Measurement of Transient Fluid Temperature in the Heat Exchangers

In the chapter, a method for measuring the transient temperature of the flowing fluid based on time temperature changes of the thermometer is described. In the presented method, the thermometer is considered as an inertial system of first and second order. To reduce the influence of random errors in the temperature measurement, the local polynomial approximation based on nine points is used. As a result, the first and second derivatives of a temperature, which indicate how the temperature of the thermometer varies over time, are determined very accurately. Next, the time constant is defined as a function of fluid velocity for sheathed thermocouples with different diameters. The applicability of the presented method is demonstrated on real data in the experiment. The air temperature is estimated from measurements carried out by the three thermocouples having different outer diameters when the air velocity varied in time. A comparison of the computed temperatures of air gives confidence to the accuracy of the presented method. The method presented in this chapter for measuring the transient temperature of the fluid can be used for the online monitoring of fluid temperature change with time

Determination of transient fluid temperature using the inverse method

This paper proposes an inverse method to obtain accurate measurements of the transient temperature of fluid. A method for unit step and linear rise of temperature is presented. For this purpose, the thermometer housing is modelled as a full cylindrical element (with no inner hole), divided into four control volumes. Using the control volume method, the heat balance equations can be written for each of the nodes for each of the control volumes. Thus, for a known temperature in the middle of the cylindrical element, the distribution of temperature in three nodes and heat flux at the outer surface were obtained. For a known value of the heat transfer coefficient the temperature of the fluid can be calculated using the boundary condition. Additionally, results of experimental research are presented. The research was carried out during the start-up of an experimental installation, which comprises: a steam generator unit, an installation for boiler feed water treatment, a tray-type deaerator, a blow down flashvessel for heat recovery, a steam pressure reduction station, a boiler control system and a steam header made of martensitic high alloy P91 steel. Based on temperature measurements made in the steam header using the inverse method, accurate measurements of the transient temperature of the steam were obtained. The results of the calculations are compared with the real temperature of the steam, which can be determined for a known pressure and enthalpy

Determination of transient temperature fields in thick-walled elements using the inverse method

The purpose of this paper is to propose a method of determining the transient temperature of the inner surface of thick-walled elements. The method can be used to determine thermal stresses in pressure elements. An inverse marching method is proposed to determine the transient temperature of the thickwalled element inner surface with high accuracy. The inverse method was validated computationally. The comparison between the temperatures obtained from the direct heat conduction problem solution and the results obtained by means of the proposed inverse method is very satisfactory. The advantage of the method is the possibility of determining the heat transfer coefficient at a point on the exposed surface based on the local temperature distribution measured on the insulated outer surface. The heat transfer coefficient determined experimentally can be used to calculate thermal stresses in elements with a complex shape. The proposed method can be used in online computer systems to monitor temperature and thermal stresses in thick-walled pressure components because the computing time is very short

Overview of the M-Cycle Technology for Air Conditioning and Cooling Applications

The indirect evaporative cooler (IEC) has excellent potential to replace or improve conventional vapor compression equipment in HVAC and refrigeration applications. This could be achieved by using the M-cycle (dew-point evaporative cooling technology). This thermodynamic concept makes it possible to derive a large amount of energy from the air stream (as latent heat released during water evaporation into the working air stream) and use it for another air stream (product). Its application has also spread to other sectors, such as water desalination and distillation, power plants, or NOx reduction. This paper provides an overview of the M-cycle mainly in air conditioning (MAC, D-MAC, H-MAC) and refrigeration (MCT, M-condenser). Various integrated solutions are described, showing improved effectiveness in terms of the wet-bulb temperature and the dew point. The design features of consolidated solutions are better In terms of the flow distribution, geometry, or volume. Most of the improvements confirm the great potential of the M-cycle to increase the unit or the system efficiency due to lower energy and water consumption

Overview of the M-Cycle Technology for Air Conditioning and Cooling Applications

The indirect evaporative cooler (IEC) has excellent potential to replace or improve conventional vapor compression equipment in HVAC and refrigeration applications. This could be achieved by using the M-cycle (dew-point evaporative cooling technology). This thermodynamic concept makes it possible to derive a large amount of energy from the air stream (as latent heat released during water evaporation into the working air stream) and use it for another air stream (product). Its application has also spread to other sectors, such as water desalination and distillation, power plants, or NOx reduction. This paper provides an overview of the M-cycle mainly in air conditioning (MAC, D-MAC, H-MAC) and refrigeration (MCT, M-condenser). Various integrated solutions are described, showing improved effectiveness in terms of the wet-bulb temperature and the dew point. The design features of consolidated solutions are better In terms of the flow distribution, geometry, or volume. Most of the improvements confirm the great potential of the M-cycle to increase the unit or the system efficiency due to lower energy and water consumption

Improving efficiency and lowering operating costs of evaporative cooling

Cooling towers, or so-called evaporation towers, use the natural effect of water evaporation to dissipate heat in industrial and comfort installations. Water, until it changes its state of aggregation, from liquid to gas, consumes energy (2.257 kJ/kg). By consuming this energy, it lowers the air temperature to the wet-bulb temperature, thanks to which the medium can be cooled below the ambient temperature. Evaporative solutions are characterized by continuous water evaporation (approx. 1.5% of the total water flow) and low electricity consumption (high EER). Evaporative (adiabatic) cooling also has a positive effect on the reduction of electricity consumption of cooled machines. Lowering the relative humidity (RH) by approx. 2% lowers the wet-bulb temperature by approx. 0.5°C, which increases the efficiency of the tower, operating in an open circuit, expressed in kW, by approx. 5%, while reducing water consumption and treatment costs. The use of the M-Cycle (Maisotsenko cycle) to lower the temperature of the wet thermometer to the dew point temperature will reduce operating costs and increase the efficiency of cooled machines

Determination of Transient Fluid Temperature and Thermal Stresses in Pressure Thick-Walled Elements Using a New Design Thermometer

In both conventional and nuclear power plants, the high thermal load of thick-walled elements occurs during start-up and shutdown. Therefore, thermal stresses should be determined on-line during plant start-up to avoid shortening the lifetime of critical pressure elements. It is necessary to know the fluid temperature and heat transfer coefficient on the internal surface of the elements, which vary over time to determine transient temperature distribution and thermal stresses in boilers critical pressure elements. For this reason, accurate measurement of transient fluid temperature is very significant, and the correct determination of transient thermal stresses depends to a large extent on it. However, thermometers used in power plants are not able to measure the transient fluid temperature with adequate accuracy due to their massive housing and high thermal inertia. The article aims to present a new technique of measuring transient superheated steam temperature and the results of its application on a real object

Influence of the Thermometer Inertia on the Quality of Temperature Control in a Hot Liquid Tank Heated with Electric Energy

This paper presents the medium temperature monitoring system based on digital proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control. For industrial thermometers with a complex structure used for measuring the temperature of the fluid under high pressure, the accuracy of the first-order model is inadequate. A second-order differential equation was applied to describe a dynamic response of a temperature sensor placed in a heavy thermowell (industrial thermometer). The quality of the water temperature control system in the tank was assessed when measuring the water temperature with a jacketed thermocouple and a thermometer in an industrial casing. A thermometer of a new design with a small time constant was also used to measure temperature. The quality of water temperature control in the hot water storage tank was evaluated using a classic industrial thermometer and a new design thermometer. In both cases, there was a K-type sheathed thermocouple inside the thermowell. Reductions in the time constant of the new thermometer are achieved by means of a steel casing with a small diameter hole inside which the thermocouple is precisely fitted. The time constants of the thermometers were determined experimentally with a jump in water temperature. A digital controller was designed to maintain the preset temperature in an electrically heated hot water tank. The function of the regulator was to adjust the power of the electrical heater to maintain a constant temperature of the liquid in the tank

The use of a solution of the inverse heat conduction problem to monitor thermal stresses

Thick-wall components of the thermal power unit limit maximum heating and cooling rates during start-up or shut-down of the unit. A method of monitoring the thermal stresses in thick-walled components of thermal power plants is presented. The time variations of the local heat transfer coefficient on the inner surface of the pressure component are determined based on the measurement of the wall temperature at one or six points respectively for one- and three-dimensional unsteady temperature fields in the component. The temperature sensors are located close to the internal surface of the component. A technique for measuring the fastchanging fluid temperature was developed. Thermal stresses in pressure components with complicated shapes can be computed using FEM (Finite Element Method) based on experimentally estimated fluid temperature and heat transfer coefficien