Recovery and effective utilization of waste heat from the exhaust of internal combustion engines for cooling applications using ANSYS

The exhaust gases from an internal combustion (IC) engine carry away about 75% of the heat energy which means only 25% of heat energy is operated for power production. A recovery unit at the exhaust outlet port can ensure heat exchange between different temperature fluids through conjugate heat transfer phenomena. This study represents heat recovery from exhaust gases that are emitted from IC engines which can be utilized in various applications such as vapor absorption refrigeration systems. In the present work, a new type of perforated fin heat exchanger for waste heat recovery of exhaust gases is designed using SolidWorks, and the flow field design of the heat recovery system is optimized using ANSYS software. Various parameters (velocity, pressure, temperature, and heat conduction) of hot and cold fluid have been analyzed. Inlet velocity of cold fluids including refrigerant (LiBr solution), water, and graphene oxide (GO) nanofluid have been adopted at 0.03 m/s, 0.165 m/s, and 0.3 m/s, respectively. Inlet velocity of hot fluid is taken as 2 m/s, 4 m/s, and 6 m/s, respectively, to develop a test matrix. The results showed that maximum temperature reduction by the exhaust is achieved at 104.8°C using graphene oxide nanofluids with an inlet velocity of 0.3 m/s and exit velocity of 2 m/s in the heat recovery unit. Similarly, temperature reduction by exhaust gases is acquired at 102 °C using water and 96.34 °C by using a refrigerant (LiBr solution) with the same exit velocity (2 m/ s). Furthermore, maximum effectiveness of 0.489 is also obtained for GO nanofluid when compared with water and the refrigerant. On the other hand, the refrigerant has the maximum log mean temperature difference from all fluids with a value of 224.4 followed by water and GO.

Automobile Absorption Conditioner

The purpose of this study is to develop a circuit for an automobile air conditioner, which will reduce the consumption of power developed by the engine. This paper proposes the design of an automobile absorption air conditioner. A description of the principle of operation of an automobile absorption air conditioner operating on a cycle of a one-stage absorption refrigeration machine has been given in the paper. It consists of a stripper (generator), a condenser, an absorber, an evaporator. Lithium bromide (LiBr) solution has been used as an absorbent, which has a low boiling point, is non-toxic and safe. 3D-models of the absorber and generator of an automobile absorption air conditioner has been developed in the course of the research. The absorber is designed to form a weak absorbent solution. This solution is supplied to the generator heat exchanger using a liquid pump. There it is heated by the exhaust gases to the boiling point. The solution evaporates and water vapor enters the condenser (evaporator). In the generator, the solution is concentrated from 52 to 60 %. After that, water vapor is supplied to the absorber from the condenser, and a concentrated absorbent solution is supplied from the generator. It should be noted that the generator is a key element of an automobile absorption air conditioning system. Inside it is a strong LiBr solution that feeds the absorber. The design of the air conditioning system does not provide for the use of a compressor and allows to reduce the power loss of the power plant to the drive of the liquid pump. According to calculations, the pump drive power was 0.17 kW. For comparison, the compressor of a modern car air conditioner consumes 7–11 kW. An absorption car air conditioner provides the following advantages: additional engine cooling, environmental friendliness, fuel economy, efficient use of the heat of vehicle exhaust gases. A distinctive feature of this design is that it is proposed to use the heat of the exhaust gases for the process of heating the absorbent. This design can fully compete with the existing modern car air conditioners.

Evaluation of membrane-based air pre-dehumidification for a capillary radiant air conditioning system

The polyvinylidene fluoride hollow fibre membrane air dehumidification tests were carried out between the liquid desiccant solutions and the wet air. Three liquid desiccant solutions of LiBr solution (50%), LiCl solution (35%) and CaCl2 solution (40%) were tested under different wet air conditions. The results showed that all the membrane dehumidification processes were stable. The air moisture content in the outlet of the membrane was maintained as 6.5 g/kg (da)–8.2 g/kg (da) when the air moisture content in the inlet of the membrane was operated from 17.1 g/kg (da) to 32.4 g/kg (da). The dehumidification amount of LiBr solution (50%) and LiCl solution (35%) was more productive. On this basis, a membrane-based air pre-dehumidification process for the capillary radiant air conditioning system was built. Since the ideal dew point temperature range of the indoor air is below 14–17°C according to the cold supply water, all the air moisture content at the membrane outlet is much lower than that of the ideal dew point temperature range, which means non-condensing occurs in the capillary tube surface. The membrane-based air pre-dehumidification process can easily form an adaptive regulation process of humidity with the capillary radiant air conditioning system under different environmental parameters.

Experimental Research on Regeneration Characteristic of ED Regeneration for Lithium Bromide Desiccant Solution with High Concentration: Operating Condition and Electrode Solution

Electrodialysis is regarded as a novel liquid regeneration method, and the regenerated solution can satisfy the dehumidification requirements even in a hot and humid environment. LiBr solution is an important choice for a liquid desiccant air conditioning system due to its great dehumidifying ability, so it is necessary to conduct experimental exploration of the regeneration characteristics of ED regeneration for LiBr solution. In this paper, the effects of solution concentration, circulation flow rate, current and electrode solution on the performance of the electrodialysis regeneration system were studied by constructing an experimental electrodialysis regeneration system. The results show that growing the starting concentration of the LiBr solution adversely affects the regeneration characteristics of the electrodialyzer and of the air conditioning system dehumidified by the solution. Under test conditions, as the initial concentration of LiBr solution increased from 45% to 55%, the performance coefficient (COP) of the system decreased from 2.12 to 1.05. When the dehumidification requirement is met, the initial concentration of the LiBr solution should be reduced. Increasing the circulating flow rate can improve the regeneration performance of the electrodialyzer and the capability of the air conditioning system dehumidified by the solution, but excessively increasing the circulating flow rate will decrease the regeneration performance of the electrodialyzer and the performance of the air conditioning system dehumidified by the solution. Increasing the current can increase the concentration of the LiBr solution in the regeneration cells in a short time, but it will reduce the regeneration performance of the electrodialyzer and the characteristic of the air conditioning system dehumidified by the solution. The current needs to be minimized when meeting regeneration requirements. With the growth in the flow rate of the electrode solution, the regeneration performance of the electrodialyser decreases continuously.

Influence of silk fibroin content on cellulose blend film using LiBr solution

Cellulose–silk fibroin (CSF) films were prepared by blending cellulose and silk fibroin (SF) in different ratios (10:0, 10:3, 10:6, 10:9, and 10:12 wt%) in 60% LiBr aqueous solution. All of the blend films were transparent, and their coloration gradually increased with increasing SF content. Interestingly, cross-sections of all of the tested films were observed by scanning electron microscopy and exhibited similar morphologies. The silk II structure was not well developed in the CSF; however, regenerated SF affected the crystal structure of the cellulose and formed intermolecular hydrogen bonds with cellulose. EDS mapping showed that cellulose and silk in the film were distributed uniformly. The mechanical properties of the dry-state film was greatly improved with the addition of an appropriate amount of SF. In contrast with the dry-state films, the films in the wet state exhibited smaller tensile strengths and E-modulus as SF content increased; however, the elongation values were higher than those in the dry-state films.

Feasibility Analysis of a Membrane Desorber Powered by Thermal Solar Energy for Absorption Cooling Systems

In absorption cooling systems, the desorber is a component that separates the refrigerant fluid from the liquid working mixture, most commonly completed by boiling separation; however, the operation temperature of boiling desorbers is generally higher than the low-enthalpy energy, such as solar, geothermal, or waste heat. In this study, we used a hydrophobic membrane desorber to separate water vapor from an aqueous LiBr solution. Influencing factors, such as the H2O/LiBr solution and cooling water temperatures, were tested and analyzed. With the experimental data, a solar collector system was simulated on a larger scale, considering a 1 m2 membrane. The membrane desorber evaluation shows that the desorption rate of water vapor increased as the LiBr solution temperature increased and the cooling water temperature decreased. Based on the experimental data from the membrane desorber/condenser, a theoretical heat load was calculated to size a solar system. Meteorological data from Emiliano Zapata in Mexico were considered. According to the numerical result, nine solar collectors with a total area of 37.4 m2 provide a solar fraction of 0.797. The membrane desorber/condenser coupled to the solar system can provide an average of 16.8 kg/day of refrigerant fluid that can be used to produce a cooling effect in an absorption refrigerant system.

CFD Analysis of Falling Film Hydrodynamics for a Lithium Bromide (LiBr) Solution over a Horizontal Tube

Falling film evaporators are used in applications where high heat transfer coefficients are required for low liquid load and temperature difference. One such application is the lithium bromide (LiBr)-based absorber and generator. The concentration of the aqueous LiBr solution changes within the absorber and generator because of evaporation and vapor absorption. This causes the thermophysical properties to differ and affects the film distribution, heat, and mass transfer mechanisms. For thermal performance improvement of LiBr-based falling film evaporators, in-depth analysis at the micro level is required for film distribution and hydrodynamics. In this work, a 2D numerical model was constructed using the commercial CFD software Ansys Fluent v18.0. The influence of the liquid load corresponding to droplet and jet mode, and the concentration, on film hydrodynamics was examined. It was found that the jet mode was more stable at a higher concentration of 0.65 with ±0.5% variation compared to lower concentrations. The recirculation was stronger at a low concentration of 0.45 and existed until the angular position (θ) = 10°, whereas at 0.65 concentration it diminished after θ = 5°. The improved heat transfer is expected at lower concentrations due to lower film thickness and thermal resistance, more recirculation, and a higher velocity field.