SBIR Phase I: Innovative Latent Energy Exchanger for Effective Recovery of Industrial Wet Exhausts

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是在广泛的工业和商业应用（即锅炉，烤箱，炉子，打样机，HVAC系统）中节约水和能源，这些应用将湿废气排放到环境中。例如，仅美国面包烘焙市场部分就可以通过所提出的技术每年节省超过5000万热的能量和超过4亿加仑的水。 该项目将为能源回收和能源效率提高创造一种新型高效和低成本的设备。SBIR第一期项目开发了一种独特的能量传输概念，用于高效和低成本的相变能量转换。现有技术的热交换过程使用线性热传递机制。相比之下，所提出的方法占冷凝过程中的非线性热分布。结果，部分冷凝的混合物的质量沿流动通道沿着变化，并因此引起局部露点的相应变化。这种方法定义了一种设计配置，用于有效捕获和最大限度地回收来自湿气流的潜在能量。所提出的概念成功地利用了螺旋通道和热虹吸管的热流体优势。该项目将解决关键的技术差距，并解决各种问题，包括可变通道几何形状和变化的流动参数下的冷凝可持续性，以及热虹吸管在非常规条件下的最佳性能。非线性相变传热机制将被定义和模拟，随后的灵敏度分析和设计优化的通道几何形状和热虹吸管阵列，为随后的原型设计和性能demonstration.This奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to save water and energy across a wide spectrum of industrial and commercial applications (i.e. boilers, baking ovens, furnaces, proofers, HVAC systems) that emit wet exhaust into the environment. For example, the U.S. bread baking market segment alone may save over 50 million therms of energy and over 400 million gallons of water annually with the proposed technology. The proposed project will create a new class of high-efficient and cost-effective equipment for energy recovery and energy efficiency improvement.This SBIR Phase I project develops a unique energy transfer concept for high-efficient and cost-effective phase-change energy conversion. State-of-the-art heat exchange processes use linear heat transfer mechanisms. In contrast, the proposed approach accounts for the non-linear heat distribution during the condensation process. As a result, the mass of partially condensed mixture changes along the flow channel, and thus causes a corresponding change in local dew point. This approach defines a design configuration for efficient capture and maximal recovery of latent energy from the wet gas flow. The proposed concept successfully exploits the thermo-fluid advantages of spiral channels and thermosiphons. The project will resolve key technological gaps and address issues including condensation sustainability at variable channel geometry and changing flow parameters, and the thermosiphon’s optimal performance at unconventional conditions. The non-linear phase-change heat transfer mechanisms will be defined and simulated, followed by a sensitivity analysis and design optimization of the channel geometry and thermosiphons array for subsequent prototype design and performance demonstration.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.