Continuous ice slurry formation by using W/O emulsion with higher water content

A W/O (water-in-oil) emulsion was made from a water–lamp oil mixture with higher water content and a small amount of an additive of amino group-modified silicone oil, and the emulsion could be changed into an ice slurry by cooling with stirring. By using a new continuous ice formation system proposed by one of the authors of this paper, the ice slurry could be formed continuously and stably in an ice formation vessel made of stainless steel. From the experimental results, the conditions were clarified for realizing continuous ice formation for 10 h without ice adhesion to the cooling wall. Moreover, in order to propagate supercooling dissolution of the emulsion effectively and to decrease viscosity in the ice slurry, voltages were applied to the emulsion and ice slurry formed, respectively, and it was clarified that the voltage impression was effective for both.     

Formation of high performance ice slurry by W/O emulsion in ice storage (effective method to propagate supercooling dissolution)

This study focused ice slurry formation in an ice storage system using W/O emulsions with 70 and 80% water contents. Emulsions consisted of a silicone oil–water mixture with a small amount of amino-group-modified silicone oil additive. Ice slurry was formed by cooling the emulsion without ice adhesion to the cooling wall, as water in the emulsion did not directly contact the cooling wall. As the structure of W/O emulsion slowed the propagation rate of supercooling dissolution, voltage and ultrasonic wave were applied to the W/O emulsion to propagate dissolution more quickly and decrease maximum supercooling degree, respectively. Thus, the effects of voltage and ultrasonic wave applications on propagation rate were clarified.     

Theoretical and experimental analyses of solar-thermoelectric liquid-chiller system

A solar-thermoelectric liquid chiller (STLC) system is constructed and characterized using both theoretical and experimental analyses. A cold-plate (plate and tube type) heat exchanger, attached to the cold side of the STLC system, is utilized for removing the heat from the circulating water in the system. Analytical models include the thermoelectric Peltier effect, thermal convections in air and water, and conductions within the solid parts of the STLC system. Proposed analytical models are used to calculate different performance parameters (e.g., heat removal rate and coefficient of performance) of STLC system at different input electrical currents, temperature differences (between the bulk mean temperature of the liquid and the surrounding environmental temperature), and flow rates. Optimum values of the electrical current are calculated to achieve maximum heat removal rates for a wide range of temperature differences. It is observed that the heat removal rate by the STLC system increases with increasing bulk mean temperature of the water for considered ambient temperature conditions. However, small changes in the heat removal rate are observed when liquid flow rate changes inside the cold-plate heat exchanger. A prototype of the conditioned space is constructed to perform the experimental analysis. Experimental analysis includes the monitoring of the cooling down period of the water and conditioned space to achieve desired temperatures.     

Simulation of a transcritical CO2 heat pump cycle for simultaneous cooling and heating applications

A steady state simulation model has been developed to evaluate the system performance of a transcritical carbon dioxide heat pump for simultaneous heating and cooling. The simulated results are found to be in reasonable agreement with experimental results reported in the literature. Such a system is suitable, for example, in dairy plants where simultaneous cooling at 4 °C and heating at 73 °C are required. The optimal COP was found to be a function of the compressor speed, the coolant inlet temperature to the evaporator and inlet temperature of the fluid to be heated in the gas cooler and compressor discharge pressure. An optimizing study for the best allocation of the fixed total heat exchanger inventory between the evaporator and the gas cooler based on the heat exchanger area has been carried out. Effect of heat transfer in the heat exchangers on system performance has been presented as well. Finally, a novel nomogram has been developed and it is expected to offer useful guidelines for system design and its optimisation.     

Effects of shapes of electrodes on freezing of supercooled water in electric freeze control

In order to clarify the effects of electric charge on freezing of supercooled water, experiments were carried out. Two kinds of shapes were used for tips of electrodes. One was the sharp end surface. The other was the flat end surface. Aluminum was selected as the material. Water sample was kept in a test tube and cooled down at a constant cooling rate. When the water sample was maintained under a supercooling state, an electric charge was applied to the water sample with a small electric current. The degree of supercooling and the electric current were measured, continuously. Then the degree of supercooling at freezing was determined. It was found that the effects of electric charge were distinct according to the shapes of electrodes. The degree of supercooling at freezing was the lower in the case of flat end surface of the anode than that in the case of sharp end surface of the anode.     

A novel parallel-type hybrid-power gas engine-driven heat pump system

This paper presents a novel concept to integrate a heat pump system and a power system which form a hybrid-power gas engine-driven heat pump (HPGHP) system. The power system of the HPGHP system includes an engine, a motor, a set of battery packs, a continuous variable transmission device and a power-control module. The engine in the power system is capable of operating constantly with high thermal efficiency and low emissions during the four different operating modes: for operating mode A, the ICE powers directly to match the compressor's demand load by throttling the natural-gas flow or adjusting the speed of the ICE, correspondingly the battery packs are disengaged and the ICE operates alone; for operating mode B, the ICE operates in the unique condition with the lowest fuel consumption ratio, meanwhile, the battery packs discharge to provide the supplementary power by the power-control module; for operating mode C, the ICE operates in the unique condition with the lowest fuel consumption ratio, and the redundant power provided by the ICE is converted by the motor to charge the battery packs, here, the motor is used as a generator; for operating mode D, the ICE is disengaged and the battery pack is used alone. Simulation results of the power system showed that for a conventional gas engine-driven heat pump (GHP) system the maximum and minimum thermal efficiencies of the power system are 33% and 22%, respectively; compared with the conventional GHP system, the power system in the novel HPGHP system has superior performance with the maximum and minimum thermal efficiencies of 37% and 27%, respectively.     

Thermal performance characterization of a photovoltaic driven domestic refrigeratorPerformance thermique d'un réfrigérateur domestique photovoltaïque

This paper presents the cool-down, warm-up and steady state performance of a 100 W AC operated domestic refrigerator powered by a field of photovoltaic panels, a battery bank and an inverter. It is shown that there is no degradation in the performance when a non-sinusoidal waveform AC source is used to operate the refrigerator although it may involve only a slight additional heating of the hermetic compressor. Thermal mapping of the temperatures at various points on the refrigerator is provided for steady state, cool-down, warm-up, periodic opening of the door and ice making. An energy flow diagram is given for a steady state sunny day operation. Major sources of losses are identified.     

Simulation based identification of the ideal defrost start time for a heat pump system for electric vehicles

Resistance heating with PTC elements to cover the heat demand of electric vehicles reduces significantly the cruising range at low outside temperatures. Reversible heat pump systems are one of the most promising solutions for this problem. However, in heat pump mode the frost formation on the exterior heat exchanger reduces the performance and efficiency of the system. Therefore, an efficient defrost method is crucial to benefit from the heat pump also under frosting conditions. In the present paper, a transient Modelica simulation model of a reversible CO₂-heat pump system with hot gas defrost was set up in order to assess the impact of different defrost start times. The model is able to handle frost growth on the exterior heat exchanger as well as defrosting. The simulation results showed an optimal point of time to conduct defrost at chosen operating conditions in order to maximize the average COP including the frosting and defrost period.     

Electrical properties of CFC- and HCFC-substitutes

Electrical properties of refrigerants are of importance as soon as bushings are surrounded by a refrigerant. This is the case e. g. for hermetic sealed motor compressors as well as for some control devices such as liquid level control units or capacity controls for compressors. This paper presents a survey of existing data for HFC refrigerants and presents new measurements for those HFC blends that have been identified as long term replacements for CFCs and HCFCs. The data collection includes permittivity, electrical conductivity and breakdown voltage. Values are given for the HFC blends R404A, R407C, R410A and R507 as well as for R134a.