Due to the potential cost saving and minimal temperature stratification, the energy storage based on phase-change materials (PCMs) can be a reliable approach for decoupling energy demand from immediate supply availability. However, due to their high heat resistance, these materials necessitate the introduction of enhancing additives, such as expanded surfaces and fins, to enable their deployment in more widespread thermal and energy storage applications. This study reports on how circular fins with staggered distribution and variable orientations can be employed for addressing the low thermal response rates in a PCM (Paraffin RT-35) triple-tube heat exchanger consisting of two heat-transfer fluids flow in opposites directions through the inner and the outer tubes. Various configurations, dimensions, and orientations of the circular fins at different flow conditions of the heat-transfer fluid were numerically examined and optimized using an experimentally validated computational fluid-dynamic model. The results show that the melting rate, compared with the base case of finless, can be improved by 88% and the heat charging rate by 34%, when the fin orientation is downward–upward along the left side and the right side of the PCM shell. The results also show that there is a benefit if longer fins with smaller thicknesses are adopted in the vertical direction of the storage unit. This benefit helps natural convection to play a greater role, resulting in higher melting rates. Changing the fins’ dimensions from (thickness × length) 2 × 7.071 mm2 to 0.55 × 25.76 mm2 decreases the melting time by 22% and increases the heat charging rate by 9.6%. This study has also confirmed the importance of selecting the suitable values of Reynolds numbers and the inlet temperatures of the heat-transfer fluid for optimizing the melting enhancement potential of circular fins with downward–upward fin orientations.
In this work, an experimental analysis is made to predict the thermal performance of the natural-convection phenomenon from a heated vertical externally finned-tube to surrounding air through an open-ended enclosure. Two different configurations of longitudinal rectangular fin namely, continuous and interrupted are utilized with constant thickness, different numbers, and different heights are extended radially on the outer surface of a heated tube. The tube is heated electrically from inner surface with five varied power input magnitudes. The effect of fins configuration, fins number, fins height, and heat flux of the inner tube surface on the thermal performance of natural c
... Show MoreAir-conditioning systems (ACs) are essential in hot and humid climates to ensure acceptable ambient air quality as well as thermal comfort for buildings users. It is essential to improve refrigeration system performance without increasing the effects of global warming potential (GWP) and ozone depletion potential (ODP). The main objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of an air conditioning system that operates with a liquid suction heat exchanger (LSHX) through implementing refrigerants with zero OPD and low GWP (i.e., R134a and R1234yf). Liquid suction heat exchanger (LSHX) was added to an automobile air conditioning system (AACS).When Liquid suction heat exchanger was added to the cycle, primary results indicated t
... Show MoreA design for a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) assembly with a water-cooled heat sink was planned, constructed, and experimentally evaluated in the climatic conditions of the southern region of Iraq during the summertime. The water-cooled heat sink was applied to thermally manage the PV cells, in order to boost the electrical output of the PVT system. A set of temperature sensors was installed to monitor the water intake, exit, and cell temperatures. The climatic parameters including the wind velocity, atmospheric pressure, and solar irradiation were also monitored on a daily basis. The effects of solar irradiation on the average PV temperature, electrical power, and overall electrical-thermal efficiency were investigated. The findings i
... Show MoreThis paper presents an experimental and theoretical analysis to investigate the two-phase flow boiling heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop of the refrigerant R-134a in the evaporator test section of the refrigeration system under different operating conditions. The test conditions considered are, for heat flux (13.7-36.6) kW/m2, mass flux (52-105) kg/m2.s, vapor quality (0.2-1) and saturation temperature (-15 to -3.7) ˚C. Experiments were carried out using a test rig for a 310W capacity refrigeration system, which is designed and constructed in the current work. Investigating of the experimental results has revealed that, the enhancement in local heat trans
... Show MoreA numerical investigation of mixed convection in a horizontal annulus filled with auniform fluid-saturated porous medium in the presence of internal heat generation is carried out.The inner cylinder is heated while the outer cylinder is cooled. The forced flow is induced by thecold outer cylinder rotating at a constant angular velocity. The flow field is modeled using ageneralized form of the momentum equation that accounts for the presence of porous mediumviscous, Darcian and inertial effects. Discretization of the governing equations is achieved usinga finite difference method. Comparisons with previous works are performed and the results showgood agreement. The effects of pertinent parameters such as the Richardson number and internalRay
... Show MoreIntegration of laminar bubbling flow with heat transfer equations in a novel internal jacket airlift bioreactor using microbubbles technology was examined in the present study. The investigation was accomplished via Multiphysics modelling to calculate the gas holdup, velocity of liquid recirculation, mixing time and volume dead zone for hydrodynamic aspect. The temperature and internal energy were determined for heat transfer aspect.
The results showed that the concentration of microbubbles in the unsparged area is greater than the chance of large bubbles with no dead zones being observed in the proposed design. In addition the pressure, due to the recirculation velocity of liquid around the draft
... Show MoreNumerical study is adapted to combine between piezoelectric fan as a turbulent air flow generator and perforated finned heat sinks. A single piezoelectric fan with different tip amplitudes placed eccentrically at the duct entrance. The problem of solid and perforated finned heat sinks is solved and analyzed numerically by using Ansys 17.2 fluent, and solving three dimensional energy and Navier–Stokes equations that set with RNG based k−ε scalable wall function turbulent model. Finite volume algorithm is used to solve both phases of solid and fluid. Calculations are done for three values of piezoelectric fan amplitudes 25 mm, 30 mm, and 40 mm, respectively. Results of this numerical study are compared with previous b
... Show MoreAt present, numerous novel chemical compounds face challenges related to their limited solubility in aqueous environments. These compounds are classified under the Biopharmaceutical Classification System (BCS) as either class II or class IV substances. Different carriers were used to increase their solubility. Candesartan cilexetil (CC) is one of the most widely used antihypertensive drugs, which belongs to class II drugs. The aim of this research was to enhance the solubility and dissolution rate of CC through a complexation approach involving β-cyclodextrin and its derivatives, specifically hydroxypropyl beta cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD), methyl beta cyclodextrin (M-β-CD), and sulfonyl ether beta-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD), serving as
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