the system can provide 886 W of cooling power.A theoretical model for both the contact absorber and the cross flow system has been developed and validated against experimental data for a wide range of operating conditions. A simulation study identified the optimisation potential of the system, if for example the surface wetting of the liquid desiccant can be improved.     

Solar assisted photocatalytic and photochemical degradation of Reactive Black 5

The photocatalytic oxidative degradation of Reactive Black 5 (RB 5) has been investigated using TiO(2)-P25 as photocatalyst and sunlight as irradiation source in slurry form. The degradation was carried out at different experimental conditions to optimize the parameters such as amount of catalyst, concentration of dye and pH. A complete degradation of 3.85 x 10(-4) M dye solution under solar irradiation was observed in 3.5 h. The photochemical degradation using hydrogen peroxide results in the partial removal of the dye.     

Diesel emission control system using combined process of nonthermal plasma and exhaust gas components' recirculation

A NO_x aftertreatment system, using nonthermal plasma (NTP) reduction and exhaust gas components' recirculation, is investigated. A pilot-scale system is applied to a stationary diesel engine. In this system, NO_x is first removed by adsorption, and subsequently, the adsorbent is regenerated by thermal desorption. NO_x desorbed is reduced by using nitrogen NTP. Moreover, NO_x, CO₂, and water vapor recirculated into the engine intake reduce NO_x. In this study, approximately 57% of the NO_x of the exhaust (NO_x: 240-325 ppm, flow rate = 300 NL/min) can be continuously treated for 58 h. A system energy efficiency of 120 g (NO₂)/kWh is obtained.     

β-FeSi2 growth on Cu-mediated Si substrate and enhancement of photoluminescence

We have investigated the growth of β-FeSi₂ on Cu-mediated (100) Si substrates and photoluminescence (PL) behavior. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations revealed that the mediated surface became amorphous-like Si layers due to Cu atomic diffusion from the surface to the inside of Si and recrystallized during β-FeSi₂ deposition, and that the recrystallization may contribute to the improvement of crystallinity of β-FeSi₂ and the hetero-interface. We have observed pronounced enhancement of PL intensity from β-FeSi₂ grown on the Cu-mediated Si substrate. This implies that non-radiative recombination centers may be decreased by the improvement of hetero-interface.     

Isochoric Specific Heat Capacity of Difluoromethane (R32) and a Mixture of 51.11 mass% Difluoromethane (R32) + 48.89 mass% Pentafluoroethane (R125)

The isochoric heat capacity (c _v ) of difluoromethane (R32) and a mixture of 51.11 mass% R32 + 48.89 mass% pentafluoroethane (R125) was measured at temperatures from 268 K to 328 K and at pressures up to 30 MPa. The reported density measurements are in the single-phase region and cover a range of ρ > 800 kg · m⁻³. The measured data are compared with results measured by other researchers. Also, the measured data are examined with available equations of state. As a result, it is found that the measured c _v ’s agree well with those of other researchers in the measurement range of the present study.     

Condensation of refrigerants in horizontal microfin tubes: comparison of prediction methods for heat transfer

A comparison was made between the predictions of previously proposed empirical correlations and theoretical model and available experimental data for the heat transfer coefficient during condensation of refrigerants in horizontal microfin tubes. The refrigerants tested were R11, R123, R134a, R22 and R410A. Experimental data for six tubes with the tube inside diameter at fin root of 6.49–8.88 mm, the fin height of 0.16–0.24 mm, fin pitch of 0.34–0.53 mm and helix angle of groove of 12–20° were adopted. The r.m.s. error of the predictions for all tubes and all refrigerants decreased in the order of the correlations proposed by Luu and Bergles [ASHRAE Trans. 86 (1980) 293], Cavallini et al. [Cavallini A, Doretti L, Klammsteiner N, Longo L G, Rossetto L. Condensation of new refrigerants inside smooth and enhanced tubes. In: Proc. 19th Int. Cong. Refrigeration, vol. IV, Hague, The Netherlands, 1995. p. 105–14], Shikazono et al. [Trans. Jap. Sco. Mech. Engrs. 64 (1995) 196], Kedzierski and Goncalves [J. Enhanced Heat Transfer 6 (1999) 16], Yu and Koyama [Yu J, Koyama S. Condensation heat transfer of pure refrigerants in microfin tubes. In: Proc. Int. Refrigeration Conference at Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, USA, 1998. p. 325–30], and the theoretical model proposed by Wang et al. [Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer 45 (2002) 1513].     

Performance analysis of air cycle refrigerator integrated desiccant system for cooling and dehumidifying warehouse

In this paper, the performance of air cycle refrigerator integrated desiccant system used to cool and dehumidify warehouse is analyzed theoretically. Simulation analysis is carried out to calculate the system coefficient of performance, cooling effects and the humidity change under different values of pressure ratio, storage zone temperature inside dock and outdoor air conditions. Also, the effect of the air cycle and the rotor parameters on the system performance is evaluated. From the simulation result it is found that, the desiccant system has the ability to supply air to the dock area at very low humidity. The system coefficient of performance increases due to the exhaust heat recovery on the desiccant system, and this enhancement can be more than 100%. The coefficient of performance of the proposed system is greater than that of a conventional system under the same operating conditions.