Finite-Time Thermodynamic Simulation of Circulating Direct Condensation Heat Recovery on Chillers

A time series model is used in this paper to describe the progress of circulating direct condensation heat recovery of the compound condensing process (CCP) which is made of two water cooling condensing processes in series for a centrifugal chiller in the paper. A finite-time thermodynamics method is used to set up the time series simulation model. As a result, an upper bound of recoverable condensation heat for the compound condensing process is obtained which is in good agreement with experimental result. And the result is valuable and useful to optimization design of condensing heat recovery.

Solvation Engineering via Fluorosurfactant Additive Toward Boosted Lithium-Ion Thermoelectrochemical Cells

Lithium-ion thermoelectrochemical cell(LTEC), featuring simultaneous energy conversion and storage, has emerged as promising candidate for low-grade heat harvesting. However, relatively poor thermosensitivity and heat-to-current behavior limit the application of LTECs using LiPF_6 electrolyte. Introducing additives into bulk electrolyte is a reasonable strategy to solve such problem by modifying the solvation structure of electrolyte ions. In this work, we develop a dual-salt electrolyte with fluorosurfactant(FS) additive to achieve high thermopower and durability of LTECs during the conversion of low-grade heat into electricity. The addition of FS induces a unique Li~+ solvation with the aggregated double anions through a crowded electrolyte environment,resulting in an enhanced mobility kinetics of Li~+ as well as boosted thermoelectrochemical performances. By coupling optimized electrolyte with graphite electrode, a high thermopower of 13.8 mV K^(-1) and a normalized output power density of 3.99 mW m^(–2) K^(–2) as well as an outstanding output energy density of 607.96 J m^(-2) can be obtained.These results demonstrate that the optimization of electrolyte by regulating solvation structure will inject new vitality into the construction of thermoelectrochemical devices with attractive properties.

The Application of Thermomechanical Dynamics (TMD) to Thermoelectric Energy Generation by Employing a Low Temperature Stirling Engine

A thermoelectric generation Stirling engine (TEG-Stirling engine) is discussed by employing a low temperature Stirling engine and the dissipative equation of motion derived from the method of thermomechanical dynamics (TMD). The results and mechanism of axial flux electromagnetic induction (AF-EMI) are applied to a low temperature Stirling engine, resulting in a TEG-Stirling engine. The method of TMD produced thermodynamically consistent and time-dependent physical quantities for the first time, such as internal energy ℰ(t), thermodynamic work Wth(t), the total entropy (heat dissipation) Qd(t)and measure or temperature of a nonequilibrium state T˜(t). The TMD analysis produced a lightweight mechanical system of TEG-Stirling engine which derives electric power from waste heat of temperature (40˚CT100˚C) by a thermoelectric conversion method. An optimal low rotational speed about 30θ′(t)/(2π)60(rpm) is found, applicable to devices for sustainable, clean energy technologies. The stability of a thermal state and angular rotations of TEG-Stirling engine are specifically shown by employing properties of nonequilibrium temperature T˜(t), which is also applied to study optimal fuel-injection and combustion timings of heat engines.

Quantum Stirling heat engine with squeezed thermal reservoir

We analyze the performance of a quantum Stirling heat engine(QSHE), using a two-level system and a harmonic oscillator as the working medium, that is in contact with a squeezed thermal reservoir and a cold reservoir. First, we derive closed-form expressions for the produced work and efficiency, which strongly depend on the squeezing parameter rh. Then, we prove that the effect of squeezing heats the working medium to a higher effective temperature, which leads to better overall performance. In particular, the efficiency increases with the degree of squeezing, surpassing the standard Carnot limit when the ratio of the temperatures of the hot and cold reservoirs is small. Furthermore, we derive the analytical expressions for the efficiency at maximum work and the maximum produced work in the high and low temperature regimes,and we find that at extreme temperatures the squeezing parameter rhdoes not affect the performance of the QSHE. Finally,the performance of the QSHE depends on the nature of the working medium.

Experiment Study on the Exhaust-Gas Heat Exchanger for Small and Medium-Sized Marine Diesel Engine

This paper aims to design a special exchanger to recover the exhaust gas heat of marine diesel engines used in small and medium-sized fishing vessels,which can then be used to heat water up to 55°C–85°C for membrane desalination devices to produce fresh water.A new exhaust-gas heat exchanger of fins and tube,with a reinforced heat transfer tube section,unequal spacing fins,a mixing zone between the fin groups and four routes tube bundle,was designed.Numerical simulations were also used to provide reference information for structural design.Experiments were carried out for exhaust gas waste heat recovery from a marine diesel engine in an engine test bench utilizing the heat exchanger.The experimental results show that the difference between heat absorption by water and heat reduction of exhaust gas is less than 6.5%.After the water flow rate was adjusted,the exhaust gas waste heat recovery efficiency was higher than 70%,and the exhaust-gas heat exchanger’s outlet water temperature was 55°C–85°C at different engine loads.This means that the heat recovery from the exhaust gas of a marine diesel engine meets the requirement to drive a membrane desalination device to produce fresh water for fishers working in small and medium-sized fishing vessels.

Construction and realization of the knowledge base and inference engine of an IDSS model for air-conditioning cooling/heating sources selection

The knowledge representation mode and inference control strategy were analyzed according to the specialties of air-conditioning cooling/heating sources selection. The constructing idea and working procedure for knowledge base and inference engine were proposed while the realization technique of the C language was discussed. An intelligent decision support system (IDSS) model based on such knowledge representation and inference mechanism was developed by domain engineers. The model was verified to have a small kernel and powerful capability in list processing and data driving, which was successfully used in the design of a cooling/heating sources system for a large-sized office building.

Recent advance on the efficiency at maximum power of heat engines

This review reports several key advances on the theoretical investigations of efficiency at maximum power of heat engines in the past five years. The analytical results of efficiency at maximum power for the Curzon-Ahlborn heat engine, the stochastic heat engine constructed from a Brownian particle, and Feynman＇s ratchet as a heat engine are presented. It is found that： the efficiency at maximum power exhibits universal behavior at small relative temperature differences; the lower and the upper bounds might exist under quite general conditions; and the problem of efficiency at maximum power comes down to seeking for the minimum irreversible entropy production in each finite-time isothermal process for a given time.

Output power analyses of an endoreversible Carnot heat engine with irreversible heat transfer processes based on generalized heat transfer law

In this paper, an endoreversible Carnot heat engine with irreversible heat transfer processes is analyzed based on generalized heat transfer law. The applicability of the entropy generation minimization, exergy analyses method, and entransy theory to the analyses is discussed. Three numerical cases are presented. It is shown that the results obtained from the entransy theory are different from those from the entropy generation minimization, which is equivalent to the exergy analyses method. For the first case in which the application preconditions of the entropy generation minimization and entransy loss maximization are satisfied, both smaller entropy generation rate and larger entransy loss rate lead to larger output power. For the second and third cases in which the preconditions are not satisfied, the entropy generation minimization does not lead to the maximum output power, while larger entransy loss rate still leads to larger output power in the third case. For the discussed cases, the concept of entransy dissipation is not applicable for the analyses of output power.The problems in the negative comments on the entransy theory are pointed out and discussed. The related researchers are advised to focus on some new specific application cases to show if the entransy theory is the same as some other theories.

Optimization of combined endoreversible Carnot heat engines with different objectives

Taking the output power, thermal efficiency, and thermo-economic performance as the optimization objectives, we optimize the operation parameters of a thermodynamic system with combined endoreversible Carnot heat engines in this paper. The applicabilities of the entropy generation minimization and entransy theory to the optimizations are discussed. For the discussed cases, only the entransy loss coefficient is always agreeable to the optimization of thermal efficiency. The applicabilities of the other discussed concepts to the optimizations are conditional. Different concepts and principles are needed for different optimization objectives, and the optimization principles have their application preconditions. When the preconditions are not satisfied, the principles may be not applicable.

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.

Study on least square modeling of heat engineering object based on typical signal response

This paper proposes a kind of least square modeling method based on typical signal response to enhance modeling accuracy of heat engineering process and adapts the environment that modeling experiment conditions are limited. The principle of this method is, under the condition of known typical pulse, step and slope signal response and model structure, to give algorithm of model parameters of identified continuous system by least square mode through derivation. The method is applied to the identification of heat exchange process for a consumer substation, and identification result obtained is compared with that of other conventional methods. After the comparison the result shows that identification accuracy is improved obviously. In addition to the good identification accuracy, this method has the characteristics such as it can identify directly continuous system model, pure lagging time, and is not sensitive to data length in the identification process. All these characteristics show that this method is simple, easy to implement and has good practicability.

Thermodynamic Performance Characteristics of a Brownian Microscopic Heat Engine Driven by Discrete and Periodic Temperature Field

A Brownian microscopic heat engine with a particle hopping on a one-dimensional lattice driven by adiscrete and periodic temperature field in a periodic sawtooth potential is investigated.In order to clarify the underlyingphysical pictures of the heat engine, the heat flow via the potential energy and the kinetic energy of the particles areconsidered simultaneously.Based on describing the jumps among the three states, the expressions of the efficiency andpower output of the heat engine are derived analytically.The general performance characteristic curves are plotted bynumerical calculation.It is found that the power output-efficiency curve is a loop-shaped one, which is similar to onefor a real irreversible heat engine.The influence of the ratio of the temperature of the hot and cold reservoirs and thesawtooth potential on the maximum efficiency and power output is analyzed for some given parameters.When the heatflows via the kinetic energy is neglected, the power output-efficiency curve is an open-shaped one, which is similar to onefor an endroeversible heat engine.

Assessment of the Application of Subcooled Fluid Boiling to Diesel Engines for Heat Transfer Enhancement

The increasing demand of cooling in internal combustion engines(ICE)due to engine downsizing may require a shift in the heat removal method from the traditional single phase liquid convection to the application of new technologies based on subcooled fluid boiling.Accordingly,in the present study,experiments based on subcooled flow boiling of 50/50 by volume mixture of ethylene glycol and water coolant(EG/W)in a rectangular channel heated by a cast iron block are presented.Different degrees of subcooling,velocity and pressure conditions are examined.Comparison of three empirical reference models shows that noticeable deviations occur especially when low bulk subcooling and velocity conditions are considered.On the basis of the experimental data,a modified power-type wall heat flux model is developed and its ability to represent adequately reality is tested through numerical simulations against a reference rig case and a practical diesel engine.Computational results show that this modified model can effectively be used for practical engine cooling system design.

Analysis of the Heat Transfer Efficiency of an Automobile Engine under Different Grille Opening and Closing Conditions

Computational Fluid Dynamics is used to assess the thermal(heat transfer)performances of an automobile engine considering different grille opening and closing degrees.For this purpose the entire vehicle is modelled and three fundamental aspects are examined,namely,the open area of the air intake grille,the position of the upper and lower grilles and their shape.The results show that the opening area and position of the grille have some influence also on the aerodynamic characteristics of the automobile.With an increase in the opening angle of the grille,the CD(Drag Coefficient)value of the whole vehicle becomes higher.When the air intake grille of the car is fully open or closed,the CD value is 0.35434 or 0.31777,respectively,that is,the flow resistance in the engine compartment accounts for 10.32%of the CD value for the whole automobile.

Quantum Heat Engines;Multiple-State 1D Box System

We evaluate quantum Otto, Diesel and Brayton cycles employing multiple-state 1D box system instead of ideal gas filled cylinder. The work and heat are extracted using the change in the expectation of Hamiltonian of the system which leads to the first law of thermodynamics to quantum system. The first law makes available to redefine the force which is in fact not well defined in a quantum mechanical system and then it is applied to define the quantum version of thermodynamic processes, i.e. isobaric, isovolume and adiabatic. As the results, the efficiency of quantum Otto engine depends only on the compression ratio and will be higher than the efficiency of quantum Diesel which can decrease by the widening of expansion under isobaric process. The efficiency of quantum Brayton engine may reach maximum on certain combination between the wide of box under isobaric expansion and compression, under certain conditions. The amount of levels participated in the quantum heat engine system will potentially reduce the performance of the quantum heat cycles consisting isobaric process, but it can be resisted using isobaric process controller.

Two Scenarios on the Relativistic Quantum Heat Engine

We compare two different scenarios at relativistic quantum heat engine by considering three-level energy, and two non-interacting fermion in one-dimensional potential well. The difference between the scenarios is about mechanism to get into excited state by two fermions. We apply iso-energetic cycle that consists of two iso-energetic and two iso-entropic processes, and then compute and compare the efficiency at both scenarios. We also compare it with non-relativistic case. The result is that one scenario has larger efficiency than the other that does not happen at non-relativistic case.

Study of Flow and Heat Transfer in an Ejector-Driven Swirl Anti-Icing Chamber

The formation of ice on the leading edge of aircraft engines is a serious issue,as it can have catastrophic consequences.The Swirl Anti-Icing(SAI)system,driven by ejection,circulates hot fluid within a 360°annular chamber to heat the engine inlet lip surface and prevent icing.This study employs a validated Computational Fluid Dynamics(CFD)approach to study the impact of key geometric parameters of this system on flow and heat transfer characteristics within the anti-icing chamber.Additionally,the entropy generation rate and exergy efficiency are analyzed to assess the energy utilization in the system.The research findings indicate that,within the considered flow range,reducing the nozzle specific areaφfrom 0.03061 to 0.01083 can enhance the ejection coefficient by over 60.7%.This enhancement increases the air circulating rate,thereby intensifying convective heat transfer within the SAI chamber.However,the reduction inφalso leads to a significant increase in the required bleed air pressure and a higher entropy generation rate,indicating lower exergy efficiency.The nozzle angleθnotably affects the distribution of hot and cold spots on the lip surface of the SAI chamber.Increasingθfrom 0°to 20°reduces the maximum temperature difference on the anti-icing chamber surface by 60 K.

A Three-Terminal Quantum Well Heat Engine with Heat Leakage

We propose a model for a three-terminal quantum well heat engine with heat leakage. According to the Landauer formula, the expressions for the charge current, the heat current, the power output and the efficiency are derived in the linear-response regime. The curves of the power output and the efficiency versus the positions of energy levels and the bias voltage are plotted by numerical calculation. Moreover, we obtain the maximum power output and the corresponding efficiency, and analyze the influence of the heat leakage factor, the positions of energy levels and the bias voltage on these performance parameters.

Finite-time Stability of Heating Furnace Temperature Control System

A finite-time stabilization controller for the heating furnace temperature control system is proposed.Based on the extended Lyapunov finite-time stability theory and power integral method,a finite-time stable condition of the heating furnace temperature control system is given.The temperature of the heating furnace is directed by the finite-time stabilization controller to make it stable in finite time.And the quality and quantity of slabs is improved.The simulation example is presented to illustrate the applicability of the developed results.

A New Method for Computing Radiation Heat Flow of In-Cylinder Soot of Diesel Engines

A concise formula for computing radiation heat flow of in-cylinder soot is presented, based on the assumptions that in-cylinder heat transfer of diesel engines is a quasi-equilibrium process and in-cylinder soot particles are spherical. That in this formula there consist neither constants needing adjustments nor variables related to engine types or operating conditions makes it universal and easy to use. Also it can be seen from the formula that radiation heat transfer is proportional to the quotient of in-cylinder soot mass over the average radius of primary particles. Besides, with the help of different algorithms it can be used for predicting cylinders＇ global as well as local radiation heat flows. As a demonstrative application on its global facet, a three-dimension simulation study about the soot-radiation-related heat flow in the combustion chamber of a diesel engine is carried out. Results show that the range of the soot-radiation-related heat flow computed by this formula agrees well with other researcher＇s earlier theoretic reasoning and experimental measurements.