Heat transfer and parametric studies of an encapsulated phase change material based cool thermal energy storage system

This work investigates the transient behaviour of a phase change material based cool thermal energy storage (CTES) system comprised of a cylindrical storage tank filled with encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) in spherical container integrated with an ethylene glycol chiller plant. A simulation program was developed to evaluate the temperature histories of the heat transfer fluid (HTF) and the phase change material at any axial location during the charging period. The results of the model were validated by comparison with experimental results of temperature profiles of HTF and PCM. The model was also used to investigate the effect of porosity, Stanton number, Stefan number and Peclet number on CTES system performance. The results showed that increase in porosity contributes to a higher rate of energy storage. However, for a given geometry and heat transfer coefficient, the mass of PCM charged in the unit decreases as the increase in porosity. The St number as well as the Ste number is also influential in the performance of the unit. The model is a convenient and more suitable method to determine the heat transfer characteristics of CTES system. The results reported are much useful for designing CTES system.

Simulation of longitudinal dynamics of laser-cooled and RF-bunched C^3＋ ion beams at heavy ion storage ring CSRe

Laser cooling of Li-like C^3＋and O^4＋relativistic heavy ion beams is planned at the experimental Cooler Storage Ring（CSRe）. Recently, a preparatory experiment to test important prerequisites for laser cooling of relativistic^12C^3＋ion beams using a pulsed laser system has been performed at the CSRe. Unfortunately, the interaction between the ions and the pulsed laser cannot be detected. In order to study the laser cooling process and find the optimized parameters for future laser cooling experiments, a multi-particle tracking method has been developed to simulate the detailed longitudinal dynamics of laser-cooled ion beams at the CSRe. Simulations of laser cooling of the^12C^3＋ion beams by scanning the frequency of the RF-buncher or continuous wave（CW） laser wavelength have been performed. The simulation results indicate that ion beams with a large momentum spread could be laser-cooled by the combination of only one CW laser and the RF-buncher, and show the requirements of a successful laser cooling experiment. The optimized parameters for scanning the RF-buncher frequency or laser frequency have been obtained.Furthermore, the heating effects have been estimated for laser cooling at the CSRe. The Schottky noise spectra of longitudinally modulated and laser-cooled ion beams have been simulated to fully explain and anticipate the experimental results. The combination of Schottky spectra from the highly sensitive resonant Schottky pick-up and the simulation methods developed in this paper will be helpful to investigate the longitudinal dynamics of RF-bunched and ultra-cold ion beams in the upcoming laser cooling experiments at the CSRe.