Title: Implementation of a transient exergy analysis for a plate-fin heat exchanger

Authors: Rory A. Roberts; John H. Doty

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, USA ' Department of Engineering Management & Systems, The University of Dayton, Dayton, OH 45469, USA

Abstract: A 2nd law thermodynamic analysis with exergy analysis can provide a more robust means of accounting for all of the energy flows within and in between subsystems and the work potential. These energy flows may be thermal, chemical, electrical, pneumatic, etc. Some systems such as air or ground vehicles have very transient modes of operation. Energy optimisation of these vehicles through modelling and simulation may be guided by minimisation of exergy destruction. Quantifying the exergy destruction of a transient system is not trivial. For tracking exergy destruction, a novel transient exergy analysis has been implemented into the heat exchanger model. The heat exchanger model is a plate-fin configuration and is capable of handling several different types of fluids. The model is able to track the change of exergy within the control volume of the heat exchanger and fluids within the heat exchanger. This paper demonstrates the implementation of a transient exergy analysis for a heat exchanger.

Keywords: exergy analysis; plate-fin heat exchangers; second law; thermodynamics; exergy efficiency; work potential; transient analysis; optimisation; energy flows; exergy destruction; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2015.067302

International Journal of Exergy, 2015 Vol.16 No.1, pp.109 - 126

Received: 09 Sep 2013
Accepted: 07 Dec 2013
Published online: 03 Feb 2015 *

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