Abstract
While numerous studies focus on homogeneity in increasing the utility value of a system, its feasibility and practicality are inconclusive; even with the possible limitations of a homogeneous approach, the potential of promoting heterogeneity is still overlooked. This paper reports that the use of partitions leads to the making of controlled thermal heterogeneity, where variance in flow direction and temperature is measured in terms of energy and mass imbalance. Moreover, through a qualitative analysis using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and a quantitative analysis via a soft-sensing technique, the percentage change in temperature was shown to decrease from 58.0 to 21.8 % after four rounds of residence cycle. This gradual stabilization indicates the system’s advancement towards a steady-state, where a maximum of 1.0 K temperature difference is observed to be retained. The novel approach of controlling the inner state of a space using partitions allows a single space to have multiple zones that each demonstrate appropriate conditions for a unique demand; thus improving the system’s efficiency in terms of energy, space and time. This concept of heightening the system’s performance via the promotion of heterogeneity using partitions is applicable in, but not restricted to, the industrial sector where thermal heterogeneity in a reactor can effectively cater to the simultaneous production of multiple outputs from one vessel.
