Thermal Performances of a High Temperature Air Solar Absorber Based on Compact Heat Exchange Technology

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Grange ◽  
A. Ferrière ◽  
D. Bellard ◽  
M. Vrinat ◽  
R. Couturier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Wall Temperature ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Metallic Surface ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Maximum Pressure ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Solar Absorber ◽  
Operation Conditions ◽  
Solar Receiver

In the framework of the French PEGASE project (Production of Electricity by GAs turbine and Solar Energy), CNRS/PROMES laboratory is developing a 4 MWth pressurized air solar receiver with a surface absorber based on a compact heat exchanger technology. The first step of this development consists in designing and testing a pilot scale (1/10 scale, e.g., 360 kWth) solar receiver based on a metallic surface absorber. This paper briefly presents the hydraulic and thermal performances of the innovative pressurized air solar absorber developed in a previous work. The goal is to be capable of preheating pressurized air from 350 °C at the inlet to 750 °C at the outlet, with a maximum pressure drop of 300 mbar. The receiver is a cavity of square aperture 120 cm × 120 cm and 1 m deepness with an average concentration in the aperture of more than 300. The square shaped aperture is chosen due to the small scale of the receiver; indeed, the performances are not enhanced that much with a round aperture, while the manufacturability is much more complicated. However in the perspective of PEGASE, a round aperture is likely to be used. The back of the cavity is covered by modules arranged in two series making the modular and multistage absorber. The thermal performances of one module are considered to simulate the thermal exchange within the receiver and to estimate the energy efficiency of this receiver. The results of the simulation show that the basic design yields an air outlet temperature of 739 °C under design operation conditions (1000 W/m2 solar irradiation, 0.8 kg/s air flow rate). Using the cavity walls as air preheating elements allows increasing the air outlet temperature above 750 °C as well as the energy efficiency up to 81% but at the cost of a critical absorber wall temperature. However, this wall temperature can be controlled by applying an aiming point strategy with the heliostat field.

scholarly journals Aiming Strategy on a Prototype-Scale Solar Receiver: Coupling of Tabu Search, Ray-Tracing and Thermal Models

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3920
Author(s):  
Benjamin Grange ◽  
Gilles Flamant
Keyword(s):  
Tabu Search ◽  
Ray Tracing ◽  
Wall Temperature ◽  
Gradual Increase ◽  
Particle Temperature ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Operation Conditions ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Fluidized Particle ◽  
Solar Receiver

An aiming point strategy applied to a prototype-scale power tower is analyzed in this paper to define the operation conditions and to preserve the lifetime of the solar receiver developed in the framework of the Next-commercial solar power (CSP) H2020 project. This innovative solar receiver involves the fluidized particle-in-tube concept. The aiming solution is compared to the case without the aiming strategy. Due to the complex tubular geometry of the receiver, results of the Tabu search for the aiming point strategy are combined with a ray-tracing software, and these results are then coupled with a simplified thermal model of the receiver to evaluate its performance. Daily and hourly aiming strategies are compared, and different objective normalized flux distributions are applied to quantify their influence on the receiver wall temperature distribution, thermal efficiency and particle outlet temperature. A gradual increase in the solar incident power on the receiver is analyzed in order to keep a uniform outlet particle temperature during the start-up. Results show that a tradeoff must be respected between wall temperature and particle outlet temperature.

Comparison of Experimental and Numerical Air Temperature Distributions Behind a Cylindrical Volumetric Solar Absorber Module

2007 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Palero ◽  
Manuel Romero ◽  
José L. Castillo
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Radial Distribution ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Temperature Gradients ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Recirculation Flow ◽  
Solar Absorber ◽  
Air Temperatures ◽  
Wind Influence ◽  
Solar Receiver

The current trend in volumetric solar receiver technology is to build modular receivers cooled by air (Hitrec I and II, Solair 200kW and 3MW) in order to facilitate the replacement of broken absorber modules (cups) and to simplify the upscaling of the receiver. In addition, the modular designs include an air return circuit to cool down the structure supporting the cups. Usually, the air outlet temperature from each module is characterized by measurements taken from a single thermocouple. However, the air temperature distribution behind the volumetric absorber module is not homogeneous, as it can be seen in some specific tests where several thermocouples were added behind different absorber modules. The radial distribution of outlet air temperatures shows very high temperature gradients. The goal of this work is to explain the inhomogeneous thermal maps behind the metallic absorbers by comparing some experimental results with numerical simulations performed using the computational fluid dynamics FLUENT code. The results show the wind influence over the air recirculation flow and its effects on the outlet air temperature radial distribution. Thus, the simulations suggest different ways to reduce the temperature gradients behind each cup.

scholarly journals Degradation Investigation of Electrocatalyst in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell at a High Energy Efficiency

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (13) ◽  
pp. 3932
Author(s):  
Jie Song ◽  
Qing Ye ◽  
Kun Wang ◽  
Zhiyuan Guo ◽  
Meiling Dou
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Single Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Cell Voltage ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Pt Catalyst ◽  
Operation Conditions ◽  
High Efficient ◽  
Exchange Membrane

The development of high efficient stacks is critical for the wide spread application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in transportation and stationary power plant. Currently, the favorable operation conditions of PEMFCs are with single cell voltage between 0.65 and 0.7 V, corresponding to energy efficiency lower than 57%. For the long term, PEMFCs need to be operated at higher voltage to increase the energy efficiency and thus promote the fuel economy for transportation and stationary applications. Herein, PEMFC single cell was investigated to demonstrate its capability to working with voltage and energy efficiency higher than 0.8 V and 65%, respectively. It was demonstrated that the PEMFC encountered a significant performance degradation after the 64 h operation. The cell voltage declined by more than 13% at the current density of 1000 mA cm−2, due to the electrode de-activation. The high operation potential of the cathode leads to the corrosion of carbon support and then causes the detachment of Pt nanoparticles, resulting in significant Pt agglomeration. The catalytic surface area of cathode Pt is thus reduced for oxygen reduction and the cell performance decreased. Therefore, electrochemically stable Pt catalyst is highly desirable for efficient PEMFCs operated under cell voltage higher than 0.8 V.

scholarly journals Large-Eddy Simulation Study of Flow and Heat Transfer in Swirling and Non-Swirling Impinging Jets on a Semi-Cylinder Concave Target

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 7167
Author(s):  
Liang Xu ◽  
Xu Zhao ◽  
Lei Xi ◽  
Yonghao Ma ◽  
Jianmin Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Large Eddy Simulation ◽  
Wall Temperature ◽  
Target Surface ◽  
Impinging Jets ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Complex Flow ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Flow And Heat Transfer ◽  
Large Eddy

Swirling impinging jet (SIJ) is considered as an effective means to achieve uniform cooling at high heat transfer rates, and the complex flow structure and its mechanism of enhancing heat transfer have attracted much attention in recent years. The large eddy simulation (LES) technique is employed to analyze the flow fields of swirling and non-swirling impinging jet emanating from a hole with four spiral and straight grooves, respectively, at a relatively high Reynolds number (Re) of 16,000 and a small jet spacing of H/D = 2 on a concave surface with uniform heat flux. Firstly, this work analyzes two different sub-grid stress models, and LES with the wall-adapting local eddy-viscosity model (WALEM) is established for accurately predicting flow and heat transfer performance of SIJ on a flat surface. The complex flow field structures, spectral characteristics, time-averaged flow characteristics and heat transfer on the target surface for the swirling and non-swirling impinging jets are compared in detail using the established method. The results show that small-scale recirculation vortices near the wall change the nearby flow into an unstable microwave state, resulting in small-scale fluctuation of the local Nusselt number (Nu) of the wall. There is a stable recirculation vortex at the stagnation point of the target surface, and the axial and radial fluctuating speeds are consistent with the fluctuating wall temperature. With the increase in the radial radius away from the stagnation point, the main frequency of the fluctuation of wall temperature coincides with the main frequency of the fluctuation of radial fluctuating velocity at x/D = 0.5. Compared with 0° straight hole, 45° spiral hole has a larger fluctuating speed because of speed deflection, resulting in a larger turbulence intensity and a stronger air transport capacity. The heat transfer intensity of the 45° spiral hole on the target surface is slightly improved within 5–10%.

scholarly journals Efficiency Enhancement on Thermal Comfort Assessment of Indoor Space with Air-Conditioner Using Computational Analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Yu-Tuan Chou ◽  
Shao-Yi Hsia ◽  
Bi-Wen Lee
Keyword(s):  
Taguchi Method ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Air Conditioner ◽  
Indoor Space ◽  
Factorial Method ◽  
Operation Conditions ◽  
Full Factorial

Thermal comfort providing is one of the biggest uses of energy in building. For giving better human comfort, the suitable operation conditions of air-conditioner are the most important. The quick and right approach is necessary. In this paper, a small office is studied to improve office staff staying for a long period of time and achieve the thermal comfort environment for reducing energy consumption. Commercial software, Solidworks, is utilized for modeling the facilities and the Flow Simulation module for analyzing the air properties of the indoor space. Four types of air-conditioner operation are applied to set the simulated conditions, including exterior temperature, outlet temperature and wind speed of air-conditioner, and location of air-conditioner. Predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percent dissatisfied (PPD) at specific office areas are further acquired through dynamic anthropometry. For seeking the optimal control factors, both of the full factorial method and Taguchi method are utilized to obtain the PMV of specified location. The analyzed result shows the evaluation speed of indoor thermal comfort by Taguchi method is faster than the full-factorial method. It is concluded that software simulation with Taguchi method shows the successful implementation and higher efficiency for thermal comfort assessment.

Oscillations in Closed Surge Tanks

1943 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. A183-A186
Author(s):  
A. M. Binnie
Keyword(s):  
Small Scale ◽  
Maximum Pressure ◽  
Surge Tank ◽  
Compression And Expansion ◽  
Made In

Abstract The existing methods of predicting the oscillations in a closed surge tank are very lengthy unless drastic simplifications are made. In this paper a new and quick procedure is explained for calculating the maximum pressure and expansion of the air, which result from a sudden shutdown of the plant. Friction is taken into account, both in the pipe and also in any arrangement placed between the pipe and the tank to damp the oscillations, but the compression and expansion of the air must be assumed isothermal. Small-scale experiments confirmed the expectation that the observed maximum pressures would be greater than the theoretical. The shutdown of a big plant is, however, not instantaneous, and the theory may be expected to yield results sufficiently accurate for the purpose in view.

scholarly journals Technological Innovation in the Aspect of Safety in the Process of Heat Supply

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 412-418
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Wrzalik ◽  
Matevž Obrecht
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Heat Supply ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
District Heating ◽  
High Energy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Heating Systems ◽  
Operation Conditions ◽  
Network Operation ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn recent years heating in Poland has been transformed as a result of the priorities of the country's energy policy implemented within the European Union. The increase in energy security, the development of renewable energy sources and the fulfilment of legal and environmental requirements are very important. Exploitation of district heating systems should ensure reliable and safe heat supplies for industrial and municipal customers with high energy efficiency and reduction of environmental impact. The article discusses the conditions and directions of centralized heating systems development as well as technical and economic issues, which are important for the security of heat supply. The Author describes selected technological innovations used in the technical infrastructure for heat transfer and modern IT systems which are improving the management of heating systems. The article includes the results of simulation research with use of IT tools showing the impact of selected innovations on the improvement of network operation conditions. Directions of modernization of heating systems in the aspect of increasing energy efficiency and security of heat supply have also been indicted here.

Development and Validation of a Design Tool for an Improved Pitot-Tube Jet-Pump Allowing Continuous Fluid-Fluid Separation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Deylen ◽  
Jessica Köpplin ◽  
Dominique Thevenin
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spills ◽  
Separation Efficiency ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Pitot Tube ◽  
Polluted Water ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Water Mixture ◽  
Jet Pump ◽  
Operation Conditions

Abstract A Pitot-tube Jet-Pump (PTJ pump) has been considerably modified and extended in order to continuously separate and transport liquids of different densities. As a first application, an oil-water mixture is considered in this work. The modified PTJ pump could be used as a primary separator for oil-polluted water (e.g., around off-shore platforms, after oil spills from ships), while additionally being able to transport the resulting fluid to further heaters, exchangers, centrifuges, distillation columns, etc., without necessitating additional machinery. The performance behavior of the separating PTJ pump (abbreviated SPP in what follows) has been first investigated with computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and then validated by comparison with experimental data acquired on a small-scale prototype. Based on these observations, a design tool has been developed to (i) predict performance and (ii) support proper device scaling. This tool is based on dimensionless parameters that are already employed for classical turbomachinery, similar to the Cordier chart. However, since the SPP works at an extremely low specific speed, its operating points lie outside the standard Cordier chart. To verify the accuracy of the design tool, a scale-up test has been conducted and validated by CFD, delivering a good agreement. A separation efficiency better than 99% has been obtained in the experiments for suitable operation conditions, while the numerical scale-up test reveals a head of 15.1 m and an oil content below 0.2% in the purified water at the High-Pressure Outlet.

Are tenants willing to pay for energy efficiency? Evidence from a small-scale spatial analysis in Germany

Energy Policy ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 112753
Author(s):  
Steven März ◽  
Ines Stelk ◽  
Franziska Stelzer
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Small Scale

scholarly journals Optimum Tilt Angle and Orientation of Photovoltaic Thermal System for Application in Greater Toronto Area, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (22) ◽  
pp. 6443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hailu ◽  
Fung
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Tilt Angle ◽  
Solar Panel ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Total Solar Radiation ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Anisotropic Models ◽  
Greater Toronto Area ◽  
Steady State Heat Transfer

We present a study conducted to obtain optimum tilt angle and orientation of a solar panel for the collection of maximum solar irradiation. The optimum tilt angle and orientation were determined using isotropic and anisotropic diffuse sky radiation models (isotropic and anisotropic models). The four isotropic models giving varying optimum tilt angles in the range of 37 to 44°. On the other hand, results of the four anisotropic models were more consistent, with optimum tilt angles ranging between 46–47°. Both types of models indicated that the collector tilt should be changed four times a year to receive more solar radiation. The results also indicate that the solar panel should be installed with orientation west or east of due south with a flatter tilt angle. A 15° change in orientation west or east of due south results in less than 1% reduction of the total solar radiation received. For a given optimum tilt angle, the effect of photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) orientation west or east of due south on the outlet temperature was determined using a one-dimensional steady state heat transfer model. It was found that there is less than 1.5% decrease in outlet temperature for a PV/T panel oriented up to 15° east or west of due south from March to December. This result indicates that existing roofs with orientations angles up to 15° east or west of due south can be retrofitted with a PV/T system without changing the roof shape.

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