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Exergo-economic analysis of finned tube for waste heat recovery including phase change heat transfer

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Abstract

In this paper, an exergo-economic criterion, i.e. the net profit per unit transferred heat load, is established from the perspective of exergy recovery to evaluate the performance of finned tube used in waste heat recovery. Also, the dimensionless exergy change number is introduced to investigate the effect of the flow (mechanical) exergy loss rate on the recovered thermal exergy. Selecting R245fa as a working fluid and exhaust flue gas as a heat source, the effects of the internal Reynolds number Re i, the external Reynolds number Re o, the unit cost of thermal exergy ɛ q, the geometric parameter of finned tube η o β and the phase change temperature T v etc. on the performance of finned tube are discussed in detail. The results show that the higher T v and η o β, and lower Re i may lead to the negligible flow (mechanical) exergy loss rate. There exists an optimal value of Re i where the net profit per unit transferred heat load peaks, while the variations of Re o, ɛ q and T v cause monotonic change of the net profit per unit transferred heat load. The phase change temperature exerts relatively greater influence on the exergo-economic performance of finned tube in comparison with other parameters. And there exists a critical phase change temperature, where the net profit per unit transferred heat load is equal to zero.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Low-grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Shuang-Ying Wu, Jing-Rui Jiu, Lan Xiao, You-Rong Li & Chao Liu

  2. College of Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Shuang-Ying Wu, Jing-Rui Jiu, Lan Xiao, You-Rong Li & Chao Liu

  3. The Beijing Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China

    Jin-Liang Xu

Authors
  1. Shuang-Ying Wu
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  2. Jing-Rui Jiu
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  3. Lan Xiao
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  4. You-Rong Li
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  5. Chao Liu
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  6. Jin-Liang Xu
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Correspondence to Shuang-Ying Wu.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Ji Hwan Jeong

Shuang-Ying Wu received his MS degree in College of Power Engineering from Chongqing University, Chongqing, P. R. China, in 1994, obtained his Ph.D. degree in Engineering Thermophysics from Chongqing University in 2004, and worked as a visiting scholar from June 2008 to June 2009 in Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, USA. Currently, he is a professor at Chongqing University. His major interests are heat transfer, thermodynamics and its engineering application, energy conversion and saving, etc.

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Wu, SY., Jiu, JR., Xiao, L. et al. Exergo-economic analysis of finned tube for waste heat recovery including phase change heat transfer. J Mech Sci Technol 27, 3513–3523 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-0877-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-013-0877-1

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