Journal of Energy Engineering

An automated testing system for overhead line cables with temperature control from environment temperature to 200°C is presented. The aim of the test is to determine mechanical characteristics such as creep, thermal strain, stress/strain, fatigue, and self-damping in order to improve the design of overhead lines through the analysis of new and already-in-use cables, as well as quality control. The data are obtained through the utilization of displacement, temperature, and load sensors. The temperature and the cable tension are continuously controlled. The data acquisition, analysis, and feedback are made through an intelligent interface. The maximum load is 200 kN.

This study includes an experimental investigation into the use of vapor absorption refrigeration (VAR) systems in road transport vehicles using the waste heat in the exhaust gases of the main propulsion unit as the energy source. This would provide an alternative to the conventional vapor compression refrigeration system and its associated internal combustion engine. The performance of a VAR system fired by natural gas is compared with that of the same system driven by engine exhaust gases. This showed that the exhaust-gas-driven system produced the same performance characteristics as the gas-fired system. It also suggested that, with careful design, inserting the VAR system generator into the main engine exhaust system need not impair the performance of the vehicle propulsion unit. A comparison of the capital and running costs of the conventional and proposed alternative system is made. Suggestions are also made regarding operation of the VAR system during off-road/slow running conditions.

Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a lightweight, porous concrete with advanced thermal properties. AAC is unique among construction materials in combining excellent thermal resistance and thermal inertia. Generally, low-density construction materials do not provide good thermal inertia, while heavier ones commonly have poor thermal resistance. Five different 10.2 cm (4 in.) AAC samples made from U.S. electric utility fly ash as the silica source, along with three 10.2 cm (4 in.) conventional building material specimens, were tested for thermal inertia properties. Three primary issues addressed by these experiments were: (1) to develop and compare AAC thermal inertia to conventional building materials; (2) to document differences in thermal inertia characteristics of the AAC blocks produced by the various utilities; and (3) to determine if a periodic heat flow model using the thermal inertia approach adequately predicts the observed thermal inertia parameters of a material. A theoretical periodic heat flow model in the literature for thermal inertia did an adequate job of predicting the observed thermal inertia parameters for the AAC and conventional construction samples.