| Summary: | This thesis examines the transient performance of packed bed heat
regenerators when very large temperature differences are involved. The
effects of gas temperature on the key gas physical properties of velocity,
density and heat capacity were studied via simulation.
Three models were developed and compared. The first model
(HRKDV) considers heat balances for both solid and gas phases, the second
(HRVDV) considers mass balances in addition to the heat balances set up in
the first model and the third one (HRASO) considers that the only significant
rate of accumulation term is that of the energy of the solid phase.
The governing partial differential equations were solved by the method
of lines with the spatial discretization accomplished by the method of
orthogonal collocation.
The findings of this work reveal that whereas the effects of large
temperature changes on the gas velocity and density are completely negligible,
the effects of temperature on the gas heat capacity must be considered
"continuously" when large temperature swings occur. Considering the heat
capacity as a constant, even at an average value, leads to significant errors in
temperature profiles. === Graduation date: 1992
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