An experimental study on vapor transport of a hollow fiber membrane module for humidification in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Water management is key in the optimization of proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance and durability. Humidifiers can be used to provide water vapor to cathode air, ensuring the proper operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. In this study, water vapor transport characteristics of hollow fiber membrane modules were investigated in shell-tube humidifiers under isothermal conditions, using two different test jig constructions: a convection jig and a diffusion jig. The mass transfer rate of water vapor was evaluated via the impact of various operating parameters, including temperature, flow rate, pressure, and relative humidity of inlet wet air, flow arrangements, and surface area of the tube side. The result was presented by the water vapor transport rate from wet air flow to dry air flow across the hollow fiber membrane. It was found that humidification performance could be improved with higher operating temperature, flow rate, and relative humidity of inlet wet air, lower pressure, larger membrane surface area, higher convection effect, and substituting co-current with counter-current flow configuration.     

Heat- mass transfer and flow characteristics of two-phase countercurrent annular flow in a vertical pipe

Experimental and theoretical results on flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics for the countercurrent flow of air and water in a vertical circular pipe are compared. An experimental setup was designed and constructed. Hot water is introduced through a porous section at the upper end of a test section and flows downward as a thin liquid film on the pipe wall while the air flows countercurrently. The air and water flow rates used in this study are those before the flooding is reached. A developed mathematical model is separated into three parts: A high Reynolds number turbulence model, in which the local state of turbulence characteristics consists of the turbulent kinetic energy (k) and its dissipation rate (ϵ).The transport equations for both k and s are solved simultaneously with the momentum equation to determine the kinetic turbulence viscosity, the pressure drop, interfacial shear stress and then the friction factor at the film/core interface; Heat and mass transfer models are proposed in order to estimate the distribution of the temperature and the mass fraction of water vapor in gas core. The results from the model are compared with the present experimental ones. It can be shown from the present study that the influence of the interfacial wave phenomena is significant to the pressure loss, and the heat and mass transfer rate in the gas phase.     

膜加湿器热质交换过程的理论分析

膜加湿器是保证质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)正常高效运行的重要组成部分.以燃料电池的板式膜加湿器为研究对象,根据热质交换原理对膜加湿器的传热传质过程进行了理论计算,分析了空气质量流量、膜内加湿侧进口温度和膜内加湿侧进口湿度对传热传质过程的影响.在传热方面:当空气质量流量不同时,随着膜内加湿侧进口温度的变化,膜内的热流量变化趋势不一致;当膜内加湿侧进口相对湿度为95%时,随着空气质量流量的变化,膜内热流量变化不大.在传质方面:当加湿侧进口相对湿度不变时,膜中水传输速率随着空气质量流量的增大而减小;当空气质量流量不变时,膜中水传输速率随着加湿侧进口相对湿度的增大而增大.     

微细管束换热器结霜及流动对流换热特性实验研究

利用可视化换热器性能实验台测试了微细管束表面在无换热、大温差、凝露条件下不同风速工况的流动损失与空气侧换热系数。同时探究了超低温工况下,相对湿度和风速对微细管束换热器流动换热特性影响。相对湿度增大,湿空气释放潜热增加,结霜量增大,换热器前后压损增加。高速气流具有剪切作用,风速增大会导致结霜迟滞。     

Coupled heat and mass transfer in a counter flow hollow fiber membrane module for air humidification

Hollow fiber membrane based air humidification offers great advantages over the traditional methods because the liquid water droplets are prevented from mixing with the process air, while water vapor can permeate through the membranes effectively. The novelty in this research is that the coupled heat and moisture transport in a hollow fiber membrane module for air humidification is investigated, both numerically and experimentally. The air stream and the water stream flow in a counter flow arrangement. It is found that the membranes play a key role in humidification performances. For sensible heat transfer, both the liquid side and the membrane side resistance can be neglected, while the total heat transfer coefficients are determined by the air side heat transfer coefficients. In contrast, in mass transfer, only the liquid side resistance can be neglected, while the total mass transfer coefficients are co-determined by membrane properties and the air side convective mass transfer coefficients.     

汽车空调暖风系统平行流换热器换热性能研究

平行流换热器以其结构紧凑、换热效率高的特点已广泛应用于汽车空调中.简要介绍了汽车空调暖风系统平行流换热器结构,采用计算流体力学(CFD)数值模拟方法对平行流换热器的换热性能进行了分析,比较了空气侧风速和水流量对其换热量和流动阻力的影响.模拟结果表明:在增加相同百分比的情况下,增加空气侧风速比增加水流量对换热器换热量的影响大16%左右,但增加空气侧风速和水流量对换热器换热能力的影响均有限;随着风速的提高,换热量增加率逐渐减小,而空气侧阻力增加率越来越大;随着水流量增加,水侧压降增大非常明显;但两者增加对空气侧出口温度影响均不明显.     

Investigation of a novel bayonet tube high temperature heat exchanger with inner and outer fins

In this paper, a novel bayonet tube high temperature heat exchanger (HTHE) with inner and outer fins is presented. It can be used in the ultra high temperature environment, such as hydrogen production, very high temperature reactor and externally fired combined cycle. Numerical investigation of heat transfer performance on the inside of bayonet element has been conducted for structure design. The numerical results suggest that the inner fin and inner tube should not be welded together. It is recommended that the air enters from the inner tube and exits from the annular space in the high temperature zone. A high temperature experimental system has been established to test the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the HTHE. The surface area density of the tested HTHE is 6 times higher than that of the bare bayonet tube heat exchanger. The experimental results indicate that the mass flow rate on both sides and inlet temperature on the fuel gas side have a significant effect on the heat transfer rate and effectiveness, while the pressure drop ratios are mainly affected by the mass flow rate rather than the inlet temperature. Comparison between the tested HTHE and the similar HTHE without fins indicates that the proposed HTHE has a significant potential to improve the comprehensive heat transfer performance.     

The effect of heat transfer on the pressure drop through a heat exchanger for aero engine applications

This work is focused on the experimental study of the performance of a heat exchanger designed for aero engine applications. The heat exchanger is operating as a heat recuperator by taking advantage of the thermal energy of the exhaust gas of the aero engine in order to obtain a better combustion with less pollutant emissions. The experimental study has been performed in a wind-tunnel by taking detailed flow and thermal measurements on a 1:1 model of the heat exchanger under various operating conditions described by the hot gas inlet mass flow rates and its spatial direction (different angles of attack and inclination) towards the heat exchanger. The hot gas has been modeled with preheated air. Six sets of measurements have been carried-out for different hot gas inlet and outlet temperatures, including also isothermal measurements without any heat transfer in order to have a reference point for the pressure drop of the flow through the device. The experimental results showed that the effect of the angle of attack on the pressure drop is significant while the effect of the angle of inclination is negligible. Additionally, the pressure drop through the heat exchanger is greatly affected by the heat transfer.     

微细圆管内CO2两相沸腾换热实验研究

本文对CO_2在水平微细管内流动沸腾特性进行实验研究。实验结果表明:热流密度增加对强化核态沸腾换热和高干度区域流型转变具有显著影响,随着热流密度的增加换热系数增加,对摩擦压降影响很小;质量流率对于换热系数的影响较小,但随着质量流率的增加摩擦压降大幅增加,质量流率的大小直接决定了换热过程所经历流态;饱和温度升高换热系数相应升高,摩擦压降减小,且对流态转变特性有重要影响。在同样工况下摩擦压降最大值先于换热系数最大值出现,理论分析采用的流态形式与实际CO_2管内流动流动沸腾换热流态基本一致。     

质子交换膜燃料电池的多尺度传热传质

介绍了目前质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)在膜、电极、单电池、电堆或系统等四个结构尺度上的传热传质过程研究;主要讨论了PEMFC内的多组分传输、膜内水管理和多孔电极内的传热、传质过程;认为建立在孔尺度水平的研究方法是深入探讨电池内多孔材料微结构传热传质的有效途径;多维、多尺度模型的建立及其模拟计算能准确反映PEMFC内部的传递过程机理,为进一步优化电池结构和操作条件提供有价值的参考。     

空气冷却式膜蒸馏构型的传热分析

在膜蒸馏的不同构型中,直接采用环境空气作为冷却媒介的空气冷却式构型很大程度上简化了系统配置。在强化传热的条件下,其跨膜通量与水冷构型接近。对空气冷却式膜蒸馏构型的传热过程进行理论分析,并通过量化分析各参数对膜蒸馏传热性能的影响,构建综合的传热模型。引入关联热阻系数这一概念,用以量化空气冷却的参数对膜蒸馏过程总传热系数的抑制作用。通过模拟计算研究了冷凝板导热系数、空气流速、冷凝板肋化系数、料液温度等参数对膜蒸馏传热性能的影响,并分析和量化多参数对关联热阻系数的综合影响。结果表明冷凝板导热系数、空气流速、冷凝板肋化系数是影响关联热阻系数的重要因素,各参数对膜蒸馏传热性能的综合影响得以量化。以上研究为后续传质模型的研究提供了指导。     

蒸汽和空气在下流水柱表面接触冷凝的压力影响分析

含不凝气体的蒸汽直接接触冷凝在工业中应用广泛,冷凝参数对设备设计至关重要。数值模拟了蒸汽和空气在下流水柱表面的接触冷凝换热;分析了压力对下流水柱表面温度、空气质量分数的影响,以及凝结热流和凝结传热系数的变化规律。结果发现,下流水柱表面温度、凝结热流和凝结传热系数沿着流动方向下降,下流水柱表面空气质量分数沿着流动方向升高。随着压力增加,下流水柱凝结长度增加,在凝结长度末端,下流水柱表面空气质量分数高达90%以上,凝结热流和凝结传热系数均增加。下流水柱初始温度的升高会降低接触凝结传热系数和凝结热流。将计算结果和Celeta等的实验数据做了比较分析。     

Measurement and modeling of liquid film thickness evolution in stratified two-phase microchannel flows

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells incorporating microchannels (D < 500 μm) can benefit from improved fuel delivery and convective cooling. However, this requires a better understanding of two-phase microchannel transport phenomena, particularly liquid–gas interactions and liquid clogging in cathode air-delivery channels. This paper develops optical fluorescence imaging of water films in hydrophilic channels with varying air velocity and water injection rate. Micromachined silicon test structures with optical access and distributed water injection simulate the cathode channels of a PEM fuel cell. Film thickness data vary strongly with air velocity and are consistent with stratified flow modeling. This work facilitates the study of regime transitions in two-phase microchannel flows and the effects of flow regimes on heat and mass transfer and axial pressure gradients.     

Simultaneous heat and moisture transfer through a composite supported liquid membrane

Composite supported liquid membranes (SLM) are an efficient transfer media to recover heat and moisture from exhaust air due to the high moisture diffusivity in the liquid layer. However, heat transfer has adverse effects on moisture transfer since the water concentration in the LiCl solution decreases at higher temperatures. This study gives a detailed quantitative analysis of these effects. More specifically, simultaneous heat and moisture transfer through a composite supported liquid membrane is modeled. The SLM involved comprises three layers: two hydrophobic porous skin layers and a hydrophilic porous support layer where a layer of LiCl liquid solution is immobilized in the macro and micro pores as the permselective substance. The equations governing the heat mass transport in the microstructures, as well as the transfer of heat and moisture in the air streams adjacent to the membrane, are solved numerically in a coupled way. An experiment has been built to validate the model. The results found that though heat transfer has adverse effects on moisture transfer, in general, the effects on moisture effectiveness are quite limited. The high moisture permeation rates of SLM can be sustained when there is concomitant simultaneous heat transfer.     

回转式空气预热器低温段传热元件阻力特性试验研究

试验利用大型传热风洞试验系统,在模拟回转式空气预热器实际运行工况条件下,通过测量试验段传热元件压降,得到了回转式空气预热器低温段搪瓷波纹板和陶瓷平板2种传热元件摩擦因子对数与雷诺数对数之间相互关系,为两类传热元件阻力特性数值计算提供了基础数据。通过具体实验数据对比分析,得到了陶瓷平板阻力是搪瓷波纹板3～4倍的试验结果,为低温段传热元件的优化选取提供了依据。     

Numerical studies on flow and heat transfer in membrane helical-coil heat exchanger and membrane serpentine-tube heat exchanger

The flow and heat transfer characteristics of synthesis gas (syngas) in membrane helical-coil heat exchanger and membrane serpentine-tube heat exchanger under different operating pressures, inlet velocities and pitches are investigated numerically. The three-dimensional governing equations for mass, momentum and heat transfer are solved using a control volume finite difference method. The realizable k-ε model is adopted to simulate the turbulent flow and heat transfer in heat exchangers. There flows syngas in the channels consisting of the membrane helical coils or membrane serpentine tubes, where the operating pressure varies from 0.5 to 3.0 MPa. The numerically obtained heat transfer coefficients for heat exchangers are in good agreement with experimental values. The results show that the syngas tangential flow in the channel consisting of membrane helical coils is significant to the heat transfer enhancement to lead to the higher average heat transfer coefficient of membrane helical-coil heat exchanger compared to membrane serpentine-tube heat exchanger. The syngas tangential velocity in the membrane helical-coil heat exchanger increases along the axial direction, and it is independent of the gas pressure, increasing with the axial velocity and axial pitch rise and decreasing with the radial pitch rise.     

Heat,air and moisture transfer through hollow porous blocks

The combined heat, air and moisture transfer in building hollow elements is of paramount importance in the construction area for accurate energy consumption prediction, thermal comfort evaluation, moisture growth risk assessment and material deterioration analysis. In this way, a mathematical model considering the combined two-dimensional heat, air and moisture transport through unsaturated building hollow bricks is presented. In the brick porous domain, the differential governing equations are based on driving potentials of temperature, moist air pressure and water vapor pressure gradients, while, in the air domain, a lumped approach is considered for modeling the heat and mass transfer through the brick cavity. The discretized algebraic equations are solved using the MTDMA (MultiTriDiagonal-Matrix Algorithm) for the three driving potentials. Comparisons in terms of heat and vapor fluxes at the internal boundary are presented for hollow, massive and insulating brick blocks. Despite most of building energy simulation codes disregard the moisture effect and the transport multidimensional nature, results show those hypotheses may cause great discrepancy on the prediction of hygrothermal building performance.     

Experimental investigation of the hydraulic characteristics of a counter flow wet cooling tower

Thermal and nuclear electric power plants as well as several industrial processes invariably discharge considerable energy to their surrounding by heat transfer. Although water drawn from a nearby river or lake can be employed to carry away this energy, cooling towers offer an excellent alternative particularly in locations where sufficient cooling water cannot be easily obtained from natural sources or where concern for the environment imposes some limits on the temperature at which cooling water can be returned to the surrounding. This paper concerns an experimental investigation of the hydraulic characteristics of a counter flow wet cooling tower. The tower contains a “VGA.” (Vertical Grid Apparatus) type packing which is 0.42 m high and consists of four (04) galvanised sheets having a zigzag form, between which are disposed three (03) metallic vertical grids in parallel with a cross sectional test area of 0.15 m × 0.148 m. The present investigation is focused mainly on the effect of the air and water flow rates on the hydraulic characteristics of the cooling tower, for different inlet water temperatures. The two hydrodynamic operating regimes which were observed during the air/water contact operation within the tower, namely the Pellicular Regime (PR) and the Bubble and Dispersion Regime (BDR) have enabled to distinguish two different states of pressure drop characteristics. The first regime is characterized by low pressure drop values, while in the second regime, the pressure drop values are relatively much higher than those observed in the first one. The dependence between the pressure drop characteristics and the combined heat and mass transport (air–water) through the packing inside the cooling tower is also highlighted. The obtained results indicate that this type of tower possesses relatively good hydraulic characteristics. This leads to the saving of energy.     

空气隙膜蒸馏系统对流换热实验研究

空气隙膜蒸馏是一种新型的膜分离技术,可用于海水、苦咸水的淡化处理,尤其是在超纯水制备方面具有极强的竞争力.文中的空气隙膜蒸馏实验装置采用旋转切向入流的方式来强化膜蒸馏的传热传质过程,针对这种新型的入流方式,结合实验数据,给出了料液进口温度对于膜通量的影响,给出了计算空气隙膜蒸馏系统中热容腔内对流换热传热系数的经验公式.     

Numerical study of convective heat transfer to supercritical water in rectangular ducts

Numerical investigation has been performed to analyze forced convective heat transfer to supercritical water in horizontal rectangular ducts. Convective heat transfer near the critical region in the rectangular ducts is strongly influenced by large variations of thermodynamic and transport properties of supercritical fluid with gravity force, especially close to pseudocritical temperature. Fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics such as velocity, temperature, and local heat transfer coefficient with water properties distribution in the ducts are presented. Flow accelerates along the horizontal ducts because of decreased water density from heat transfer at the duct walls. Center of large flow recirculation in the duct section locates near the middle of vertical surface and additional secondary recirculation in clockwise direction appears with the increase of duct height. Local wall temperature severely varies along the inner surface of the duct section and its variation depends on aspect ratio of the duct. The heat transfer coefficient distributions along the ducts for various aspect ratios are compared with the proximity effect to the critical pressure.