Cooling of Concentrator Photovoltaic Cells Using Mini-Scale Jet Impingement Heat Sinks

Author(s):  
Ali Radwan ◽  
Meshack Hawi ◽  
Mahmoud Ahmed

In this study, an efficient cooling technique for concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) cells is proposed to enhance the system electrical efficiency and extend its lifetime. To do this, a comprehensive three-dimensional conjugate heat transfer model of CPV cells layers coupled with the heat transfer and fluid flow model inside jet impingement heat sink is developed. Four different jet impingement designs are compared. The investigated designs are (A) central inlet jet, (B) Hypotenuse inlet jet, (C) staggered inlet jet, and (D) conventional jet impingement design with side drainage. The effect of coolant flowrate on the CPV/T system performance is investigated. The model is numerically simulated and validated using the available experiments. The performance of CPV system is investigated at solar concentration ratios of 20 and coolant flowrate up to 6000g/min. It is found that increasing the flowrate from 60 g/min to 600 g/min decrease the maximum cell temperature by 31°C for the configuration D while increasing the flowrate from 600 g/min to 6000 g/min reduce the cell temperature by 20.2°C. It is also concluded that at a higher flowrate of 6000g/min, all the investigated configurations relatively achieve better temperature uniformity with maximum temperature differences of 0.9 °C, 2.1 °C, 3.6 °C, and 3.9 °C for configurations A, B, C, and D respectively.

Author(s):  
Benyamin Naranjani ◽  
Ehsan Roohi ◽  
Amin Ebrahimi

Abstract Cooling of electronic devices is one of the critical challenges that the electronics industry is facing towards sustainable development. Aiming at lowering the surface temperature of the heat sink to limit thermally induced deformations, corrugated channels and nanofluids are employed to improve the thermal and hydraulic performances of a heat sink. Three-dimensional simulations based on the finite-volume approach are carried out to study conjugated heat transfer in the heat sink. Water-based nanofluids containing $$\hbox {Al}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}$$ Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles with two different particle sizes (29 nm and 40 nm) and volume fractions less than 4% are employed as the coolant, and their influence on the thermal and hydraulic performance of the heat sink is compared with the base fluid (i.e. water). An empirical model is utilised to approximate the effective transport properties of the nanofluids. Employing corrugated channels instead of straight channels in the heat sink results in an enhancement of 24–36% in the heat transfer performance at the cost of 20–31% increase in the required pumping power leading to an enhancement of 16–24% in the overall performance of the heat sink. Additionally, the numerical predictions indicate that the overall performance of the proposed heat sink design with corrugated channels and water–$$\hbox {Al}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}$$ Al 2 O 3 nanofluids is 22–40% higher than that of the water-cooled heat sink with straight channels. It is demonstrated that the overall performance of the heat sink cooled with water–$$\hbox {Al}_{2}\hbox {O}_{3}$$ Al 2 O 3 nanofluids increases with reducing the average nanoparticle size. Additionally, the maximum temperature rise in the heat sinks is determined for different thermal loads.


2020 ◽  
Vol 319 ◽  
pp. 02004
Author(s):  
Muhammad Akif Rahman ◽  
Md Badrath Tamam ◽  
Md Sadman Faruque ◽  
A.K.M. Monjur Morshed

In this paper a numerical analysis of three-dimensional laminar flow through rectangular channel heat sinks of different geometric configuration is presented and a comparison of thermal performance among the heat sinks is discussed. Liquid water was used as coolant in the aluminum made heat sink with a glass cover above it. The aspect ratio (section height to width) of rectangular channels of the mini-channel heat sink was 0.33. A heat flux of 20 W/cm2 was continuously applied at the bottom of the channel with different inlet velocity for Reynold’s number ranging from 150 to 1044. Interconnectors and obstacles at different positions and numbers inside the channel were introduced in order to enhance the thermal performance. These modifications cause secondary flow between the parallel channels and the obstacles disrupt the boundary layer formation of the flow inside the channel which leads to the increase in heat transfer rate. Finally, Nusselt number, overall thermal resistance and maximum temperature of the heat sink were calculated to compare the performances of the modified heat sinks with the conventional mini channel heat sink and it was observed that the heat sink with both interconnectors and obstacles enhanced the thermal performance more significantly than other configurations. A maximum of 36% increase in Nusselt number was observed (for Re =1044).


Author(s):  
Johnny S. Issa ◽  
Alfonso Ortega

An experimental investigation was conducted to explore the flow behavior, pressure drop, and heat transfer due to free air jet impingement on square in-line pin fin heat sinks (PFHS) mounted on a plane horizontal surface. A parametrically consistent set of aluminum heat sinks with fixed base dimension of 25 × 25 mm was used, with pin heights varying between 12.5 mm and 22.5 mm, and fin thickness between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm. A 6:1 contracting nozzle having a square outlet cross sectional area of 25 × 25 mm was used to blow air at ambient temperature on the top of the heat sinks with velocities varying from 2 to 20 m/s. The ratio of the gap between the jet exit and the pin tips to the pin height, the so-called tip clearance ratio, was varied from 0 (no tip clearance) to 1. The stagnation pressure recovered at the center of the heat sink was higher for tall pins than short pins. The pressure loss coefficient showed a little dependence on Re, increased with increasing pin density, and pin diameter, and decreased with increasing pin height and clearance ratio. The overall base-to-ambient thermal resistance decreased with increasing Re number, pin density and pin diameter. Surprisingly, the dependence of the thermal resistance on the pin height and clearance ratio was shown to be mild at low Re, and to vanish at high Re number.


Author(s):  
Justin Lapp ◽  
Wojciech Lipiński

A transient heat transfer model is developed for a solar reactor prototype for H2O and CO2 splitting via two-step non-stoichiometric ceria cycling. Counter-rotating cylinders of reactive and inert materials cycling between high and low temperature zones permit continuous operation and heat recovery. To guide the reactor design a transient three-dimensional heat transfer model is developed based on transient energy conservation, accounting for conduction, convection, radiation, and chemical reactions. The model domain includes the rotating cylinders, a solar receiver cavity, and insulated reactor body. Radiative heat transfer is analyzed using a combination of the Monte Carlo method, Rosseland diffusion approximation, and the net radiation method. Quasi-steady state distributions of temperatures, heat fluxes, and the non-stoichiometric coefficient are reported. Ceria cycles between temperatures of 1708 K and 1376 K. A heat recovery effectiveness of 28% and solar-to-fuel efficiency of 5.2% are predicted for an unoptimized reactor design.


2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1286-1297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Gil ◽  
Andrés Omar Tiseira ◽  
Luis Miguel García-Cuevas ◽  
Tatiana Rodríguez Usaquén ◽  
Guillaume Mijotte

Each of the elements that make up the turbocharger has been gradually improved. In order to ensure that the system does not experience any mechanical failures or loss of efficiency, it is important to study which engine-operating conditions could produce the highest failing rate. Common failing conditions in turbochargers are mostly achieved due to oil contamination and high temperatures in the bearing system. Thermal management becomes increasingly important for the required engine performance. Therefore, it has become necessary to have accurate temperature and heat transfer models. Most thermal design and analysis codes need data for validation; often the data available fall outside the range of conditions the engine experiences in reality leading to the need to interpolate and extrapolate disproportionately. This article presents a fast three-dimensional heat transfer model for computing internal temperatures in the central housing for non-water cooled turbochargers and its direct validation with experimental data at different engine-operating conditions of speed and load. The presented model allows a detailed study of the temperature rise of the central housing, lubrication channels, and maximum level of temperature at different points of the bearing system of an automotive turbocharger. It will let to evaluate thermal damage done to the system itself and influences on the working fluid temperatures, which leads to oil coke formation that can affect the performance of the engine. Thermal heat transfer properties obtained from this model can be used to feed and improve a radial lumped model of heat transfer that predicts only local internal temperatures. Model validation is illustrated, and finally, the main results are discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 831 ◽  
pp. 83-91
Author(s):  
Lahoucine Belarche ◽  
Btissam Abourida

The three-dimensional numerical study of natural convection in a cubical enclosure, discretely heated, was carried out in this study. Two heating square sections, similar to the integrated electronic components, are placed on the vertical wall of the enclosure. The imposed heating fluxes vary sinusoidally with time, in phase and in opposition of phase. The temperature of the opposite vertical wall is maintained at a cold uniform temperature and the other walls are adiabatic. The governing equations are solved using Control volume method by SIMPLEC algorithm. The sections dimension ε = D / H and the Rayleigh number Ra were fixed respectively at 0,35 and 106. The average heat transfer and the maximum temperature on the active portions will be examined for a given set of the governing parameters, namely the amplitude of the variable temperatures a and their period τp. The obtained results show significant changes in terms of heat transfer, by proper choice of the heating mode and the governing parameters.


2011 ◽  
Vol 52-54 ◽  
pp. 1057-1061
Author(s):  
Tao Nie ◽  
Wei Qiang Liu

To obtain temperature distribution in regenerative-cooled liquid propellant rocket nozzle quickly and accurately, three-dimensional numerical simulation employed using empirical formulas. A reduced one-dimensional model is employed for the coolant flow and heat transfer, while three dimensional heat transfer model is used to calculate the coupling heat transfer through the wall. The geometrical model is subscale hot-firing chamber. The numerical results agree well with experimental data, while temperature field in nozzle obtained. In terms of computing time and accuracy of results, this method can provide a reference for optimization design and performance estimation.


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