<p>In gas quenching, metal parts are rapidly cooled from hightemperatures, and the convection heat transfer coefficientdistributions are of importance for the hardness and thedistortion (the shape nonuniformities) of the quenched parts.Thermochromic liquid crystals (TLC) and a thin foil techniques,were investi- gated and used for studies of a circular cylinderin axial flows, affected and not affected by upstream owmodifying inserts. Quadratic prisms in cross ows were alsostudied, a single prism, two prisms arranged in-line, and forfour prisms arranged in a square pattern. In this study,particle image velocime- try (PIV) was used for visualizationof the flow, giving physical insight to the convection heattransfer data. Further, relations of the type<i>Nu</i>=<i>CRe</i><i>e</i>were established. The TLC and thin foil techniques werealso used to indicate the dimensions of separated flowregions.</p><p><b>Descriptors:</b>Fluid mechanics, wind-tunnel, turbulence,gas quenching, con- vection heat transfer, thermochromic liquidcrystals, calibration, temperature measurement errors, thinfoils, particle image velocimetry, cylinder in axial flow, flowmodifying inserts, quadratic prisms in cross flow</p>

In gas quenching, metal parts are rapidly cooled from hightemperatures, and the convection heat transfer coefficientdistributions are of importance for the hardness and thedistortion (the shape nonuniformities) of the quenched parts.Thermochromic liquid crystals (TLC) and a thin foil techniques,were investi- gated and used for studies of a circular cylinderin axial flows, affected and not affected by upstream owmodifying inserts. Quadratic prisms in cross ows were alsostudied, a single prism, two prisms arranged in-line, and forfour prisms arranged in a square pattern. In this study,particle image velocime- try (PIV) was used for visualizationof the flow, giving physical insight to the convection heattransfer data. Further, relations of the typeNu=CReewere established. The TLC and thin foil techniques werealso used to indicate the dimensions of separated flowregions. Descriptors:Fluid mechanics, wind-tunnel, turbulence,gas quenching, con- vection heat transfer, thermochromic liquidcrystals, calibration, temperature measurement errors, thinfoils, particle image velocimetry, cylinder in axial flow, flowmodifying inserts, quadratic prisms in cross flow

This study presents the numerical analysis of steady laminar flow heat transfer in a horizontal rectangular duct with differential heating on the vertical walls. Three heating configurations: one uniform wall temperature (CS1) and two linearly varying wall temperature cases (CS2 and CS3) are analysed. The study considers the combined effects of natural convection, forced convection and radiation heat transfer on the overall heat transfer characteristics. Air, which is assumed to be a non-participating medium, is chosen as the working fluid. A computational fluid dynamics solver is used to solve a set of governing equations for a range of parameters.For chosen duct aspect ratios, the numerical model simulates the flow and heat transfer for two main effects: buoyancy and radiation heat transfer. Buoyancy effect is represented by Grashof number, which is varied from 2,000 to 1,000,000. The effect of radiation heat transfer is examined by choosing different wall surface emissivity values. The weak and strong radiation effect is represented by the emissivity values of 0.05 and 0.85 respectively. Three duct aspect ratios are considered - 0.5, 1 and 2. The heat transfer characteristics of all the above heating configurations - CS1, CS2, and CS3 are analysed and compared. The numerical results show that, for all heating configurations and duct aspect ratios, the overall heat transfer rate is enhanced when the buoyancy effect increases. Since buoyancy effect induces natural circulation, this circulation is therefore the main mechanism that enhances heat transfer. Radiation heat transfer is found to significantly influence convection heat transfer in high Grashof numbers.

During the past decade research has shown that global warming may have disastrous effects on our planet. In order to limit the damage that the human race seems to be causing, it was acknowledged that substances with a high global warming potential (GWP) should be phased out. In due time, R-134a with a GWP = 1300, may probably be phased out to make way for nature friendly refrigerants with a lower GWP. One of these contenders is carbon dioxide, R-744, with a GWP = 1. Literature revealed that various Nusselt number (Nu) correlations have been developed to predict the convection heat transfer coefficients of supercritical R-744 in cooling. No proof could be found that any of the reported correlations accurately predict Nusselt numbers (Nus) and the subsequent convection heat transfer coefficients of supercritical R-744 in cooling. Although there exist a number of Nu correlations that may be used for R-744, eight different correlations were chosen to be compared in a theoretical simulation program forming the first part of this study. A water-to-transcritical R-744 tube-in-tube heat exchanger was simulated. Although the results emphasise the importance of finding a more suitable Nu correlation for cooling supercritical R-744, no explicit conclusions could be made regarding the accuracy of any of the correlations used in this study. For the second part of this study experimental data found in literature were used to evaluate the accuracy of the different correlations. Convection heat transfer coefficients, temperatures, pressures and tube diameter were employed for the calculation of experimental Nusselt numbers (Nuexp). The theoretical Nu and Nuexp were then plotted against the length of the heat exchanger for different pressures. It was observed that both Nuexp and Nu increase progressively to a maximal value and then decline as the tube length increases. From these results it were possible to group correlations according to the general patterns of their Nu variation over the tube length. Graphs of Nuexp against Nus, calculated according to the Gnielinski correlation, generally followed a linear regression, with R2 > 0.9, when the temperature is equal or above the pseudocritical temperature. From this data a new correlation, Correlation I, based on average gradients and intersects, was formulated. Then a modification on the Haaland friction factor was used with the Gnielinski correlation to yield a second correlation, namely Correlation II. A third and more advanced correlation, Correlation III, was then formulated by employing graphs where gradients and y-intercepts were plotted against pressure. From this data a new parameter, namely the turning point pressure ratio of cooling supercritical R-744, was defined. It was concluded that the employed Nu correlations under predict Nu values (a minimum of 0.3% and a maximum of 81.6%). However, two of the correlations constantly over predicted Nus at greater tube lengths, i.e. below pseudocritical temperatures. It was also concluded that Correlation III proved to be more accurate than both Correlations I and II, as well as the existing correlations found in the literature and employed in this study. Correlation III Nus for cooling supercritical R-744 may only be valid for a diameter in the order of the experimental diameter of 7.73 mm, temperatures that are equal or above the pseudocritical temperature and at pressures ranging from 7.5 to 8.8 MPa. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

During the past decade research has shown that global warming may have disastrous effects on our planet. In order to limit the damage that the human race seems to be causing, it was acknowledged that substances with a high global warming potential (GWP) should be phased out. In due time, R-134a with a GWP = 1300, may probably be phased out to make way for nature friendly refrigerants with a lower GWP. One of these contenders is carbon dioxide, R-744, with a GWP = 1. Literature revealed that various Nusselt number (Nu) correlations have been developed to predict the convection heat transfer coefficients of supercritical R-744 in cooling. No proof could be found that any of the reported correlations accurately predict Nusselt numbers (Nus) and the subsequent convection heat transfer coefficients of supercritical R-744 in cooling. Although there exist a number of Nu correlations that may be used for R-744, eight different correlations were chosen to be compared in a theoretical simulation program forming the first part of this study. A water-to-transcritical R-744 tube-in-tube heat exchanger was simulated. Although the results emphasise the importance of finding a more suitable Nu correlation for cooling supercritical R-744, no explicit conclusions could be made regarding the accuracy of any of the correlations used in this study. For the second part of this study experimental data found in literature were used to evaluate the accuracy of the different correlations. Convection heat transfer coefficients, temperatures, pressures and tube diameter were employed for the calculation of experimental Nusselt numbers (Nuexp). The theoretical Nu and Nuexp were then plotted against the length of the heat exchanger for different pressures. It was observed that both Nuexp and Nu increase progressively to a maximal value and then decline as the tube length increases. From these results it were possible to group correlations according to the general patterns of their Nu variation over the tube length. Graphs of Nuexp against Nus, calculated according to the Gnielinski correlation, generally followed a linear regression, with R2 > 0.9, when the temperature is equal or above the pseudocritical temperature. From this data a new correlation, Correlation I, based on average gradients and intersects, was formulated. Then a modification on the Haaland friction factor was used with the Gnielinski correlation to yield a second correlation, namely Correlation II. A third and more advanced correlation, Correlation III, was then formulated by employing graphs where gradients and y-intercepts were plotted against pressure. From this data a new parameter, namely the turning point pressure ratio of cooling supercritical R-744, was defined. It was concluded that the employed Nu correlations under predict Nu values (a minimum of 0.3% and a maximum of 81.6%). However, two of the correlations constantly over predicted Nus at greater tube lengths, i.e. below pseudocritical temperatures. It was also concluded that Correlation III proved to be more accurate than both Correlations I and II, as well as the existing correlations found in the literature and employed in this study. Correlation III Nus for cooling supercritical R-744 may only be valid for a diameter in the order of the experimental diameter of 7.73 mm, temperatures that are equal or above the pseudocritical temperature and at pressures ranging from 7.5 to 8.8 MPa. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Mechanical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

This thesis investigates the refrigerant (R-134a) flow in a minitube experimentally. The small scale heat transfer is a relatively new research area and has been in favor since the end of 1970&rsquo / s. Refrigerant flow in mini- and microscale media is a potential enhancement factor for refrigeration technology in the future. For the forthcoming developments and progresses, experimental studies are invaluable in terms of having an insight and contributing to the establishment of infrastructure in the field in addition to leading the numerical and theoretical approaches. The studies in the literature show that low mass flow rate and constant wall temperature approach in minitubes and minichannels were not among the main areas of interest. Therefore, an experimental set-up was prepared in order to perform experiments of two-phase refrigerant flow in a 1.65 mm diameter copper minitube with the constant wall temperature approach. The design, preparation, and modifications of the experimental set-up are explained in this thesis. Two-phase flow and quality arrangements were done by pre-heating the refrigerant at saturation pressure and the constant wall temperature was achieved by a secondary cycle with water and ethylene glycol mixture as the working fluid. The heat transfer coefficient and the pressure drop for the two-phase flow with varying quality values and saturation temperatures of the refrigerant were calculated and compared with the results available in literature.

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Sensible energy storage for solar domestic hot water (SDHW) systems is space consuming and heavy. Latent heat energy storage systems (LHESSs) offer a solution to this problem. However, the functionality of a LHESS during simultaneous charging/discharging, an operating mode encountered when used with a SDHW, had not been studied experimentally. A small scale vertical cylindrical LHESS, with dodecanoic acid as the phase change material (PCM), was studied during separate and simultaneous charging/discharging. Natural convection was found to have a strong influence during melting, but not during solidification. During simultaneous operation heat transfer was limited by the high thermal resistance of the solid PCM. However, when the PCM was melted, direct heat transfer occurred between the hot and cold heat transfer fluids, indicating the significance of the PCM phase on heat transfer in the system. The results of this research will lead to more optimally designed LHESS for use with SDHW. ?

There has been an ever-increasing demand for power generation, which is predicted to grow as society becomes more advanced. However, tradition fossil fuels are beginning to deplete, and there is a great necessity for alternative fuel sources that will bridge the gap between energy production and consumption. To decrease the high demand alternative fuel sources are gaining in popularity. The supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton power cycle has been proposed as a possible cycle for nuclear and concentrated solar power generation. Two main advantages of having supercritical carbon dioxide are the large property variations and component size associated with power cycle. Forced convection heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide in printed circuit heat exchanger geometries were investigated in the following study using a finite volume framework and the FLUENT 12.1 code. The geometries of interest were: non- chamfered zig-zag, chamfered zig-zag, and air foil. Flow through the three geometries was in the horizontal orientation and subject to a heating mode operation. A range of testing conditions were explored, including operating pressures between 7.5 to 10.2 MPa with the mass flux ranging from 326 to 762 kg/m2-s. Due to the turbulent nature of this problem, the k−E with enhanced wall treatment and shear stress transport k−ω turbulence models were considered. With this addition a total of 54 simulations were performed. Results indicated that there was an increase in the heat transfer coefficient as the supercritical carbon dioxide reached the pseudocritical temperature, conversely as there was an increase in operating pressure, the heat transfer coefficient decreased. Nevertheless, this increase near the pseudocritical temperature was due to a sharp increase in the specific heat. Mass flux effects indicated that there was an increase in heat transfer as the mass flux was increased. This was due to the increase in Reynolds number near the pseudocritical temperature. Next, pressure losses were investigated for the three geometries. The non-chamfered zig-zag channel had the greatest pressure loss associated with it, while the air foil channel had the least. Based on the results, the ratio of the friction factor to heat transfer for the non-chamfered and chamfered zig-zag geometries were approximately 2.65 and 1.57 times higher than for the air foil, thus leading to the idea that the air foil channel may be best suited for practical applications. Finally, the simulation results were compared to experimental data and existing correlations. Many existing correlations failed to accurately predict the magnitude of heat transfer, although they exhibited a similar trend. A new correlation was developed for the zig-zag geometries based on the numerical data obtained during this investigation and published experimental data. The new correlation is able to predict the maximum heat transfer coefficient within 12.4%.

Buoyant flows are present in nature and also in many engineering applications,from domestic heating to the cooling of nuclear power plants. This experimental study focuses on the effects of angle of inclination on buoyancy-driven flows inside tall, rectangular, differentially-heated cavities. The objective is to produce detailed local flow and thermal data, which will advance our understanding of the flow physics and also provide CFD validation data. It considers a 2.18m × 0.52m × 0.0762m cavity, resulting in an aspect ratio of 28.6, with its two opposing long walls maintained at constant but different temperatures, while all the remaining walls are thermally insulated. The Rayleigh number, based on the temperature difference and spacing of the long sides, is 0.86 x 106 for most cases and the working fluid is air (Prandtl number0.71). Experimental data for the flow and the thermal fields, using laser Doppler anemometry and Chromel-Alumel thermocouple traverses respectively, are presented for the cavity inclined at 60° and 15° to the horizontal, for both stable (the hot surface being the upper surface) and unstable (the hot surface the lower one) orientations. The 15° stable case is investigated at a higher Rayleigh number of 1.54 x106 and some additional data for the 15° unstable case are also presented at this high value of Rayleigh number. Comparisons with the measurements of Betts and Bokhari [1], for the same cavity at the vertical position, are also included. For moderate angles of inclination, the flow is two-dimensional and the effects of inclination are primarily confined to the fluctuating fields. For large angles of inclination, the flow becomes three-dimensional. In the unstable 15° angle of inclination case, a set of four longitudinal vortices are formed over the entire length of the cavity, with four counter-rotating re-circulation cells within the cross-section parallel to the thermally active walls. The enhanced mixing at 15° unstable inclination leads to uniform temperature in the cavity core and thus only minor deviations from two dimensionality in the thermal field. A modest rise in Rayleigh number, in the 15° unstable case, does not affect the mean motion, but causes an increase in the normalised turbulence intensities, which in turn leads to a more uniform temperature within the cavity core and a practically two-dimensional thermal field. The stable 15° angle of inclination case, surprisingly, leads to the formation of two longitudinal vortices and two re-circulation cells. The lack of mixing, in the 15° stable case, leads to more noticeable three-dimensional thermal field. The thesis includes a full set of flow and thermal predictions and also spectral analysis of thermal fluctuations, which show a significant effect of the angle of inclination on both the power density level and the ranges of frequencies involved.