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

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A<br />

m <br />

w<br />

= the plan or cross sectional area <strong>of</strong> the column<br />

= the mass flow rate <strong>of</strong> water<br />

After Singham (56), equation (D.4) will be considered as the basic formulation <strong>of</strong><br />

Merkel’s equation. The main designer task is to ensure equality <strong>of</strong> the two sides <strong>of</strong><br />

this equation (i.e. I M <strong>and</strong> I P ).<br />

D.1.2 Number <strong>of</strong> transfer units (NTU)<br />

Tow closely related expressions for the right h<strong>and</strong> side integr<strong>and</strong> I P are commonly<br />

used for practical purposes. The first practice expresses the performance <strong>of</strong> the<br />

packing as the number <strong>of</strong> transfer units (NTU), while the second measures the heat<br />

transfer performance as a packing dimensionless characteristic quantity (KaV sp /L),<br />

where K is the overall mass transfer coefficient between water <strong>and</strong> air based on the<br />

enthalpy difference (kg.m -2 .s -1 ), a is the packing specific surface area, V sp is the<br />

packed bed volume per unit cross sectional area, <strong>and</strong> L is the water superficial mass<br />

flux per unit cross sectional area (kg.m -2 .s -1 ).<br />

According to the first practice, definitions <strong>of</strong> the effectiveness (NTU) is in close<br />

similarity with those used for the heat exchanger design, hence is defined by [56]:<br />

NTU<br />

a e<br />

(D.5)<br />

G<br />

where G is the gas superficial mass flux per unit cross sectional area (kg.m -2 .s -1 ),<br />

<strong>and</strong> the dimensionless quantity , which is a function <strong>of</strong> Reynolds number, is a<br />

G<br />

form <strong>of</strong> nondimensional heat transfer coefficient Stanton number defined as:<br />

hlg<br />

St (D.6)<br />

Gc p , g<br />

Thus NTU can be regarded as the product <strong>of</strong> Stanton number <strong>and</strong> a geometric<br />

feature <strong>of</strong> the packing a (56). A modified Stanton number based on the effective<br />

wetted area a w instead <strong>of</strong> the total specific packing area a is also used [57]:<br />

St<br />

<br />

<br />

Gc<br />

hlga<br />

aw<br />

<br />

V<br />

p,g<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

(D.7)<br />

where<br />

h lg<br />

a is the volumetric heat transfer coefficient, <strong>and</strong> V is the packed bed<br />

volume. The relationship between the two performance measures was shown to be<br />

[56]:<br />

203

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