Design Optimization of Heat Wheels for Energy Recovery in HVAC Systems

Air to air heat exchangers play a crucial role in mechanical ventilation equipment, due to the potential primary energy savings both in case of refurbishment of existing buildings or in case of new ones. In particular, interest in heat wheels is increasing due to their low pressure drop and high effectiveness. In this paper a detailed optimization of design parameters of heat wheels is performed in order to maximize sensible effectiveness and to minimize pressure drop. The analysis is carried out through a one dimensional lumped parameters heat wheel model, which solves heat and mass transfer equations, and through appropriate correlations to estimate pressure drop. Simulation results have been compared with experimental data of a heat wheel tested in specific facilities, and good agreement is attained. The device optimization is performed through the variation of main design parameters, such as heat wheel length, channel base, height and thickness and for different operating conditions, namely the air face velocity and the revolution speed. It is shown that the best configurations are achieved with small channel thickness and, depending on the required sensible effectiveness, with appropriate values of wheel length and channel base and height

Indirect evaporative cooling systems: An experimental analysis in summer condition

Indirect evaporative coolers (IEC) are components that can be effectively installed in air handling units to increase energy efficiency of air conditioning systems. In particular, such devices can be used in summer conditions to reduce chiller load in both existing and new buildings. In this paper, an IEC system based on a cross flow heat exchanger has been tested, evaluating its cooling capacity in different operating conditions. Performance is evaluated in terms of wet bulb effectiveness, primary air temperature reduction and fraction of evaporated water. Results put in evidence that a significant cooling capacity can be achieved in many operating conditions. Therefore, IECs are a promising technology that can be effectively used to reduce primary energy consumption of conventional systems

Preface of the 31st Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems

This volume contains the proceedings of the 31st Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems (SEBD - Sistemi Evoluti per Basi di Dati), held in Galzinagno Terme (Padua, Italy) from 2 to 5 July 2023.</p

Preface of the 31st Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems

This volume contains the proceedings of the 31st Italian Symposium on Advanced Database Systems (SEBD - Sistemi Evoluti per Basi di Dati), held in Galzinagno Terme (Padua, Italy) from 2 to 5 July 2023.</p

Design Optimization of Heat Wheels for Energy Recovery in HVAC Systems

Air to air heat exchangers play a crucial role in mechanical ventilation equipment, due to the potential primary energy savings both in case of refurbishment of existing buildings or in case of new ones. In particular, interest in heat wheels is increasing due to their low pressure drop and high effectiveness. In this paper a detailed optimization of design parameters of heat wheels is performed in order to maximize sensible effectiveness and to minimize pressure drop. The analysis is carried out through a one dimensional lumped parameters heat wheel model, which solves heat and mass transfer equations, and through appropriate correlations to estimate pressure drop. Simulation results have been compared with experimental data of a heat wheel tested in specific facilities, and good agreement is attained. The device optimization is performed through the variation of main design parameters, such as heat wheel length, channel base, height and thickness and for different operating conditions, namely the air face velocity and the revolution speed. It is shown that the best configurations are achieved with small channel thickness and, depending on the required sensible effectiveness, with appropriate values of wheel length and channel base and height

A trigeneration system based on polymer electrolyte fuel cell and desiccant wheel - Part B: Overall system design and energy performance analysis

This paper represents the second part of a major work focusing on a trigeneration system integrating a low temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEMFC) and a desiccant wheel-based air handling unit. Low temperature PEMFC systems have a significant potential in combined heating, cooling and power applications. However cogenerated heat temperature is relatively low (up to 65–70 C), resulting in low efficiency of the cooling process, and the fuel processor is far from being flexible, hindering the operation of the system at low load conditions. Therefore a trigeneration system based on PEMFC should be carefully designed through accurate simulation tools. In the current paper a detailed analysis of the energy performance of the trigenerative system is provided, taking into account constraints of real applications, such as PEMFC part load behavior, desiccant wheel effectiveness, heat storage losses and air handling unit electrical consumptions. The methodology adopted to model system components is deeply described. Energy simulations are performed on yearly basis with variable building air conditioning loads and climate conditions, in order to investigate the optimal trigenerative unit size. A sensitivity analysis on crucial design parameters is provided. It is shown that constrains of actual applications have relevant effects on system energy consumption, which is significantly far from expected values based on a simplified analysis. Primary energy savings can be positive in winter time if the ratio of PEMFC heating capacity to air conditioning peak heating load is close to 0.15. Instead on yearly basis primary energy savings cannot be achieved with present components performance. Positive savings can be potentially achieved if PEMFC system and auxiliary devices are properly improved