A Parametric Numerical Study of Optical Behavior of Thermotropic Materials for Solar Thermal Collectors

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam C. Gladen ◽  
Susan C. Mantell ◽  
Jane H. Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Optical Thickness ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Monte Carlo Model ◽  
Size Parameter ◽  
Solar Absorbers ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Solar Thermal Collectors ◽  
Optical Behavior

A Monte Carlo model is applied to determinate the steady state, solar-weighted optical properties of potential thermotropic composite materials for overheat protection of polymer solar absorbers. The key results are dimensionless plots of normal-hemispherical transmittance, reflectance and absorptance as a function of particle size parameter, scattering albedo, and overall optical thickness. The optical behavior of thermotropic materials at different temperatures is represented by a change in the relative refractive index which affects the scattering albedo and optical thickness. At low temperatures where overheat protection is not required, referred to as the clear state, the overall optical thickness should be less than 0.3 to ensure high transmittance for the preferred particle size parameter of 2. At higher temperatures where overheat protection is required, referred to as the translucent state, the overall optical thickness should be greater than 10 and the scattering albedo should be greater than 0.995 to achieve 50% reflectance. A case study of low molecular weighted polyethylene in poly(methyl methacrylate) is presented to illustrate use of the results to guide the design of thermotropic materials.

A Parametric Numerical Study of Radiative Transfer in Thermotropic Materials

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam C. Gladen ◽  
Susan C. Mantell ◽  
Jane H. Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Radiative Transfer ◽  
Optical Thickness ◽  
Parametric Study ◽  
Volume Fraction ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Anisotropic Scattering ◽  
Index Of Refraction ◽  
Spherical Particles ◽  
Size Parameter

A thermotropic material is modeled as an absorbing, thin slab containing anisotropic scattering, monodisperse, spherical particles. Monte Carlo ray tracing is used to solve the governing equation of radiative transfer. Predicted results are validated by comparison to the measured normal-hemispherical reflectance and transmittance of samples with various volume fraction and relative index of refraction. A parametric study elucidates the effects of particle size parameter, scattering albedo, and optical thickness on the normal-hemispherical transmittance, reflectance, and absorptance. The results are interpreted for a thermotropic material used for overheat protection of a polymer solar absorber. For the preferred particle size parameter of 2, the optical thickness should be less than 0.3 to ensure high transmittance in the clear state. To significantly reduce the transmittance and increase the reflectance in the translucent state, the optical thickness should be greater than 2.5 and the scattering albedo should be greater than 0.995. For optical thickness greater than 5, the reflectance is asymptotic and any further reduction in transmittance is through increased absorptance. A case study is used to illustrate how the parametric study can be used to guide the design of thermotropic materials. Low molecular weighted polyethylene in poly(methyl methacrylate) is identified as a potential thermotropic material. For this material and a particle radius of 200 nm, it is determined that the volume fraction and thickness should equal 10% and 1 mm, respectively.

Pyrolysis of brown algae (Bifurcaria Bifurcata) in a stainless steel tubular reactor: From a review to a case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Y. Guida ◽  
F. E. Laghchioua ◽  
A. Hannioui
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Brown Algae ◽  
Tubular Reactor ◽  
Nitrogen Flow ◽  
Nitrogen Flow Rate ◽  
Bifurcaria Bifurcata ◽  
Bio Oil

This article deals with fast pyrolysis of brown algae, such as Bifurcaria Bifurcata at the range of temperature 300–800 °C in a stainless steel tubular reactor. After a literature review on algae and its importance in renewable sector, a case study was done on pyrolysis of brown algae especially, Bifurcaria Bifurcata. The aim was to experimentally investigate how the temperature, the particle size, the nitrogen flow rate (N2) and the heating rate affect bio-oil, bio-char and gaseous products. These parameters were varied in the ranges of 5–50 °C/min, below 0.2–1 mm and 20–200 mL. min–1, respectively. The maximum bio-oil yield of 41.3wt% was obtained at a pyrolysis temperature of 600 °C, particle size between 0.2–0.5 mm, nitrogen flow rate (N2) of 100 mL. min–1 and heating rate of 5 °C/min. Liquid product obtained under the most suitable and optimal condition was characterized by elemental analysis, 1H-NMR, FT-IR and GC-MS. The analysis of bio-oil showed that bio-oil from Bifurcaria Bifurcata could be a potential source of renewable fuel production and value added chemicals.

scholarly journals A Numerical Study of the Effect of Particle Size on Particle Deposition on Turbine Vanes and Blades

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 168781402110178
Author(s):  
Zhengang Liu ◽  
Weinan Diao ◽  
Zhenxia Liu ◽  
Fei Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Stokes Number ◽  
Capture Efficiency ◽  
Particle Capture ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Pressure Surface ◽  
Deposition Area ◽  
Turbine Vanes

Particle deposition could decrease the aerodynamic performance and cooling efficiency of turbine vanes and blades. The particle motion in the flow and its temperature are two important factors affecting its deposition. The size of the particle influences both its motion and temperature. In this study, the motion of particles with the sizes from 1 to 20 μm in the first stage of a turbine are firstly numerically simulated with the steady method, then the particle deposition on the vanes and blades are numerically simulated with the unsteady method based on the critical viscosity model. It is discovered that the particle deposition on vanes mainly formed near the leading and trailing edge on the pressure surface, and the deposition area expands slowly to the whole pressure surface with the particle size increasing. For the particle deposition on blades, the deposition area moves from the entire pressure surface toward the tip with the particle size increasing due to the effect of rotation. For vanes, the particle capture efficiency increases with the particle size increasing since Stokes number and temperature of the particle both increase with its size. For blades, the particle capture efficiency increases firstly and then decreases with the particle size increasing.

scholarly journals Strain Sensor via Wood Anomalies in 2D Dielectric Array

Nanomaterials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1022
Author(s):  
Rashid G. Bikbaev ◽  
Ivan V. Timofeev ◽  
Vasiliy F. Shabanov
Keyword(s):  
Higher Plants ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Reciprocal Lattice ◽  
Strain Sensing ◽  
Photonic Materials ◽  
Sensing Applications ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Sensor Structure ◽  
Optical Behavior ◽  
Chlorophyll Absorption

Optical sensing is one of many promising applications for all-dielectric photonic materials. Herein, we present an analytical and numerical study on the strain-responsive spectral properties of a bioinspired sensor. The sensor structure contains a two-dimensional periodic array of dielectric nanodisks to mimic the optical behavior of grana lamellae inside chloroplasts. To accumulate a noticeable response, we exploit the collective optical mode in grana ensemble. In higher plants, such a mode appears as Wood’s anomaly near the chlorophyll absorption line to control the photosynthesis rate. The resonance is shown persistent against moderate biological disorder and deformation. Under the stretching or compression of a symmetric structure, the mode splits into a couple of polarized modes. The frequency difference is accurately detected. It depends on the stretch coefficient almost linearly providing easy calibration of the strain-sensing device. The sensitivity of the considered structure remains at 5 nm/% in a wide range of strain. The influence of the stretching coefficient on the length of the reciprocal lattice vectors, as well as on the angle between them, is taken into account. This adaptive phenomenon is suggested for sensing applications in biomimetic optical nanomaterials.

Numerical study and field performance of rockbolt support schemes in TBM-excavated coal mine roadways: A case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 115 ◽  
pp. 104053
Author(s):  
Bin Tang ◽  
Mathias Yeboah ◽  
Hua Cheng ◽  
Yongzhi Tang ◽  
Zhishu Yao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mine ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Field Performance ◽  
Mine Roadways ◽  
Rockbolt Support

scholarly journals Experimental and Numerical Study of a Microcogeneration Stirling Unit under On–Off Cycling Operation

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 801
Author(s):  
Gianluca Valenti ◽  
Aldo Bischi ◽  
Stefano Campanari ◽  
Paolo Silva ◽  
Antonino Ravidà ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Thermal Storage ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Operational Cost ◽  
Cogeneration Plant ◽  
Economic Optimization ◽  
Viable Option ◽  
Heating Value ◽  
Energy Flows

Stirling units are a viable option for micro-cogeneration applications, but they operate often with multiple daily startups and shutdowns due to the variability of load profiles. This work focused on the experimental and numerical study of a small-size commercial Stirling unit when subjected to cycling operations. First, experimental data about energy flows and emissions were collected during on–off operations. Second, these data were utilized to tune an in-house code for the economic optimization of cogeneration plant scheduling. Lastly, the tuned code was applied to a case study of a residential flat in Northern Italy during a typical winter day to investigate the optimal scheduling of the Stirling unit equipped with a thermal storage tank of diverse sizes. Experimentally, the Stirling unit showed an integrated electric efficiency of 8.9% (8.0%) and thermal efficiency of 91.0% (82.2%), referred to as the fuel lower and, between parenthesis, higher heating value during the on–off cycling test, while emissions showed peaks in NOx and CO up to 100 ppm but shorter than a minute. Numerically, predictions indicated that considering the on–off effects, the optimized operating strategy led to a great reduction of daily startups, with a number lower than 10 per day due to an optimal thermal storage size of 4 kWh. Ultimately, the primary energy saving was 12% and the daily operational cost was 2.9 €/day.

Numerical Study on the Erosion Characteristics of U-Type Bend for Gas Solid Flow

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Wang ◽  
Qi He ◽  
Ming Liu ◽  
Weixiong Chen ◽  
Junjie Yan
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Erosion Rate ◽  
Loading Rate ◽  
Pipe Wall ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Pulverized Coal ◽  
Mass Loading ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Inlet Velocity ◽  
Pipe System

In pulverized coal-fired plant, the U-type bend is commonly used in flue gas and pulverized coal pipe system to due to the constraints of outer space. And gas-solid two-phase flow exists in these pipelines. The erosion of the pipe has significant effect on the safety and reliability of pipelines. In present paper, the erosion characteristics of U-type bend were investigated through CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) method. The wear distribution on the pipe wall was obtained. And the particle flow characteristics in U-type bend were analyzed. The influence of inlet velocity, mass loading rate and particle size on the erosion rate was studied as well. Result suggested that the maximum erosion rate increases exponentially with the increase of inlet velocity. And maximum erosion rate increases linearly with the increasing mass loading rate. Increasing particle size can aggravate the wear on the pipe wall.

scholarly journals Experimental Investigation of Wave Velocity-Permeability Model for Granite Subjected to Different Temperature Processing

Geofluids ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanghui Jiang ◽  
Jianping Zuo ◽  
Teng Ma ◽  
Xu Wei
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Wave Velocity ◽  
Pore Fluid ◽  
Rock Matrix ◽  
Permeability Model ◽  
Wave Velocities ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Increasing Temperature

Understanding the change of permeability of rocks before and after heating is of great significance for exploitation of hydrocarbon resources and disposal of nuclear waste. The rock permeability under high temperature cannot be measured with most of the existing methods. In this paper, quality, wave velocity, and permeability of granite specimen from Maluanshan tunnel are measured after high temperature processing. Quality and wave velocity of granite decrease and permeability of granite increases with increasing temperature. Using porosity as the medium, a new wave velocity-permeability model is established with modified wave velocity-porosity formula and Kozeny-Carman formula. Under some given wave velocities and corresponding permeabilities through experiment, the permeabilities at different temperatures and wave velocities can be obtained. By comparing the experimental and the theoretical results, the proposed formulas are verified. In addition, a sensitivity analysis is performed to examine the effect of particle size, wave velocities in rock matrix, and pore fluid on permeability: permeability increases with increasing particle size, wave velocities in rock matrix, and pore fluid; the higher the rock wave velocity, the lower the effect of wave velocities in rock matrix and pore fluid on permeability.

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