Waste Heat Recovery: Lowering our dependence on fossil fuel through increased efficiency
In partnership with Novopower Intl, Montreal, QC, Canada
Potential Positions
ENGR 6971 Project and Report I (4cr) Opportunities
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Charles Basenga Kiyanda
Energy use (and energy waste) from fossil fuels leads to environmental pressure and impacts that must be adressed. Mechanical and electrical power produced through heat engines from combustible fuel sources lead to large amounts of energy waste. Typically 2/3 of the energy of the fuel is wasted through coolant and exhaust, and only 1/3 of the originally available energy is converted to a usable form. Other forms of thermal waste are plentiful. In computer datacenters, all the energy consumed to power computers is eventually wasted as thermal pollution. Several chemical processes also lead to heat being wasted into the environment. Given the urgent need, worldwide, to reduce our CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions, this wasted heat should be a priority.
Novopower international (NPI), a Montreal-based startup company, is developing a waste heat recovery and power production system based on a combination of a free-piston (unconstrained, linear piston), a linear generator, evaporator and condenser heat exchangers, and a pump. This device uses a modified Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) to recuperate waste heat at a wide range of temperatures, and especially at low temperatures below 100oC. At such low temperatures, current ORC solutions are generally not efficient or not economically viable. The NPI device has the potential to maintain a relatively high efficiency across a range of temperatures and to adapt to changing heating loads and temperatures. A more complete description of the NPI systems and vision is available at https://novopower.ca/.
As part of a collaboration between NPI and professors at Concordia University, two different units are being investigated. One unit uses a hydraulic, rotating generator powered by a pair of linear pistons and can be currently operated using compressed air as a simulant for the working fluid. A second unit, using a linear generator, is in construction.
We are searching for a motivated student to take-on an ENGR 6971 project to advance this work. Depending on the outcome of the project, there are possibilities for converting to an MASc (thesis) degree or continuing to a PhD.
Project Title: Characterization of heat recovery demonstrator using compressed air
Fall 2023 Semester or later
A previously built, compressed-air powered demonstrator of the NPI architecture is available. This demonstrator is poorly characterized, has not operated in a long time, and has an insufficient control system, lacking safety features and direct operator controls. Currently, to change operating parameters, Arduino code must be recompiled and re-uploaded to the control system.
Under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Charles Basenga Kiyanda you will be responsible for:
- characterizing the individual sub-components of an already existing, compressed-air powered, waste heat recovery device, especially the flow through the inlet and outlet valves;
- building a new control system for the hardware based on commodity hardware (arduino, teensy or equivalent) that allows for direct operator control of the device, without requiring recompilation;
- evaluating the thermodynamic efficiency and potential power output of the device by modifying currently existing modelling codes available for the project.
Required Skills and competencies:
- Be enrolled in the Concordia M.Eng Mechanical Program.
- Good knowledge of fluid and thermal systems.
- Must have a good capacity to structure experimental work, maintain documentation and logs and communicate engineering information effectively.
Optional skills and competencies:
- Capacity to work with and create 3D CAD models and undertake design and manufacture planning of mechanical parts are desired.
- Knowledge of matlab and/or labview at an intermediate level are strongly positive assets.
If interested, please contact Prof. Charles Basenga Kiyanda via email, charles.kiyanda@concordia.ca.
Design and Testing of a Free-Piston-based Waste Heat Recovery Cycle
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Charles Basenga Kiyanda
Novopower international (NPI), a Montreal-based startup company, is developing a waste heat recovery and power production system based on a combination of a free-piston (unconstrained, linear piston), a linear generator, evaporator and condenser heat exchangers, and a pump. This device uses a modified Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) to recuperate waste heat at a wide range of temperatures, especially at low temperatures below 100oC. At such low temperatures, current ORC solutions are generally not efficient or not economically viable. The NPI device has the potential to maintain a relatively high efficiency across a range of temperatures and to adapt to changing heating loads and temperatures.
As part of a collaboration between NPI and professors at Concordia University, a lab-scale demonstrator unit is being built and operated at Concordia. Extensive thermodynamic modelling of the system has already been performed and a partially built demonstrator is available. The goal of the project is to complete this demonstrate and characterize its operation. Additional goals to consider, depending on project advancement, are: the integration of this power production system into the Concordia electrical grid to use the produced electrical power, and moving the demonstrator to one of the university's living lab buildings where it can be used to recuperate actual waste heat, instead of simulating, using a water boiler, a waste heat source.
Start date: Fall 2023 to January 2024 Duration: variable Salary/Funding: dependent on the level of position (master's degree, phd degree, postgraduate researcher or postdoctoral researcher)
Under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Charles Basenga Kiyanda, as a student or researcher, you will be responsible for:
- assembling a simulated waste heat donor (using a commercial boiler) and a heat rejection loop (using cold water in an open loop);
- finalizing the design of the device's working fluid loop, including pump sizing;
- use the currently built labview control system to operate the assembled device and characterize the operating parameters (efficiency and power output as a function of evaporator and condenser pressure);
- validate predicted efficiency and power output efficiency estimations obtained from thermofluid modelling of the cycle;
- work in collaboration with Prof. Luis Rodrigues and students/researchers under his supervision to implement different control strategies and evaluate their impact on the device operating parameters.
Required Skills and competencies:
- Applicant can have an undergraduate, master's or PhD degreein engineering. Position will be considered as part of a master's or PhD degree, postgraduate employment or postdoc position.
- Knowledge of fluid and thermal systems, refrigeration system design and refrigeration technical work.
- Must have a good capacity to structure experimental work, maintain documentation and logs and communicate engineering information effectively.
Optional skills and competencies:
- Capacity to work with and create 3D CAD models and undertake design and manufacture planning of mechanical parts are desired.
- Knowledge of matlab and/or labview at an intermediate level are strongly positive assets.
- Familiarity with 3-phase electrical systems, variable frequency drives, inverters, and generators an asset.
If interested, please contact Prof. Charles Basenga Kiyanda via email, charles.kiyanda@concordia.ca.