A comprehensive study of heat transfer and pressure drop of refrigerant R410A during condensation and supercritical cooling at near-critical pressures was conducted. Investigations were carried out at five nominal pressures: 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2xpcrit. The refrigerant was tested in commercially available horizontal smooth tubes of 6.2 and 9.4 mm I.D. Heat transfer coefficients were measured using a thermal amplification technique that measures heat duty accurately while also providing refrigerant heat transfer coefficients with low uncertainties. For condensation tests, local heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops were measured for the mass flux range 200 G 800 kg/m2-s in small quality increments over entire vapor-liquid region. For supercritical tests, local heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops were measured for the same mass flux range as in the condensation tests for temperatures ranging from 30 110oC. Condensation heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops increased with quality and mass flux. The effect of reduced pressure on heat transfer is not very significant, while this effect is more pronounced on the pressure gradient. The flow regime transition criteria of Coleman and Garimella (2003) were used to initially designate the prevailing flow regimes for a given combination of mass flux and quality. The condensation data collected in the present study were primarily in the wavy and annular flow regimes. During supercritical cooling, the sharp variations in thermophysical properties in the vicinity of the critical temperature resulted in sharp peaks in the heat transfer coefficients and sudden jumps in the pressure drop. Based on the characteristics of the specific work of thermal expansion (contraction), the data from the supercritical tests were grouped into three regimes: liquid-like, pseudo-critical transition and gas-like regimes. Flow regime-based heat transfer and pressure drop models were developed for both condensation and supercritical cooling. For condensation, the overall heat transfer model predicts 98% of the data within 15% while the overall pressure drop model predicts 87% of the data within 15%. For supercritical cooling, the heat transfer model predicted 88% of the data within 25% while the pressure gradient model predicts 84% of the data within 25%.

Recently the computational speed and the functions of the numerical methods are advancing rapidly. It is the future trend that using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to perform simulation for making up the experimental deficiency, reducing the risk, improving the quality of the product, and saving the cost of research and development. A two-dimensional simulation was employed to study the melt/air and melt/solid interface shapes of the miniature molten zone formed in the laser-heated pedestal growth (LHPG) system. Using non-orthogonal body-fitting grid system with control-volume finite difference method, the interface shape can be determined both efficiently and accurately. During stable growth, the dependence of the molten-zone length and shape on the heating CO2 laser is examined in detail under both the maximum and the minimum allowed powers with various growth speeds. The effect of gravity for the miniature molten zone is also simulated, which reveals the possibility for a horizontally oriented LHPG system. Such a horizontal system is good for the growth of long crystal fibers. After comparing with the shape of the molten zone in terms of the experiment and the analysis of the simulation shown as above. Heat transfer and fluid flow in the LHPG system are analyzed near the deformed interfaces. The global thermal distributions of the crystal fiber, the melt, and the source rod are described by temperature and its axial gradient within length of ~10 mm. As compared with the growth of bulk crystal of several centimeters in dimension, natural convection drops six orders in magnitude due to smaller melt volume; therefore, conduction rather than convection determines the temperature distribution in the molten zone. Moreover, thermocapillary convection rather than mass-transfer convection becomes dominant. The symmetry and mass flow rate of double eddy pattern are significantly influenced by the molten-zone shape due to the diameter reduction and the large surface-tension-temperature coefficient in the order of 10-4~10-3. According to the analysis shown as above, the results could be further extended for the analysis of the concentration profile and study of horizontal growth.

Under certain circumstances pulse combustors have been shown to improve both heat transfer and drying rate when compared to steady flow impingement. Despite this potential, there have been few investigations into the use of pulse combustor driven impingement jets for industrial drying applications. The research presented here utilized experimental and numerical techniques to study the heat transfer characteristics of these types of oscillating jets when impinging on solid surfaces and the heat and mass transfer when drying porous media. The numerical methods were extensively validated using laboratory heat flux and drying data, as well as correlations from literature. As a result, the numerical techniques and methods that were developed and employed in this work were found to be well suited for the current application. It was found that the pulsating flows yielded elevated heat and mass transfer compared to similar steady flow jets. However, the numerical simulations were used to analyze not just the heat flux or drying, but also the details of the fluid flow in the impingement zone that resulted in said heat and mass transport. It was found that the key mechanisms of the enhanced transfer were the vortices produced by the oscillating flow. The characteristics of these vortices such as the size, strength, location, duration, and temperature, determined the extent of the improvement. The effects of five parameters were studied: the velocity amplitude ratio, oscillation frequency, the time-averaged bulk fluid velocity at the tailpipe exit, the hydraulic diameter of the tailpipe, and the impingement surface velocity. Analysis of the resulting fluid flow revealed three distinct flow types as characterized by the vortices in the impingement zone, each with unique heat transfer characteristics. These flow types were: a single strong vortex that dissipated before the start of the next oscillation cycle, a single persistent vortex that remained relatively strong at the end of the cycle, and a strong primary vortex coupled with a short-lived, weaker secondary vortex. It was found that the range over which each flow type was observed could be classified into distinct flow regimes. The secondary vortex and persistent vortex regimes were found to enhance heat transfer. Subsequently, transition criteria dividing these regimes were formed based on dimensionless parameters. The critical dimensionless parameters appeared to be the Strouhal number, a modified Strouhal number, the Reynolds number, the velocity amplitude ratio, and the H/Dh ratio. Further study would be required to determine if these parameters offer similar significance for other configurations.

<p>In this diploma work, the absorption of CO₂in different liquid solutions was studied by gas absorption in a randomly packed column. To characterize the absorption a few experiments with SO₂ absorption were made.The report has resulted due to the large amounts of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, mainly from fossil-fired power plants. To reduce these emissions, carbon dioxide can be separated from flue gas by different techniques such as CO₂ absorption with ammonia. The work consists of a theoretical and a laboratory part of measurements and calculations. In the experimental part a system of absorption and associated test equipment was constructed. Different liquid solutions of pure water, potassium carbonate solution and ammonia in various concentrations were used to catch carbon dioxide by countercurrent absorption. Also SO₂ was absorbed in the potassium carbonate solution to determine the gas film constant. The absorption efficiency of CO₂ ranged from a few percent in the experiment with water to up to 7% with potassium carbonate solution. The CO₂ absorption of ammonia varied with concentration and gave a separation of between 12 and 94%. Ammonia tests were made at both 10 and 20 °C. In general, a higher CO₂-capture at 20 °C was obtained as confirmed by theory.</p> / <p>I detta examensarbete har absorptionseffektivitet av CO₂ hos olika vätskelösningar undersökts genom gasabsorption i en slumpmässigt packad kolonn. För att karakterisera absorptionen absorberades även SO₂ i några experiment.</p><p>Rapporten är utförd med anledning av de stora mängder koldioxid som släpps ut i atmosfären, främst från fossileldade kraftverk. För att minska dessa utsläpp kan koldioxiden avskiljas från rökgaserna genom olika tekniker t.ex. genom CO₂-absorption med ammoniak.</p><p>Arbetet består av en teoridel och en laborativ del med mätningar och beräkningar. I den experimentella delen konstruerades ett system med en absorptionskolonn och tillhörande mätutrustning. Olika vätskelösningar bestående av rent vatten, kaliumkarbonatlösning och ammoniak i olika koncentrationer användes till att ta upp koldioxid genom motströms absorption. Även SO₂ absorberades i kaliumkarbonatlösning för att bestämma gasfilmkonstanten. Absorptionsgraden av CO₂ varierade från några få procent i försöket med vatten upp till 7 % med kaliumkarbonatlösningen. CO₂-absorptionen av ammoniak varierade med koncentrationen och gav en avskiljning på mellan 12 och 94 %. Ammoniakförsöken gjordes med både vid 10 och 20 °C. Generellt erhölls en bättre CO₂-avskiljning vid 20°C, vilket bekräftas av teorin.</p>

Eine kompakte und effiziente Wasserstofferzeugung aus verfügbaren Energieträgern ist für die Marktfähigkeit von Brennstoffzellenheizgeräten essentiell. Der Auslegung von Reformern für PEM-Brennstoffzellen kommt eine große Bedeutung zu, da bei diesem Brennstoffzellentyp keine interne Reformierung möglich ist. In dieser Arbeit werden die mathematische Modellierung der Dampfreformierung von Erdgas, die Rolle der eingesetzten Katalysatoren und die Problematik von Wärme- und Stofftransportprozessen untersucht. Für fünf kommerzielle Nickel- und einen Rhodiumkatalysator werden die Kinetik, die effektive Wärmeleitfähigkeit und der Diffusionskoeffizient ermittelt. Unter Verwendung dieser Werte wird in einem Einzelpartikelmodell die Existenz und Signifikanz von intra- und extrapartikulären Stoff- und Temperaturgradienten evaluiert. Daraus werden für ein quasihomogenes Reaktormodell Modellparameter abgeleitet, die eine exakte Simulation unter Berücksichtigung der relevanten Phänomene zulassen. Schließlich wird ein Reaktormodell erstellt, welches mit Messwerten aus einem Versuchsreaktor validiert und für eine Sensitivitätsanalyse verwendet wird.

Zur Kühlung von Prozessströmen kommen aufgrund hoher Leistungsdichten häufig Verdunstungskühltürme zum Einsatz. Um die Übertragungsfläche für Wärme und Stoff zu vergrößern, werden in diesen Kühltürmen Struktureinbauten integriert. Die Weiterentwicklung von Kühlturmeinbauten und die Untersuchung der den Kühlprozess beeinflussenden Faktoren erfolgt empirisch, was eine Vielzahl von Versuchen notwendig macht. Eine numerische Simulation des Kühlprozesses kann diese Messungen unterstützen und so helfen eine Vielzahl an Versuchen einzusparen. Des Weiteren können bei versuchsbegleitender Simulation mit einem geeigneten Modell weitere Untersuchungen durchgeführt und Erkenntnisse gewonnen werden, die bei Messungen am Versuchskühlturm verborgen bleiben. In dieser Arbeit werden zwei Ansätze der numerischen Simulation eines Verdunstungskühlturms betrachtet. Es werden eine CFD-Simulation und ein vereinfachtes Modellkonzept hinsichtlich der Anwendbarkeit auf diese Problemstellung untersucht. Schwerpunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die methodische Entwicklung eines solchen vereinfachten mathematischen Modells. Dieses beruht auf der physikalisch deterministischen Beschreibung der im Kühlturm ablaufenden Prozesse der Wärme- und Stoffübertragung unter Berücksichtigung des Stoffverhaltens. Aufgrund der Nichtlinearität des Stoffverhaltens und der erforderlichen Inkrementierung des Berechnungsgebiets ist ein methodisches Vorgehen erforderlich, um die Erstellung der Modellgleichungen und deren Lösung überhaupt realisieren zu können. Hierfür wird auf allgemeine Methoden der gleichungsorientierten Simulation technischer Systeme zurückgegriffen. Das entwickelte Modellkonzept wird für die Modellierung und Simulation eines Versuchskühlturms angewandt. Mit den so ermittelten Messdaten wird das Modell kalibriert und validiert. Es zeigt sich, dass mit dem erstellten Modell quantitativ und qualitativ valide Ergebnisse erzielt werden können. / Due to the high power density, the cooling of process streams is often done bei evaporative cooling towers. To enlarge the exchange area for the heat and mass transfer, these cooling towers contain integrated structural fills. The future development of cooling tower fills and the research regarding the cooling process and its influencing parameters will be carried out empirically, resulting in a large number of required experiments. A numeric simulation of the cooling process can support theses measurements and reduce the vast number of needed experiments. Furthermore, with the use of test-related simulations and adapted models, it will be possible to gain knowledge and do research in areas which are omitted during regular measurements on cooling towers. In this study it is looked to two different approaches of numeric simulation of a evaporative cooling tower. There will be an examination of a CFD-Simulation and a simplified model concept regarding their respective applicability for this problem. This work is focussed on the systematic developement of such simplified mathematical models, based on the physical deterministic description of the occurring processes of heat and mass transfer in cooling towers considering the stock behaviour. Due to the non-linearity of the stock behaviour and the required incrementation of the calculation area, a systematic approach is needed to model equations and their respective solutions. For this purpose it is necessary to access general techniques of equation-based simulations of technological systems. The developed model concept will be applied for the modelation and simulation of an experimental cooling tower. The model will be calibrated and validated with data from this experimental tower. It shows, that the results from this model are qualitatively and quantitatevily valid.

Microalgae cultivation has received much research attention in recent decades due to its high photosynthetic productivity and ability to produce biofuel feedstocks as well as high value compounds for the health food, cosmetics, and agriculture markets. Microalgae are conventionally grown in open pond raceways or closed photobioreactors. Due to the high water contents of these cultivation systems, they require large energy inputs for pumping and mixing the dilute culture, as well as concentrating and dewatering the resultant biomass. The energy required to operate these systems is generally greater than the energy contained in the resultant biomass, which precludes their use in sustainable biofuel production. To address this challenge, we designed a novel photobioreactor inspired by higher plants. In this synthetic leaf system, a modified transpiration mechanism is used which delivers water and nutrients to photosynthetic cells that grow as a biofilm on a porous, wicking substrate. Nutrient medium flow through the reactor is driven by evaporation, thereby eliminating the need for a pump. This dissertation outlines the design, construction, operation, and modeling of such a synthetic leaf system for energy positive biofuel production. First, a scaled down synthetic leaf reactor was operated alongside a conventional stirred tank photobioreactor. It was demonstrated that the synthetic leaf system required only 4% the working water volume as the conventional reactor, and showed growth rates as high as four times that of the conventional reactor. However, inefficiencies in the synthetic leaf system were identified and attributed to light and nutrient limitation of growth in the biofilm. To address these issues, a modeling study was performed with the aim of balancing the fluxes of photons and nutrients in the synthetic leaf environment. The vascular nutrient medium transport system was also modeled, enabling calculation of nutrient delivery rates as a function of environmental parameters and material properties of the porous membrane. These models were validated using an experimental setup in which the nutrient delivery rate, growth rate, and photosynthetic yield were measured for single synthetic leaves. The synthetic leaf system was shown to be competitive with existing technologies in terms of biomass productivity, while requiring zero energy for nutrient and gas delivery to the microorganisms. Future studies should focus on utilizing the synthetic leaf system for passive harvesting of secreted products in addition to passive nutrient delivery. / text

This work is a multi-scale effort to confront the rapidly evolving threat of biological weapons attacks through improved bioaerosol surveillance, detection, and response capabilities. The effects of bioaerosol release characteristics, transport in the atmospheric surface layer, and implications for bioaerosol sampler design and real-time detection were studied to develop risk assessment and modeling tools to enhance our ability to respond to biological weapons attacks. A simple convection-diffusion-sedimentation model was formulated and used to simulate atmospheric bioaerosol dispersion. Model predictions suggest particles smaller than 60 micrometers in aerodynamic diameter (AD) are likely to be transported several kilometers from the source. A five fold increase in effective mass collection rate, a significant bioaerosol detection advantage, is projected for samplers designed to collect particles larger than the traditional limit of 10 micrometers AD when such particles are present in the source distribution. A family of dynamically scaled wetted-wall bioaerosol sampling cyclones (WWC) was studied to provide bioaerosol sampling capability under various threat scenarios. The effects of sampling environment, i.e. air conditions, and air flow rate on liquid recovery rate and response time were systematically studied. The discovery of a critical liquid input rate parameter enabled the description of all data with self-similar relationships. Empirical correlations were then integrated into system control algorithms to maintain microfluidic liquid output rates ideally suited for advanced biological detection technologies. Autonomous ambient air sampling with an output rate of 25 microliters per minute was achieved with open-loop control. This liquid output rate corresponds to a concentration rate on the order of 2,000,000, a substantial increase with respect to other commercially available bioaerosol samplers. Modeling of the WWC was performed to investigate the underlying physics of liquid recovery. The set of conservative equations governing multiphase heat and mass transfer within the WWC were formulated and solved numerically. Approximate solutions were derived for the special cases of adiabatic and isothermal conditions. The heat and mass transfer models were then used to supplement empirical correlations. The resulting semi-empirical models offer enhanced control over liquid concentration factor and further enable the WWC to be deployed as an autonomous bioaerosol sampler. / text

An experimental investigation of condensation of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon/refrigerant mixtures in horizontal tubes was conducted. Heat transfer coefficients and frictional pressure drops during condensation of a zeotropic binary mixture of R245fa and n-pentane in a 7.75 mm internal diameter round tube were measured across the entire vapor-liquid dome, for mass fluxes ranging from 150 to 600 kg m-2 s-1, and reduced pressures ranging from 0.06 to 0.23. Condensation experiments were conducted for the mixture, as well as its pure constituents over a similar range of conditions. In addition, condensing flow of the hydrocarbon propane was documented visually using high-speed video recordings. Results from these experiments were used to establish the two-phase flow regimes, void fractions, and liquid film thicknesses during condensation of propane flowing through horizontal tubes with internal diameters of 7 and 15 mm. These measurements were made over mass fluxes ranging from 75 to 450 kg m-2 s-1, operating pressures ranging from 952 to 1218 kPa, and vapor qualities ranging from 0.05 to 0.95. Liquid film thickness and void fraction data were subsequently be used to assist the development of heat transfer and pressure drop models. In particular, the heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops observed in the mixture were compared with the corresponding values for the pure constituents. Models for heat transfer and pressure drop in the pure components as well as the mixtures were developed based on the data from the present study. This work extends the available literature on two-phase flow regimes for air-water mixtures, steam, and refrigerants to include hydrocarbons. Additionally, the limited information on condensation in multi-constituent hydrocarbon-hydrocarbon and refrigerant-refrigerant mixtures was extended to include hydrocarbon-refrigerant mixtures. The findings of this study are expected to benefit applications such as refrigeration, low-grade heat-driven power generation, and the development of heat exchangers for the chemical and process industries.

To meet the new challenges of the chemical indutries, the developpement of new heterogeneous catalytic reactors and their understanding are mandatory. From these perspectives, new reactor designs based on structuring at micro or millimeter scales have emerged. They have sparked interest for their ability to decrease physical limitations for heat and mass transfers. Thus, two advanced reactor technologies for gas-liquid-solid catalysed reactions are studied. The first reactor is a micro-structured falling film (FFMR) in which vertical sub millimetric grooves are etched and coated with a catalyst. This structuration allows stabilizing the gas-liquid interface of a down flow liquid phase. A thin liquid film is generated leading to high specific surface areas. Commercially available, it represents a very good potential for performing demanding reactions (i.e.fast, exothermic) for small scale productions such as pharmaceuticals. In a second part, a new reactor concept is proposed. Open cell foams are used as catalyst support and inserted in a milli-square channel. The reactor is then submitted to a preformed gas-liquid Taylor flow. In both cases, hydrodynamics features are studied by using microscopy based methods. Their potential in terms of mass transfers are also studied by performing catalyzed α-methylstyren hydrogenation. For both reactors, it comes out that the particular flow induced by micro or milli structures leads to at least one order of magnitude higher mass transfers performances than mutliphase reactors currently used in the industry albeit it remains to be demonstrated at such scale. From all these studies, correlations, models and methods for chemical engineers (hydrodynamics, pressure drops, mass transfer) are proposed for the two reactors