scholarly journals A Comparative Study on the Performance of Single and Multi-Layer Encapsulated Phase Change Material Packed-Bed Thermocline Tanks

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2175
Author(s):  
Huiqian Guo ◽  
ELSaeed Saad ELSihy ◽  
Zhirong Liao ◽  
Xiaoze Du

This paper presents a numerical study that aims at investigating the effects of different parameters on the dynamic performance of single and multi-layer encapsulated phase material (PCM) thermocline tanks. A transient, one-dimensional, two-phase, concentric-dispersion model is formulated to evaluate such performance. Encapsulated paraffin waxes having different melting-points are used as PCMs, with water as heat transfer fluid. Comprehensive comparisons between single-PCM and multiple-PCMs systems are numerically analyzed first. Second, the effects of the PCM volume fraction (VF) and the inverse Stefan number have been discussed. The results show that among the various cases the single-PCM70 system has the highest performance in terms of charging and discharging efficiency, followed by a multiple-PCMs system with average performance. Compared with the PCM40 case, the PCM70 case has a 29% increase in the output energy from the system. The VF of PCMs influences the system output, both in terms of energy storage and release, the heat storage period and the total energy stored increased by 4.5%, when the VF of the PCM70 increases from 33.33% to 50%, respectively. Furthermore, it increases the system’s overall efficiency and total utilization ratio by 13.7% and 25%, respectively, when compared to the arrangement in which the PCM40 occupies 50% of the total bed height. The effect of the inverse Stefan number has a significant impact on the system’s utilization ratio. Compared with all other 3-PCM systems, the scenario with the lowest inverse Stefan number in the middle PCM has the highest charging and discharging efficiencies of 83.9% and 80.8%, respectively. The findings may be beneficial for the design and optimization of packed-bed tanks.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Elsaeed Elsihy ◽  
Chao Xu ◽  
Xiaoze Du

Abstract Thermal energy storage (TES) using thermocline technology with phase change materials (PCMs) is a promising technique for peak shaving operation in cogeneration units. One of the disadvantages of this connotation is the use of the highly-cost PCM capsules in a water tank. To circumvent this issue, a new thermocline tank connotation is proposed. The tank is packed with a mixture of solid filler pills and PCMs capsules, forming a multi-layer packed-bed system. A transient concentric-dispersion model is developed to assess the dynamic performance of a solid-PCM multi-layer packed-bed (SPMLPB) tank. The influences of the PCMs volume fraction (VF) and the charge and discharge dimensionless cut-off temperatures criterion on the dynamic performance have been investigated. The results show that the VF of PCMs influences the system's behavior, both in terms of energy storage and release. As the PCMs volume fraction increases from 10% to 40%, the amount of energy storage, energy release, and latent utilization ratio increased by 82.65%, 73.94%, and 55%, respectively, while the exergy overall efficiency falls by 6.3%. Besides, increasing both the charge and discharge cut-off temperatures (ST*ch/ST*dish) enhances the total utilization ratio and energy recovered. As ST*ch increases from 0.27 to 0.7, total utilization ratio and energy recovered increased by 63.63% and 28.67% respectively by maintains ST*dish = 0.26.


Fluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Yuria Okagaki ◽  
Taisuke Yonomoto ◽  
Masahiro Ishigaki ◽  
Yoshiyasu Hirose

Many thermohydraulic issues about the safety of light water reactors are related to complicated two-phase flow phenomena. In these phenomena, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis using the volume of fluid (VOF) method causes numerical diffusion generated by the first-order upwind scheme used in the convection term of the volume fraction equation. Thus, in this study, we focused on an interface compression (IC) method for such a VOF approach; this technique prevents numerical diffusion issues and maintains boundedness and conservation with negative diffusion. First, on a sufficiently high mesh resolution and without the IC method, the validation process was considered by comparing the amplitude growth of the interfacial wave between a two-dimensional gas sheet and a quiescent liquid using the linear theory. The disturbance growth rates were consistent with the linear theory, and the validation process was considered appropriate. Then, this validation process confirmed the effects of the IC method on numerical diffusion, and we derived the optimum value of the IC coefficient, which is the parameter that controls the numerical diffusion.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qasim A. Ranjha ◽  
Nasser Vahedi ◽  
Alparslan Oztekin

Thermal energy storage by reversible gas-solid reaction has been selected as a thermochemical energy storage system. Simulations are conducted to investigate the dehydration of Ca(OH)2 and the hydration of CaO for thermal energy storage and retrieval, respectively. The rectangular packed bed is heated indirectly by air used as a heat transfer fluid (HTF) while the steam is transferred through the upper side of the bed. Transient mass transport and heat transfer equations coupled with chemical kinetics equations for a two dimensional geometry have been solved using finite element method. Numerical results have been validated by comparing against results of previous measurements and simulations. The effect of geometrical and operational parameters including the material properties on overall storage and retrieval process has been investigated. The co-current and counter-current flow arrangements for steam and heat transfer fluid have been considered.


Author(s):  
Thomas D. Foust ◽  
Kurt D. Hamman ◽  
Brent A. Detering

The performance and capacity of Kraft recovery boilers is sensitive to black liquor velocity, droplet size and flow distribution in the furnace. Studies have shown that controlling droplet size and flow distribution improves boiler efficiency while allowing increased flight drying and devolatilization, and decreased carryover. The purpose of this study is to develop a robust two-phase numerical model to predict black liquor splashplate nozzle spray characteristics. A three-dimensional time dependent numerical study of black liquor sheet formation and sheet breakup is described. The volume of fluid (VOF) model is used to simulate flow through the splashplate nozzle up to initial sheet breakup and droplet formation. The VOF model solves the conservation equations of volume fraction and momentum utilizing the finite volume technique. Black liquor velocity, droplet size and flow distribution over a range of operating parameters are simulated using scaled physical models of splashplate nozzles. The VOF model is compared to results from a flow visualization experiment and experimental data found in the literature. The details of the simulation and experimental results are presented.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 7841-7845
Author(s):  
S. Tomescu ◽  
I. O. Bucur

In this research paper, a numerical study regarding gas-oil separation is presented. Employing the geometry of a classic separator used by the NRDI for Gas Turbines COMOTI and a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software, the computational domain was defined. To perform the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) investigation, the mesh was created with the ANSYS Meshing tool, and the ANSYS CFX was employed as a solver. The computational domain was split into 5 subdomains, 3 were fluid and 2 were defined as porous media. The volume porosity, loss model, and permeability were set up. In terms of turbulence flow, the standard k–ε model was adopted. The results of the numerical calculations in terms of oil volume fraction and streamline profiles were used to analyze the separator configuration. The results show that the numerical investigation with the VOF (Volume of Fluid Method) - CFD model is capable of analyzing the performance of a two-phase separator equipped with two demisters-porous media.


2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Kashani ◽  
Davood Jalali-vahid ◽  
Siamak Hossainpour

Laminar forced convection of a nanofluid consisting of water and Al2O3 in a horizontal annulus has been studied numerically. Two-phase mixture model has been used to investigate thermal behaviors of the nanofluid over constant temperature thermal boundary condition and with different volume concentration of nanoparticles. Comparisons with previously published experimental and analytical works on flow behavior in horizontal annulus show good agreements between the results as volume fraction is zero. In general convective heat transfer coefficient increases with nanoparticle concentration. ABSTRAK: Kertaskerja ini mengkaji secara numerik olakan paksa bendalir lamina yang menganduangi air dan Al2O3 didalam anulus mendatar. Model campuran dua fasa digunakan bagi mengkaji tingkah laku haba bendalir nano pada keadaan suhu malar dengan kepekatan nanopartikel berbeza. Perbandingan dengan karya eksperimen dan analitikal yang telah diterbitkan menunjukkan bahawa kelakuan aliran didalm anulus mendatar adalah baik apabila pecahan isipadu adalah sifar. Pada amnya, pekali pemindahan haba olakan meningkat dengan kepekatan nanopartikel. KEYWORDS: nanofluid; volume concentration; heat transfer enhancement; laminar flow convection; annulus


Author(s):  
Chenfei Wang ◽  
Dongdong Gao ◽  
Minli Bai ◽  
Peng Wang ◽  
Yubai Li

Abstract Nanofluids is reported to significantly enhance heat transfer but with little cost of pressure loss. To further the enhancement of heat transfer using Fe3O4 nanofluids, a magnetic field is employed to control the trajectory of Fe3O4 nanoparticles. A numerical study is conducted with commercial soft ANSYS FLUENT and the simulations are done with a two-phase flow approach named Euler-Lagrange. By comparing heat transfer of laminar flow in a horizontal tube with magnetic field or not, various volume fraction (0.5%/2%) and Reynolds numbers (Re = 200–1000) are considered. Results show that magnetic field contributes an average 4% promotion in convective heat transfer coefficients compared with the condition of no magnet. The mechanism of the enhancement of heat transfer with magnetic field is explored based on the analysis of velocity field. Fe3O4 Nanoparticles move up and down under the magnetic force, and convective heat transfer is enhanced because of the disturbance of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Slip flow between the base fluid and nanoparticles also contributes to the enhancement of heat transfer.


2011 ◽  
Vol 110-116 ◽  
pp. 3657-3662
Author(s):  
S. Alikhani ◽  
A. Behzadmehr ◽  
S. Mirmasoumi

Fully developed laminar mixed convection of a nanofluid (water/Al2O3) in a horizontal curved tube is numerically investigated. Three-dimensional elliptic governing equations have been solved to show how nanoparticle concentration affects on thermal and hydrodynamic parameters while these parameters are impressed by centrifugal and buoyancy forces under constant mass flow rate and heat flux. Comparisons with previously published experimental works on horizontal curved tubes show good agreements between the results. Results which are obtained using the two – phase mixture model indicate that adding the nanoparticles causes changes in the properties of nanofluid and finally increases the temperature of the flow. Furthermore, increasing nanoparticles volume fraction at first augments the heat transfer coefficient of nanofluid and then, for higher concentration of particles, decreases this thermal parameter of nanofluid.


Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Hamid Shafiee ◽  
Elaheh NikzadehAbbasi ◽  
Majid Soltani

The magnetic field can act as a suitable control parameter for heat transfer and fluid flow. It can also be used to maximize thermodynamic efficiency in a variety of fields. Nanofluids and porous media are common methods to increase heat transfer. In addition to improving heat transfer, porous media can increase pressure drop. This research is a computational simulation of the impacts of a magnetic field induced into a cylinder in a porous medium for a volume fraction of 0.2 water/Al2O3 nanofluid with a diameter of 10 μm inside the cylinder. For a wide variety of controlling parameters, simulations have been made. The fluid flow in the porous medium is explained using the Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer equation, and the nanofluid flow is represented utilizing a two-phase mixed approach as a two-phase flow. In addition, simulations were run in a slow flow state using the finite volume method. The mean Nusselt number and performance evaluation criteria (PEC) were studied for different Darcy and Hartmann numbers. The results show that the amount of heat transfer coefficient increases with increasing the number of Hartmann and Darcy. In addition, the composition of the nanofluid in the base fluid enhanced the PEC in all instances. Furthermore, the PEC has gained its highest value at the conditions relating to the permeable porous medium.


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