A microjet based recuperator for application in domestic micro chp

Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Mauritius, 11-13 July, 2011.In the paper the original design of a compact heat exchanger with microjets producing intensification effect is presented. Its primary application is for the domestic Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), however, the design is universal and may have numerous other applications. The technology of microjets manufacturing is an “in-house” patented design. In the present paper the idea of such a heat exchanger is shown together with the flow and thermal characteristics of the prototype. The developed prototype of heat exchanger is capable of exchanging 5 kW of thermal energy at a logarithmic mean temperature difference (LMTD) of 60 K. The total heat transfer surface equal to 0.0072 m2 leads to very significant heat fluxes. Measured overall heat transfer coefficient reaches 12000 W/m2K, which was calculated using the Wilson method. The description of the Wilson technique used for the determination of the heat transfer coefficient is also presented in the body of the text. That method seems to be, in the authors’ opinion, the only one for finding the heat transfer coefficient for such a complex heat exchanger structure. In this case measurements of wall temperatures are not possible and hence the determination of heat transfer coefficient is difficult. The results of performed measurements are satisfactory and encourage for further research of the original design.pm201

The energetics of the breakup of a sheet and of a rivulet on a vertical substrate in the presence of a uniform surface shear stress

We use the lubrication approximation to obtain a complete description of the energetics of the breakup both of a fluid sheet of uniform thickness into a periodic array of infinitely many identical thin rivulets and of a single thin rivulet into one or more identical sub-rivulets on a vertical substrate in the presence of a prescribed uniform longitudinal shear stress at the free surface of the fluid by comparing the total energies of the different states. For both problems the situation when the volume flux is positive is relatively straightforward (and, in particular, qualitatively the same as that in the case of no prescribed shear stress), but when the volume flux is negative it is more complicated. However, whatever the value of the prescribed shear stress, there is always a critical thickness below which it is energetically favourable for a sheet to break up into rivulets and a critical semi-width below which it is energetically favourable for a rivulet to remain as a single rivulet, and a critical thickness above which it is energetically favourable for a sheet to remain as a sheet and a critical semi-width above which it is energetically favourable for a rivulet to break up into sub-rivulets

Channel Blockage and Flow Maldistribution during Unsteady Flow in a Model Microchannel Plate heat Exchanger

This paper describes the problem of channel blockage as a result of flow maldistribution between the channels of a model mini channel plate heat exchanger consisting of one pass on each leg. Each leg of the heat exchanger contains 51 parallel and rectangular minichannels of four hydraulic diameters namely 461 µm, 571 µm, 750 µm and 823 µm. In addition, a more complex geometry has been investigated where for the sake of breaking the development length the inclined transverse cuts have been incorporated. The moment of liquid phase transition through the exchanger (the working medium: water) was recorded for the mass fluxes ranging from 18.67 to 277.76 kg/m2s in 51 parallel channels with the use of a fast speed camera. The Reynolds numbers Re in the individual channels were from 10.76 to 90.04. The relationship between the mass flux and the size of the minichannels in the presence of the maldistribution is discussed here. The existence of the threshold in the mass flux below which the phenomenon occurs has been shown. Two mechanisms of channel blocking have been recorded and described in detail. A miniscale variation of one of them containing the extended geometry was created as well

Heat transfer enhancement, flow visualization and friction characteristics in rib-roughened channels

Paper presented at the 8th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Mauritius, 11-13 July, 2011.In the last two decades thermochromic liquid crystal (TLS), true-color digital image processing and laser anemometry (PIV) have been successfully used in non-intrusive, technical and heat and mass transfer studies and applications. The aim of the paper is to asses the state of the art in the exploration of heat transfer control by transverse vortex generators. They are able to increase heat transfer by several hundred percent. Prior to the use of vortices to influence heat transfer it must be known how different vortices are generated and controlled and how they interact with the original or base flow and temperature field. Liquid crystals were used to determinate the distribution of surface temperature and then evaluation of heat transfer coefficient or the Nusselt number. The flow pattern produced by transverse vortex generators (rib-roughened passages) was visualized using a planar beam of double-impulse laser tailored by a cylindrical lens and oil particles. Sequential images of particles in the cross sectional plane taken with CCD video camera from the downstream side the flow were stored on a personal computer to obtain distributions of velocity vectors by means of the PIV method. Local and average Nusselt numbers, friction factors and velocity fields are presented for rectangular channels with an aspect ratio of 6.35 and five types of transverse vortex generators which were brought to required temperatures by hot film method. The pitch-to-height-ratio of the ribs was 11.mp201

Heat transfer correlation for flow boiling in small to micro tubes

This article is available open access under a Creative Commons license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/) Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.There is a large discrepancy in the open literature about the comparative performance of the existing macro and microscale heat transfer models and correlations when applied to small/micro flow boiling systems. This paper presents a detailed comparison of the flow boiling heat transfer coefficient for R134a in stainless steel micro tubes with 21 macro and microscale correlations and models. The experimental database that was used in the comparison includes the data for 1.1 and 0.52 mm diameter tubes, mass flux range of 100–500 kg/m2 s and system pressure range 6–10 bar obtained in the course of this study. The effect of the evaporator heated length on the comparative performance of the correlations and models was investigated using three different lengths of the 1.1 mm diameter tube (L = 150, 300 and 450 mm). This comparative study demonstrated that none of the assessed models and correlations could predict the experimental data with a reasonable accuracy. Also, the predictability of most correlations becomes worse as the heated length increases. This may contribute in explaining the discrepancy in the comparative performance of the correlations from one study to another. A new correlation is proposed in the present study based on the superposition model of Chen. The database used in developing the correlation consists of 5152 data points including the current experimental data and data obtained previously with the same test rig, fluid and methodology for tubes of diameter 4.26, 2.88, 2.01 mm. The new correlation predicted 92% of the data within the ±30% error bands with a MAE value of 14.3%

White light thermoplasmonic activated gold nanorod arrays enable the photo-thermal disinfection of medical tools from bacterial contamination

The outspread of bacterial pathogens causing severe infections and spreading rapidly, especially among hospitalized patients, is worrying and represents a global public health issue. Current disinfection techniques are becoming insufficient to counteract the spread of these pathogens because they carry multiple antibiotic-resistance genes. For this reason, a constant need exists for new technological solutions that rely on physical methods rather than chemicals. Nanotechnology support provides novel and unexplored opportunities to boost groundbreaking, next-gen solutions. With the help of plasmonic-assisted nanomaterials, we present and discuss our findings in innovative bacterial disinfection techniques. Gold nanorods (AuNRs) immobilized on rigid substrates are utilized as efficient white light-to-heat transducers (thermoplasmonic effect) for photo-thermal (PT) disinfection. The resulting AuNRs array shows a high sensitivity change in refractive index and an extraordinary capability in converting white light to heat, producing a temperature change greater than 50 °C in a few minute interval illumination time. Results were validated using a theoretical approach based on a diffusive heat transfer model. Experiments performed with a strain of Escherichia coli as a model microorganism confirm the excellent capability of the AuNRs array to reduce the bacteria viability upon white light illumination. Conversely, the E. coli cells remain viable without white light illumination, which also confirms the lack of intrinsic toxicity of the AuNRs array. The PT transduction capability of the AuNRs array is utilized to produce white light heating of medical tools used during surgical treatments, generating a temperature increase that can be controlled and is suitable for disinfection. Our findings are pioneering a new opportunity for healthcare facilities since the reported methodology allows non-hazardous disinfection of medical devices by simply employing a conventional white light lamp

Corneal Biomechanics in Ectatic Diseases: Refractive Surgery Implications.

BACKGROUND: Ectasia development occurs due to a chronic corneal biomechanical decompensation or weakness, resulting in stromal thinning and corneal protrusion. This leads to corneal steepening, increase in astigmatism, and irregularity. In corneal refractive surgery, the detection of mild forms of ectasia pre-operatively is essential to avoid post-operative progressive ectasia, which also depends on the impact of the procedure on the cornea. METHOD: The advent of 3D tomography is proven as a significant advancement to further characterize corneal shape beyond front surface topography, which is still relevant. While screening tests for ectasia had been limited to corneal shape (geometry) assessment, clinical biomechanical assessment has been possible since the introduction of the Ocular Response Analyzer (Reichert Ophthalmic Instruments, Buffalo, USA) in 2005 and the Corvis ST (Oculus Optikgerate GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) in 2010. Direct clinical biomechanical evaluation is recognized as paramount, especially in detection of mild ectatic cases and characterization of the susceptibility for ectasia progression for any cornea. CONCLUSIONS: The purpose of this review is to describe the current state of clinical evaluation of corneal biomechanics, focusing on the most recent advances of commercially available instruments and also on future developments, such as Brillouin microscopy.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Experimental investigation of domestic gas boiler fitted with organic rankine cycle module

The results of investigations conducted on the prototype of vapour driven micro-CHP unit integrated with a gas boiler are presented. The system enables cogeneration of heat and electric energy to cover the energy demand of household. The idea of such system is to produce electricity for own demand or for selling it to the electric grid – in such situation the system user will became the prosumer. A typical commercial gas boiler, additionally equipped with an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) module based on environmentally acceptable working fluid can be regarded as future generation unit. In the paper the prototype of innovative domestic cogenerative ORC system, consisting of a conventional gas boiler and a small size axial vapour microturbines (in-house designed for ORC and the commercially available for Rankine cycle (RC)), evaporator and condenser were scrutinised. In the course of study the fluid working temperatures, rates of heat, electricity generation and efficiency of the whole system were obtained. The tested system could produce electricity in the amount of 1 kWe. Some preliminary tests were started with water as working fluid and the results for that case are also presented. The investigations showed that domestic gas boiler was able to provide the saturated/superheated ethanol vapour (in the ORC system) and steam (in the RC system) as working fluids.papers presented to the 12th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Costa de Sol, Spain on 11-13 July 2016

Design analysis of turbines for co-generating micro-power plant working in accordance with organic Rankine’s cycle

This paper presents results of a design analysis of turbines for co-generating micro-power plant working in accordance with organic Rankine’s cycle and using biofuel. The heat power range from 25 kW to 100 kW with corresponding available electric power from 2kW to 12kW, was considered. Designs of axial-flow turbines (single-stage and multi-stage ones, also those partially fed), radial-flow and axial-radial -flow ones, were analyzed. Particular variants of the solutions were compared to each other

Experimental and theoretical study of dryout in annular flow in small diameter channels

In the paper the experimental analysis of dryout in small diameter channels is presented. The investigations were carried out in vertical pipes of internal diameter equal to 1.15 mm and 2.3 mm. Low-boiling point fluids such as SES36 and R123 were examined. The modern experimental techniques were applied to record liquid film dryout on the wall, among the others the infrared camera. On the basis of experimental data an empirical correlation for predictions of critical heat flux was proposed. It shows a good agreement with experimental data within the error band of 30%. Additionally, a unique approach to liquid film dryout modeling in annular flow was presented. It led to the development of the three-equation model based on consideration of liquid mass balance in the film, a two-phase mixture in the core and gas. The results of experimental validation of the model exhibit improvement in comparison to other models from literature