Experimental results from single-pipe diffusers for stratified thermal energy storage
- Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Current practice in stratified storage of thermal energy for cooling often uses diffusers in the form of single pipes with distributed openings. This investigation was undertaken in an effort to identify diffuser parameter values that minimize mixing during and immediately after thermocline formation, thus tending to optimize the performance of stratified tanks that use such diffusers. To achieve the objective, data were obtained on the temperature distributions produced by charging a rectangular scale-model tank with chilled water using several different diffusers. Both vertical temperature distributions in the water and flow visualization were used to assess diffuser performance. The measure of diffuser performance employed was the temperature difference between water near the bottom of the tank and incoming water, divided by the initial temperature difference between water in the tank and incoming water. For the range of parameters investigated, diffuser performance usually improved with decreased diffuser height above the floor and with significantly decreased inlet Reynolds numbers. Use of a larger number of more closely spaced openings tended to improve diffuser performance. Attempts to correlate the results with other parameters were unsuccessful.
- OSTI ID:
- 433718
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960606-; TRN: IM9709%%151
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1996 annual meeting of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Inc., San Antonio, TX (United States), 22-26 Jun 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of ASHRAE transactions 1996: Volume 102, Part 2; PB: 836 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Evolution of temperature distributions in a full-scale stratified chilled-water storage tank with radial diffusers
Prediction of velocity and temperature profiles in thermally driven gravity currents applied to stratified thermal storage tanks