Yue Zhou

Abstract

The energy consumption per capita per year throughout the world is increasing. The scientists and engineers throughout the world are focusing more attention to develop potential methods that would use waste heat. A significant amount of thermal resources are available in the form of low temperature (between 60 C and 99 C) industrial waste heat, approximately 500 trillion kJ per year is known to be wasted every year. This waste heat could be used to drive absorption chillers. In order to utilize that waste heat, a new chiller generator consisting of dual chambers called "dual chamber vortex generator" has been designed and manufactured. As a proof of concept, a test stand was constructed for testing the performance of the vortex generator for possible use in absorption refrigeration systems. The experimental result and the analysis showed that the vortex generator could create a strong enough vortex and produce water evaporation in the generator. In some cases, the COP of the vortex generator system can reach 0.8 using a low temperature (60-90 C) heat resource. This number is higher than the COP of conventional absorption chiller, which is typically around 0.7. Also, According to exergy efficency analysis presented here, it is more thermodynamically efficicent if the absorption systems are operated using low-grade wasted heat rather than high-temperature heat sources.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Refrigeration and refrigerating machinery--Design and construction; Vortex generators; Thermodynamics; Heat recovery

Publication Date

2003

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Mechanical Engineering (ME)

Department, Program, or Center

Mechanical Engineering (KGCOE)

Advisor

Ali Ogut

Advisor/Committee Member

Jian Yu

Advisor/Committee Member

Kozak Jeff

Comments

Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at TP495 .Z56 2003

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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