Simulation study on combustion system of tankless gas water heater

This paper simulates the combustion system of a regular tankless gas water heater under different static pressure conditions.The simulation results are in accordance with the test results.It proves that the used physical and mathematical models are reasonable.The results show that the flame height and the excess air ratios depend on the system pressure drop but not on the absolute pressure at the combustion chamber.The pressure drop and the amount of combustion air have an inverse relationship with CO generation,and they also impact on the temperature and velocity fields.To reduce CO emission,a stronger fan is needed to provide extra pressure head to ensure that enough combustion air is introduced into the system.This study provides a useful research tool to develop products through computational fluid dynamic analysis and laboratory testing.

Self-assembly of hierarchical ZnSnO_3-SnO_2 nanoflakes and their gas sensing properties

A new type of hierarchical ZnSnO3-SnO2 flower-shaped nanostructure composed of thin nanoflakes as secondary units is successfully prepared through a simple hydrothermal process. The polyhedral ZnSnO3 core acts as a sacrificed template for the growth of hierarchical SnO2 nanoflakes, and the average thickness of SnO2 nanoflakes is around 25 nm. The time-dependent morphology evolution of ZnSnO3-SnO2 samples was investigated, and a possible formation mechanism of these hierarchical structures is discussed. The gas sensor based on these novel ZnSnO3-SnO2 nanostructures exhibits high response and quick response- recovery traits to ethanol （C2H5OH）. It is found that ZnSnO3-SnO2 nanoflakes have a response of 27.8 to 50×10-6 C2H5OH at the optimal operating temperature of 270 °C, and the response and recovery time are within 1.0 and 1.8 s, respectively.

Impacts of tropical cyclone inflow angle on ocean surface waves

The inflow angle of tropical cyclones （TC） is generally neglected in numerical studies of ocean surface waves induced by TC. In this study, the impacts of TC inflow angle on ocean surface waves were investigated using a high-resolution wave model. Six numerical experiments were conducted to examine, in detail, thc effects of inflow angle on mean wave parameters and the spectrum of wave directions. A comparison of the waves simulated in these experiments shows that inflow angle significantly modifies TC-induced ocean surface waves. As the inflow angle increases, the asymmetric axis of the significant wave height （SWH） field shifts 30° clockwise, and the maximum SWH moves from the front-right to the rear-right quadrant. Inflow angle also affects other mean wave parameters, especially in the rear-left quadrant, such as the mean wave direction, the mean wavelength, and the peak direction. Inflow angle is a key factor in wave models for the reproduction of double-peak or multi-peak patterns in the spectrum of wave directions. Sensitivity experiments also show that the simulation with a 40° inflow angle is the closest to that of the NOAA statistical SLOSH inflow angle. This suggests that 40° can be used as the inflow angle in future TC-induced ocean surface wave simulations when SLOSH or observed inflow angles are not available.

Experimental assessment of two-phase bubble pump for solar water heating

The research goal is to develop a new solar water heater system(SWHS) that uses a solar bubble pump instead of an electric pump.The pump is powered by the steam produced from an evacuated tube collector.Therefore,heat could be transferred downward from the collector to a hot water storage tank.The designed system consists of two sets of heat-pipe evacuated tube collectors,a solar bubble pump installed at an upper level and a water storage tank with a heat exchanger at a lower level.Discharge heads of 1 and 5 m were tested.The bubble pump could operate at the collector temperature of about 90-100 ℃ and vapor gage pressure of 80-90 kPa.It is found that water circulation within the SWHS depends on the incident solar intensity and system discharge head.Experimental investigations are conducted to obtain the system thermal efficiencies from the hourly,daily and long-term performance tests.The thermal performance of the proposed system is compared with conventional solar water heaters.The results show that the proposed system achieves system characteristic efficiency of 10% higher than that of the conventional systems using electric pump if taking the consumption of electric power into account.And the former is a zero carbon system.

Full-Scale Measurement and Numerical Analysis of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Water Heaters with Ventilation Factors in Balcony

This study carried out full-scale gas water heater combustion experiments and adopted FDS （fire dynamics simulator） to simulate three scenarios--different balcony environments when using water heater, such as airtight balcony, indoor door with openings and force ventilation to compare with full-scale combustion experiments. According to FDS simulation results, 02, CO and CO2 simulation concentration value correspond with full-scale experimental results. When the indoor O2 concentration was lower than 15%, which causes incomplete combustion, the CO concentration would rise rapidly and even reached above 1,500 ppm, causing death in short time. In addition, when the force ventilation model supplied the water heater with enough air to bum, the indoor CO concentration will keep low and harmless to humans. The study also adopted diverse variables, such as the opening area of window, outdoor wind speed and water heater types, to analyze deeply user＇s safety regarding gas water heater. In a result, while balcony area is larger than 14 mE, the volume of water heater is below 16 L （33.1 kW）, and the indoor window, connecting balcony with room, is closed, if the opening on the outdoor window of the balcony is larger than 0.2 mE, this can ensure the personal security of the indoor space.

Numerical investigation of optimal geometry parameters for ejectors of premixed burner

An ejector of low NO~ burner was designed for a gas instantaneous water heater in this work. The flowing and mixing process of the ejector was investigated by computational fluid dynamics （CFD） approach. A comprehensive study was conducted to understand the effects of the geometrical parameters on the static pressure of air and methane, and mole fraction uniformity of methane at the outlet of ejector. The distribution chamber was applied to balance the pressure and improve the mixing process of methane and air in front of the fire hole. A distribution orifice plate with seven distribution orifices was introduced at the outlet of the ejector to improve the flow organization. It is found that the nozzle exit position of 5 mm and nozzle diameter d 〉1.3 mm should be used to improve the flow organization and realize the well premixed combustion for this designed ejector.

Trends in Significant Wave Height and Surface Wind Speed in the China Seas Between 1988 and 2011

Wind and waves are key components of the climate system as they drive air-sea interactions and influence weather systems and atmospheric circulation. In marine environments, understanding surface wind and wave fields and their evolution over time is important for conducting safe and efficient human activities, such as navigation and engineering. This study considers long-term trends in the sea surface wind speed(WS) and significant wave height(SWH) in the China Seas over the period 1988–2011 using the Cross-Calibrated Multi-Platform(CCMP) ocean surface wind product and a 24-year hindcast wave dataset obtained from the WAVEWATCH-III(WW3) wave model forced with CCMP winds. The long-term trends in WS and SWH in the China Seas are analyzed over the past 24 years to provide a reference point from which to assess future climate change and offshore wind and wave energy resource development in the region. Results demonstrate that over the period 1988–2011 in the China Seas: 1) WS and SWH showed a significant increasing trend of 3.38 cm s^(-1)yr^(-1) and 1.52 cm yr^(-1), respectively; 2) there were notable regional differences in the long-term trends of WS and SWH; 3) areas with strong increasing trends were located mainly in the middle of the Tsushima Strait, the northern and southern areas of the Taiwan Strait, and in nearshore regions of the northern South China Sea; and 4) the long-term trend in WS was closely associated with El Ni?o and a significant increase in the occurrence of gale force winds in the region.

Transient Exergy Analysis of the Condenser and Evaporator of an Air Source Heat Pump Water Heater

In this study the performance of an ASHPWH （air source heat pump water heater） is assessed from exergy point of view in component wise. In order to investigate the work potential of energy, the destruction on the exergy is analyzed and results are summarized for the components individually. The exergy destruction of the system is studied by considering real paths of the pressure and temperature data which are collected during the experiments of the ASHPWH under varying environmental conditions. In the following step, the evolution of the exergy destruction of the system is calculated by a code which is compiled on MATLAB along these temperature and pressure paths. The obtained results reveal the importance of the transient exergy analysis by providing detailed information about exergy destruction of the system such as where it drives up and reaches up to its max and where it drops down and evolves on a smooth path.

Exploring heating performance of gas engine heat pump with heat recovery

In order to evaluate the heating performance of gas engine heat pump（GEHP） for air-conditioning and hot water supply, a test facility was developed and experiments were performed over a wide range of engine speed（1400-2600 r/min）, ambient air temperature（2.4-17.8 ℃） and condenser water inlet temperature（30-50℃）. The results show that as engine speed increases from 1400 r/min to 2600 r/min, the total heating capacity and energy consumption increase by about 30% and 89%, respectively; while the heat pump coefficient of performance（COP） and system primary energy ratio（PER） decrease by 44% and 31%, respectively. With the increase of ambient air temperature from 2.4 ℃ to 17.8 ℃, the heat pump COP and system PER increase by 32% and 19%, respectively. Moreover, the heat pump COP and system PER decrease by 27% and 15%, respectively, when the condenser water inlet temperature changes from 30 ℃ to 50 ℃. So, it is obvious that the effect of engine speed on the performance is more significant than the effects of ambient air temperature and condenser water inlet temperature.

Temperature Profiles in the Flow Channel of a Natural Convection Solar Air Heater

An experimental investigation was conducted to measure the temperature variation across the flow channel and to determine the performance of a natural convection solar air heater at various tilt angles from 15, 30 and 45°. The results of the temperature profile across the air gap showed that heat transfer from the absorber plate to the air stream was mainly by convection. At a particular section, mean air temperature could be calculated from the arithmetic mean of the temperature profile across the air gap to within ± 2 ℃. The axial air temperature distribution was non linear and did not increase much beyond 1 m of collector length. It tended to decrease towards the end of the collector. Overall glass, absorber plate and mean air temperatures over the entire length of the solar air heater could be determined by averaging the mean axial temperatures to within ± 2 ℃. The heater performed better as inclination increased.

Energy Efficiency Classification for Agricultural Heater

Classification of energy efficiency system for agricultural heater was discussed and analyzed in order to derive an energy efficiency classification scheme for agricultural heater. Current practices of energy efficiency programs for other products such as residential gas boiler were investigated and analyzed. Test items including energy efficiency and standby power for agricultural heater were analyzed. With the data of residential gas boiler, grade distribution of energy efficiency system was made and evaluated. An energy efficiency classification scheme for agricultural heater was proposed and applied to agricultural heaters, and the scheme was justified. Introducing a new energy efficiency classification system to the agricultural heater industry, it is expected that considerable amount of fossil fuels can be reduced by adopting energy efficiency classification system.

Analytical Evaluation of the Energy Losses of an Air Source Heat Pump Water Heater： A Retrofit Type

ASHP （air source heat pump） water heater is a renewable and energy efficient device used for sanitary hot water production. The system comprises of a storage tank and heat pump connected by pipes. These major units can either be compact as in the integrated model or split as in the retro-fit model. In this research, the analysis of energy losses was performed using SIRAC （the Southern African refrigeration and air conditioning） residential split type heat pump of 1.2 kW input power to retrofit a 200 liter high pressure kwikhot storage tank without hot water being drawn off for the entire monitoring period. Likewise to experimentally determine the losses DAS （data acquisition system） was designed and built to measure Ta （ambient temperature; RH-relative humidity）, RH, To （ASHP outlet water temperature）, Ti （ASHP inlet water temperature） and Vh. （volume of water heated by ASHP unit）.The results showed that the heat energy gain to compensate standby losses could range from 1.8 kWh to 2.1 kWh with the corresponding electrical energy used by ASHP water heater ranging from 0.55 kWh to 0.66 kWh. The standby losses depend primarily on the Vh, the Ta and the RH while the influence of （To - Ti） is secondary. The results can be of valuable interest to manufacturer of retrofit ASHP unit for hot water production when matching the electrical energy required to compensate for the standby losses.

Drying of Fish Sardines in Oman Using Solar Tunnel Dryers

This paper deals with the design, construction and performance evaluation procedure of a solar tunnel dryer in drying fish. A 12 meter long and 2 meter width half-circled tunnel was designed and constructed to dry about 50-100 kg of freshly harvested fishes per batch. The half of the tunnel base was used as the flat plate air heating solar collector and the remaining half as a dryer. The drying air was forced from the collector region （north side） to the drying region （south side） of the half circled tunnel where the product is to be dried. The drying temperature could be easily raised by some 5-30 ℃ above the ambient temperature inside the tunnel at an air velocity of approximately 0.2 m/sec. The test was conducted with 51.5 kg freshly harvested sardines （hall-load） with initial moisture content of 66.5% （wet-basis） to analyze the performance of the dryer. The fishes were dried to a final average moisture content of 15.5% （wet-basis） within three days （30 hours）. It was possible to reach the moisture content level for safe storage within less than three days （30 hrs） with solar tunnel dryer and 7 days in open air natural sun drying. The improvement in the quality of fishes in terms of color, brightness, flavor, and taste and food value was distinctly recognized.

Study on Forced Convective Heat Transfer of Non-Newtonian Nanofluids

This paper is concerned with the forced convective heat transfer of dilute liquid suspensions of nanoparticles （nanofluids） flowing through a straight pipe under laminar conditions. Stable nanofluids are formulated by using the high shear mixing and ultrasonication methods. They are then characterised for their size, surface charge,thermal and rheological properties and tested for their convective heat transfer behaviour. Mathematical modelling is performed to simulate the convective heat transfer of nanofluids using a single phase flow model and considering nanofluids as both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid. Both experiments and mathematical modelling show that nanofluids can substantially enhance the convective heat transfer. Analyses of the results suggest that the non-Newtonian character of nanofluids influences the overall enhancement, especially for nanofluids with an obvious non-Newtonian character.

Performance analysis of air-water dual source heat pump water heater with heat recovery

A new air-water dual source heat pump water heater with heat recovery is proposed.The heat pump system can heat water by using a single air source,a single water source,or air-water dual sources.The water is first pre-heated by waste hot water,then heated by the heat pump.Waste heat is recovered by first preheating the cold water and as water source of the heat pump.According to the correlated formulas of the coefficient of performance of air-source heat pump and water-source heat pump,and the gain coefficient of heat recovery-preheater,the formulas for the coefficient of performance of heat pump in six operating modes are obtained by using the dimensionless correspondence analysis method.The system characteristics of heat absorption and release associated with the heat recovery-preheater are analyzed at different working conditions.The developed approaches can provide reference for the optimization of the operating modes and parameters.The results of analysis and experiments show that the coefficient of performance of the device can reach 4-5.5 in winter,twice as much as air source heat pump water heater.The utilization of waste heat in the proposed system is higher than that in the system which only uses waste water to preheating or as heat source.Thus,the effect of energy saving of the new system is obvious.On the other hand,the dimensionless correspondence analysis method is introduced to performance analysis of the heat pump,which also has theoretical significance and practical value.