Analysis of an Ultrathin Graphite-Based Compact Heat Exchanger

The emerging production of ultrathin graphite material is applied to thermal management in a numerical comparison of aluminum and graphite-based plate-fin heat exchangers. Considering anisotropic thermal conductivity in which out-of-plane transport is about two orders of magnitude lower than in-plane values, the ultrathin graphite-based solution outperforms aluminum by rejecting up to 20% more heat on a volumetric basis. Thermal and hydraulic performance is characterized for both solutions over a range of airflow rates in a notional water/air device. Laminar through fully turbulent regimes are considered. Steady and unsteady three-dimensional (3-D) conjugate simulations reveal a faster equilibration rate for the ultrathin graphite-based solution, minimizing thermal lag that must be accounted for in on-demand electronics cooling. Fin optimization studies predict equivalent conductance with graphite at one-tenth the thickness of aluminum. The combination of improved heat rejection, rapid response rate, and low material density make an ultrathin graphite-based solution uniquely suited to aerospace thermal management.     

Second-Law and Experimental Analysis of a Cross-Flow Heat Exchanger

This article presents a cross-flow plate-type heat exchanger that has been studied and manufactured in laboratory conditions because of its effective use in waste heat recovery systems. This new heat exchanger was tested with an applicable experimental setup, considering temperatures, velocity of the air, and the pressure losses occurring in the system. These variables were measured and the efficiency of the system was determined. The irreversibility of the heat exchanger was taken into consideration, while the design of the heat exchanger was such that the minimum entropy generation number was analyzed with respect to the second law of thermodynamics in the cross-flow heat exchanger. The minimum entropy generation number depends on the parameters called the optimum flow path length and dimensionless mass velocity. Variations of the entropy generation number with these parameters are analyzed.     

紧凑式换热器表面瞬变测试的敏感性分析和数值模拟

提出了一种考虑纵向导热效应的紧凑式换热器表面平均传热系数瞬变测试方法.根据出口流体温度变化的实测数据,用Levenberg-Marquardt非线性曲线拟合,同时对理论模型中的纵向导热参数λl和进口流体温度变化时间常数τ ,以及传热单元数Ntu进行参数估计.敏感性分析和具有测量噪声的数值模拟实验表明,待求的反映换热面传热性能的Ntu参数估计值具有良好的精度.     

Two-Dimensional Numerical Analysis of Membrane-Based Heat and Mass Cross-Flow Exchanger

ABSTRACT

A two-dimensional numerical simulation model for a membrane-based heat and mass exchanger was developed. The system model equations were used to determine the coupled heat and moisture transfer from the humid air to the high concentrated liquid desiccant solution (LiCl, lithium chloride) by means of a parallel stack hydrophobic permeable membrane. The two streams of air and liquid desiccant solution were arranged in cross-flow directions. The fourth-order Runge–Kutta method was employed to solve these system model equations in a steady-state condition. This model enables one to predict the latent effectiveness of a membrane-based parallel cross-flow exchanger for dehumidification purpose in response to air to liquid mass flow ratio and the mass transfer unit number.     

Compact Air-to-Air Thermosyphon Heat Exchanger

Outdoor cabinets containing power electronics components need to be cooled effectively and at the same time protected from outside air, which may contain moisture and various kinds of dirt that would reduce the reliability of the electronics. Air-to-air heat exchangers are widely used in the industry as they are cost-competitive and easy to install and maintain. On the other hand, they are inefficient and bulky. ABB holds a patent on a cost-effective modular compact thermosyphon-based air-to-air heat exchanger for power electronics cabinets. This technology uses numerous multiport extruded tubes with capillary-sized channels disposed in parallel to achieve the desired compactness. The heat exchanger is made of a stack of thermosyphon units to cope with the required heat loads. The experimental performance of this novel power electronics cooling system with R134a was measured for a single unit and a stack of thermosyphons. The influence of different parameters such as the heat load, fluid filling ratio, air temperature, and flow rate were investigated. A numerical model was developed in order to predict the performance of the thermosyphon unit and stack for various and changing operating conditions. Prediction shows good agreement with the experimental results.     

Detection of Fouling in a Cross-Flow Heat Exchanger Using Wavelets

Detection of fouling in a heat exchanger experiencing perfect steady-state conditions is not very difficult. But the challenge is to detect fouling when all inputs (inlet temperature of the fluids and the mass flow rates) are simultaneously varying. In this paper it has been considered that the mass flow rates can vary in a ratio of 2, and that the inlet temperatures can vary by about ±20%. This first approach is dedicated to show the feasibility of using the wavelet transform. It has been considered that getting simulated data is the best way. In fact, it is then possible to introduce an arbitrary fouling factor. Thus, in the first part of the paper the model of the heat exchanger is presented. It is developed using Simulink. The validation is carried out on an electrical heater, for which it is possible to find an analytical solution for transient states. It is also shown that steady states are accurately computed over a large range of the number of transfer units and heat capacity rate ratios. Then a brief overview of the wavelet transform is given. Then basic examples show that the wavelet transform can help to find the trend of time series. It is then applied to the analysis of the “wavelet-transformed” effectiveness of the heat exchanger. This analysis is carried out on a sliding observation window (to be able to detect fouling on-line). It is shown that fouling is detected at a very early stage.     

Experimental Study on Air Cooling Via a Multiport Mesochannel Cross-Flow Heat Exchanger

The air-side heat transfer and flow characteristics of cross-flow multiport slab mesochannel heat exchanger are investigated experimentally in this article. The multiport slab mesochannel heat exchanger consists of 15 finned aluminum slabs; each slab contains 68 flow channels of 1 mm circular diameter. The cold deionized water at a constant mass flow rate was forced to flow through the mesochannels, whereas the hot air at different velocities was allowed to pass through the finned passages of the heat exchanger core in cross-flow orientation. The heat transfer and fluid flow key parameters were examined in the region of the air-side Reynolds number in the range of 972–2758, with a constant water-side Reynolds number of 135. The effect of air-side Reynolds number on air-side Nusselt number was examined and a general correlation of Nusselt number with Reynolds number was obtained. The Nusselt number value was found to be higher in comparison with other research works for the corresponding Reynolds number range. The multiport mesochannel flat slab geometry has offered uniform temperature distribution into the core. This uniform temperature distribution leads to higher heat transfer over stand-alone inline flow tube bank.     

Analysis of Fin-Tube Joints in a Compact Heat Exchanger

This article deals with an analysis of fin-tube joints as functions of topological alterations of the joint fillet size. Based on numerical predictions of a joint topology formed by the surface tension driven reactive flow of molten metal, and subsequently verified by empirical evidence gathered through both laboratory and industrial testing, the topology alterations were identified for thermal integrity studies. Subsequently, thermal characteristics of corresponding fin-tube joints were determined in terms of two models of the thermal contact resistance. Model predictions of the fin efficiency with an altered topology of the joint zone were compared with the simulation results from a computational fluid dynamics study, and the results fit well. Numerical predictions of joint topology were devised using an in-house-developed finite-element code, and verified by the Surface Evolver code. Such prediction provided quantitative joint topology information that was needed in assessments of the joint thermal performance. Experimental data were obtained using a computer-controlled transparent hot zone with an ultra-high-purity nitrogen background atmosphere under tightly controlled conditions, and also by an analysis of the state-of-the-art manufacturing process data obtained from an industrial setting. It is demonstrated that a value of fin efficiency, assumed as recommended by traditional sizing design procedures, may drastically differ from actual values.     

高温紧凑板翅式换热器稳态和动态性能的研究

建立了紧凑板翅式换热器的动态数学模型.为了满足系统快速动态仿真的需要,采用容阻特性建模技术建立了紧凑板翅式换热器的仿真模型.在相同的运行条件下,对不同的高温板翅固体材料进行了稳态和动态仿真研究.结果表明:在不同的材料条件下,高温板翅式换热器的稳态性能基本相同;但不同材料的动态特性时间不同,硅碳陶瓷材料具有较小的延迟时间,常规高温合金材料延迟较大.     

新型高效紧凑式换热器仿真及热力分析

为了提高新型高效紧凑式换热器设计的功能性,并使其满足热力学性能需求,对绕管的结构参数及桥接布管方式进行设计。采用一种新型的变径变线桥接方式,在体积有限的情况下实现密集的管束布置形式;对该新型换热器设计进行全尺寸流域建模及CFD数值模拟;并将三维建模结果与一维程序计算结果对比,进行可靠性验证。计算结果表明：三维计算的各项热力学性能结果与一维计算仅有较小偏差,总传热系数相对误差仅为3.74%,总传热量相对误差仅为1.04%,验证了该三维计算模型具有较好的准确性;结合温度云图证明了换热区域基本集中在绕管段,为简化复杂换热器的计算提供了思路;该新型高效紧凑式换热器设计实现了管侧双股流可独立运行且同层间不存在无效换热区,整体换热平顺进行,壳侧流阻较小,换热能力保持较好;在工况范围内整机换热体积功率达到4.67 MW。     

应用遗传算法优化设计紧凑式换热器

应用遗传算法对锯齿型板翅式换热器的结构进行了优化设计.以预定的传热量、两侧压降、体积等设计要求为适应度函数,通过对设计变量构成的种群个体进行适应度评估以及选择、交叉、变异等遗传操作,得到符合设计约束的换热器最优结构参数(如翅高、翅长、间距,以及长、宽、高等).此外,对10次计算得到的设计参数进行了统计分析.结果表明:相关结构参数的不确定度很小,应用遗传算法可以快速方便地对紧凑式换热器的几何结构参数作出符合设计要求的选择.     

Experimental Characterization of a Compact Milli-Channel Heat Exchanger for Liquid–Liquid Heat Transfer

Abstract

The use of Milli-Channel Heat Exchangers (MCHE) presents numerous assets: efficient heat transfer, huge compactness, and limited pressure drop. For an engineer, the Fanning friction factor and the convective heat transfer coefficient are two main parameters to describe the performance of a heat exchanger. A brazed MCHE with rectangular channels in stainless steel made by the Institut für Mikrotechnik Mainz (IMM, Mainz, Germany) has been characterized experimentally and theoretically in a counter-current configuration. The selected working fluids are deionized water and oil without any phase change during experiments. The pilot unit ensures measurements of pressure drops, temperatures, and volumetric flow rate of each fluid flowing in laminar regime. A one-dimensional model has been developed. The temperature and pressure profiles of each fluid are represented by differential equations associated with boundary conditions. The system of coupled equations consists in a two-point boundary value problem solved numerically by the Matlab software. The parameters of a Nusselt number correlation are identified together with those of a Fanning friction factor one by minimizing a sum of squared differences between experimental and predicted data. The calculated temperature and pressure profiles present a good agreement with measurements. A statistical analysis shows that each optimized parameter is significant.     

Transient Response of a Serpentine Finned-Tube Cross-Flow Heat Exchanger to a Step Change in Inlet Temperature

Abstract

An analysis of the thermal response of a finned-tube, liquid-to-gas cross-flow heat exchanger due to a step change in the liquid inlet temperature is performed. Closed-form solutions for the liquid and gas temperatures as functions of space and time are obtained via the Laplace transform technique for both small and large arguments of the modified Bessel function of the first kind. Using four physically important dimensionless parameters, the response of the liquid and average gas outlet temperatures are studied and presented in the time domain. The analysts is extended to a single-row serpentine coil geometry by accounting for U-tube bends. Using a typical heat exchanger geometry, the effects of the tube bends are shown to be significant. Relevant applications include automotive and HVAC heat exchangers and systems.     

Experimental Study on the Air-Side Performance of a Multipass Parallel and Counter Cross-Flow L-Footed Spiral Fin-and-Tube Heat Exchanger

This study conducted experiments on the air-side performance of novel L-footed spiral fin-and-tube heat exchangers that were faced with airflow at high Reynolds numbers (3500–13,000). The examined heat exchangers have a multipass parallel-and-counter cross-flow type of water flow arrangement. This flow arrangement is a combination of the parallel cross-flow and the counter cross-flow. This type of water flow arrangement may be the best fit for the reverse-flow system, because it can provide constant heat-exchange effectiveness for every flow reversal direction at the same airflow rate. Ambient air was used as a working fluid on the air side and hot water for the tube side. This way the effect of the number of tube rows on the heat transfer and friction characteristics of L-footed spiral fin-and-tube heat exchangers was clearly observed. The effect of the fin's outside diameter on the pressure drop was also studied. The results show that the number of tube rows has no significant effect on the air-side heat transfer or on friction characteristics at high Reynolds numbers. However, the fin's outside diameter shows a significant effect on the pressure drop. The pressure drop increases as the fin's outside diameter increases for the same number of tube rows.     

紧凑式空气换热器在工业锅炉排烟余热利用上的应用

针对现有燃煤工业锅炉排烟温度偏高的问题，提出一种紧凑式的换热器，利用排烟余热加热空气，其结构采用独特的旁通烟道设计，并且在管束外增加了均流板，减少了阻力损失，在6．5t/h工业锅炉改造中得到成功应用。     

Design of a Compact Ceramic High-Temperature Heat Exchanger and Chemical Decomposer for Hydrogen Production

This article describes a compact silicon carbide ceramic, high-temperature heat exchanger for hydrogen production in the sulfur iodine thermochemical cycle, and in particular, to be used as the sulfuric acid decomposer. In this cycle, hot helium from a nuclear reactor is used to heat the SI (sulfuric acid) feed components (H₂O, H₂SO₄, SO₃) to obtain appropriate conditions for the SI decomposition reaction. The inner walls of the SI decomposer channels are coated with platinum to catalytically decompose sulfur trioxide into sulfur dioxide and oxygen. Hydrodynamic, thermal, and the sulfur trioxide decomposition reaction were coupled for numerical modeling. Thermal results of this analysis are exported to perform a probabilistic mechanical failure analysis. This article presents the approach used in modeling the chemical decomposition of sulfur trioxide. Stress analysis of the design is also presented. The second part of the article shows the results of parametric study of the baseline design (linear channels). Several alternate designs of the chemical decomposer channels are also explored. The current study summarizes the results of the parametric calculations whose objective is to maximize the sulfur trioxide decomposition by using various channel geometries within the decomposer. Based on these results, a discussion of the possibilities for improving the productivity of the design is also given.     

管壳式换热器的换热管强化传热技术浅述

介绍了管壳式换热器的换热管强化传热技术,分析了各自的原理、优缺点及推荐的使用场合。采用节能技术的换热器不仅提高了能源的利用率,而且减少了金属材料的消耗,对化工行业提高经济效益具有重要意义。     

一种振荡热管换热器热性能的研究

设计了一种振荡热管换热器,将其内插于太阳能集热器中,应用于蓄能型内插热管式太阳能热水系统,根据太阳辐射强度切换工作模型,可实现对太阳能的分季节最大化利用。搭建了蓄能型振荡热管换热器性能试验台,对充灌工质分别为R134a、乙醇/水、丙酮/水的振荡热管换热器在不同加热功率下启动时间、水侧温升和热阻等性能进行研究。结果表明:无论振荡热管换热器内充灌哪种工质,热管的启动时间都随着加热功率的增大而减小;相似环境温度下,充灌不同工质的振荡热管换热器的热阻都随着加热功率的增大而减小;在相同的环境温度下,充灌不同工质的振荡热管换热器的循环水温都会随着加热功率的增大而升高,充灌R134a的振荡热管换热器的循环水温增幅最大。     

紧凑高效型水平管束降膜蒸发换热器的实验研究

在大气压条件下使用单列和3列叉排光滑管和滚压强化换热管紧凑管束进行了水降膜蒸发换热实验,确认了滚压管在中,低热负荷范围内能够增强换热系数3～4倍,有很好的沸腾强化换热性能。管间距及液膜溅射损失对蒸发换热特性影响很小。同时也考察了单列和3列管束换热特性闯的差异。实验发现这种差异在低雷诺数区域时更加明显。