Ayyoub Mehdizadeh Momen

Transient Thermofluids Analysis of a Ground-Level Integrated Diverse Energy Storage (GLIDES) System

In this work, a novel Ground-Level Integrated Diverse Energy Storage (GLIDES) system which can store energy via input of electricity or heat and deliver dispatchable electricity is presented [1]. The proposed system is low-cost and hybridizes compressed air and pumped-storage approaches that will allow for the off-peak storage of intermittent renewable energy for use during peak times. A detailed control-volume energy analysis of the system is carried out, yielding a set of coupled differential equations which are discretized using a finite difference scheme and used to model the transient response during charging and discharging. The energy analysis includes coupled heat transfer and pressure drop analysis used to predict system losses for more accurate round trip efficiency (RTE) calculations and specific energy density (ED) predictions. Preliminary analysis of the current prototype indicates an electric-to-electric RTEE of 66% (corresponding to shaft-to-shaft mechanical RTEM of 78%) and ED of 2.5 MJ/m3 of air, given initial air volume and pressure of 2 m3 and 70 bar. The electric power output ranges from a max of 2.5 kW to a min of 1.2 kW and the output current ranges from a max of approximately 21 amps to approximately 10 amps at 120 V, 60 Hz dispatchable electricity, over a period of approximately 50 minutes. Additionally, it is shown that heat transfer enhancement to the point of a 5-fold increase in air heat transfer rates results in a near 5% improvement in RTEE (70% considering all component losses). Additional component efficiency improvements and efficiency gains due to system scale-up could see higher achievable RTEs.Copyright

Experimental study of the maximum resolution and packing density achievable in sintered and non-sintered binder-jet 3D printed steel microchannels

Developing high-resolution 3D printed metallic microchannels is a challenge especially when there is an essential need for high packing density of the primary metal. While high packing density could be achieved by heating the structure to the sintering temperature, some heat sensitive applications require other strategies to improve the packing density of primary metal. In this study the goal is to develop microchannels with high green (bound) or pack densities on the scale of 100–300 microns which have a robust mechanical structure. Binder-jet 3D printing is an additive manufacturing process in which droplets of binder are deposited via inkjet into a bed of powder. By repeatedly spreading thin layers of powder and depositing binder into the appropriate 2D profiles, complex 3D objects can be created one layer at time. Microchannels with features on the order of 500 microns were fabricated via binder jetting of steel powder and then sintered and/or infiltrated with a secondary material. The droplet volume of the inkjet-deposited binder was varied along with the print orientation. The resolution of the process, the subsequent features sizes of the microchannels, and the overall microchannel quality were studied as a function of droplet volume, orientation, and infiltration level.Copyright

A numerical analysis of a magnetocaloric refrigerator with a 16-layer regenerator

A numerical analysis was conducted to study a room temperature magnetocaloric refrigerator with a 16-layer parallel plates active magnetic regenerator (AMR). Sixteen layers of LaFeMnSiH having different Curie temperatures were employed as magnetocaloric material (MCM) in the regenerator. Measured properties data was used. A transient one dimensional (1D) model was employed, in which a unique numerical method was developed to significantly accelerate the simulation speed of the multi-layer AMR system. As a result, the computation speed of a multi-layer AMR case was very close to the single-layer configuration. The performance of the 16-layer AMR system in different frequencies and utilizations has been investigated using this model. To optimize the layer length distribution of the 16-layer MCMs in the regenerator, a set of 137 simulations with different MCM distributions based on the Design of Experiments (DoE) method was conducted and the results were analyzed. The results show that the 16-layer AMR system can operate up to 84% of Carnot cycle COP at a temperature span of 41 K, which cannot be obtained using an AMR with fewer layers. The DoE results indicate that for a 16-layer AMR system, the uniform distribution is very close to the optimized design.

Thermofluid Analysis of the Magnetocaloric Refrigeration

While there have been extensive studies on thermofluid characteristics of different magnetocaloric refrigeration systems, a conclusive optimization study using non-dimensional parameters which can be applied to a generic system has not been reported yet. In this study, a numerical model has been developed for optimization of active magnetic refrigerator (AMR). This model is computationally efficient and robust, making it appropriate for running the thousands of simulations required for parametric study and optimization. The governing equations have been non-dimensionalized and numerically solved using finite difference method. A parametric study on a wide range of non-dimensional numbers has been performed. While the goal of AMR systems is to improve the performance of competitive parameters including COP, cooling capacity and temperature span, new parameters called “AMR performance index-1” have been introduced in order to perform multi objective optimization and simultaneously exploit all these parameters. The multi-objective optimization is carried out for a wide range of the non-dimensional parameters. The results of this study will provide general guidelines for designing high performance AMR systems.Copyright

Multiphysics modeling of mesh piezoelectric atomizers

An ultrasonic clothes dryer was developed by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory based on a novel approach of using high-frequency mechanical vibration instead of heat to extract moisture as a cold mist. This technology is based on direct mechanical coupling between mesh piezoelectric (PZT) transducers and wet fabric. The vibration introduces sufficient momentum to the droplets trapped in the fabric pores to atomize them and leave the garment in a cold state. In the vibrating transducer, deformation followed by the effects of boundary layer acoustic streaming results in ejection of the atomized droplets. The research presented bridges the vibration of a PZT mesh transducer to the induced acoustic field and to capillary-wave theory. Mathematical modeling studies free and forced vibrations of a mesh-like PZT structure, using the structural parameters identified by actuation testing in several case studies. Computational fluid–structure interaction modeling is performed to couple the vibrations of a PZT transducer with an in-contact droplet. The results obtained are used to investigate (1) the transverse deformation of the vibrating mesh transducer in contact with a droplet, (2) the resultant boundary layer acoustic streaming in the fluid surrounding the vibrating surface, and (3) the droplet deformation and fluid ejection. The physics of atomization are linked to the level of the near-wall droplet vibrations induced by the surface deformation of the transducer. Then the surface deformation is linked to the properties of the PZT mesh transducer and input actuation frequency and power.

Bringing Solid-State Magnetocaloric Cooling to the Market: A Commercialization Plan

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Market Assessment for Residential Refrigerator-Freezer with Novel Rotating Heat Exchanger

Despite a steady record of energy efficiency improvements in residential refrigerators and freezers over recent decades, these products still account for 4% of the site energy consumption for the average U.S. household. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) – along with partners Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the University of Maryland – are pursuing further efficiency improvements in this market sector by using a novel/prototype rotating heat exchanger (RHX) based on a Sandia Cooler technology as an evaporator in a residential refrigerator-freezer. The purpose of this study is to investigate the market potential of refrigerator-freezer products equipped with RHX evaporators in the United States, including projections of maximum annual market share and unit shipments and maximum direct and indirect job creation.

Overview of Resources for Geothermal Absorption Cooling for Buildings

This report summarizes the results of a literature review in three areas: available low-temperature/coproduced geothermal resources in the United States, energy use for space conditioning in commercial buildings, and state of the art of geothermal absorption cooling.

Preliminary Investigation of Novel Direct Contact Ultrasonic Fabric Drying

Thermal evaporation of moisture from clothes is the main technique used in clothes dryers today. Most of the energy supplied is spent to provide the latent heat of evaporation of water (2.5MJ/kg). This paper presents a novel direct contact ultrasonic system to mechanically remove water from wet fabric. The vibrations from the transducers are transferred by direct contact to the water inside the narrow pores of the clothes. Breaking the capillary adhesion of moisture at the interface between air and water allows water to exit the clothes as cold mist. The cold mist also carries with it most impurities such as minerals or detergents. This cannot be achieved in thermal dryers where water evaporates and leaves the impurities behind. Mechanical extraction of water is expected to be more efficient since thermal processing is not required. The majority of the supplied energy is used to mechanically separate water from the fabric. Initial testing has revealed that it is possible to dry a 1 cm2 piece of fabric from full saturation to a mere 0.4 % moisture content in just 14 seconds.Copyright