Transfer Drop Research Articles

Multi-Objective Optimization of Plate-Fin Heat Exchanger Using Taguchi-based Grey Relational Analysis

This work involves the investigation of values of design constraints which are optimum and which can be used or helpful in design optimization of Plate-Fin Heat Exchanger (PFHE). Core Area, Core Length Reynolds’s Number and Fin Height. Pressure drop (Minimum–Friction factor) and heat transfer (maximum–Nusselt number) are fixed as the responses. The Taguchi method for Design of Experiments (DOE) has been used to frame the number of experiments for the taken values of the factors and Response surface methodology (RSM) has been used as the optimization tool from MINITAB. At the end optimization curves are obtained to find the optimal values of the factors resulting in the desired values of responses MINITAB. A conclusion is made to find out the best statistical model for optimization of performance parameters in a PFHE. For the purpose, Plate fin heat exchanger is considered.

Numerical Investigation of the Use of Boron Nitride/Water and Conventional Nanofluids in a Microchannel Heat Sink

The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of the use of boron nitride (BN) and other conventional nanoparticles (Al2O3, CuO and TiO2) on pressure drop and heat transfer in a microchannel. The governing equations for forced fluid flow and heat transfer were worked out by using fluent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. Computational results collected from fluent CFD code for Al2O3 as the nano-particle were compared with numerical values used in the literature for validation. The basis of a water-cooled (pure water, Al2O3/Water, CuO/Water, TiO2/Water and BN/Water) smooth microchannel was outlined, and then the corresponding laminar flow and heat transfer were evaluated numerically. The results from the numerical tests (NT) express good agreement with the values found in the literature. These results also indicate, through the comparison which was performed by taking the heat transfer and pressure loss parameters between BN and other widely used conventional nanoparticles (Al2O3, CuO and TiO2) into consideration, that BN is the more favorable nanoparticle. In comparison to other common nanoparticles (Al2O3, CuO and TiO2), BN enhances heat transfer and slightly raised pressure losses owing to its high thermal conductivity and high velocity profile because of low density. It is also chemically stable at the highest temperature relative to most solid materials. Thus, it has a structure that can be used in cooling systems for a long time without causing a problem of agglomeration.

Minimization of entropy generation in U-bend tube heat exchanger during flow boiling of R134a

The presence of a bend in a tube during two-phase flow boiling can improve heat transfer while also causing a pressure drop. The goal of this paper is to achieve an optimal geometry of the U-bend tube heat exchanger. The bend induces a high-pressure drop as well as increases heat transfer coefficient, striking a balance between pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient to obtain an optimal design can be achieved by minimizing entropy generation due to heat transfer and pressure drop. Hence, an entropy generation minimization during two-phase flow boiling of R134a was conducted using the constructal design method and the entropy generation techniques based on the second law of thermodynamics. The geometric optimization was subjected to the following constraints: the volume of the tube was constant with bending radius, and the tube's outer surface area was subjected to a uniform constant heat flux of 10 kW/m2. Geometric parameters such as total length Lt, internal diameter di and external diameter do of the tube were free to morph with respect to the degree of freedom until an optimal geometrical configuration was obtained at minimum entropy generation. The bend's curvature ratio was taken as a function of internal (hydraulic) diameter. The numerical computations were conducted with the mass fluxes from 100 to 500 kg/m2s and quality of 0.2 at the tube's inlet for downward-oriented flow. The results obtained were consistent with those found in the open literature. Furthermore, the optimal parameters of the tube heat exchanger were found to vary slightly as the minimum entropy generation rises with an increase in mass flux. The stability was achieved as minimum entropy generation increased which demonstrates the robustness of the optimized U-bend tube.

Cooling performance evaluation of impingement jet cooling passage on solid-state power amplifier in RF system

As the performance requirement for the X-band radar for military use increased, the X-band radar has come to consist of many Transmit/Receive (T/R) modules. So then, the importance of the cooling system is increasing significantly to ensure the operations of the radar during military action. However, satisfying the required cooling performance with the simple square cooling channel is difficult. This study proposes a two-layer cooling channel with the impinging jet array in the T/R modules to overcome the limitation of the existing cooling channel. This two-layer cooling channel was designed to discharge the cooling flow after cooling the individual T/R module to maximize the cooling performance. The cooling performance was evaluated under various mass flow conditions through Ansys Fluent v19.5. The boundary conditions were based on the actual T/R module, and the cooling performance was calculated by pressure drop and convective heat transfer coefficient on the cooling channel. The cooling performance of the two-layer cooling channel was higher than that of the square cooling channel. In particular, the cooling performance was improved up to 4.5 times under low mass flow conditions. The cooling performance was improved by improving convective heat transfer and by increasing the heat transfer area. It is expected that the detection range and resolution can be enhanced when the two-layer cooling channel is applied to X-band radar in the future.

Laser-assisted bioprinting of microorganisms with hydrogel microdroplets: peculiarities of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota yeast transfer.

Laser-assisted bioprinting of microbial cells by hydrogel microdroplets is a rapidly developing and promising field that can contribute to solving a number of issues in microbiology and biotechnology. To date, most research on the use of laser bioprinting for microorganism manipulation and sorting has focused on prokaryotes; the bioprinting of eukaryotic microorganisms is much less understood. The use of hydrogel allows solving two fundamental problems: creating comfortable environments for living microorganisms and imparting the necessary rheological properties of the gel for the stable transfer of microdroplets of a preset size. Two main problems were solved in this article. First, the parameters of the hydrogel based on hyaluronic acid and laser fluence to ensure stable transfer of single drops are selected. Second, possible differences in the bioprinting by hyaluronic acid hydrogel microdroplets with yeasts of various taxonomy (Ascomycota vs Basidiomycota), which form and do not form polysaccharide capsules and evaluated. We have performed laser induced forward transfer of 8 yeast species (Goffeauzyma gilvescens, Lipomyces lipofer, Lipomyces starkey, Pichia manshurica, Saitozyma podzolica, Schwanniomyces occidentalis var. occidentalis, Sterigmatosporidium polymorphum, Vanrija humicola) and assessed its viability based on colony formation on the nutrient medium. It is shown that after laser-induced transfer in hydrogel microdroplets the mean viability rate was 77% with some strains showing relatively high viability rates exceeding 90%. Effect of capsules presence on colony formation after laser bioprinting was not revealed. Differences in laser transfer of the yeast of various phyla were found-basidiomycetes formed a greater number of colonies than ascomycetes. The causes and mechanisms of these effects require detailed studies. The data obtained contributes to the knowledge about the bioprinting of eukaryotic microorganisms and can be useful in the studies of single microbial cells and inter-organism interactions.

Enhanced thermal-hydraulic performance in tubes of reciprocating scraped surface heat exchangers

An experimental study of pressure drop and heat transfer in tubes of reciprocating scraped surface heat exchangers is presented. Inside the tube, a concentric rod which mounts an array of equally-spaced semi-circular blades is fitted. The reciprocating motion of the rod induces the continuous scraping of the inner tube wall, enhancing heat transfer through the removal of the thermal boundary layer, the promotion of mixing of the bulk flow and the mitigation of fouling. Using propylene-glycol as working fluid, friction factor results in isothermal conditions are obtained for 15<Reh<1500 and velocity ratios 0<ω<2. Early transition to turbulence for Reh<150 is detected. Pressure drop augmentations of the order of 20, with respect to the smooth tube, are found in laminar regime for ω=2. In the turbulent flow regime, this pressure drop increase rises up to 400 times. In laminar regime, results for ω=0.1 lead to heat transfer augmentation of 30 % compared with the smooth tube. When increasing from ω=0.1 to ω=1, the Nusselt number is doubled. However, when increasing from ω=0.1 to ω=2 the Nusselt number is only increased by 2.8 times. The beneficial influence of higher scraping amplitudes on heat transfer have been demonstrated, as well as their negligible impact on the friction characteristics.

Characterization of Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer of Expanded Metal Meshes for Catalytic Processes

In this work, three raised expanded metal meshes (EMMs) differing in mesh size were tested experimentally with regard to their flow and transport properties. Empirical equations for the Nusselt number and Fanning friction factor were developed. Alongside the experiments, simple computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models were used to simulate the pressure drop and heat transfer coefficients within EMMs. Finally, the Performance Efficiency Criterion (PEC) was applied to compare EMMs with other reactor packings.

Thermo-electrochemical simulation of the cooling process in a compact battery pack considering various configurations

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) packs with high power density are necessary in battery-powered system development. In this study, we investigated LIB packs made of compact cylindrical Li-ion batteries. We arranged the batteries in various patterns, including square, lozenge, elliptical, and circular, with all patterns occupying the same total area. We solved the thermal and electrochemical equations governing the batteries using the finite-element method (FEM), and we coupled the airflow around the batteries, meant to lower their temperature, with the LIB equations and solved them using the same method. The results reveal that LIB cooling enhancement and a smaller temperature gradient occur with an increase in the LIB distribution at the center, reducing their outward dissemination and shortening the LIB length. Additionally, increasing the cross-sectional area and airflow velocity enhanced heat transfer from the batteries and decreased their temperature. Finally, we demonstrated that better cooling enhances the cells’ long-term performance. With a circular configuration, the pressure drop and heat transfer rise by 48.01% and 85.14%, respectively, with an increase in the inlet cross-section area. Furthermore, the pressure drop and heat transfer in this configuration increased by 89.09% and 66.90%, respectively, when the velocity increases.

Fluid flow and heat transfer in a rectangular ribbed channel with a hierarchical design for turbine blade internal cooling

• New design concept to develop high-performance internal cooling of turbine blades. • Greatly reduced pressure loss is achieved with negligible heat transfer reduction. • The underlying physics of pressure drop and heat transfer performance is clarified. • Various designs are examined to verify the feasibility of the new design concept. For internal cooling of a turbine blade, various advanced rib turbulators can markedly contribute to the heat transfer enhancement while suffering a great increase in pressure loss. In those designs, ribs with the same configuration are periodically and evenly mounted on the channel wall. In this context, this work proposes a hierarchical design concept to optimize the rib arrangement with the desired reduction in pressure loss. In terms of the rib height, this new design concept is implemented to construct three new rib configurations. Based on an established turbulence model, three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations are entirely adopted to verify the feasibility of the new configuration in a wide Reynolds number range. The numerical results demonstrate that the optimal configuration with a linearly decreasing rib height can greatly reduce the pressure loss with a slight heat transfer deterioration. The negligible reduction in the heat transfer performance results from the enhanced fluid impingement on the reattachment region because of the lowering effect of the mainstream, although small ribs weaken the fluid impingement. The marked pressure drop reduction comes from the combination of the lowering effect and small ribs which constrains the separation vortex behind ribs. Furthermore, the comparison of the overall thermal performance is carried out considering a wide range of the Reynolds number, pitch ratios, and aspect ratios. The optimal configuration can greatly enhance the overall thermal performance up to 138.3% for the factor ( Nu / Nu 0 )/( f / f 0 ) and up to 32.5% for the factor ( Nu / Nu 0 )/( f / f 0 ) 1/3 . Eliminating the entrance effect of developing flow, the increment in the overall thermal performance is considerably reduced but still keeps at a high level. Finally, it is significantly highlighted that as a simple but effective improvement, the hierarchical design concept presents great potential in developing high-performance internal cooling of turbine blades.

Friction and Heat Transfer in Membrane Distillation Channels: An Experimental Study on Conventional and Novel Spacers.

The results of an experimental investigation on pressure drop and heat transfer in spacer-filled plane channels, which are representative of Membrane Distillation units, are presented and discussed. Local and mean heat transfer coefficients were obtained by using Thermochromic Liquid Crystals and Digital Image Processing. The performances of a novel spacer geometry, consisting of spheres that are connected by cylindrical rods, and are hereafter named spheres spacers, were compared with those of more conventional woven and overlapped spacers at equal values of the Reynolds number Re (in the range ~150 to ~2500), the pitch-to-channel height ratio, the flow attack angle and the thermal boundary conditions (two-side heat transfer). For any flow rate, the novel spacer geometry provided the least friction coefficient and a mean Nusselt number intermediate between those of the overlapped and the woven spacers. For any pressure drop and for any pumping power, the novel spacer provided the highest mean Nusselt number over the whole Reynolds number range that was investigated. The influence of buoyancy was also assessed for the case of the horizontal channels. Under the experimental conditions (channel height H ≈ 1 cm, ΔT ≈ 10 °C), it was found to be large in empty (spacer-less) channels that were up to Re ≈ 1200 (corresponding to a Richardson number Ri of ~0.1), but it was much smaller and limited to the range Re < ~500 (Ri < ~0.5) in the spacer-filled channels.

Geometrical investigation of cooling channels with two alternated isothermal blocks under forced convective turbulent flow

The present work performs a numerical analysis of the geometrical investigation of a two-dimensional channel with two alternated isothermal rectangular blocks subjected to turbulent forced convective flows. Constructal Design associated with Exhaustive Search is used to investigate the influence of the geometry of the isothermal blocks over the performance of the cooling convective flows in a multi-objective viewpoint, i.e., considering the pressure drop and heat transfer rate. The time-averaged equations of continuity, momentum, and energy conservation are solved with the finite volume method. The k–omega shear stress transport model is used for the closure of turbulence. The effect of the two proposed degrees of freedom, the height/length ratio of the two blocks (H_{1}/L_{1} and H_{2}/L_{2}), is analyzed in relation to the proposed objectives. Regarding the thermal purpose, the geometry with the highest insertion into the channel led to the best performance, while the opposite configuration led to the best fluid dynamic performance. This behavior was similar to that previously found in the literature for forced convective laminar flows. For a multi-objective perspective, the use of technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution indicated that asymmetric blocks led to the best multi-objective performance when both performance indicators had the same weight.

A simple, accurate, and universal method for characterizing and comparing radiative cooling materials and devices

Radiative cooling has emerged as a promising cooling technology for its potential in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Remarkable progress has been made, and numerous novel materials have been designed and fabricated. However, different researchers adopted different homemade temperature measuring devices, making it difficult to compare the reported sub-ambient temperature drops since the thermal properties of different temperature measuring devices vary largely from one another, especially the non-radiative heat transfer coefficient. In this work, we propose a simple, accurate, and universal method to quantify non-radiative heat flux and non-radiative heat transfer coefficient of measuring devices, and compare them with the traditional method adopted in literature. The proposed method uses two identical measuring devices to measure the sub-ambient temperature drop and the net cooling power simultaneously to derive non-radiative heat transfer coefficient. To characterize and compare the thermal performance of a radiative cooling material or device, we recommend that both maximum sub-ambient temperature drop and non-radiative heat transfer coefficient should be reported. It is worth noting that the proposed method can obtain non-radiative heat transfer coefficient with high accuracy and it is not affected by weather conditions.

Artificial intelligence in laparoscopic simulation: a promising future for large-scale automated evaluations.

IntroductionA limitation to expanding laparoscopic simulation training programs is the scarcity of expert evaluators. In 2019, a new digital platform for remote and asynchronous laparoscopic simulation training was validated. Through this platform, 369 trainees have been trained in 14 institutions across Latin America, collecting 6729 videos of laparoscopic training exercises. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has recently emerged in surgical simulation, showing usefulness in training assessment, virtual reality scenarios, and laparoscopic virtual reality simulation. An AI algorithm to assess basic laparoscopic simulation training exercises was developed. This study aimed to analyze the agreement between this AI algorithm and expert evaluators in assessing basic laparoscopic-simulated training exercises.MethodsThe AI algorithm was trained using 400-bean drop (BD) and 480-peg transfer (PT) videos and tested using 64-BD and 43-PT randomly selected videos, not previously used to train the algorithm. The agreement between AI and expert evaluators from the digital platform (EE) was then analyzed. The exercises being assessed involve using laparoscopic graspers to move objects across an acrylic board without dropping any objects in a determined time (BD < 24 s, PT < 55 s). The AI algorithm can detect object movement, identify if objects have fallen, track grasper clamps location, and measure exercise time. Cohen’s Kappa test was used to evaluate the agreement between AI assessments and those performed by EE, using a pass/fail nomenclature based on the time to complete the exercise.ResultsAfter the algorithm was trained, 79.69% and 93.02% agreement were observed in BD and PT, respectively. The Kappa coefficients test observed for BD and PT were 0.59 (moderate agreement) and 0.86 (almost perfect agreement), respectively.ConclusionThis first approach of AI use in basic laparoscopic skills simulated training assessment shows promising results, providing a preliminary framework to expand the use of AI to other basic laparoscopic skills exercises.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00464-022-09576-1.

Flow maldistribution and heat transfer characteristics in plate and shell heat exchangers

• The pressure drop, flow maldistribution, and heat transfer rate are measured in a plate and shell heat exchanger. • Friction factor and Nusselt number correlations are provided for water and oil flows. • The plate side showed a better thermal performance than the shell side but a higher friction factor. • Flow maldistribution was more severe on the shell side than on the plate side. • The effectiveness deterioration due to the flow maldistribution was less than 4%. • An analytical comparison indicates that PHEs have a better thermo-hydraulic performance than the PSHE studied. The plate and shell heat exchanger (PSHE) was developed to overcome the traditional gasketed plate heat exchangers (PHE) operation limits. Its constructive characteristics allow higher-pressure and thermal applications, suitable for processes found in power plants and the oil and gas industry. However, studies on the PSHE thermo-hydraulic performance are still scarce. This study presents an experimental and theoretical analysis of the flow and heat transfer characteristics of a PSHE. A test rig operates with water and viscous oil to produce turbulent and laminar flow regimes, typical of the oil and gas industry. The heat transfer rate, pressure drop, and flow distribution are measured. The m 2 -model, developed to predict flow maldistribution on the PHE, is suitable for the plate side of the PSHE. An analytical model is used to correct the effects of maldistribution on the overall heat transfer coefficient and provide Nusselt number correlations. Experiments show that the flow maldistribution increases the heat exchanger pressure drop and deteriorates the heat transfer performance. The maximum and average channel flow rate ratio reaches 2.30 on the shell side and 1.75 on the plate side. Friction factor correlations are created based on the channel pressure drop data. The shell side has an inferior overall performance than the plate side, with a higher maldistribution and a lower Nusselt number. The PSHE effectiveness deterioration due to the maldistribution is 4% in the worst scenario within the experimental range. Results indicate that the PHE thermo-hydraulic performance is superior to the PSHE. Nevertheless, the structural advantages of the PSHE make it appropriate for applications involving high pressures and elevated temperatures.

Improved heat recovery using twisted tube exchanger technology

The geometrical features of twisted tube exchangers enhance the thermo-hydraulic performance for the same fluid velocity compared to conventional heat exchangers. The benefit of its use becomes evident in design as the required heat duty is transferred with smaller surface area for even lower pressure drop compared with conventional exchangers. This work introduces the development of a thermohydraulic model for the twisted tube geometry that relates pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient. Aspect ratio and twist pitch are the parameters that most influence the thermo-hydraulic performance of these exchangers. An alternative sizing approach using the concept of full use of pressure drop step is presented. The application to high viscosity fluids is discussed. The results show a reduction in surface area compared to conventional shell and tube exchangers of up to 45% and a pressure drop reduction of 15%. • An alternative sizing methodology for twisted tube heat exchangers is introduced. • Design approach based on full use of available pressure drop. • Thermo-hydraulic model that relates heat transfer and pressure drop is developed. • Reduced size and pressure drop compared with conventional exchangers.

Numerical investigation and entropy generation for flow boiling evaporation in U-bend tube heat exchanger with elliptical and circular cross-sections

• Entropy generation for flow boiling in a U-bend tube heat exchanger with the elliptical and circular cross-section. • Effect of mass velocities on entropy generation for flow boiling a in a U-bend tube heat exchanger. • Local entropy generation for flow boiling along the Length of the U-bend tube heat exchanger. • Effect of the bend on the flow pattern in the U-bend tube heat exchanger with an elliptical and circular cross-section. This paper presents the numerical analysis of entropy generation of two-phase flow boiling in a U-bend tube heat exchanger with the elliptical and circular cross-sections of the same hydraulic diameter for oriented downward flow. The entropy generation criterion due to pressure drop and heat transfer irreversibilities was utilized to measure the quality of energy transfer in the heat exchanger. For the purpose of comparison, the same geometrical parameters were used. The computations were implemented using computational fluid dynamics code for the operating parameters such as mass velocities ranging from 100 to 500 kg/m 2 s with respect to vapour qualities from 0.1 to 0.9 and a constant uniform heat flux of 10 kW/m 2 imposed on the tube’s outer surface. The results reveal that the U-bend tube heat exchanger with the elliptical cross-section performs better than the circular cross-section due to the lower entropy generations obtained in the elliptical cross-section compared to the circular cross-section. The effect of bend on liquid and vapour phase distribution in circular and elliptical cross-sections was illustrated by the flow pattern, just before and after the bend. The flow patterns formed after the bend were quite different from the ones formed before the bend. For the elliptical and circular cross-sections, the flow patterns were observed to be almost the same with the fluids taking the shape of the cross-section. The numerical calculations were validated and found to be consistent with what was found in the open literature.

Forced convection heat transfer: A comparison between open-cell metal foams and additive manufactured kelvin cells

The Kelvin cells are normally applied to represent the open-cell metal foams for simulation due to the similar pore structure. However, the experimental comparison between Kelvin cells and open-cell metal foams is rarely reported. This study compares the forced convective heat transfer properties of four Ni70Cr30 metal foams and one GH4169 Kevin cells manufactured from additive manufacturing. The results indicate that the pressure drop and overall heat transfer coefficient (HTC) increase with the increase of PPI, while decreasing with the increase of porosity. Moreover, the comparisons between present data and data from the literature prove the reasonability of the experiments. The pressure drop and overall HTC of Kelvin cells are 64.4% and 12.3% higher than open-cell metal foams, while showing 26.2% lower overall heat transfer performance at 6 m/s. The pore structure, thicker skeleton, higher porosity, and surface roughness of Kelvin cells contribute to the higher pressure drop than open-cell metal foams. The comparison among experimental correlations and present data indicates that the correlations for predicting the behavior of open-cell metal foams could not be used directly to predict Kelvin cells.

Numerical Simulation of Flow and Heat Transfer of a Discontinuous Single Started Helically Ribbed Pipe

In the present study, the turbulent flow field and the heat transfer in a single started helically ribbed pipe with a discontinuous rib are investigated. A large-eddy simulation (LES) technique is applied in a pipe section with cyclic boundary conditions. The aim of this study is to explain and further analyze the findings from the heat transfer measurements at such complex structures with the help of detailed flow simulations. The simulation results are validated with measurements at a Reynolds number of Re = 21,100 and a Prandtl number of Pr = 7 with water as fluid. The comparison clearly shows that the current method delivers accurate results concerning average flow field, turbulence quantities and local heat transfer. The results demonstrate that the applied method is capable of correctly simulating flows with heat transfer in complex three-dimensional structures. The overall heat transfer performance of the helically ribbed pipe with a discontinuous rib is compared to a smooth pipe and a continuous rib configuration. The impact of the interruption of the rib structure on pressure drop and heat transfer are analyzed in detail.

Numerical analysis of thermal performance of waste heat recovery shell and tube heat exchangers on counter-flow with different tube configurations

This study investigates the effect of tube layout configurations on the hydraulic-thermal performance of shell-and-tube heat exchangers (STHXs) as waste heat recovery systems. The STHXs are triangular (30°, STHX-T), rotated triangular (60°, STHX-RT), and combined (STHX-C). Water at a temperature of 10 °C was circulated through a bundle of tubes inlet to recover waste heat from hot water at the temperature of 65 °C. Water was circulated through the shell inlet within the mass flow rate range of 0.5 ≤ ṁ ≤ 3.5 kg/s. ANSYS-Fluent was used to perform a three-dimensional computational study under steady-state conditions. The turbulence model, realizable k-epsilon, was adopted because of the possible transition from laminar to turbulence. The results were validated with the Kern correlation for shell-side heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. The temperatures, pressure drop, velocity, and overall heat transfer coefficient for all the cases were compared. Temperature contours, pressure contour, velocity vector, and velocity contour were presented for flow visualization. When the simulation results of the different STHXs were compared, the results revealed that the STHX-T layout has the highest overall heat transfer coefficient of 2307.09 W/m2K. The maximum pressure drop of 242.42 Pa, highest temperature drop in the shell zone of 4.48 K, and highest temperature rise in the tube side of 6.67 K, followed by STHX-C and STHX-RT layout were obtained.

Effect Analysis on the Maximum Nondimensional Temperature in the Cold Plate in Battery Thermal Management System-Based Artificial Neural Network

Abstract A serpentine channel cold plate is a unique configuration of cold plate used extensively in battery thermal management systems due to its low-pressure drop and high heat transfer performance. Generalized analysis on serpentine channel cold plate for battery thermal management is very limited, especially using the finite element method (FEM). Through this study, we seek to obtain the maximum temperature on the cold plate subjected to uniform heat flux conditions from the Li-ion battery pack. The governing equations for the heat transfer through the cold plate under steady-state conditions are nondimensionalized to reduce the number of operating parameters from 12 to 4. The artificial neural network (ANN) is used to develop a correlation between nondimensionalized maximum temperature and the four nondimensional operating parameters. The ANN prediction has obtained a mean squared error (MSE) loss of the order of 10−6 and R2 value equal to 1 on the validation and test datasets. The temperature surface plots of the cold plate have been obtained for multiple channel configurations. The present study helps in reducing the overall computational time (59.13 s for 1296 simulations) and provides a generalized ANN-based correlation to predict the maximum temperature, which is vital to operate the battery under safe temperature limits.