A novel concept for heat transfer fluids used in district cooling systems. Progress report, September 25, 1990--December 31, 1990
Low-temperature phase-change materials (PCMS) were mixed with water to enhance the performance of heat transfer fluid. Several PCMs were tested in a laboratory-scale test loop to check their suitability to district cooling applications. The phase-change temperatures and latent heats of fusion of tetradecane, pentadecane, and hexadecane paraffin waxes were measured using a differential scanning calorimeter. The heat of fusion of these materials is approximately 60% of that of ice. They exhibit no supercooling and are stable under repeated thermal cycling. For 10% and 25% PCM-water slurries, the heat transfer enhancement was found to be approximately 18 and 30 percent over the value of water, respectively. It was also found that, in the turbulent region, there is only a minor pumping penalty from the addition of up to 25% PCM to the water. It was demonstrated that pentadecane does not clog in a glass-tube chiller, and continuous pumping below its freezing, point (9.9{degrees}C):was successfully carried out in a bench-scale flow loop. Adding PCM to water increases the thermal capacity of the heat transfer fluid and therefore decreases the volume that needs to be pumped in a district cooling system. It also increases the heat transfer rate, resulting in smaller heat exchangers. Research is continuing on these fluids in order to determine their behavior in large-size loops and to arrive at optimum formulations.
- Research Organization:
- Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG01-90CE26602
- OSTI ID:
- 10148559
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/CE/26602-1; ON: DE93013298
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 4 Jan 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Development of advanced low-temperature heat transfer fluids for district heating and cooling. Final report, September 25, 1990--September 24, 1991
Development of advanced low-temperature heat transfer fluids for district heating and cooling
Related Subjects
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
DISTRICT COOLING
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
ALKANES
FUSION HEAT
PROGRESS REPORT
WATER
MIXTURES
WAXES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
MELTING POINTS
PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS
PUMPING
THERMAL CYCLING
320603
360602
PUBLIC UTILITIES
STRUCTURE AND PHASE STUDIES