Heat Flux Values Research Articles

Experimental Investigation on Thermal Properties of Al2024 Alloy by Friction Stir Welding

Friction stir welding (FSW) connects the parts without melting the metal and produces a plasticized zone of metal. The main objective of this paper is to examine the temperature distribution that results from friction stir-lap welding of Al2024 alloy at varying rotating speeds and feed rates. Temperature distribution, heat flow, directional heat flux, thermal stresses, and strain energy are analyzed at different speeds of 700, 1000rpm, and at feed rate of 20 mm/min and 40 mm/min. Comparing the experimental temperatures with the simulated temperatures an error of 0.6% has been observed which is negligible. By comparing the numerical values of heat flux to the simulated values, the maximum error found to be 5.8% for the similar lap Al 2024-T3 joint. Temperature and heat flux values are gradually decreased from nugget zone to thermo-mechanical zone. But when compared to the nugget zone with the thermo-mechanical zone, the values of thermal stress and strain energy were abnormally altered.

Pressure fluctuations preceding critical heat flux during subcooled flow boiling in a one-side heated mini-channel under rolling motion

This study investigates effects of rolling motion on pressure fluctuations leading to Critical Heat Flux (CHF) during subcooled flow boiling in a mini-channel. Experiments were conducted at rolling amplitudes of 15° and 25° and periods of 10 and 30 s under two mass flow rates. Results obtained in static and rolling cases were compared. The rolling case showed higher pressure fluctuations, leading to higher CHF values, compared to the static case. The rolling intensity was the highest in the case with a higher amplitude and a shorter rolling period, whereas it was the lowest in the case with a lower amplitude and a longer rolling period. Correspondingly, the pressure fluctuations and CHF followed a similar trend, with the highest values observed in the case with the highest rolling intensity. The pressure fluctuations in the rolling experiments were also found to increase with increasing power, particularly at high heat flux values.

Investigation of heat transfer characteristics in air-to-air heat exchanger with steady flow, oscillating flow and sound waves

A steady flow with a high flow rate, oscillating flow, and audible sound waves can enhance the heat transfer performance in air-to-air heat exchangers, while the comparison of influence mechanisms and degrees of different methods is ignored. This study investigates flow instability and heat transfer characteristics in an air-to-air heat exchanger under steady flow, oscillating flow and sound waves. The results show that steady flow and oscillating flow with different amplitudes have little effect on the distribution characteristics of velocity and vortices. However, the vortices disappear and generate periodically under 140 dB. Moreover, oscillating flow and sound waves exert distinct influences on flow instability. The cold side experiences the highest increase in turbulence kinetic energy when subjected to high-amplitude oscillating flow, while the greatest increase on the hot side occurs under high-amplitude sound waves, and the influence of steady flow on turbulence kinetic energy is relatively low. Additionally, the steady flow enhances the heat transfer performance by increasing flow rate, while the oscillating flow and sound waves promote the heat transfer between the fluid and surface. Under the effect of steady flow, oscillating flow, and sound waves, the values of heat flux are 1.22, 1.24, and 1.31 times that of the initial condition with the amplitude increasing to 0.683 m/s (140 dB). The results demonstrate that with the increase in amplitude acting on the inlet, the sound waves have the greatest impact on heat transfer performance, followed by oscillating flow, and the effect of steady flow is relatively slight. The research can provide guidelines for the development of heat transfer enhancement in air-to-air heat exchangers.

A study of the impact of landscape heterogeneity on surface energy fluxes in a tropical climate using SUEWS

This study employs an evaluated Surface Urban Energy and Water Balance Scheme (SUEWS) model driven by Local Climate Zone (LCZ)-derived urban canopy parameters to explore landscape heterogeneity's impacts on the partitioning of surface energy fluxes and heat stress variations in Lagos, Nigeria. The results reveal that LCZ-based SUEWS effectively replicates the diurnal patterns of air temperature (Tair), relative humidity (RH), and land surface temperature (LST). The root mean square error (RMSE) for simulated Tair and RH ranges from 0.4 °C to 1.2 °C and 1.8% to 8.0%, respectively. While a nighttime warm bias in LST is observed, it reduces during the daytime. Significant spatial variability in turbulent heat fluxes and LST among LCZs is noted, with core urban LCZs experiencing notable increases in sensible heat flux and LST, while suburban LCZs exhibit higher latent heat flux values. Anthropogenic heat flux peaks in high compact low-rise LCZ 3, reaching a maximum of 95 W/m2. Remarkably, no significant difference is found in the diurnal heat stress cycle among LCZs, despite consistently elevated heat stress levels in high compact LCZs. These findings offer valuable insights into quantifying surface energy flux variabilities and spatio-temporal heat stress patterns in a densely populated tropical city- Lagos Nigeria.

Effect of RIBS/FINS and Aspect Ratio on Flow Boiling Characteristics in Conventional Channels

Abstract In this work, experiments are conducted with conventional rectangular channels of two different aspect ratios (AR = w/d) for the horizontal boiling flow conditions at atmospheric pressure. Distilled water was used as the working substance. The heat transfer coefficients (HTC) were measured for mass fluxes and heat fluxes ranging from 85.94 kg/m2-s to 343.77 kg/m2-s and 10 kW/m2 to 100 kW/m2, respectively, and at inlet subcooled temperatures of 303 K, 313 K, and 323 K. Visualization of the boiling phenomenon was done using a high-speed camera for the two channels under similar conditions. The results show that the AR has a dominant effect on the HTC. At low heat flux values, higher HTC was noticed for the channel of higher AR (AR = 1.25) whereas, at high heat flux conditions, the HTC is higher for the channel of lower AR (AR = 0.2). With an increase in inlet subcooled temperature, the HTC decreased for both channels due to increased thermal boundary layer thickness and reduced bubble formation. Further, the channel of AR = 1.25 with ribs/fins performed better than the smooth channel due to the high bubble nucleation rate.

Investigating the effect of the number of layers of the atomic channel wall on Brownian displacement, thermophoresis, and thermal behavior of graphene/water nanofluid by molecular dynamics simulation

Nanofluids (NFs) are nanoscale colloidal suspensions containing dense nanomaterials. They are two-phase systems with solid in liquid phase. Due to their high thermal conductivity, nanoparticles increase the thermal conductivity (TC) of base fluids, one of the basic heat transfer parameters, when distributed in the base fluids. The present research investigates the thermal behavior, Brownian motion, and thermophoresis of water/graphene NF affected by different numbers of atomic wall layers (4, 5, 6 and 7) by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. This investigation reports changes in heat flux (HF), TC, average Brownian displacement, and thermophoresis displacement. By raising the number of atomic wall layers from 4 to 7, the average Brownian displacement and thermophoresis displacement increase from 3.06 Å and 23.88 Å to 3.62 and 25.05 Å, respectively. Increasing the number of layers due to the decrease in temperature increases the temperature difference between the hot and cold points along the channel. It increases the Brownian motion and the maximum temperature. Additionally, by raising the atomic layers of the channel wall, the values of HF and TC increase from 39.54 W/m2and 0.36 W/mK to 41.18 W/m2and 0.42 W/mK after 10 ns, respectively. The temperature rose from 1415 to 1538 K. These results are useful in different industries, especially for improving the thermal properties of different NFs.

A comparative study of the land–atmosphere energy and water exchanges over the Tibetan Plateau and the Yangtze River Region

A comprehensive understanding of energy and water cycle characteristics in different regions is crucial for studying local land–atmosphere interactions and predicting regional weather and climate change. To explore similarities and differences in land–atmosphere energy and water exchanges between two regions—the Tibetan Plateau (TP), characterized by higher elevation and a drier climate, and the Yangtze River Region (YRR), with lower elevation and a wetter climate—this study analyzed and compared the radiation components and the turbulent heat fluxes at eight sites covering various land-cover types, including alpine desert and alpine grassland on the TP, as well as urban and grassland on the YRR. The following results were obtained: (1) Over the TP, the annual mean incoming and outgoing shortwave radiation are 251.3 and 59.6 W m−2, which are 1.70 and 2.87 times the values in the YRR, respectively. The incoming and outgoing longwave radiation are 231.5 and 338.0 W m−2, which are 0.64 and 0.83 times those in the YRR, respectively. However, the difference in net radiation is relatively small. (2) In grassland over both the TP and YRR, the latent heat fluxes have higher values of 35.0 and 38.8 W m−2, respectively, leading to a higher heating efficiency. Alpine desert has the highest sensible heat flux (SH) value of 42.1 W m−2, due to sparse vegetation and lower soil moisture, followed closely by urban land cover with an average SH value of 38.2 W m−2. These results highlight the different characteristics of land–atmosphere interaction across different land covers in different climatic contexts, laying the groundwork for future investigations of additional land–atmosphere coupling processes.摘要正确认识不同区域能量和水分循环特征是研究局地地气相互作用及准确预测区域天气, 气候变化的关键. 为了研究属于干旱/半干旱气候的青藏高原 (TP) 和湿润/半湿润气候的长江流域 (YRR) 之间地表能量和水分交换的异同, 本文对比分析了两个区域8个不同地表类型 (包括高山荒漠, 高山草地, (平原) 城市和 (平原) 草地等) 观测站点的地表辐射和能量通量数据. 结果显示: (1) TP由于高原大气层稀薄且空气洁净, 年平均入射短波辐射为251.3 W m−2, 是YRR的1.7倍. 加之高原地表反照率高导致反射辐射 (59.6 W m−2) 是YRR的2.87倍. 入射及出射的长波辐射为231.5和338.0 W m−2, 分别为YRR的0.64和0.83. 而两个区域的净辐射差异不大; (2) 草地站更多的潜热释放使得地表总加热效率高于城市和高山荒漠, TP和YRR的草地站的年平均潜热分别为35.0 和 38.8 W m−2, 而植被稀疏且土壤干燥的高山荒漠地区感热最大, 年平均感热为42.1 W m−2; 其次是城市下垫面, 其年平均感热为37.7 W m−2. 研究结果揭示了不同气候背景下典型下垫面地气相互作用特征, 为地气相互作用过程深入分析奠定了基础.

Numerical Simulations on Combustion and Heat Transfer in Porous Medium with Different Gyroid Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces Structures

ABSTRACT To investigate the influence of the porous medium with Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) structures on lower concentration methane combustion. This study analyzed the flow field and heat transfer in the porous medium with three types, i.e. an axial gradual period type, a conical type and a uniform type, through the pore-scale simulation (PSS) approach. In cases of this study, the flashback equivalence ratio of the conical PMB is about 12.5% lower than that of the gradient PMB at the same inlet flow velocity, and the blow-off inlet flow velocity of the conical PMB is about 30% higher than that of the gradient PMB at the same equivalence ratio. Moreover, the flame shape is closely related to the local solid structure and flow velocity. The solid surfaces radiation heat transfer occurred mainly in regions with high solid temperature gradients. Additionally, the absolute value of the radiant heat flux is about 1/4 to 1/5 of the total heat flux, which reflects the proportion of thermal convection in the heat transfer on the solid surface. Convective heat transfer between solid and fluid occurred mainly in the areas of heat recuperation known as preheat zone, and higher inlet flow rates significantly increase the upstream convective heat transfer intensity.

Developing an enhanced thermal radiation model through a Semi-A priori approach

The accurate prediction of thermal radiation is crucial for effective fire safety assessment and the development of proactive prevention strategies. This article presents an innovative approach to thermal radiation modelling through the integration of a semi-a priori methodology. The proposed model combines the strengths of a priori modelling and data-driven approaches, utilising the well-established single point source model as a foundation. The proposed model undergoes refinement and development using experimental data involving propane gas fires, ethanol pool fires, and isopropyl alcohol pool fires. These datasets serve as fitting data, enabling the model to improve its accuracy and performance. The refined model's performance is further assessed through the validation process using experimental data and simulation data. Experimental data from different fire scenarios, i.e., acetone and methanol pool fires, are utilised for the validation. Additionally, the estimated heat flux values generated by the proposed model and the single point source model are also compared with simulation results obtained from Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), specifically for heptane and methane pool fires. The findings of this research highlighted the enhanced accuracy and reliability of the proposed model in predicting thermal radiation behaviour. This research offers insights into thermal radiation modelling, providing valuable information for fire safety practitioners and researchers in enhancing fire risk assessment and mitigation strategies. By combining physical principles with empirical data, the proposed approach offers an alternative method for thermal radiation prediction in diverse fire scenarios.

Study of Influences of the Level of Zr Oxidation and Volumetric Heat Generation on Heat Transfer and Crust Formation Within CANDU Corium

A full-station blackout at a nuclear power plant can lead to fuel failures and radiological release to the environment if there is a breach of the reactor vessel. For Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) reactors, the expected failure mechanism is through thermal stress concentration at the calandria vessel wall, and is thus influenced by local heat flux values. The current study uses computational fluid dynamics to simulate heat transfer, fluid flow, and crust formation within a CANDU geometry. Sensitivity to critical parameters, including the volumetric decay heat generation rate and the percentage of Zr oxidation is explored. The results show that as the volumetric heat generation rate decreases, the crust is thicker, and the wall heat flux is lower. This suggests that the activation of mitigating measures that delay the accident progression result in more favorable outcomes. The percentage of Zr oxidation primarily influences the thermal conductivity, which impacts the crust formation and wall heat flux rates. Specifically, corium with a lower percentage of Zr oxidation has higher thermal conductivity, and thus lower heat transfer resistance. This results in lower corium temperatures, which reduces the radiation heat transfer from the top surface and also increases crust thickness. Higher rates of heat removal from the vessel wall thus occur. In contrast, a higher percentage of Zr oxidation results in lower thermal conductivity, which leads to lower wall heat flux and a thinner crust at the vessel wall. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of considering the effects of sensitivity parameters on the heat flux distribution in the event of severe accidents.

Flow condensation inside a multiport mini channel and a rectangular mini channel with pin fin array

In this paper, an experimental study of flow condensation was carried out of R134a in a multiport mini channel and a mini channel with pin fin array. The former comprised 20 parallel rectangular channels with an equivalent diameter of 0.64 mm. The latter is a narrow rectangular mini channel containing 10 rows of diamond pin fins with a staggered configuration, and height and longitudinal/transverse pitch of 0.5 mm and 2 mm respectively. To acquire the local value of heat flux and heat transfer coefficient, air jet impingement cooling devices were adopted to condense the vapor of refrigerants. The effects of vapor quality, mass flux, heat flux, and saturation pressure on flow condensation heat transfer coefficient were investigated with the operating conditions: vapor quality from 1 to 0, mass flux from 160 to 450 kg/(m2s), heat flux from 10.0 to 39.8 kW/m2, and saturation pressure from 600 to 1500 kPa. The experimental results indicated that the pin fin array significantly improves the condensation heat transfer coefficient up to nearly 186 % compared to the multiport mini channel in the high vapor quality region. For both channels, the local heat transfer coefficient increases with an increase in vapor quality, mass flux, and heat flux whereas decreases with increase in saturation pressure. The influence of heat flux and mass flux on heat transfer coefficient was more pronounced in the high vapor quality region than in the low vapor quality region. A sensitivity analysis was performed at different vapor quality levels. The most influential parameters in the smooth channel and the pin fin array are saturation pressure and mass flux, respectively. The relative contribution of heat flux is more obvious in the high vapor quality region. Some of the existing correlations have good prediction performance for the smooth channel experimental data in this paper, and the corresponding MAD is within 20 %. However, their deviations are much greater for the applications of pin fin array.

PDI-HFP: An intelligent method for heat flux prediction on hypersonic aircraft based on projection depth images

We propose a novel intelligent method to predict the heat flux on hypersonic aircraft. This method considers the aircraft shape and the inflow conditions as inputs and directly outputs overall surface heat flux values. Specifically, PDI-HFP first projects the aircraft shape onto two-dimensional (2D) images in six directions and then utilizes well-trained neural networks to predict the corresponding heat flux images. Finally, PDI-HFP reconstructs the predicted surface heat flux from 2D space to 3D space, and an interpolation method is then implemented to obtain the heat flux distribution on the surface of the 3D aircraft. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work to apply deep learning techniques to 3D heat flux prediction on arbitrary types of surface grid. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the values of the heat flux predicted by our method are very close to those generated by CFD simulation. More importantly, compared with CFD simulation, the use of PDI-HFP effectively shortens the computational time, achieving a speedup by a factor of 200–1000, depending on the aircraft shape.

Analysis of Stress Distribution of Composites Based on Hydroxyapatite by Finite Element Method

Self-propagating intermediate temperature synthesis (SIS) is a process that utilizes exothermic reactions to initiate and maintain component combustion so as to produce low porosity values and high hardness. It is necessary to know about the heat transfer phenomenon because SIS has a weakness, namely the high exothermic rate and very fast combustion rate which requires a high level of control. In addition, compression or compaction needs to be done because this method is expected to produce a homogeneous particle density distribution. The phenomenon of heat transfer and pressure that occurs in the SIS process is a simplification of the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process, which can be simulated and analyzed using engineering software based on finite element analysis. Stress simulation that occurs with the addition of weight percent titanium 5%, 10% and 20% using a pressure of 171 MPa and produces a normal stress. The heat transfer simulation that occurs uses a temperature of 750 °C, 850 °C, and 950 °C with a processing time of 2 hours with variations in the addition of weight percent titanium 5%, 10%, and 20% which results in an effect on heat flux and temperature distribution. Samples that were given the addition of 20% titanium by weight were given a pressure of 171 MPa to produce a normal stress of-230.44 MPa with the lowest porosity value of 22.63%. Samples processed at 850 °C with the addition of 10% weight percent titanium produced the lowest heat flux value of 0.0027220 W/m2.

Modeling the Effects of Local Atmospheric Conditions on the Thermodynamics of Sobradinho Lake, Northeast Brazil

The objective of this work was to study climate variability and its impacts on the temperature of Sobradinho Lake in Northeast Brazil. Surface weather station data and lake measurements were used in this study. The model applied in this work is FLake, which is a one-dimensional model used to simulate the vertical temperature profile of freshwater lakes. First, the climate variability around Sobradinho Lake was analyzed. Observations showed a reduction in precipitation during 1991–2020 compared to 1981–2010. To study climate variability impacts on Sobradinho Lake, the years 2013, 2015, and 2020 were selected to characterize normal, dry, and rainy years, respectively. In addition, the months of January, April, July, and October were analyzed for rainy months, rainy–dry transitions, dry months, and dry–rainy transitions. Dry years showed higher incoming solar radiation at the surface and, consequently, higher 2 m air temperatures. A characteristic of the normal years was more intense surface winds. October presented the highest incoming solar radiation, the highest air temperature, and the most intense winds at the surface. The lowest incoming solar radiation at the surface was observed in January, and the lightest wind was observed in April. To assess the effects of these atmospheric conditions on the thermodynamics of Sobradinho Lake, the FLake model was forced using station observation data. The thermal amplitude of the lake surface temperature (LST) varied by less than 1 °C during the four months. This result was validated against surface lake observations. FLake was able to accurately reproduce the diurnal cycle variation in sensible heat fluxes (H), latent heat fluxes, and momentum fluxes. The sensible heat flux depends directly on the difference between the LST and the air temperature. During daytime, however, Flake simulated negative values of H, and during nighttime, positive values. The highest values of latent heat flux were simulated during the day, with the maximum value was simulated at 12:00 noon. The momentum flux simulated a similar pattern, with the maximum values simulated during the day and the minimum values during the night. The FLake model also simulated the deepest mixing layer in the months of July and October. However, our results have limitations due to the lack of observed data to validate the simulations.

Study of Vertically Oriented Solar Battery by Exposure of Concentrated Solar Radiation

Solar power is one of the largest sectors of the global electric and heat power industry. In search of new energy sources, scientists and engineers around the world are increasingly turning their attention to solar batteries, which can be a suitable replacement for non-renewable energy sources. Vertically oriented solar batteries will generate electricity throughout the daylight hours, which eliminates use of additional equipment. The paper proposes a 3D model of a solar battery with a vertical orientation of its modules, as well as the calculation and evaluation of temperature characteristics and the range of efficiency variations obtained under conditions of both the diurnal and seasonal changes in ambient temperature, and the power density changes of concentrated solar radiation, the maximum values of which were chosen equal to 1; 5 and 10 kW/m2. The dependences of the maximum values of the solar battery temperature and the temperature gradient inside it, as well as the dependences of the minimum, average and maximum values of the radiative heat flux to the solar battery surface in the presence and absence of temperature stabilization of the heat sink backside versus the time of day in the middle of January and July have been plotted. As calculations have shown, at the solar radiation concentration of 10 kW/m2, the efficiency in July is increased by more than 2 times due to the use of thermoelectric converters in the battery. Moreover, according to the obtained results, when the solar modules are oriented vertically, temperature gradients and, consequently, the total efficiency of the solar battery and power generation time will be greater compared to the horizontal position of the solar modules, which will reduce operational costs.

Evaluating the heat transfer and pressure drop in the transitional flow regime for a horizontal circular tube fitted with wavy-tape inserts

Much research is available to support the thermo-hydraulic characteristics of heat exchanger tubes in laminar and turbulent flow regimes. However, very little work is available to support the thermohydraulic characteristics of heat exchangers in transition flow regimes, especially in turbulators. Therefore, this research experimentally evaluated the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of a circular tube fitted with wavy-tape inserts in the transition flow regime. Experiments were conducted in a circular tube having an internal diameter of 20 mm and a length of 2000 mm and the Reynolds number varied from 533 to 7002. The Nusselt number and friction factor for a smooth tube are validated by comparison with published research works in the laminar and turbulent flow regimes. A total of nine wavy tape inserts with different wave and width ratios were investigated. To determine the variation of Nusselt number and friction factor, three constant heat fluxes (q˙= 1, 2, and 3 kW/m2) were applied to the test section. The laminar, transition, and turbulent regimes were marked and identified by using the linear best-fit line method for all the cases considered during the investigation. The results obtained from the study showed a shift in the boundaries of laminar, transition, and turbulent flow regimes. For smooth tube with 1 kW/m2 heat flux, the transition starts and ends at Reynolds number 2202 and 3 804, respectively. It was also revealed that the onset of transition occurred further earlier when tapes were used. The boundaries of transition also shifted with a change in the constant heat flux condition. For wavy tape having w = 0.75, d = 0.8, the transition begins at Reynolds number 2 193, 2 021, 2029 and ends at 4 016, 3 997, 3989 for heat flux 1, 2 and 3 kW/m2, respectively. The transition began earlier for lower values of heat flux, while for higher values, the transition limit was delayed compared with that of lower heat flux. The boundary of transition also shifted with wave ratio and width ratio. An increase in wave and width ratios altogether delayed the start and end of the transition. Correlations were also developed to predict the Nusselt number and friction factor in laminar and turbulent flow regime.

An empirical firebrand pile heat flux model

Firebrand exposure has been identified as a leading cause of structure losses during wildfires. However, only a limited number of studies have attempted to quantify the incident firebrand heat flux to a target substrate surface. In this study, a bench-scale wind tunnel retrofitted with an IR thermal imaging system was used to generate high-resolution temperature data for the back surface of a thin, non-combustible insulation board exposed to a glowing firebrand pile at 0.9–2.7 m s−1 air flow velocities and 0.06 and 0.16 g cm−2 firebrand coverage densities. An inverse heat flux modelling technique utilizing a solid-phase pyrolysis solver, ThermaKin, was employed to determine transient firebrand pile heat flux profiles underneath and directly in front of a glowing firebrand pile. The inverse modelling technique used both the experimental back surface temperature data and the insulation's thermophysical properties. Average incident firebrand pile heat flux values obtained for all testing conditions ranged between 28 and 80 kW m−2. For the first time, an empirical model capturing the firebrand pile incident heat flux dependence on time, air flow velocity and firebrand coverage density was developed.

Pseudo-Desublimation of AdBlue Microdroplets through Selective Catalytic Reduction System Microchannels and Surfaces.

In the present paper, the occurrence and development of the pseudo-desublimation process of AdBlue microdroplets in the microchannels and surfaces of catalytic reduction systems (SCR) are reported. In order to understand how the pseudo-desublimation process develops, the influence of heat flux values on the heat transfer of AdBlue injection was analysed, taking into account the structure of the microchannels inside the SCR and the overall configuration of the installation. The evolution of the AdBlue vapour flow in the SCR system was simulated, as well as the temperature variation along an SCR microchannel through which the mixture flows. An experimental set-up was designed in order to visualise and interpret the processes at the onset of pseudo-desublimation. The results described in this paper confirm the existence of a pseudo-desublimation process that occurs only under certain temperature conditions when AdBlue is injected into SCR systems. The characteristics of the crystals formed and their growth rate depend on the working temperature, which could be controlled by efficient preheating methods immediately after engine start. A better understanding of the process will allow the development of methods of avoiding solid depositions on SCR system components, which has a direct impact on SCR catalyst performance and durability.

Symmetry of Structures under Two-Dimensional Instability in a Finite-Height Horizontal Layer of Boiling Liquid

The two-dimensional instability of a horizontal layer of boiling liquid with a finite height was experimentally studied. In this layer, “vapor columns” rose at the corners of a square rectangular grid, and the symmetry of “vapor column” location on the heating surface was considered. The model adopts an approach to the boiling crisis from the side of both developed nucleate boiling and transitional boiling (the Zuber problem). When dealing with developed nucleate boiling, the layer of boiling liquid is considered in calculations as an isotropic homogeneous system (foam). It is shown how the conditions on the heating surface (capillary-porous coating) affect the external hydrodynamics of the liquid layer and, ultimately, the value of the critical heat flux. The calculation ratio obtained by approaching the boiling crisis from the side of developed nucleate boiling takes into account the dependence of the critical heat flux on the void fraction of the boiling liquid layer. A new solution to the boiling crisis problem is proposed when approaching the crisis from the side of transitional boiling (the Zuber problem). This new solution eliminates some shortcomings of the classical problem (in particular, the void fraction of the layer corresponds to the experiments).

Investigating the impact of modeling assumptions and closure models on the steady-state prediction of solar-driven methane steam reforming in a porous reactor

In this work, the effect of different modeling assumptions and closure models — frequently considered in the literature of solar thermochemical reactors and closely-related areas — is investigated. The application of different modeling assumptions and closure models may strongly affect the results accuracy and compromise a meaningful comparison across literature works. The following is herein investigated: (i) the role of upstream and downstream fluid regions to the two-phase reactor region; (ii) relevance of species and gas-phase thermal diffusion mechanisms; (iii) reaction heat accounted for in gas- or solid-phase energy balance equations; (iv) local thermal equilibrium (LTE) vs. local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) models; (v) model dimension (one-dimensional vs. two-dimensional axisymmetric models); (vi) local volumetric convection heat transfer correlations; and (vii) effective solid thermal conductivity correlations. The relevance of this work extends well beyond the current application (methane steam reforming in a volumetric solar reactor), since similar models and assumptions have also been widely applied for predicting the performance of volumetric solar absorbers and dry reforming solar reactors. The results show that an upstream fluid region should be considered while applying inlet first-type boundary conditions and diffusion transport in the corresponding governing equations to ensure full-conservation and simultaneously to account for developing profiles upstream the reactor inlet section. For the operating conditions considered, species diffusion and gas-phase heat conduction are particularly relevant at the reactor centerline but with a negligible integral effect. A significant difference in the reactor performance is observed while accounting for the reaction heat from surface reactions in the solid- or gas-phase energy balances — for the lowest inlet gas velocity herein considered, the thermochemical efficiency (methane conversion) is approximately equal to 70.8% (76.3%) and 77.3% (84.7%) assigning the reaction heat to the gas- and solid-phase energy balances, respectively. LTE model results are strikingly different from the results obtained with the LTNE model considering the reaction heat accounted for in the gas-phase energy balance but not significantly different from the results computed with the LTNE model with the reaction heat assigned to the solid-phase energy balance. One-dimensional reactor modeling provided with an average concentrated solar heat flux value results in a similar average performance as that given by a two-dimensional model but fails to predict the high temperatures observed at reactor centerline — for the lowest inlet gas velocity, the difference between the maximum solid temperatures predicted by one- and two-dimensional models is about 340K.