Enhancing Thermo‐Osmotic Low‐Grade Heat Recovery by Applying a Negative Pressure to the Feed
Abstract A newly developed technology, thermo‐osmotic energy conversion (TOEC), is supposed to convert low‐grade heat into power. However, the performance of existing TOEC experiments is deficient. This paper discusses the feasibility of strengthening TOEC by applying negative pressure to the feed l...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Global Challenges |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202200238 |
| _version_ | 1797853346322710528 |
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| author | Yifan Zhang Ji Li Zikang Zhang Wei Liu Zhichun Liu |
| author_facet | Yifan Zhang Ji Li Zikang Zhang Wei Liu Zhichun Liu |
| author_sort | Yifan Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract A newly developed technology, thermo‐osmotic energy conversion (TOEC), is supposed to convert low‐grade heat into power. However, the performance of existing TOEC experiments is deficient. This paper discusses the feasibility of strengthening TOEC by applying negative pressure to the feed liquid, which can reduce air pressure in the membrane pores and molecular diffusion resistance. Theoretical calculation shows that when the cooling and heating temperatures are 40 and 80 °C, respectively, and the transmembrane pressure difference is 5.0 MPa, the TOEC system with a negative pressure of 0.5 bar at the feed side can approach an efficiency of 3.01% and a power density of 16.85 W m−2, which increases by 20% and 27% compared with no negative pressure, respectively. Given the nonuniformity in the real system, computational fluid dynamics simulation is used to obtain the correction factor, which is then used to revise the theory prediction results for the first time. Moreover, a lab‐scale experiment also proves that a negative pressure at the feed benefits the performance of the TOEC device. Overall, this research presents a feasible method to enhance a TOEC system, which may promote the development of a more‐efficiently TOEC system for low‐grade heat utilization. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:49:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d25e594ed9c34beeb7fa3ae6cb46d336 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-6646 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T19:49:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Challenges |
| spelling | doaj.art-d25e594ed9c34beeb7fa3ae6cb46d3362023-04-03T12:40:46ZengWileyGlobal Challenges2056-66462023-04-0174n/an/a10.1002/gch2.202200238Enhancing Thermo‐Osmotic Low‐Grade Heat Recovery by Applying a Negative Pressure to the FeedYifan Zhang0Ji Li1Zikang Zhang2Wei Liu3Zhichun Liu4Department of Engineering Thermophysics School of Energy and Power Engineering Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430074 ChinaDepartment of Engineering Thermophysics School of Energy and Power Engineering Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430074 ChinaDepartment of Engineering Thermophysics School of Energy and Power Engineering Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430074 ChinaDepartment of Engineering Thermophysics School of Energy and Power Engineering Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430074 ChinaDepartment of Engineering Thermophysics School of Energy and Power Engineering Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430074 ChinaAbstract A newly developed technology, thermo‐osmotic energy conversion (TOEC), is supposed to convert low‐grade heat into power. However, the performance of existing TOEC experiments is deficient. This paper discusses the feasibility of strengthening TOEC by applying negative pressure to the feed liquid, which can reduce air pressure in the membrane pores and molecular diffusion resistance. Theoretical calculation shows that when the cooling and heating temperatures are 40 and 80 °C, respectively, and the transmembrane pressure difference is 5.0 MPa, the TOEC system with a negative pressure of 0.5 bar at the feed side can approach an efficiency of 3.01% and a power density of 16.85 W m−2, which increases by 20% and 27% compared with no negative pressure, respectively. Given the nonuniformity in the real system, computational fluid dynamics simulation is used to obtain the correction factor, which is then used to revise the theory prediction results for the first time. Moreover, a lab‐scale experiment also proves that a negative pressure at the feed benefits the performance of the TOEC device. Overall, this research presents a feasible method to enhance a TOEC system, which may promote the development of a more‐efficiently TOEC system for low‐grade heat utilization.https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202200238low‐grade heatnegative pressurenumerical simulationpressure‐retarded membrane distillationthermo‐osmosis |
| spellingShingle | Yifan Zhang Ji Li Zikang Zhang Wei Liu Zhichun Liu Enhancing Thermo‐Osmotic Low‐Grade Heat Recovery by Applying a Negative Pressure to the Feed Global Challenges low‐grade heat negative pressure numerical simulation pressure‐retarded membrane distillation thermo‐osmosis |
| title | Enhancing Thermo‐Osmotic Low‐Grade Heat Recovery by Applying a Negative Pressure to the Feed |
| title_full | Enhancing Thermo‐Osmotic Low‐Grade Heat Recovery by Applying a Negative Pressure to the Feed |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing Thermo‐Osmotic Low‐Grade Heat Recovery by Applying a Negative Pressure to the Feed |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing Thermo‐Osmotic Low‐Grade Heat Recovery by Applying a Negative Pressure to the Feed |
| title_short | Enhancing Thermo‐Osmotic Low‐Grade Heat Recovery by Applying a Negative Pressure to the Feed |
| title_sort | enhancing thermo osmotic low grade heat recovery by applying a negative pressure to the feed |
| topic | low‐grade heat negative pressure numerical simulation pressure‐retarded membrane distillation thermo‐osmosis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202200238 |
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