This article reports on an experimental analysis and performance assessment of using thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for waste heat recovery from residential vapor compression refrigeration systems. The analysis shows that there is a good opportunity for waste heat recovery using TEGs by de-superheating refrigerant after the compressor. Design and manufacturing of a de-superheater unit consisting of a tube and plate heat exchanger and thermoelectric generator modules (HE-TEGs) have been performed and integrated in an experimental test rig of R134a refrigeration cycle. Experimental assessment of the performance parameters, as compared to the basic refrigeration system, reveals that the overall coefficient of performance (COP) using HE-TEGs desuperheater unit increases by values ranging from 17% to 32% depending on the condenser and evaporator loads. Exergy analysis shows that the enhancement is attributed to reduction in the exergy destruction in the condenser and compressor due to lower values of condenser pressure and pressure ratio of the compressor. The output power of the HE-TEGs unit is found to be sufficient for driving the TEGs heat sinks air cooling fan, thus providing a passive de-superheating system without an additional external source of electricity. Further enhancement of the refrigeration cycle performance can be achieved by installation of additional HE-TEGs units.

The present analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations are performed to study the flow field in acoustically simulated solid rocket motor (SRM) chamber geometry. The computational solution is carried out for a high Reynolds number and low Mach number internal flows driven by sidewall mass addition in a long chamber with end-wall disturbances. This kind of flow (transient, weakly viscous, and contains vorticity) have several features in common with a turbulent flow field. The numerical study is performed by solving the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations along with the energy equation using the control volume approach based on a staggered grid system. The v2-f turbulence model has been implemented in the current study. A comparison of the SIMPLE and PISO algorithms showed that both algorithms provide identical results, and the computational time using the PISO algorithm is higher by about 6% than the corresponding value of the SIMPLE algorithm. A fair agreement has been obtained between the numerical, analytical, and experimental results. Moreover, the results showed that the complex turbulent internal flow patterns are induced inside the chamber due to the strong interaction of the sidewall injection with the traveling acoustic waves. Such a complex internal structure is shown to be dependent on the piston frequency and sidewall mass flux. The current study, for the first time, emphasizes the acoustic-fluid dynamics interaction mechanism and the accompanying unsteady rotational fields along with the effect of the generated turbulence on the unsteady vorticity and its impact on the real burning rate.