1. |
- Abbafati, Cristiana, et al.
(author)
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- 2020
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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2. |
- Lozano, Rafael, et al.
(author)
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Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
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In: The Lancet. - : Elsevier. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 2091-2138
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of “leaving no one behind”, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990–2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment. Methods: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator. Findings: The global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59·4 (IQR 35·4–67·3), ranging from a low of 11·6 (95% uncertainty interval 9·6–14·0) to a high of 84·9 (83·1–86·7). SDG index values in countries assessed at the subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators, including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators, including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about 19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030. Interpretation: The GBD study offers a unique, robust platform for monitoring the health-related SDGs across demographic and geographic dimensions. Our findings underscore the importance of increased collection and analysis of disaggregated data and highlight where more deliberate design or targeting of interventions could accelerate progress in attaining the SDGs. Current projections show that many health-related SDG indicators, NCDs, NCD-related risks, and violence-related indicators will require a concerted shift away from what might have driven past gains—curative interventions in the case of NCDs—towards multisectoral, prevention-oriented policy action and investments to achieve SDG aims. Notably, several targets, if they are to be met by 2030, demand a pace of progress that no country has achieved in the recent past. The future is fundamentally uncertain, and no model can fully predict what breakthroughs or events might alter the course of the SDGs. What is clear is that our actions—or inaction—today will ultimately dictate how close the world, collectively, can get to leaving no one behind by 2030.
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3. |
- Murray, Christopher J. L., et al.
(author)
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Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017
- 2018
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In: The Lancet. - 1474-547X .- 0140-6736. ; 392:10159, s. 1995-2051
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49·4% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46·4–52·0). The TFR decreased from 4·7 livebirths (4·5–4·9) to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·5), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83·8 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197·2% (193·3–200·8) since 1950, from 2·6 billion (2·5–2·6) to 7·6 billion (7·4–7·9) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2·0%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1·1% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2·5% in 1963 to 0·7% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2·7%. The global average age increased from 26·6 years in 1950 to 32·1 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59·9% to 65·3%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1·0 livebirths (95% UI 0·9–1·2) in Cyprus to a high of 7·1 livebirths (6·8–7·4) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0·08 livebirths (0·07–0·09) in South Korea to 2·4 livebirths (2·2–2·6) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0·3 livebirths (0·3–0·4) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3·1 livebirths (3·0–3·2) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2·0% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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4. |
- Abdi, Amir, et al.
(author)
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Constraints on the geometry of the Suasselka post-glacial fault, northern Finland, based on reflection seismic imaging
- 2015
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In: Tectonophysics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0040-1951 .- 1879-3266. ; 649, s. 130-138
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Unloading of the ice during the last glacial period in northern Fennoscandia is believed to have generated major faulting. These faults, often referred to as post-glacial faults, typically have clear surface exposures, but their geometry at depth is poorly known. In order to better understand the geometry at depth of the Suasselka post-glacial fault in Finland, three high resolution 2D reflection seismic profiles over the fault were reprocessed. Their total profile length is about 60 km and they were acquired as part of a major effort in Finland to map the uppermost crust in mining areas. The reprocessing led to significantly improved images that could be used to map the fault at depth. Two approximately N-S striking profiles and one E-W striking profile were reprocessed. The different azimuths and the crooked nature of the profiles allowed the fault geometry to be relatively well constrained. Clear reflections from the fault, dipping towards the SE, can be traced from the shallow subsurface down to about 3 km. The strike and dip of two sets of dipping reflections in the stacked data along with geometrical constraints and cross-dip analysis give a consistent dip of about 35-45 degrees towards the SE for the fault. The strike and dip vary from N55E with a dip of 35 degrees in the east to a strike of N48E with a dip of 45 degrees in the west. Existence of the two sets of reflections indicates that the fault surface is non-planar. Aside from allowing the geometry of the fault to be determined, the seismic data show a complex reflectivity pattern in the area and indications of both reverse and normal movement along fault planes with similar orientation to the Suasselka post-glacial fault. These images can be used as a basis for better characterizing the 3D geology of the area.
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5. |
- Abdi, Amir, et al.
(author)
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Experimental comparative analysis of close-contact and constrained melting of n-eicosane in a finned rectangular cavity
- 2023
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In: Applied Thermal Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 1359-4311 .- 1873-5606. ; 219
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The present study demonstrates and visualizes the two modes of constrained melting and close-contact melting in a rectangular cavity enhanced with fins. Three configurations of fin with different lengths and numbers are tested in different horizontal, inclined, and vertical orientations. N-eicosane is used as the phase change material, and the experiments are performed with water as the heat transfer fluid at the inlet conditions of 50 degrees C, 55 degrees C, and 60 degrees C. In general, the close-contact melting time is shorter by 42-50%, compared to the convection dominated constrained melting in the unenhanced cavity without fins. By using fins to enhance the process, the melting time is reduced by 49% and 35% in the constrained and the close-contact modes, respectively, compared to the unfinned cavity in each mode. The thermal performance is observed to be superior in the horizontal and the inclined orientations. In these orientations, the buoyancy-driven structures are not blocked by fins in the con-strained mode. In the close-contact mode, the solid specimens attain more consistent contact with the base of the cavity and with the extended heat transfer area at the inclined and horizontal conditions. In the vertical orientation, the asymmetrical melting by the fins results in a rotational movement of the solid PCM and close -contact perturbations. The variations in the number of fins are found to have minor effects on the overall close-contact-induced melting. On the other hand, increasing the length of the fins is a more promising measure, providing consistent and prolonged contact.
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6. |
- Abdi, Amir, et al.
(author)
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Experimental investigation of solidification and melting in a vertically finned cavity
- 2021
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In: Applied Thermal Engineering. - : Elsevier BV. - 1359-4311 .- 1873-5606. ; 198
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Extending the heat transfer area is a simple technique to improve the thermal performance of phase change materials with low thermal conductivity. However, as the governing mechanisms differ in solidification and melting, fins can affect the processes in different ways. This demands assessment of fin enhancement in a combined analysis on both solidification and melting, often neglected in literature. This paper presents visual-izations of solidification and melting of n-eicosane in a rectangular cavity and experimentally investigates the enhancing effect of vertical fins with varying number and length. Experiments were conducted at water inlet temperature ranges of 15-25 degrees C and 50-60 degrees C for the solidification and melting processes, respectively. The results show that the vertical fins can be more influential in solidification rather than in melting with similar losses in the storage capacity. In the solidification process, as natural convection is absent, the mean power is enhanced by a maximum of 395% with a 10% loss in the storage capacity, as compared to the benchmark. In the melting case, the mean power is increased by a maximum of 90% with a 9% loss in the storage capacity. Although increasing the surface area with vertical fins contributes to development of convective structures, it makes a modest enhancement. In overall, increasing the fin volume fraction, in exchange for the loss in the storage capacity, enhances the solidification significantly while it has relatively low enhancement effect in melting. At the end, the performed experiments could be helpful for validation of future simulation tools with complex features, particularly solidification models lacking in literature.
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7. |
- Abdi, Amir, et al.
(author)
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Experimental investigation of thermo-physical properties of n-octadecane and n-eicosane
- 2020
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In: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0017-9310 .- 1879-2189. ; 161
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reliable knowledge of phase change materials (PCM) thermo-physical properties is essential to model and design latent thermal energy storage (LTES) systems. This study aims to conduct a methodological measurement of thermo-physical properties, including latent enthalpy, isobaric specific heat, thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity, of two n-alkanes, n-octadecane and n-eicosane. The enthalpy and isobaric specific heat of the materials are measured via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique, using a pDSC evo7 from Setaram Instrumentation with a sample mass of 628.4 mg. The influence of the scanning rates, varying from 0.5 K/min to 0.025 K/min, in dynamic continuous mode within temperature range of 10-65 degrees C is investigated. The thermal conductivity and the dynamic viscosity are measured via Hot Disk TPS-2500S instrument and Brookfield rotational viscometer, respectively, up to 70 degrees C. The thermal analysis results via the pDSC show that the isothermal condition can be approached at a very low scanning rate, however at the cost of a higher noise level. A trade-off is observed for n-octadecane, achieving the lowest deviation of 0.7% in latent heat measurement at 0.05 K/min, as compared to the American Petroleum Table values. For n-eicosane, the lowest deviation of 1.2% is seen at the lowest scanning rate of 0.025 K/min. The thermal conductivity measured values show good agreements with a number of documented literature studies in the solid phase, within deviations of 2%. Larger deviations of 5-16% are found for the measurement in the liquid phase. The viscosity values also show a good agreement with the literature values with maximum deviations of 2.9% and 6.3%, with respect to the values of American Petroleum Tables, for n-octadecane and n-eicosane, respectively. The good agreements achieved in measurements establish the reliable thermo-physical properties contributing to the future simulations and designs.
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8. |
- Abdi, Amir, et al.
(author)
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Heat recovery investigation of a supermarket refrigeration system using carbon dioxide as refrigerant
- 2014
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In: 11th IIR Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants. - : International Institute of Refrigeration. - 9782362150043 ; , s. 277-285
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study investigates the heat reclaim of trans-critical CO2-booster refrigeration unit in a supermarket in Sweden. The aim is to compare the control strategy for heat recovery in real supermarket installation to the optimum control strategy.The optimum control strategy based on theoretical analysis is explained. By analyzing field measurement of a supermarket, heat recovery in the refrigeration system is studied and compared to the optimum case. To investigate the potential of higher heat recovery rate, a computer model is developed based on the optimum control strategy. The model is also used to calculate the boundary conditions at which the system should run for highest COP.The results show that heat can be recovered at heating COP of 3-4.5. The theoretical analysis shows that the amount of heat that can be recovered from the refrigeration system is about 1.3 times (130 %) the cooling demand in the system. However the analysis of the field measurements shows that only between 30-60 % of the available heat to be recovered is utilized, the rest is released to outdoors. The analysis in this study shows that there is a potential to recover much more heat from the refrigeration system at relatively high heating COP compared to heat pump.
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9. |
- Abdi, Amir, 1987-
(author)
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Heat Transfer Enhancement of Latent Thermal Energy Storage in Rectangular Components
- 2022
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Latent Thermal Energy Storage (LTES) is an interesting choice to storethermal energy in a sustainable energy system. The primary benefit of LTESis the relatively high latent heat of fusion of the materials, known as PhaseChange Materials (PCM), used in such a system as the storage medium.However, as the thermal conductivity of PCMs is often very low, there is aneed to enhance the rate of heat transfer within the charging/dischargingprocess and to improve the thermal performance of the LTES systems.This thesis addresses the enhancing effect of extending heat transfer area inrectangular LTES enclosures. A key contribution of this thesis is acomprehensive visualization of the phase change processes for an organicPCM, including solidification and melting, constrained as well asunconstrained, known as Close-Contact Melting (CCM), in a cavity with andwithout fins. Observations have been carried out for fins of different lengthsand numbers with a varying angle of inclination, and a comprehensive analysisin terms of phase change time and thermal power is conducted.The observations show fins are more influential in solidification than inmelting, reducing the solidification time by 80% and increasing the meanpower by 395%, at a cost of 10% loss in the extracted energy. In contrast, inmelting, fins have a modest effect in enhancing the process. The relativeenhancement effect of fin is higher in constrained melting than inunconstrained melting. In a case with maximum enhancement, a reduction by52% in the constrained melting time and a relative enhancement in the meanpower by 90% is achieved at a cost of 9% loss in the stored energy. As thevolume fraction of fin increases, the discrepancies in melting time betweenthe constrained and unconstrained melting diminishes.A numerical model for solidification and constrained melting is validatedbased on the experiments, and a more inclusive sensitivity analysis of finparameters is performed. The enhancing effect of different parameters on thephase change time and the thermal power is analyzed and the relatively moreeffective measures are identified. Analyzing the simulation data withdimensionless parameters for a cavity oriented horizontally and enhancedwith vertical fins, overall dimensionless groups for solidification and constrained melting have been obtained. The dimensionless groupscontribute in general to achieving a better understanding of fins parametersand to facilitating the LTES designs.In addition, this thesis investigates a novel idea of extending the surface areavia incorporating mini-channels into LTES enclosures, used as passages forair as a low thermal conductive Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF). The mini-scaleinternal hydraulic diameter of the mini-channels and their high external areato-volume ratios make a potential for dual enhancement on both the PCMside and the HTF side. An existing design and a conceptual one with thepossibility of adding fins on the PCM side, capable of being manufactured viaproduction methods of extrusion and Additive Manufacturing (AM),respectively, have been simulated and studied.The two mini-channel types provide considerable enhancements in the rateof heat transfer for a PCM heat exchanger working with air. The degree ofenhancement increases as the air flow rate increases, at the cost of anincreasingly higher pressure drop. Regarding this, increasing the number ofchannels is identified as a more effective enhancing measure than adding finsto the PCM side. In addition, the conceptual design with a higher internalhydraulic diameter and considerably a higher aspect ratio has a lower pressuredrop than the existing design, charging/discharging the thermal energy at asimilar rate but with a lower fan power. More optimized designs withminimization of pressure drop, contribute to paving the way in facilitation ofthe utilization of the enhanced air-PCM heat exchanger in variousapplications.
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10. |
- Abdi, Amir, et al.
(author)
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Numerical Investigation of Latent Thermal Storage in a Compact Heat Exchanger Using Mini-Channels
- 2021
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In: Applied Sciences. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-3417. ; 11:13, s. 5985-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This paper aims to numerically investigate the thermal enhancement of a latent thermal energy storage component with mini-channels as air passages. The investigated channels in two sizes of internal air passages (channel-1 with d(h) = 1.6 mm and channel-2 with d(h) = 2.3 mm) are oriented vertically in a cuboid of 0.15 x 0.15 x 0.1 m(3) with RT22 as the PCM located in the shell. The phase change is simulated with a fixed inlet temperature of air, using ANSYS Fluent 19.5, with a varying number of channels and a ranging air flow rate entering the component. The results show that the phase change power of the LTES improves with by increasing the number of channels at the cost of a decrease in the storage capacity. Given a constant air flow rate, the increase in the heat transfer surface area of the increased number of channels dominates the heat transfer coefficient, thus increasing the mean heat transfer rate (UA). A comparison of the channels shows that the thermal performance depends largely on the area to volume ratio of the channels. The channel type two (channel-2) with a slightly higher area to volume ratio has a slightly higher charging/discharging power, as compared to channel type one (channel-1), at a similar PCM packing factor. Adding fins to channel-2, doubling the surface area, improves the mean UA values by 15-31% for the studied cases. The variation in the total air flow rate from 7 to 24 L/s is found to have a considerable influence, reducing the melting time by 41-53% and increasing the mean UA values within melting by 19-52% for a packing factor range of 77.4-86.8%. With the increase in the air flow rate, channel type two is found to have considerably lower pressure drops than channel type one, which can be attributed to its higher internal hydraulic diameter, making it superior in terms of achieving a relatively similar charging/discharging power in exchange for significantly lower fan power. Such designs can further be optimized in terms of pressure drop in future work, which should also include an experimental evaluation.
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