Thermal Model Research Articles

Precisely regulating thermal deformation behavior of wire electrical discharge machining thin-wall fin via pulsed laser-induced shockwave

The thermal deformation in the process of thin-walled metal fin processed by wire electrical discharge machine (WEDM) is almost unavoidable, which restricts the application of wire electrical discharge machining in the precision machining of thin-walled parts. In this study, a new process of thermal bending deformation regulation by laser-induced shockwave of wire electrical discharge machining thin-wall fin was proposed to obtain low/no deformation thin-wall parts. The thermal deformation of thin-wall In718 metal processed with different wire electrical discharge machining parameters was calibrated, and the law between the thermal bending and the process parameters was obtained. The thermal ablation and laser shock thermal deformation regulation model was established to accurately describe the stress distribution and deformation behavior of thin walls. For In718 thin-wall fin with different thicknesses, the thermal bending deformation could be regulated by laser-induced shockwave. After adjustment, the warpage of all thin walls was only −0.174μm at the lowest, and the thermal deformation could be reduced by 98.35 % at the highest. Laser shock improved the surface integrity of thin walls, increased the surface hardness to 433.9HV, increased by 46.84 %; laser shock also reduced the surface roughness of thin walls to a maximum of 2.67μm, a decrease of 33.58 %. In addition, laser shock could reduce the number of large-size grains, increase the number of twins, refine the impact surface grains to a certain extent, and the particle size was reduced to 7.64μm, which was reduced by 45.62 %.

Vaporization in Liquid-Core Nuclear Thermal Rockets

This work provides an overview of vaporization phenomena in liquid-core nuclear thermal rockets to aid in unifying modeling assumptions by characterizing the impact of vaporization. Historical variations in vapor modeling have led to reported specific impulses ranging from 1000 to 2000s following model refinements in the 1960s and the omission of vaporization consideration post 1990. The only preexisting vapor transport study to not rely on the Reynold’s analogy was performed for the radiator design. This paper performs the first such analysis for the bubbler design, given its renewed interest. Consideration is given to potential centrifugal species separation, proposed fuel mixtures, interplay between chamber pressure and vaporization, impacts on propellant thermoproperties, evaporative cooling, power requirements for vapor separation, and the complexity of hydrocarbon interactions under the proposed chamber conditions. The bubbler design is shown to be well approximated as fully saturated, whereas the radiator and droplet designs may be configured to reduce vaporization to 20% saturation. Characterization of vaporization within liquid cores is essential to early design decisions, such as overall archetype, defining the operating point, and liquid media composition. For a threshold temperature corresponding to around 10% of the propellant being vapor by mass, further increases in temperature begin reducing the specific impulse. Below this threshold temperature, the impact of vaporization on thermal modeling with the chamber is likely negligible. Above this threshold temperature, higher-fidelity thermal modeling will be required, and the work required to separate the vapor begins exceeding 100 kW/(kgH/s). Nozzle kinetics are applied to liquid cores for the first time, showing that specific impulses increase with increasing chamber pressure contrary to historical findings. Historically, modeled uranium-zirconium-carbon mixtures are predicted to reach a specific impulse up to 1260 s. A uranium-tungsten-carbon fuel mixture yielded the best theoretical specific impulse of slightly under 1400 s; however, no nucleonic or thermal analysis has been conducted with this fuel composition.

Thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication analysis of the roller enveloping hourglass worm drives considering the roller self-rotation behavior

Elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) plays a crucial role in worm-drive tribology. However, in roller enveloping hourglass worm (REHW) drives, the unique rolling motion of the rollers reduces friction but presents challenges in accurately analyzing the film formation characteristics. To address this, a method for calculating the time-varying meshing characteristic parameters, considering the influence of the roller's self-rotation behavior, is proposed. A thermal EHL numerical model for REHW drives was established based on EHL theory by integrating these parameters. The lubrication characteristics at various meshing instants and contact positions were analyzed, and operational conditions and design parameters were identified to enhance lubrication performance. High-speed and heavy-load REHW drives have demonstrated superior lubrication performance. These findings provide theoretical guidance for optimizing lubrication performance and investigating wear in REHW drives.

A novel instrumentation approach for achieving in-situ temperature sensing of a Li-ion cylindrical cell under immersion cooling

Battery thermal management systems are critical for high-performance electric vehicles, where the ability to remove heat and homogenize temperature distributions in single cells and packs are key considerations. Immersion cooling, which immerses the battery in a dielectric fluid, can improve cooling efficiency compared to air cooling. However, stringent instrumentation standards make in-situ monitoring under immersion cooling a difficult challenge. This study proposes a novel cell instrumentation method based on the integrated combination of three O-rings, which for the first time achieves in-situ temperature sensing of batteries under oil-immersed cooling conditions. Reliability of the sealing system and instrumentation methodology is ensured by leakage tests and oil corrosion assessment. Data such as cell impedance and discharge capacity also support the success and reliability of the instrumentation process without affecting the battery performance. Compared with natural air cooling, immersion cooling can reduce the temperature rise during battery operation by >10 °C under high C-rate discharge conditions. However, this is accompanied by an increase in radial temperature gradient. The temperature gradient of the cell with oil immersed reaches a maximum of >7 °C, while the temperature gradient under natural cooling under the same test conditions is only 3 to 4 °C. This leads to intensified temperature inhomogeneity of the cell, which may accelerate the local ageing and degradation. Our instrumentation approach contributes to a deeper understanding of the thermal behaviour of batteries under direct immersion cooling, aiding the development of more advanced cooling strategies and associated battery thermal management models.

Thermal modeling and simulation applied to novel microwave hybrid heating process

Owing to the unique encouraging characteristics of microwave hybrid heating, primarily volumetric heating, and additional potentials such as being repeatable, quick, economical, and green; it has been utilized in various processing techniques. The efficient joining of mild steel pipes through microwave hybrid heating in a multimode applicator at 2.45 GHz and 900 W for an operational time of 480 s has already been performed. The modeling and simulation of the process have been performed in this research paper as the numerical analysis of the working environment is crucial for evaluating various aspects of a technique, decreases process-design cycle time, and found to be more economical than experimental trials. The numerical analysis provides in-depth insight-taking into consideration of the electromagnetic field distribution, its interaction with the materials, heat generation and transfer, along with the thermal analysis of the experimental assembly, in addition to the comprehensive parametric analysis. The numerical model of the assembled set-up was developed in order to simulate a real-life heating environment by solving electromagnetic and heat transfer equations and providing analytically predicted results with an accuracy of 3.75% against the experimental results. The analytical modeling and simulation have been strategically fragmented into three phases which are pre-processing, processing, and post-processing phase and elucidated extensively, providing a systematic working of the analytical model. This research will be utilized further in optimizing the microwave hybrid heating process in order to make it time-efficient and inexpensive for its applications to industrial environments.

Effects of an extreme heat event on indoor conditions of social heritage housing in Mediterranean climate

Social heritage housing in Mediterranean historic cities is particularly vulnerable to climate change hazards as protection policies lead to its exclusion from energy retrofitting programmes, leaving their residents - at higher risk of fuel poverty and the heat-island effect – defenceless. Increasingly frequent heatwaves can potentially produce “overheating” in these buildings, a thermal state that impedes people's comfort with harmful consequences to their health. Other indoor air quality factors, like humidity and CO₂ levels, also affect residents' health. The objective of this research is to evaluate the actual indoor environmental quality of three occupied dwellings in social buildings of high heritage value located in two historic cities in Andalusia (Spain) during the extreme heat events that occurred in 2022. A monitoring campaign was conducted and the data collected over the summer was analysed and evaluated using existing metrics. Our results show that the CO2 concentration rates generally remained below the upper limit of 1000 ppm in all cases, probably due to the high air infiltration rates measured (5.83 h−1, 4.39 h−1 and 14.65 h−1). On the contrary, the relative humidity rates were outside the acceptable range (45–60 %) for 90 % of the occupied hours in all cases. In the warmest city, overheating was continuous and severe in all rooms, according to the metric adopted (CIBSE standards TM52 and TM59 under the adaptive thermal comfort model). The situation was particularly critical in the free-running bedroom, but the overheating index values in the living rooms, where air conditioning was installed and used about 50 % of the occupied time, also deviated significantly from the acceptable limits.

Thermal network for breeding blanket analysis and design in fusion reactor

Achieving carbon neutrality in energy production has become crucial and fusion energy is a promising way to a sustainable energy future. Breeding blanket is a critical component of a fusion reactor, ensuring tritium self-sufficiency and heat recovery for power generation. Breeding blanket needs an effective thermal management system as it operates under the high plasma in fusion reactors and the heat generated by the breeding reaction, which should be collected for power conversion. In this study, a thermal circuit model is used to analyze the design of a breeding blanket cooling system; in this model, each component is regarded as a thermal resistance element. Numerical simulations, empirical correlations, and equations are used to compute each resistance element. The thermal circuit results are then integrated into power conversion system using GateCycle for a basic analysis of power generation efficiency of a breeding blanket. Furthermore, we investigated the modified jet impingement design by changing thermal circuit elements to enhance cooling performance. The use of protrusions enhances the thermal performance of the impinging jet by 11 %, contributing to an overall enhancement in system efficiency. These findings could offer valuable insights for advancing the development of efficient, sustainable fusion energy systems.

Assessment of thermal conductivity prediction models for compacted bentonite-based backfill material

Assessment of thermal conductivity prediction models for compacted bentonite-based backfill material

Computational insights from the thermal spike model into mesoporous silica behavior during swift heavy ion irradiation

Mesoporous silica materials are pivotal in various scientific domains due to their unique properties and versatile applications. However, understanding their response to irradiation, particularly from Swift Heavy Ions (SHI), remains limited. We address this gap by investigating experimental mesoporous silica behavior under 12 MeV Carbon and 92 MeV Xenon bombardment using the Three-Dimensional Thermal Spike Model (3DTS) simulation. Our computational simulations reveal localized heating effects and provide mechanistic insights into experimental observations, shedding light on pore closure and different observed damage patterns. This study is the first application of this model to porous silica and deepens our knowledge of the mechanism of structural evolution under ion bombardment.

Numerical study on the thermal environment of the vertical greening system based on infrared thermal imaging

ABSTRACT Since the design and construction of the building envelope affects approximately 20–60% of the energy used to heat and cool the building, it is important to improve the energy efficiency of the building envelope. This study intends to obtain an optimal thermal environment model of vertical greening through software simulation in the later stage. For some countries and cities that are still relatively backward in green development, we can provide technical support and guidance. In this study, infrared imaging equipment was used to obtain the thermal environment parameters of vertical greening, and the corresponding thermal environment characteristics were analyzed to provide support for the construction of the thermal environment model of the vertical greening system. Secondly, a new microclimate numerical simulation software ENVI-met was used to establish a vertical greening system model, quantify the changes of thermal environment parameters under different conditions, and output the numerical simulation analysis results, including temperature and thermal comfort evaluation indicators, to evaluate the role relationship and influence mechanism under different conditions. It provides theoretical support for the development, application and prediction of vertical greening. This will improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

Mechanic-electric-thermal coupling simulation method of Lamb wave under variable temperature

The propagation mechanism of Lamb waves exhibits more intricate in the variable operational environment of high-speed trains. Simulation methods are widely used to study Lamb wave propagation characteristics due to economic and time constraints. A mechanic-electric-thermal coupling simulation method to study the propagation mechanism of Lamb waves under variable temperatures is proposed in this paper. To accurately simulate the dynamic behavior of Piezoelectric Transducer (PZT) under variable temperature, a nonlinear numerical model of the dynamic parameters (piezoelectric coefficient, dielectric constant) of PZTs has been developed based on the experiment of the temperature influence on Lamb wave. The model emphasizes the nonlinear pattern of change in the key dynamic parameters of the PZT with temperature fluctuations. In addition, a thermal expansion stress model of the PZT-bonding layers-structure is established to reveal the mechanical-thermal coupling mechanism. Based on the COMSOL, a mechanical-electrical-thermal direct coupling simulation model of PZT-bonding layers- structure under variable temperature is established. The simulation results at −40 °C to 80 °C are obtained and compared to the experiment. The results show that the simulation signal is highly consistent with the experimental measurement signal, and the simulation method proposed in this paper has high accuracy.

Convective heat transfer and drag coefficients of human body in multiple crowd densities and configurations in semi-outdoor scenarios

This study numerically assessed the impact of human crowd density and outdoor wind conditions (average velocity, its profile, and direction) on the convective heat transfer and drag coefficients (hc and Cd). Five different configurations of standing computer-simulated persons (CSPs) were tested in a semi-outdoor environment. A single isolated CSP, nine CSPs in a block array (with three representative crowd densities), and eighteen randomly allocated CSPs were used. The results indicated a significant impact of crowd density on the overall and local hc values. As the density increases, the body's obstruction against wind increases, resulting in lower heat loss. Newly proposed formulas for hc as a function of the average wind velocity (UAVE.) are (7.56 × UAVE.0.65), (8.02 × UAVE.0.64), and (8.26 × UAVE.0.63) for the high, medium, and low crowd densities, respectively. This reveals an overestimation of hc when an isolated human body is used. The hc values of the upper segments were the most affected by a 22 % reduction in the predicted hc. Moreover, when the crowd density increased, local hc and Cd decreased simultaneously, particularly in the chest, pelvis, and thigh segments. Oblique wind angles (60° and 150°) resulted in the highest hc and Cd values compared to other angles. The chest and pelvis were most affected by shifting the wind direction, indicating the dominance of these segments in concurrently controlling the thermal and drag performances. These results provide valuable insights into the optimization of human thermal and physical comfort models.

Thermal response function method: A method for predicting the transient surface temperature of black-box objects

In engineering practice, thermal analysis of objects with unknown internal structure and/or thermophysical properties, and uncertainties in contact thermal resistances, is very challenging and even impossible using the traditional approach of direct solving the heat transfer equation. In this work, a thermal response function method (TRFM) is proposed for predicting the transient surface temperature of ‘black-box’ objects (i.e., unknown internal structure and thermophysical properties). The method relies on an introduced measurable quantity called thermal response function, which characterizes the thermal response characteristics of an object. Using the measured thermal response functions as input parameters, the transient temperature distribution on the surface of a black-box object under arbitrary external heat flux boundary condition can be predicted through linear superposition. Proof-of-concept simulations and experiments are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the TRFM method. The predicted surface temperature distribution under various external heat fluxes using TRFM agree well with the reference results. The results show that the TRFM is very promising as a solution of the challenging problem of predicting the transient surface temperature of black-box objects, with potential application for thermal imaging modeling of complex objects.

Thermal Management and Optimization of Automotive Film Capacitors based on Parallel Microchannel Cooling Plates

Abstract The automotive film capacitors (AFCs) stand as a widely employed components in electric vehicles. Yet, a notable concern arises with the potential for excessive ripple current, which can prompt self-heating in the AFC and diminish its reliability. Therefore, it becomes crucial to conduct thermal management and effective heat dissipation design for the AFC to ensure its optimal performance. In this study, considering the trend toward integrated and lightweight motor controllers, a parallel microchannel cooling plate (PMCP) is designed at the bottom of the AFC. Through optimization, the thermal performance of the AFC and the overall cooling performance of the PMCP are enhanced. The AFC thermal model is established and the calculation method for equivalent thermal properties of the film capacitor core is described. A conjugate heat transfer simulation model for the AFC and the PMCP is created by FLUENT and validated through two experimental tests. Additionally, based on an optimal Latin Hypercube Sample size, the accuracy of five fitting models is compared and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) for optimization is employed. The results indicate that the error between the simulation method and the two experiments is within 5 %. The application of the PMCP effectively redistributes the hottest region of the AFC to the outer housing, reducing the maximum AFC temperature by 10.90 °C. Among the five fitting models, the RSM (Response Surface Model) proved to be the most accurate. The optimized PMCP enhances the overall cooling performance by 10.32 %, and increases the maximum withstand ripple current of the AFC by 43.83 %.

Automated model order reduction for building thermal load prediction using smart thermostats data

This paper presents a methodology to automatically determine the structure of sufficiently accurate grey-box models for model predictive control, energy efficiency and flexibility applications in buildings. The methodology is based on model reduction and system identification techniques, with a path that enhances data pre-processing, a multistage order reduction, and parameter estimation. The model structure is determined with a cascade approach that either neglects, keeps, or aggregates thermal zones by using discrete and continuous frequency domain techniques. Once the optimal structure is identified, the parameters are calibrated with the measured data from smart thermostats, using the model predictive control relevant identification method. The methodology is applied to a monitored house located in Québec, Canada. The developed algorithm identifies adjacent zones, even when the building layout is unknown, by studying indoor temperature fluctuations. The results concerning the model creation suggest that, for this specific building, the aggregation by floor is the most efficient way for creating reduced order thermal models, limiting uncertainty due to thermal zone interaction. This methodology provides control-oriented models that accurately predict response up to 24-h ahead with Root Mean Square Error less than 0.5 °C and acceptable Fitness Function values for the minimum number of selected parameters. Finally, several scenarios demonstrate the insights gained from using grey-box building thermal models for design, control, and retrofitting applications.

INVESTIGATION INTO THE THERMAL DEFORMATION BEHAVIOR AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A CONSTITUTIVE RELATIONSHIP FOR Mn-Cr-Ni-Mo STEEL

Isothermal compression tests were conducted on Mn-Cr-Ni-Mo steel at temperatures ranging from 1173 K to 1473 K and strain rates from 0.01 s–1 to 10 s–1 using a Gleeble-3800 thermal simulation tester. Four constitutive models for Mn-Cr-Ni-Mo steel, namely the Arrhenius model, Fields-Backofen model (F-B), original Johnson-Cook model (J-C), and the improved Johnson-Cook model (mJ-C) were established. A correlation coefficient (R) and the average absolute relative error (AARE) were employed to evaluate the predictive capability of these four models. Among them, the Arrhenius model exhibited superior accuracy in predicting the behavior of Mn-Cr-Ni-Mo steel. It and the isothermal thermal compression finite-element model were imported into Deform-3D software for a numerical simulation, aiming to analyze the distribution law of the equivalent stress field. A comparison was made between the time-stress data obtained from numerical simulation under different conditions and that from the isothermal compression tests. The results demonstrate good agreement between the time-stress curves of the numerical simulation and the experimental measurements, indicating that the established Arrhenius model can effectively simulate the thermal deformation of Mn-Cr-Ni-Mo steel. These research findings provide valuable fundamental data for simulating the plastic-deformation process of Mn-Cr-Ni-Mo steel.

Experimental study on fragmentation characteristics of molten stainless steel discharged into liquid Lead-Bismuth Eutectic pool

The LFR is a candidate for the Generation-IV nuclear systems, where the process of MFCI differs from that occurred in LWRs and SFRs. In the absence of experimental study and widely applied theoretical models for LFRs, experiments on the interaction between molten SS and liquid LBE are conducted in this study under eight conditions. The morphological characteristics and fragment sizes of the products are analyzed based on the hydrodynamic effect parameter (We) and thermal effect parameter (Tic). Simplified thermal fragmentation models are established, where the innermost layer of the solidified shell is subjected to the maximum tangential compressive stress, while the outermost layer is subjected to the maximum tangential tensile stress. As the shell thickness increases, the total tangential stress of the outermost layer decreases. The fragmentation will occur when the maximum tangential stress on the shell exceeds the shell tensile strength.

Tailoring Energy Transfer in Mixed Eu/Tb Metal-Organic Frameworks for Ratiometric Temperature Sensing.

Eu/Tb metal-organic frameworks (Eu/Tb-MOFs), exhibiting Eu3+ and Tb3+ emissions, stand out as some of the most fascinating luminescent thermometers. As the relative thermal sensitivity model is limited to its lack of precision for fitting ratio of Eu3+ and Tb3+ emissions, accurately predicting the sensing performance of Eu/Tb-MOFs remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a series of luminescent Eu/Tb-MOF thermometers, EuxTb1-xL, with excellent thermal sensitivity around physiological levels, achieved through the tuning energy transfer from ligands to Eu3+ and Tb3+ and between the Ln ions. It was found that the singlet lowest-energy excited state (S1) of the ligand and the higher triplet energy level (Tn) are crucial in the energy transfer processes of ligand→Tb3+ and ligand→Eu3+. This enables EuxTb1-xL to serve as an effective platform for exploring the impact of these energy transfer processes on the temperature-sensing properties of luminescent Eu/Tb-MOF thermometers. The relative thermal sensitivity is comparable to that of dual-center MOF-based luminescent thermometers operating at physiological levels. This study provides valuable insights into the design of new Eu/Tb thermometers and the accurate prediction of their sensing performance.

Heat transfer analysis of nanofluid flow with entropy generation in a corrugated heat exchanger channel partially filled with porous medium

AbstractHeat exchanger research is mainly exploited to develop and optimize new engineering systems with high thermal efficiency. Passive methods based on nanofluids, fins, wavy walls, and the porous medium are the most attractive ways to achieve this goal. This investigation focuses on heat transfer and entropy production in a nanofluid laminar flow inside a plate corrugated channel (PCC). The channel geometry comprises three sections, partially filled with a porous layer located at the intermediate corrugate channel section. The physical modeling is based on the laminar, two‐dimensional Darcy–Brinkman–Forchheimer formulation for nanofluid flow and the local thermal equilibrium model for the heat equation, including the viscous dissipation term. Numerical solutions were obtained using ANSYS Fluent software based on the finite volume technique and the appropriate meshed geometries. The numerical results are validated with theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies. The simulations are performed for CuO–water nanofluid and AISI 304 porous medium. The coupled effects of porous layer thickness (δ), Reynolds number (Re), and nanoparticle fraction (φ) on velocity, streamlines, isotherm contours, Nusselt number (Nu), and entropy generation (S) are analyzed and illustrated. The simulation results demonstrate that heat transfer enhancement in clear PCC can be achieved using a porous layer insert. For the porous thickness range of [0.1–0.6], the corresponding range of average Nusselt number increase is [35.7%–176.9%], and the average entropy generation is [105.4%–771.9%]. The effect of the Reynolds number is more important in a porous duct than in a clear one. For δ = 0.4 and φ = 5%, the increase of Re in the range of [200–500] induces an increase in average Nusselt number in the range of [80.9%–108.4%] and average entropy in [222.9%–309.1%] comparatively to clear PCC. The effect of φ is practically the same for porous and clear channels. For φ = 5%, the increase on average Nu is about 9%, and entropy generation is 5%. Accordingly, important improvements in heat transfer in PCC can be achieved through the combined effect of flow Reynolds number and porous layer thickness.

Design of CTP liquid cooling battery pack and thermal Characterization experiments

Range has emerged as a significant barrier to the advancement of electric vehicles, necessitating the development of high-energy–density battery packs. However, the conventional battery integration method, CTM (Cell to Module), has a relatively low space utilization rate, which presents a challenge to the enhancement of vehicle range. Consequently, a novel battery pack integration method, CTP (Cell to Pack), has emerged as a potential solution. In order to enhance the integration degree and effective energy density of the battery pack, a CTP and a symmetric serpentine runner liquid cooling plate are proposed in this paper. A thermal model of a single cell was constructed, and the cooling performance of the battery pack under different discharge conditions was analyzed. The optimal inlet water temperature and coolant mass flow rate were then determined. The findings indicate that the battery pack devised in this study exhibits commendable cooling capabilities and is capable of satisfying the cooling requirements associated with a 2C discharge scenario. Furthermore, when the battery pack is operated under Chinese Light Vehicle Driving Conditions (CLTC), the inlet flow rate of 2 L/min has been observed to reduce the maximum temperature differential by 1.31 °C in comparison to a scenario without internal coolant circulation.