Innovating for a Sustainable Future

In the world of science, every step forward counts. A recent study by Drs. Shohel Mahmud and Syeda Tasnim, engineering professors in the Advanced Energy Conversion & Control Lab at the University of Guelph, is a testament to this.

Their focus is on a unique type of heat exchanger, which is designed to be more efficient. This device transfers heat between two or more fluids without them mixing together. It is crucial in various applications, from air conditioning systems to power plants.

The heart of Mahmud and Tasnim’s research lies in materials called Phase Change Materials (PCMs). Imagine substances that can store and release heat without changing temperature themselves, such as coconut oil. These PCMs absorb heat as they melt from solid to liquid and release heat as they solidify back into a solid. This makes them perfect for systems that need to store thermal energy efficiently, like in buildings. Mahmud and Tasnim’s team chose coconut oil as their PCM because of its availability, low cost and suitable melting and solidifying properties, making it an ideal candidate for maintaining the building's indoor conditions. The team notes that there are many other materials that can also serve this purpose.

The research focuses on a unique 'toroidal' (doughnut-shaped) tube design for a heat exchanger. The beauty of the research lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. This design is not just a scientific curiosity – it represents a practical approach to improving how we store thermal energy.

"Our toroidal design enhances the melting and solidification of the PCM, which can lead to better energy storage efficiency,” says Mahmud.

Unlocking Secrets of Heat Storage

Through their experiments, they used digital imaging to study how coconut oil responded to different temperatures inside their specially-designed heat exchanger. They discovered that the unique shape of the device significantly improved the efficiency of how the coconut oil stored and released heat. This insight is crucial for optimizing heat exchangers’ design for real-world applications.

"The experiments helped us understand the behavior of the PCM in our toroidal tube, which is crucial for optimizing our design,” says Mahmud.

The Path to a Greener Future

This research is not just about scientific curiosity; it has real-world applications, especially in building energy management and sustainable development. By improving how we store thermal energy, we can make our buildings more energy-efficient and reduce our carbon footprint.

Tasnim says, "Each research contributes a piece to the larger puzzle. Our work is a step in understanding how we can better store and manage energy, which is crucial for our future."

"Our research is a step towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. We hope to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers to continue exploring innovative solutions for our planet’s energy challenges,” says Mahmud.

This story was written by Mehran Bozorgi as part of the Science Communicators: Research @ CEPS initiative. Mehran is a PhD candidate in the School of Engineering under Drs. Syeda Humaira Tasnim and Shohel Mahmud. His research focus is on the development of solar-assisted cooling systems to achieve thermal comfort conditions in buildings in different climate conditions.

Funding Acknowledgement: The research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, grant number [401495].

Reference: M. R. Mohaghegh, S. H. Tasnim, and S. Mahmud, “Toroidal tube latent heat exchanger: An experimental study,” J. Energy Storage, vol. 74, no. PB, p. 109488, 2023, doi: 10.1016/j.est.2023.109488.