Thomas F. Irvine

Bio: Thomas F. Irvine is an academic researcher from Stony Brook University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Heat transfer & Viscometer. The author has an hindex of 19, co-authored 59 publications receiving 2726 citations. Previous affiliations of Thomas F. Irvine include University of Minnesota & State University of New York System.

The falling needle viscometer a new technique for viscosity measurements

Abstract: A new type of viscometer, the “Falling Needle Viscometer” (FNV) has been developed It has several advantages over the better known “Falling Ball Viscometer” (FBV) including better control over the trajectory and terminal velocity and a “wall correction” which is an integral part of the analytical solution A Stokes' type solution for the FNV is presented which is compared with experimental measurements made on Glycerol Experiments were also conducted with a Falling Ball Viscometer and Weissenberg Rheogoniometer using the same fluid and a comparison made among the three systems Glycerol viscosities measured with the FNV agreed with those measured by the FBV and Weissenberg Rheogoniometer within approximately one percent It is concluded that the Falling Needle Viscometer is a useful device that in some situations is superior to the Falling Ball Viscometer

A Critical Review of Thermal Issues in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract: Lithium-ion batteries are well-suited for fully electric and hybrid electric vehicles due to their high specific energy and energy density relative to other rechargeable cell chemistries. However, these batteries have not been widely deployed commercially in these vehicles yet due to safety, cost, and poor low temperature performance, which are all challenges related to battery thermal management. In this paper, a critical review of the available literature on the major thermal issues for lithium-ion batteries is presented. Specific attention is paid to the effects of temperature and thermal management on capacity/power fade, thermal runaway, and pack electrical imbalance and to the performance of lithium-ion cells at cold temperatures. Furthermore, insights gained from previous experimental and modeling investigations are elucidated. These include the need for more accurate heat generation measurements, improved modeling of the heat generation rate, and clarity in the relative magnitudes of the various thermal effects observed at high charge and discharge rates seen in electric vehicle applications. From an analysis of the literature, the requirements for lithium-ion thermal management systems for optimal performance in these applications are suggested, and it is clear that no existing thermal management strategy or technology meets all these requirements.

Experimental investigation of temperature and volume fraction variations on the effective thermal conductivity of nanoparticle suspensions (nanofluids)

Abstract: An experimental investigation was conducted to examine the effects of variations in the temperature and volume fraction on the steady-state effective thermal conductivity of two different nanoparticle suspensions. Copper and aluminum oxide, CuO and Al2O3, nanoparticles with area weighted diameters of 29 and 36nm, respectively, were blended with distilled water at 2%, 4%, 6%, and 10% volume fractions and the resulting suspensions were evaluated at temperatures ranging from 27.5to34.7°C. The results indicate that the nanoparticle material, diameter, volume fraction, and bulk temperature, all have a significant impact on the effective thermal conductivity of these suspensions. The 6% volume fraction of CuO nanoparticle/distilled water suspension resulted in an increase in the effective thermal conductivity of 1.52 times that of pure distilled water and the 10% Al2O3 nanoparticle/distilled water suspension increased the effective thermal conductivity by a factor of 1.3, at a temperature of 34°C. A two-factor ...

A review on phase-change materials: Mathematical modeling and simulations

Abstract: Energy storage components improve the energy efficiency of systems by reducing the mismatch between supply and demand. For this purpose, phase-change materials are particularly attractive since they provide a high-energy storage density at a constant temperature which corresponds to the phase transition temperature of the material. Nevertheless, the incorporation of phase-change materials (PCMs) in a particular application calls for an analysis that will enable the researcher to optimize performances of systems. Due to the non-linear nature of the problem, numerical analysis is generally required to obtain appropriate solutions for the thermal behavior of systems. Therefore, a large amount of research has been carried out on PCMs behavior predictions. The review will present models based on the first law and on the second law of thermodynamics. It shows selected results for several configurations, from numerous authors so as to enable one to start his/her research with an exhaustive overview of the subject. This overview stresses the need to match experimental investigations with recent numerical analyses since in recent years, models mostly rely on other models in their validation stages.