Thermodynamics Commons^™

Aspen Plus Simulation Of Biomass Gasification In A Steam Blown Dual Fluidised Bed, Wayne Doherty, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy

Book/Book Chapters

The efficient utilisation of biomass resources is of utmost importance. Biomass gasification offers much higher efficiencies than combustion. Gasification is a process in which a fuel is converted to a combustible gas (syngas). A dual fluidised bed gasifier known as the fast internally circulating fluidised bed (FICFB) was selected. It has been demonstrated at industrial scale and data is readily available for model validation. An Aspen Plus model was developed to simulate the FICFB gasifier. The model is based on Gibbs free energy minimisation and the restricted equilibrium method was used to calibrate it. The model has been validated and …

Ramjet Combustion Chamber, Paul Cameron Stone

Aerospace Engineering

A ramjet combustion chamber is designed and some initial assembly fabrication and test completed as a component of a ramjet graduate project for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The combustor design is driven by a theoretical model created by a Cal Poly graduate student, Harrison Sykes. Temperature, pressure, and fuel flow will be measured.

Order-Disorder Transition Of Aragonite Nanoparticles In Nacre, Zaiwang Huang, Xiaodong Li

Faculty Publications

Understanding nacre’s bottom-up biomineralization mechanism, particularly, how individual aragonite platelets are formed, has long remained elusive due to its crystallographic peculiarity and structural complexity. Here we report that crystallographic order-disorder transition can be triggered within individual aragonite platelets in pristine nacre by means of heat treatment and/or inelastic deformation, offering a unique opportunity to discriminate mysterious aragonite nanoparticles in transmission electron microscopy. Our findings unambiguously uncover why aragonite nanoparticles in pristine nacre have long been inaccessible under TEM observation, which is attributed to the monocrystal-polycrystal duality of the aragonite platelet. The underlying physical mechanism for why an individual aragonite platelet …

Heat Transfer Enhancement In A Straight Channel Via A Rotationally Oscillating Adiabatic Cylinder, Ali Beskok, Mehrdad Raisee, Bayram Celik, Bedri Yagiz, Mohsen Cheraghi

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Heat convection from the uniformly heated walls of a straight channel in presence of a rotationally oscillating cylinder (ROC) is simulated at Re = 100. Heat transfer enhancement due to vortex shedding from the ROC is investigated. Systematic studies are performed to explore the rotation angle and frequency influences on heat transfer by varying the latter in range of the lock-in regime and the former from 0 to 2 π/3. All simulation results are based on the numerical solutions of two-dimensional, unsteady, incompressible Navier-Stokes and energy equations using an h/p type finite element algorithm. Considering time periodicity of the resulting …

Analysis Of Biomass/Coal Co-Gasification For Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (Igcc) Systems With Carbon Capture, Henry A. Long Iii

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Technology (IGCC) has become more common in clean coal power operations with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). Great efforts have been spent on investigating ways to improve the efficiency, reduce costs, and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This study focuses on investigating two approaches to achieve these goals. First, replace the subcritical Rankine steam cycle with a supercritical steam cycle. Second, add different amounts of biomass as feedstock to reduce emissions. Finally, implement several types of CCS, including sweet- and sour-shift pre-combustion and post-combustion.

Using the software, Thermoflow®, this study shows that utilizing …

Rayleigh Test Apparatus Design Report, Josef Duller, Owen Raybould, James Nicovich

Mechanical Engineering

The Rayleigh Test Apparatus is a device that will be used to test the thermodynamic properties of Nitrous Oxide to assess the feasibility of using this fluid as a coolant for a hybrid rocket aero spike. The aero spike is intended to redirect the propulsion flow as it leaves the engine to create a more efficient flow pattern at low and high altitudes. However, there are issues of overheating which leads to melting of the aero spike. For this reason, the use of nitrous oxide (N2O) as a coolant is being explored. N20 is being considered because it is already …

Optimizing Compressed Air Storage For Energy Efficiency, Brian Abels, J. Kelly Kissock

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Compressed air storage is an important, but often misunderstood, component of compressed air systems. This paper discusses methods to properly size compressed air storage in load-unload systems to avoid short cycling and reduce system energy use. First, key equations relating storage, pressure, and compressed air flow are derived using fundamental thermodynamic relations. Next, these relations are used to calculate the relation between volume of storage and cycle time in load-unload compressors. It is shown that cycle time is minimized when compressed air demand is 50% of compressor capacity. The effect of pressure drop between compressor system and storage on cycle …

Using Thermally Coupled Reactive Distillation Columns In Biodiesel Production, Nghi Nguyen, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Production of ethyl dodecanoate (biodiesel) using lauric acid and methanol with a solid acid catalyst of sulfated zirconia is studied by using two distillation sequences. In the first sequence, the methanol recovery column follows the reactive distillation column. In the second sequence, the reactive distillation and methanol recovery columns are thermally coupled. Thermally coupled distillation sequences may consume less energy by allowing interconnecting vapor and liquid streams between the two columns to elminate reboiler or condenser or both. Here we study the thermally coupled side-stripper reactive distillation and eliminate the condenser of the reactive distillation column. Both the sequences are …

Computer Simulation Of A Biomass Gasification-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Power System Using Aspen Plus, Wayne Doherty, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy

Articles

The operation and performance of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack on biomass syn-gas from a biomass gasification combined heat and power (CHP) plant is investigated. The objective of this work is to develop a model of a biomass-SOFC system capable of predicting performance under diverse operating conditions. The tubular SOFC technology is selected. The SOFC stack model, equilibrium type based on Gibbs free energy minimisation, is developed using Aspen Plus. The model performs heat and mass balances and considers ohmic, activation and concentration losses for the voltage calculation. The model is validated against data available in the literature …

Simulation Of A Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack Operating On Biomass Syngas Using Aspen Plus, Wayne Doherty, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy

Articles

A tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack was modelled and its operation on biomass syn-gas was investigated. The objective of this work was to develop a computer simulation model of a biomass gasification-SOFC (BG-SOFC) system capable of predicting performance under various operating conditions and using diverse fuels. The stack was modelled using Aspen Plus and considers ohmic, activation and concentration losses. It was validated against published data for operation on natural gas. Operating parameters such as fuel and air utilisation factor U_f and U_a, current density j and steam to carbon ratio STCR were varied and …

Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics Modeling Of Coupled Biochemical Cycles In Living Cells, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Living cells represent open, nonequilibrium, self organizing, and dissipative systems maintained with the continuous supply of outside and inside material, energy, and information flows. The energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate is utilized in biochemical cycles, transport processes, protein synthesis, reproduction, and performing other biological work. The processes in molecular and cellular biological systems are stochastic in nature with varying spatial and time scales, and bounded with conservation laws, kinetic laws, and thermodynamic constraints, which should be taken into account by any approach for modeling biological systems. In component biology, this review focuses on the modeling of enzyme kinetics …

Thermodynamically Coupled Heat And Mass Flows In A Reaction-Transport System With External Resistances, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Considerable work has been published on mathematically coupled nonlinear differential equations by neglecting thermodynamic coupling between heat and mass flows in reaction-transport systems. The thermodynamic coupling refers that a flow occurs without or against its primary thermodynamic driving force, which may be a gradient of temperature, or chemical potential, or reaction affinity. This study presents the modeling of thermodynamically coupled heat and mass flows of two components in a reaction-transport system with external heat and mass transfer resistances. The modeling equations are based on the linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics approach by assuming that the system is in the vicinity of global …

Simulation Of A Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack Operating On Biomass Syn-Gas Using Aspen Plus, Wayne Doherty, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy

Articles

A tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack is modelled and its operation on biomass syn-gas is investigated. The objective of this work is to develop a computer simulation model of a biomass gasification-SOFC (BG-SOFC) system capable of predicting performance under various operating conditions and using diverse fuels. The stack is modelled using Aspen Plus and considers ohmic, activation and concentration losses. It is validated against published data for operation on natural gas. Operating parameters such as fuel and air utilisation factor (U_f and U_a), current density (j) and steam to carbon ratio ( …

Modeling Of Thermodynamically Coupled Reaction-Transport Systems, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Nonisothermal reaction-diffusion systems control the behavior of many transport and rate processes in physical, chemical and biological systems, such as pattern formation and chemical pumps. Considerable work has been published on mathematically coupled nonlinear differential equations by neglecting thermodynamic coupling between a chemical reaction and transport processes of mass and heat. This study presents the modeling of thermodynamically coupled system of a simple elementary chemical reaction with molecular heat and mass transport. The thermodynamic coupling refers that a flow occurs without or against its primary thermodynamic driving force, which may be a gradient of temperature or chemical potential or reaction …

Thermodynamically Coupled Transport In Simple Catalytic Reactions, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Considerable work published on chemical reaction-diffusion systems investigates mainly mathematically coupled nonlinear differential equations. This study presents the modeling of a simple elementary chemical reaction with thermodynamically and mathematically coupled heat and mass transport with external mass and heat transfer resistances. The thermodynamic coupling refers that a flow occurs without or against its primary thermodynamic driving force, which may be a gradient of temperature or chemical potential. The modeling is based on the linear nonequilibrium thermodynamics approach and phenomenological equations by assuming that the system is in the vicinity of global equilibrium. This approach does not need detailed coupling mechanisms. …

Thermoeconomics Of Seasonal Latent Heat Storage System, Yaşar Demirel, H. Hüseyin Öztürk

Papers in Thermal Mechanics

A simple thermoeconomic analysis is performed for a seasonal latent heat storage system for heating a greenhouse. The system consists of three units that are a set of 18 packed-bed solar air heaters, a latent heat storage tank with 6,000 kg of technical grade paraffin wax as phase-changing material, and a greenhouse of 180m2. The cost rate balance for the output of a unit is used to estimate the specific cost of exergy for a yearly operation. Based on the cost rate of exergy, fixed capital investment, operating cost, and economic data, approximate cash-flow diagrams have been prepared. The systems …

Thermal Effectiveness Characteristics Of Low Approach Indirect Evaporative Cooling Systems In Buildings, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Articles

Meteorological enthalpy analysis of temperate and maritime climates above latitude 45°N suggests that the water-side evaporative cooling technique has considerable unrealised potential with contemporary “high temperature” building cooling systems—such as chilled ceilings and displacement ventilation. As low approach conditions are the key to exploiting the cooling potential of the ambient air, thermal performance at such conditions needs to be investigated. To address the research issues, an industrial scale test rig, based on a low approach open cooling tower and plate heat exchanger and designed to maximise evaporative cooling potential, has been constructed. The thermal effectiveness of such systems (as a …

A Study Correlating Entropy Generation To Parameters Characterizing Thermal Comfort In A Conditioned Room, Sai Shrinivas Sreedharan

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Although significant advances have been made to analyze and study a room as an open thermodynamic system experiencing indoor airflow and heat exchanges with surroundings, studies incorporating entropy generation in the analysis have been sparse. This study focuses on correlating indoor thermal comfort with entropy generation, which hopefully will result in efficient utilization of energy supplied to the system. The problem that this thesis attempts to solve involves calculation of entropy production in conditioned space and its correlation to parameters that characterize thermal comfort. Thermal comfort in a conditioned space is governed by many thermal, mechanical and psychrometric parameters. The …

Socio-Economic Impacts Of Computer Viruses In Tanzania, M Victor

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

This paper reports on a research project conducted with an objective of identifying and assessing various approaches used by different computer users (Management, System Administrators and end users) in Tanzania to combat computer viruses (CVs), and to assess users' awareness level on CVs. Specifically, the study aimed at assessing the awareness level on CVs to the Tanzanian business community; analyze the socio -economic impact caused by CVs in Tanzania and; assess existing methods, capacity and limitations on controlling CVs in Tanzania. Data was collected using both questionnaires and interview from financial institutions such as NBC and BOT, and telecommunications sector …

Non-Isothermal Reaction-Diffusion Systems With Thermodynamically Coupled Heat And Mass Transfer, Yaşar Demirel

Papers in Analytical Chemistry

Non-isothermal reaction-diffusion (RD) systems control the behavior of many transport and rate processes in physical, chemical, and biological systems. A considerable work has been published on mathematically coupled nonlinear differential equations of RD systems by neglecting the possible thermodynamic couplings among heat and mass fluxes, and reaction velocities. Here, the thermodynamic coupling refers that a flux occurs without its primary thermodynamic driving force, which may be gradient of temperature, or chemical potential, or reaction affinity. This study presents the modeling equations of non-isothermal RD systems with coupled heat and mass fluxes excluding the coupling of chemical reactions using the linear …

Retrofit Of Distillation Columns Using Thermodynamic Analysis, Yaşar Demirel

Papers in Physical Properties

Thermodynamic analysis provides the column grand composite curves and exergy loss profiles, which are becoming readily available for a converged distillation column simulation. For example, the Aspen Plus simulator performs the thermodynamic analysis through its Column–Targeting tool for rigorous column calculations. This study uses the column grand composite curves and the exergy loss profiles obtained from Aspen Plus to assess the performance of the existing distillation columns, and reduce the costs of operation by appropriate retrofits in a methanol plant. Effectiveness of the retrofits is also assessed by means of thermodynamics and economics. The methanol plant utilizes two distillation columns …

Stability Of Transport And Rate Processes [Review], Yaşar Demirel

Papers in Thermal Mechanics

About fifty years ago, the Turing instability demonstrated that even simple reaction-diffusion systems might lead to spatial order and differentiation, while the Rayleigh-Bénard instability showed that the maintenance of nonequilibrium might be the source of order in fluids subjected to a thermodynamic force above a critical value. Therefore, distance from global equilibrium in the form of magnitude of a thermodynamic force emerges as another constraint of stability; some systems may enhance perturbations, and evolve to highly organized states called the dissipative structures after a critical distance on the thermodynamic branch. Although the kinetics and transport coefficients represent short-range interactions, chemical …

Thermodynamic Analysis Of Separation Systems, Yaşar Demirel

Papers in Thermal Mechanics

Separation systems mainly involve interfacial mass and heat transfer as well as mixing. Distillation is a major separation system by means of heat supplied from a higher temperature level at the reboiler and rejected in the condenser at a lower temperature level. Therefore, it resembles a heat engine producing a separation work with a rather low efficiency. Lost work (energy) in separation systems is due to irreversible processes of heat, mass transfer, and mixing, and is directly related to entropy production according to the Gouy-Stodola principle. In many separation systems of absorption, desorption, extraction, and membrane separation, the major irreversibility …

Exergy Use In Bioenergetics, Yaşar Demirel

Papers in Analytical Chemistry

Every developed and adapted biological system extracts useful energy from outside, converts, stores it, and uses for muscular contraction, substrate transport, protein synthesis, and other energy utilizing processes. This energy management in a living cell is called the bioenergetics, and the useful energy is the exergy, which is destroyed in every irreversible process because of the entropy production. The converted exergy is the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) produced through the oxidative phosphorylation coupled to respiration in which the exergy originates from oxidation of reducing equivalents of nutrients. A living cell uses the ATP for all the energy demanding activities; it has …

Review Of The Product Development Process And Information Flow In The Manufacturing Industry: Problems And A Possible Wav Forward, E Opiyo

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

No abstract provided.

Design And Simulation Of An Induction Skull Melting System, Taide Tan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Incorporating volatile actinides, mainly americium into a metallic fuel pin (MFP) has been a serious problem due to americium’s high vapor pressure. An Induction Skull Melting (ISM) system was identified by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) as a potential furnace design to cast MFPs. Through the development of the ISM system, the nuclear waste feedstock can be melted and injected into the mold for fabricating MFPs in the advanced nuclear fuel cycles. The main phenomena in this system include: induction melting process, casting process and mass transfer process of americium. Issues related to ISM system design for casting MFPs are discussed …

Experimental Energy Performance Of Open Cooling Towers Used Under Low And Variable Approach Conditions For Indirect Evaporative Cooling Of Buildings, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Articles

The success of chilled ceilings and displacement ventilation systems as a means of sensible cooling in buildings has prompted a review of evaporative cooling technology as an effective means of generating the required cooling water. When such cooling water is generated at low approach conditions (2–5 K), at the higher temperatures required in these systems (14–18°C), very high levels of availability result. In many north western European locations the levels of availability are such that the prospect of supplanting rather than simply supplementing the refrigeration system, for sensible cooling purposes, arises. The viability of the technique, however, largely depends on …

Indirect Evaporative Cooling Potential In Air-Water Systems In Temperate Climates, Ben Costelloe, Donal Finn

Articles

Recent developments have prompted a review of evaporative cooling technology as an effective means of cooling modern deep plan buildings. Prominent among these developments is the success of high temperature sensible cooling systems, particularly, chilled ceilings, which require a supply of cooling water at 14–18 °C. Crucial to the success of evaporative cooling technology, as a significant means of cooling in modern applications, is the ability to generate cooling water, in an indirect circuit, at a temperature which closely approaches the ambient adiabatic saturation temperature (AST) or wet bulb temperature (WBT). Recent experimental research has demonstrated that it is technically …

Development Of A Model For Induction Heating, Randy Clarksean, Yitung Chen

Fuels Campaign (TRP)

There are two coupled equations that must be solved in order to determine the power deposition. The numerical solution of these equations is needed in order to apply a source term within the energy equations. These equations have previously solved in FIDAP. That implementation used modified versions of the momentum and energy equations to provide a mechanism for the solution of two coupled equations. Currently, we want to solve for the induction heating field in addition to the flow field and the energy equation. In order to do this, a mechanism has to be defined within FIDAP to solve these …

Thermodynamics And Bioenergetics, Yaşar Demirel, Stanley I. Sandler

Papers in Thermal Mechanics

Bioenergetics is concerned with the energy conservation and conversion processes in a living cell, particularly in the inner membrane of the mitochondrion. This review summarizes the role of thermodynamics in understanding the coupling between the chemical reactions and the transport of substances in bioenergetics. Thermodynamics has the advantages of identifying possible pathways, providing a measure of the efficiency of energy conversion, and of the coupling between various processes without requiring a detailed knowledge of the underlying mechanisms. In the last five decades, various new approaches in thermodynamics, non-equilibrium thermodynamics and network thermodynamics have been developed to understand the transport and …