• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.72-78
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• 2015

In the present study, a recuperator to improve the thermal efficiency of a micro gas turbine is considered. The counter flow plate-fin heat exchanger with offset strip fins is chosen as the type of the recuperator. From the optimization study as varying design parameters of the recuperator determined from the ideal cycle analysis, the internal structure of the recuperator is determined. The recuperator is made from stainless steel 304. In order to evaluate performance of the recuperator, experimental investigation is performed. The effects of inlet temperature of hot-side of the recuperator on the thermal performance of the recuperator are investigated. As a result, effectiveness of the recuperator obtained from the experiments is well consistent with that obtained from the correlations.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.1055-1061
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• 2002

A numerical and experimental study on the flow fields behind the fan outlet was carried out to improve the performance of a conventional fan-sink(fan and heat sink). Conventional fan-sinks have a heat sink of which fin configurations tend to increase the flow resistance, thus decreasing the performance and the cooling capabilities of a fan-sink. Lifting surface method is used for the prediction of flow fields behind the fan outlet. Oil-dot flow visualization technique is applied for the validation of numerical results. The numerical results and experimental data show agreement each other. A conventional heat sink is modified and redesigned using flow patterns behind the fan outlet. The newly designed heat sink has the configuration of curved fins which minimize flow resistance. It showed improvements in both cooling: capabilities and volumetric flow rate compared to the conventional one.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.41-45
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• 2010

Miniature Joule-Thomson refrigerators have been widely used for rapid cooling of infrared detectors, optoelectronic device, and integrated circuits of micro electronics. The typical J-T refrigerator consists of the recuperative heat exchanger with the double helical tube and fin configuration, J-T nozzle, a mandrel, Dewar and a compressed gas storage bottle. In this study, to predict the thermodynamic behaviors of the refrigerator with a compressed gas storage bottle during the cool-down time, numerical study of transient characteristics for a J-T refrigerator was developed. A simplified transient one.dimensional model of the momentum and energy equations was simultaneously solved to consider the thermal interactions of the each component of the refrigerator. To account for effects of the thermal mass of the solid, the heat capacities of the tube, fins, mandrel and Dewar are considered. The results show the charged gas pressure of the gas storage bottle has significant effects on the performance of the J-T refrigerator. At the elevated gas pressure of the gas storage bottle, the large capacity of the compressed gas storage does not need to get the fast cool-down performance of the J-T refrigerator in the cool-down stage.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.381-387
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• 2017

Dehydrogenation from the hydrolysis of a sodium borohydride ($NaBH_4$) solution has been of interest owing to its high theoretical hydrogen storage capacity (10.8 wt.％) and potentially safe operation. An experimental study has been performed on the catalytic reaction rate and pressure drop of a $NaBH_4$ solution over both a single microchannel with a hydraulic diameter of $300{\mu}m$ and a staggered array of micro pin fins in the microchannel with hydraulic diameter of $50{\mu}m$. The catalytic reaction rates and pressure drops were obtained under Reynolds numbers from 1 to 60 and solution concentrations from 5 to 20 wt.％. Moreover, reacting flows were visualized using a high-speed camera with a macro zoom lens. As a result, both the amount of hydrogenation and pressure drop are 2.45 times and 1.5 times larger in a pin fin microchannel array than in a single microchannel, respectively.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.715-732
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• 2009

This article reviews the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering during 2008. It is intended to understand the status of current research in the areas of heating, cooling, ventilation, sanitation, and indoor environments of buildings and plant facilities. Conclusions are as follows. (1) Research trends in thermal and fluid engineering have been surveyed in the categories of general fluid flow, fluid machinery and piping, new and renewable energy, and fire. Well-developed CFD technologies were widely applied in developing facilities and their systems. New research topics include fire, fuel cell, and solar energy. Research was mainly focused on flow distribution and optimization in the fields of fluid machinery and piping. Topics related to the development of fans and compressors had been popular, but were no longer investigated widely. Research papers on micro heat exchangers using nanofluids and micro pumps were also not presented during this period. There were some studies on thermal reliability and performance in the fields of new and renewable energy. Numerical simulations of smoke ventilation and the spread of fire were the main topics in the field of fire. (2) Research works on heat transfer presented in 2008 have been reviewed in the categories of heat transfer characteristics, industrial heat exchangers, and ground heat exchangers. Research on heat transfer characteristics included thermal transport in cryogenic vessels, dish solar collectors, radiative thermal reflectors, variable conductance heat pipes, and flow condensation and evaporation of refrigerants. In the area of industrial heat exchangers, examined are research on micro-channel plate heat exchangers, liquid cooled cold plates, fin-tube heat exchangers, and frost behavior of heat exchanger fins. Measurements on ground thermal conductivity and on the thermal diffusion characteristics of ground heat exchangers were reported. (3) In the field of refrigeration, many studies were presented on simultaneous heating and cooling heat pump systems. Switching between various operation modes and optimizing the refrigerant charge were considered in this research. Studies of heat pump systems using unutilized energy sources such as sewage water and river water were reported. Evaporative cooling was studied both theoretically and experimentally as a potential alternative to the conventional methods. (4) Research papers on building facilities have been reviewed and divided into studies on heat and cold sources, air conditioning and air cleaning, ventilation, automatic control of heat sources with piping systems, and sound reduction in hydraulic turbine dynamo rooms. In particular, considered were efficient and effective uses of energy resulting in reduced environmental pollution and operating costs. (5) In the field of building environments, many studies focused on health and comfort. Ventilation. system performance was considered to be important in improving indoor air conditions. Due to high oil prices, various tests were planned to examine building energy consumption and to cut life cycle costs.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.492-507
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• 2010

This article reviews the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering during 2009. It is intended to understand the status of current research in the areas of heating, cooling, ventilation, sanitation, and indoor environments of buildings and plant facilities. Conclusions are as follows. (1) Research trends of thermal and fluid engineering have been surveyed as groups of general thermal and fluid flow, fluid machinery and piping, and new and renewable energy. Various topics were covered in the field of general thermal and fluid flow such as an expander, a capillary tube, the flow of micro-channel water blocks, the friction and anti-wear characteristics of nano oils with mixtures of refrigerant oils, etc. Research issues mainly focused on the design of micro-pumps and fans, the heat resistance reliability of axial smoke exhaust fans, and hood systems in the field of fluid machinery and piping. Studies on ground water sources were executed concerning two well type geothermal heat pumps and multi-heat pumps in the field of new and renewable energy. (2) Research works on heat transfer area have been reviewed in the categories of heat transfer characteristics and industrial heat exchangers. Researches on heat transfer characteristics included the heat transfer in thermoelectric cooling systems, refrigerants, evaporators, dryers, desiccant rotors. In the area of industrial heat exchangers, researches on high temperature ceramic heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers, frosting on fins of heat exchangers were performed. (3) In the field of refrigeration, papers were presented on alternative refrigerants, system improvements, and the utilization of various energy sources. Refrigeration systems with alternative refrigerants such as hydrocarbons, mixed refrigerants, and $CO_2$ were studied. Efforts to improve the performance of refrigeration systems were made applying various ideas of suction line heat exchangers, subcooling bypass lines and gas injection systems. Studies on heat pump systems using unutilized energy sources such as river water, underground water, and waste heat were also reported. (4) Research trend in the field of mechanical building facilities has been found to be mainly focused on field applications rather than performance improvements. In the area of cogeneration systems, papers on energy and economic analysis, LCC analysis and cost estimating were reported. Studies on ventilation and heat recovery systems introduced the effect on fire and smoke control, and energy reduction. Papers on district cooling and heating systems dealt with design capacity evaluation, application plan and field application. Also, the maintenance and management of building service equipments were presented for HVAC systems. (5) In the field of architectural environment, various studies were carried to improve indoor air quality and to analyze the heat load characteristics of buildings by energy simulation. These studies helped to understand the physics related to building load characteristics and to improve the quality of architectural environment where human beings reside in.