Use of Brazed Plate Heat Exchangers in Solar Heating Applications
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Do you know about brazed plate heat exchanger? It is like a normal type of other plate heat exchanger, but the way the metals or materials are joined is the main difference. It can't be mechanically dismantled or opened. The metals are actually brazed and/or soldered together.
Owing to its advantages, brazed plate heat exchangers have become extremely popular in domestic heating applications. Especially in domestic solar heating setups owing to it low cost, low maintenance and high efficiency.
One of the most important factors in determining the viability of a solar heater is its heat transfer efficiency. In simple terms, a good solar heater is one, which is able to transfer maximum amount of heat from the captured sunlight to the inner loop. A brazed plate heat exchanger is ideally suited for this purpose since it occupies much less space, is far more efficient and cost effective than other heat exchangers and is easy to maintain and clean.
Brazed plate heat exchangers in combination with domestic solar panels can be used for:
1. Supplying hot water
2. Heating radiant floors
3. Heating radiant walls
4. Heating water in swimming pools and spas
In all of these applications, solar energy is trapped by a solar panel that transfers the heat to the outer loop. This heat is then collected by a brazed plate heat exchanger where heat is transferred from the outer loop (from the panel) to the inner loop. The heated liquid of the inner loop can now be circulated through a water heater to heat water for domestic supply or passed through radiant walls and/or floors for domestic heating or passed through a swimming pool or spa for heating the water.
Brazed plate heat exchangers can easily handle high temperatures and pressures associated with the latest solar system designs and also keep the domestic water loop in complete isolation with the solar loop. This ensures complete safety of the system as well as long life.
To have better comprehension, it is better to visualize the brazed plate heat exchanger in this video...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is contributed by a friend who call himself - Heat treansfer pro. He just started a blog titled brazedplateheatexchangers.blogspot.com. He can be contacted at cbeta200283@mail.ru.
Labels: Heat Exchanger
posted by alzack @ 11:59 AM,
, links to this post
Renewable Energy Project Videos
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Ever thought of a renewable energy projects? My research is involving a renewable energy reaction, but I'm not revealing it right now until I complete my Ph.D. haha.... But, here are some videos of some student projects that are quite interesting...maybe it can give you some ideas and inspiration...Check it out...
Student Project
Students at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering develop renewable energy projects for a summer course. The course, directed by Dr. Mahendra Sunkara, is the first project for the Conn Center for Renewable Energy Research and Environmental Stewardship. Students were asked to develop systems using a variety of different backgrounds, from chemical engineering to physics.
Solar Tower - renewable energy green global warming
EnviroMission Limited (www.enviromission.com.au) produced this 5 minute video on the pilot plant in Spain. It is an older video (2000) but gives a decent understanding of the solar tower concept.
EnviroMission, Ltd. (US Market: EVOMY, Australian Exchange: EVM) is a renewable energy developer of sustainable "green" energy solutions for the energy market. EnviroMission aims to be one of Australia's leading producers of clean renewable energy. EnviroMission holds the proprietary rights to Solar Tower technology, a large-scale renewable energy technology based on simple fundamentals of physics -- hot air rises. Solar Tower technology has the potential to offer competitive renewable energy with equal reliability to fossil fuel generators.
A single 200MW Solar Tower power station will provide enough electricity to power around 400,000 households. The energy output will represent an annual saving of more than 1,960,000 tonnes of greenhouse CO2 gases from entering the environment when compared to brown coal emissions in Victoria. The greenhouse savings equate to the removal of approximately 500,000 cars from the road. The Australian Solar Tower project consists of six distinct phases, the first two of which (project optimization and pre-feasibility commercialization) have already been completed. The third phase (final feasibility), paving the way for the implementation of the next three phases (final design, construction, and commercial operation).
Mauritius Heading towards Renewable Energy
Labels: Biotechnology, Chemical Engineer, Chemical Engineering, Chemical Plant, Experience, Learning Curve, Research, Technology, Video
posted by alzack @ 2:07 AM,
, links to this post
International Conference on Process Engineering and Advanced Materials 2010 (ICPEAM2010)
For those researchers who are hunger to present, publish and show case their work, here is a fantastic conference where you can submit them to - The International Conference on Process Engineering and Advanced Materials 2010 (ICPEAM2010). For me, yes, I'm thinking of submitting a paper to this conference and I'm working on it. I have also discuss this matter with my supervisor... :)
The ICPEAM2010 under the World Engineering, Science & Technology Congress (ESTCON2010) will be held on 15th to 17th June , 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In conjunction with this conference, we are also announcing the 24th Symposium of Malaysian Chemical Engineers (SOMChE 2010). ICPEAM2010/SOMChE 2010 is organized by the Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP).
Objectives
The objective of this conference is to provide an international forum to present and discuss recent progress in both fundamentals and applications for a wide range of interdisciplinary domains which include material science and engineering, nanotechnology, environmental technologies, process system engineering, reaction and separation engineering, etc.Materials and Processes in Harmony: Recipe for Sustainable Development
The papers contributed to this conference will cover experimental works, theoretical modeling/simulations, novel approaches in materials synthesis, characterization techniques and applications.
Authors are invited to contribute papers that include but not limited to the following scope:
• Ionic Liquids
• Bio-fuels
• Environment
• Catalysis and Reaction Engineering
• Reactor Technology
• Advanced Material Development
• Advanced Process Control
• Process System Engineering
• Process Safety
• Separation
• Biotechnology
All papers will be peer-reviewed and selected for publication in Journal of Applied Sciences, Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering (on Resource Planning and Conservation) and International Journal of Environmental Engineering.
Authors are invited to submit full papers of maximum six (6) pages describing original, 
previously unpublished and complete work, addressing state-of-the-art research and development in the above areas. Guidelines for online submission and other information are available at the conference website http://www.utp.edu.my/icpeam2010.
I'm trying to prepare a paper to be submitted for this conference. The due date to submit your paper is 31st January 2010. Yes, I know, it's just around the corner...it maybe too late but just work on your paper and try to send it to the organizers as soon as you can. Who knows maybe they can still accept your paper?
FREE Recommended magazines to get you updated with current engineering news
Labels: Chemical Engineer, Chemical Engineering, Conference, Research, Review
posted by alzack @ 1:49 AM,
, links to this post
The Author
I’m Zaki. I used to be a project, process and chemical engineer. I'm now employed as a chemical engineering lecturer, but now I'm on my Ph.D study leave. Hope you like reading my blog. I welcome any feedback from you. TQ!
Get "Choosing Alternative Fuel" Ebook FREE
By registering below, you'll get an 80 page powerful ebook on various alternative energy that can save our environment and save your money. On top of that, you'll get a FREE eCourse on alternative energy from me.
