Aluminum Containers Research Articles

Metaheuristic Design Optimization of the Air-PCM Thermal Storage Unit for Solar Air Systems

Phase change materials (PCMs) and thermal energy storage (TES) represent a way toward sustainable utilization of renewable energy resources. An air-PCM thermal storage unit integrated in solar systems is a device, which employs the latent heat TES to balance between the demand and supply of heat (or cold) for space heating (or cooling) in buildings. Previously published studies demonstrate that this approach is viable but design parameters of the unit need to be optimized. In the paper, a computer model of the heat storage unit was developed and coupled to metaheuristic nature-inspired optimization algorithms with the aim of design optimization of the TES unit. The unit consisted of flat plates made of a PCM, which was macro-encapsulated in aluminium containers. The energy balance and control volume methods were used to build the model and the effective heat capacity technique was applied for phase change modelling. The model was created in Python, validated against experimental data and an open-source optimization library DEAP with metaheuristics was used as an optimization solver. A design optimization problem was specified with including the arrangement of the PCM plates and their thickness. Results showed that the DEAP library and metaheuristics are well applicable for the solution of this kind of optimization problem.

PVT Cell Performance Characteristics and Efficiency with Phase Change Material

The PV panel temperature increase causes the drop in output power and electrical efficiency . The power generation of PV module is highly influenced by the temperature and so cooling is required to increase the PV panel electrical efficiency. PV panel electrical efficiency can be increased by keeping the low operating temperature as low as possible, preferably at temperature of 250 C and irradiation 1000 w/m2 . The temperature regulation with efficient control methods of PV modules can increase its efficiency by a significant level. The PVT-PCM systems elevated about 28 to 42% more heat storage capacity than that of for a longer period and around 8 to 12 % escalation in output. The application of phase change materials (PCM) can be a better solution for this purpose, because phase change material (PCM) has large energy storage capacity and nearly constant charging / discharging temperature during phase change transitions .It can be used to regulate the PV cell temperature and store the thermal energy for solar heating systems photoelectric conversion efficiency of a PV system was improved by using different PCM. In this study we are trying to increase the efficiency by using different fin layout of the heat sink and comparing the experimental data for optimal fin design to effectively disperse heat through PCM material. The PVT panel surface back side was attached with the aluminum container with different (Geometric, Spherical & fins) configurations with PCM and with out PCM of single/different materials. Present study carried on aluminum H-30 box holding PCM material with fins and covering plate to which the photo voltaic cell attached then a different sensors to collect temperature data and irradiation levels at different regions. The design parameters was changed with fins and geometrical shape and found the derating factor. The derating factor was found with fins and with out pins along with PCM and with out PCM. Both experimental and theoretical values were compared ,the study revealed that the derating factor value was 13.2 without PCM the and 4.40 with PCM with out fins . The results revealed that relation between experimental measurement values and theoretical values . The study confirmed PCM with better fin design will increase the effective surface area can increase the cooling of PVT panel , results the escalation in electrical out put

Market Selling Conditions and Storage Methods Influences β-carotene Stability and Retention in Biofortified Gari

The influence of regular market selling conditions and storage methods on β-carotene stability and retention were investigated in two different biofortified gari types. Freshly processed gari samples obtained from TMS 01/1412 and TMS 01/1371 respectively were exposed to 35-450C sunlight (ESL) and 60 watts electric bulb light (EEB); stored in black polyethylene bag (SPB) and air-tight aluminum container (SAC) respectively. The stability (using area under curve analysis) and retention (%) of β-carotene in all the experiments were monitored and compared over a period of 4 weeks. Results revealed that ESL had a huge negative influence on the stability and retention of β-carotene in the two biofortified gari types. Although EEB showed minimal but progressive negative influence, SAC followed by SPB showed the least negative influence on the nutrient stability. The overall retention of β-carotene in gari processed from TMS 01/1412 and TMS 01/1371 respectively were as follows: ESL (12.1%, 12.8%), EEB (58.5%, 47.5%), SPB (61.9%, 50.8%) and SAC (60.2%, 82.6%). SAC retained the most appreciable amount of the nutrient thus suggesting it as a better form of storage while ESL lost the largest amount of the nutrient thus portraying it as a detrimental market selling condition for the biofortified gari.

Impact of ultrasound processing on some milk-borne microorganisms and the components of camel milk

Inactivation of pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium in camel milk was investigated using ultrasound processing (900 W, 20 kHz, 100% power level). In addition, the effect of ultrasound treatment on raw camel milk components was studied to detect changes in fatty acid profile, lipid peroxides, protein fractions, and volatile compounds. Bacterial strains (106 CFU/ml) were added to pasteurized camel milk samples (70 ml) and transferred into a sterile aluminum container (30 mm x 120 mm, 100-ml total capacity) and then subjected to continuous ultrasound processing for 15 min in an ice water bath using a 13-mm diameter probe. The standard plate count (SPC) agar method and the in vivo imaging system (IVIS) were used to evaluate the viability of bioluminescence-transformed bacteria (E. coli O157: H7 and S. Typhimurium). The continuous ultrasound processing of camel milk resulted in significant (P<0.05) reductions in S. Typhimurium and E. coli O157: H7. Relative to unsonicated raw camel milk, the cis-9, trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and trans-10, cis-12 CLA contents were not affected (P>0.05) by the ultrasound processing. The TBAR values, a marker of lipid peroxidation, and milk protein fractions were also similar (P>0.05) between the sonicated and unsonicated raw camel milk. A total of 24 volatile compounds (VC) were identified including 8 aldehydes, 3 ketones, 5 acids, 5 esters, 2 aromatic hydrocarbonate, and 1 sulfo compound. Of these 24 VC, eleven VC increased (P<0.05) and seven decreased (P<0.05) after sonication. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that ultrasound processing of camel milk was efficient in inactivating subsets of milk-borne pathogens without detrimental effects on camel milk fatty acids, lipid peroxides, and protein fractions. However, there were some changes in milk VC which may affect the sensory quality of milk.

Evaluation of Palm Sap (Neera) Quality (Arenga pinnata Merr) in Processing of House Hold Palm Sugar (Case Study on Aren Farmers in Gunung Halu Village, Gunung Halu District, West Bandung Regency)

Palm sap (Neera) is a sweet liquid that is obtained from the cutting of flower bunches of sugar palm (Arenga pinnata Merr). Nira used as a raw material for making palm sugar. Palm sugar with good quality depends on the quality of the sap processed. The research was conducted to study the different quality of nira in household processing of palm sugar based on differences in storage containers (lodong), namely traditional containers using bamboo and modern containers using aluminium. Harvesting of the nira was conducted in the morning and afternoon time. Observations were carried on chemical quality (pH and total soluble solid), organoleptic perception (color, aroma, and taste), and the number of bacterial colonies (total plate count). The results showed that then treatments using aluminium container had better quality of nira with a mean value of pH 6.95, mean value of TSS 13.7 Brix, the organoleptic perceptions of color is more clear, taste is sweet, and fragrant smell; and the mean number of bacterial colonies is 12.5.

Comparative analysis of a novel low concentration dual photovoltaic/phase change material system with a non-concentrator photovoltaic system

In this work, a novel design of a concentrated photovoltaic system with thermal management using phase change material is analyzed. The novelty lies in utilizing two mono-facial photovoltaic cells, installing one on upper side of the receiver to receive non-concentrated sunlight and installing another photovoltaic cell on bottom side to receive concentrated sunlight. An RT47 (melting range of 41-48?) phase change material enclosed in an aluminum containment regulates the temperature of the system. Parabolic trough concentrator is used to focus sunlight on the bottom photovoltaic cell with a concentration ratio of 25. A finite volume based coupled thermal, electrical and optical model is developed and the system is analyzed for environmental conditions of Doha, Qatar. Temperature regulation and electrical power output of upper photovoltaic cell and bottom concentrated photovoltaic cell of proposed design are compared to a conventional flat plate system. Analysis is made for one day of each month of a year. It is found that the proposed design maintains the temperature below 85? for all months of a year. The performance of the proposed system is comparable to the conventional flat plate system and excels it with power production in the range of ?4.7% and +21.7%.

Experimental study of a PCM storage system integrated with a thermal solar collector

Recently, phase change materials (PCM) have become widely used in thermal storage systems for both industrial and domestic applications. These materials have good thermal properties, like thermal capacity and phase change temperature, however low thermal conductivity and high viscosity limits their heat transfer coefficient. This paper experimentally investigates the execution of a water-PCM storage system integrated with a flat plate solar collector. Paraffin wax is used as the PCM material and is packed in small cylindrical aluminum containers and accommodated in a hot water tank. In this study, an experimental test facility was designed and built and experiments were carried out in the City of Kerbala in Iraq. The study includes two different heat source types, namely a flat-plate solar collector and an electrical heater element. Experimental results show that the proposed configuration with the PCM material can produce hot water with up to 9.5 °C higher than that of the basic warm water storage system. In the case of the flat plate solar collector, the water remained hot, at about 28.5 °C more than the surrounding temperature during the solar system tests. This study highlights the potential of using PCM materials in heat storage systems and thermal solar energy.

Imaging Conductive Objects Through Metal Enclosures Using ELF/VLF Magnetic Fields

Imaging through conductive media is a pervasive problem in medical, industrial, and security applications. Several potential modalities such as X-ray, exotic particle beams, and related high resolution techniques have been employed in the past. However, the difficulty of production and safety of these technologies is a concern in practice. Of particular interest in this work are extremely and very low frequency (ELF/VLF, f<; 30 kHz) radio signals. We consider the feasibility of using ELF/VLF signals for detecting and imaging objects that are hidden inside thin-shelled conductive enclosures. It is shown that the hidden perfect electrical conductor (PEC) object partially blocks the incident magnetic field and results in a magnetic-field depletion that can be used to detect the object. Next, using FEKO simulations, a parametric study of through-conductor detection using a magnetic dipole is considered for a cubic aluminum shield. It is shown that signals above 1 kHz can be used to evaluate the outer shield properties, while signals at frequencies below 200 Hz can be used to effectively discern shapes of hidden objects by observing the magnetic distortion within 1 cm of the outer shield. To validate the results of theory and simulations, experiments matching the simulation conditions are conducted with a cubic aluminum container and hidden aluminum block. The experiments clearly demonstrate the presence of the magnetic field depletion as predicted by theory and simulations. The results of this work suggest that near-field ELF/VLF magnetic induction is an effective method for imaging through realistic metallic shields.

Analysis on the Sustainable Development of Gong Cha

We selected Gong Cha Monash branch as the research object, conducted a research focusing on four topics which is Food supply chain, Packaging, Procurement and Transport/distribution, and obtained data through on-site interview, email consultation and questionnaire survey.There are some findings after analysing the collected data. Firstly, the main finding of food supply chain is that Gong Cha used Franchising system; all of the quality of materials can be controlled by head office. Although tribute tea has very little food waste, they waste a lot of water resources. Secondly, the main finding of packaging is that Gong Cha uses about 800 disposable plastic cups and straws in PE and LL materials a day, and about 20% customers choose to use another plastic carry bag to carry the drinking. All these raw materials in Gong Cha are transports in cartons, foam paper, and plastic bags and only the cartons are recycled. Thirdly, the main finding of procurement is that there is a storehouse nearby Monash’s sub-branch to provide relevant materials once per week or the employees can go to the storehouse to acquire materials everyday if they need. In order to keep the same standard of product taste or quality, all the raw materials are originated from Taiwan. The in-store containers are reused products, such as aluminum containers for tea and tea-leaves and recycled plastic boxes for pearl and puddings. Finally, the main finding of distribution is that, tea materials are shipped from Taiwan twice a week. Trucks are used for transportation between stores and warehouses. Gong Cha's use of American-invested power distribution equipment, which uses more light, water or energy than any other, violates Monash's network of sustainable solutions. Gong Cha does not offer any training on how to use the equipment sustainably.

Analysis of a phase change material-based unit and of an aluminum foam/phase change material composite-based unit for cold thermal energy storage by numerical simulation

Thermal energy storage systems have increasingly attracted researchers and engineers in the last decades, not only because they permit to overcome the mismatch between thermal energy supply and demand in solar thermal systems, but also because they have the potential to improve the power grid reliability and flexibility, as they allow, for example, to store the heat or the cooling energy produced by residential electric heat pumps for a later use. In this context, this work analyses the cooling energy charging and discharging of two different cold thermal energy storage units, based on the use of a phase change material (PCM), by numerical simulation. One unit consists of an aluminum cylindrical container partially filled with a biological PCM. The other one is similar, with the only difference that it also includes an aluminum metal foam immersed in the PCM. Two different 2D axisymmetric models have been developed, both based on the effective heat capacity method in order to account for the PCM latent heat, for the numerical simulation of the two different units, and the numerical results are compared with experimental ones, obtained by means of a climatic chamber, in order to assess, in each case, the best set of the model arbitrary parameters among the considered ones. Moreover, for each simulation model, a sensitivity analysis is performed to show the effects of two arbitrary model parameters on the numerical results. Simulation results relative to the unit with only the PCM indicate that the cooling energy charging is most affected by conductive heat transfer, and in particular by the thermally resistive layer of solid PCM that forms at the lateral wall of the aluminum container, and that heat transfer by free convection plays a crucial role in the cooling energy discharging process. As concerns the unit with the PCM and the aluminum foam, numerical results show that the charging process and the discharging one are about four times and two times faster than without the foam, respectively. Furthermore, numerical results show that, with the employed aluminum foam, free convection within the PCM is negligible in both the cooling energy charging and discharging process.

Failure mechanisms of small-scale reinforced concrete beams impacted by soft missiles

Experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that high-velocity impact by a “soft missile” may cause shear failure of small-scale reinforced concrete (RC) beams proportioned to fail in flexure under static load. Elements designed to develop flexural mechanisms under static load have been observed to fail in shear under blast or impact by a solid object. But there is limited publicly-available evidence indicating that a change in the failure mechanism associated with an increase in the loading rate may occur under high-velocity impact by a soft missile. Small-scale RC beams were subjected to impact of thin-walled aluminum containers filled with water. The projectile used serves as an analog for what has been reported to represent key aspects of the impact of an airplane wing on RC elements. In the reported tests, high-velocity impact by a mass of liquid led to shear failures in specimens proportioned to develop flexural mechanisms under static load.

Analysis of underfloor electrical heating system integrated with coconut oil-PCM plates

In the present study, coconut oil was used as a new bio-based phase change material (PCM) to be integrated with a quarter-scale insulated prototype of an underfloor heating system and its performance was investigated. Two different cases were studied. In the first case, the PCM was placed in an aluminum container that was positioned above an electrical heater, and the adaptation of the PCM to the floor was investigated. The second case was a control test in the absence of PCM plates. To simulate real severe winter conditions, the prototype was tested in an agricultural refrigerator to ensure constant low ambient temperature. The versatility of the underfloor system with PCM facilitates a reduction in heating load during winter while maintaining residential thermal comfort. An economic study was then conducted based on contemporary electricity shifts to inspect the system’s ability in peak load shifting. The results show that the PCM achieved an increase of 53.7% in the duration of energy transfer across charging and discharging. Furthermore, the use of the bio-PCM facilitated a shift in electricity consumption from peak time to off-peak time, yielding an annual cost reduction of 58.9% when compared with that achieved in the control test.

Response of Sugarcane Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) and White Grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to Ethanol in Soil

The wireworm, Melanotus communis (Gyllenhal), and the white grub, Cyclocephala parallela Casey, are important pests of Florida sugarcane. The objective of this study was to determine the orientation of fed and starved M. communis and C. parallela larvae to ethanol concentrations in soil. Tests were conducted in rectangular glass containers and circular aluminum containers containing sandy soil and marked off into zones with and without ethanol. Insects were held 48 h in containers and insect movement among zones recorded. At a high ethanol concentration (10 ml ethanol/860 cm3 soil), both species became comatose, negating any measurement of movement. However, at a low ethanol concentration (2.5 ml ethanol/860 cm3 soil), both species were attracted to ethanol in the soil.

Production of alumo-matrix composite material modified by nanostructured cubic boron nitride

The structure and microhardness of an aluminum alloy with additives of nanostructured cubic boron nitride (cBN) after treatment under high pressure and temperature are investigated. А nanostructured powder of cBN with primary particles within 50–200 nm is used as a filler. A preliminary chemical-thermal modifying of the nanostructured cBN, which consists in its high-temperature annealing in the temperature range of 750–950 °C in a medium of aluminum-contai ning compounds, is carried out to increase the chemical affinity of the nanostructured cBN to the aluminum matrix. It is shown that the modifying of nanostructured cBN with aluminum increases the strength of the additives retention in the aluminum matrix. At the same time the increase in the concentration of BN additives from 1.5 to 5 wt.% as well as the increase in the treatment temperature at a fixed pressure promotes the increase in the microhardness of the material by a factor of 1.5 to 2 as compared with the base aluminum alloy without the addition of a modifier. An increase in the cBN concentration to 5 % by weight results in an increase in the fraction of smaller particle conglomerates (1–5 μm) in the material and in a decrease in the size of large inclusions to 10–20 μm. In this case, the distribution of BN particles in the aluminum matrix is more uniform in comparison with a material with a cBN content of 1.5 wt.%. In the material with the growth of temperature up to 1000 °С, cBN in aggregates is recrystallized with the formation of single-crystal (polycrystalline) particles with the size of 1–10 μm with faceting specific for cBN micron particles.

Environmental Data and Survival Data of Deinococcus aetherius from the Exposure Facility of the Japan Experimental Module of the International Space Station Obtained by the Tanpopo Mission.

The Tanpopo mission has two objectives: (1) test the panspermia hypothesis and (2) test whether organic compounds may have been transferred to Earth before the origin of life. We developed an exposure panel (EP) designed to expose microbes and organic compounds to the space environment and a capture panel designed to capture high-velocity particles on the International Space Station (ISS) using aerogel contained in an aluminum container. The panels returned after 1 year of exposure at the Exposure Facility of the Japan Experimental Module, ISS. In this communication, we report the measurements of temperature, radiation dosimeter and vacuum ultraviolet dosimeter in the EP, and survival data of Deinococcus aetherius. The environmental data are consistent with survival data of microbes and organic compounds, which will be presented elsewhere in detail.

Numerical Simulation of an Aluminum Container including a Phase Change Material for Cooling Energy Storage

Thermal energy storage systems can be determinant for an effective use of solar energy, as they allow to decouple the thermal energy production by the solar source from thermal loads, and thus allowing solar energy to be exploited also during nighttime and cloudy periods. The current study deals with the modelling and simulation of a cooling thermal energy storage unit consisting of an aluminum container partially filled with a phase change material (PCM). Two unsteady models are implemented and discussed, namely a conduction-based model and a conduction-convection-based one. The equations systems relative to both the models are solved by means of the Comsol Multiphysics finite element solver, and results are presented in terms of temporal variation of temperature in different points inside the PCM, of the volume average liquid fraction, and of the cooling energy stored and released through the aluminum container external surface during the charge and discharge, respectively. Moreover, the numerical results obtained by the implementation of the above different models are compared with experimental ones obtained with a climatic chamber. The comparison between numerical and experimental results indicate that, for the considered cooling energy storage unit, free convection plays a crucial role in the heat transfer inside the liquid PCM and cannot be neglected.

A simple method to estimate the thermal diffusivity of foods

AbstractThis work shows an alternative method to determine the thermal diffusivity of wheat flour and cassava, by means of experiments. It was considered as a model for analysis a semi‐infinite solid, represented by an aluminum container filled with flour, an incandescent lamp as a heat source and thermocouple sensors for acquisition of electronic temperature signal. From the moment in which the temperature on the upper surface of flour remained constant, the data were acquired at a predefined time interval, which allowed obtaining the thermal diffusivity. To evaluate the results achieved from the experiments, it was carried out a simulation in Partial Differential Equation Toolbox of Matlab R2015a, in order to compare the temperature distributions within the solid. It was verified that the values showed by simulation are satisfactorily close to the experimental values.Practical applicationsSome information about physical properties of foods usually are not available, therefore, a simple method to estimate the thermal diffusivity could be useful, once it influences the quality control of foods. Thus, the findings of this study may facilitate the food industry, assisting the design, and simulation of process, such as heating, cooling, freezing, defrosting, frying, and storage.

Three-dimensional numerical and experimental investigation of the behavior of solar salts within thermal storage devices during phase change

Experiments and three-dimensional computational simulations of melting and solidifying solar salts in an aluminum container are performed in order to obtain a fuller picture of the thermal and flow behavior of this commonly-used phase change material. A heating element is placed under a closed aluminum container filled with solar salts, both with and without aluminum fins. Accurate simulations are performed in part by identifying thermal properties that lead to the accurate reproduction of experimental results; the thermal properties of the solar salts are found to differ significantly from values in the literature. The numerical results are then used to describe the dynamics of the solid-liquid front and flow patterns within the container during melting and solidification. The combined experimental and computational results provide insight into the thermal, flow, and melt behavior of solar salts. The experimentally validated simulation capability can be used for the design of efficient thermal storage devices using solar salts.

Thermal analysis of PCM integrated building blocks for passive cooling application

This experiment deals with the thermal analysis of cement bricks encapsulated with phase change materials (PCM) when subjected to ambient weather conditions such as solar radiation and temperature. Thermal analysis and modelling of building bricks containing PCM has been carried out to exploit the high latent heat of fusion which will help to improve the indoor comfort in buildings. In the model presented in this paper, the PCM is filled in the central cavity of the bricks after encapsulating in an aluminium container. The experimental analysis is carried out by constructing a model and the heat transfer rate is compared with a similar normal brick and the effectiveness of PCM in the building bricks has been valued. The results show that PCM encapsulation in building brick is an effective practice for passive thermal control of buildings.

Drying of Rough Rice Using Heated Husk for Heat Transfer and Moisture Adsorption

Abstract. Drying of small size samples usually represents a challenge to rice researchers. Using natural air drying to dry these samples exposes them to the fluctuations of ambient air conditions. Therefore, the goal of this research was to evaluate the suitability of drying small size rough rice samples using heated husk as a heat transfer and moisture adsorbent medium. The proposed drying technique could be an attainable process, particularly because it represents conduction heat and moisture transfer rather than natural air drying. The required amounts of rice husk were placed in aluminum containers and kept in an oven overnight to reach the desired temperature. Heated husk samples were mixed with rough rice and maintained for the desired drying duration; following which, the husk and rough rice mixtures were separated pneumatically. The separated rough rice samples were collected to determine moisture content, drying rate, and rice quality. The highest mixture temperature of 34.0°C was achieved at the highest husk to rough rice ratio of 1:2 and the highest husk temperature of 110°C after 4 minutes. A maximum of 6.4% moisture reduction points was achieved by mixing the rice husk to rough rice by 1:2 on a weight basis and employing heated rice husk at 100°C. The highest drying rate of 5.99%/h was achieved during the first hour of drying with the husk-to-rough rice ratio of 1:2 and the husk temperature of 100°C. Milled rice yield ranged between 63.4% and 72.0% while the head rice yield ranged between 39.9% and 67.9%. An empirical correlation was developed to calculate the normalized moisture content as a function of the husk to rough rice ratio, the husk temperature and drying duration with a coefficient of determination of 0.775 under the studied conditions. Keywords: Conduction drying, Heat transfer medium, Moisture absorbent, Rice husk, Rough rice.