Novel Design of a System for Heat Recovery from Diesel Engine Exhausts

Project Details

• Student(s): Marie Belle Mansour
• Advisor(s): Dr. Amne El Cheikh
• Department: Industrial & Mechanical
• Academic Year(s): 2024-2025

Abstract

This work presents an innovative hybrid heat recovery system integrating phase change materials (PCMs) with dual heat transfer processes to optimize energy extraction from diesel engine exhaust gases. Unlike conventional systems, the proposed design combines simultaneous thermal storage in PCMs and immediate heat transfer via a heat transfer fluid (HTF). Numerical simulations and experimental validation were conducted under varying inlet conditions, including exhaust gas temperature, mass flow rates, and HTF type. Results reveal that an optimal exhaust inlet temperature of 600K and an HTF mass flow rate of 0.0001 m3/s yield complete PCM melting in 60 minutes, with an extended discharge period providing sustained heating. Compared to existing designs, the dual-process integration achieved a charging efficiency of 80.24%, surpassing reported benchmarks. These findings emphasize the novelty of integrating PCM-based latent thermal storage with a simultaneous dual heat recovery mechanism for sustainable thermal energy applications.