Radebe, T B; Huan, Z and Baloyi, J (2021) Simulation of eutectic plates in medium refrigerated transport. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 19(1), pp. 62-80. ISSN 1726-0531
Abstract
South Africa is the highest consumer of commercial energy per capita in Africa, ranking 16th in the world for primary energy consumption. It is also ranked among the bottom 50 of the 150 countries regarding energy efficiency. The cold chain is a large contributor through refrigerated transport vehicles. To comply with the changing climate regulations, cryogenic and eutectic systems are systems with great potential for small distance refrigerated transport. The purpose of this paper is to introduce eutectic system to medium distance refrigerated transport. This study presents the potential use of Eutectic plates inside a medium refrigerated transport vehicle, by numerically investigating the characteristics of phase change material eutectic plates applied at low-temperature ranges. A physical model and a mathematical model for three-dimensional transient natural flow were developed as proposed by Xiaofeng and Zhang. Using the governing equation of mass, momentum and energy conservation, three Eutectic plate configurations were modeled and simulated in ANSYS Fluent for 5 h. A uniform heat transfer and airflow condition inside a refrigerated compartment were predicted using the Reynolds stress model. The configuration with eutectic plates placed at the top and side showed great potential for the system functioning in the South African climate. Medium refrigerated transport vehicle. This configuration had a high-temperature distribution across the compartment and promoted high air circulations, showing that it could be ideal for medium refrigerated transport vehicles delivering perishable foodstuffs or non-food goods.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | climate; commercial; conservation; energy conservation; energy consumption; heat transfer; plates; regulation; efficiency; energy efficiency; South Africa |
| Index terms: | physical model, circulation, primary energy, mathematical model, phase-change material, consumption, South Africa, temperature distribution, regulation, configuration, efficiency, Reynolds stress, energy efficiency, Africa, refrigerated transport vehicle, energy conservation, conservation, commercial energy, energy consumption |
| Subjects: | political science, thermal systems, systems engineering, infrastructure and transport systems, urban design, Geography, performance management, manufacturing engineering, regions and continents, fluid mechanics, energy systems, sustainability and energy, environmental policy, materials science, consumer economics, mathematical modelling |
| Topics: | Urban Studies, Quality Management, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Stakeholder Management, Governance, Sustainability |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
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