Numerical Investigation of the Thermal Behavior of a System with a Partition Wall Incorporating a Phase Change Material

The work deals with the thermal behavior of a conventional partition wall incorporating a phase change material(PCM).The wall separates two environments with different thermal properties.The first one is conditioned,while the adjacent space is characterized by a temperature that changes sinusoidally in time.The effect of the PCM is assessed through a comparative analysis of the cases with and without PCM.The performances are evaluated in terms of dimensionless energy stored within the wall,comfort temperature and variations of these quantities as a function of the amount of PCM and its emplacement.

Neutronic study on the effect of first wall material thickness on tritium production and material damage in a fusion reactor

In this study,the effects of changing first wall materials and their thicknesses on a reactor were investigated to determine the displacement per atom(DPA)and gas production(helium and hydrogen)in the first wall,as well as the tritium breeding ratio(TBR)in the coolant and tritium breeding zones.Therefore,the modeling of the magnetic fusion reactor was determined based on the blanket parameters of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor(ITER).Stainless steel(SS 316 LNIG),Oxide Dispersion Strengthened Steel alloy(PM2000 ODS),and China low-activation martensitic steel(CLAM)were used as the first wall(FW)materials.Fluoride family molten salt materials(FLiBe,FLiNaBe,FLiPb)and lithium oxide(LiO_(2))were considered the coolant and tritium production material in the blanket,respectively.Neutron transport calculations were performed using the wellknown 3D code MCNP5 using the continuous-energy Monte Carlo method.The built-in continuous energy nuclear and atomic data libraries along with the Evaluated Nuclear Data file(ENDF)system(ENDF/B-V and ENDF/B-VI)were used.Additionally,the activity cross-section data library CLAW-IV was used to evaluate both the DPA values and gas production of the first wall(FW)materials.An interface computer program written in the FORTRAN 90 language to evaluate the MCNP5 outputs was developed for the fusion reactor blanket.The results indicated that the best TBR value was obtained for the use of the FLiPb coolant,whereas depending on the thickness,the first wall replacement period in terms of radiation damage to all materials was between 6 and 11 years.

Numerical Study on the Combined Use of Corten Steel and Phase Change Materials in Container-Type Houses

A study is presented on the feasibility of an approach based on the combination of Phase Change Materials(PCM)with metal walls in container-type houses.This line of research finds its motivations in recent trends in the energy and building sectors about energy consumption reduction.Another important objective concerns possible improvements in the comfort provided by such houses during the summer period.The results obtained through numerical solution of the governing equations accounting for heat transfer and latent heat effects associated with the PCM show that the indoor temperature can be reduced with a varying degree of success depending on the considered conditions.

Comparison of the thermal properties of clay samples as potential walling material for naturally cooled building design

The thermal properties of different clay samples obtained from locations in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria were investigated and compared, and in order to establish their suitability as building material from energy conservation point of view. The results showed that stoneware clay has the highest solar radiation absorptivity of 22 32 m -1 while kaolin clay has the lowest radiation absoptivity of 14 46 m -1 A model for the prediction of temperature variation with thickness of the samples was developed. Results showed that kaolin would make the best choice for the design of a naturally cooled building.

Optimal Design for Thin-Walled Box Beam Based on Material Strength Reliability

According to the reliability of material strength,the optimal design for the cross sectional size of thin walled box beam was studied.Firstly the cross sectional size as design random variable was determined,then its stochastic nature was researched,with which the objective function is to seek the maximum reliability of the beam under given constraint conditions.This way is not the same as the conventional optimal design for the minimum weight of the material.With establishing the optimal objective,the reliability of the material under conditions of static and fatigue was considered.The corresponding calculated expressions are given.Normally the cross section sizes are fitted to the normal distribution,for the simplification of the design variable,the variation of the section size is assumed as a dependent variable proportional to the mean of the size.The way is different not only with the conventional optimal design but also with the common reliability design.The maximum reliability of material is obtained,meanwhile the area of the cross section is reduced,i.e.,the weight of the material is decreased.

Die wall lubricated warm compaction of iron-based powder metallurgy material

Lubricant is harmful to the mechanical properties of the sintered materials. Die wall lubrication was applied on warm compaction powder metallurgy in the hope of reducing the concentration level of the admixed lubricant. Iron based samples were prepared by die wall lubricated warm compaction at 175 ℃, using a compacting pressure of 550 MPa. Emulsified polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) was used as die wall lubricant. Admixed lubricant concentration ranging from 0 to 0.5% was tested. Extremely low admixed lubricant contents were used. Results show that in addition to the decrease in ejection forces, the green density of the compacts increases with the decrease of admixed lubricant content until it reaches the maximum at 0.06% of lubricant content, then decreases with the decrease of admixed lubricant content. The mechanical properties of the sintered compacts that contain more than 0.06% admixed lubricant are better than those of the samples that contain lesser lubricant. No scoring was observed in all die wall lubricated experiments.

Study on the Thermal Performances of a New Type of Fabricated Thermally Insulating Decorative Wall Material

This study proposes three possible keel-surface layer combinations to implement a new type of thermally insulating decorative wall system.A set of 8 samples has been studied.In particular,through theoretical calculations,simulations,and experimental verification,the influence of different types of connecting structures on the overall thermal performance of the wall system has been determined.It has been found that a proper combination of these elements can meet existing energy-saving standards and effectively reduce the energy loss caused by thermal bridges due to the installation of steel keels at the edges of integrated wall panels.

Thermo-magnetic analysis of thick-walled spherical pressure vessels made of functionally graded materials

This study presents an analytical solution of thermal and mechanical displacements, strains, and stresses for a thick-walled rotating spherical pressure vessel made of functionally graded materials (FGMs). The pressure vessel is subject to axisymmetric mechanical and thermal loadings within a uniform magnetic field. The material properties of the FGM are considered as the power-law distribution along the thickness. Navier’s equation, which is a second-order ordinary differential equation, is derived from the mechanical equilibrium equation with the consideration of the thermal stresses and the Lorentz force resulting from the magnetic field. The distributions of the displacement, strains, and stresses are determined by the exact solution to Navier’s equation. Numerical results clarify the influence of the thermal loading, magnetic field, non-homogeneity constant, internal pressure, and angular velocity on the magneto-thermo-elastic response of the functionally graded spherical vessel. It is observed that these parameters have remarkable effects on the distributions of radial displacement, radial and circumferential strains, and radial and circumferential stresses.

Improvement of Concrete Shear Wall Structures by Smart Materials

Smart materials have found numerous applications in many areas in civil engineering recently. One class of these materials is shape memory alloy (SMA) which exhibits several unique characteristics such as superelasticity and shape memory effect. Due to these characteristics, research efforts have been extended to use SMA in controlling civil structures. This paper investigates the effectiveness of SMA reinforcements in enhancing the behavior of shear walls, especially when subjected to seismic excitations. Two ordinary and coupled shear walls were introduced as reference structures and were modeled by ABAQUS software. For improving the seismic response of the shear walls, vertical SMA reinforcing bars were proposed to be implemented like conventional steel reinforcements, throughout the height of the structures and in every connecting beam in the coupled shear wall system. The one dimensional superelastic model of SMA material was implemented in the computer software using FORTRAN code. The dynamic response of the shear walls subjected to seismic loading was investigated through time history analyses under El-centro and Koyna records. The results showed that using superelastic SMA material instead of steel bars caused remarkable reduction in residual displacement for both ordinary and coupled shear walls. In addition, SMA reinforcements could significantly decrease the maximum deflection of the coupled shear wall system.

Structural model for the first wall W-based material in ITER project

The preparation, characterization, and test of the first wall materials designed to be used in the fusion reactor have remained challenging problems in the material science. This work uses the firstprinciples method as implemented in the CASTEP package to study the influ ences of the doped titanium carbide on the structural sta bility of the WTiC material. The calculated total energy and enthalpy have been used as criteria to judge the structural models built with consideration of symmetry. Our simulation indicates that the doped TiC tends to form its own domain up to the investigated nanoscale, which implies a possible phase separation. This result reveals the intrinsic reason for the composite nature of the WTiC material and provides an explanation for the experimen tally observed phase separation at the nanoscale. Our approach also sheds a light on explaining the enhancing effects of doped components on the durability, reliability, corrosion resistance, etc., in many special steels.

Designing an Automatic Control System for the Improved Functioning of a Solar Wall with Phase Change Material (PCM)

Solar walls constitute an important green architectural feature that positively contributes to energy saving in buildings. Different configurations may be proposed, such as, solar wall with Phase Change Material (PCM), composite solar wall, photovoltaic solar wall, zigzag solar wall, and solar hybrid wall. Being environmentally friendly, these passive solar components can provide thermal comfort and help save energy. Their disadvantages include principally unpredictable heat transfer, heat losses by night for some systems or inverse thermo-siphon phenomenon. Appropriate energy management techniques can be used to control and optimize the performances of solar walls. An experimental study for energy management of a PCM based solar wall is described in this paper. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed automatic control system in regulating the capture of solar energy.

Numerical Study of Thin Film Condensation in Forced Convection of Saturated Vapor on a Vertical Wall Covered with a Porous Material

The study of forced convection in a porous medium has aroused and still arouses today the interest of many scientists and industrialists. A considerable amount of work has been undertaken following the discovery of the phenomenon. Solving a standard problem of forced convection in porous media comes down to predicting the temperature and velocity fields as well as the intensity of the flow as a function of the various parameters of the problem. A numerical study of the condensation in forced convection of a pure and saturated vapor on a vertical wall covered with a porous material is presented. The transfers in the porous medium and the liquid film are described respectively by the Darcy-Brinkman model and the classical boundary layer equations. The dimensionless equations are solved by an implicit finite difference method and the iterative Gauss-Seidel method. Our study makes it possible to examine and highlight the role of parameters such as: the Froude number and the thickness of the porous layer on the speed and the temperature in the porous medium. Given the objective of our study, the presentation of velocity and temperature profiles is limited in the porous medium. The results show that the Froude number does not influence the thermal field. The temperature increases with an increase in the thickness of the dimensionless porous layer. The decrease in the Froude number leads to an increase in the hydrodynamic field.

Suitability of Large Sized Compacted Baked Clay Blocks as a Walling Material

Some disadvantages associated with conventional brick masonry are: high cost of construction, lower compressive strength and less durability. In order to resolve these problems, a new technique of constructing walls using large size baked clay blocks is introduced. For this purpose, clay blocks of size 150 mm × 300 mm × 1980 mm were cast at a pressure of 6 MPa, and fired at a temperature of 700℃. In this paper, compressive strength and tensile strength of baked clay were investigated in order to find its suitability as a walling material for low cost houses. Cubes of 150 mm sides were tested in compression and the beams were tested in flexure. The results showed that compressive strength of baked clay cubes was found to be 10 MPa and tensile strength, in terms of modulus of rupture, was found to be 2.3 MPa. Since the baked clay blocks are larger in size than traditional bricks, it is inferred that the blocks could be used as a cheaper and stronger walling material.

Numerical Study of Thin Film Condensation in Forced Convection on an Inclined Wall Covered with a Porous Material

The present work presents a study of forced convection condensation of a laminar film of a pure and saturated vapor on a porous plate inclined to the vertical. The Darcy-Brinkman-Forchheimer model is used to write the flow in the porous medium, while the classical boundary layer equations have been exploited in the pure liquid and in the porous medium taking into account inertia and enthalpy convection terms. The problem has been solved numerically. The results are mainly presented in the form of velocity and temperature profiles. The obtained results have been compared with the numerical results of Chaynane et al. [1]. The effects of different influential parameters such as: inclination (ϕ), effective viscosity (ReK), and dimensionless thermal conductivity λ* on the flow and heat transfers are outlined.

Powell's optimal identification of material constants of thin-walled box girders based on Fibonacci series search method

A dynamic Bayesian error function of material constants of the structure is developed for thin-walled curve box girders. Combined with the automatic search scheme with an optimal step length for the one-dimensional Fibonacci series, Powell＇s optimization theory is used to perform the stochastic identification of material constants of the thin-walled curve box. Then, the steps in the parameter identification are presented. Powell＇s identification procedure for material constants of the thin-walled curve box is compiled, in which the mechanical analysis of the thin-walled curve box is completed based on the finite curve strip element （FCSE） method. Some classical examples show that Powell＇s identification is numerically stable and convergent, indicating that the present method and the compiled procedure are correct and reliable. During the parameter iterative processes, Powell＇s theory is irrelevant with the calculation of the FCSE partial differentiation, which proves the high computation efficiency of the studied methods. The stochastic performances of the system parameters and responses axe simultaneously considered in the dynamic Bayesian error function. The one-dimensional optimization problem of the optimal step length is solved by adopting the Fibonacci series search method without the need of determining the region, in which the optimized step length lies.

Thermal comfort in a building with Trombe wall integrated with phase change materials in hot summer and cold winter region without air conditioning

Trombe wall and phase change materials(PCMs)are two effective ways to regulate indoor thermal comfort.However,Trombe wall surfers from overheating in summer and PCMs suffer from low heat transfer rate caused by the limited thermal conductivity.To compensate the shortcomings of the two methods,this paper proposed a Trombe wall system integrated with PCMs.Based on a light-weight building envelope in Changsha,China,the thermal comfort of 10 kinds of Trombe wall systems with PCMs with a melting temperature of 18-28℃ were studied.Taking the integrated indoor discomfort duration(I_(D)),integrated indoor discomfort degree-hour(I_(DH)),indoor air temperature(T_(in)),PCM liquid fraction(γ)and heat flux across wall(q)as evaluation indexes,the indoor thermal comfort was assessed in hot summer and cold winter region.Results show that the Trombe wall helped PCMs complete the phase change process effectively.Trombe wall with PCM25 next to the wall inner surface possessed the lowest annual I_(D) and I_(DH),as 2877 h and 12,974℃·h,respectively.Compared with the values in a traditional building,the I_(D) and I_(DH) were reduced by 7.01% and 14.14%.In order to give full play to the heat storage and heat release of the Trombe wall with PCMs,PCMs with phase change temperature 7℃ lower than the peak ambient temperature in summer or 8℃ higher than the winter night temperature was recommended according to regional climate conditions.

Coupled heat and moisture transfer in walls featuring moisture-buffering materials and ventilating layers:An Experimental study

The moisture performance of building envelopes largely depends on the building materials,construction tech-niques,and exposure loads from the indoor and outdoor regions.A ventilated air interlayer placed in a wall can help dehumidify the wall and indoor air.This paper presents an experimental study of the heat,air,and moisture variations within the envelope wall of a chamber featuring different air interlayer settings under real outdoor air conditions during the summer of 2020 in Shanghai,China.Self-developed humidity-controlling building mate-rials were applied to the inner building envelope.Temperature,humidity,wind velocity,and heat-flow sensors were placed at different positions in the middle of the wall.These parameters were measured and recorded in real-time under three working conditions:humidification,dehumidification,and ventilation.The experimental results show that under the ventilation working conditions,moisture content of 0.52 kg can be removed after a 2-h air layer ventilation,which can benefit the design strategy for the humidification and ventilation of dehu-midification walls.

Study on the influences of ionization region material arrangement on Hall thruster channel discharge characteristics

There exists strong interaction between the plasma and channel wall in the Hall thruster,which greatly affects the discharge performance of the thruster.In this paper,a two-dimensional physical model is established based on the actual size of an Aton P70 Hall thruster discharge channel.The particle-in-cell simulation method is applied to study the influences of segmented low emissive graphite electrode biased with anode voltage on the discharge characteristics of the Hall thruster channel.The influences of segmented electrode placed at the ionization region on electric potential,ion number density,electron temperature,ionization rate,discharge current and specific impulse are discussed.The results show that,when segmented electrode is placed at the ionization region,the axial length of the acceleration region is shortened,the equipotential lines tend to be vertical with wall at the acceleration region,thus radial velocity of ions is reduced along with the wall corrosion.The axial position of the maximal electron temperature moves towards the exit with the expansion of ionization region.Furthermore,the electron-wall collision frequency and ionization rate also increase,the discharge current decreases and the specific impulse of the Hall thruster is slightly enhanced.