Focusing of phase change microparticles for local heat transfer enhancement in laminar flows

Andrej Lenert; Youngsuk Nam; Bekir S. Yilbas; Evelyn N. Wang

doi:10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2012.09.014

Focusing of phase change microparticles for local heat transfer enhancement in laminar flows

Andrej Lenert
, Youngsuk Nam
, Bekir S. Yilbas
, Evelyn N. Wang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Scopus citations

Abstract

Phase change material (PCM) suspensions have received wide spread attention for increased thermal storage in various thermal systems such as heat sinks for electronics and solar thermal applications. To achieve further heat transfer enhancement, this paper investigates the effect of focusing micron-sized phase-change particles (PCMs) to a layer near the heated wall of a parallel plate channel. A numerical model for fully-developed laminar flow with a constant heat flux applied to one wall is developed. Melting of the focused PCMs is incorporated using a temperature-dependent effective heat capacity. The effect of channel height, height of the focused PCM stream, heat flux, and fluid properties on the peak local Nusselt number (Nu) and the averaged Nusselt number over the melting length (Nu_melt) are investigated. Compared to the thermally-developed Nusselt number for this geometry (Nu_o = 5.385), Nu_melt and Nu enhancements of 8% and 19% were determined, respectively. The local heat transfer performance is optimized when the PCMs are confined to within 30% of the channel height. The present work provides an extended understanding of local heat transfer characteristics during melting of flowing PCM suspensions, and offers a new method for enhancing heat transfer performance in various thermal-fluidic systems.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	380-389
Number of pages	10
Journal	International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
Volume	56
Issue number	1-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2012.09.014
State	Published - 1 Jan 2013

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, for funding the research reported in this paper through the Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUPM under Project number 6918351. Andrej Lenert acknowledges the support of the MIT Energy Initiative and the National Science Foundation GRF .

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

Focusing
Local heat transfer
Melting
Mini/microchannels
Particle distribution
Phase-change material (PCM)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Condensed Matter Physics
Mechanical Engineering
Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

Access to Document

10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2012.09.014

Cite this

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title = "Focusing of phase change microparticles for local heat transfer enhancement in laminar flows",

abstract = "Phase change material (PCM) suspensions have received wide spread attention for increased thermal storage in various thermal systems such as heat sinks for electronics and solar thermal applications. To achieve further heat transfer enhancement, this paper investigates the effect of focusing micron-sized phase-change particles (PCMs) to a layer near the heated wall of a parallel plate channel. A numerical model for fully-developed laminar flow with a constant heat flux applied to one wall is developed. Melting of the focused PCMs is incorporated using a temperature-dependent effective heat capacity. The effect of channel height, height of the focused PCM stream, heat flux, and fluid properties on the peak local Nusselt number (Nu) and the averaged Nusselt number over the melting length (Numelt) are investigated. Compared to the thermally-developed Nusselt number for this geometry (Nuo = 5.385), Numelt and Nu enhancements of 8\% and 19\% were determined, respectively. The local heat transfer performance is optimized when the PCMs are confined to within 30\% of the channel height. The present work provides an extended understanding of local heat transfer characteristics during melting of flowing PCM suspensions, and offers a new method for enhancing heat transfer performance in various thermal-fluidic systems.",

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author = "Andrej Lenert and Youngsuk Nam and Yilbas, \{Bekir S.\} and Wang, \{Evelyn N.\}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, for funding the research reported in this paper through the Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUPM under Project number 6918351. Andrej Lenert acknowledges the support of the MIT Energy Initiative and the National Science Foundation GRF . ",

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N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, for funding the research reported in this paper through the Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUPM under Project number 6918351. Andrej Lenert acknowledges the support of the MIT Energy Initiative and the National Science Foundation GRF .

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N2 - Phase change material (PCM) suspensions have received wide spread attention for increased thermal storage in various thermal systems such as heat sinks for electronics and solar thermal applications. To achieve further heat transfer enhancement, this paper investigates the effect of focusing micron-sized phase-change particles (PCMs) to a layer near the heated wall of a parallel plate channel. A numerical model for fully-developed laminar flow with a constant heat flux applied to one wall is developed. Melting of the focused PCMs is incorporated using a temperature-dependent effective heat capacity. The effect of channel height, height of the focused PCM stream, heat flux, and fluid properties on the peak local Nusselt number (Nu) and the averaged Nusselt number over the melting length (Numelt) are investigated. Compared to the thermally-developed Nusselt number for this geometry (Nuo = 5.385), Numelt and Nu enhancements of 8% and 19% were determined, respectively. The local heat transfer performance is optimized when the PCMs are confined to within 30% of the channel height. The present work provides an extended understanding of local heat transfer characteristics during melting of flowing PCM suspensions, and offers a new method for enhancing heat transfer performance in various thermal-fluidic systems.

AB - Phase change material (PCM) suspensions have received wide spread attention for increased thermal storage in various thermal systems such as heat sinks for electronics and solar thermal applications. To achieve further heat transfer enhancement, this paper investigates the effect of focusing micron-sized phase-change particles (PCMs) to a layer near the heated wall of a parallel plate channel. A numerical model for fully-developed laminar flow with a constant heat flux applied to one wall is developed. Melting of the focused PCMs is incorporated using a temperature-dependent effective heat capacity. The effect of channel height, height of the focused PCM stream, heat flux, and fluid properties on the peak local Nusselt number (Nu) and the averaged Nusselt number over the melting length (Numelt) are investigated. Compared to the thermally-developed Nusselt number for this geometry (Nuo = 5.385), Numelt and Nu enhancements of 8% and 19% were determined, respectively. The local heat transfer performance is optimized when the PCMs are confined to within 30% of the channel height. The present work provides an extended understanding of local heat transfer characteristics during melting of flowing PCM suspensions, and offers a new method for enhancing heat transfer performance in various thermal-fluidic systems.

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KW - Particle distribution

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Focusing of phase change microparticles for local heat transfer enhancement in laminar flows

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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