Assumed Multivariate Beta-PDF Modeling for Turbulent Nonpremixed Flames

Numerical simulation based on a moment method is conducted to investigate the feasibility of an assumed probability density function (PDF) approach in the configuration of a turbulent jet nonpremixed flame. In this study, a multivariate β-PDF is employed to account for turbulence-chemistry interaction. The multivariate β-PDF approach has an advantage that only one additional transport equation of sum of composition variances is solved to determine the shape of species PDF to transport equations of mean compositions. The numerical simulation is carried out for H3 flame. Reaction mechanism is a single-step irreversible reaction including H2, O2 and H2O species. The results are compared with those from measurements and a combined PDF/moment method that detailed reaction mechanism is applied. Velocity distributions obtained by the multivariate β-PDF approach show good agreement with measurements and combined PDF/moment results, which indicates that the present approach can predict the flow pattern of nonpremixed flames. The present approach also provides good predictions in terms of mean temperature and mass fraction. PDFs of mass fraction obtained by the present approach are similar to those by the combined PDF/moment method. On the other hand, the variance of temperature is underpredicted, which is attributed to an approximation of temperature variance. In order to achieve a good prediction of the reaction rate, a PDF approximation of enthalpy is proposed for the evaluation of mean reaction rate.

Heat Transfer Enhancement of a Backward-Facing Step Flow in a Duct by Static and Dynamic Devices

Flow modification downstream of a backward-facing step has been tried in order to achieve heat transfer enhancement by introducing two kinds of devices, a triangle prism rib and electromagnetic actuators, on the step edge. The triangle rib attached to the side-wall corner makes the downward flow inclined and generates a circulation-like fluid motion behind it. Because both flows work effective in reducing the flow re-circulation caused behind the step, large heat transfer recovery is obtained near the side-wall. This advantage of the triangle rib remains effective when the flap actuations are imposed. Thus, the large-scale unsteady vortex intensively reduces the flow recirculation, the triangle rib with flap actuations attains the largest heat transfer recovery behind the step.

Evaluation of Thermal Characterization Techniques and Tools for Thermal Conductivity Measurement of Sub 100 Angstrom Thick Silicon Layers

Experimental measurement of thermal conductivity is considered the most reliable tool for the study of phonon transport in ultra-thin silicon structures. While there has been a great success in thermal conductivity measurement of ultra-thin silicon layers down to 20 nm over the past decade, it is not clear if the existing techniques and tools can be extended to the measurements of sun 100 Angstrom layers. In this paper, an analytical study of the feasibility of electrical Joule heating and thermometry in patterned metal bridges is presented. It is concluded that thermal conductivity of silicon layers as thin as 5 nm can be obtained (uncertainty 20%) by performing steady-state measurements using an on-substrate nanoheater structure. The thermal characterization of silicon layers as thin as 1 nm may be possible using frequency domain measurements.

Effects of Flow Field on Combustion Characteristics of Confined Jet Nonpremixed Flames

Confined flames are widely used in the industrial field. The flame characteristics can be strongly dominated by the combination of a burner and furnace geometries, which were not paid much attention before. In the present study, flow fields in confined flames are discussed in terms of the flame characteristics. The flow characteristics of confined flames have been investigated for propane nonpremixed flames in cylindrical furnaces. The effects of the inner diameter of the cylindrical furnace D1, the turbulence at the flame boundary, and the global equivalence ratio φ are examined in terms of the relation between the emission of NOx and the flow fields. The emission index of NOx, EINOx, decreases roughly with these parameters. The decrease in EINOx is thought to be related to the dilution of mixtures by the burned gas and the flame stretch. The dilution is attributable to vortices formed at the bottom of the furnace, and the flame stretch is attributable to the air velocity difference ΔUa created by two air nozzles. In the present study, it was found that the increases in D1, ΔUa, and φ enlarge and strengthen recirculation vortices to dilute the flame.

Gasification of Coal and Dairy Manure With Air-Steam as Oxidizing Agent

The animal waste from feedlots (called feedlot biomass, FB) and dairy farms (called dairy biomass, DB) can contribute to surface or ground water contamination and air pollution problems with the release of greenhouse gases (CH4). In the present study, the feasibility of onsite gasification of DB with an air-steam mixture for production of H2 rich syngas (a mixture of H2 and CO) is considered. The composition of gases produced by DB is predicted using a) mass conservation and b) chemical equilibrium for adiabatic systems where heat produced by partial oxidation is used to strip H2 from steam. Coal is used as standard fuel for comparison of gasification performance of DB with coal. A model is developed to estimate the ideal production of CH4, H2, CO, CO2, N2 and H2S, and other compounds are assumed to be in trace amounts. The parameters investigated are equivalence ratio (1 to 10), air-steam ratio (0.1 to 1), and reaction temperature (600–1500 K). With the predicted composition of gases, the HHV of gas mixtures and the energy conversion efficiency are estimated. The predicted results show that higher ERs yield to elevated concentrations of CO and CH4, high HHV mixtures and energy conversion efficiency, and low percentages of H2 and CO2. On the other hand, lower air-steam ratios produce more H2, CO2, and CH4 but less CO under equilibrium or mass conservation methods. The results suggest that it is possible to obtain concentrations of H2 from 0 to 50%, CO from 0 to 45%, and CH4 from 0 to 45% approximately. The current results provide operational parameters for a gasifier fired with DB and a mixture of air and steam as oxidizers. Experiments are currently in progress to determine the actual composition of gases released from gasifier.

Analytical Methods for Transport Equations in Similarity Form

We present a novel approach for deriving analytical solutions to transport equations expressed in similarity variables. We apply a fixed-point iteration procedure to these transformed equations by formally solving for the highest derivative term and, from this (via requirements for convergence given by the contraction mapping principle), deduce a range of values for the outer limit of solution domain, for which the fixed-point iteration gives a converged solution.

Flow Boiling Visualization of R-134a in a Vertical Channel of Small Diameter

The present work reports on flow boiling visualization of refrigerant R-134a in a vertical circular channel with internal diameter of 1.33 mm and 235 mm in heated length. Quartz tube with a homogeneous ITO-coating is used allowing heating and simultaneous visualization. Flow patterns have been observed along the heated length with the aid of a digital camera with close-up lenses. From the flow boiling visualization, seven distinct two-phase flow patterns have been observed: Isolated bubbly flow, confined bubbly flow, slug flow, churn flow, slug-annular flow, annular flow, and mist flow. Two-phase flow pattern observations are presented in the form of flow pattern maps. Finally, the experimental flow pattern map is compared to models developed for conventional sizes as well as to a microscale map for air-water mixtures available in the literature, showing a large discrepancy.

Experimental Investigation of the CHF Condition During Flow Boiling of Water in Microtubes

The critical heat flux (CHF) condition sets an upper limit on the flow-boiling heat transfer process. With the growing demand for the use of two-phase flow in micro and nano-sized devices, there is a strong need to understand the CHF phenomenon in channels of such small dimensions. This study experimentally investigates the critical heat flux condition during flow boiling in a single stainless steel microtube of two different diameters—0.427mm, and 0.286 mm. Degassed water is the working fluid. The effects of various parameters—diameter, mass flux (350–1500 kg/m2s), inlet subcooling (2°C–50°C), and length-to-diameter ratio (75–200) on the CHF condition are studied for the exit condition being nearly atmospheric pressure. The CHF increases with an increase in mass flux. The effect of the inlet subcooling on the CHF condition is more complex. With a decreasing inlet subcooling, the CHF decreases until saturated liquid is reached; thereafter, the CHF increases with quality.

Notch Arrangement Effects on Heat Transfer in a Channel With Cut-Fins

The effects of the attack-angle of the fin notch array against the main flow and size of the clearance at the fin-tip on the heat transfer and pressure loss performances of a channel with cut-fins (parallel fins with square notches) mounted on the bottom wall were evaluated in the present article. Three-dimensional numerical simulations, PIV measurements and heat transfer experiments employing a modified single-blow method were conducted to discuss these characteristics. Larger pressure loss reduction was obtained by the cut-fins case compared with the plain-fins case (parallel fins without notches) under smaller clearance conditions, while smaller thermal resistance was achieved with larger clearance. A maximum peak, therefore, appeared in the overall performance in relation with the clearance size. Larger heat transfer coefficients were obtained with smaller attack-angles of the notch array in both experimental and numerical results, particularly under larger Reynolds number conditions. This was due to the spanwise flow generated in the area adjacent to the notch, by which renewal of the thermal boundary layer was effectively produced at the trailing edge of the notch.

Local Heat Transfer Coefficient of Flow Boiling in Microchannels With Artificial Reentrant Cavities

Flow boiling in parallel microchannels with structured reentrant cavities was experimental studied. Flow patterns, boiling inceptions and heat transfer coefficients were obtained and studied for G = 83 kg/m2-s to G = 303 kg/m2-s and heat fluxes up to 643 W/cm2. The heat transfer coefficient-mass velocity and quality relations had been analyzed to identify boiling mechanism. Comparisons of the performance of the enhanced and plain-wall microchannels had also been made. The microchannels with reentrant cavities were shown to promote nucleation of bubbles and to support significantly better reproducibility and uniformity of bubble generation.