Thermofluids

Heat transfer and project labs

The heat transfer and projects labs are located with the Thermofluids Laboratory, across two environmentally controlled spaces and an open project space. There are three separate areas:

• Heat Transfer 1 (HT1)
  • Micro fluids and heat transfer rigs
  • Traversing rigs
  • Instrumentation and data acquisition systems
• Heat Transfer 2 (HT2)
  • PIV system (TSI, Class 4 Laser)
  • Instrumentation and data acquisition systems
• Project space
  • A large open wet lab space with benches
  • Extractor systems and multiple services
  • A range of experimental test rigs, storage areas, workspaces

Capabilities

• The heat transfer labs accommodate smaller and micro scale thermodynamics/heat transfer/fluids research work and those that require stable environmental conditions to be maintained
• Specialist PIV facility enables mapping of complex flow fields
• The open project space allows rigs of all sizes to be set up and is suitable for wet work 
• Thermofluidic systems that can be studied span across the areas of thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer; refrigeration, air conditioning and ventilation; industrial thermal fluid dynamics; energy production and conversion; combustion; turbomachinery; and much more
  

Examples of projects

• Fundamental boiling and condensation heat transfer of CO2 at low temperatures
• Synthetic jet impingement heat transfer
• Micro oscillating heat pipes
• Oscillating reeds for heat transfer enhancement at micro scale
• An acoustic refrigerator with bent tube resonators
• The physics of oscillatory flows through orifice type restrictions
• Interaction of tunnel ventilation performance with fixed fire suppression
• Regenerative micro combustor for a UMGT
• Ultra micro turbomachinery for a UMGT
• Investigation of a novel thermal water pump
• Unsteady hydrodynamics of tidal turbines arising from seabed and wave generated turbulence

Environmental chambers

The environmental chamber test facility is available for commercial contract research work, in addition to serving student and staff research projects. Each chamber enables control of ambient temperature and humidity for research, product testing, development and evaluation. MEPS testing for energy labelling is a speciality. We have two environmental chambers:

• Environment chamber 1 (A)
  • Max temperature 50 deg C
  • Min temperature -10 deg C
  • Max RH 95%
  • Min RH 35%
  • Max load in space 10 kW (heating or cooling)
• Environment chamber 2 (B)
  • Max temperature 30 deg C
  • Min temperature -15 deg C
  • Max RH 95%
  • Min RH 35%
  • Max load in space 10 kW (heating or cooling)
    

Applications

• Energy labelling testing to requirements of MEPS per AS/NZS 4474.2
• Testing and development of refrigeration products and systems
• Testing and development of humidity control devices
• Testing of electronic components
• Any application where controlled environmental conditions are required
  

Examples of Projects

• Refrigerator and freezer efficiency testing to a variety of international test standards
• Evaluation of alternative refrigerants and refrigeration components
• Efficiency test standards correlation and harmonisation
• Effect of ambient conditions, door opening and food load variation on refrigeration power consumption and efficiency

Engines research facility

The engine (and rotating machinery) research facility is located across three fully instrumented and serviced test cells within the lab. It is well equipped to conduct a wide range of engine and fuels research and development. Emissions and performance characterisation, management system mapping, fundamental research and component and engine (and rotating machinery) testing are just some applications. Key pieces of equipment include:

• Ricardo E6 Research Engine (Test cell 1)
  • Variable compression ratio
  • Spark ignition or diesel
• Borghi and Saveri FA200/30SPV eddy current dynamometer (Test cell 2)
  • Max power 150 kW, max torque 620 Nm, max speed 10000 rpm.
• Borghi and Saveri FA100/30SL eddy current dynamometer [with Mazda 1600cc engine] (Test cell 2)
  • Max power 75 kW, max speed 12000 rpm
• Dyne Systems 100 AC dynamometer (Test cell 3)
  • Max power 75 kW, max torque 240 Nm, max speed 8500 rpm

The dynamometers can operate with any of the following equipment:

• Fuel consumption
  • Liquid fuels (petrol, diesel, alcohols) ± 0.5 % accuracy
  • Gaseous fuels (CNG, LPG) ± 0.5 % accuracy
• Exhaust Emissions
  • CO, CO2, CH4 NDIR, O2 paramagnetic, THC heated FID
  • NO/NOx heated chemiluminescent
• Air flow measurement
  • Laminar flow elements (50, 100, 400 & 1000 cfm)
  • Combustion Pressure: Piezo electric transducer system and high speed data acquisition

Capabilities

• Engine performance and emissions mapping
• Fuel testing
• Engine development
• Rotating machinery performance testing