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Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a PCM-Supported ...

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The MATLAB model describes how the solar power components are combined with<br />

the desalination block in one structure to simulate the complete plant based on the<br />

coupling strategy shown in figure 4.1. The above description assumes no heat<br />

losses during fluid flow through the HDH unit. The solar collector efficiency is<br />

modelled through introduction <strong>of</strong> an empirical correlation in equation (4.84). As<br />

mentioned previously, this correlation summarily includes the heat losses through<br />

the connecting pipes with the HDH plant <strong>and</strong> the flow mal-distribution in the collector<br />

absorber. Hence rather conservative amounts <strong>of</strong> fresh water production can be<br />

expected.<br />

Control criteria <strong>and</strong> mechanisms were implemented in the simulation model to<br />

guarantee positive entropy production in the system. For instance, the solar collector<br />

should be bypassed during night or cloudy hours to avoid heat losses to ambient<br />

during these times, the outlet temperature from the solar collector must not exceed<br />

95ºC to avoid boiling <strong>of</strong> seawater <strong>and</strong> scale formation, <strong>and</strong> the inlet hot water<br />

temperature to the evaporator must not fall below the inlet cooling water temperature<br />

to the condenser. These two temperatures represent the margin for the time<br />

variation <strong>of</strong> temperature fields in the system. The inlet cooling water temperature to<br />

the condenser was assumed constant at ambient.<br />

Both the evaporator <strong>and</strong> condenser packed beds have diameter 0.8m <strong>and</strong> height<br />

1.6m. The spherical <strong>PCM</strong> packing size was 40mm for both the evaporator <strong>and</strong><br />

condenser, <strong>and</strong> 75mm for the thermal buffer. The baseline boundary conditions are<br />

listed in table 8.1 <strong>and</strong> partly on each figure. Table A.1 in the appendix presents the<br />

thermophysical properties <strong>of</strong> different types <strong>of</strong> <strong>PCM</strong> used for the present computer<br />

simulation corresponding to the evaporator, condenser, <strong>and</strong> thermal buffer.<br />

Table 8.1: Specified baseline boundary <strong>and</strong> operating conditions<br />

Parameter Units Value<br />

Mass flow <strong>of</strong> hot water “M hw ” kg/h 1000<br />

Solar collector area “A coll ” m 2 220<br />

Temperature <strong>of</strong> cooling <strong>and</strong> seawater water “T cw ” ºC T amb<br />

Mass flow <strong>of</strong> cold water “M cw ” kg/h 2600<br />

Brine concentration factor “r c ” - 2<br />

Mass flow rate <strong>of</strong> air “M a ” kg/h 1300<br />

Geographical location - Al-Arish<br />

Various parameters have been varied to see their impact on the system<br />

performance. System performance is evaluated in terms <strong>of</strong> the GOR (see equations<br />

2.4 <strong>and</strong> 4.84 to 4.89) <strong>and</strong> output distillate rate (ODR) as a function <strong>of</strong> cooling water<br />

to air flow rate ratio, hot water to air flow rate ratio, size <strong>of</strong> the solar collector field,<br />

165

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