A microchannel heat exchanger was designed for diesel waste heat recovery and its performance was evaluated. The 21x15x8 cm unit was constructed from diffusion brazed stainless steel lamina and weighed 11 kg. Operating from a 13.4 kW generator with an exhaust temperature of 500 °C the unit delivered 11.1 kW of thermal energy at the design point with an effectiveness of 0.87. If coupled with an organic Rankine bottoming cycle this has the potential of boosting system power output by 35%. Performance was found to be insensitive to cold side flow conditions. Soot accumulation was found to be problematic, which caused a steady exhaust pressure rise at the device but did not affect the thermal performance. / Graduation date: 2012

Submitted by JORGE ANDRES ARROYAVE ORTEGON (jaarroyaveo@unal.edu.co) on 2018-08-20T15:11:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Jorge_Arroyave_Versão_Final_FC(1).pdf: 6142009 bytes, checksum: 185f73f2530ec7bc30607d8a9e004919 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Cristina Alexandra de Godoy null (cristina@adm.feis.unesp.br) on 2018-08-20T20:10:47Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 arroyaveortegon_ja_me_ilha.pdf: 6142009 bytes, checksum: 185f73f2530ec7bc30607d8a9e004919 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T20:10:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arroyaveortegon_ja_me_ilha.pdf: 6142009 bytes, checksum: 185f73f2530ec7bc30607d8a9e004919 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-04-27 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A energia solar pode ser aproveitada como fonte de energia térmica para aquecimento de água, por exemplo, em coletores solares ou como fonte de energia elétrica usando sistemas de células fotovoltaicas. Entretanto, as células fotovoltaicas, geralmente, de custos relativamente altos, têm algumas restrições relacionadas a altas temperaturas de operação e distribuições de temperatura não homogêneas levando a redução da vida útil e eficiência elétrica de tais sistemas. Essas limitações têm sido o foco de pesquisas, a fim de melhorar as eficiências elétricas, regular as temperaturas de operação e reduzir os materiais necessários para fabricação das células. Assim, este projeto de pesquisa tem como objetivo avaliar o desempenho de um dissipador de calor, baseado em microcanais retangulares paralelos, no resfriamento de uma célula fotovoltaica de alta concentração (HCPV-High Concentration Photovoltaic Cell), utilizando-se de análise teórica (modelo térmico), simulação numérica (usando o software comercial CFD ANSYS® Fluent v15) e de uma bancada experimental. Neste trabalho, foram consideradas as condições de máxima radiação (denominado de pior cenário, quando a célula não gera eletricidade e todo o calor deve ser dissipado) e de radiação média ao longo do período considerado. Os dados climatológicos foram obtidos do site Canal Clima - UNESP, com dados historicos do clima na região noroeste paulista. Foi realizada uma revisão do estado da arte a fim de compreender como os sistemas de geração elétrica fotovoltaica podem ser otimizados pelo uso de concentradores solares e materiais mais eficientes (células de junção-múltipla). A influência da temperatura nestes sistemas e como sistemas de resfriamento podem melhorar seu desempenho também foram analisados. Uma bancada experimental permitiu validar os resultados teóricos e numéricos obtidos. Comprovou-se que o uso de dissipador de calor baseado em microcanais pode permitir um controle efetivo da temperatura da célula HCPV, melhorando sua eficiência de conversão de energia solar em energia elétrica. O dissipador de calor foi avaliado sob condições de fluxo de calor constante, variando-se a velocidade mássica, G, no intervalo de 300 kg/m2s a 1500 kg/m2s. Assim, foi possível manter a superfície da célula a uma temperatura de 40°C, aproximadamente, para uma queda de pressão de, em média, 6 kPa. Os resultados das três análises apresentaram comportamentos similares e a concordância entre eles foi razoável, considerando as limitações de cada abordagem. / Solar energy can be used as a source of thermal energy in solar collectors, for example, or as a source of electricity using photovoltaic cell systems. However, photovoltaic cells requires high investments having some restrictions related to high operating temperatures and nonhomogeneous temperature distributions, leading to a reduction in the useful life and electrical efficiency. These limitations have been the focus of researches in order to improve electrical efficiencies, to regulate operating temperatures, and to reduce required materials in the cells. Thus, this research project aims to evaluate the performance of a heat sink based on parallel rectangular microchannels for cooling of a high concentration photovoltaic cell (HCPV), using theoretical analysis (thermal model), numerical simulation (using commercial software CFD ANSYS® Fluent v15) and an experimental bench. In this work, it was considered the conditions of maximum radiation (named worst scenario, when the cell does not generate electricity and all the heat must be dissipated) and the average radiation over the period considered. These climatological data were obtained from the Canal Clima – UNESP site, in the northwestern region of São Paulo state. A review on the subject was carried out in order to understand how solar photovoltaic systems can be optimized using solar concentrators and more efficient materials (multiple-junction cells). The influence of temperature and cooling systems were analyzed. An experimental bench was built, which allowed the validation of the theoretical and numerical results. The use of microchannel heat sinks can allow an effective temperature control of the HCPV cell, improving its efficiency of converting thermal energy into electrical energy. The heat sink was evaluated for different heat flux values and for mass velocity, G, in a range of 300 kg/m2s to 1500 kg/m2s. It was possible to maintain the high concentration cell at 40 °C with a pressure drop of 6 kPa, for the worst scenario. The three analyzes presented similar behavior and the agreement between them was reasonable, considering the approaches limitations. / FAPESP 2013/15431-7 / CNPq 458702/2014-5

A presente dissertação trata de um estudo teórico-experimental sobre escoamento monofásico e bifásico em um dissipador de calor baseado em microcanais. Este tipo de dissipador de calor tem sido usado para a intensificação da troca de calor em sistemas compactos e de alto desempenho. A intensificação da troca de calor promovida pelo escoamento em microcanais é acompanhada de um incremento na perda de pressão, portanto o estudo destes dois parâmetros é essencial para o entendimento dos fenômenos relacionados e fundamental para o desenvolvimento de ferramentas de projeto para dissipadores de calor baseados em microcanais. Inicialmente, um levantamento bibliográfico extenso sobre a ebulição convectiva em microcanais de reduzido diâmetro foi realizado. Este estudo da literatura trata de critérios de transição entre micro- e macro-escala, padrões de escoamento, métodos de previsão do coeficiente de transferência de calor e perda de pressão. Atenção específica foi dada a estudos de dissipadores de calor baseados em microcanais. Com base nesta análise da literatura, uma bancada experimental foi confeccionada para que dados experimentais de transferência de calor e perda de pressão pudessem ser levantados a partir de um dissipador de calor de microcanais. O dissipador de calor fabricado para este estudo é constituído de 50 microcanais retangulares dispostos paralelamente com 15 mm de comprimento, 100 µm de largura, 500 µm de profundidade e espaçados entre si de 200 µm. Experimentos foram executados para o R134a, velocidades mássicas de 400 a 1500 kg/m²s, título de vapor máximo de 0,35 e fluxos de calor de até 310 kW/m². Como conclusão deste trabalho observa-se perda de pressão elevada em relação aos valores fornecidos pelos métodos de previsão da literatura e um coeficiente de transferência de calor próximo ao estimado pelo modelo de três zonas proposto por Thome et al. (2004). / This study presents a theoretical and experimental investigation on single and two-phase flows in a microchannel based heat sink. Multi-microchannel heat sinks are able of dissipating extremely high heat fluxes under confined conditions. Such characteristics have attracted the attention of academia and industry and actually several studies are being carried out in order to evaluate and optimize such devices. Initially, an extensive investigation of the literature concerning convective boiling in micro-scale channels was performed. This literature review covers transitional criteria between micro- and macro-scale flow boiling, two phase flow patterns, heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop during convective boiling. Special attention was given to studies concerning microchannels based heat sinks. Based on this investigation, an experimental facility was built for performing heat transfer and pressure drop measurements during single-phase flow and flow boiling in microchannel based heat sinks. For this study, a microchannel based heat sink was also manufactured. The heat sink contains 50 rectangular parallel microchannels, 15 mm long, 100 µm wide by 500 µm deep and separated by 200 µm walls. Experiments were performed for R134a, mass velocity of 400-1500 kg/m²s, maximum vapor quality of 0,35 and heat fluxes up to 310 kW/m². The database obtained in the present study was compared against pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient prediction methods from the literature. It was found that no one method is accurate in predicting heat sink pressure drop while heat transfer coefficient results were accurately predicted by the 3-zone model proposed by Thome et al. (2004).

Orientador: Elaine Maria Cardoso / Resumo: A energia solar pode ser aproveitada como fonte de energia térmica para aquecimento de água, por exemplo, em coletores solares ou como fonte de energia elétrica usando sistemas de células fotovoltaicas. Entretanto, as células fotovoltaicas, geralmente, de custos relativamente altos, têm algumas restrições relacionadas a altas temperaturas de operação e distribuições de temperatura não homogêneas levando a redução da vida útil e eficiência elétrica de tais sistemas. Essas limitações têm sido o foco de pesquisas, a fim de melhorar as eficiências elétricas, regular as temperaturas de operação e reduzir os materiais necessários para fabricação das células. Assim, este projeto de pesquisa tem como objetivo avaliar o desempenho de um dissipador de calor, baseado em microcanais retangulares paralelos, no resfriamento de uma célula fotovoltaica de alta concentração (HCPV-High Concentration Photovoltaic Cell), utilizando-se de análise teórica (modelo térmico), simulação numérica (usando o software comercial CFD ANSYS® Fluent v15) e de uma bancada experimental. Neste trabalho, foram consideradas as condições de máxima radiação (denominado de pior cenário, quando a célula não gera eletricidade e todo o calor deve ser dissipado) e de radiação média ao longo do período considerado. Os dados climatológicos foram obtidos do site Canal Clima - UNESP, com dados historicos do clima na região noroeste paulista. Foi realizada uma revisão do estado da arte a fim de compreender como os sistemas de... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Solar energy can be used as a source of thermal energy in solar collectors, for example, or as a source of electricity using photovoltaic cell systems. However, photovoltaic cells requires high investments having some restrictions related to high operating temperatures and nonhomogeneous temperature distributions, leading to a reduction in the useful life and electrical efficiency. These limitations have been the focus of researches in order to improve electrical efficiencies, to regulate operating temperatures, and to reduce required materials in the cells. Thus, this research project aims to evaluate the performance of a heat sink based on parallel rectangular microchannels for cooling of a high concentration photovoltaic cell (HCPV), using theoretical analysis (thermal model), numerical simulation (using commercial software CFD ANSYS® Fluent v15) and an experimental bench. In this work, it was considered the conditions of maximum radiation (named worst scenario, when the cell does not generate electricity and all the heat must be dissipated) and the average radiation over the period considered. These climatological data were obtained from the Canal Clima – UNESP site, in the northwestern region of São Paulo state. A review on the subject was carried out in order to understand how solar photovoltaic systems can be optimized using solar concentrators and more efficient materials (multiple-junction cells). The influence of temperature and cooling systems were analyzed. An exp... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

This dissertation focuses on the effects of heating on superhydrophobic (SHPo) surfaces. The work is divided into two main categories: heat transfer without mass transfer and heat transfer in conjunction with mass transfer. Numerical methods are used to explore the prior while experimental methods are utilized for the latter. The numerical work explores convective heat transfer in SHPo parallel plate microchannels and is separated into two stand-alone chapters that have been published archivally. The first considers surfaces with a rib/cavity structure and the second considers surfaces patterned with a square lattice of square posts. Laminar, fully developed, steady flow with constant fluid properties is considered where the tops of the ribs and posts are maintained at a constant heat flux boundary condition and the gas/liquid interfaces are assumed to be adiabatic. For both surface configurations the overall convective heat transfer is reduced. Results are presented in the form of average Nusselt number as well as apparent temperature jump length (thermal slip length). The heat transfer reduction is magnified by increasing cavity fraction, decreasing Peclet number, and decreasing channel size relative to the micro-structure spacing. Axial fluid conduction is found to be substantial at high Peclet numbers where it is classically neglected. The parameter regimes where prior analytical works found in the literature are valid are delineated. The experimental work is divided into two stand-alone chapters with one considering channel flow and the other a pool scenario. The channel work considers high aspect ratio microchannels with one heated SHPo wall. If water saturated with dissolved air is used, the air-filled cavities of SHPo surfaces act as nucleation sites for mass transfer. As the water heats it becomes supersaturated and air can effervesce onto the SHPo surface forming bubbles that align to the underlying micro-structure if the cavities are comprised of closed cells. The large bubbles increase drag in the channel and reduce heat transfer. Once the bubbles grow large enough, they are expelled from the channel and the nucleation and growth cycle begins again. The pool work considers submerged, heated SHPo surfaces such that the nucleation behavior can be explored in the absence of forced fluid flow. The surface is maintained at a constant temperature and a range of temperatures (40 - 90 °C) are explored. Similar nucleation behavior to that of the microchannels is observed, however, the bubbles are not expelled. Natural convection coefficients are computed. The surfaces with the greatest amount of nucleation show a significant reduction in convection coefficient, relative to a smooth hydrophilic surface, due to the insulating bubble layer.

No description available.

Tesla valve applications for passive flow enhancement in micro fluidic applications are promising, because of its design of no-moving-parts. The effectiveness of the valve (measured via its pressure and thermal diodicity) can be increased by creating a multi-staged Tesla valve. Present study investigates the effect of varying Reynolds number (25-200) on flow rectification and thermal enhancement capability of a Tesla valve. Gamboa Morris Forster (GMF) design with a cross-section of 1mm2 and constant valve-to-valve distance (1mm) was utilized for this research. An arbitrary fluid with constant properties at a reference temperature was used as the working fluid. Periodicity in flow and thermal distribution are noticed in the latter part of MSTV. Average friction factor and pressure diodicity decreased with increasing Reynolds number whereas average Nusselt number and thermal diodicity increased. Correlations for friction factor, pressure diodicity, Nusselt number, and thermal diodicity were derived by fitting a non-linear curve fit model.

Thermally developing, electro-osmotically generated flow has been analyzed for a circular microtube under imposed constant wall temperature (CWT) and constant wall heat flux (CHF) boundary conditions. Established by a voltage potential gradient along the length of the microtube, the hydrodynamics of such a flow dictate either a slug flow velocity profile (under conditions of large tube radius-to-Debye length ratio, a/lambda_d) or a family of electro-osmotic flow (EOF) velocity profiles that depend on a/lambda_d. The imposed voltage gradient results in Joule heating in the fluid with an associated volumetric source of energy. For this scenario coupled with a slug flow velocity profile, the analytical solution for the fluid temperature development has been determined for both thermal boundary conditions. The local Nusselt number for the CHF boundary condition is shown to reduce to the classical slug flow thermal development for imposed constant wall heat flux, and is independent of Joule heating source magnitude. For the CWT boundary condition, a local minimum in the streamwise variation in local Nusselt number for moderate positive dimensionless inlet temperature is predicted. For negative dimensionless inlet temperature, which arises if the fluid entrance temperature is below the tube wall temperature, the fluid is initially heated, then cooled, resulting in a singularity in the local Nusselt number at the axial location of the heating/cooling transition. The thermal development length is considerably larger than for traditional pressure-driven flow heat transfer, and is a function of the magnitudes of Peclet number and dimensionless inlet temperature. For the EOF velocity profile scenario, numerical techniques were used to predict the fluid temperature development for both wall boundary conditions by utilizing a finite control volume approach. In addition to Joule heating as an energy source, viscous dissipation is also considered. The results predict that for decreasing a/lambda_d, the local Nusselt number decreases for all axial positions and the thermal development shortens for both wall boundary conditions. Viscous dissipation has significant effect only at intermediate values of a/lambda_d. Results predict local Nusselt numbers to increase for a CWT boundary condition and to decrease for an imposed constant wall heat flux with increasing viscous dissipation.

No description available.

In this thesis, ammonia (NH3) decomposition was assessed as a fuel processing technology for producing on-demand hydrogen (H2) for portable and distributed fuel cell applications. This study was motivated by the present lack of infrastructure to generate H2 for proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. An overview of past and recent worldwide research activities in the development of reactor technologies for portable and distributed hydrogen generation via NH3 decomposition was presented in Chapter 2. The objective was to uncover the principal challenges relating to the state-of-the-art in reactor technology and obtain a basis for future improvements. Several important aspects such as reactor design, operability, power generation capacity and efficiency (conversion and energy) were appraised for innovative reactor technologies vis-à-vis microreactors, monolithic reactors, membrane reactors, and electrochemical reactors (electrolyzers). It was observed that substantial research effort is required to progress the innovative reactors to commercialization on a wide basis. The use of integrated experimental-mathematical modelling approach (useful in attaining accurately optimized designs) was notably non-existent for all reactors throughout the surveyed openliterature. Microchannel reactors were however identified as a transformative reactor technology for producing on-demand H2 for PEM cell applications. Against this background, miniaturized H2 production in a stand-alone ammonia-fuelled microchannel reactor (reformer) washcoated with a commercial Ni-Pt/Al2O3 catalyst (ActiSorb® O6) was demonstrated successfully in Chapter 3. The reformer performance was evaluated by investigating the effect of reaction temperature (450–700 °C) and gas-hourly-space-velocity (6 520–32 600 Nml gcat -1 h-1) on key performance parameters including NH3 conversion, residual NH3 concentration, H2 production rate, and pressure drop. Particular attention was devoted to defining operating conditions that minimised residual NH3 in reformate gas, while producing H2 at a satisfactory rate. The reformer operated in a daily start-up and shut-down (DSS)-like mode for a total 750 h comprising of 125 cycles, all to mimic frequent intermittent operation envisaged for fuel cell systems. The reformer exhibited remarkable operation demonstrating 98.7% NH3 conversion at 32 600 Nml gcat -1 h-1 and 700 °C to generate an estimated fuel cell power output of 5.7 We and power density of 16 kWe L-1 (based on effective reactor volume). At the same time, reformer operation yielded low pressure drop (<10 Pa mm-1) for all conditions considered. Overall, the microchannel reformer performed sufficiently exceptional to warrant serious consideration in supplying H2 to low-power fuel cell systems. In Chapter 4, hydrogen production from the Ni-Pt-washcoated ammonia-fuelled microchannel reactor was mathematically simulated in a three-dimensional (3D) CFD model implemented via Comsol Multiphysics™. The objective was to obtain an understanding of reaction-coupled transport phenomena as well as a fundamental explanation of the observed microchannel reactor performance. The transport processes and reactor performance were elucidated in terms of velocity, temperature, and species concentration distributions, as well as local reaction rate and NH3 conversion profiles. The baseline case was first investigated to comprehend the behavior of the microchannel reactor, then microstructural design and operating parameters were methodically altered around the baseline conditions to explore the optimum values (case-study optimization). The modelling results revealed that an optimum NH3 space velocity (GHSV) of 65.2 Nl gcat -1 h-1 yields 99.1% NH3 conversion and a power density of 32 kWe L-1 at the highest operating temperature of 973 K. It was also shown that a 40-μm-thick porous washcoat was most desirable at these conditions. Finally, a low channel hydraulic diameter (225 μm) was observed to contribute to high NH3 conversion. Most importantly, mass transport limitations in the porouswashcoat and gas-phase were found to be negligible as depicted by the Damköhler and Fourier numbers, respectively. The experimental microchannel reactor produced 98.2% NH3 conversion and a power density of 30.8 kWe L-1 when tested at the optimum operating conditions established by the model. Good agreement with experimental data was observed, so the integrated experimental-modeling approach used here may well provide an incisive step toward the efficient design of ammonia-fuelled microchannel reformers. In Chapter 5, the prospect of producing H2 via ammonia (NH3) decomposition was evaluated in an experimental stand-alone microchannel reactor wash-coated with a commercial Cs-promoted Ru/Al2O3 catalyst (ACTA Hypermec 10010). The reactor performance was investigated under atmospheric pressure as a function of reaction temperature (723–873 K) and gas-hourly-space-velocity (65.2–326.1 Nl gcat -1 h-1). Ammonia conversion of 99.8% was demonstrated at 326.1 Nl gcat -1 h-1 and 873 K. The H2 produced at this operating condition was sufficient to yield an estimated fuel cell power output of 60 We and power density of 164 kWe L-1. Overall, the Ru-based microchannel reactor outperformed other NH3 microstructured reformers reported in literature including the Ni-based system used in Chapter 3. Furthermore, the microchannel reactor showed a superior performance against a fixed-bed tubular microreactor with the same Ru-based catalyst. Overall, the high H2 throughput exhibited may promote widespread use of the Ru-based micro-reaction system in high-power applications. Four peer-reviewed journal publications and six conference publications resulted from this work. / PhD (Chemical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015