INVITATION TO SUBMIT A RESEARCH PROPOSAL ON AN ASHRAE RESEARCH PROJECT 1462-TRP, Active Mechanisms for Enhancing Heat and Mass

Transfer in Sorption Fluids Attached is a Request-for-Proposal (RFP) for a project dealing with a subject in which you, or your institution have expressed interest. Should you decide not to submit a proposal, please circulate it to any colleague who might have interest in this subject. Sponsoring Technical Committee: TC 8.3, Absorption and Heat Operated Machines Budget Range: $150,000 may be more or less as determined by value of proposal and competing proposals.

Scheduled Project Start Date: April 1, 2012 or later. All proposals must be received at ASHRAE Headquarters by December 15, 2011. Electronic copies must be sent to rpbids@ashrae.org. Electronic signatures must be scanned and added to the file before submitting. The submission title line should read: XXXX-TRP, Research Title and Bidding Institutions Name (electronic pdf format, ASHRAEs server will accept up to 10MB) If you have questions concerning the Project, we suggest you contact one of the individuals listed below: For Technical Matters Technical Contact Timothy Wagner UTRC 411 Silver Ln # Ms129-13 East Hartford, CT 06118-1127 Phone: 860-610-7589 Fax: 860-660-1446 E-Mail: wagnertc@utrc.utc.com For Administrative or Procedural Matters: Manager of Research & Technical Services (MORTS) Michael R. Vaughn ASHRAE, Inc. 1791 Tullie Circle, NE Atlanta, GA 30329 Phone: 404-636-8400 Fax: 678-539-2111 E-Mail: MORTS@ashrae.net

Contractors intending to submit a proposal should so notify, by mail, fax or e-mail, the Manager of Research and Technical Services, (MORTS) by November 30, 2011 in order that any late or additional information on the RFP may be furnished to them prior to the bid due date. Proposals may now be submitted electronically. Electronic submissions require a PDF file containing the complete proposal preceded by signed copies of the two forms listed below in the order listed below. ONLY electronic proposals are to be sent to rpbids@ashrae.org. The following forms must accompany the proposal: (1) ASHRAE Application for Grant of Funds (signed) (2) Additional Information for Contractors (signed) ASHRAE reserves the right to reject any or all bids. All other correspondence must be sent to ddaniel@ashrae.org and mvaughn@ashrae.org. Hardcopy submissions require 1-signed original in the same order. In all cases, the proposal must be in the hands of the ASHRAE MORTS by 8 a.m. EDT December 15, 2011.

1462-TRP, Active Mechanisms for Enhancing Heat and Mass Transfer in Sorption Fluids State of the Art (Background) Absorption systems offer the advantages of utilizing a large fraction of the source energy stream down to very low grade energy, with environmentally benign working fluids. They are also some of the best means for waste heat recovery (Ryan 2004), an increasingly important challenge in todays energy scenario (Ryan 2002; USDOE 2006). The combination of efficient use of energy and the environmentally benign working fluids minimize adverse impacts such as global warming and ozone depletion, leading to sustainable use of energy. They have long been integral parts of cogeneration systems, and are once again achieving prominence as integrated Cooling, Heating and Power (CHP) systems (Dieckmann et al. 2005; Zogg et al. 2005) and as subsystems in distributed power generation. Being thermally activated, however, they require more heat and mass exchange components than their counterpart vapor compression systems. In some market segments, especially low-tonnage residential space-conditioning, the resulting additional capital cost has often been a deterrent in acceptance of this technology. However, with the rising energy costs, the emphasis on operating cost advantages is going to increase, thus favoring absorption systems that run with a variety of thermal energy sources. Implementation of absorption systems as a sustainable option for space-conditioning, water heating and cooling, dehumidification, and power generation can benefit greatly from a better understanding of the underlying heat and mass transfer processes, and the consequent development of advanced heat and mass transfer components. A clear understanding and quantification of the coupled heat and mass transfer processes in absorption has been emerging slowly. Comprehensive reviews of coupled heat and mass transfer models and experimental studies for Lithium Bromide/water systems appear in Killion and Garimella (2001; 2003). Computational and experimental studies of falling films (Hu and Jacobi 1996a, 1996b; Killion and Garimella 2004a, 2004b) have begun to provide a quantitative understanding of the modes of falling-film flow (circumferential film, droplet formation, and droplet fall and impingement). The individual contributions of film and droplet mode absorption to the total heat and mass transfer, and the effect of incomplete wetting of tubes have also been estimated using empirical relations (Kirby and Perez-Blanco 1994; Jeong and Garimella 2002), and subsequently used for optimization of absorber tube bundles (Jeong and Garimella 2005). New analytical approaches to correctly capture the governing resistances in the coupled heat and mass transfer process have also been proposed (Islam et al. 2003; 2004). For ammonia-water systems, Perez-Blanco (1988) presented a simple 1-D model for a horizontal-tube, falling-film absorber, while accounting for water transport both into and out of the solution film. Potnis et al. (1997) developed generalized models for GAX components that used coiled fluted tubes using the Colburn and Drew (1937) approach to model absorption as the condensation of binary mixtures. Abdelmessih et al. (1997) developed a model of condensation of ammonia-water mixtures flowing on the outside of vertical tubes using different assumptions for liquid-phase mass transfer including complete mixing and no mixing. Takuma et al. (1993) analyzed condensation of ammonia-water mixtures on horizontal tube bundles and concluded that the accumulation of ammonia at the interface presents an important resistance to condensation. Attempts at obtaining compact ammonia-water absorber geometries include counter-current fluted-tube absorbers (Kang and Christensen 1994, 1995; Kang et al. 1997). Verticaltube bubble absorbers with co-current solution and vapor flow have been modeled by Herbine and PerezBlanco (1995). Kang et al. (1998) evaluated the heat and mass transfer resistances in both the liquid and vapor regions in a countercurrent ammonia-water bubble absorber composed of a plate heat exchanger with offset strip fin inserts. Merrill et al. (1994; 1995) used numerous passive enhancement techniques on vertical-tube bubble absorbers such as repeated roughness elements, internal spacers, and increased thermal conductivity metal to improve heat transfer, and mass transfer improvement was achieved through the use of static mixers, variable cross-section flow areas, and numerous vapor injector designs. Merrill and PerezBlanco (1997) investigated increasing the interfacial area per unit volume of vapor and liquid mixing at the vapor-liquid interface by breaking the vapor up into small bubbles and injecting them into the liquid. Miniaturization efforts for ammonia-water absorbers have included a compact absorber consisting of a corrugated and perforated fin surface placed between rectangular coolant channels (Christensen et al. 1998), and microchannel tubes arranged in square lattices for absorption and desorption (Garimella 1999; Meacham and Garimella 2002; 2003; Garimella 2004). A review of the role of surfactants in enhancing the absorption process appears in Ziegler and Grossman (1996); differing explanations for the enhancement mechanisms

have been proposed by Herold et al. (Kulankara and Herold 2000; Herold et al. 2002; Kulankara and Herold 2002; Kyung and Herold 2002) and Koenig et al. (2003). One of the few studies on active enhancement include rotating discs housed in a hermetically sealed envelope that have demonstrated some promising results for the intensification of absorption processes (Aoune and Ramshaw 1999). The above discussion shows that one of the key hurdles in the development of efficient absorption systems is the mass transfer resistance encountered in the absorber. Because of the properties of LiBr/H2O solution, for example, there is a considerable mass transfer resistance in the liquid phase that governs the absorption process. Due to the coupled heat and mass transfer process, it has also been found that common enhancement techniques such as finned and knurled tubes could sometimes increase heat transfer rates, but might actually hinder mass transfer. Therefore, novel techniques using active enhancement for absorption must be developed and understood based on theoretical formulations validated by experiments. Justification and Value to ASHRAE The results from the proposed work could have a major impact on choices available for the spaceconditioning and refrigeration industry, in addition to the distributed generation and CHP industry. A viable thermally activated system portfolio, in addition to vapor compression-based system, will also benefit hybrid system and standby power operators, with selections being made based on prevailing energy costs. Compact, high efficiency components will also yield auxiliary benefits to other mass-transfer processes such as liquid desiccant-based systems. The inherently sustainable working fluids and the ability to use low grade thermal energy will benefit large segments of society at large by minimizing global climate change. Objective The objective of the proposed effort is to develop active enhancement techniques for coupled heat and mass transfer processes that will serve as the basis for new absorption technology, and provide design tools for these enhanced transport processes through experiments and modeling. Active enhancement implies the enhancement of the process through movement (agitation, rotation, vibration, etc.) of the tube surfaces, using electrical power input as necessary, which provides an additional crucial mixing mechanism and also may thin out the liquid layers to reduce the governing resistances. The PI will propose one promising implementation of an enhancement technique that involves agitation, rotation or vibration of the transfer surfaces for an absorber at typical heat pump/chiller operating conditions. Controlled heat and mass transfer experiments with and without enhancement will be conducted at representative conditions, together with data analysis and model and design tool development. The results will fill a critical gap in the absorption industry, where up to now, enhancement of absorption has only been considered using passive surface enhancement or through additives. There is almost no understanding of the substantial enhancement in absorption that could be achieved through the use of electrically driven moving parts. (The required electrical energy is expected to be miniscule compared to compression energy required in vapor-compression systems.) Scope Task I Design and Construction of Test Facility Conduct a literature search on conventional sorption systems and active sorption systems. Use the literature search in determining the active sorption technique that will be used, which must be approved by the PMS. TC 8.3 members will provide feedback and guidance with choosing the method. Use the literature review to assist in designing the test facility and in testing as well. Use experimental studies from the literature to determine what experimental data is needed to develop a knowledge base and empirical correlations that can be applied to a wider range of systems. Upon completion of the literature search, the recommendation with respect to the specific mechanism of heat and mass transfer enhancement, the principal design of the test facility and the draft test protocol shall be written and approval by the PMS. Design and fabricate absorption, desorption, condenser and evaporator components, then perform preliminary tests on each component individually to evaluate its performance. The condenser and evaporator shall contribute to the overall sorption system performance.

Design and construct the test facility that includes the needed sorption components and all the instrumentation needed to measure the data accurately. Make sure that the test facility will have 0-5% error on mass balance and 0-15% on heat transfer. Task II Experimentation Data must be taken on all the major components of the sorption system, including the absorber, desorber, evaporator, and condenser. Two different binary mixture fluids must be tested in this project. The fluids shall be LiBr-Water and Ammonia-Water.. Data points are to be taken to study the effect of inlet coolant temperature and mass flow rate on heat transfer and pressure drop of absorber. The range of the parameters to be studied must be approved by the PMS. Task III Reporting of Data and Results The results of this research project must be reported as described below in the Deliverables. The contractor will be expected to develop a work plan and format for reporting the data described in Tasks above. Deliverables: Progress, Financial and Final Reports, Research or Technical Paper(s), and Data shall constitute the only deliverables (Deliverables) under this Agreement and shall be provided as follows: a. Intermediate Deliverable: Upon completion of the literature search contractor shall submit a brief report outlining the rationale and recommendation for the selection of one or more specific mechanisms for heat and mass transfer enhancement to be experimentally investigated. The report shall also include a principal design of the test facility and a draft test protocol. The TC 8.3 PMS will review, accept, revise or reject the findings. This review constitutes a go/no-go milestone and contractor shall proceed without approval by the PMS. b. Progress and Financial Reports Progress and Financial Reports, in a form approved by the Society, shall be made to the Society through its Manager of Research and Technical Services at quarterly intervals; specifically on or before each January 1, April 1, June 10, and October 1 of the contract period. Furthermore, the Institutions Principal Investigator, subject to the Societys approval, shall, during the period of performance and after the Final Report has been submitted, report in person to the sponsoring Technical Committee/Task Group (TC/TG) at the annual and winter meetings, and be available to answer such questions regarding the research as may arise. c. Final Report A written report, design guide, or manual, (collectively, Final Report), in a form approved by the Society, shall be prepared by the Institution and submitted to the Societys Manager of Research and Technical Services by the end of the Agreement term, containing complete details of all research carried out under this Agreement. Unless otherwise specified, six copies of the final report shall be furnished for review by the Societys Project Monitoring Subcommittee (PM S). Following approval by the PMS and the TC/TG, in their sole discretion, final copies of the Final Report will be furnished by the Institution as follows: An executive summary in a form suitable for wide distribution to the industry and to the public. Two bound copies One unbound copy, printed on one side only, suitable for reproduction.

d.

Two copies on CD-ROM; one in PDF format and one in Microsoft Word.

HVAC&R Research or ASHRAE Transactions Technical Papers One or more papers shall be submitted first to the ASHRAE Manager of Research and Technical Services (MORTS) and then to the ASHRAE Manuscript Central website-based manuscript review system in a form and containing such information as designated by the Society suitable for publication. Papers specified as deliverables should be submitted as either Research Papers for HVAC&R Research or Technical Paper(s) for ASHRAE Transactions. Research papers contain generalized results of long-term archival value, whereas technical papers are appropriate for applied research of shorter-term value, ASHRAE Conference papers are not acceptable as deliverables from ASHRAE research projects.. The paper(s) shall conform to the instructions posted in Manuscript Central for an ASHRAE Transactions Technical or HVAC&R Research papers. The paper title shall contain the research project number (1462-RP) at the end of the title in parentheses, e.g., (1462-RP). All papers or articles prepared in connection with an ASHRAE research project, which are being submitted for inclusion in any ASHRAE publication, shall be submitted through the Manager of Research and Technical Services first and not to the publication's editor or Program Committee.

e.

Data Data is defined in General Condition VI, DATA

f.

Project Synopsis A written synopsis totaling approximately 100 words in length and written for a broad technical audience, which documents 1. Main findings of research project, 2. Why findings are significant, and 3. How the findings benefit ASHRAE membership and/or society in general shall be submitted to the Manager of Research and Technical Services by the end of the Agreement term for publication in ASHRAE Insights

The Society may request the Institution submit a technical article suitable for publication in the Societys ASHRAE JOURNAL. This is considered a voluntary submission and not a Deliverable. Technical articles shall be prepared using dual units; e.g., rational inch-pound with equivalent SI units shown parenthetically. SI usage shall be in accordance with IEEE/ASTM Standard SI-10. Level of Effort It is expected that the Tasks above will take 2 years to complete. The expected total cost for this work is approximately $ 150,000. Other Information to Bidders It is expected that the investigators bidding for this work will have substantial experience, as evidenced by their publications in peer-reviewed journals, in sorption systems, developing new prediction methods and also preferably in measuring two-phase flows. Proposal Evaluation Criteria Proposals submitted to ASHRAE for this project should include the following minimum information: 1. Statements describing test facilities, equipment and capabilities to be used. The exact dimensions of the test section and details of how it is to be operated, a description of the test apparatus, including instrumentation and description of measurement areas (or location) used for pressure drop, mass flux and heat transfer must be included in the proposal.

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3. 4. 5. 6.

How objectives would be met and what procedures would be used to meet them. Description of provisions that must be made for the measurement of refrigerant temperature, pressure, vapor quality, flow rate and test section heat transfer needed for the accurate determination of heat transfer and pressure drop must be addressed in the proposal. Descriptions of how these measurements will be made must be clear in the proposal including error analysis and mass and energy balance. Statements indicating experience and publications in conducting research associated with performing heat transfer, pressure drop and sorption system measurements. Resume of the Principal Investigator and others involved in the study. Planned schedule and length of time for the project to be completed. Budget information and information of any other co-sponsors.

Proposal Evaluation Criteria & Weighting Factors: 1. Bidder understanding of work statement as revealed in proposal. (15%) 2. Quality of methodology proposed for conducting research. (25%) 3. Bidder capabilities in terms of facilities. (10%) 4. Qualifications of personnel for this project. (15%) 5. Student Involvement. (5%) 6. Probability of the contractors research plan meeting the objectives of the work statement. (25 %) 7. Performance of bidder on prior ASHRAE or related projects. (No penalty for new contractors) (5 %) References 1. Abdelmessih, A. N., Rabas, T. J. and Panchal, C. B. (1997), "Reflux Condensation of Pure Vapors With and Without a Noncondensable Gas Inside Plain and Enhanced Tubes, p. 227. 2. Aoune, A. and Ramshaw, C. (1999), "Process intensification: heat and mass transfer characteristics of liquid films on rotating discs," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 42 (14): 2543-2556. 3. Christensen, R. N., Garimella, S., Kang, Y. T. and Garrabrant, M. A. (1998). Perforated-Fin Heat and Mass Transfer Device. USA. 5,704,417. 4. Colburn, A. P. and Drew, T. B. (1937), "The Condensation of Mixed Vapours," AIChE Transactions, 33: 197212. 5. Dieckmann, J., Zogg, R., Westphalen, D., Roth, K. and Brodrick, J. (2005), "Heat-Only, Heat-Activated Heat Pumps," ASHRAE Journal: 40-41. 6. Garimella, S. (1999), "Miniaturized Heat and Mass Transfer Technology for Absorption Heat Pumps," Proceedings of the International Sorption Heat Pump Conference, Munich, Germany, pp. 661-670. 7. Garimella, S. (2004). Method and means for miniaturization of binary-fluid heat and mass exchangers. USA. 6,802,364. 8. Herbine, G. S. and Perez-Blanco, H. (1995), "Model of an ammonia-water bubble absorber," Proceedings of the 1995 ASHRAE Annual Meeting, Jan 29-Feb 1 1995, Chicago, IL, USA, ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA, USA, pp. 1324-1332. 9. Herold, K. E., Zhou, X. and Yuan, Z. (2002), "Phase distribution of the surfactant 2-ethyl-hexanol in aqueous lithium bromide," HVAC and R Research, 8 (4): 371-381. 10. Hu, X. and Jacobi, A. M. (1996a), "The Inter Tube Falling Film: Part 1- Flow Characteristics, Mode Transition, and Hysteresis," Journal of Heat Transfer, 118: 616-625. 11. Hu, X. and Jacobi, A. M. (1996b), "The intertube falling film. II. Mode effects on sensible heat transfer to a falling liquid film," Transactions of the ASME. Journal of Heat Transfer, 118 (3): 626-33. 12. Islam, M. R., Wijeysundera, N. E. and Ho, J. C. (2003), "Evaluation of heat and mass transfer coefficients for falling-films on tubular absorbers," International Journal of Refrigeration, 26 (2): 197-204. 13. Islam, M. R., Wijeysundera, N. E. and Ho, J. C. (2004), "Simplified models for coupled heat and mass transfer in falling-film absorbers," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 47 (2): 395-406. 14. Jeong, S. and Garimella, S. (2002), "Falling-film and droplet mode heat and mass transfer in a horizontal tube LiBr/water absorber," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 45 (7): 1445-1458. 15. Jeong, S. and Garimella, S. (2005), "Optimal Design of Compact Horizontal Tube LiBr/Water Absorbers," HVAC and R Research, 11 (1).

16. Kang, Y. T., Chen, W. and Christensen, R. N. (1997), "A Generalized Component Design Model by Combined Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis in NH3-H2O Absorption Heat Pump Systems," ASHRAE Transactions: Symposia: 444-453. 17. Kang, Y. T. and Christensen, R. N. (1994), "Development of a counter-current model for a vertical fluted tube GAX absorber," Proceedings of the International Absorption Heat Pump Conference, Jan 19-21 1994, New Orleans, LA, USA, ASME, New York, NY, USA, pp. 7-16. 18. Kang, Y. T. and Christensen, R. N. (1995), "Combined heat and mass transfer analysis for absorption in a fluted tube with a porous medium in confined cross flow," Proceedings of the 1995 ASME/JSME Thermal Engineering Joint Conference. Part 1 (of 4), Mar 19-24 1995, Maui, HI, USA, ASME, New York, NY, USA, pp. 251-260. 19. Kang, Y. T., Kashiwagi, T. and Christensen, R. N. (1998), "Ammonia-water bubble absorber with a plate heat exchanger," Proceedings of the 1998 ASHRAE Winter Meeting. Part 2 (of 2), Jan 18-21 1998, San Francisco, CA, USA, ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA, USA, pp. 1565-1575. 20. Killion, J. D. and Garimella, S. (2001), "A critical review of models of coupled heat and mass transfer in falling-film absorption," International Journal of Refrigeration, 24 (8): 755-797. 21. Killion, J. D. and Garimella, S. (2003), "A review of experimental investigations of absorption of water vapor in liquid films falling over horizontal tubes," HVAC and R Research, 9 (2): 111-136. 22. Killion, J. D. and Garimella, S. (2004a), "Pendant droplet motion for absorption on horizontal tube banks," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 47 (19-20): 4403-4414. 23. Killion, J. D. and Garimella, S. (2004b), "Simulation of Pendant Droplets and Falling Films in Horizontal Tube Absorbers," Journal of Heat Transfer, 126 (6): 1003-1013. 24. Kirby, M. J. and Perez-Blanco, H. (1994), "Design model for horizontal tube water/lithium bromide absorbers," Proceedings of the 1994 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Nov 6-11 1994, Chicago, IL, USA, ASME, New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-10. 25. Koenig, M. S., Grossman, G. and Gommed, K. (2003), "The role of surfactant adsorption rate in heat and mass transfer enhancement in absorption heat pumps," International Journal of Refrigeration, 26 (1): 129-39. 26. Kulankara, S. and Herold, K. E. (2000), "Theory of heat/mass transfer additives in absorption chillers," HVAC and R Research, 6 (4): 369-380. 27. Kulankara, S. and Herold, K. E. (2002), "Surface tension of aqueous lithium bromide with heat/mass transfer enhancement additives: The effect of additive vapor transport," International Journal of Refrigeration, 25 (3): 383-389. 28. Kyung, I.-S. and Herold, K. E. (2002), "Performance of horizontal smooth tube absorber with and without 2-ethyl-hexanol," Journal of Heat Transfer, 124 (1): 177-183. 29. Meacham, J. M. and Garimella, S. (2002), "Experimental Demonstration of a Prototype Microchannel Absorber for Space-Conditioning Systems," International Sorption Heat Pump Conference, Shanghai, China, pp. 270-276. 30. Meacham, J. M. and Garimella, S. (2003), "Modeling of local measured heat and mass transfer variations in a microchannel ammonia-water absorber," ASHRAE Transactions, 109 (1): 412-422. 31. Merrill, T., Setoguchi, T. and Perez-Blanco, H. (1994), "Compact bubble absorber design and analysis," Proceedings of the International Absorption Heat Pump Conference, Jan 19-21 1994, New Orleans, LA, USA, ASME, New York, NY, USA, pp. 217-223. 32. Merrill, T. L. and Perez-Blanco, H. (1997), "Combined heat and mass transfer during bubble absorption in binary solutions," International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 40 (3): 589-603. 33. Merrill, T. L., Setoguchi, T. and Perez-Blanco, H. (1995), "Passive heat transfer enhancement techniques applied to compact bubble absorber design," Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer, 2 (3): 199-208. 34. Perez-Blanco, H. (1988), "A Model of an Ammonia-Water Falling Film Absorber," ASHRAE Transactions, 94 (1): 467-483. 35. Potnis, S. V., Anand, G., Gomezplata, A., Erickson, D. C. and Papar, R. A. (1997), "GAX component simulation and validation," Proceedings of the 1997 ASHRAE Winter Meeting, Jan 26-29 1997, Philadelphia, PA, USA, ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA, USA, pp. 454-459. 36. Ryan, W. (2002), "New Developments in Gas Cooling," ASHRAE Journal: 23-28. 37. Ryan, W. (2004), "Driving Absorption Chillers Using Heat Recovery," ASHRAE Journal Supplement - Building for the Future: S30-S36.

38. Takuma, M., Yamada, A. and Matsuo, T. (1993), "Condensation Heat Transfer Characteristics of Ammonia-Water Vapor Mixture on Tube Bundles," Condensation and Condenser Design, ASME, pp. 207-217. 39. USDOE (2006). Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy - Distributed Energy Program Information Resources, http://www.eere.energy.gov/de/publications.html 40. Ziegler, F. and Grossman, G. (1996), "Heat-transfer enhancement by additives," International Journal of Refrigeration, 19 (5): 301-309. 41. Zogg, R., Roth, K. and Brodrick, J. (2005), "Using CHP Systems in Commercial Buildings," ASHRAE Journal: 33-35.