Volumetric Heating of A Flowing Viscous Fluid Using infrared Radiation

• Omar Garcia
• Paul Nguyen
• Mahmoud Hamouda
• Shayan Ranjbari

Fluid heating mechanisms are utilized in a variety of engineering industries as the applications of an efficient fluid heater are boundless. For this project, the main application is to reduce the viscosity, droplet size and to atomize the methylcellulose by a spraying nozzle. Furthermore, the current processes to heat a viscous fluid are diverse, ranging from reservoir heating to in line heaters where it requires in tubing with heating elements. All these processes utilize the same heating principle of surface heating. Surface heaters can create problems as hot spots and cold spots in the system, leading to burning and clogging of the fluid. The proposed solution investigates the use of a radiative heating source which heats the fluid volumetrically and evenly. This is achieved as heat source emits radiation at a constant rate for the time the system is on. The fluid is conveyed by Pyrex tubing, and as it travels through the tube; it is being bombarded by radiative heat coming from an infrared lamp. By the time the fluid reaches the nozzle this has had a significant temperature change which in turn decreases viscosity to the point of successful atomization. Preliminary analysis was performed theoretically to determine various characteristics such as residence time, length of tubing and energy required. For example, pressure losses were estimated using ANSYS, and the preliminary results showed that the system would be able to convey fluid to the nozzle at an optimal pressure required for successful atomization. Field testing validated the preliminary theoretical results, gave an in-depth sense of the dynamics of radiative surface heating, and the viscous equation of this fluid. Overall, the team is moving forward towards the improvement of radiative heating efficiency.