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This paper describes an accurate model of the Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS) of the Thermal Analysis Support and Environment Characterization Laboratory (TASEC-Lab), a university experiment developed for using in high-altitude balloon missions to measure and analyze the convection heat transfer. A Li-ion battery and two high efficient DC–DC converters have been characterized through laboratory tests and fitting to the experimental results. The developed mathematical models described in this paper are used to carry out accurate EPS simulations and are validated by comparison with the experimental data. • Design and modeling of the electrical power subsystem of a stratospheric balloon experiment. • New Li-lion battery discharging model that describes the three main parts: initial decay, linear, and exponential decay. • Formulation of a new DC/DC converter efficiency model. • Simulation and model validation of the electrical power subsystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The numerical modelling of the internal heat generation in passenger vehicle tyres using finite element analysis is a well-known numerical approach. However, this application is rather uncommon for earthmover tyres. This paper describes the development of a finite element model of a 23.5R25 earthmover tyre for the numerical modelling of the temperature distribution in the tyre cross-section at steady-state heat transfer conditions using an uncoupled analysis procedure. Considering the non-linear behaviour of the rubber compounds used for the manufacturing of these tyres, as well as the complexity associated with the composite structural aspects of the tyre, the material properties used for the proposed numerical model were established experimentally. In the analyses completed, the tyre behaviour was studied by simulations at various inflation pressures, loads and rolling velocities. The numerical tyre defection was within an 8% deviation from the actual tyre behaviour. Thermal simulation results were used to derive an equation that can be used to predict the maximum temperature that would occur in the tyre’s cross-section as a function of its vertical deflection, its forward rolling velocity and the ambient temperature of the surroundings. The numerical models and simulations presented in this paper were completed using MSC.Marc/Mentat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present investigation, a non-linear mathematical model is developed for the analysis of Septuple effect flat falling film evaporator (SEFFFE) system used for concentrating black liquor in a nearby paper mill. This model is capable of simulating process of evaporation considering variations in boiling point rise (τ), overall heat transfer coefficient (U), heat loss (Q loss), flow sequences, liquor/steam splitting, feed, product and condensate flashing, vapor bleeding and physico-thermal properties of the liquor. Based on mass and energy balance around an effect a cubic polynomial is developed and solved repeatedly in a predetermined sequence using generalized cascade algorithm. For development of empirical correlations for τ, U and Q loss, plant data have been collected from SEFFFE system. These correlations compute τ, U and Q loss within average absolute errors of 2.4%, 10% and 33%, respectively, when their results are compared with the plant data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Along with the developments of lattice-Boltzmann method in simulation of fluid flow, its thermal features should be also improved. An important problem which is encountered in many cases is the conjugate heat transfer or heat transfer at the fluid–solid interface. In this case, a strict technique is required to calculate the heat exchange between fluid and solid. Only a few works have been published regarding this phenomenon. In this paper, we have presented a model for analysis of the conjugate heat transfer. The model has been validated by two benchmarks: (I) Fluid flow and heat transfer in a backward-facing step channel with heated thick wall, and (II) Fluid flow and heat transfer in a channel with infinite number of heated obstacles mounted on the wall. The numerical tips concerned in the simulation of these problems by lattice-Boltzmann method have been also represented in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper discusses results of simulations conducted for non-contacting face seals showing the influence of the operational parameters on the distributions of temperature in the structural elements and the fluid film separating the sealing rings. The mathematical model developed for noncontacting face seals consists of cross-coupled differential equations with partial derivatives. We solved it analytically, taking into account various boundary conditions. The heat equations were solved using the method of separation of variables. The derived relationships were based on Bessel functions of the first and second kinds. By defining the relationships describing the distributions of temperature in the sealing rings and the fluid film separating them, we could determine the effect of the operational parameters on the variability of temperature fields. Confirmation of the simulation results with experimental data is essential to better recognize the phenomena taking place in the sealing assembly and improve the design of non-contacting seals so that they can be used in various industrial applications. In this paper, we also describe a specially designed test stand for compensation of the misalignment of the flexibly mounted ring and automatic control of the radial clearance height. The test stand can also be used to verify the results of analytical studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Thermal properties (i.e. thermal conductivity and heat capacity) are important parameters that influence the temperature of building materials and thermal performance of built environment. These properties are required as fundamental inputs for modeling and simulating thermal behavior of built environment. Most existing methods for measuring thermal properties of building materials are based on 1-D steady-state heat transfer theory. The critical challenge for these methods has been the difficulty in achieving a 1-D heat flow condition for the testing specimen. A multi-dimensional transient method is needed to reduce the challenge and requirement on the testing specimen size and shape, and make it possible to accurately measure all the thermal properties from one single test. This paper first developed a multi-dimensional transient model and a practical tool to simulate the transient temperature at any location on a beam or cylinder specimen of any size subject to convection heat transfer. Case studies verified that this model can be used to, if the thermal properties are known, simulate the transient temperature at any location for a specimen of various shapes and sizes, and predict the time to reach a specified target temperature for mechanical and other testing. Secondly, this paper developed and validated partly by case studies on both asphalt and concrete materials a procedure for back-calculating the thermal properties of a specimen of various shapes and sizes. Thermal properties of novel building materials (various initiative cool materials such as porous concrete and high thermal resistance materials) can be easily measured with that procedure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a quasi-steady state heat and mass transfer green roof model that can be incorporated in different energy simulation software or calculation procedures. The model considers heat and mass transfer processes between the sky, plants, and substrate. This paper also presents new equations to calculate (1) substrate thermal conductivity for green roofs, (2) substrate resistance to calculate green roof soil evaporation, (3) and set of compiled stomatal resistance functions to calculate plants’ transpiration. The model is validated with robust experimental data that consists of surface temperatures, conduction heat flux, convection heat flux, net radiation and evapotranspiration. The data was obtained from laboratory experiments using a new “Cold Plate” apparatus set in an environmental chamber. The validation shows that the model predicts the heat and mass transfer accurately, except that it tends to underestimate peak evapotranspiration rates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Snow cover is a common and relatively stable land cover condition in winter for cold north regions in China. Snow cover has significant effects on water and heat transfers in frozen soil; it needs to be considered in the study of frozen soil water–heat coupled movements. On the basis of previous research results and physical process analysis of water and heat movements in snow cover and soil, a snow cover–soil union water–heat coupled movements model is established in this paper. The numerical simulation was conducted by using a finite difference method. The results indicate that the simulated values have a similar trend to the measured values and the numerical simulation had big relative errors. However, the average absolute errors of the total and liquid moisture content in frozen soil were all less than 4%, and that of the frozen soil temperature was 1.37 °C. The errors of the numerical simulation were still within the acceptable range. Thus, the snow cover–soil union water–heat coupled movement model constructed in this paper is rational. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Heat losses from a building foundation are affected by both the surrounding conditions and the surrounding soil properties. These include many factors that complicate the analysis of heat loss, such as thermal storage, snow and soil freezing. The effect of snow and soil freezing was studied with a 3D simulation model in a subarctic climate. The heat losses from the most commonly used foundation types in Sweden were studied. This paper shows that it is possible to achieve a good thermal estimation of the air temperatures in a crawl space, with an average difference of 0.4 °C compared with the validation data over a year. Snow and soil freezing reduce the annual heat losses through the different foundation types by 7–10% and the maximum heat loss rate by 13–25%. In order to describe the heat transfer correctly, snow must be included in the calculations, while soil freezing has only a minor impact. The 3D model implemented in this study shows a significant impact on the soil temperatures when these parameters are included. For a subarctic climate, the commonly used calculation methods based on the European standard ISO 13370 are not thorough enough to calculate the heat transfer through a foundation accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hourly energy simulations are an important part of the design and analysis of ground-source heat pump systems. In order to evaluate the fluid temperature in the borehole of a geothermal heat pump system, most of the current models express the heat transfer rate as a sum of step changes in heat transfer rate. The borehole temperature is then computed as a superposition of the different contributions of each time step. The main difference between the different models lies in the way the step response is computed. Since all these methods are based on a convolution scheme, long time simulations are very time consuming. Many load aggregation algorithms have been proposed in order to reduce this computational time. In a previous paper we proposed a new algorithm to evaluate the overall response which was much faster than the classical aggregation schemes. However this new algorithm was based on the cylindrical source step response for a single borehole. In this paper, we present a generalization of this scheme for any kind of step response making it a very powerful tool for hourly simulations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Agricultural residues (agro-biomass) can produce energy by thermochemical conversion. Gasification is becoming one of the best clean technologies for power production. Thermochemical process of gasification sets free the solid fuel inherent energy and converts the solid phase into a mixture of gases (producer gas or syngas) that carries a percentage of this energy. Fluidized bed reactors may be used for biomass gasification offering many advantages such as: (1) the superior mixing properties and (2) the enhanced heat transfer rates between the gas and the particles as well as between the particles and the heat exchanger surfaces. In this paper gasification process applied to agricultural residues is reviewed by means of modelling. Description of various stages of the biomass gasification in a fluidized bed is made and the whole spectrum of problems from the processes in an individual biomass particle (drying, pyrolysis, fragmentation and charl burning) to the global mass transfer and chemical processes in a fluidized bed reactor and freeboard is presented. The paper discusses also the specific problems arising from using agricultural residues as raw material and recommends further experimental studies necessary for process optimisation and for scale up. Extensive investigation of gasification plant behaviour depending on various operating parameters is always required in order to support the optimisation procedure and mathematical models are helpful to reduce the temporal and financial efforts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper presents the results of a mathematical simulation on a gas-liquid flow at cooling a cylindrical metal workpiece from constructional steel. The two-dimensional mathematical model of the nonstationary flow takes into account the axial symmetry of the cooling medium flow relative to the cylinder longitudinal axis. To solve the system of equation, the control volume approach is used. The flow field parameters for the gas-liquid medium are calculated with the help of the SIMPLE algorithm. For the iterative solution of the system of linear algebraic equations, Gauss-Seidel method with under-relaxation is used. The results of the numerical calculation are given for the parameters of convective heat exchange at the cylinder-heating initial temperature characteristic of high-temperature bodies, on the surface of which the cooling with the boiling of liquid takes place. During cooling by the gas-liquid medium flow with the velocities characteristic of the turbulent flow regime, the values of the heated cylinder temperatures are determined in the longitudinal and radial directions. The intensity of the variation of the metal-cylinder surface temperature is analyzed depending on the medium flow velocity and the time of the cooling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently researchers have proposed innovative solutions aiming to improve the energy performance of building envelope components such as Trombe walls, ventilated storage walls. The principle of all the innovative systems can be simplified as heat/cold sources in walls. However, the thermal performance and energy savings potential of the innovative heating walls comparing to the traditional heating pattern with heat sources in room air are still lack of clarification. In this paper, the thermal response of an ideal building model under two ideal heating patterns, are analyzed by using a simple thermal and airflow macroscopic model. The analytical formulas for indoor air temperature and thermal mass temperature are also derived to identify the critical parameters that affect the levels and fluctuations of them. By numerical calculation, it can be observed that the indoor air temperature under HP1 quickly falls down as the heat source removed and has big variation, while the results of HP2 look favourable with less variation, and the mean air temperature during the non-heating period is higher than that of HP1. This implies that the heating pattern HP2 has the potentials to create a stable indoor thermal environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve cooling and energy utilization efficiency, under-floor flexible baffles (UFBs) was applied to transform the under-floor airflow pattern in this paper. The application of UFBs impacted the airflow pattern within the Cold aisle containment (CAC). As a result, the exhaust air temperatures of racks were reduced and the exhaust air temperature distribution of the racks was better distributed. The results indicated that, although the use of CAC reduced the exhaust air temperature of racks and the maximum temperature of local hotspot, the air temperature distribution of the racks presented as a non-uniform distribution and the temperature of local hotspot was still high. However, not only could UFBs further reduce exhaust air temperature, but also it made the exhaust airflow more uniform. When the angle between the baffle and CRACs outlet air orientation was at 45, the maximum temperature of local hotspots dropped most, which was from 30.5℃ to 28.4℃ and achieved a 2.1℃ temperature drop. Under the circumstance, the exhaust air temperature distribution was more uniform compared to the data center with CAC but without UFBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, two sets of design schemes of air source heat pump heating and gas boiler heating are given, and the economical performance of the two heating modes is compared. Through the simulation and calculation of the two kinds of heating system economy, it can be concluded that the operating cost of the gas-fired boiler is about 21.39 RMB•m -2 in the normal operation of the whole year. The operating cost of the air-source heat pump system in the regular operation is about 17.81 RMB•m -2 , and it is about 10.82 RMB•m -2 in the valley operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, The utility model relates to a heating system which is composed of a traditional solar air collector, a floor air supply and a phase change heat storage air duct, which is used for heating the room in winter. Using Fluent software to simulate the whole system in winter. The results show that this system conforms to the standard of winter heating. The system needs to add an electric heating auxiliary heat source, which is used to heat the room in the night or rainy day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Jet impingement has been verified as an effective method to enhance convective heat transfer. To make better use of this effect, vacuum glazed transpired solar collector with slit-like perforations is developed. In this paper, a mathematical model based on energy balance equations for the solar collector has been developed to predict its thermal performance. Then experiments have been carried out to verify the model. The results of experiment and simulation have achieved good agreement with the same trend and average deviation of 2.25%. It shows that the model is correct and accurate enough to predict the thermal performance of the collector. Based on simulation results of the model, the effects of key parameters on the thermal performance are analyzed. The key parameters include equivalent diameter of perforation, pitch of perforations, collector height, emissivity of the absorber plate and vacuum glass cover, transmittance of vacuum glass cover. The results of the model are useful in designing and optimizing the vacuum glazed transpired solar collector for different applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Adequate modeling of radiation heat transfer is important in CFD simulation of coal gasification process. In an entrained-flow gasifer, the non-participating effect of coal particles, soot, ashes, and reactive gases could significantly affect the temperature distribution in the gasifier and hence affects the local reaction rate and life expectancy of wall materials. For slagging type gasifiers, radiation further affects the forming process of corrosive slag on the wall which can expedite degradation of the refractory lining in the gasifier. For these reasons, this paper focuses on investigating applications of five different radiation models to coal gasification process, including Discrete Transfer Radiation Model (DTRM), P-1 Radiation Model, Rosseland Radiation Model, Surface-to-Surface (S2S) Radiation Model, and Discrete Ordinates (DO) Radiation Model. The objective is to identify the pros and cons of each model’s applicability to the gasification process and determine which radiation model is most appropriate for simulating the process in entrained-flow gasifiers. The Eulerian–Lagrangian approach is applied to solve the Navier–Stokes equations, nine species transport equations, and seven global reactions consisting of three heterogeneous reactions and four homogeneous reactions. The coal particles are tracked with the Lagrangian method. Six cases are studied—one without the radiation model and the other five with different radiation models. The result reveals that the various radiation models yield uncomfortably large uncertainties in predicting syngas composition, syngas temperature, and wall temperature. The Rosseland model does not yield reasonable and realistic results for gasification process. The DTRM model predicts very high syngas and wall temperatures in the dry coal feed case. In the one-stage coal slurry case, DTRM result is close to the S2S result. The P1 method seems to behave stably and is robust in predicting the syngas temperature and composition; it yields the result most close to the mean, but it seems to underpredict the gasifier’s inner wall temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents results obtained from a numerical simulation for the horizontal slinky-loop heat exchanger of a ground-source heat pump system. A three-dimensional numerical model was developed and the results of the thermal performance of various heat exchanger configurations are presented. The investigation was carried out on five types of loop pitch (loop spacing), three types of loop diameter, three values of soil thermal properties, and allowing continuous and intermittent operation. Comparison was made for the heat transfer rate, the amount of pipe material needed, as well as excavation work required for the horizontal slinky-loop heat exchanger. The results indicate that system parameters have a significant effect on the thermal performance of the system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper focuses on the mathematical modeling and optimization of Multi-Effect Evaporation plants (MEE). A simplified and detailed enough model to accurately predict the MEE system performance is presented. The model is highly nonlinear and it is based on mass and energy balances which are derived from a superstructure. The superstructure involves several process configurations which have to be simultaneously optimized to determine the best stream flow-patterns (synthesis), the size of each evaporation effect (sizing) and the operating conditions of the whole process. Beside the conventional configuration, the model also includes different alternative flow-patterns for the distillate and the vapor streams. An equation-oriented environment was selected to develop and implement the model, allowing different application instances, such as simulation, sensitivity analysis and optimization, to be easily performed. Simulation results have shown a good agreement with realistic design data and other authors'' results. A ranking of the model parameters is presented according to their impact on the heat transfer area. Moreover, optimization results showed that the modification of the flow patterns improve the process performance, reducing the process specific total heat transfer area in about 5% compared to the optimal value of the conventional case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates the effect of implementing a varying effective thermal conductivity term on heat transfer simulations within a metal hydride (MH) reactor. The work presented utilises a 1D transient heat transfer analysis comparing simulations either with a fixed effective thermal conductivity or a varying effective thermal conductivity. This builds on previously published work in the literature that has investigated varying effective thermal conductivity for metal hydrides at a single point. The results of these simulations are compared to experimental work for validation. The 1D simulation results clearly show that the varying effective thermal conductivity term more closely matches experimental results compared to the fixed effective thermal conductivity term. The results show that whilst a 1D simplification within the model may be valid in a bed some distance from the heating source, there are issues close to the heating source. It is speculated that neglect of losses outside of the 1D assumption are the cause of these issues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates the numerical simulation of non-Fourier transient heat transfer in a two-dimensional sub-100nm metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). The dual-phase-lag (DPL) model with a specific normalization procedure is introduced for the modeling of nanoscale heat transport. The boundary conditions are selected similar to what existed in a real MOSFET device, both uniform and non-uniform heat generations within the transistor are applied, and the end parts of the top boundary which are in contact with the metallic material are left open. A temperature-jump boundary condition is used on all boundaries in order to consider the boundary phonon scattering at micro and nanoscale. A three-level finite difference scheme has been employed to generate the numerical results which are illustrated for a silicon sub-100nm MOSFET corresponding to the Knudsen number of 10. The results are presented at real times less than 50ps to avoid the three-dimensional effects. It is concluded that the combination of the DPL model with mixed-type temperature boundary condition is able to predict the heat flux and temperature distribution obtained from the Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) more accurate than the ballistic-diffusive equations (BDE). After verification of our results, the thermal field and the hotspot temperature within the bulk silicon are presented and the effect of adding a layer of silicon-dioxide to the transistor on its thermal behavior has been investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dynamic simulations of distillation columns are widely used to develop effective control structures. The normal distillation models assume instantaneous heat transfer in the condenser and reboiler. However, when dynamic simulations are used in the analysis of safety problems in the event of emergency situations, the basic model does not accurately represent the dynamic response. Accurate response times are essential in the design of safety systems for the column. For example, a failure of the supply of cooling water will lead to rapid increases in pressures and temperatures that occur in seconds. Accurately determining the rates of increase in these important variables and the time period to reach critical limits (safety response time) permits the engineer to quantitatively design effective safety systems. This paper illustrates how rigorous condenser and reboiler models can be developed in Aspen Plus and their dynamics evaluated in Aspen Dynamics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper proposed a new method based on modified composite model in the thermal response test (TRT) in the variable heat rate case study. The new method considered the unsteady-state heat transfer in the borehole instead of the line-source model assumption. A Matlab program was compiled which can perform inversion calculation to obtain the ground thermal properties. The superposition principle was used to process the variable-rate problem. This new method was applied to two thermal response tests. The simulation value based on the method shows a good agreement with the measurement data of water temperature. The proposed method would save the time and reduce the cost of TRT when power fluctuation or failure occurs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Planted roofs are passive cooling techniques that reduce the thermal load of buildings. In this paper, the authors have developed a model for evaluating the cooling potential of green roofs. Transfer equations are solved using a finite difference scheme and Thomas algorithm. The study was conducted taking into account the Togolese climate conditions. The effect of Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Biot (Bi) number on diurnal variation of the Solar Heat gain Factor (SHF) is presented and analysed. A correlation for the estimation of the Solar Heat gain Factor as a function of LAI and Bi has been established. The results presented in terms of evapotranspiration (ET) and Solar Heat gains Factor (SHF) show notably that the foliage density and hence the vegetable canopy type selection influence the thermal efficiency of the bioclimatic insulation screen greatly. It was found that a larger LAI reduces the solar flux penetration, stabilizes the fluctuating values, and reduces the indoor air temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, a three-dimensional hydrogen absorption model is developed to precisely study the hydrogen absorption reaction and resultant heat and mass transport phenomena in metal hydride hydrogen storage vessels. The 3D model is first experimentally validated against the temperature evolution data available in the literature. In addition to model validation, the detailed 3D simulation results show that at the initial absorption stage, the vessel temperature and H/M ratio distributions are uniform throughout the entire vessel, indicating that hydrogen absorption is very efficient early during the hydriding process; thus, the local cooling effect is not influential. On the other hand, non-uniform distributions are predicted at the subsequent absorption stage, which is mainly due to differential degrees of cooling between the vessel wall and core regions. In addition, a parametric study is carried out for various designs and hydrogen feed pressures. This numerical study provides a fundamental understanding of the detailed heat and mass transfer phenomena during the hydrogen absorption process and further indicates that efficient design of the storage vessel and cooling system is critical to achieve rapid hydrogen charging performance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper describes a performance model for the transient analysis of helium turbine system. Governing equations have been derived from integral forms of unsteady basic conservation equations. The one-dimensional model is employed for flow-paths except turbine and compressor, which are considered as zero-dimensional components and volume-less treatment is employed. Component mathematical model results in a set of ordinary differential equations and algebraic equations. The simulation code is established on MATLAB, and the ordinary differential equations are solved a variable order solver of MATLAB, ode15s. The accidents of loss of load and loss of feedwater to precooler and intercooler, the transients of recuperator and the decreasing heat transfer capacity of intermediate heat exchanger are simulated respectively. The analysis of calculated results verifies the present model. The effects of bypass valve size and thermal inertia of the recuperator wall are also studied. The simulation results show that throttle size of bypass valve has important influence on the characteristics of turbine system and should be carefully selected to satisfy the requirement of system control and safety. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The mainly purpose of this paper is to simulate the charging and discharging process of internal melt ice-on-coil thermal storage system based on the exited experiment. Its mathematic model is built and the results of the simulation and experiment are compared for verifying the simulation. The further analysis about the influence of whole ice storage and melt process is made from thermal resistance, diameter and pipe material. Analysis indicates that making diameter larger can make heat transfer better. Larger the heat transfer coefficient of the pipe can improve thermal efficiency, but the heat resistance will not be reduced obviously as the coefficient increase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper investigates the transient heat conduction around the buried spiral coils which could be applied in the ground-coupled heat pump systems with the pile foundation as a geothermal heat exchanger. A transient ring-coil heat source model is developed, and the explicit analytical solutions for the temperature response are derived by means of the Green’s function theory and the image method. The influences of the coil pitch and locations are evaluated and discussed according to the solutions. In addition, comparisons between the ring-coil and cylindrical source models give that the improved finite ring-coil source model can accurately describe the heat transfer process of the pile geothermal heat exchanger (PGHE). The analytical solutions may provide a desirable and better tool for the PGHE simulation/design. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new, fast and flexible, time-dependent, one-dimensional numerical model was developed in order to study in detail the operation of an active magnetic regenerator (AMR). The model is based on a coupled system of equations (for the magnetocaloric material and the heat-transfer fluid) that have been solved simultaneously with the software package MATLAB. The model can be employed to analyze a wide range of different operating conditions (mass-flow rate, operating frequency, magnetic field change), different AMR geometries, different magnetocaloric materials and heat-transfer fluids, layered and single-bed AMRs, etc. This paper also presents an optimization of the AMR’s geometry, where the AMR consists of a packed-bed of grains (spheres) of gadolinium (Gd). The optimization of the mass-flow rate and the operating frequency of the AMR were performed by studying five different diameters of Gd spheres. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper introduces the chattering problem in dynamic mathematical two-phase flow models. The real system object of study is also introduced, the DISS test facility, a parabolic-trough solar power plant using as heat transfer fluid the steam–water mixture. A dynamic model for studying its behaviour was previously developed using Modelica as the modelling language, in this model the chattering problem arises and therefore not allowing to take full advantage of dynamic simulations. The chattering problem increases the computational time needed for simulation and sometimes dynamic simulations do not finish at all. A heuristic method, which minimises the effects of the chattering problem, is discussed and results which reduce the computational time for dynamic simulations are given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This work describes the application and the performance of a new radiation model in CFD calculations for the simulation of thermal radiation transfer effects on a fire scenario. A 3D Cartesian coordinates radiative heat transfer procedure based on coupling of the FTn finite volume method (FTnFVM) with the bounded high-order resolution CLAM scheme is developed. The narrow-band based weighted-sum-of-gray-gases (NB-WSGG) model is applied to take account of nongray effects by CO2, H2O and soot. To treat irregular boundaries, the present model used the blocked-off-region procedure. This radiation code is implemented in the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), a Computational-Fluid-Dynamics-based fire model, where a the combustion is represented by means of the mixture fraction with a single step chemical reaction model and the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is used to model the dissipative processes. Computational results with and without radiation effects are compared against available experimental data and quasi-steady state law correlations of in-rack storage fire, which consists a complex configuration of double tri-wall corrugated paper cartons placed onto a wood pallet. Sensibility analyses of spatial and angular grids demonstrate the improvements due to the FTnFVM and to the CLAM scheme in the configuration studied. Results show that the simulations of the flame height, the gas temperature and the gas velocity are strongly influenced by thermal radiation. Overall, simulations predicted closer profiles to the experimental results only when the nongray-sooting radiation model was incorporated and an over-prediction of the gas temperature and the flame height is found when radiation is neglected. A sensibility analysis has shown that the flame characteristics are strongly affected by the soot yield. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) systems refer to the integration of photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies into one single system, in that both useful heat energy and electricity are produced. The impetus of this paper is to model a direct-coupled PV/T air collector which is designed, built, and tested at a geographic location of Kerman, Iran. In this system, a thin aluminum sheet suspended at the middle of air channel is used to increase the heat exchange surface and consequently improve heat extraction from PV panels. This PV/T system is tested in natural convection and forced convection (with two, four and eight fans operating) and its unsteady results are presented in with and without glass cover cases. A theoretical model is developed and validated against experimental data, where good agreement between the measured values and those calculated by the simulation model were achieved. Comparisons are made between electrical performance of the different mode of operations and it is concluded that there is an optimum number of fans for achieving maximum electrical efficiency. Also, results show that setting glass cover on photovoltaic panels leads to an increase in thermal efficiency and decrease in electrical efficiency of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a finite element modeling technique for double U-tube borehole heat exchangers (BHE) and the surrounding soil mass. Focus is placed on presenting numerical analyses describing the capability of a BHE model, previously reported, to simulate three-dimensional heat transfer processes in multiple borehole heat exchangers embedded in a multi-layer soil mass, in a computationally efficient manner. Geothermal problems which require very fine meshes, of the order of millions of finite elements, can be simulated using coarse meshes, of the order of a few hundred to a few thousand elements. Accordingly, significant reduction of CPU time is gained, rendering the model suitable for utilization in engineering practice. A validation example comparing computed results with measured results is presented. Parametric analyses are also presented describing the possible utilization of the model for research works and design optimization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper focuses on the investigation of the 3D mathematical model to simulate the coupled heat and liquid moisture transfer in hygroscopic porous fibrous media. The flow of the liquid moisture, the water vapor sorption/desorption by fibers and the diffusion of the water vapor are taken into account in this 3D model. Prediction-corrector method is used to solve the 3D governing equations. A series of computational results of the coupled heat and moisture transfer are obtained with the specific initial conditions and boundary conditions. The distribution of the water vapor concentration in the void spaces, the volume fraction of the liquid water in the void spaces, the distribution of the water content in fibers and the changes of the temperature in porous fibrous media are computed. It is shown that the effects of the gravity and capillary actions are significant in hygroscopic porous fibrous media. The comparison with the experimental measurements shows the reasonable agreement between the two. The results illustrate that the 3D model of the coupled heat and liquid moisture transfer in hygroscopic porous fibrous media is satisfactory. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, a mathematical model describing the process of heat transfer in biological tissues for different coordinate system during thermal therapy by electromagnetic radiation is studied. The boundary value problem governing this process has been solved using Galerkin’s method taking B-polynomial as basis function. The system of ordinary differential equation in unknown time variable, thus obtained, is solved by homotopy perturbation method. The effect of thermal conductivity, antenna power constant, surface temperature, and blood perfusion rate on temperature for different coordinates are discussed. It has been observed that the process is faster in spherical symmetric coordinates in comparison to axisymmetric coordinate and faster in axisymmetric in comparison to Cartesian coordinate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: It has been well established that heat transfer in a helical coil is higher than that in a corresponding straight pipe. However, the detailed characteristics of fluid flow and heat transfer inside helical coil is not available from the present literature. This paper brings out clearly the variation of local Nusselt number along the length and circumference at the wall of a helical pipe. Movement of fluid particles in a helical pipe has been traced. CFD simulations are carried out for vertically oriented helical coils by varying coil parameters such as (i) pitch circle diameter, (ii) tube pitch and (iii) pipe diameter and their influence on heat transfer has been studied. After establishing influence of these parameters, correlations for prediction of Nusselt number has been developed. A correlation to predict the local values of Nusselt number as a function of angular location of the point is also presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents experimental and numerical studies of the pressure drop in ceramic foams for solar air receiver applications. There are three main aims in this study. The first is to measure the pressure drop in the studied ceramic foams, and to build an empirical model based on the experimental results and a parametric numerical simulation. The second aim is to study flow field characteristics in the ceramic foams, especially in the vicinity of the interface. The third is to study the pressure drop characteristics of two modified structures (by manufacturing holes on the ceramic foams) that are expected to decrease the pressure drop in ceramic foams, but maintain good heat transfer properties. The experimental results from the samples, including two modified structures, along with the simulation results, show that the pressure drop in the ceramic foams follows a modified Darcy relationship. The experimental results also show that the two modified structures dramatically decrease the pressure drop (with pressure drop decreases up to 70% at a superficial velocity of 5m/s). Based on both the experimental and the simulation results, a generalized model for predicting the pressure drop in ceramic foams was proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a dynamic model of the helium flow in the cryogenic distribution line (QRL) used in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. The study is focused on the return pumping line, which transports gaseous helium at low pressure and temperature over . Our aim is to propose a new real-time model of the QRL while taking into account the non-homogeneous transport phenomena. The flow model is based on 1D Euler equations and considers convection heat transfers, hydrostatic pressure and friction pressure drops. These equations are discretized using a finite difference method based on an upwind scheme. A specific model for the interconnection cells is also proposed. The corresponding simulation results are compared with experimental measurements of a heat wave along the line that results from a quench of a superconducting magnet. Different hypotheses are presented and the influence of specific parameters is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present study, a 3D numerical simulation of a whole heat exchanger with middle-overlapped helical baffles is carried out by using commercial codes of GAMBIT 2.3 and FLEUNT 6.3. At first, the computational model and numerical method of the whole heat exchanger with middle-overlapped helical baffles is presented in detail, and parallel computation mode is adopted for the simulation of a whole heat exchanger with six cycles of the middle-overlapped helical baffles of 40° helical angle on a grid system of 13.5-million cells; second, the validation of the computational model is performed by comparing the total pressure drop and average Nusselt number of the whole heat exchanger with experimental data. Reasonably good agreement is obtained, and the reasons causing to the discrepancy are analyzed. The shell-side fluid pressure and temperature fields of the whole area are then presented. Finally the cycle average Nusselt number of different cycle in the heat exchanger are compared and it is found that within the accuracy allowed in engineering computation, periodic model for one cycle can be used to investigate the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics for different heat exchanger to save computational source. The companion paper will provide details of simulation results using the periodic model for different helical angles and different structures of helical baffles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A three-dimensional mathematical model of the working face in mine was set up by using computational fluid dynamics, and the moving and heat exchange of the multiphase flow in ventilation pipeline in mine was simulated. The distribution of the wall temperature was simplified, and the gas and grain are included in this paper. The coupling effect between the phases were considered in this model to reflect their relations. The changing of one phase according to the other one can be stated. The distribution of the temperature of the air without vapor and that of multiphase flow were compared. An effective tool for simulating the system of ventilation in mine and efficient running of it were stated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Understanding the heat and mass transfer phenomena in a coal gasifier is very useful for the assessment of gasifier performance and optimization of the design and operating parameters. In this paper, performance of an entrained flow air blown laboratory scale gasifier is numerically simulated with Fluent software. In the model, the continuous phase conservation equations are solved in an Eulerian frame, while those of particle phase are solved in a Lagrangian frame, with coupling between the two phases carried out through interactive source terms. The dispersion of the particles due to turbulence is predicted using a stochastic tracking model, in conjunction with the k–ε equations for the gas phase. The coal gasification model adopted includes devolatilization, combustion of volatiles, char combustion and gasification. The gasification performance inside the gasifier has been predicted for different air ratios as well as for different air and steam inlet temperatures. The overall temperature inside the gasifier is found to increase when the degree of air/steam pre-heating is increased, resulting in acceleration of the different reaction steps in the gasifier. The overall gasification performance indices such as carbon conversion, heating value of the exit gas and cold gas efficiency have been predicted. The predicted results show good agreement with available experimental data in literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An improved understanding of the heat transfer in materials consisting of two layers (splat and substrate) is essential for many industrial applications. We are interested in the deposition, rapid cooling and solidification of metal droplets (known as splats) brought into contact with a cold substrate. We therefore need to understand the temperature history in both the splat and the substrate, including phase change phenomena. A new model of the thermal contact resistance based on a random distribution of contact points, rather than the uniform distribution commonly used, is presented in this paper. Phase change has been also considered, using the enthalpy-porosity formulation. Simulations have been conducted with the commercial package CFX-4. The computational results for the cooling rate of the splat obtained using the random contact distribution model are in good agreement with available experimental results. In addition, results obtained from the random model provide information on the inhomogeneity affecting the temperature at the interface between the splat and the substrate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper presents the geometry of infinite regular polyhedrons that can be used to construct the heat exchange units. The basic structural component of the infinite solid consists of six hexagons, which meet in the common vertex. The mathematical model of heat and mass transfer inside the labyrinth heat exchanger is shown. The first and the second Kirchhoff’s laws are used to simulate fluid flow distribution at hydraulic network created with connected basic solids. Heat balance equations are adopted to describe forced convection heat transfer inside developed heat exchanger. Good accordance among the experimental data and calculation results over whole simulation range is obtained. The efficiency and thermal characteristic of the labyrinth heat exchanger is presented in the form of graphs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the advantages of a Branch Eigenmodes Reduced Model used in a control process of a heating system. The experimental setup is a 3D heat conductive system in which a heat source is set. First, the reduced model is used to solve the non-linear Inverse Heat Conduction Problem: identification of the heat source strength variations from time-varying temperatures. Then, the reduced model is used to control hot points in the system. The objective of the method is to allow sequential temperature control by decreasing the computation time necessary for the simulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, a rigorous MILP formulation for grass-root design of heat exchanger networks is developed. The methodology does not rely on traditional supertargeting followed by network design steps typical of the Pinch Design Method, nor is a non-linear model based on superstructures, but rather gives cost-optimal solutions in one step. Unlike most models, it considers splitting, non-isothermal mixing and it counts shells/units. The model relies on transportation/transshipment concepts that are complemented with constraints that allow keeping track of flow rate consistency when splitting takes place and with mechanisms to count heat exchanger shells and units. Several examples from the literature were tested, finding that the model usually obtains better solutions. In some cases, the model produced unknown solutions that were not found using superstructure optimization methods, even when the same pattern of matches is used. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A mathematical model for predicting thermal efficiency, heat gain, and outlet air temperature of a covered plate attic solar collector under steady conditions was developed. The model presented in this paper utilizes the basic principles and relationships of heat transfer to simulate the behavior of the solar air heaters under various conditions. The model was validated by comparing the predicted outlet air temperatures and collector efficiencies to those measured during drying operation of an attic solar collector. The effect of the air speed inside the collector and wind speed above the collector on the collector efficiency were investigated using the mathematical model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]