The electrocaloric effect (ECE) refers to the change in temperature and/or entropy of a dielectric material due to the electric field induced change of dipolar states. Giant ECE is discovered in P(VDF-TrFE) ferroelectric copolymers near ferroelectric-paraelectric (F-P) transition temperature which is normally much higher than room temperature. This paper presents the two defect-inducing methods to lower and broaden working temperature range of P(VDF-TrFE) based copolymers for ECE, and thus make it preferable for practical cooling device. Giant ECE is experimentally demonstrated in large temperature range (0–55°C). In addition, an electrocaloric oscillatory refrigerator (ECOR) was proposed and simulated by finite volume method and its high performance was theoretically demonstrated. Temperature gradient larger than 30 °C can be maintained across the two sides of a 1 cm device. For ΔT = 20 °C cooling condition, a high cooling power (5.4 W/cm 2 ) and significantly higher coefficient of performance (COP) can be achieved (50% of Carnot efficiency).

The M-1 radiation model is a thermal radiation transport model that is derived from a maximum entropy approximation to the radiative transport equation. It involves the solution of four hyperbolic equations for conservation of radiative energy. The M-1 model has similarities to the classical diffusion approximations (like P-1), but is able to better predict directed flux. Consequently, shadowing and long-range transport can be well resolved for a fraction of the cost of methods with exponentially increasing accuracy costs like the method of discrete ordinates and Monte Carlo ray-tracing. The M-1 method is mostly used historically in astronomical radiation transport, but has recently been shown to work for combustion applications of smaller scale. Past work has shown it to give good comparisons to fire problems with length scales of interest. Because of the potential for the model to predict radiation transport more cost-effectively, it is being examined for implementation as an option in our fire codes. We present the theory behind the model. The Eddington factor is used to partition directed and diffuse radiation. It is normally modeled since it is derived from a transcendental functional relationship. We analyze Eddington factor models presented in previous work, and present a new model that we show to be superior in most ways to all the previously presented models. Some 1-dimensional calculations are also shown that illustrate the potential accuracy and challenges with implementing the M-1 model. Such challenges include the specification of boundary conditions and the development of robust solver methods.

The use of direct energy conversion devices to convert waste heat into useful power has been the focus of extensive research for many years. Optimization of the performance of power harvesting systems has led to various models of the irreversibilities occurring in these devices. The majority of these models are based on dimensionless parameter referred to as the irreversibility factor to account for the entropy generating effects occurring within a generic heat engine. The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of the exergetic or second law efficiency to characterize these non-ideal effects and to describe how this approach may be used in the design and optimization of power harvesting or waste heat recovery systems. The use of a thermoelectric generator in a power harvesting system is considered to illustrate the proposed model.

Efficient cooling techniques are one of the critical design requirements for maintaining reliable operational characteristics of modern, miniaturised high performance electronic components. Microchannel heat sinks form an integral part of most devices used for thermal management in electronic equipment cooling. A microchannel of square cross section, having internal longitudinal fins is considered for analysis. A numerical study is carried out to investigate the fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics. Three-dimensional numerical simulations are performed on the microchannel in the presence of a hydrodynamically developed, thermally developing laminar flow. Further on, a thermodynamic analysis is carried out, for a range of fin heights and thermophysical parameters, in order to obtain the irreversibilities due to heat transfer and fluid flow within the microchannel. An optimum fin height, corresponding to the thermodynamically optimum conditions that minimize the entropy generation rates has been obtained. The effect of the presence of internal fins on the entropy generated due to heat transfer, fluid friction, and the total entropy generation is also provided.

The performance of a solar air heater is primarily based on the design of the absorber plate and a substantial fraction of the cost of the heater is covered by the cost of the absorber plate. Heat transfer augmentation features for the improvement of heat transfer from the plate to the working fluid are mostly fins however these features also increase pressure drop in the flow channel. The exergy optimization philosophy is adopted in the fin sizing for this air heating application; this optimization philosophy ensures that the maximum quantity of heat is transferred by the fins while generating the least entropy in the system thus conserving exergy. Some important observations relevant in design are made.

In the present work, the second law of thermodynamics analysis has been carried out for steady state hydrodynamically and thermally fully developed laminar gas flow in annulus microchannels with asymmetrically heated walls. The rarefaction effects are taken into consideration using first order slip velocity and temperature jump boundary conditions. Viscous heating is also included for both the hot wall and the cold wall cases. Using the velocity distribution obtained in earlier works, the energy equation is solved to get analytically the temperature distribution and consequently to compute the entropy generation rate. The effects of rarefaction and the annulus geometrical aspect ratio on velocity distribution are discussed. The complicated interactive effects of rarefaction, viscous dissipation, the ratio of Brinkman number to dimensionless temperature difference, annulus geometrical aspect ratio and asymmetry on entropy generation rate and Bejan number are shown in graphical form and also discussed in details. The analytical results obtained are compared with those available in the literature and an excellent agreement is observed. It is realized that the effect of the wall heat fluxes ratio on entropy generation is negligible at great values of the ratio of Brinkman number to dimensionless temperature difference, while the effect of increasing values of the annulus geometrical aspect ratio is to severely increase entropy generation. The entropy generation decreases as Knudsen number increases, however the effect of increasing values of Brinkman number and the ratio of Brinkman number to dimensionless temperature difference is to increase entropy generation.

Energy loss characteristics of heat transfer and fluid flow due to forced convection of steady laminar flow of incompressible fluid in a helical coil is analysed. This paper analyses energy loss and pumping power in the fully developed laminar convection in a helical coil with constant wall heat flux. The important design parameters, including Reynolds number (Re), coil to tube radius ( δ ) and dimensional coil pitch ( λ ) are varied to investigate their influences on the energy loss and pumping power values. Amount of heat transfer is the primary concern in a heat exchanger design. The amount of energy loss during the heat exchange process has been investigated by introducing a new dimensionless number This dimensionless number has been defined as the energy loss to total heat transfer rate ratio. The energy loss dimensionless number behavior have been compared with entropy generation dimensionless number behavior for this problem.

This paper describes the heat transfer and flow characteristics of a heat exchanger tube filled with a high porous material. Fine copper wire (diamete: 0.5 mm) was inserted in a circular tube dominated by thermal conduction and forced convection. The porosity was from 0.98 to 1.0. Working fluid was air. Hydraulic equivalent diameter was cited as the characteristic length in Nusselt number and Reynolds number. Nusselt number and friction factor were expressed as functions of Reynolds number and porosity. Thermal performance was evaluated by the ratio of Nusselt number with and without a high porous material and the entropy generation. It was recognized that the high porous material was effective in low Reynolds number and the Reynolds number which minimized the entropy generation existed.

An analysis has been provided for the entropy generated for the micro/nano scale heat and mass transfer in a capillary tube in terms of the gradients of velocity, temperature and concentration as well as the physical properties of the fluid. The heat and mass transfer rates are assumed to be uniform on the surface of the capillary tube. The optimum tube diameter that corresponds to the minimization of entropy generated and minimization of fluid flow resistance is about one millimeter. We have applied the method of thermodynamic optimization to capillary driven systems.

Thermal optimization of a stack of printed circuit boards using entropy generation minimization (EGM) method is presented. The study consists of two parts. One is focused on the entropy generation of a module in periodically fully-developed channel flow (PDF), while the other is the optimization applied to electronic packages composed of a stack of printed circuit boards. In the process of optimizing electronics packaging, consideration is given to two constraints which are the maximum junction temperature specified by a chip manufacturer and the allowable pressure difference across the channel maintained by cooling fans. The Reynolds number, block geometry and bypass flow area ratio are varied to search for an optimal channel spacing using the EGM method whose validity is borne out by comparing with those obtained by the conventional thermal optimization (or overall thermal conductance) method. A dimensionless optimal board spacing parameter C is derived which involves the relative migration speed (or time) of heat transfer and viscous friction over the PDF channel length. A correlation equation is derived which expresses C in terms of the Reynolds number and block geometry. This equation can be employed in the optimal design of electronic packages.

We propose a novel technique of molecular dynamics simulation to evaluate the relaxation time of phonons in solids for investigation of solid heat conductivity. The basic idea is to observe relaxation behavior of the power spectrum of atomic velocities after energetically stimulating modes in a specific frequency region. The transient entropy S(t) is defined with the power spectrum based on non-equilibrium statistical mechanics to quantitatively evaluate the relaxation speed. In this paper, two example systems are shown: a Lennard-Jones model crystal and a silicon crystal. For both systems, we found that the observed S(t) is well fitted to a single exponential function, from which we can obtain a frequency-dependent relaxation time.

In this paper, entropy generation minimization techniques are used in the analysis of an irreversible closed intercooled regenerative Brayton cycle coupled to variable temperature heat reservoirs. First, dimensionless power and efficiency equations are derived for a base case (single stage) which replicates those obtained in recent literature. Second, equations are derived for a multi-stage Brayton cycle. The dimensionless power and efficiency equations are used to analyze the effects of total pressure ratio, intercooling pressure ratio, thermal capacity rates of the working fluid and heat reservoirs, and the component (regenerator, intercooler, hot and cold side heat exchangers) effectiveness. Using detailed numerical examples, the optimal power and efficiency corresponding to variable component effectiveness, compressor and turbine efficiencies, intercooling pressure ratio, total pressure ratio, pressure recovery coefficients, heat reservoir inlet temperature ratio, and the cooling fluid in the intercooler and the cold side heat reservoir inlet temperature ratio are analyzed.

This work attempts to develop a physical simulation model for the purpose of studying the effect of various design parameters on the performance of a packaged liquid chiller. A computer model which simulates the steady-state cyclic performance of a vapor compression chiller is developed for the purpose of performing detailed physical design analysis of actual industrial chillers. The model can be used for optimizing design and for detailed energy efficiency analysis of packaged liquid chillers. The simulation model takes into account presence of all chiller components such as compressor, shell-and-tube condenser and evaporator heat exchangers, thermostatic expansion valve and connection pipes and tubing’s by thermal-hydraulic modeling of heat transfer, fluids flow and thermodynamics processes in the chiller’s components. To verify the validity of the developed model, a 7.5 USRT packaged-liquid chiller is used and a laboratory test stand for brining the chiller to its standard steady-state performance condition is build. Experimental results obtained from testing the chiller in different load and temperature conditions are shown to be in good agreement with those obtained from simulating the performance of the chiller using the developed computer model. To optimize the chiller design, an entropy-minimization-optimization analysis is performed based on the analytical performance model of the chiller. The variation of design parameters in construction of shell-and-tube condenser and evaporator heat exchangers are studied using the developed performance and optimization analysis and simulation model and a best-match condition between the physical design and construction of chiller heat exchangers and its compressor is found to exist. It is expected that manufacturers of chillers and research organizations interested in developing energy-efficient design and analysis of chillers can take advantage of the presented study and its results.

This paper presents a new entropy-based metric for local loss coefficients in turbulent flows with heat transfer. Unlike conventional methods of global loss characterization, such as a single valve loss coefficient, this paper examines an entropy-based alternative that tracks local variations of the loss coefficient. The local distribution of entropy production can provide useful information regarding the spatial distribution of mechanical energy losses, which can be then used to systematically optimize thermofluid systems. An application involving turbulent channel flow is specifically investigated. The friction factor is represented in terms of the local entropy production rates. By successfully predicting the local flow irreversibilities with this approach, re-design efforts can be more effectively focused on specific regions of highest entropy production.

The purpose of this work is to develop a physical simulation model for the purpose of studying the effect of various design parameters on the performance of a packaged liquid chiller. A computer model which simulates the steady-state cyclic performance of a vapor compression chiller is developed for the purpose of performing detailed physical design analysis of actual industrial chillers. The model can be used for optimizing design and for detailed energy efficiency analysis of packaged liquid chillers. The simulation model takes into account presence of all chiller components such as compressor, shell-and-tube condenser and evaporator heat exchangers, thermostatic expansion valve and connection pipes and tubing’s by thermo-hydraulic modeling of heat transfer, fluids flow and thermodynamics processes in each one of the mentioned components. To verify the validity of the developed model, a 7.5 USRT packaged-liquid chiller is used and a laboratory test stand for brining the chiller to its standard steady-state performance condition is build. Experimental results obtained from testing the chiller in various load and temperature conditions are shown to be in good agreement with those obtained from simulating the performance of the chiller using the computer prediction model. In part II of this work, an entropy-minimization-optimization analysis is performed based on the developed analytical performance model of the chiller. The variation of design parameters in construction of shell-and-tube condenser and evaporator heat exchangers are studied using the developed performance and optimization analysis and simulation model and a best-match condition between the physical design and construction of chiller heat exchangers and its compressor is found to exist. It is expected that manufacturers of chillers and research organizations interested in developing energy-efficient design and analysis of chillers can take advantage of the presented study and its results.

Amount of heat transfer is the primary concern in a heat exchanger design. The amount of energy that has been destroyed during the heat exchange process has been investigated by introducing a new dimensionless number. Analyises of simpler systems are often useful to understand more important features of complex pattern forming processes in various field of science and technology. The entropy generation have been studied by use of new dimensionless number . This number defined as the ratio of total energy loss to total heat transfer across the duct length. The temperature dependence on the viscosity is taken into consideration and results have been derived for various L/D ratio, nozzle angles and inlet temperature.

Quantum upper bounds to thermal conductance are computed for zigzag single walled carbon nanotubes of different diameters. Upper bounds to energy and entropy flow are also computed. The results impose a stringent limit on the maximum values that any experiment or simulation could obtain. Some previous theoretical simulations have violated the theoretical maxima.

This paper is a fundamental study on the irreversibility of single-phase laminar convective heat transfer over a flat plate with isothermal and constant heat flux boundary conditions. It quantifies the losses due to viscous momentum transfer losses and heat transfer losses and presents the irreversibility of the convective flow based on the entropy generation (EG) method. This paper determines the entropy generation for incompressible, single phase, laminar flow for large and small Prandtl numbers over a flat plate with isothermal and constant heat flux boundary conditions using von Ka´rma´n’s integral theory.

This paper addresses the thermodynamic optimum of single-phase convective heat transfer in fully developed flow for uniform and constant heat flux. The optimal Reynolds number is obtained using the entropy generation minimization (EGM) method. Entropy generation due to viscous dissipation and heat transfer dissipation in the flow passage are summed, and then minimized with respect to Reynolds number based on hydraulic diameter. For fixed mass flow rate and fixed total heat transfer rate, and the assumption of uniform heat flux, an optimal Reynolds number for laminar as well as turbulent flow is obtained. In addition, the method quantifies the flow irreversibilities. It was shown that the ratio of heat transfer dissipation to viscous dissipation at minimum entropy generation was 5:1 for laminar flow and 29:9 for turbulent flow. For laminar flow, the study compared non-circular cross-sections to the circular cross-section. The optimal Reynolds number was determined for the following cross-sections: square, equilateral triangle, and rectangle with aspect ratios of two and eight. It was shown that the rectangle with the higher aspect ratio had the smallest optimal Reynolds number, the smallest entropy generation number, and the smallest flow length.