scholarly journals Active Insulation Technique Applied to the Experimental Analysis of a Thermodynamic Control System for Cryogenic Propellant Storage

Author(s):  
Samuel Mer ◽  
Jean-Paul Thibault ◽  
Christophe Corre

A technological barrier for long-duration space missions using cryogenic propulsion is the control of the propellant tank self-pressurization (SP). Since the cryogenic propellant submitted to undesired heat load tends to vaporize, the resulting pressure rise must be controlled to prevent storage failure. The thermodynamic vent system (TVS) is one of the possible control strategies. A TVS system has been investigated using on-ground experiments with simulant fluid. Previous experiments performed in the literature have reported difficulties to manage the thermal boundary condition at the tank wall; spurious thermal effects induced by the tank environment spoiled the tank power balance accuracy. This paper proposes to improve the experimental tank power balance, thanks to the combined use of an active insulation technique, a double envelope thermalized by a water loop which yields a net zero heat flux boundary condition and an electrical heating coil delivering a thermal power Pc∈[0−360] W, which accurately sets the tank thermal input. The simulant fluid is the NOVEC1230 fluoroketone, allowing experiments at room temperature T ∈ [40–60] °C. Various SP and TVS experiments are performed with this new and improved apparatus. The proposed active tank insulation technique yields quasi-adiabatic wall condition for all experiments. For TVS control at a given injection temperature, the final equilibrium state depends on heat load and the injection mass flow rate. The cooling dynamics is determined by the tank filling and the injection mass flow rate but does not depend on the heat load Pc.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Jun Li ◽  
Hal Gurgenci ◽  
Jishun Li ◽  
Lun Li ◽  
Zhiqiang Guan ◽  
...  

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) Brayton cycle microturbine can be used for the next generation of solar power. In order to comprehensively optimize the supporting system and cooling device parameters of Brayton cycle shafting, the concept of chaos interval is introduced by chaotic mapping, and the CIMPSO algorithm is proposed to optimize the multi-objective rotor system model with nonlinear variables.The results show that the resonance amplitude of the optimized model is effectively attenuated, and the critical speed point is far away from the working speed, which shows the robustness of the optimization algorithm. Finally, based on arbitrary several sets of optimization solutions and empirical parameters, the finite element model of shafting is established for simulation, and the results show that the optimized solution has certain guiding significance for the design of the rotor system.The cooling device is designed and simulated by CFD method based on the optimal solution set. Both the inlet boundary conditions of given pressure (1 MPα) and given mass flow rate (0.1 kg/s) numerical calculations were carried out to characterize the cooling performance, for different jet impingement configurations (Hr/din = 0.0125 ∼ 5).Several sets of analyses show the strong effects of the jet-to-target spacing (Hr/din) on the rotor thermal performance at a given diameter (din) of the nozzle. Average temperature (Tc) at the free end of the rotor show that, as jet-to-target distance decreases (0.0125 ≤ Hr/din ≤ 0.33), the heat dissipation efficiency of the cooling device with the given pressure boundary condition tends to decrease, while the conclusion is opposite when the inlet boundary condition is set to the given mass flow rate. And there is an interval for the optimal combination (Hr/din) to promote the cooling efficiency.


Author(s):  
Sungho Ko ◽  
Yeon-tae Kim

A numerical study was conducted to predict the performance curve of a downscaled model of the main coolant pump for a sodium-cooled fast reactor and to reduce the head loss by the optimization of the diffuser blade. The ANSYS CFX program was utilized to obtain flow characteristics inside the pump as well as the overall pressure rise across the pump operating on- and off-design points. Computational domain was divided into several blocks to achieve high grid quality effectively and 7.5 million nodes were used totally to resolve small leakage flows as well as the flow inside the rotating impeller. The corresponding experiment was conducted to validate CFD computed results. The comparison between the CFD and experimental data shows excellent agreement in terms of mass flow rate and head rise on and near design operating points. The DOE (design of experiments) and RSM (response surface method)[1] were utilized to reduce the head loss by the diffuser blade in the pump. The diffuser blade was defined as four geometric parameters for DOE. The analysis of 25 cases was made to solve the output parameters for all design points which are defined by the DOE. RSM was fitting the output parameter as a function of the input parameters using regression analysis techniques. The optimized model increased the total pump head on the design point and the low mass flow rate point, but total pump head on 130% of operating mass flow rate was reduced than the initial model.


1991 ◽  
Vol 113 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. H. Kim ◽  
N. K. Anand ◽  
L. S. Fletcher

Laminar free convective heat transfer in channels formed between series of vertical parallel plates with an embedded line heat source was studied numerically. These channels resemble cooling passages in electronic equipment. The effect of a repeated boundary condition and wall conduction on mass flow rate (M), maximum surface temperature (θh,max and θc,max), and average surface Nusselt number (Nuh and Nuc) is discussed. Calculations were made for Gr*=10 to 106, K=0.1, 1, 10, and 100, and t/B=0.1 and 0.3. The effect of a repeated boundary condition decreases the maximum hot surface temperature and increases the maximum cold surface temperature. The effect of a repeated boundary condition with wall conduction increases the mass flow rate. The maximum increase in mass flow rate due to wall conduction is found to be 155 percent. The maximum decrease in average hot surface Nusselt number due to wall conduction (t/B and K) occurs at Gr*=106 and is 18 percent. Channels subjected to a repeated boundary condition approach that of a symmetrically heated channel subjected to uniform wall temperature conditions at K≥100.


2013 ◽  
Vol 431 ◽  
pp. 137-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Minotti ◽  
F. Cozzi ◽  
F. Capelli

Improvements in understanding how to design future mesocombustors, currently under rapid development in particular for propulsion, e.g., for UAVs, and as meso-electrical power generators, are mandatory. In view of this scenario and, to advances previous analysis carried out at ambient pressure by the authors, the numerical and experimental investigation of a 254 mm3swirling cylindrical mesocombustor, fed by methane/air at an equivalence ratio =0.7 and at 3 bar, has been performed. The combustion pressure has been chosen based on the values quoted in literature for centimeter sized gas turbine.Exhaust gas temperature and composition have been measured for several mass flow rates. A reduction in chemical efficiency is observed by increasing the input thermal power (i.e. the total mass flow rate) at fixed equivalence ratio due to the shorter gas residence time.The operative condition corresponding to high efficiency and smaller mass flow rate has been numerically investigated adopting the RANS k-ε approach, with finite rate chemistry kinetic mechanism (GRIMech 1.2, 32 species and 177 reactions) and the EDC turbulence-combustion coupling model.Gas temperature at the exhaust section and chemicalefficiency are predicted and compared with the corresponding experiment.Numerical and experimental results show to be in fair agreement, and the predicted chemical efficiency differs from the measured value of about 1 %. Despite the small size of the meso-combustor, it is possible to achieve a relatively high combustion efficiency, making it suitable for miniaturized power generation devices.The relatively high chemical efficiency is due to the relatively long average gas residence time and to a wide recirculation zone that provide heat and radicals to the flame, coupled with the fairly good mixing due to swirl motion and the impinging air/fuel jets.


Author(s):  
M. Hadj Nacer ◽  
Pierre Perrier ◽  
Irina Graur

The mass flow rate through microchannels with rectangular cross section is measured for the wide Knudsen number range (0.0025–26.2) in isothermal steady conditions. The experimental technique called ‘Constant Volume Method’ is used for the measurements. This method consists of measuring the small pressure variations in the tanks upstream and downstream of the microchannel. The measurements of the mass flow rate are carried out for three gases (Helium, Nitrogen and Argon). The microchannel internal surfaces are covered with a thin layer of gold with mean roughness Ra = 0.87nm (RMS). The continuum approach (Navier-Stokes equations) with first order velocity slip boundary condition was used in the slip regime (Knudsen number varies from 0.0025 to 0.1) to obtain the experimental velocity slip and accommodation coefficients associated to the Maxwell kinetic boundary condition. In the transitional and near free molecular regimes the linearized kinetic BGK model was used to calculate numerically the mass flow rate. From the comparison of the numerical and measured values of the mass flow rate the accommodation coefficient was also deduced.


2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
A. Lombardi Costa ◽  
M. Cherubini ◽  
F. D'Auria ◽  
W. Giannotti ◽  
A. Moskalev

One of the transients that have received considerable attention in the safety evaluation of RBMK reactors is the partial break of a group distribution header (GDH). The coolant flow rate blockage in one GDH might lead to excessive heat-up of the pressure tubes and can result in multiple fuel channels (FC) ruptures. In this work, the GDH flow blockage transient has been studied considering the Smolensk-3 RBMK NPP (nuclear power plant). In the RBMK, each GDH distributes coolant to 40–43 FC. To investigate the behavior of each FC belonging to the damaged GDH and to have a more realistic trend, one (affected) GDH has been schematized with its forty-two FC, one by one. The calculations were performed using the 0-D NK (neutron kinetic) model of the RELAP5-3.3 stand-alone code. The results show that, during the event, the mass flow rate is disturbed differently according to the power distribution established for each FC in the schematization. The start time of the oscillations in mass flow rate depends strongly on the attributed power to each FC. It was also observed that, during the event, the fuel channels at higher thermal power values tend to undergo first cladding rupture leaving the reactor to scram and safeguarding all the other FCs connected to the affected GDH.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 2186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Casari ◽  
Ettore Fadiga ◽  
Michele Pinelli ◽  
Saverio Randi ◽  
Alessio Suman

Micro-ORC systems are usually equipped with positive displacement machines such as expanders and pumps. The pumping system has to guarantee the mass flow rate and allows a pressure rise from the condensation to the evaporation pressure values. In addition, the pumping system supplies the organic fluid, characterized by pressure and temperature very close to the saturation. In this work, a CFD approach is developed to analyze from a novel point of view the behavior of the pumping system of a regenerative lab-scale micro-ORC system. In fact, starting from the liquid receiver, the entire flow path, up to the inlet section of the evaporator, has been numerically simulated (including the Coriolis flow meter installed between the receiver and the gear pump). A fluid dynamic analysis has been carried out by means of a transient simulation with a mesh morphing strategy in order to analyze the transient phenomena and the effects of pump operation. The analysis has shown how the accuracy of the mass flow rate measurement could be affected by the pump operation being installed in the same circuit branch. In addition, the results have shown how the cavitation phenomenon affects the pump and the ORC system operation compared to control system actions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 329-340
Author(s):  
Todor Janic ◽  
Sasa Igic ◽  
Nebojsa Dedovic ◽  
Darijan Pavlovic ◽  
Jan Turan ◽  
...  

This study reviews test results of the combustion of square soybean straw bales used as fuel in manually fed boiler with nominal thermal power of 120 kWth. The influence of the mass flow rate (180, 265, 350, 435, and 520 kg h-1) of inlet air and flue gas recirculation (0%, 16.5%, and 33%) fed to the boiler furnace was continuously monitored. Direct method was used for determination of the boiler thermal power. Correlation between boiler thermal power and bale residence time has been observed and simple empirical equation has been derived. General conclusions are as follows: the increase of the flow rate of inlet air passing through the boiler furnace results in decrease of the bale residence time and increase of the boiler thermal power. Share of the flue gas recirculation of 16.5% increases bale residence time and decreases average boiler thermal power in all regimes except in the regime with inlet air flow rate of 265 kg h-1. In regime with 0% flue gas recirculation boiler thermal power was higher than nominal in regimes with 435 and 520 kg h-1 inlet air flow rates. In regimes having inlet air mass flow rate of 350 kg h-1 boiler thermal power is equal to the nominal power of 120 kWth.


Author(s):  
H. J. Eum ◽  
S. H. Kang

In many applications, centrifugal compressors experience various kinds of downstream pressure disturbances which can lead to unstable operation even at the design operating condition. In this paper, 3-D numerical simulations have been carried out to understand the dynamic behaviors of the centrifugal compressor for the pulsation of downstream pressure disturbances and 1-D model using the method of characteristics has been developed to predict the behaviors more effectively. Static pressure disturbances with a frequency range from 25Hz to 1300 Hz and constant amplitude have been introduced at the diffuser exit. Static pressure rise and mass flow rate deviated from the quasi-steady characteristic as the frequency increased. The fluctuation of mass flow rate at the diffuser exit was amplified or attenuated depending on the disturbance frequency. The fluctuation was severely amplified at a specific frequency which seemed to be an acoustic resonance of the present compressor model including an inlet duct, a blade passage and a diffuser. The result of 1-D model showed good agreements with that of 3-D numerical simulation.


1996 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsin-Hsiung Wang ◽  
Miroslav Krstic´ ◽  
Michael Larsen

Frequencies of higher-order modes of fluid dynamic phenomena participating in aeroengine compressor instabilities far exceed the bandwidth of available (affordable) actuators. For this reason, most of the heretofore experimentally validated control designs for aeroengine compressors have been via low-order models—specifically, via the famous Moore-Greitzer cubic model (MG3). While MG3 provides a good qualitative description of open-loop dynamic behavior, it does not capture the main difficulties for control design. In particular, it fails to exhibit the so-called “right-skew” property which distinguishes the deep hysteresis observed on high-performance axial compressors from a small hysteresis present in the MG3 model. In this paper we study fundamental feedback control problems associated with deep-hysteresis compressors. We first derive a parametrization of the MG3 model which exhibits the right skew property. Our approach is based on representing the compressor characteristic as a convex combination of a usual cubic polynomial and a nonpolynomial term carefully chosen so that an entire family of right-skew compressors can be spanned using a single parameter ε. Then we develop a family of controllers which are applicable not only to the particular parametrization, but to general Moore-Greitzer type models with arbitrary compressor characteristics. For each of our controllers we show that it achieves a supercritical (soft) bifurcation, that is, instead of an abrupt drop into rotating stall, it guarantees a gentle descent with a small stall amplitude. Two of the controllers have novel, simple, sensing requirements: one employs only the measurement of pressure rise and rotating stall amplitude, while the other uses only pressure rise and the mass flow rate (1D sensing). Some of the controllers which show excellent results for the MG3 model fail on the deep-hysteresis compressor model, thus justifying our focus on deep-hysteresis compressors. Our results also confirm experimentally observed difficulties for control of compressors that have a high value of Greitzer’s B parameter. We address another key issue for control of rotating stall and surge—the limited actuator bandwidth—which is critical because even the fastest control valves are often too slow compared to the rates of compressor instabilities. Our conditions show an interesting trade-off: as the actuator bandwidth decreases, the sensing requirements become more demanding. Finally, we go on to disprove a general conjecture in the compressor control community that the feedback of mass flow rate, known to be beneficial for shallow-hysteresis compressors, is also beneficial for deep-hysteresis compressors. [S0022-0434(00)03101-4]


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