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B5: Energy system design and optimization
In the present study, the numerical simulation and the experimental studies of the AMTEC(Alkali-metal thermoelectric energy converter) system were carried out. The present unique AMTEC model consists of an evaporator, BASE tube, condenser and artery cable wick. The operating goals for the AMTEC were 700°C in the evaporator, and 400°C in the condenser.
The numerical model based on fully saturated porous wicks with sodium was developed and can simulate the chracteristic performance of AMTEC system. The simulation results show that AMTEC can generate up to 100W with given design. AMTEC system to test practical investigation which was developed in the present work can generate 7 Volt as EMF.
Artery wick, Evaporator wick structure was simulated for the optimum design. Both sodium saturated wicks were affected by various variables such as input heat power, cooling temperature, sodium mass flow rate and capitally driven fluid flow. From the present simulation study based on effective thermal conductivity model, the simulation can be succeeded to predict the system performance. But to obtain reliable simulation results, the simulation should choose the correct conductivity estimation procedure for each wick. Increasing pressure drop crossing the BASE tube reduces the AMTEC performance. The sodium flow has to be sustained always in abundant within a system. From the numerical simulation, AMTEC system has operates near 10-15 % efficiency. In case of improved BASE design, the system can reach over 30% efficiency. The system was designed to carry out 0.6 volt in power with 25 ampere in current with the power input of100 Watt.