This paper presents the experimental and theoretical analysis of a micro heat exchanger designed for the waste heat recovery from a high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) system. A test bench was built to analyze the thermal behavior of a heat exchanger targeted to work in a similar condition of an existing HCPV panel. A high power heater was encapsulated inside a copper cartridge, covered by thermal insulation, leading to dissipated heat fluxes around 0.6 MW/m2, representative of the heat flux over the solar cell within the HCPV module. The experimental campaign employed water as the coolant fluid and was performed for three different mass flow rates. An infrared camera was used to nonintrusively measure the temperature field over the micro heat exchanger external surface, while thermocouples were placed at the contact between the heat exchanger and the heater, and at the water inlet and outlet ports. In the theoretical analysis, a hybrid numerical–analytical treatment is implemented, combining the numerical simulation through the comsolmultiphysics finite elements code for the micro heat exchanger, and the analytical solution of a lumped-differential formulation for the electrical heater cartridge, offering a substantial computational cost reduction. Such computational simulations of the three-dimensional conjugated heat transfer problem were critically compared to the experimental results and also permitted to inspect the adequacy of a theoretical correlation based on a simplified prescribed heat flux model without conjugation effects. It has been concluded that the conjugated heat transfer problem modeling should be adopted in future design and optimization tasks. The analysis demonstrates the enhanced heat transfer achieved by the microthermal system and confirms the potential in reusing the recovered heat from HCPV systems in a secondary process.
Article navigation
Research-Article
On the Thermal Performance of a Microparallel Channels Heat Exchanger
Ivana Fernandes de Sousa
,
Ivana Fernandes de Sousa
Laboratory of Nano and Microfluidics and Micro-
Systems—LabMEMS,
Engineering of Nanotechnology Department,
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro—UFRJ,
Rio de Janeiro 21.941-594, Brazil
Systems—LabMEMS,
Engineering of Nanotechnology Department,
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro—UFRJ,
Rio de Janeiro 21.941-594, Brazil
Search for other works by this author on:
Carolina Palma Naveira Cotta
,
Carolina Palma Naveira Cotta
Laboratory of Nano and Microfluidics and
Micro-Systems—LabMEMS,
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro—UFRJ,
Rio de Janeiro 21.941-594, Brazil;
Nanoengineered Systems Laboratory,
UCL Mechanical Engineering,
University College London,
London WC1E 6BT, UK
e-mail: carolina@mecanica.coppe.ufrj.br
Micro-Systems—LabMEMS,
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro—UFRJ,
Rio de Janeiro 21.941-594, Brazil;
Nanoengineered Systems Laboratory,
UCL Mechanical Engineering,
University College London,
London WC1E 6BT, UK
e-mail: carolina@mecanica.coppe.ufrj.br
Search for other works by this author on:
Daduí Cordeiro Guerrieri
,
Daduí Cordeiro Guerrieri
Mechanical Engineering Department,
CEFET-RJ UnED Itaguaí,
Rio de Janeiro 23.812-101, Brazil
CEFET-RJ UnED Itaguaí,
Rio de Janeiro 23.812-101, Brazil
Search for other works by this author on:
Manish K. Tiwari
Manish K. Tiwari
Nanoengineered Systems Laboratory,
UCL Mechanical Engineering,
University College London,
London WC1E 7HB, UK
UCL Mechanical Engineering,
University College London,
London WC1E 7HB, UK
Search for other works by this author on:
Ivana Fernandes de Sousa
Laboratory of Nano and Microfluidics and Micro-
Systems—LabMEMS,
Engineering of Nanotechnology Department,
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro—UFRJ,
Rio de Janeiro 21.941-594, Brazil
Systems—LabMEMS,
Engineering of Nanotechnology Department,
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro—UFRJ,
Rio de Janeiro 21.941-594, Brazil
Carolina Palma Naveira Cotta
Laboratory of Nano and Microfluidics and
Micro-Systems—LabMEMS,
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro—UFRJ,
Rio de Janeiro 21.941-594, Brazil;
Nanoengineered Systems Laboratory,
UCL Mechanical Engineering,
University College London,
London WC1E 6BT, UK
e-mail: carolina@mecanica.coppe.ufrj.br
Micro-Systems—LabMEMS,
Mechanical Engineering Department,
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro—UFRJ,
Rio de Janeiro 21.941-594, Brazil;
Nanoengineered Systems Laboratory,
UCL Mechanical Engineering,
University College London,
London WC1E 6BT, UK
e-mail: carolina@mecanica.coppe.ufrj.br
Daduí Cordeiro Guerrieri
Mechanical Engineering Department,
CEFET-RJ UnED Itaguaí,
Rio de Janeiro 23.812-101, Brazil
CEFET-RJ UnED Itaguaí,
Rio de Janeiro 23.812-101, Brazil
Manish K. Tiwari
Nanoengineered Systems Laboratory,
UCL Mechanical Engineering,
University College London,
London WC1E 7HB, UK
UCL Mechanical Engineering,
University College London,
London WC1E 7HB, UK
1
Corresponding author.
Contributed by the Heat Transfer Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF THERMAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS. Manuscript received May 23, 2018; final manuscript received September 3, 2018; published online October 31, 2018. Assoc. Editor: Pedro Mago.
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl. Apr 2019, 11(2): 021006 (11 pages)
Published Online: October 31, 2018
Article history
Received:
May 23, 2018
Revised:
September 3, 2018
Citation
de Sousa, I. F., Naveira Cotta, C. P., Cordeiro Guerrieri, D., and Tiwari, M. K. (October 31, 2018). "On the Thermal Performance of a Microparallel Channels Heat Exchanger." ASME. J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl. April 2019; 11(2): 021006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4041439
Download citation file:
- Ris (Zotero)
- Reference Manager
- EasyBib
- Bookends
- Mendeley
- Papers
- EndNote
- RefWorks
- BibTex
- ProCite
- Medlars
Close
Sign In
Get Email Alerts
Cited By
Complete parametric study of bagasse pellets during high-temperature steam gasification
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl
Fully developed transport constants of annular tubes, with application to the entrance region
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl
Related Articles
Experimental Characterization of Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Inside a Tubular Evaporator Utilizing Advanced Microgrooved Surfaces
J. Thermal Sci. Eng. Appl (December, 2012)
Conjugated Convection-Conduction Analysis in Microchannels With Axial Diffusion Effects and a Single Domain Formulation
J. Heat Transfer (September, 2013)
Guidelines for the Determination of Single-Phase Forced Convection Coefficients in Microchannels
J. Heat Transfer (October, 2013)
Electrohydrodynamic Conduction Driven Single- and Two-Phase Flow in Microchannels With Heat Transfer
J. Heat Transfer (October, 2013)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Threshold Functions
Closed-Cycle Gas Turbines: Operating Experience and Future Potential
Experimental Study on Heat Pipe Heat Exchanger for Heat Recovery in Room Ventilation
Inaugural US-EU-China Thermophysics Conference-Renewable Energy 2009 (UECTC 2009 Proceedings)
Experiment Investigation of Flow Boiling Process Including Cavitation in Micro-Channel
Inaugural US-EU-China Thermophysics Conference-Renewable Energy 2009 (UECTC 2009 Proceedings)