scholarly journals Multi-Objective Optimization of Braun-Type Exothermic Reactor for Ammonia Synthesis

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Tianchao Xie ◽  
Shaojun Xia ◽  
Chao Wang

The exothermic reactor for ammonia synthesis is a primary device determining the performance of the energy storage system. The Braun-type ammonia synthesis reactor is used as the exothermic reactor to improve the heat release rate. Due to the entirely different usage scenarios and design objectives, its parameters need to be redesigned and optimized. Based on finite-time thermodynamics, a one-dimensional model is established to analyze the effects of inlet gas molar flow rate, hydrogen–nitrogen ratio, reactor length and inlet temperature on the total entropy generation rate and the total exothermic rate of the reactor. It’s found that the total exothermic rate mainly depends on the inlet molar flow rate. Furthermore, considering the minimum total entropy generation rate and maximum total exothermic rate, the NSGA-II algorithm is applied to optimize seven reactor parameters including the inlet molar flow rate, lengths and temperatures of the three reactors. Lastly, the optimized reactor is obtained from the Pareto front using three fuzzy decision methods and deviation index. Compared with the reference reactor, the total exothermic rate of the optimized reactor is improved by 12.6% while the total entropy generation rate is reduced by 3.4%. The results in this paper can provide some guidance for the optimal design and application of exothermic reactors in practical engineering.

Entropy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Sun ◽  
Shaojun Xia ◽  
Lingen Chen ◽  
Chao Wang ◽  
Chenqi Tang

Based on the theory of finite-time thermodynamics (FTT), the effects of three design parameters, that is, inlet temperature, inlet pressure, and inlet total mole flow rate, of a tubular plug-flow sulfuric acid decomposition reactor on the total entropy generation rate (EGR) and SO2 yield are analyzed firstly. One can find that when the three design parameters are taken as optimization variables, the minimum total EGR and the maximum SO2 yield of the reference reactor restrict each other, i.e., the two different performance objectives cannot achieve the corresponding extremum values at the same time. Then, the second-generation non-dominated solution sequencing genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is further used to pursue the minimum total EGR and the maximum SO2 yield of the reference reactor by taking the three parameters as optimization design variables. After the multi-objective optimization, the reference reactor can be Pareto improved, and the total EGR can be reduced by 9% and the SO2 yield can be increased by 14% compared to those of the reference reactor. The obtained results could provide certain theoretical guidance for the optimal design of actual sulfuric acid decomposition reactors.


Author(s):  
Mayaram Sahu ◽  
Jahar Sarkar ◽  
Laltu Chandra

Abstract Steady-state and transient behaviours of single-phase natural circulation loop (SPNCL) are investigated using four thermal oils (Therminol VP1, Paratherm CR, Dowtherm A and Dowtherm Q) and water-based ternary hybrid (various combinations of different nature and shaped nanoparticles: Al2O3, Cu, CNT and Graphene) nanofluids as loop fluid. The influences of nanoparticle volume concentration and loop height to width ratio on the mass flow rate and total entropy generation rate of SPNCL are investigated. Results disclose that ternary hybrid nanofluids enhance flow initiation, reduce fluctuation and are expected to attain a steady-state faster than water. Steady-state mass flow rate increases/decreases for ternary hybrid nanofluid depending on the shape of the nanoparticle and total entropy generation rate decreases as compared to water. Thermal oil shows a higher mass flow rate and total entropy generation rate as compared to water. Al2O3-Cu-CNT-water and paratherm CR show the best result among all ternary hybrid nanofluids and thermal oils, respectively. The nanoparticle shape decides the optimum nanoparticle volume fraction. Increasing the height to width ratio decreases the total entropy generation and upsurges the mass flow rate at specified input power. The optimum height to width ratio depends on fluid.


1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Bejan

It is shown that to maximize the power output of a power plant is equivalent to minimizing the total entropy generation rate associated with the power plant. This equivalence is illustrated by using two of the oldest and simplest models of power plants with heat transfer irreversibilities. To calculate the total entropy generation rate correctly, one must recognize that the optimization process (e.g., the variability of the heat input) requires “room to move,” i.e., an additional, usually overlooked, contribution to the total entropy generation rate.


Entropy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1104
Author(s):  
N. C. Ismail ◽  
M. Z. Abdullah ◽  
N. M. Mazlan ◽  
K. F. Mustafa

The performance of porous media micro-burners plays an important role in determining thermal efficiency and improving our daily life. Nowadays, a lot of scholars are actively involved in this research area and ongoing studies are still being carried out due to the burners’ excellent performance. The exergy efficiency and entropy generation of a porous media burner are strongly dependent on the characteristics of the flame and its thermal behavior. In this study, a single-layer and double-layer porous media form were constructed to investigate the effects of various types of porous foam arrangement in a cylindrical burner. The burner was operated using premixed butane-air combustion with an inner diameter of 23 mm and a length of 100 mm. The experiments were carried out in rich fuel conditions with an equivalence ratio, φ ranging from 1.3 to 2.0. The results showed significant improvement in the thermal and exergy efficiency with an increase in the equivalence ratio in a double-layer compared with a single-layer. The peak temperature recorded was 945.21 °C at φ = 1.3 for a porcelain single-layer, and the highest exergy efficiency was 83.47% at φ = 2.0 for an alumina-porcelain double-layer burner. It was also found that the average temperature of the burner wall decreased with an increase in the equivalence ratios for PMB2 and PMB4, whereas the average wall temperature for PMB3 was largely unaffected by the equivalence ratios. The total entropy generation rate reached the highest value at φ = 2.0 for all PMB configurations, and the highest percentage increase for total entropy generation rate was 46.09% for PMB1. The exergy efficiency for all burners was approximately similar with the highest exergy efficiency achieved by PMB4 (17.65%). In addition, the length and location of the flame with thermal distribution was significantly affected by the equivalence ratio between the single-layer and double-layer porous material. Overall, a double-layer porous media burner showed the best performance calculated based on the second law of thermodynamics when compared with other configurations, and it is ideal for domestic application.


2020 ◽  
Vol 194 ◽  
pp. 01032
Author(s):  
Shien Sun ◽  
Haihua Luo ◽  
Basher Hassan Al-Kbodi ◽  
Qiang Shen ◽  
Houlei Zhang

Molten salt tanks are used to store and release thermal energy. Large heat leakage through the molten salt tank foundation to the ground and high temperature of the foundation are detrimental to long-term operation safety. Here we evaluate the heat transfer and entropy generation characteristics of molten salt tank foundations with internal water cooling. Both laminar and turbulent flows reduce the heat leakage efficiently, while the power consumption for the laminar flow is negligible. The effects of the geometrical parameters are presented. Internal fins in the cooling channels decrease the heat leakage significantly. The total entropy generation rate with foundation cooling is higher than that without foundation cooling. The entropy generation rate in the solid domain is much larger than that in the fluid domain and the flow friction irreversibility is tiny. Larger insulation layer thickness decreases the heat leakage and the total entropy generation rate simultaneously. The local entropy generation rate map helps us identify where the most irreversibility is produced. The largest local entropy generation rate for the design with foundation cooling occurs near the solid-fluid interfaces and is much higher than that without foundation cooling.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamed Saffarzadeh ◽  
M.H Djavareshkian

Abstract In the present study, the thermal Lattice Boltzmann Technique is combined with the Ghost Fluid method to simulate the flow and heat transfer rate around a NACA 0015 airfoil in the presence of an external magnetic field source. It is tried to investigate the mutual effects of the Hartmann and Reynolds numbers as well as the magnetic field angle and the attack angle of the airfoil on the flow and heat transfer characteristics. Besides, the total entropy generation rate of the system was studied through its main components, i.e. entropy generation rate due to friction, heat transfer, and Magneto Hydrodynamics. Therefore, the tests were carried out for various Re and Ha numbers, plus different magnetic field angles and airfoil attack angles, and their influence on the active parameters which are Cd, Cl, and Nu, along with the entropy generation rate of the system,were recorded. The results revealed that with an increment of the Re number the Cd and Cl graphs drop, but the Nu value raises. Also, the total entropy generation rate of the system is at its maximum around\(\gamma =60\).


Author(s):  
W Gu ◽  
Y Weng ◽  
Y Wang ◽  
B Zheng

This article describes and evaluates an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for a waste heat recovery system by both theoretical and experimental studies. Theoretical analysis of several working fluids shows that cycle efficiency is very sensitive to evaporating pressure, but insensitive to expander inlet temperature. Second law analysis was carried out using R600a as a working fluid and a flow of hot air as a heat source, which is not isothermal, along the evaporator. The result discloses that the evaporator's internal and external entropy generation is the main source of total entropy generation. The effect of the heat source temperature, evaporating pressure, and evaporator size on the entropy generation rate is also presented. The obtained useful power is directly linked to the total entropy generation rate according to the Gouy—Stodola theorem. The ORC testing system was established and operated using R600a as a working fluid and hot water as a heat source. The maximum cycle efficiency of the testing system is 5.2 per cent, and the testing result also proves that cycle efficiency is insensitive to heat source temperature, but sensitive to evaporating pressure. The entropy result also shows that internal and external entropy of the evaporator is the main source of total entropy generation.


Author(s):  
Harshad Sanjay Gaikwad ◽  
Pranab Kumar Mondal ◽  
Dipankar Narayan Basu ◽  
Nares Chimres ◽  
Somchai Wongwises

In this article, we perform an entropy generation analysis for the micro channel heat sink applications where the flow of fluid is actuated by combined influences of applied pressure gradient and electric field under electrical double layer phenomenon. The upper and lower walls of the channels are kept at different constant temperatures. The temperature-dependent viscosity of the fluid is considered and hence the momentum equation and energy equations are coupled in this study. Also, a hydrodynamic slip condition is employed on the viscous dissipation. For complete analysis of the entropy generation, we use a perturbation approach with lubrication approximation. In this study, we discuss the results depicting variations in the velocity and temperature distributions and their effect on local entropy generation rate and Bejan number in the system. It can be summarized from this analysis that the enhanced velocity gradients in the flow field due to combined effect of temperature-dependent viscosity and Joule heating and viscous dissipative effects, leads to an enhancement in the local entropy generation rate in the system.


Author(s):  
Wei Wang ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Xiao-Pei Yang ◽  
Yan-Yan Ding

Abstract An entropy analysis and design optimization methodology is combined with airfoil shape optimization to demonstrate the impact of entropy generation on aerodynamics designs. In the work herein, the entropy generation rate is presented as an extra design objective along with lift-drag ratio, while the lift coefficient is the constraint. Model equation, which calculates the local entropy generation rate in turbulent flows, is derived by extending the Reynolds-averaging of entropy balance equation. The class-shape function transform (CST) parametric method is used to model the airfoil configuration and combine the radial basis functions (RBFs) based mesh deformation technique with flow solver to compute the quantities such as lift-drag ratio and entropy generation at the design condition. From the multi-objective solutions which represent the best trade-offs between the design objectives, one can select a set of airfoil shapes with a low relative energy cost and with improved aerodynamic performance. It can be concluded that the methodology of entropy generation analysis is an effective tool in the aerodynamic optimization design of airfoil shape with the capability of determining the amount of energy cost.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document