VCL Version 2.13

Vapor Cycle Library 2.13 is part of Modelon's 2024.2 release. New versions of Modelon's libraries are sold and distributed directly from Modelon, as well as approved resellers.

Version 2.13 contains the changes described below.

Build 1 (2024-09-15)

Major changes

  • The interfaces for external media databases CoolProp and RefProp have been moved to a separate library ModelonExternalMedia.

New features

  • Added an example system model of liquid hydrogen extraction from a cryogenic storage tank: VaporCycle.Experiments.HydrogenStorage.LiquidExtractionWithGasHeater. The example uses a newly added Modelon Base Library tank component with integrated gas heater.
  • Added a logp-h diagram for the two-phase two-phase heat exchanger testbench to show inlet and outlet condition of the primary side of the heat exchanger. The model can be found under VaporCycle.HeatExchangers.TwoPhaseTwoPhase.Experiments.HeatExchangerTestbench.
  • Added an example of a vapor compression cycle with a natural convection wire and tube condenser (WireAndTubeHX), a suction line heat exchanger (CapillarySuctionLine ), a generic cross flow air evaporator (CrossFlow), a suction line accumulator (Accumulator), a fixed displacement fixed efficiency compressor (FixedEfficiencyCompressor) as default components and charge controller.
  • Updated the example VaporCycle.Experiments.HydrogenStorage.TankFillingVerticalCylinder with tank geometry and boundary conditions to represent the loading of the space shuttle external tank.
  • Added the example VaporCycle.Experiments.HydrogenStorage.CondensationBlockingInFilling to illustrate the capturing of "condensation blocking" phenomena in the two-phase storage tank after updates in this versions (see Modelon library release notes for tank model update details, see example documentation for more information)
  • Added the examples VaporCycle.Experiments.HydrogenStorage.LiquidExtraction_TankOnly and VaporCycle.Experiments.HydrogenStorage.GasExtraction_TankOnly to simulate only the tank in hydrogen extraction scenarios (liquid and vapor extraction respectively). The examples illustrate capturing relevant heat and mass transfer phenomena in presence of pressure fluctuations in the tank, for example the newly supported vaporization of liquid at wall surface boiling in presence of subcooled liquid, bulk evaporation and surface condensation.
  • Added more tank sizing examples to reproduce parametric study cases from Huete, J. A., Pilidis, P.: 2021 paper. (Fig9 and Fig10).
  • Added new two-phase-liquid chevron plate heat exchanger with test bench to demonstrate hydrogen evaporation.
  • Added variant for a two section chevron plate heat exchanger with two working fluids and a liquid coolant.

Improvements

  • New layer added for hydrogen TankSizing models VaporCycle.Experiments.HydrogenStorage.TankSizing.Tanks.Layers.PrescribedThicknessVacuum to account for heat transfer within a vacuum insulation layer with radiative heat transfer taken into account.
  • Buckling correlations for specific geometries added for the VacuumVessel TankSizing layer. Replaceable models for cylinder, flat plat, hemispherical and prolate spheroidal end cap can be found under VaporCycle.Experiments.HydrogenStorage.TankSizing.Tanks.Utilities.VacuumVesselThicknessCalculations.
  • Model VaporCycle.HeatExchangers.TwoPhaseAir.SawtoothHX now supports multislab configuration that can be toogled in the parameter dialog. For more information look into the VaporCycle.HeatExchangers.TwoPhaseAir.SawtoothHX documentation.

Fixed issues

  • Minor fixes made to tank sizing models including added initialization tab to assign start values to key computed variables to ensure more robust solving using the steady-state solver.