Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Why Doesn't 25 Years Of An Evolving Energy Code Make More Of A Difference?, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

This paper was presented at the 2015 Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference (BECC). New and more stringent building energy codes are implemented with the assumption and expectation that significant energy conservation will occur. While simulation and various analysis methodologies may be reasonably sound at estimating the energy impact, the actual impact is largely dependent upon new code enforcement and occupant behavior. This work is based upon the research question: Do homes built to a newer energy code deliver measurable energy savings compared to homes built to a much earlier energy code? This residential research study was focused on comparing …

Coalescence-Induced Jumping Of Nanoscale Droplets On Super-Hydrophobic Surfaces, Zhi Liang, Pawel Keblinski

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Coalescence-Induced Jumping of Tens of Microns Size Droplets on Super-Hydrophobic Surfaces Has Been Observed in Both Experiments and Simulations. However, Whether the Coalescence-Induced Jumping Would Occur for Smaller, Particularly Nanoscale Droplets, is an Open Question. using Molecular Dynamics Simulations, We Demonstrate that in Spite of the Large Internal Viscous Dissipation, Coalescence of Two Nanoscale Droplets on a Super-Hydrophobic Surface Can Result in a Jumping of the Coalesced Droplet from the Surface with a Speed of a Few M/s. Similar to the Coalescence-Induced Jumping of Microscale Droplets, We Observe that the Bridge between the Coalescing Nano-Droplets Expands and Impacts the …

Sub-Millisecond Measurements Of Thermal Conductivity And Thermal Diffusivity Using Micrometer-Sized Hot Strips, Mattias K. Gustavsson, Johan S. Gustavsson, Yi Ma, Åsa Haglund, Daniel Cederkrantz, Silas E. Gustafsson

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

A new measurement technique based on the transient hot strip technique has recently been developed for studying anisotropic thermal transport properties of thin crystalline films. A micrometer-sized hot strip sensor is evaporated on the surface of the crystalline film sample, which has been deposited on a substrate wafer of limited thickness. From a pulsed transient recording, using sub-millisecond square-shaped pulses, a thermal probing depth that is less than the film thickness is assured. In the ongoing work of verifying the technique, we show results from measurements on z-cut crystal quartz and fused silica, using thermal probing depths of only 30 …

High-Temperature Thermal Properties Using Reflected Sample Generated Radiation, E. G. Wolff

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

A method for determining high-temperature thermal properties of thick solid materials involves short-term radiation pulses (20–200 s) on the front surface of a sample via a light guide, such as a quartz or sapphire rod. The magnitude of the flux absorbed must be accurately known for thermal conductivity, but not for thermal diffusivity. Power sources may include a lamp or laser but each has difficulties. For example, a lamp often has too little power and needs complex optics, and a laser beam may have excessive power that also lacks control. A heated sample transmits considerable radiation that varies with temperature …

Provisional Assessment Of Candidate High-Temperature Thermal Conductivity Reference Materials In The Emrp “Thermo” Project, J. Wu, R. Morrell, T. Fry, S. Gnaniah, D. Gohil, A. Dawson, J. Hameury, Alain Koenen, U. Hammerschmidt, E. Turzó-András, R. Strnad, A. Blahut

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

This article describes the provisional assessment of a short list of four candidate high-temperature thermal conductivity reference materials in a European research project, “Thermo.” These four candidate materials are low-density calcium silicate, amorphous silica, high-density calcium silicate, and exfoliated vermiculite. Based on initial tests on material composition and microstructure changes, dimensional stability, mechanical stability, chemical stability and uniformity, the best two candidate materials that would be considered for further detailed characterization in the next stage are low-density calcium silicate and high-density calcium silicate. These two materials are dimensionally, mechanically, and chemically stable, which are more robust and easier to handle …

Simulation And Optimization Of An In-Plane Thermal Conductivity Measurement Structure For Silicon Nanostructures, Y. Zeng, Amy Marconnet

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

Silicon-on-insulator based measurement structures have recently been developed to measure the thermal conductivity of nanostructured materials. For example, suspended steady-state measurement structures are often used for measuring the in-plane thermal conductivity of thin silicon films as the heat transfer is confined to the lateral direction. However, few researchers have focused on optimizing the important structural and measurement parameters, such as geometry and applied heater power levels, to ensure accurate measurements. In this article, numerical simulations are first compared with existing experimental data for suspended steady-state joule heating measurement structures with a large suspended region (~10 mm²). Then, a …

Design Of A Guarded Hot Plate For Measuring Thin Specimens Of Polymer And Composite Materials, Clark Stacey, M. J. Parfitt, A. J. Simpkin, J. Wu

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) has developed a new design of guarded hot plate apparatus specifically for absolute measurements on thin specimens of medium thermal conductivity materials, such as the polymer composites that are becoming more widely used in aerospace and other advanced manufacturing sectors. Although NPL has an existing measurement facility based on a commercially manufactured apparatus conforming to ASTM E1530, this current facility is not based on an absolute measurement technique and is not able to provide the low measurement uncertainty or flexibility that is increasingly being demanded by industrial users of this NPL service.

The target specification …

International Comparison Of Guarded Hot Plate Facilities At Low Temperature On Mineral Wool Insulation Material, Alain Koenen, Clark Stacey, Erik Rasmussen, Roland Schreiner, Grażyna Swołek

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

In 2000, the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) proposed the creation of a new European certified reference material for the thermal conductivity measurements IRMM-440. A specific production batch of high density (64–78 kg/m³) resin-bonded glass fiber boards was manufactured and characterized by a group of six leading European laboratories with long-standing expertise in thermal conductivity measurements, including four national measurements institutes. The IRMM-440 has since been used as the European certified reference material for thermal conductivity measurements on thermal insulation covering temperatures between –10°C and 50°C, and most frequently to calibrate Heat Flow Meter apparatus making …

A New Facility For The Experimental Investigation On Nano Heat Transfer Between Gas Molecules And Ceramic Surfaces, D. Bayer, U. Gross, K. Raed

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

Since the last decade, the interest has risen in nanoscaled technological products, which have advantages through their size effect. The size effect also plays a significant role in the area of micro- and nanoscale heat transfers. Many applications were developed using this effect, such as nanostructured porous media, e.g. Aerogels or ceramics. This experimental work is focused on the determination of thermal accommodation coefficients (TAC) on ceramic surfaces considering several influencing factors. TAC is influenced by temperature, kind of gas, kind of wall material, roughness, and contamination with adsorbed gas layers. To determine TAC, a parallel plate apparatus is used, …

Heat Transfer Mechanisms In Porous Materials And Contemporary Problems In Thermophysical Properties Investigations: Analyses And Solutions, E. Litovsky, V. Issoupov, J. Kleiman

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

This article is an overview of the topical problems in the investigation of thermophysical properties and the development of a database for porous materials. Determination of both apparent/measured and true thermophysical properties is discussed taking into account combined heat and mass transfer, latent heat effects during chemical and physical transformations, as well as structural changes. The approaches to the solution of these problems are demonstrated for a number of different classes of materials:

1. Industrial refractories, ceramics, highly porous insulation;
2. Moist materials and materials undergoing phase, chemical and structural transformations;
3. Materials semitransparent for heat radiation.

The approaches being used in the …

On The Development Of The Hot Strip, Hot Disc, And Pulse Hot Strip Methods For Measuring Thermal Transport Properties, Silas E. Gustafsson

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

This review is focused on the development of experimental methods for measuring thermal transport properties. Special emphasis is given to plane probes, which are used both as heat sources and as temperature recording devices. With such probes it is under certain conditions possible to determine both the thermal conductivity and the thermal diffusivity from a single transient recording. The conditions which must be fulfilled in an experiment are introduced by the use of the concept of a thermal probing depth, and from which the time window of observations can be defined. The ultimate goal of the dual determination of the …

Designing A Mechanically Robust Thermoelectric Module For High Temperature Application, Amirkoushyar Ziabari, Kazuaki Yazawa, Ali Shakouri

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

We report a numerical study on the impacts of variations in the geometry, boundary conditions, and the coefficient of thermal expansion of the materials on the maximum shearing stress in thermoelectric power generator module (TEM) for high temperature applications. The maximum shearing stress in the TEM is evaluated for different designs focusing on their dependency on the fill factor. Although predictions by the previously developed analytical modeling are in partial agreement with numerical results, simplifying assumptions for the analytical model can limit the range of validity. Our numerical analysis shows that reduction of the fill factor alone under all the …

Simulation And Analysis Of An Integrated Device To Simultaneously Characterize Thermal And Thermoelectric Properties, Collier Miers, Amy Marconnet

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

For many applications, multiple material properties impact device performance and characterization of multiple properties using a single sample is desirable. In this article, the authors focus on thermoelectric materials characterization, which requires the thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient to be quantified. Specifically, the authors present a design analysis using numerical COMSOL simulations of the 3w technique to optimize a measurement structure for thermoelectric films while also including the capability for electrical measurements to be performed on the same sample without detachment or repositioning. Thermal optimization of the structure is achieved through investigation of temperature spatial uniformity, the …

Role Of Thermal Conductivity For Thermoelectrics With Finite Contacts, Yee Rui Koh, Kazuaki Yazawa, Ali Shakouri

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

The role of thermal conductivity in the performance of thermoelectric (TE) devices as compared to other material properties such as Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity will be discussed. A TE energy conversion system that includes thermal contacts for the hot side and the cold side with finite heat transfer performances is considered. Some of the trends in electronics cooling applications have been described. In this article, the effect of material properties as a function of energy current flow direction will be focused.

TEs have an advantage as solid-state heat energy conversion devices especially for applications with spatial constraints. A …

Comparative Testing Of Thermal Conductivity For Thermal Insulation Products: The European Keymark Experience For More Than 50 Equipment At 25 Test Institutes, Erik Rasmussen, Clark Stacey, Alain Koenen, Eva-Lotta W. Kurkinen

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

This article describes comparative testing of thermal conductivity on a range of thermal insulation products used in the construction of buildings. This testing was arranged by the CEN Keymark scheme for voluntary certification of insulation within Europe, and measurements have been performed using over 50 instruments in more than 25 registered laboratories.

The uniformity of the material and a unique thermal conductivity value for each set of test specimens that were used in the comparison have been established according to the Keymark scheme rules, which were developed by experts from the most respected European laboratories. These experts include most of …

Determination Of The Thermal Resistance Of Pipe Insulation Material From Thermal Conductivity Of Flat Insulation Products, Alain Koenen, Damien M. Marquis

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

New European product standards now include a mandatory requirement for manufacturers to declare the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity for each insulation used in building equipments and industrial installations. For pipe insulation systems, the measurement is usually performed by a standard pipe test method, in which the value on a large temperature range is integrated to reduce temperature range and improve temperature measurement control. The alternative proposed in this article consists in determining the thermal conductivity of a pipe insulation system from the results measured on a flat slab specimen. The protocol used in this study consists in collecting the thermal conductivity …

Flexible Buffer Materials To Reduce Contact Resistance In Thermal Insulation Measurements, R. E. Clarke, G. Rosengarten, B. Shabani

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

Thermal insulation test methods approach their lower limits as thermal resistance falls below 0.1 m²⋅K/W. This is the minimum value specified in ASTM C 518 (ASTM International, 2010b) while ASTM C 177 (ASTM International, 2010a) proposes about 0.06 m²⋅K/W. Nevertheless these are the test methods, along with their ISO equivalents, required by Australasian building codes and directed at many products and materials with thermal resistance on the low side of 0.1 m²⋅K/W. Alternatives, such as ASTM E 1530 (ASTM International, 2011), cover much lower resistances but require carefully prepared small specimens and very-high contact …

Bilateral National Metrology Institute Comparison Of Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus, Alain Koenen, Robert R. Zarr, William F. Guthrie

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

Two national metrology institutes have conducted an international interlaboratory comparison on thermal conductivity for two thermal insulation reference materials. The Laboratoire national de métrologie et d’essais (LNE), France, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), United States, present measurements obtained by the guarded-hot-plate method. The study involved two materials: expanded polystyrene board (EPS) and fibrous glass board (FGB). The EPS was provided by the LNE and is issued as a transfer specimen; the FGB provided by NIST was issued as Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1450c. For each reference material, the study was based on four independent measurements at …

Plenary Talks, General Sessions, And Session Chairs, Timothy S. Fisher, Amy Marconnet

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam, Timothy S. Fisher, Amy Marconnet

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

No abstract provided.

Foreword, Timothy S. Fisher, Amy Marconnet

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents, Timothy S. Fisher, Amy Marconnet

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

No abstract provided.

Microstructure And Thermal Conductivity Modeling Of Granular Nanoplatelet Assemblies, Ishan Srivastava, Timothy S. Fisher

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

Consolidation and sintering of bismuth telluride nanoplatelets is a cost-effective method of manufacturing high thermoelectric figure-of-merit materials. A structural optimization method is employed here to study the effects of columnar structures formed by nanoplatelet composites on thermal transport. The initially sparse and random distribution of nanoplatelets is compacted into a jammed state under an external hydrostatic stress, thereby simulating the compaction of nanopowders in experiments. The jammed morphology exhibits randomly oriented stacks of nanoplatelets and a discontinuous distribution of the pore phase within the microstructure. Grain and pore morphologies are statistically quantified using computational geometry techniques. High aspect ratio nanoplatelets …

Metal Hydride Component Design (Mhy-Code) Tool For The Selection Of Hydrides In Thermal Systems, Essene L. Waters, Timothée L. Pourpoint, Tyler G. Voskuilen

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

A system has been developed to enable the targeted down-selection of an extensive database of metal hydrides to identify the most promising materials for use in thermal systems. The materials’ database contains over 300 metal hydrides with various physical and thermodynamic properties included for each material. Submodels for equilibrium pressure, thermophysical data, and default properties are used to predict the behavior of each material within the given system. The application used at this time is a stationary combined heat and power system containing a hightemperature proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell, a hot water tank, and two metal hydride beds …

Characterization Work And Comparative Testing Of Expanded Glass Granulate As A Round Robin Material For Thermal Conductivity At Higher Temperatures, Roland Schreiner, Ernst-G. Hencke

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

For laboratories within the scheme of the voluntary surveillance system for technical insulation materials in Europe (VDI/Keymark), a proficiency test is the basis for obtaining a “registered laboratory.” The VDI/Keymark is a cooperation between the VDI, The Association of German Engineers, and the Keymark Group dealing with European voluntary product certification systems, within the scope of thermal insulation materials. Registered laboratories are allowed to conduct measurements to verify the declared thermal conductivity curve of technical insulation materials under the umbrella of the quality mark “VDI/Keymark”. The initial characterization work on a round robin material for the determination of thermal conductivity …

Thermal Conductivity Of Simulated Soils By The Needle Probe Method For Energy Foundation Applications, J. E. Low, F. A. Loveridge, W. Powrie

International Thermal Conductivity Conference (ITCC) and the International Thermal Expansion Symposium (ITES)

Soil thermal conductivity is an important parameter in the design of ground source heat pump and energy foundation systems. A laboratory method for measuring the soil thermal conductivity is the needle probe method. Earlier, analysis of the needle probe test data has been simplistic, relying heavily on human judgment and rules of thumb. This article presents an alternative method of analyzing the needle probe data with the aid of MATLAB, which is a technical programming language and computing environment. Four agar–kaolin specimens of varying densities were prepared to resemble simple soils. These were tested using the needle probe for a …

Application Of Goldratt’S Thinking Process To Constraints Within An Emergency Department—A Case Study, Augustine O. Amonge

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Emergency department (ED) acts as a feeder to many hospitals as it determines a large proportion of admissions. ED also acts as a buffer zone for many patients who cannot get care in other institutions due to insurance issues. Most hospitals are trying to invest heavily on their EDs, but cannot meet patients’ satisfaction in terms of cost and quality of care. There is great need for EDs to understand customers’ expectation given the rising cost of healthcare.

The focus of this study is at an ED center in Bowling Green Kentucky, using theory of constraints (TOC) thinking process application …

Axisymmetric Bi-Propellant Air Augmented Rocket Testing With Annular Cavity Mixing Enhancement, Allen A. C. Capatina

Master's Theses

Performance characterization was undertaken for an air augmented rocket mixing duct with annular cavity configurations intended to produce thrust augmentation. Three mixing duct geometries and a fully annular cavity at the exit of the nozzle were tested to enable thrust comparisons. The rocket engine used liquid ethanol and gaseous oxygen, and was instrumented with sensors to output total thrust, mixing duct thrust, combustion chamber pressure, and propellant differential pressures across Venturi flow measurement tubes.

The rocket engine was tested to thrust maximum, with three different mixing ducts, three major combustion pressure sets, and a nozzle exit plane annular cavity (a …

Using Star-Ccm+ To Evaluate Multi-User Collaboration In Cfd, Kasey Johnson Webster

Theses and Dissertations

The client-server architecture of STAR-CCM+ allows multiple users to collaborate on a simulation set-up. The effectiveness of collaboration with this architecture is tested and evaluated on five models. The testing of these models is a start to finish set-up of an entire simulation excluding computational time for generating mesh and solving the solution. The different models have distinct differences which test every operation that would be used in a general CFD simulation. These tests focus on reducing the time spent preparing the geometry to be meshed, including setting up for a conformal mesh between multiple regions in conjugate heat transfer …

Gasification Of Coal And Heat Integration Modification For Igcc - Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle, Dalia A. Ali Eng, Mamdouh A. Gadalla Prof., Fatma H. Ashour Prof.

Chemical Engineering

Use of energy is closely related to the development of an economy. The most useful form of energy in the modern world is electricity. IGCC has higher fuel flexibility (biomass, refinery residues, petroleum coke, etc.) and generates multiple products (electricity, hydrogen and chemicals like methanol and higher alcohols) and by-products - sulphur, sulphuric acid, slag, etc. IGCC plants include coal preparation unit, air separation unit (ASU) to separate oxygen from air to use it in the gasification process, gasification unit where an incomplete combustion for coal is made to produce Syngas, cleaning unit to remove acid gases and CO2 from …