Improving Heat Transfer in Parabolic Trough Solar Collectors by Magnetic Nanofluids

A parabolic trough solar collector(PTSC)converts solar radiation into thermal energy.However,low thermal efficiency of PTSC poses a hindrance to the deployment of solar thermal power plants.Thermal performance of PTSC is enhanced in this study by incorporating magnetic nanoparticles into the working fluid.The circular receiver pipe,with dimensions of 66 mm diameter,2 mm thickness,and 24 m length,is exposed to uniform temperature and velocity conditions.The working fluid,Therminol-66,is supplemented with Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles at concentrations ranging from 1%to 4%.The findings demonstrate that the inclusion of nanoparticles increases the convective heat transfer coefficient(HTC)of the PTSC,with higher nanoparticle volume fractions leading to greater heat transfer but increased pressure drop.The thermal enhancement factor(TEF)of the PTSC is positively affected by the volume fraction of nanoparticles,both with and without a magnetic field.Notably,the scenario with a 4%nanoparticle volume fraction and a magnetic field strength of 250 G exhibits the highest TEF,indicating superior thermal performance.These findings offer potential avenues for improving the efficiency of PTSCs in solar thermal plants by introducing magnetic nanoparticles into the working fluid.

Heat transfer and temperature evolution in underground mininginduced overburden fracture and ground fissures: Optimal time window of UAV infrared monitoring

Heat transfer and temperature evolution in overburden fracture and ground fissures are one of the essential topics for the identification of ground fissures via unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) infrared imager. In this study, discrete element software UDEC was employed to investigate the overburden fracture field under different mining conditions. Multiphysics software COMSOL were employed to investigate heat transfer and temperature evolution of overburden fracture and ground fissures under the influence of mining condition, fissure depth, fissure width, and month alternation. The UAV infrared field measurements also provided a calibration for numerical simulation. The results showed that for ground fissures connected to underground goaf(Fissure Ⅰ), the temperature difference increased with larger mining height and shallow buried depth. In addition, Fissure Ⅰ located in the boundary of the goaf have a greater temperature difference and is easier to be identified than fissures located above the mining goaf. For ground fissures having no connection to underground goaf(Fissure Ⅱ), the heat transfer is affected by the internal resistance of the overlying strata fracture when the depth of Fissure Ⅱ is greater than10 m, the temperature of Fissure Ⅱ gradually equals to the ground temperature as the fissures’ depth increases, and the fissures are difficult to be identified. The identification effect is most obvious for fissures larger than 16 cm under the same depth. In spring and summer, UAV infrared identification of mining fissures should be carried out during nighttime. This study provides the basis for the optimal time and season for the UAV infrared identification of different types of mining ground fissures.

Effect of phosphorus content on interfacial heat transfer and film deposition behavior during the high-temperature simulation of strip casting

The interfacial wettability and heat transfer behavior are crucial in the strip casting of high phosphorus-containing steel.A hightemperature simulation of strip casting was conducted using the droplet solidification technique with the aims to reveal the effects of phosphorus content on interfacial wettability,deposited film,and interfacial heat transfer behavior.Results showed that when the phosphorus content increased from 0.014wt%to 0.406wt%,the mushy zone enlarged,the complete solidification temperature delayed from1518.3 to 1459.4°C,the final contact angle decreased from 118.4°to 102.8°,indicating improved interfacial contact,and the maximum heat flux increased from 6.9 to 9.2 MW/m2.Increasing the phosphorus content from 0.081wt%to 0.406wt%also accelerated the film deposition rate from 1.57 to 1.73μm per test,resulting in a thickened naturally deposited film with increased thermal resistance that advanced the transition point of heat transfer from the fifth experiment to the third experiment.

Near-field radiative heat transfer between nanoporous GaN films

Photon tunneling effects give rise to surface waves,amplifying radiative heat transfer in the near-field regime.Recent research has highlighted that the introduction of nanopores into materials creates additional pathways for heat transfer,leading to a substantial enhancement of near-field radiative heat transfer(NFRHT).Being a direct bandgap semiconductor,GaN has high thermal conductivity and stable resistance at high temperatures,and holds significant potential for applications in optoelectronic devices.Indeed,study of NFRHT between nanoporous GaN films is currently lacking,hence the physical mechanism for adding nanopores to GaN films remains to be discussed in the field of NFRHT.In this work,we delve into the NFRHT of GaN nanoporous films in terms of gap distance,GaN film thickness and the vacuum filling ratio.The results demonstrate a 27.2%increase in heat flux for a 10 nm gap when the nanoporous filling ratio is 0.5.Moreover,the spectral heat flux exhibits redshift with increase in the vacuum filling ratio.To be more precise,the peak of spectral heat flux moves fromω=1.31×10^(14)rad·s^(-1)toω=1.23×10^(14)rad·s^(-1)when the vacuum filling ratio changes from f=0.1 to f=0.5;this can be attributed to the excitation of surface phonon polaritons.The introduction of graphene into these configurations can highly enhance the NFRHT,and the spectral heat flux exhibits a blueshift with increase in the vacuum filling ratio,which can be explained by the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons.These findings offer theoretical insights that can guide the extensive utilization of porous structures in thermal control,management and thermal modulation.

Impact of a Magnetic Dipole on Heat Transfer in Non-Conducting Magnetic Fluid Flow over a Stretching Cylinder

The thermal behavior of an electrically non-conducting magnetic liquid flowing over a stretching cylinder under the influence of a magnetic dipole is considered.The governing nonlinear differential equations are solved numerically using a finite element approach,which is properly validated through comparison with earlier results available in the literature.The results for the velocity and temperature fields are provided for different values of the Reynolds number,ferromagnetic response number,Prandtl number,and viscous dissipation parameter.The influence of some physical parameters on skin friction and heat transfer on the walls of the cylinder is also investigated.The applicability of this research to heat control in electronic devices is discussed to a certain extent.

Paraffin–CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O dosage effects on the strength and heat transfer characteristics of cemented tailings backfill

The challenge of high temperatures in deep mining remains harmful to the health of workers and their production efficiency The addition of phase change materials (PCMs) to filling slurry and the use of the cold storage function of these materials to reduce downhole temperatures is an effective approach to alleviate the aforementioned problem.Paraffin–CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O composite PCM was prepared in the laboratory.The composition,phase change latent heat,thermal conductivity,and cemented tailing backfill (CTB) compressive strength of the new material were studied.The heat transfer characteristics and endothermic effect of the PCM were simulated using Fluent software.The results showed the following:(1) The new paraffin–CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O composite PCM improved the thermal conductivity of native paraffin while avoiding the water solubility of CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O.(2) The calculation formula of the thermal conductivity of CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O combined with paraffin was deduced,and the reasons were explained in principle.(3) The“enthalpy–mass scale model”was applied to calculate the phase change latent heat of nonreactive composite PCMs.(4)The addition of the paraffin–CaCl_(2)·6H_(2)O composite PCM reduced the CTB strength but increased its heat absorption capacity.This research can give a theoretical foundation for the use of heat storage backfill in green mines.

Numerical modeling and parametric sensitivity analysis of heat transfer and two-phase oil and water flow characteristics in horizontal and inclined flowlines using OpenFOAM

Estimating the oil-water temperatures in flowlines is challenging especially in deepwater and ultra-deepwater offshore applications where issues of flow assurance and dramatic heat transfer are likely to occur due to the temperature difference between the fluids and the surroundings. Heat transfer analysis is very important for the prediction and prevention of deposits in oil and water flowlines, which could impede the flow and give rise to huge financial losses. Therefore, a 3D mathematical model of oil-water Newtonian flow under non-isothermal conditions is established to explore the complex mechanisms of the two-phase oil-water transportation and heat transfer in different flowline inclinations. In this work, a non-isothermal two-phase flow model is first modified and then implemented in the InterFoam solver by introducing the energy equation using OpenFOAM® code. The Low Reynolds Number (LRN) k-ε turbulence model is utilized to resolve the turbulence phenomena within the oil and water mixtures. The flow patterns and the local heat transfer coefficients (HTC) for two-phase oil-water flow at different flowlines inclinations (0°, +4°, +7°) are validated by the experimental literature results and the relative errors are also compared. Global sensitivity analysis is then conducted to determine the effect of the different parameters on the performance of the produced two-phase hydrocarbon systems for effective subsea fluid transportation. Thereafter, HTC and flow patterns for oil-water flows at downward inclinations of 4°, and 7° can be predicted by the models. The velocity distribution, pressure gradient, liquid holdup, and temperature variation at the flowline cross-sections are simulated and analyzed in detail. Consequently, the numerical model can be generally applied to compute the global properties of the fluid and other operating parameters that are beneficial in the management of two-phase oil-water transportation.

Study of steam heat transfer enhanced by CO_(2) and chemical agents: In heavy oil production

Steam flooding with the assistance of carbon dioxide (CO_(2)) and chemicals is an effective approach for enhancing super heavy oil recovery. However, the promotion and application of CO_(2) and chemical agent-assisted steam flooding technology have been restricted by the current lack of research on the synergistic effect of CO_(2) and chemical agents on enhanced steam flooding heat transfer. The novel experiments on CO_(2)–chemicals cooperate affected steam condensation and seepage were conducted by adding CO_(2) and two chemicals (sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the betaine temperature-salt resistant foaming agent ZK-05200).According to the experimental findings, a “film” formed on the heat-transfer medium surface following the co-injection of CO_(2) and the chemical to impede the steam heat transfer, reducing the heat transfer efficiency of steam, heat flux and condensation heat transfer coefficient. The steam seepage experiment revealed that the temperature at the back end of the sandpack model was dramatically raised by 3.5–12.8 °C by adding CO_(2) and chemical agents, achieving the goal of driving deep-formation heavy oil. The combined effect of CO_(2) and SDS was the most effective for improving steam heat transfer, the steam heat loss was reduced by 6.2%, the steam condensation cycle was prolonged by 1.3 times, the condensation heat transfer coefficient was decreased by 15.5%, and the heavy oil recovery was enhanced by 9.82%. Theoretical recommendations are offered in this study for improving the CO_(2)–chemical-assisted steam flooding technique.

Effects of tube cross-sectional shapes on flow pattern, liquid film and heat transfer of n-pentane across tube bundles

The heat transfer of hydrocarbon refrigerant across tube bundles have been widely used in refrigeration.Three-dimensional simulation model using volume of fluid(VOF) was presented to study the effects of tube shapes on flow pattern, film thickness and heat transfer of n-pentane across tube bundles, including circle, ellipse-shaped, egg-shaped and cam-shaped tube bundles. Simulation results agree well with experimental data in the literature. The liquid film thickness of sheet flow and heat transfer for different tube shapes were obtained numerically. The flow pattern transition occurs lower vapor quality for ellipse-shaped tube than other tube shapes. For sheet flow, the liquid film on circle tube and ellipseshaped tube is symmetrically distributed along the circumferential direction. However, the liquid film on egg-shaped tube at circumferential angles(θ) = 15°–60° is thicker than θ = 135°–165°. The liquid film on cam tube at θ = 15°–60° is slightly thinner than θ = 135°–165°. The liquid film thickness varies from thinner to thicker for ellipse-shaped, cam-shaped, egg-shape and circle within θ = 15°–60°. The effect of tube shape is insignificant on thin liquid film thickness. Ellipse-shaped tube has largest heat transfer coefficient for sheet flow. In practical engineering, the tube shape could be designed as ellipse to promote heat transfer.

Analysis of periodic pulsating nanofluid flow and heat transfer through a parallel-plate channel in the presence of magnetic field

In this paper,we focus on the two-dimensional pulsating nanofluid flow through a parallel-plate channel in the presence of a magnetic field.The pulsating flow is produced by an applied pressure gradient that fluctuates with a small amplitude.A kind of proper transformation is used so that the governing equations describing the momentum and thermal energy are reduced to a set of non-dimensional equations.The analytical expressions of the pulsating velocity,temperature,and Nusselt number of nanofluids are obtained by the perturbation technique.In the present study,the effects of the Cu-H2O and Al_(2)O_(3)-H2O nanofluids on the flow and heat transfer in pulsating flow are compared and analyzed.The results show that the convective heat transfer effect of Cu-H2O nanofluids is better than that of Al_(2)O_(3)-H2O nanofluids.Also,the effects of the Hartmann number and pulsation amplitude on the velocity,temperature,and Nusselt number are examined and discussed in detail.The present work indicates that increasing the Hartmann number and pulsation amplitude can enhance the heat transfer of the pulsating flow.In addition,selecting an optimal pulsation frequency can maximize the convective heat transfer of the pulsating flow.Therefore,improved understanding of these fundamental mechanisms is conducive to the optimal design of thermal systems.

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of the Influence ofMicrochannel Size and Structure on Boiling Heat Transfer

Computational fluid dynamics was used and a numerical simulation analysis of boiling heat transfer in microchannels with three depths and three cross-sectional profiles was conducted.The heat transfer coefficient and bubble generation process of three microchannel structures with a width of 80μm and a depth of 40,60,and 80μm were compared during the boiling process,and the factors influencing bubble generation were studied.A visual test bench was built,and test substrates of different sizes were prepared using a micro-nano laser.During the test,the behavior characteristics of the bubbles on the boiling surface and the temperature change of the heated wall were collected with a high-speed camera and a temperature sensor.It was found that the microchannel with a depth of 80μm had the largest heat transfer coefficient and shortest bubble growth period,the rectangular channel had a larger peak heat transfer coefficient and a lower frequency of bubble occurrence,while the V-shaped channel had the shortest growth period,i.e.,the highest frequency of bubble occurrence,but its heat transfer coefficient was smaller than that of the rectangular channel.

Cracking and buoyancy effect on hydrocarbon endothermic and heat transfer characteristics in rectangular mini-channel

Although buoyancy and cracking reactions are strongly coupled in the active cooling process, most of the previous studies consider only one of these factors, and their coupling relationship has not been considerably examined. In this work, this coupling relationship was numerically investigated with complete consideration of different cases of heating, and in the view of energy transport and conversion. By comparing with the no-gravity case(NGC), the results indicate that buoyancy has a significant effect on the bottom-heated case(BHC) and side-heated case(SHC), but has little influence on the top-heated case(THC) owing to the different magnitudes of secondary flow. The heat transfer of the BHC and SHC was significantly enhanced by the secondary flow, but their energy conversion was simultaneously impaired.The conversion of the BHC and SHC was approximately half that of the THC and NGC. For all cases, by analyzing the energy transport ways, the cross section can be classified into three regions in the heating direction. Laminar conduction dominates in region Ⅰ, but gradually fails in region Ⅱ, where its role is replaced by other energy transport ways. In region Ⅲ, convection dominates the energy transport for BHC and SHC, whereas turbulence dominates for THC and NGC.

Magnetic Field Effect and Heat Transfer of Nanofluids within Waveform Microchannel

In this research,a numerical study of mixed convection of non-Newtonian fluid and magnetic field effect along a vertical wavy surface was investigated.A simple coordinate transformation to transform wavy surface to a flat surface is employed.A cubic spline collocation numerical method is employed to analyze transformed equations.The effect of various parameters such as Reynolds number,volume fraction 0-,Hartmann number,and amplitude of wave length was evaluated in improving the performance of a wavy microchannel.According to the presented results,the sinusoidal shape of the microchannel has a direct impact on heat transfer.By increasing the microchannel wave amplitude,the Nusselt number has risen.On the other hand,increasing the heat transfer in the higher wavelength ratio corrugated channel is seen as an effective method of increasing the heat transfer,especially at higher Reynolds numbers.The results showed that with increasing Hartmann numbers,the flow line near thewall becomesmore regular and,according to the temperature gradient created,theNusselt number growth.

Numerical simulation of flow and heat transfer of n-decane in sub-millimeter spiral tube at supercritical pressure

The flow and heat transfer characteristics of n-decane in the sub-millimeter spiral tube(SMST) at supercritical pressure(p = 3 MPa) are studied by the RNG k-ε numerical model in this paper. The effects of various Reynolds numbers(Re) and structural parameters pitch(s) and spiral diameter(D) are analyzed.Results indicate that the average Nusselt numberNu and friction factorNu increase with an increase in Re, and decrease with an increase in D/d(tube diameter). In terms of the structural parameter s/d, it is found that as s/d increases, the Nu first increase, and then decrease. and the critical structural parameter is s/d = 4. Compared with the straight tube, the SMST can improve Nu by 34.8% at best, while it can improve Nu by 102.1% at most. In addition, a comprehensive heat transfer coefficient is applied to analyze the thermodynamic properties of SMST. With the optimal structural parameters of D/d = 6 and s/d = 4, the comprehensive heat transfer factor of supercritical pressure hydrocarbon fuel in the SMST can reach 1.074. At last, correlations of the average Nusselt number and friction factor are developed to predict the flow and heat transfer of n-decane at supercritical pressure.

Numerical and theoretical investigations of heat transfer characteristics in helium-xenon cooled microreactor core

Helium-xenon cooled microreactors are a vital technological solution for portable nuclear reactor power sources.To exam-ine the convective heat transfer behavior of helium-xenon gas mixtures in a core environment,numerical simulations are conducted on a cylindrical coolant channel and its surrounding solid regions.Validated numerical methods are used to determine the effect and mechanisms of power and its distribution,inlet temperature and velocity,and outlet pressure on the distribution and change trend of the axial Nusselt number.Furthermore,a theoretical framework that can describe the effect of power variation on the evolution of the thermal boundary layer is employed to formulate an axial distribution cor-relation for the Nusselt number of the coolant channel,under the assumption of a cosine distribution for the axial power.Based on the simulation results,the correlation coefficients are determined,and a semi-empirical relationship is identified under the corresponding operating conditions.The correlation derived in this study is consistent with the simulations,with an average relative error of 5.3%under the operating conditions.Finally,to improve the accuracy of the predictions near the entrance,a segmented correlation is developed by combining the Kays correlation with the aforementioned correlation.The new correlation reduces the average relative error to 2.9%and maintains satisfactory accuracy throughout the entire axial range of the channel,thereby demonstrating its applicability to turbulent heat transfer calculations for helium-xenon gas mixtures within the core environment.These findings provide valuable insights into the convective heat transfer behavior of a helium-xenon gas mixture in a core environment.

Effect of Particle Orientation on Heat Transfer in Arrays of Prolate Particles

Direct Numerical Simulations have been carried out to study the forced convection heat transfer of flow through fixed prolate particles for a variety of aspect ratios ar={5/4,5/3,5/1}with Reynolds number(Re)up to 100.Three variations of the solid volume fraction c={0.1,0.2,0.3}with four Hermans orientation factors S={−0.5,0,0.5,1}are studied.It has been found that changes in S cause prominent variations in the Nusselt number.In general,Nusselt number increases with the decrease of S.For all three aspect ratios,the Nusselt number remains a linear function of S at different c and Re.Therefore,it is concluded that,for heat transfer from prolate muti-particle system,the effects of orientations cannot be ignored.A new correlation for Nusselt number has been developed for arrays of prolate particles using the simulation data as a function of Re,c,S and ar.

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of the effects of cavity structures and heater thermal conductivity on nucleate boiling heat transfer

The boiling heat transfer technology with cavity surfaces can provide higher heat flux under lower wall superheat,which is of great significance for the cooling of electronic chips and microelectromechanical devices.In this paper,the boiling characteristics of the cavity surfaces are investigated based on the lattice Boltzmann(LB)method,focusing on the effects of cavity shapes,sizes,and heater thermal conductivity on the heat transfer performance.The results show that the triangular cavity has the best boiling performance since it has less residual vapor and higher bubble departure frequency than those of the trapezoidal and rectangular cavities.As the cavity size increases,the enhancement of heat transfer by the cavity mouth is suppressed by the heat accumulation effect at the heater bottom.The liquid rewetting process during bubble departure is the reason for the fluctuation of the space-averaged heat flux,and the heater thermal conductivity determines the fluctuation amplitude.The evaporation of liquid in the cavity with high thermal conductivity walls is more intense,resulting in shorter waiting time and higher bubble departure frequency.

Unsteady Heat Transfer in Bilayer,and Three-Layer Materials

The heat transfer equation is used to determine the heat flow by conduction through a composite material along the real axis.An analytical dimensionless analysis is implemented in the framework of a separation of variables method(SVM).This approach leads to an Eigenvalues problem that is solved by the Newton’s method.Two types of dynamics are found:An unsteady condition(in the form of jumps or drops in temperatures depending on the considered case),and a permanent equilibrium(tending to the ambient temperature).The validity and effectiveness of the proposed approach for any number of adjacent layers is also discussed.It is shown that,as expected,the diffusion of the temperature is linked to the ratio of the thermo-physical properties of the considered layers and their number.

A novel electron-phonon coupling thermoelasticity with Burgers electronic heat transfer

The electron-phonon interaction can reveal the microscopic mechanism of heat transfer in metals.The two-step heat conduction considering electron-phonon interaction has become an effective theoretical model for extreme environments,such as micro-scale and ultrafast processes.In this work,the two-step heat transfer model is further extended by considering the Burgers heat conduction model with the secondorder heat flux rate for electrons.Then,a novel generalized electron-phonon coupling thermoelasticity is proposed with the Burgers electronic heat transfer.Then,the problem of one-dimensional semi-infinite copper strip subject to a thermal shock at one side is studied by the Burgers two-step(BTS)model.The thermoelastic analytical solutions are systematically derived in the Laplace domain,and the numerical Laplace inversion method is adopted to obtain the transient responses.The new model is compared with the parabolic two-step(PTS)model and the hyperbolic two-step(HTS)model.The results show that in ultrafast heating,the BTS model has the same wave front jump as the HTS model.The present model has the faster wave speed,and predicts the bigger disturbed regions than the HTS model.More deeply,all two-step models also have the faster wave speeds than one-step models.This work may benefit the theoretical modeling of ultrafast heating of metals.

Analysis of influence of heat exchangerfouling on heat transfer performancebased on thermal fluid coupling

A study on heat transfer performance by thermal fluid coupling simulation for the fouling in a shell-tube heat exchanger used in engineering was presented. The coupling simulation was performed in a fluid and solid domains under three different fouling conditions: fouling inside the tube, fouling outside the tube, and fouling inside the shell. The flow field, temperature, and pressure distributions in the heat exchanger were solved numerically to analyze the heat transfer performance parameters, such as thermal resistance. It is found that the pressure drop of the heat exchanger and the thermal resistance of the tube wall increase by nearly 30% and 20%, respectively, when the relative fouling thickness reaches 10%. The fouling inside the tube has more impact on the heat transfer performance of the heat exchanger, and the fouling inside the shell has less impact.