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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 289 records · Page 16
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2014

Large deviations in stochastic heat-conduction processes provide a gradient-flow structure for heat conduction

We consider three one-dimensional continuous-time Markov processes on a lattice, each of which models the conduction of heat: the family of Brownian Energy Processes with parameter m (BEP(m)), a Generalized Brownian Energy Process, and the Kipnis-Marchioro-Presutti (KMP) process. The hydrodynamic limit of each of these three processes is a parabolic equation, the linear heat equation in the case of the BEP(m) and the KMP, and a nonlinear heat equation for the Generalized Brownian Energy Process with parameter a (GBEP(a)). We prove the hydrodynamic limit rigorously for the BEP(m), and give a formal derivation for the GBEP(a). We then formally derive the pathwise large-deviation rate functional for the empirical measure of the three processes. These rate functionals imply gradient-flow structures for the limiting linear and nonlinear heat equations. We contrast these gradient-flow structures with those for processes describing the diffusion of mass, most importantly the class of Wasserstein gradient-flow systems. The linear and nonlinear heat-equation gradient-flow structures are each driven by entropy terms of the form -log ρ; they involve dissipation or mobility terms of order ρ² for the linear heat equation, and a nonlinear function of ρ for the nonlinear heat equation.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Heat flux viscosity in collisional magnetized plasmas

Momentum transport in collisional magnetized plasmas due to gradients in the heat flux, a “heat flux viscosity,” is demonstrated. Even though no net particle flux is associated with a heat flux, in a plasma there can still be momentum transport owing to the velocity dependence of the Coulomb collision frequency, analogous to the thermal force. This heat-flux viscosity may play an important role in numerous plasma environments, in particular, in strongly driven high-energy-density plasma, where strong heat flux can dominate over ordinary plasma flows. The heat flux viscosity can influence the dynamics of the magnetic field in plasmas through the generalized Ohm's law and may therefore play an important role as a dissipation mechanism allowing magnetic field line reconnection. The heat flux viscosity is calculated directly using the finite-difference method of Epperlein and Haines [Phys. Fluids 29, 1029 (1986)], which is shown to be more accurate than Braginskii's method [S. I. Braginskii, Rev. Plasma Phys. 1, 205 (1965)], and confirmed with one-dimensional collisional particle-in-cell simulations. The resulting transport coefficients are tabulated for ease of application.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Heat pulse propagation and anomalous electron heat transport measurements on the optimized stellarator W7-X

The optimized stellarator Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) is designed to have an approximately quasi-isodynamic magnetic configuration with reduced neoclassical transport in comparison to a classical stellarator, and turbulent transport is expected to be a significant source of anomalous heat transport across the plasma minor radius. The ion temperature gradient driven mode and the trapped electron mode (TEM) are thought to be responsible for the ion-scale turbulence in W7-X plasmas with volume averaged pressure below 1%. In this work, the electron temperature gradient driven turbulence is shown to be a good candidate for the explanation of the observed electron heat flux, in the inner plasma region where the density gradient is weak (in the outer region, a relatively stronger density gradient would drive additional TEM turbulence). Further, the experimental electron heat transport measured during electron cyclotron resonant heating power and plasma density scans is compared to neoclassical predictions, and the stiffness in the electron heat transport measured during transient transport experiments is presented in three common magnetic configurations of W7-X. In low-(β) plasma discharges, the stiffness in the electron heat flux, quantified by the ratio of the heat pulse to power balance diffusivity, ${\chi }_{\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{H}\mathrm{P}}/{\chi }_{\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{P}\mathrm{B}}$, is measured to be less than 2, and trend downwards with increasing collisionality.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Novel Power Electronics Three-Dimensional Heat Exchanger: Preprint

Electric drive systems for vehicle propulsion enable technologies critical to meeting challenges for energy, environmental, and economic security. Enabling cost-effective electric drive systems requires reductions in inverter power semiconductor area. As critical components of the electric drive system are made smaller, heat removal becomes an increasing challenge. In this paper, we demonstrate an integrated approach to the design of thermal management systems for power semiconductors that matches the passive thermal resistance of the packaging with the active convective cooling performance of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger concept builds on existing semiconductor thermal management improvements described in literature and patents, which include improved bonded interface materials, direct cooling of the semiconductor packages, and double-sided cooling. The key difference in the described concept is the achievement of high heat transfer performance with less aggressive cooling techniques by optimizing the passive and active heat transfer paths. An extruded aluminum design was selected because of its lower tooling cost, higher performance, and scalability in comparison to cast aluminum. Results demonstrated a heat flux improvement of a factor of two, and a package heat density improvement over 30%, which achieved the thermal performance targets.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Evaluation of Alternative Designs for a High Temperature Particle-to-SCO2 Heat Exchanger

This paper presents an evaluation of alternative particle heat-exchanger designs, including moving packed-bed and fluidized-bed designs, for high-temperature heating of a solar-driven supercritical CO2 (sCO2) Brayton power cycle. The design requirements for high pressure (= 20 MPa) and high temperature (= 700 degrees C) operation associated with sCO2 posed several challenges requiring high-strength materials for piping and/or diffusion bonding for plates. Designs from several vendors for a 100 kW-thermal particle-to-sCO2 heat exchanger were evaluated as part of this project. Cost, heat-transfer coefficient, structural reliability, manufacturability, parasitics and heat losses, scalability, compatibility, erosion and corrosion, transient operation, and inspection ease were considered in the evaluation. An analytical hierarchy process was used to weight and compare the criteria for the different design options. The fluidized-bed design fared the best on heat transfer coefficient, structural reliability, scalability and inspection ease, while the moving packed-bed designs fared the best on cost, parasitics and heat losses, manufacturability, compatibility, erosion and corrosion, and transient operation. A 100 kWt shell-and-plate design was ultimately selected for construction and integration with Sandia's falling particle receiver system.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Design Considerations for Phase Change Material-Incorporated Heat Exchangers in Water Heating

In recent years, the buildings sector has seen major pushes towards decarbonization through innovations that promote deep electrification. 20% of an average household's energy use comes from water heating, and in the US, over half of all households still use gas water heaters. Of those that use electricity for water heating, the majority use resistive elements rather than heat pump water heaters (HPWHs), the latter of which use 60-70% less energy than the former. However, HPWHs tend to have larger dimensions, preventing current 50-80-gallon tanks on the market from fitting into smaller utility closets sized for 30-40 gallons, such as those found in manufactured housing. Additionally, these smaller HPWHs tend to underperform relative to their larger counterparts. One solution that addresses both space and performance concerns is thermal energy storage, and in particular, phase change materials (PCMs). This study outlines the design process used to produce novel PCM heat exchangers for use in small-volume HPWH tanks, including the identification of design constraints and performance targets relevant to real-world applications. To ensure optimal PCM utilization and tank storage capacity, this works seeks to co-maximize surface area and PCM volume; therefore, this research targets triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattices, which boast enhanced heat transfer capabilities compared to traditional heat exchanger geometries. Starting with a suite of TPMS lattices, we demonstrate a systematic approach for narrowing down feasible designs that comply with identified constraints while meeting PCM performance objectives. Our current results indicate that tuning lattice properties can effectively produce geometries that provide enough energy storage to achieve a 50-gallon capacity out of a 40-gallon HPWH, even when placing the PCM heat exchanger inside the tank. Additionally, we demonstrate successful fabrication of lattices with these tuned properties.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2016

LONG DURATION FLARE EMISSION: IMPULSIVE HEATING OR GRADUAL HEATING?

Flare emissions in X-ray and EUV wavelengths have previously been modeled as the plasma response to impulsive heating from magnetic reconnection. Some flares exhibit gradually evolving X-ray and EUV light curves, which are believed to result from superposition of an extended sequence of impulsive heating events occurring in different adjacent loops or even unresolved threads within each loop. In this paper, we apply this approach to a long duration two-ribbon flare SOL2011-09-13T22 observed by the Atmosphere Imaging Assembly (AIA). We find that to reconcile with observed signatures of flare emission in multiple EUV wavelengths, each thread should be heated in two phases, an intense impulsive heating followed by a gradual, low-rate heating tail that is attenuated over 20–30 minutes. Each AIA resolved single loop may be composed of several such threads. The two-phase heating scenario is supported by modeling with both a zero-dimensional and a 1D hydrodynamic code. We discuss viable physical mechanisms for the two-phase heating in a post-reconnection thread.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

A DISCUSSION ON UTILIZATION OF HEAT PIPE AND VAPOUR CHAMBER TECHNOLOGY AS A PRIMARY DEVICE FOR HEAT EXTRACTION FROM PHOTON ABSORBER SURFACES

Heat pipes and vapour chambers work on heat exchange phenomena of two-phase flow and are widely used for in-dustrial and commercial applications. These devices offer very high effective thermal conductivities (5,000-200,000 W/m/K) and are adaptable to various sizes, shapes, and ori-entations. Although they have been found to be an excel-lent thermal management solution for laptops, satellites, and many things in-between, heat pipes and vapour cham-bers have yet to be adopted for use at particle accelerator facilities where they offer the possibility of more compact and more efficient means to remove heat from unwanted synchrotron radiation. As with all technologies, there are inherent limitations. Foremost, they are limited by practi-cality to serve as local heat transfer devices; heat transfer over long distances is likely best provided by other means. Heat pipes also introduce unique failure modes which must be considered.

FEA↗
DOE OSTI2019

HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN HUMIDIFYING REGENERATOR FOR A SUB-ATMOSPHERIC HYBRID HEAT ENGINE

Heat and mass transfer processes in advanced modular sub-atmospheric hybrid heat engine have been evaluated for technical and economic feasibility. The presented concept combines fossil fuel energy conversion in a sub-atmospheric air turbine coupled with a reciprocating internal combustion engine to create a hybrid system for power generation. This system can achieve over 65% of net electrical or mechanical power conversion efficiency. The uniqueness of the advanced modular sub-atmospheric hybrid heat engine is in the operating conditions of the air turbine which operates at sub-atmospheric pressure and low temperature and produces power at high efficiency. This is possible due to a unique combination of the system components such as sub-atmospheric air turbine, humidifying air regenerator, and compressor inlet air cooling system. The humidifying air regenerator is the core component of the advanced sub-atmospheric turbine, which makes the turbine ultra-high efficient. It is a regenerative heat-mass exchanger to increase the working fluid (humid air) mass flow rate before the turbine and decrease the mass flow rate after the turbine. It is found that increased heat and mass transfer rate or increased air humidification in humidifying air regenerator would allow the turbine operating at lower temperature and increased efficiency. Optimal heat and mass transfer rates were found for higher efficiency, lower costs, and smaller footprint of the hybrid engine. The results of feasibility study of heat and mass transfer processes in the humidifying air regenerator are presented in this paper.

Heat Engine, Sub-atmospheric Turbine, Humidifying ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Load Shifting with Space Conditioning Heat Pumps During Heating Season in the Pacific Northwest

Ductless mini- and multi-split heat pumps are commonly deployed in Pacific Northwest residences, which historically have inefficient space heating and no space cooling. Heat pumps provide these residences with more energy-efficient space heating in the winter and space cooling for increasingly warm summer periods. For many of these applications, heat pumps add a new electrical load at the residence, compelling regional utilities to seek to understand their impacts on the electrical grid and opportunities for load management. In coordination with regional utilities, this study examined the winter load-shifting potential of residential multi-split heat pumps with variable capacity technology. The study included nine residential sites with a total of 20 ductless indoor units, which underwent simulated smart grid control. Grid control functionality was provided through the CTA-2045 communication protocol and included offsetting temperature setpoints for individual indoor units in the study. Field data collection included whole-house and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning electrical power consumption; indoor zone temperatures; occupant surveys; and CTA-2045 curtailment data for both baseline and simulated load-shifting events by site. This paper provides an overview of the load-shifting strategies and aggregated results from winter data collection.

ASHRAE, Heat pump, energy effciency, residential b↗
DOE OSTI2023

Computational fluid dynamics investigations of flow, heat transfer, and oxidation in heat recovery steam generator

Modern heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) operate at elevated temperatures, leading to the formation of oxides inside the tubes of heat exchangers (HXs). This oxide growth reduces the heat recovery efficiency. Moreover, after reaching a certain critical thickness, some oxide scales detach from the tube surface (exfoliation), causing erosion damage to the components downstream. Predicting the metal temperature distribution and associated oxide thickness in the HXs of an HRSG can aid in mitigating these problems. Here, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed within the commercial code STAR-CCM+ for the prediction of fluid flow, conjugate heat transfer, and associated oxidation in HRSGs. Moreover, a new Porous Media Model (PMM) method was developed to model the fin effect on the heat transfer in HX, which can substantially reduce the prohibitive computational costs of fin meshes. The developed CFD model was used to conduct a high-fidelity simulation of a real-scale HRSG to investigate flow, heat transfer, and oxide growth. The calculated oxide thickness on different tubes can be used to identify HX regions that require oxide-resistant coatings to prevent exfoliation and ensuing damages. Furthermore, this CFD framework can serve as a reference for future studies that intend to model and investigate high-temperature oxidation in HXs used for any applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Heating performance of an air source heat pump with a portable thermoelectric subcooler

This study investigates the heating performance of an integrated air-source heat pump (ASHP) with a thermoelectric subcooler (TES) module, revealing significant performance enhancements, particularly in colder temperatures. Results show that adding the portable TES boosts the ASHP's heating capacity, making it feasible for residential applications. The coefficient of performance (COP) for the TE system, which is influenced by condensing temperatures and ambient conditions, ranges from 1.51 to 2.07. If condensing temperatures are consistently maintained above 35 °C, a TE COP of approximately 2.07 is achievable, supporting system downsizing and reducing supplemental heating. When coupled with an oversized indoor coil, the TES-ASHP system delivers comparable heating to a baseline unit while achieving a 10 % higher COP. Capacity increases by 8.7 %–24 % with TES in colder conditions, though COP declines by 9 %–18 %, diminishing as temperatures drop. Compared to systems with supplemental heating, this setup achieves a COP 10 %–17 % higher. Future work will involve extended field testing in various climates, exploration of advanced materials for thermal efficiency, and assessment of alternative refrigerants to improve performance and sustainability. This integrated ASHP-TES system holds promise for increased efficiency and reduced environmental impact in cold climates.

Air source heat pump↗
DOE OSTI2024

Understanding the heat generation mechanisms and the interplay between joule heat and entropy effects as a function of state of charge in lithium-ion batteries

The thermal performance of lithium-ion battery cells is critical for ensuring their safe and reliable operation across various applications. In this study, we employed an isothermal calorimetry method to investigate the heat generation of commercial 18650 lithium-ion battery fresh cells during charge and discharge at different current rates, ranging from 0.05C to 0.5C, and across various temperatures: 20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C, and 50 °C. Our findings revealed a direct correlation between heat generation and current rates, indicating that higher current rates lead to increased heat generation within the cells. Conversely, we observed that heat generation remained relatively stable as the temperature rose, suggesting that temperature changes within this range may not significantly impact the heat generation of fresh cells during typical operations. Furthermore, our study explored irreversible heat generation, which depends on the applied current and overpotential, using the galvanostatic intermittent titration technique at 0.05C–0.5C and 30 °C. Additionally, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was performed on the same cells during charge and discharge at 20 °C, 30 °C, and 40 °C to analyze cell impedance. Finally, our results indicated a consistent dependence of impedance on the state of charge and depth of discharge, with a significant increase in impedance observed at the end of the discharge process.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Replacing Resistance Heating with Mini-Split Heat Pumps: Sharon, Connecticut (Fact Sheet)

Mini-split heat pumps can provide space heating and cooling in many climates and are relatively affordable. These and other features make them potentially suitable for retrofitting into multifamily buildings in cold climates to replace electric resistance heating or other outmoded heating systems. This report investigates the suitability of mini-split heat pumps for multifamily retrofits. Various technical and regulatory barriers are discussed and modeling was performed to compare long-term costs of substituting mini-splits for a variety of other heating and cooling options. A number of utility programs have retrofit mini-splits in both single family and multifamily residences. Two such multifamily programs are discussed in detail.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

Modular Thermal Hub For Building Cooling, Heating and Water Heating

A thermally activated hub for modular, scalable, distributed cooling and heating in buildings, which uses working fluids with zero Global Warming Potential (GWP), and can run on thermal energy from combustion, low-grade waste heat, or solar energy, was developed and demonstrated in this project. The concept capitalizes on several-fold enhancements in coupled heat and mass transfer possible in microscale passages to remove the primary hurdle that has hindered the implementation of thermally activated heat pumps for more than a century. Cooling capacities of hundreds of watts to tens of kilowatts are possible simply through scaling-up of component geometry. In this project, the proof-of-concept 300 W capacity unit was successfully scaled up to 3.5 kW cooling capacity, and packaged into a compact system. These systems can be utilized for a variety of cooling, heating, and air-conditioning applications in residential and commercial buildings. Additional current and potential market opportunities include CCHP applications (military and private sector mobile power generation, and small residential and light commercial stationary power systems (engine, microturbine and fuel cell driven)), solar cooling applications, distributed process waste heat recovery applications, and long-haul transport refrigeration.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

Modular Thermal Hub For Building Cooling, Heating and Water Heating

A thermally activated hub for modular, scalable, distributed cooling and heating in buildings, which uses working fluids with zero Global Warming Potential (GWP), and can run on thermal energy from combustion, low grade waste heat, or solar energy, was developed and demonstrated in this project. The concept capitalizes on several-fold enhancements in coupled heat and mass transfer possible in microscale passages to remove the primary hurdle that has hindered the implementation of thermally activated heat pumps for more than a century. Cooling capacities of hundreds of watts to tens of kilowatts are possible simply through scaling up of component geometry. In this project, the proof-of-concept 300 W capacity unit was successfully scaled up to 3.5 kW cooling capacity, and packaged into a compact system. These systems can be utilized for a variety of cooling, heating, and air-conditioning applications in residential and commercial buildings. Additional current and potential market opportunities include CCHP applications (military and private sector mobile power generation, and small residential and light commercial stationary power systems (engine, microturbine and fuel cell driven)), solar cooling applications, distributed process waste heat recovery applications, and long-haul transport refrigeration.

HVAC↗