Experimental analysis of a solar absorption system with interior energy storage

This study examines experimentally the cooling application of a solar absorption system with interior energy storage that uses two different auxiliary systems. The experiments were performed at Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey on the 3rd and 4th of August 2010 that had the approximately same average outdoor temperature, 31°C. A solar hot water was delivered via a 40 m2 array of flat plate solar collectors that drove a lithium chloride (LiCl) absorption heat pump with a cooling power peak of 20 kW. A solar-powered air conditioning system was designed for heating and cooling in a test room that had a total floor space of 30 m2. Chilled water produced in the evaporator was supplied to the fan coil units, and the heat of condensation and absorption was rejected by means of a wet cooling tower. An electric heater and an air source heat pump were used as auxiliary systems for the absorption cooling application for two different cases when the solar energy was insufficient. Temperature variations were recorded for the absorption machine components, the test room, and the outdoors. The cooling energy, thermal energy, and daily average coefficient of performance (COP) of the absorption system were calculated for two days. Solar absorption cooling was considered for two different auxiliary systems and is presented in this manuscript. The results showed that the daily average COP of the absorption system was 0.283 for Case 1 and 0.282 for Case 2. For both cases, the interior energy storage of the absorption system enabled it to satisfy the cooling demand during the night while solar energy was not available

Determination of Optimum Insulation Thickness for Different Insulation Applications Considering Condensation

In this study, thermal insulation thickness used in the outer walls of buildings composing of different insulation applications having the same thermal resistance was optimized by considering condensation. The minimum insulation thickness required to prevent condensation (i.e. optimum insulation thickness) in building structural component was determined. Heat and mass transfer calculations within the structural component were performed with respect to various indoor-outdoor temperature and relative humidity values and results were given in graphs. It was observed that optimum insulation thickness is generally increased with an increase in the indoor temperature, indoor relative humidity and outdoor relative humidity. It was concluded that type of insulation application does not significantly affect optimum insulation thickness at low and medium level (θi<0.60) indoor relative humidity conditions. It was also observed that externally insulated wall application generally yields better results at high indoor and outdoor relative humidity conditions

Parametric Investigation of Optimum Thermal Insulation Thickness for External Walls

Numerous studies have estimated the optimum thickness of thermal insulation materials used in building walls for different climate conditions. The economic parameters (inflation rate, discount rate, lifetime and energy costs), the heating/cooling loads of the building, the wall structure and the properties of the insulation material all affect the optimum insulation thickness. This study focused on the investigation of these parameters that affect the optimum thermal insulation thickness for building walls. To determine the optimum thickness and payback period, an economic model based on life-cycle cost analysis was used. As a result, the optimum thermal insulation thickness increased with increasing the heating and cooling energy requirements, the lifetime of the building, the inflation rate, energy costs and thermal conductivity of insulation. However, the thickness decreased with increasing the discount rate, the insulation material cost, the total wall resistance, the coefficient of performance (COP) of the cooling system and the solar radiation incident on a wall. In addition, the effects of these parameters on the total life-cycle cost, payback periods and energy savings were also investigated

Performance analysis of a re-circulating heat pump dryer

A re-circulating heat pump dryer (HPD) system was designed, constructed and tested at steady state and transient conditions. Refrigerant 134a was used as a refrigerant in this system. The tests were performed to observe behavior of HPD system. So, changes of temperature and relative humidity of drying air through the dryer and heat pump operating temperatures were observed during the drying process and effects of bypass air ratio (BAR) on the system’s parameters as system performance and specific moisture extracted ratio (SMER) at steady state were investigated. The HPD system was also tested to investigate temperatures and relative humidity changes of drying air during drying process on the system’s parameters depend on time. Air flow rate circulated through the HPD system was 554m3/h during the all tests. According to test results, the system’s parameters did not change up to 40% of BAR. Then the COP and SMER values were decreased after 40% of BAR. While SMER values changed between 1.2 and 1.4, COPsys changed between 2.8 and 3.3 depend on BAR. As well as during the drying process, the COP and SMER values were also affected and decreased depend on time