Papers by Keyword: Melting

Abstract: This work numerically studies the thermal management of a Li-ion battery pack using Phase Change Materials (PCMs) with two different modelling approaches. Specifically, the results obtained with the Enthalpy-Porosity method, implemented in the tool STAR-CCM+, are compared with those yielded by the Apparent Heat Capacity formulation, employed by COMSOL Multiphysics. Both models are first validated against benchmark cases found in the literature. The study then focuses on the thermal behaviour of a battery pack composed of four 21700 Li-ion battery cells, cooled using the paraffinic PCM RT35. The numerical results show that, while natural convection in the liquid PCM accelerates the melting process, it leads to a non-uniform temperature distribution, particularly disadvantageous for cells located in the upper part of the battery pack. In addition, although both numerical approaches show good agreement between their results, especially in capturing the overall thermal behaviour, some minor differences in the temperature profiles during the PCM phase change still emerge.

Abstract: A new form of composite PCMs is developed by adding 0.5 wt% of SiO₂, TiO₂, ZnO and CuO nanomaterials to lauric acid. Phase change temperatures of lauric acid range from 43.92°C to 44.65°C and 40.84°C to 41.36°C, respectively. In addition, the phase change latent heats are 183.23 kJ/kg and 183.68 kJ/kg at room temperature, respectively. Thermal properties of PCM with nanomaterials were discussed in terms of weight fractions. The improvement in thermal conductivity of the PCM owing to the dispersion of nanomaterials was verified by laser flash analyser (LFA). Hence, the newly developed composite PCMs holds great potential as a candidate for harnessing solar energy in low-temperature heating systems. Keywords: Phase Change Material (PCM), Melting, freezing, Nanomaterials and Lauric acid.

Abstract: Despite many desirable properties, most phase change materials (PCMs) undergo timing issues during the phase change process due to a low thermal conductivity, which limits their application in heat storages. Thus, many techniques have been pointed out to overcome these disadvantages and improve heat transfer, such as coupling PCMs with metal inserts, like high porosity open-cell metal foams. Indeed, the presence of a metal foam increases the effective thermal conductivity of the composite medium and speeds up the charging and discharging phases. In the present paper, a numerical model developed in COMSOL ambient has been calibrated by comparison with experimental results on the melting of pure and metal-foam loaded PCMs, placed in a small case and heated from the top by an electric resistance. The numerical model considers the metal foam as a static solid, filled with a phase changing fluid and employs a literature correlation to evaluate the effective thermal conductivity of the composite medium. The performance of two different paraffinic PCMs (RT35 and RT35HC by Rubitherm GmbH, D), loaded either with a copper foam (20 PPI, 95% porosity, by Porometal, China) or with an aluminum one (10 PPI, 96% porosity, by Recemat, NL) has been investigated in terms of speed rate of the phase change front, time required to complete the melting process, temperature distribution and effect of foam porosity. The obtained results clearly evidence the significant heat transfer improvement yielded by metal foams, whose presence increases the effective thermal conductivity of the composite medium (from 0.2 to 7.03 W/mK for copper foam and to 3.52 W/mK for aluminum one), leading to a significant decrease of the charging time and to a lower temperature gradient within the PCM (from about 16 to 3 K).

Abstract: Current aspects of the developing of modern self-shielding flux-cored wires composition for arc welding of low-alloyed steels are considered. Advantages and disadvantages of flux-cored wires of carbonate-fluorite, oxide and oxide-fluoride types of are shown in comparison. The effectiveness of gas shielding of molten metal at welding with self-shielding flux-cored wires of carbonate-fluorite type is analyzed considering the thermal properties of their cores. It is shown that to improve reliability of gas shielding at welding using the wires of this type it is important not only to ensure generation of sufficiently large volume of shielding gases at thermal destruction of the wire core, but also to control this process, providing gas evolution at all stages of heating and melting of the wire. The results of complex thermal analysis of the wire core mixtures containing, for example, lithium carbonate show substantially large heat losses for heating and melting of the wire core, which are accompanied by the development of energy-intensive processes of thermal destruction of core components. It is shown that the limitation of lithium carbonate content in the wire at the level of not more than 2 wt. % allows not only to preserve welding arc burning stability at the acceptable level but also to provide effective gas shielding of molten metal and easy separation of slag crust. The control of thermochemical reactions in the core is achieved by selection of its proper composition to ensure favorable melting of flux-cored wire and electrode metal transfer to the welding pool. Results of metallographic examinations of distribution and composition of non-metallic inclusions in metal of the welds made with wires of the oxide and oxide-fluoride types are presented. Main properties of the developed self-shielding flux-cored wires and recommendations on welding are given in conjunction with prospective fields of their application.

Abstract: Numerical simulation of the melting of paraffin in the inclined straight channel shows that the melting speed of paraffin is faster in the early stage and gradually slows down in the later stage. It is found that heat conduction is the main heat transfer mode in the early stage of paraffin melting. With the increasing number of liquid paraffin, natural convection occurs in the liquid paraffin. The liquid paraffin with higher temperature flows upward due to the effect of buoyance and lift, and convection heat transfer gradually increases and takes the dominant position in the melting process.

Abstract: Laser surface modification technology is one of the most advanced technologies, which uses laser to modify the characteristics of the surface to offer superior performance for various industrial applications. In this study, laser surface hardening behavior of GM246 case iron was investigated. Result shows that excellent laser surface hardening of GM246 cast iron need low power density and scanning speed. With power of 2500 W, scanning speed of 300 mm/min and power density of 2500 W/cm², the laser surface hardening of GM246 cast iron achieved the hardness of 790HV, which was 2-3 times higher than the hardness of base metal. Also, the depth of laser surface hardening case achieved 0.9 mm and the hardening case demonstrated three subzones.

Abstract: Heat resistant cobalt-based alloys have found a specific niche in the present-day mechanical engineering due to their unique properties. To begin with, cobalt-based alloys are used as corrosion, heat and wear resistant materials intended for aggressive environments and operation at extreme temperatures, e.g. blades, nozzles, swirlers, rings and other elements of turbines and internal combustion engines. Traditional molding methods applied in the mechanical engineering fail to provide necessary operational and technological characteristics of aforementioned machine parts. Owing to selective laser melting it is possible to reduce a production time and manufacturing costs for machine elements with a complex physical configuration and generate an alloy with an extraordinary structure, which is not found in traditionally combined compounds. A structure of cobalt exists in two crystal modifications: a hexagonal close-packed epsilon phase, a low-temperature phase and a face-centered cubic lattice gamma phase, a high-temperature phase. The alloy hardness is directly related to an amount of a low-temperature phase. The laser melting shortens a laser beam impact time on a powder composition due to a higher power and laser travelling speed. A high value of heat conductivity seems to be the reason for rapid solidification and cooling, which, in their turn, increase a percent of an alpha-martensite phase in an alloy and improve the hardness and wear resistance of machine parts. The reported paper summarizes studies aimed at the development of a stable phase structure three-component alloy (Сo-66 mass % Cr-6 mass % Mo) based on the cobalt-chromium-molybdenum system and mixed up via selective laser melting.

Abstract: In the present numerical study, the convection diffusion phenomena associated with solid-liquid phase transition processes during phase change material (PCM) melting within a rectangular cavity is studied. The cavity is heated from left wall with a sinusoidal temperature distribution. Initially the enclosure was filled by solid gallium at melting temperature 29.78°C. The enthalpy-based lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) with D2Q9 particle velocity model is used to solve density, velocity and temperature fields. Influence of Rayleigh number ranging from 10³ to 4×10⁵ on streamlines, isotherms and liquid fraction is analyzed. The results indicate that natural convection of liquid phase change material (PCM) plays a significant role in the melting heat transfer of PCM. It is found that the rate of the melting increases with the increase in the values of the Rayleigh number.

Abstract: The use of dental implants of titanium and its alloys has proved to be effective, through well established and documented parameters, both in the dimensions and in the manufacturing processes and also in the surgical techniques. There are clinical situations where there is a need to reduce the diameter of the implants, below 3.75 mm in diameter. In the current state of art of the implant technology it is desirable that these also have surfaces capable of decreasing the period of osseointegration. In the present work, to improve the mechanical strength of the material, an alloy of 80% of Ti and 20% of Zr % in mass was proposed and elaborated, aiming its use as biomaterial. Physical, chemical, microstructural and mechanical characterization was carried out. The surfaces of the treated samples were observed using: scanning electron microscopy (SEM); semi quantitatively chemically analyzed using dispersive energy spectroscopy (EDS: wettability of the samples was determined and, finally, the roughness was measured using optical profilometry. For the conditions used in the present work, it was concluded, that the best surface treatment for the TiZr 80/20 alloy was acid etching with 1% vol. hydrofluoric acid for 5 minutes, as this treatment presented the most prominent results of wettability and roughness simultaneously.

Abstract: The study solved the problem of determining the technological mode of operation of the device for loading solid lumpy and granulated sulfur into a melting bath with molten liquid sulfur. For this it is necessary to solve two main problems: to determine the method of loading solid sulfur into the melt, to calculate the main design and technological parameters to ensure the required performance of the smelting bath. As a result of experimental studies, the mode of operation of the loading device was obtained, during which the partial melting of the surface of sulfur particles in the surface layer of the melt occurred. This led to the adhesion of particles to each other, the formation of conglomerates having a size that is much larger compared with that of particles of the initial particle size distribution. As a result of this phenomenon, the melting rate and the melting bath were significantly reduced, filled with a solid phase. As a result of the study, a model was developed and the problem of calculating the limiting modes of the loading device operation was solved for preventing solid particles from sticking together.