Sharif Digital Repository

Hybrid FVM-LBM schemes are developed in the past few years to use capabilities of both Navier-Stokes based finite volume method (FVM) and lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to solve macro-meso multiscale problems. In this scheme, the major task is to develop some lifting relations that reconstruct distribution functions in LBM sub-domain from macroscopic variables and their derivatives. The macroscopic variables are computed using Navier-Stokes based FVM in macroscale sub-domain, while distribution functions are computed using LBM in mesoscale sub-domain. The pioneer works in this area used the single relaxation time (SRT) version of LBM. However, it is known that the numerical stability and... 

In this study, a novel pseudo-three-dimensional model is developed to find out both fluid and solid temperature distributions in multi-stream plate fin heat exchangers. In this simulation algorithm, heat exchangers can be in either parallel flow or cross flow configuration. The model considerations include: heat leakage of cap plates and side plates, conduction throughout the solid matrix of the heat exchanger, variable physical properties, and inlet mass flow rate maldistribution. Using the computational code, the effects of different factors such as: the number of layers, mass flow variation, inlet mass flow rate maldistribution, and stacking pattern on the thermal performance of the heat... 

Solar pond is a type of solar collector that stores solar energy in the form of heat. The solar pond can be used as a low-temperature heat source for electricity generation. In this paper, to find the most suitable power cycle for power generation from the solar pond, the performance of the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC), Trilateral Flash Cycle (TFC) and their modified forms with an open feed liquid heater and an internal heat exchanger for different working fluids was investigated. Water was considered as the heat transfer fluid which transfers the stored heat from the solar pond to the working fluid of the cycle. The results indicate that in all cases, the energy and exergy efficiency of the... 

Nucleic acid amplification via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the essential and powerful methods used in a myriad of bio-assays in clinical laboratories. Application of microfluidic devices in biologically-related processes like PCR can result in the usage of less volume of reactant samples and reduce the processing time. By implementing PCR systems on centrifugal microfluidic platforms, automation and portability can be easily achieved. Although several methods have been developed, most of them are still dealing with challenges of the required high processing time. This study presents the numerical simulation of a fully automated PCR system with the goal of enhancing the mixing... 

Pyrolysis is a commonly used method for the recovery of used lubricating oil (ULO), which should be kinetically improved by a catalyst, due to its high level of energy consumption. In this research, the catalytic effects of carbon nanotube (CNT) and graphene nanoplatelets on the pyrolysis of ULO were studied through thermogravimetric analysis. First, the kinetic parameters of ULO pyrolysis including activation energy were calculated to be 170.12 and 167.01 kJ mol−1 by FWO and KAS methods, respectively. Then, the catalytic effects of CNT and graphene nanoplatelets on pyrolysis kinetics were studied. While CNT had a negligible effect on the pyrolysis process, graphene nanoplatelets... 

A considerable amount of energy is lost in the parabolic trough solar collectors due to the poor capability of working fluid in full absorption of the concentrated solar irradiation across the receiver tube. A new hybrid method is recommended here to cover up such deficiency by simultaneously using a rotary absorber tube and magnetic field inducer with nanofluid. Results showed that the combination effects of the receiver rotation and the magnetic field improve the convection mechanism in the absorber and increase both energetic and exergetic performance of the collector. The study reveals that there is an optimal rotational speed in the each magnetic field intensity for different... 

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate natural convection in a porous wavy-walled enclosure that is including a cylinder cavity in the middle of it and filled with a hybrid nanofluid contains 1-Butanol as the base fluid and MoS2–Fe3O4 hybrid nanoparticles. Design/methodology/approach: The domain of interest is bounded by constant temperature horizontal corrugated surfaces and isothermal vertical flat surfaces. The numerical outputs are explained in the type of isotherms, streamline and average Nusselt number with variations of the Rayleigh number, Hartmann number, nanoparticle shape factor and porosity of the porous medium. For solving the governing equations, the finite... 

We conduct an experimental investigation on the pool boiling enhancement in DI water on nanoporous surfaces. The surfaces are modified by anodic oxidation, and cavities with 2 mm diameter and pitches between 2.5 and 5 mm applied on them using EDM method filled with a two-part epoxy with low thermal conductivity properties. The capillary wicking action of the superhydrophilic nanoporous oxide layer enhances the rewetting and spreading of the liquid to dry-spots during boiling. The epoxy disks remain wet and prevent merging bubbles during the pool boiling experiment and a 2-D microflow is induced toward dried regions with synergic effects of nanoporous surface absorption, create a considerable... 

Ground-source heat pumps, as the most environmentally friendly and energy-efficient air conditioning technology, suffer from a great required length of ground heat exchanger, partly arising from the low thermal conductivity of high-density polyethylene tubes commonly used in ground heat exchangers. In an attempt to find a replacement with an acceptable thermal conductivity for high-density polyethylene tubes, in this study, first, a comprehensive comparative study on fillers commonly used in thermally conductive polymer composites and resulting high-density polyethylene composites was conducted. Then, based on the advantages and disadvantages presented, an appropriate composite was selected... 

A precise heat transfer simulation of a three-dimensional impinging jet porous heat sink is presented and is analyzed from thermodynamics vantage point under local thermal non-equilibrium condition. To increase the computational efficiency of the analysis, pore-scale modeling based on lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is used inside the porous media (at a meso-scale), whilst finite volume method (FVM) is employed around it (at a macro-scale). The effects of the Reynolds number, porous layer thickness, solid/fluid thermal conductivity ratio, and porosity on the critical heat transfer and entropy generation parameters are investigated. Additionally, the relations between viscous entropy... 

A rigorous two-dimensional model is developed for simulating the operation of a less-investigated type steam reformer having a considerably lower operating Reynolds number, higher tube diameter, and non-availability of extra steam in the feed compared with conventional steam reformers. Simulation results show that reasonable predictions can only be achieved when certain correlations for wall to fluid heat transfer equations are applied. In all cases, strong radial temperature gradients inside the reformer tubes have been found. Furthermore, the results show how a certain catalyst loading profile will affect the operation of the reformer. © 2008 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering  

In this study, silicon microchannel heat sink (MCHS) performance using nanofluids as coolants was analyzed. The nanofluid was a mixture of nanoscale Cu particles and pure water with various volume fractions. Based on theoretical models and experimental correlations, the heat transfer and friction coefficients required in the analysis were used. In the theoretical model, nanofluid was treated as a single-phase fluid. In the experimental correlation, thermal dispersion due to particle random motion was included. The microchannel heat sink performances for a specific geometries with Wch = W fin = 100 μm and Lch =300 μm is examined. In this study, flow in laminar and turbulent regimes using the... 

This work is conducted with evaluation of different turbulence models capabilities in predicting three dimensional jet-into-crossflow (JICF) interactions. For this purpose, first of all, comprehensive discussions on the near wall flow complexities due to discharge of a jet into a crossflow are presented. In this regards, large scale coherent structures such as: counter rotating vortex pairs (CRVP's), near wall secondary motions, horseshoe vortices, and wall jets like are discussed. Secondly, the abilities of different turbulence models in predicting such flows (JICF) are evaluated. Our evaluation is based on three points of view including: 1) JICF characteristics, 2) computed location, and... 

In the present study a finite difference method has been developed to model the transient fluid flow and heat transfer. A single fluid has been selected for modeling of mold filling and The SOLA-VOF 3D technique was modified to increase the accuracy of simulation of filling phenomena for shape castings. The model was then evaluated with the experimental methods. Refereeing to the experimental and simulation results a good consistency and the accuracy of the suggested model are confirmed. © 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V  

The scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) is known for its inherent ability to simulate unbounded domains and singular fields, and its flexibility in the meshing procedure. Keeping the analytical form of the field variables along one coordinate intact, it transforms the governing partial differential equations of the problem into a system of one-dimensional (initial–)boundary value problems. However, closed-form solution of the said system is not available for most cases (e.g. transient heat transfer, acoustics, ultrasonics, etc.) since the system cannot be diagonalized in general. This paper aims to establish a numerical tool within the context of the shooting technique to evaluate... 

The aim of this study is to assess the influence of oxygen-to-steam ratio, wall boundary conditions, coal feeding rate, and static bed height on the concentrations, heating values, and efficiencies of the product gas in a tapered fluidized bed reactor. Results show that lower and higher heating values slightly vary with increasing the oxygen-to-steam ratio in the range of 0.25–0.35. It is found that cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion efficiency goes up with increased ratio of oxygen to steam; however, both efficiencies decline as a result of increasing the coal feeding rate. As static bed height rises, lower and higher heating values diminish for tapered angle of 5°. For tapered angle... 

In this article, a computational model is presented for the analysis of coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical process with phase change (evaporation/condensation) in fractured porous media in order to model multiphase fluid flows, heat transfer, and discontinuous deformation by employing the extended finite element method. The ideal gas law and Dalton's law are employed to consider vapor and dry air as miscible gases. To take into account the phase change, latent heat and specific vapor enthalpy are incorporated into the physical model. The set of governing equations consists of linear momentum for the solid-phase, energy balance equation and mass conservation equations of water species (liquid... 

Heat pipes are useful devices in heat transfer and particularly, in cooling systems. Given the high demand for cooling systems in various applications, an improvement in the performance of heat pipes has gained much attraction in recent years. In this study, the effects of utilizing working fluids with different thermal properties on the performance of pulsating heat pipes (PHP) are experimentally studied. Hence, nano-encapsulated phase change material (NPCM), reduced graphene oxide nanosheets, and their mixture, as a novel hybrid nanofluid, are prepared and dispersed in water as a working fluid. NPCM at 3 concentrations of 5, 10, and 20 g/L, as well as nanosheets at three concentrations of... 

To ensure an optimized borehole in terms of heat capacity and cost-effectiveness, it is necessary to predict the heating performance of underground U-tube heat exchangers (boreholes) so that proper parameters such as length, diameter, material, etc. can be designed and selected. To this end, employing reliable equations is essential to predicting the heating performance of a borehole and also, to resolving the design issues. In this study, a single vertical U-tube borehole with a constant wall temperature is considered and analytical equations for temperature distribution in the surrounding ground around the borehole are evaluated based on one- and two-dimensional heat conduction,... 

In this paper, a computational technique is presented for the isothermal and non-isothermal water injection into naturally fractured oil reservoirs. A remarkable number of naturally fractured reservoirs contain relatively heavy oils that could not be extracted economically; hence, the thermal recovery methods are extensively used for such reservoirs. In this study, the effectiveness of hot water injection over cold (isothermal) water injection in oil production is quantified. The influence of long and short fractures and their alignments on oil recovery are discussed. To this end, a 2D model for two-phase fluid flow and heat transfer is presented. The medium is assumed to be partially...