Optimization of the irreversible Stirling heat engine

The effects of inefficiencies in the compression, expansion and regeneration processes on engine performance have been evaluated theoretically for a Stirling heat engine operating in a closed regenerative thermodynamic cycle. The irreversible cycle has been optimized by using the maximum power density technique. Maximized power and maximized power density are obtained for different n_ex, τ, α_c, α_h, η_c, η_ex and η_reg values. The maximum efficiencies have been found very close to the values corresponding to the maximum power density conditions but far from the values at maximum power. It has been found that the engines designed by considering the maximum power density have high efficiencies and small sizes under the same prescribed conditions. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

运行模式对地埋管换热器热交换性能的影响试验

运行模式对地埋管换热器的热交换性能具有显著影响。文章借助桂林理工大学建立的地源热泵实验平台,对桂林地区地源热泵制冷工况下3种运行模式进行试验,研究地源热泵的运行状况及管壁温度变化特性,分析运行模式对地埋管热交换性能的影响规律。研究结果表明:3种运行工况下,地源热泵机组的性能系数COP分别为4.30,4.03,3.48,竖埋管单位管长换热量为14.4~32.8 W/m,水平埋管单位管长换热量为14.8~17.9W/m;地埋管的管壁温度随着地源热泵的运行发生变化,其恢复程度与停机时间的长短有关;间歇运行模式有利于土壤温度场的恢复,提高地埋管换热器的热交换性能;停运比Ps-o由0变化到1时,热泵机组性能系数COP增加了15.8%。     

Effect of heat exchanger material and fouling on thermoelectric exhaust heat recovery

Thermoelectric devices are being investigated as a means of improving fuel economy for diesel and gasoline vehicles through the conversion of wasted fuel energy, in the form of heat, to useable electricity. By capturing a small portion of the energy that is available with thermoelectric devices can reduce engine loads thus decreasing pollutant emissions, fuel consumption, and CO₂ to further reduce green house gas emissions. This study is conducted in an effort to better understand and improve the performance of thermoelectric heat recovery systems for automotive use. For this purpose an experimental investigation of thermoelectrics in contact with clean and fouled heat exchangers of different materials is performed. The thermoelectric devices are tested on a bench-scale thermoelectric heat recovery apparatus that simulates automotive exhaust. It is observed that for higher exhaust gas flowrates, thermoelectric power output increases from 2 to 3.8 W while overall system efficiency decreases from 0.95% to 0.6%. Degradation of the effectiveness of the EGR-type heat exchangers over a period of driving is also simulated by exposing the heat exchangers to diesel engine exhaust under thermophoretic conditions to form a deposit layer. For the fouled EGR-type heat exchangers, power output and system efficiency is observed to be 5-10% lower for all conditions tested.     

Heat exchanger fouling model and preventive maintenance scheduling tool

The crude preheat train (CPT) in a petroleum refinery consists of a set of large heat exchangers which recovers the waste heat from product streams to preheat the crude oil. In these exchangers the overall heat transfer coefficient reduces significantly during operation due to fouling. The rate of fouling is highly dependent on the properties of the crude blends being processed as well as the operating temperature and flow conditions. The objective of this paper is to develop a predictive model using statistical methods which can a priori predict the rate of the fouling and the decrease in heat transfer efficiency in a heat exchanger. A neural network based fouling model has been developed using historical plant operating data. Root mean square error (RMSE) of the predictions in tube- and shell-side outlet temperatures of 1.83% and 0.93%, respectively, with a correlation coefficient, R², of 0.98 and correct directional change (CDC) values of more than 92% show that the model is adequately accurate. A case study illustrates the methodology by which the predictive model can be used to develop a preventive maintenance scheduling tool.     

Optimization of solar-powered Stirling heat engine with finite-time thermodynamics

A mathematical model for the overall thermal efficiency of the solar-powered high temperature differential dish-Stirling engine with finite-rate heat transfer, regenerative heat losses, conductive thermal bridging losses and finite regeneration processes time is developed. The model takes into consideration the effect of the absorber temperature and the concentrating ratio on the thermal efficiency; radiation and convection heat transfer between the absorber and the working fluid as well as convection heat transfer between the heat sink and the working fluid. The results show that the optimized absorber temperature and concentrating ratio are at about 1100 K and 1300, respectively. The thermal efficiency at optimized condition is about 34%, which is not far away from the corresponding Carnot efficiency at about 50%. Hence, the present analysis provides a new theoretical guidance for designing dish collectors and operating the Stirling heat engine system.     

The influence of heat exchanger parameters on the optimum cycle time of adsorption chillers

The research investigated the influences of heat exchanger parameters, such as heat capacity and NTU, on the optimum performance of a single-stage adsorption chiller. Silica gel–water pair was chosen as the adsorbent–adsorbate combination so that low temperature heat source under than 100 °C could be utilized as the driving force.The mathematical model of the adsorption chiller using dimensionless parameters was developed and a global optimization method called the particle swarm optimization was applied in the simulation to obtain the optimum cycle time. The results showed that the smaller heat capacity heat exchanger improved both the maximum specific cooling capacity (SCC) and the COP. While, the larger NTU of the adsorbent bed resulted in the decrease of the COP due to the short cycle time although the maximum SCC was enhanced.     

Influences of bubble formation on different types of heat exchanger fouling

In this paper, a systematic comparison is performed to investigate fouling of suspended particles under forced convective and subcooled flow boiling heat transfer. For this purpose, two different types of fouling are separately considered: crystallization fouling of dissolved CaSO₄ particles in water and particulate fouling of suspended Al₂O₃ particles in n–heptane. The effect of hydraulic parameters such as fluid velocity and also bubble generation under subcooled flow boiling are studied. Results of the experiments demonstrate that creation of boiling condition in the heat exchanger has opposite influence in these two types of fouling. It means that bubble generation on the heat transfer surface promotes scale formation under crystallization fouling. This is due to the fact that increased bubble generation creates higher supersaturation beneath the vapor bubble, therefore, increasing the crystal concentration in the boundary layer. On the other hand, boiling condition inhibits the scale formation under particulate fouling because the suspended particles are repelled from the boundary layer by the strong turbulences created by the swarm of bubbles.     

基于最优夹点温差的换热网络优化设计

介绍了夹点技术基本原理及其在换热网络优化设计中的原则。利用ASPENPinch软件设计了一个有三股热股流、两股冷股流的换热网络,求得最优夹点温差是23．7℃,设计时取值23℃。夹点温差分别取10、23、30％进行换热网络初步优化设计,在相同换热器情况下,三者的总费用分别是44279、41931、42156美元／a。这证明采用最优夹点温差的换热网络经济性最好。     

The optimum fin length distribution of tabular PCM heat exchanger

The study aims to find the optimal fin length distribution for improved heat transfer during melting and solidification in a tubular phase change material (PCM) heat exchanger (HE) designed for heat storage. Three types of horizontal PCM tabular HEs, all with five longitudinal fins, were studied numerically. While maintaining a constant heat-transfer area, each model depicts a unique fin length distribution design. The first model, which serves as the reference design, has a uniform fin length distribution and each fi\n is 30 mm long. The second model has shorter upper and side fins and longer lower fins. The third model has long lower fins but shorter than that of the second model, with short side fins and no change in upper fin length with reference design. The findings indicate that the second model exhibits the best heat-transfer performance for the melting process, while the first model is most effective for solidification. Interestingly, the third design emerges as the optimum choice for both melting and solidification processes, where for 1 h of melting operation, results obtained 87%, 92%, and 90% for three models, respectively, from the first uniform model to the third model. While for 2 h of solidification the result obtained 11%, 17%, and 13% liquid fraction for the three models, respectively.     

Numerical investigation of fouling on cross-flow heat exchanger tubes with conjugated heat transfer approach

Although fouling on heat exchanger tubes is extensively investigated, due to the lack of energy resources, the effects of fouling on heat exchangers is still an important area of study and gaining more and more attention every day. In this study we investigated the effects of fouling on heat transfer and flow structures numerically for cross-flow heat exchanger tube geometry. The distributions of temperature, heat transfer coefficient and heat flux at the surface of fouling were obtained for single and double layer fouling cases. In the analysis, Reynolds number and the blockage ratio were fixed to 100 and 0.1 respectively. We used ANSYS software in our analyses and compared some of our results with the literature.     

城市污水自冲洗除污换热器试验研究

城市原生污水作为热泵冷热源为建筑物空调供热,换热面的污染导致流动阻力增大,换热系数降低,是污水源热泵发展的主要技术障碍之一,基于此,开发了在线自清洗除污换热器。文章介绍了在线自清洗除污换热器的结构原理和在线自清洗除污换热器样机,构建了城市污水流动换热实验台。文章分别对不启动冲污注水头HRF换热器的工作状况和启动冲污注水头HRF换热器的除污效果进行了试验研究,结果表明,换热器机械性能良好,当除污周期为10 h,冲洗流速为5 m/s,单次冲洗时间为1 min时,一个采暖周期换热器污垢阻抗降低率为70%以上。     

Planning the optimum cleaning schedule based on simulation of heat exchangers under fouling

An investigation of variations in outlet temperatures of heat exchangers under fouling was carried out. The simulation of heat exchangers was performed by employing a linear fouling deposit function. The formation of deposits reduces heat exchangers effectiveness. There is inherently a linear nature between outlet and inlet temperatures of heat exchangers. The outlet temperatures can also be affected by up‐stream exchangers serving the same streams, and the up‐stream influence can be transferred in the heat system. The mathematical model of the cleaning cycle was outlined, based on the objective function of minimizing cost in unit operation time. According to the results, some heat exchangers can be given cleaning priority when the system is shut down, in order to maximize economic benefit. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20384     

换热网络优化设计的研究进展

换热网络优化是化工生产中常遇到的一类问题,综述了换热网络优化设计的三种基本方法,分别指出了夹点技术、数学规划法和炯经济分析法的基本原理、应用领域、优缺点及其在国内外的发展状况,并对其作了展望,注重更接近于工程实际的考虑。     

有限热源斯特林热机的优化性能研究

应用有限时间热力学方法,探索有限热源、热阻和回热损失的斯特林热机的优化性能,得到一些新的性能参数,所得结论可为斯特林热机的研制和优化设计提供些新理论指导。     

The effect of heat transfer on the pressure drop through a heat exchanger for aero engine applications

This work is focused on the experimental study of the performance of a heat exchanger designed for aero engine applications. The heat exchanger is operating as a heat recuperator by taking advantage of the thermal energy of the exhaust gas of the aero engine in order to obtain a better combustion with less pollutant emissions. The experimental study has been performed in a wind-tunnel by taking detailed flow and thermal measurements on a 1:1 model of the heat exchanger under various operating conditions described by the hot gas inlet mass flow rates and its spatial direction (different angles of attack and inclination) towards the heat exchanger. The hot gas has been modeled with preheated air. Six sets of measurements have been carried-out for different hot gas inlet and outlet temperatures, including also isothermal measurements without any heat transfer in order to have a reference point for the pressure drop of the flow through the device. The experimental results showed that the effect of the angle of attack on the pressure drop is significant while the effect of the angle of inclination is negligible. Additionally, the pressure drop through the heat exchanger is greatly affected by the heat transfer.     

Conjugate fluid flow and kinetics modeling for heat exchanger fouling simulation

Thermal treatment of fluid foods represents a major unit operation in the food industry, to ensure the product's safety and quality features. But during the thermal treatments of such sensible fluids in common plate heat exchangers, food constituents such as proteins can be thermally damaged and precipitated to form fouling that greatly affect the treatment efficiency and alter the product's desired features.Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations can then be successfully exploited, bringing forth temperature and velocity information that yield for deposit distributions when coupled to biochemical notations for thermal denaturation of fluid constituents.The present work exploits such modeling for a single-channel heat exchanger during pasteurization of milk. The model enforces a conjugate system of differential equations to a heat exchanger's corrugated plate to combine flow, heat transfer and local transport of β-lactoglobulin. A preliminary computation has been performed that could be applied to geometry optimization (different corrugation shape and orientation) and for a variety of biochemically evolutive products.     

板式换热器再生水污垢影响换热实验台的搭建和初步实验研究

经城镇污水处理厂处理后的二级再生水进入板式换热器会引起结垢,从而影响板式换热器的流动换热性能.针对这一问题搭建了现场实验台,在可调节工况下实时监测板换传热系数及流动压降,目的是研究板换再生水侧污垢的时变规律,并特别关注板换性能从初始清洁状态到预定清洗点之间的变化过程.研究为再生水源热泵系统及其板式换热器的设计与运行提供了重要参考依据.     

Numerical analysis of heat transfer and flow field around cross-flow heat exchanger tube with fouling

Fouling is one of the main problems of heat transfer which can be described as the accumulation on the heat exchanger tubes, i.e.; ash deposits on the heat exchanger unit of the boiler. A decrease in heat transfer rate by this deposition causes loss in system efficiency and leads to increasing in operating and maintenance costs. This problem concerns with the coupling among conduction heat transfer mode between solid of different types, conjugate heat transfer at the interface of solid and fluid, and the conduction/convection heat transfer mode in the fluid which can not be solved analytically. In this paper, fouling effect on heat transfer around a cylinder in cross flow has been studied numerically by using conjugate heat transfer approach. Unlike other numerical techniques in existing literatures, an unstructured control volume finite element method (CVFEM) has been developed in this present work. The study deals with laminar flow where the Reynolds number is limited in the range that the flow field over the cylinder is laminar and steady. We concern the fouling shape as an eccentric annulus with constant thermal properties. The local heat transfer coefficient, temperature distribution and mean heat transfer coefficient along the fouling surface are given for concentric and eccentric cases. From the results, we have found that the heat transfer rate of cross-flow heat exchanger depends on the eccentricity and thermal conductivity ratio between the fouling material and fluid. The effect of eccentric is dominant in the region near the front stagnation point due to high temperature and velocity gradients. The mean Nusselt number varies in asymptotic fashion with the thermal conductivity ratio. Fluid Prandtl number has a prominent effect on the distribution of local Nusselt number and the temperature along the fouling surface.     

Use of crude oil fouling threshold data in heat exchanger design

The existence of a `threshold' below which chemical reaction fouling of heat transfer surfaces by crude oil does not occur has been identified by Ebert and Panchal [Fouling Mitigation of Industrial Heat-Exchange Equipment, Begell House, 1997, 451–460] and clearly demonstrated by Knudsen et al. [Understanding Heat Exchanger Fouling and its Mitigation, Begell House, 1999, 265–272]. This phenomenon has important implications for the design and operation of heat exchangers in refinery pre-heat trains used for the processing of crudes. In this paper we show how a consideration of the fouling threshold condition can be incorporated into the design procedures for shell-and-tube heat exchangers. We then proceed to show how fouling can be mitigated through attention to heat exchanger design, particularly the choice of configuration. The cost of improperly designed units, based on the conventional use of `fouling factors', is demonstrated.     

基于污水换热器污垢不同生长阶段的除垢试验研究

为了提高污水换热器的除垢效果,文章以管壳式污水换热器为研究对象,以沙粒作为除垢粒子,以污垢热阻变化率表征除垢效果,在利用烘干灼烧失重法、能谱分析法和微观结构分析法分析污垢成分的基础上,运用污垢热阻法进行除垢试验研究。通过试验研究了在污垢生长的诱导期、生长期和渐近期3个阶段除垢对污垢热阻值的影响。试验结果表明:管壳式污水换热器管内污垢的主要成分为含水量较高的有机物;结垢工况下,污垢热阻渐近值为0.74×10^-3(m^2·K)/W;在污垢生长的诱导期、生长期和渐近期进行除垢后,污垢热阻渐近值分别为0.4×10^-3,0.42×10^-3,0.6×10^-3(m^2·K)/W,与结垢工况相比,污垢热阻渐近值分别降低了45.9%,43.2%,18.9%,除垢工况下污垢热阻增长速率较结垢工况明显减缓。