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Waste Heat Recovery Of Industrial Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (Rto), A Case Study, James Trimpe Jr.

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

Industrial processes that utilize and release hazardous compounds into the atmosphere are required to break down those compounds before exhausting them from their facilities. An industry-recognized method to break down those hazardous compounds is through thermal oxidation. Thermal oxidation is a process where the compounds are exposed to their auto-ignition temperature in an oxygen-rich environment and combust. The output of thermal oxidation is carbon dioxide, water vapor, and heat. Thermal oxidizers are equipment that performs the thermal oxidation process. The heat output from thermal oxidizers is wasted if directly exhausted into the atmosphere. Regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) use the waste …

Performance Analysis Of An Exhaust Heat Recovery System Utilizing Heat Pipes, Metal Foam, And Thermoelectric Generators, Michael Resciniti

Honors Program Projects

Developing efficient thermoelectric generator systems to recover wasted thermal energy from automotive exhaust gasses has potential to improve engine efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Due to their high thermal transfer efficiency, heat pipes have been used to assist thermoelectric generator systems in these applications. To aid in additional heat transfer, metal fins are often used with heat pipes to take advantage of extended-surface heat transfer. This paper proposes a thermoelectric generator system that employs metal foam as an extended-surface heat transfer aid used in conjunction with heat pipes. Three test conditions were simulated to evaluate the system performance in terms …

Anthem Sustainability Project, James Askegren, David Coleman, Luis Morgan

Capstone Design Expo Posters

Data centers are multiplying in number and size as electronic business, communication, collaboration, and recreation continue to increase in popularity. A large amount of electrical power consumed by data center computing equipment is converted to heat, requiring dedicated cooling systems 24 hours a day. Some data center operators have begun taking advantage of this heat instead of expelling it to the atmosphere. This approach not only reduces the electricity costs of these facilities but also minimizes the environmental impact they generate. Anthem has a 2.5 MW data center for which they would like to develop an air-to-air thermal recycle method. …

Experimental Characterization Of Scroll Expander For Small-Scale Power Generation In An Organic Rankine Cycle, Felipe Airoldi Accorsi

Open Access Theses

Organic Rankine Cycles (ORC) are thermodynamic power cycles designed to generate work from low temperature sources. The low temperature heat input, typically between 80 °C to 270 °C, allows them to recover energy from industrial waste heat, exhaust gas from diesel, engines, solar systems, geothermal systems, and others. This technology already is commercialized in large-to-medium-scale power plants; however, it is still in development for small-to-micro scale.

The operating principle of ORC comprises four major steps. First, the working fluid evaporates at high pressure using the heat transfer from the low temperature heat source. Then, the working fluid reduces its enthalpy …

Development Of A National Anthropogenic Heating Database With An Extrapolation For International Cities, David J. Sailor, Matei Georgescu, Jeffrey M. Milne, Melissa A. Hart

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Given increasing utility of numerical models to examine urban impacts on meteorology and climate, there exists an urgent need for accurate representation of seasonally and diurnally varying anthropogenic heating data, an important component of the urban energy budget for cities across the world. Incorporation of anthropogenic heating data as inputs to existing climate modeling systems has direct societal implications ranging from improved prediction of energy demand to health assessment, but such data are lacking for most cities. To address this deficiency we have applied a standardized procedure to develop a national database of seasonally and diurnally varying anthropogenic heating profiles …

Parametric Study On A Novel Waste Heat Recovery System, Ghaleb Rustom Abdul Sater

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The present thesis is based on an industry-sponsor project involving a novel waste heat-to-electricity conversion system. This proprietary system utilizes thermal energy from a low temperature heat sources to produce torque that drives an electric generator to produce electricity. The system needs to be studied through scientific research to help with optimizing the product development, component design, and overall system performance. The main objectives of this study are to develop simulation tools (numerical model) that will allow to simulate the thermo-fluid processes in various system components and to use this numerical model to study the heat transfer and phase-change processes …

Analytical Modeling And Optimization Of A Thermoelectric Heat Conversion System Operating Betweeen Fluid Streams, Stephen H. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Analytical, closed-form solutions governing thermoelectric behavior are derived. An analytical model utilizing a thermal circuit is presented involving heat transfer into, through, out of, and around a thermoelectric device. A nondimensionalization of the model is presented. Linear heat transfer theory is applied to the model to obtain a series of closed form equations predicting net power output for the thermoelectric device. Fluid streams flowing through shrouded heat sinks with square pin fins are considered for the thermal pathways to and from the device. Heat transfer and pressure drop are characterized in a manner conducive to an analytical model using previously …

The Analysis Of The Deflection And Containment Of A Hot Plume By Side Draft Exhaust Hooding, Douglas H. Macgowan

Dissertations and Theses

A common industrial ventilation and pollution problem results when a thermally buoyant polluted plume of air must be exhausted away from a work area to allow achievement of air pollution standards. Generally, a close fitting canopy hood is one of the most effective means of exhaust containment; however, physical restrictions or the operation itself often prevent such an arrangement, and a hood located to the side of the operation is required. This arrangement requires the exhaust to bend and contain the vertically rising plume with a horizontal sweep of exhaust air across the surface of the operation.

A review of …