Numerical Simulation on the Structural Design of a Multi-Pore Water Diffuser during the External Ice Melting Process of an Ice Storage System
A water diffuser is a critical auxiliary equipment for an ice storage system during the external ice melting process. This paper proposes a linear multi-pore water diffuser for an ice storage system with 500 t of refrigeration capacity to enhance the performance of external ice melting. By establish...
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/6/2181 |
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| author | Lei Li Yude Wu Yi Lu Xiao Yang Qiyang Wang Xiaoai Wang Yulin Wang |
| author_facet | Lei Li Yude Wu Yi Lu Xiao Yang Qiyang Wang Xiaoai Wang Yulin Wang |
| author_sort | Lei Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A water diffuser is a critical auxiliary equipment for an ice storage system during the external ice melting process. This paper proposes a linear multi-pore water diffuser for an ice storage system with 500 t of refrigeration capacity to enhance the performance of external ice melting. By establishing a three-dimensional two-phase volume of fluid (VOF) model, different structural designs of water diffusers for the ice storage device are numerically examined regarding the degree of turbulence, flow velocity, and pressure drop. The results show that the optimal water diffuser with five rows of trunk pipe and six perforated pores arranged in per row of branch pipe with a 4 mm diameter of perforated pores exhibiting a relatively lower degree of turbulence with a lower pressure drop compared with the other designs in this study. Meanwhile, the influence of the flow velocity on the ice melting process is also investigated by a numerical model of ice melting. It is found that the fed flow velocity from the main pipe inlet exhibits a great impact on the external ice melting process. Compared with the external ice melting process without the water diffuser, the external ice melting process with optimal water diffuser design under flow velocity of 1.0 m s<sup>−1</sup> could shorten the overall ice-melting time by 16 h. Additionally, through adjusting the water flow velocity, different output cooling can be realized to provide a fast response speed to the cooling variations in demand of the terminal users with a reduced cost. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:44:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f26c159c60ce4eb8988d39a9a799f281 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:44:46Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-f26c159c60ce4eb8988d39a9a799f2812023-11-30T21:02:07ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-03-01156218110.3390/en15062181Numerical Simulation on the Structural Design of a Multi-Pore Water Diffuser during the External Ice Melting Process of an Ice Storage SystemLei Li0Yude Wu1Yi Lu2Xiao Yang3Qiyang Wang4Xiaoai Wang5Yulin Wang6State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310000, ChinaState Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 310000, ChinaState Grid Jinhua Power Supply Company, Jinhua 321000, ChinaNari Group Corporation, State Grid Electric Power Research Institute, Nanjing 211000, ChinaNari Group Corporation, State Grid Electric Power Research Institute, Nanjing 211000, ChinaTianjin Key Laboratory of Refrigeration Technology, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, ChinaTianjin Key Laboratory of Refrigeration Technology, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin 300134, ChinaA water diffuser is a critical auxiliary equipment for an ice storage system during the external ice melting process. This paper proposes a linear multi-pore water diffuser for an ice storage system with 500 t of refrigeration capacity to enhance the performance of external ice melting. By establishing a three-dimensional two-phase volume of fluid (VOF) model, different structural designs of water diffusers for the ice storage device are numerically examined regarding the degree of turbulence, flow velocity, and pressure drop. The results show that the optimal water diffuser with five rows of trunk pipe and six perforated pores arranged in per row of branch pipe with a 4 mm diameter of perforated pores exhibiting a relatively lower degree of turbulence with a lower pressure drop compared with the other designs in this study. Meanwhile, the influence of the flow velocity on the ice melting process is also investigated by a numerical model of ice melting. It is found that the fed flow velocity from the main pipe inlet exhibits a great impact on the external ice melting process. Compared with the external ice melting process without the water diffuser, the external ice melting process with optimal water diffuser design under flow velocity of 1.0 m s<sup>−1</sup> could shorten the overall ice-melting time by 16 h. Additionally, through adjusting the water flow velocity, different output cooling can be realized to provide a fast response speed to the cooling variations in demand of the terminal users with a reduced cost.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/6/2181ice storage systemwater diffuserexternal ice melting systemheat transferVOF method |
| spellingShingle | Lei Li Yude Wu Yi Lu Xiao Yang Qiyang Wang Xiaoai Wang Yulin Wang Numerical Simulation on the Structural Design of a Multi-Pore Water Diffuser during the External Ice Melting Process of an Ice Storage System Energies ice storage system water diffuser external ice melting system heat transfer VOF method |
| title | Numerical Simulation on the Structural Design of a Multi-Pore Water Diffuser during the External Ice Melting Process of an Ice Storage System |
| title_full | Numerical Simulation on the Structural Design of a Multi-Pore Water Diffuser during the External Ice Melting Process of an Ice Storage System |
| title_fullStr | Numerical Simulation on the Structural Design of a Multi-Pore Water Diffuser during the External Ice Melting Process of an Ice Storage System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Numerical Simulation on the Structural Design of a Multi-Pore Water Diffuser during the External Ice Melting Process of an Ice Storage System |
| title_short | Numerical Simulation on the Structural Design of a Multi-Pore Water Diffuser during the External Ice Melting Process of an Ice Storage System |
| title_sort | numerical simulation on the structural design of a multi pore water diffuser during the external ice melting process of an ice storage system |
| topic | ice storage system water diffuser external ice melting system heat transfer VOF method |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/6/2181 |
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