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Numerical study of novel regenerator design for solid-state caloric cycles.

Number: 2356

Author(s) : KANG M., ELBEL S.

Summary

A numerical study was investigated to apply a bare-rod type of regenerator to solid-state caloric cycles. The bare-rod type of regenerator has many advantages over various microchannel types of the regenerator, which are general regenerator designs commonly used for the solid-state caloric cycles. Firstly, the bare-rod type of regenerator interferes with the flow, thereby leading to an increase in the convective heat transfer. Secondly, the heat transfer area of the regenerator with the same porosity is increased compared to the microchannel type. Thirdly, the high thermal conductivity of caloric materials generally improves the convective heat transfer while reducing the temperature gradient of the regenerator due to an increase in the heat conduction in the caloric material. However, the bare-rod regenerator reduces the conduction loss and increases the temperature gradient in the regenerator since the caloric material of the regenerator is separated along the longitudinal direction. Finally, a regenerator with a small hydraulic diameter can be easily produced because the newly proposed novel design for a caloric cycle is in the form of a simple rod rather than a tube.
In this study, the circular and elliptical types of the bare-rod regenerator were compared with the plate type design known to have the highest heat transfer performance among microchannel types of the regenerator. Using 2D CFD simulation, the correlations for Nusselt number and friction factor of the bare type of regenerator were obtained. When the Reynolds number is between 20 and 80, the circular and elliptical designs increase the Nusselt number by about 75 - 90% and 25 - 50%, and the friction factor by about 230 to 285%, and 55-105% compared to the plate type, respectively. As a result of applying these Nu and friction factor correlations to the system model, the circular type increased the COP by 9.1% and the elliptical type by 10.6%. These positive results are mostly achieved due to substantially higher heat transfer coefficients of the bare-rod type regenerator.

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  • Original title: Numerical study of novel regenerator design for solid-state caloric cycles.
  • Record ID : 30030691
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: 2022 Purdue Conferences. 19th International Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Conference at Purdue.
  • Publication date: 2022

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