BULK HEATING OF LIQUIDS BY DIRECT ELECTRIC CONDUCTION - PRINCIPLE AND MODELING

Authors

AO ELMOCTAR
H PEERHOSSAINI
P LEPEURIAN
JP BARDON

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1991

Journal

REVUE GENERALE DE THERMIQUE

Volume

30

Issue

360

First Page

747

Last Page

756

Abstract

Heating of liquids by means of direct electric conduction or ohmic heating provides a uniform fluid heating while avoiding the operational problems related to convective heating. The aim of this work is to contribute to the modelling, design and optimization of ohmic heaters. Many physical phenomena (hydrodynamic, thermal and electric) are involved in this type of heaters. We have established the equations that govern these phenomena, and have solved them by using a finite volume algorithm. A parametric study has been performed on effects of each of the non-dimensional parameters A, Re, Pe and Ri which govern the system. This study carried out in a rectangular channel flow geometry shows that the temperature uniformity at the exit section of the channel increases with A and Ri augmentation and with Re diminution. This numerical model will be validated by the results of an on going experimental investigation.