Pamela Vocale

Slip Flow in Elliptic Microducts with Constant Heat Flux

This paper outlines a numerical model for determining the dynamic and thermal performances of a rarefied fluid flowing in a microduct with elliptical cross-section. A slip flow is considered, in laminar steady state condition, in fully developed forced convection, with Knudsen number in the range 0.001−0.1, in H1 boundary conditions. The velocity and temperature distributions are determined in the elliptic cross-section, for different values of both aspect ratio γ and Knudsen number, resorting to the Comsol Multiphysics software, to solve the momentum and energy equations. The friction factors (or Poiseuille numbers) and the convective heat transfer coefficients (or Nusselt numbers) are calculated and presented in graphs and tables. The numerical solution is validated resorting to data available in literature for continuum flow in elliptic cross-sections (Kn = 0) and for slip flow in circular ducts ( γ = 1 ). A further benchmark is carried out for the velocity profile for slip flow in ellipticalcross-sections, thanks to a recent analytical solution obtained using elliptic cylinder coordinates and the separation of variables method. The Poiseuille and Nusselt numbers for elliptic cross-sections are discussed. The results may be used to predict pressure drop and heat transfer performance in metallic microducts with elliptic cross-section, produced by microfabrication for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).

Effect of Floor Geometry on Building Heat Loss Via the Ground

This paper analyzes the heat loss from an insulated slab on the ground, focusing on the influence of floor geometry on thermal processes in the ground. The calculation model includes the vertical and horizontal structures of the building; the foundation is also included. A building with a rectangular floor is considered; the ratio between the sides of floor (defined as aspect ratio) changes from 0 to 1. The thermal analysis is carried out resorting to a finite element code, validated in accordance with the requirements of International Standard ISO 10211. Numerical results show that floor geometry has a significant influence on steady-state ground global heat transfer coefficient; ranging from a narrow rectangular floor to a square one the steady-state ground global heat transfer coefficient decreases by about 15%. The effects of the perimeter insulation are also investigated; depending on the insulating layer thickness, the decrease of the heat transfer coefficient ranges from 8% to 13%. A comparison with the results obtained by applying the International Standard method ISO 13370 is also presented.

Electro-osmotic flows inside triangular microchannels

This work presents a numerical investigation of both pure electro-osmotic and combined electro-osmotic/pressure-driven flows inside triangular microchannels. A finite element analysis has been adopted to solve the governing equations for the electric potential and the velocity field, accounting for a finite thickness of the electric double layer. The influence of non-dimensional parameters such as the aspect ratio of the cross-section, the electrokinetic diameter and the ratio of the pressure force to the electric force on the flow behavior has been investigated. Numerical results point out that the velocity field is significantly influenced by the aspect ratio of the cross section and the electrokinetic diameter. More specifically, the aspect ratio plays an important role in determining the maximum volumetric flow rate, while the electrokinetic diameter is crucial to establishing the range of pressures that may be sustained by the electro-osmotic flow. Numerical results are also compared with two correlations available in the literature which enable to assess the volumetric flow rate and the pressure head for microchannels featuring a rectangular, a trapezoidal or an elliptical cross-section.

Investigation of the effect of cylindrical insert devices on laminar convective heat transfer in channel flow by applying the Field Synergy Principle

The Field Synergy Principle is widely applied to the evaluation of the convective heat transfer mechanism. In fact, as highlighted in literature, the evaluation of the synergy between the velocity and the temperature gradient vectors could provide a better insight on the local convective heat transfer mechanism. In this paper, the field synergy approach is adopted to numerically investigate the fluid dynamic and thermal behaviour of a fully developed flow between parallel plates with asymmetric heating, when cylindrical inserts are present. To better evaluate the influence of the inserts on the convective heat transfer mechanism, different values of the insert diameter are considered, for a given pitch value. The numerical results in terms of Nusselt number point out that the convective heat transfer coefficient decreases as the insert diameter increases. The Field Synergy Principle allows to explain the cause of the convective heat transfer reduction identifying the regions in which the heat transfer mechanism is ineffective: the extent of these areas increases as the insert diameter increases.

Second principle approach to the analysis of unsteady flow and heat transfer in a tube with arc-shaped corrugation

Passive convective heat transfer enhancement techniques are well known and widespread tool for increasing the efficiency of heat transfer equipment. In spite of the ability of the first principle approach to forecast the macroscopic effects of the passive techniques for heat transfer enhancement, namely the increase of both the overall heat exchanged and the head losses, a first principle analysis based on energy, momentum and mass local conservation equations is hardly able to give a comprehensive explanation of how local modifications in the boundary layers contribute to the overall effect. A deeper insight on the heat transfer enhancement mechanisms can be instead obtained within a second principle approach, through the analysis of the local exergy dissipation phenomena which are related to heat transfer and fluid flow. To this aim, the analysis based on the second principle approach implemented through a careful consideration of the local entropy generation rate seems the most suitable, since it allows to identify more precisely the cause of the loss of efficiency in the heat transfer process, thus providing a useful guide in the choice of the most suitable heat transfer enhancement techniques.

Numerical analysis of the laminar forced convective heat transfer in coiled tubes with periodic ring-type corrugation

Wall curvature and wall corrugation represent two of the most used passive techniques to enhance convective heat transfer. The effectiveness of wall curvature is due to the fact that it gives origin to a secondary fluid motion orthogonal to the main flow, while wall corrugation is used to disrupt the development of the boundary layers, by enhancing the convective heat transfer mechanism. The compound use of the two techniques has been investigated in literature, mainly experimentally, but further investigation is still needed. In particular, it has been experimentally observed that this compound enhancement technique brings an additional heat transfer augmentation in the majority of applications whereas in the very low Reynolds number range the surface average performances of corrugated coils are lower than the one shown by smooth wall coils. This paper deepened the knowledge on this phenomenon presenting a numerical investigation of the effect induced by a periodic ring-type corrugation on the laminar convective heat transfer in coiled tubes. The study considered the laminar flow in the Reynolds and Dean number range 25-100 and 6-24 respectively. The investigation was particularly focused on the Deans vortices destruction mechanism, induced by the wall corrugation and on the consequent breakdown of the average Nusselt number.

Convective Heat Transfer in Elliptical Microchannels Under Slip Flow Regime and H1 Boundary Conditions

In this work, hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed gas flow through elliptical microchannels is numerically investigated. The Navier–Stokes and energy equations are solved by considering the first-order slip flow boundary conditions and by assuming that the wall heat flux is uniform in the axial direction, and the wall temperature is uniform in the peripheral direction (i.e., H1 boundary conditions). To take into account the microfabrication of the elliptical microchannels, different heated perimeter lengths are analyzed along the microchannel wetted perimeter. The influence of the cross section geometry on the convective heat transfer coefficient is also investigated by considering the most common values of the elliptic aspect ratio, from a practical point of view. The numerical results put in evidence that the Nusselt number is a decreasing function of the Knudsen number for all the considered configurations. On the contrary, the role of the cross section geometry in the convective heat transfer depends on the thermal boundary condition and on the rarefaction degree. With the aim to provide a useful tool for the designer, a correlation that allows evaluating the Nusselt number for any value of aspect ratio and for different working gases is proposed.

Numerical Investigation of Viscous Dissipation in Elliptic Microducts

In this work a numerical analysis of heat transfer in elliptical microchannels heated at constant and uniform heat flux is presented. A gaseous flow has been considered, in laminar steady state condition, in hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed forced convection, accounting for the rarefaction effects. The velocity and temperature distributions have been determined in the elliptic cross section, for different values of aspect ratio, Knudsen number and Brinkman number, solving the Navier-Stokes and energy equations within the Comsol Multiphysics® environment. The numerical procedure has been validated resorting to data available in literature for slip flow in elliptic cross sections with Br =0 and for slip flow in circular ducts with Br > 0. The comparison between numerical results and data available in literature shows a perfect agreement. The velocity and temperature distributions thus found have been used to calculate the average Nusselt number in the cross section. The numerical results for Nusselt number are presented in terms of rarefaction degree (Knudsen number), of viscous dissipation (Brinkman number), and of the aspect ratio. The results point out that the thermal fluid behavior is significantly affected by the viscous dissipation for low rarefaction degrees and for aspect ratios of the elliptic cross-section higher than 0.2.

Energy Efficiency of Existing Buildings: Optimization of Building Cooling, Heating and Power (BCHP) Systems

The enhancement of the energy efficiency of existing buildings represents an important task, specifically addressed by the European Directives. Among the currently available technologies to achieve this issue, the combined generation of heat and power (CHP) is found. Its higher efficiency with respect to the separate production of heat and power mainly depends on the occurrence of a profitable use of the cogenerated heat. This technology is now rapidly spreading because of its benefit from both the energy and the environmental sustainability points of view. However, in order to properly size the CHP system capacity and operation strategy, some specific design rules have to be identified. In particular, the CHP systems optimal design requires the building energy loads to be known on a hourly time scale. In the present paper a simplified procedure for estimating the hourly energy load for space heating and cooling of existing buildings is applied to the assessment of building cooling, heating and power systems energy performance. The results, obtained for a complex nine storey building located in six representative climates, point out that the suggested method allows to estimate the primary energy savings index with an approximation error, averaged over the considered combined generation system capacity range, less than 2.8% and 3.3% in continuous and time scheduled plant operation, respectively.