• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.1077-1083
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• 2004

This study is to systematically analyze the effect of various kinds of design factors on the performance of stratified thermal storage tank. Taguchi method, known as a very reasonable tool in the parametric study, is employed in the present work. Three dimensional unsteady numerical experiment is conducted for 4 design parameters of stratified thermal storage tank: inlet Reynolds number, Froude number, diffuser size d with 3 levels (Re=400, 800, 1200, Fr=0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and d=150 mm, 200mm, 300 mm) and diffuser shape with 2 levels. Orthogonal array $L_{18}(2{\times}3^7)$ is adopted for the analysis of variance. The result gives quantitative estimation of the various design parameters affecting the performance and helps to select the main factors for the optimum design of stratified thermal storage tank. Reynolds number is found to be the most dominant parameter and the diffuser shape plays significant role on the performance of stratified thermal storage tank. Based on this finding, the prior questions on the contribution of the diffuser shape proposed by the authors become clear. The optimum condition for the performance is a set of d=300mm, Re=800, and radial regulated plate diffuser. Conformation test shows the repeatability in the analysis and $1.3\%$ difference between the estimated thermocline thickness and that of numerical result.

• International Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration
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• v.6
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• pp.14-26
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• 1998

This paper deals with approximate analytical solutions for the two-region one-dimensional model describing the charging process of stratified thermal storage tanks at variable inlet temperature with momentum-induced mixing. An arbitrarily increasing inlet temperature is decomposed into inherent step changes and intervals of continuous change. Each continuous interval is approximated as a finite number of piecewise linear functions, which admits an analytical solution for perfectly mixed region. Using the Laplace transform, the temperature profiles in plug flow region with both the semi-infinite and adiabatic ends are successfully derived in terms of well-defined functions. The effect of end condition on the solution proves to be negligible under the practical operating conditions. For a Quadratic variation of inlet temperature, the approximate solution employing a moderate number of pieces agrees excellently with the exact solution.

• Transactions of the KSME C: Technology and Education
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to design a heat insulator for reducing available energy loss in stratified thermal storage tank. Heat insulator is operated by buoyancy effect from density difference between hot and cold water without extra equipment. Analysis model using the Matlab Simulink was developed to estimate the internal temperature distribution in thermal storage tank and also used to select proper material and thickness of the heat insulator. Operational feasibility was confirmed through reduced scale experiment. As a result, heat insulator can effectively delay the formation of thermal boundary layer between hot and cold water. In reduced scale experiment, heat insulator can preserve additional 1540J of available energy. When applied to the real thermal storage tank, increase of 6% thermal storage efficiency can be expected.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.468-473
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• 2010

This paper deals with approximate integral solutions to the one-dimensional model describing the charging process of stratified thermal storage tanks. Temperature is assumed to be the form of Fermi-Dirac distribution function, which can be separated to two sets of cubic polynomials for each hot and cold side of thermal boundary layers. Proposed approximate integral solutions are compared to the previous works of the approximate analytic solutions and show reasonable agreement. The approach, however, has benefits in mathematical difficulties, complicated solution form and unstable convergence of series solution founded in the previous analytic solutions. Solutions for a semi-infinite region, which have simple closed form solutions, give close agreement to those for a finite region. Thermocline thickness is obtained in closed form and shows proportional behavior to the square root of time and inverse proportional behavior to the square root of flow rate.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2003

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 1997

This paper presents an approximate analytical solution to a two-region one-dimensional model for the charging process of stratified thermal storage tanks with variable inlet temperature in the presence of momentum-induced mixing. Based on the superposition principle, an arbitrary-varying inlet temperature is decomposed into inherent discontinuous steps and continuous intervals approximated as a finite number of piecewise linear functions. This approximation allows the temperature of the upper perfectly-mixed layer to be expressed in terms of constant, linear and exponential functions with respect to time. Applying the Laplace transform technique to the model equation for the lower thermocline layer subject to each of three representative interfacial conditions yields compact-form solutions, a linear combination of which constitutes the final temperature profile. A systematic method for deriving solutions to the plug-flow problem having polynomial-type boundary conditions is also established. The effect of adiabatic exit boundary on solution behaviors proves to be negligible under the actual working conditions, which justifies the assumption of semi-infinite domain introduced in the solution procedure. Finally, the approximate solution is validated by comparing it with an exact solution obtained for a specific variation of inlet temperature. Excellent agreements between them suffice to show the necessity and utility of this work.

• Solar Energy
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.13-21
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• 1997

In this study, the theoretical equation of thermal storage efficiency was established to applied long term hot water storage system. The, effective thermal diffusivity and storage efficiency were, measured through the experiment to predict the degree of mixture in thermal storage tank. The effective thermal diffusivity was inversely preportional to the storage efficiency. The most effective storage efficiency was obtained under condition of low flow rate and using the perforated distributor.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.42-51
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• 1995

In order to establish a theoretical basis for the analyses of transient behaviors in stratified thermal storage tanks, analytical approaches to an improved one-dimensional model are made. In the present model the storage tank is treated as a finite region with an adiabatic tank exit, whereas it has been considered as a simple semi-infinite region previously. Application of the Laplace transformation and the Inversion theorem to the governing equations makes it possible to obtain an exact infinite-series solution, which is convergent only at sufficiently large time. Accordingly a complementary solution which is available for short times, i.e., the time range of this study is sought by an approximate method. The approximate solution which is rigorously validated through the examination of neglected terms in the solution procedure agrees quite well with the exact one. Moreover, it is simpler to use and more convenient to interpret the physical meaning of the solution. Comparison of the present solution with the previous ones shows relatively large difference near the tank bottom, which results from the more realistic boundary condition adopted in the present model. Some representative results by the approximate solution including effects of the Peclet number on temperature distrbutions are illustrated to show the utility of this study. In consequence, it is expected that the present results based on the improved model replace the foregoing ones as a new theoretical reference for studies of thermal stratification fields.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.43-49
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• 2007

This study is conducted to improve the efficiency of a thermal storage tank. The thermal storage tank was designed to store heat energy that obtained from the solar or the others heat sources. However, it has difficulties in storing heat with nonuniform temperature through the entire tank with respect to the vertical direction, This study is focused on the thermal stratification to improve thermal comfort for the resident in house. To enhance temperature stratification of the tank, a distributor was designed and installed in the middle of the storage tank vertically. The vertically designed distributor could supply the return water with stratified temperature in the storage tank with respect to the height. The water velocity from the distributor hole is the same with the other outlet in the distributor. However, gravity effect on the flow in the storage tank is much higher than that of the velocity effect due to that Froude Number is less than 1. During the heat charging process in the storage tank, temperature maintained with little difference with respect to the height. However the charging process takes long time to get a effective temperature for the heating or hot water supply because of all of water in the storage tank needs to be heated.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.78-85
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• 2013

A primary objective in creating a stratified thermal storage is to maintain the thermodynamic quality of energy, so thermally stratified energy can be extracted at temperatures required for target activities. The separation of the thermal energy in heat stores to layers with different temperatures, i.e., the thermal stratification is a key factor in achieving this objective. This paper introduces different methods that have been proposed to characterize the thermal stratification in heat stores. Specifically, this paper focuses on the methods that can be used to determine the ability of heat stores to promote and maintain stratification during the process of charging, storing and discharging. In addition, based on methods using thermal stratification indices, the degrees of stratification of stored energy in Lyckebo rock cavern in Sweden were compared and the applicability of the methods was investigated.