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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering
Thermoplastic Composite Heat Recovery Ventilator, Keegan Guinn
Thermoplastic Composite Heat Recovery Ventilator, Keegan Guinn
Honors Theses
Heat recovery ventilation continues to increase in importance as building codes mandate reduced air infiltration and increased energy efficiency. Heat recovery ventilators are able to reduce building heating and cooling loads by transferring heat between the exiting air and incoming ventilation air. In the role of heat recovery ventilation, additively manufactured polymer composite heat recovery ventilators offer significant advantages over traditionally manufactured metallic alloy heat recovery ventilators. Through the implementation of additive manufacturing, the internal geometry of the heat recovery ventilator can be optimized to decrease the head loss across the system and features to improve heat transfer such as …
Design & Evaluation Of Cooling Systems For Photovoltaic Modules, Peter Leary
Design & Evaluation Of Cooling Systems For Photovoltaic Modules, Peter Leary
Honors Theses
There is a persistent need for further development and implementation of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Due to the increase in global population, the disappearance of fossil fuels, and the reality of climate change, renewable power is needed now more than ever. One such renewable power technology is solar photovoltaic, otherwise known as PV. These modules work via silicon cells which are as semiconductors, outputting electrical energy when incident with solar radiation. This is done by separating electrons and protons within the cell. One of the largest issues with PV technology is that there is a linear …
High Performance Thermal Insulation: Silica Aerogels In Construction Technology, Matthew Giarrusso
High Performance Thermal Insulation: Silica Aerogels In Construction Technology, Matthew Giarrusso
Honors Theses
The United States is a world leader in the production and expenditure of energy, accounting for 18% of the total global energy consumption in 2016, 40% of which was used for the heating, cooling, and lighting of commercial and residential buildings. Currently, traditional air-based insulation products are being used in thicker and more numerous layers in an attempt to keep up with contemporary codes and standards. One promising alternative to traditional insulation is silica aerogel. With a remarkably low density and thermal conductivity, silica aerogel could save energy, space, and weight in new and retrofit structures. Silica aerogels are currently …
Multicomponent Working Fluids In Organic Rankine Cycle Evaporators, Jennifer Fromm
Multicomponent Working Fluids In Organic Rankine Cycle Evaporators, Jennifer Fromm
Honors Theses
Organic Rankine cycles are a promising technology to convert waste heat energy into usable mechanical or electric power, giving them the potential to reduce fossil fuel emissions generated by traditional energy generation. The heat exchangers of these devices are of particular interest, as maximizing energy extraction from these free heat sources will increase net electrical power output. For this project I created a model to predict the effects of mixture working fluids on the evaporator performance of an organic Rankine cycle generator for a wide range of waste heat source temperatures. This model combines empirically derived heat exchanger performance parameters …
Gasoline Confined In Nano-Porous Media, Matthew Giso
Gasoline Confined In Nano-Porous Media, Matthew Giso
Honors Theses
The heat of combustion was determined for gasoline confined in nano-porous media of differing pore size by bomb calorimetry. The heat of combustion of the confined fuels was comparable to that of bulk within the experimental uncertainty. This suggests that all of the confined fuel burns without any flame quenching and no chemical interactions at the interface between pore walls and fuel mitigate combustion.
Heat Of Fusion Of Primary Alcohol Confined In Nanopores, Harrisonn Griffin
Heat Of Fusion Of Primary Alcohol Confined In Nanopores, Harrisonn Griffin
Honors Theses
Melting behavior of physically confined 1-decanol in nano porous silica was probed using a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). In agreement with the Gibbs-Thomson prediction, we observe that the melting temperature of the confined 1-decanol scales inversely with the physical size of the pores. Contrary to the assumption used in developing the Gibbs-Thomson equation, however, the apparent heat of fusion decreases as the pore size decreases. Previously, several models have been proposed where interfacial layers of molecules do not participate in the phase transition and thereby would not contribute to the heat of fusion. While these could reconcile the seeming contradiction, …