On Numerical Modeling of Thermal Performance Enhancementof a Heat Thermal Energy Storage System Using a Phase Change Material and a Porous Foam

In this investigation, a comprehensive numerical analysis of the flow involved in an open-ended straight channel fully filled with a porous metal foam saturated and a phase change material (paraffin) has been performed using a single relaxation time lattice Boltzmann method (SRT-LBM) at the representative elementary volume (REV) scale. The enthalpy-based approach with three density functions has been employed to cope with the governing equations under the local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) condition. The in-house code has been validated through a comparison with a previous case in literature. The pore per inch density (10≤PPI≤60) and porosity (0.7≤ε≤0.9) effects of the metal structure were analyzed during melting/solidifying phenomena at two Reynolds numbers (Re = 200 and 400). The relevant findings are discussed for the LTNE intensity and the entropy generation rate (Ns). Through the simulations, the LTNE hypothesis turned out to be secure and valid. In addition, it is maximum for small PPI value (=10) whatever the parameters deemed. On the other hand, high porosity (=0.9) is advised to reduce the system’s irreversibility. However, at a moderate Re (=200), a small PPI (=10) would be appropriate to mitigate the system irreversibility during the charging case, while a large value (PPI = 60) might be advised for the discharging case. In this context, it can be stated that during the melting period, low porosity (=0.7) with low PPI (=10) improves thermal performance, reduces the system irreversibility and speeds up the melting rate, while for high porosity (=0.9), a moderate PPI (=30) should be used during the melting process to achieve an optimal system.

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

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.

Hall effect on the entropy optimization of radiative magnetized Jeffrey nanofluid flow with homogeneous and heterogeneous reaction by rotating stretching disk

Purpose: The goal of this study is to investigate the entropy optimization of Jeffrey nanofluid flow with the homogeneous and heterogeneous reaction by stretching the rotating disk. The impact of Hall current is also being considered. The process of heat transmission is carried out. For heat transfer coefficient, temperature, concentration, velocity, Bejan number, and entropy generation rate and relevant equations are computed. The implications of various characteristics are investigated. The effect of emerging parameters of nanofluid flow is discussed and represented by a graph. To reduce partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations by using effective similarity transformation. The achieved non-linear system is resolved by the Homotopy analysis technique (HAM) to found the convergent solution of the designated flow problem. The impact of various pertinent parameters, i.e thermal radiations parameter, Brinkman number, Reynolds number, magnetic parameter, Hall Effects parameter, Jeffrey nanofluid parameters are discussed and presented by the graph. Engineering quantities such as Nusselt number and skin friction are also taken into account.

Interaction Mechanism and Loss Analysis of Mixing between Film Cooling Jet and Passage Vortex

The interaction between the film-cooling jet and vortex structures in the turbine passage plays an important role in the endwall cooling design. In this study, a simplified topology of a blunt body with a half-cylinder is introduced to simulate the formation of the leading-edge horseshoe vortex, where similarity compared with that in the turbine cascade is satisfied. The shaped cooling hole is located in the passage. With this specially designed model, the interaction mechanism between the cooling jet and the passage vortex can therefore be separated from the crossflow and the pressure gradient, which also affect the cooling jet. The loss-analysis method based on the entropy generation rate is introduced, which locates where losses of the cooling capacity occur and reveals the underlying mechanism during the mixing process. Results show that the cooling performance is sensitive to the hole location. The injection/passage vortex interaction can help enhance the coolant lateral coverage, thus improving the cooling performance when the hole is located at the downwash region. The coolant is able to conserve its structure in that, during the interaction process, the kidney vortex with the positive rotating direction can survive with the negative-rotating passage vortex, and the mixture is suppressed. However, the larger-scale passage vortex eats the negative leg of the kidney vortices when the cooling hole is at the upwash region. As a result, the coolant is fully entrained into the main flow. Changes in the blowing ratio alter the overall cooling effectiveness but have a negligible effect on the interaction mechanism. The optimum blowing ratio increases when the hole is located at the downwash region.

Inherent Irreversibility of Mixed Convection within Concentric Pipes in a Porous Medium with Thermal Radiation

This work investigated the thermal putrefaction and inherent irreversibility in a steady flow of an incompressible inconstant viscosity radiating fluid within two concentric pipes filled with a porous medium. Following the Brinkmann-Darcy-Forchheimer approach, the nonlinear differential equations governing the model were obtained. The model boundary value problem was addressed numerically via a shooting quadrature with the Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg integration scheme. The effects of diverse emerging parameters on the fluid velocity, temperature, skin friction, Nusselt number, entropy generation rate and the Bejan number are provided in graphs and discussed in this paper.

MHD darcy-forchheimer nanofluid flow and entropy optimization in an odd-shaped enclosure filled with a (MWCNT-Fe3O4/water) using galerkin finite element analysis

MHD nanoliquid convective flow in an odd-shaped cavity filled with a multi-walled carbon nanotube-iron (II, III) oxide (MWCNT-Fe3O4) hybrid nanofluid is reported. The side walls are adiabatic, and the internal and external borders of the cavity are isothermally kept at high and low temperatures of Th and Tc, respectively. The governing equations obtained with the Boussinesq approximation are solved using Galerkin Finite Element Method (GFEM). Impact of Darcy number (Da), Hartmann number (Ha), Rayleigh number (Ra), solid volume fraction (ϕ), and Heated-wall length effect are presented. Outputs are illustrated in forms of streamlines, isotherms, and Nusselt number. The impact of multiple parameters namely Rayleigh number, Darcy number, on entropy generation rate was analyzed and discussed in post-processing under laminar and turbulent flow regimes.

Significance of Synthetic Cilia and Arrhenius Energy on Double Diffusive Stream of Radiated Hybrid Nanofluid in Microfluidic Pump under Ohmic Heating: An Entropic Analysis

This study investigates the thermal aspects of magnetohydrodynamic double diffusive flow of a radiated Cu-CuO/Casson hybrid nano-liquid through a microfluidic pump in the presence of electroosmosis effects. Shared effects of the Arrhenius activation energy and the Joule heating on the intended liquid transport are also incorporated. The inner wall of the pump is covered with electrically charged fabricated cilia mat that facilitates flow actuation and micro-mixing process. The governing equations for the proposed problem are simplified by utilizing the Debye-Hückel and lubrication approximations. The numerical solutions are calculated with the aid of shooting technique. The analysis reports that the substantial effects of electroosmosis contribute an important role in cooling process. Existence of electric double layer stimulates an escalation in liquid stream in the vicinity of the pump surface. The Arrhenius energy input strengthens the mass dispersion and regulates the thermal treatment. The proposed geometry delivers a deep perception that fabricated cilia in electroosmotic pumps are potential pharmaceutical micromixers for an effective flow and minimum entropy generation rate.

Analysis of entropy generation with heat generation in time dependent hydromagnetic flow of nanofluid in an oscillatory semi- porous curved channel

The present study focusses on the investigation of thermodynamic optimization of hydromagnetic time dependent boundary layer nanofluid flow by employing entropy generation method (EMG) in semi- permeable oscillatory curved channel. We used Buongiorno model for nanofluid to address the impact of the parameters of Brownian motion and thermophoresis. The consequences of heat production are also taken into consideration in energy the equation. The mathematical form of boundary layer equations is accomplished by following the curvilinear coordinates scheme for the considered flow problem. The analytical convergent solution of the determined nonlinear PDEs is achieved through the process of homotopy analysis (HAM). A detailed analysis is conducted out to analyze the consequences of dissimilar variables concerned, such as non-dimensional radius of curvature, Lewis number, magnetic parameter, relation of wall oscillation frequency to its parameter of velocity, Reynolds number, Prandtl number, heat production and thermophoresis parameters, entropy generation rate, Brownian motion parameter and Brickman number, concentration and temperature difference parameters on temperature, velocity profile, concentration, pressure, drag surface force, Bejan number, entropy generation, rate of mass and heat transport are addressed in detail via tables and graphs. It is noted that, the magnitude of heat transmission rate (local Nusselt number) steadily decays for advanced values of radius of curvature variable and Reynolds number.