Heat accumulators in CHP networks

In a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) network, it is sometimes optimal to install a device for storing heat from one period of time to another. Several possibilities exist. If the electricity demand is high, while at the same time the district heating load is too small to take care of the heat from the CHP plant, it could be optimal to store heat from peak periods and discharge the storage under off-peak. It might also be optimal to store heat during off-peak and use it under the district heating peak load. The storage is then used for decreasing either the district heating demand or for decreasing the electricity load used for space heating. The paper shows how a mixed integer program is developed for use in the optimization process. As a case study, the CHP system of Malmö, Sweden, is used. Further, a sensitivity analysis is elaborated in order to show how the optimal solution will vary due to changes in certain input data.     

Study on key parameters design and economic evaluation of the electric heating and solid sensible heat thermal storage device

电制热固体储热系统对可再生能源消纳、能源清洁化利用具有重要意义。电制热固体储热装置的关键参数设计以及经济性分析是提高经济效益的重要手段。因此,本文提出了电制热固体储热装置投资运行费用计算方法。通过对比不同供暖方式所需费用分析了电制热固体储热装置的经济性。同时研究了谷电利用系数对电制热固体储热装置经济性的影响。最后,采用案例分析验证本文所提经济性评估方法的合理性与正确性。本文的研究内容为用户对电制热固体储热装置的选择提供参考。     

The energy saving obtainable with solar heating and heat pumps in a northern climate

The energy saving obtainable with active solar heating and heat pumps has been studied for several years in the Northern climate of Finland. The studies deal mainly with small houses. A computer program is developed which calculates hour by hour the annual energy balance of different heating systems. The performance, of the heating systems are also measured in inhabited houses. The calculations show that the useful solar energy obtainable from the collector is 50–400 kWh/m² annually depending on the system and the collector size. A heat pump in the system is very advantageous, because it keeps the heat losses low and the collector efficiency high. It approximately doubles the energy obtainable. The measurement results have not been as good as expected. The solar energy obtained from the collector has been 120–160 kWh/m² annually. The main reasons for the low solar energy are design and equipment faults and the shading effects. The best energy saving device is the earth heat pump. It is also therefore very advantageous that the peak power demand decreases markedly. When the area of the earth pipes is large enough, energy may be extracted from earth through the whole year. The annual coefficient of performance is 2–3. Also a heat pump which extracts heat from exhaust air in dwelling houses has been very promising.     

聚能加热技术在大庆油田采暖系统中的应用

大庆油田为实现2010年能耗总量要比2005年下降120×104t标煤的节能目标,在采暖系统中试验应用聚能加热技术进行节能改造。介绍了聚能加热技术的原理及特点:与燃煤、燃油锅炉相比,热效率高(94%);省去了外部循环化验设备,可以利用峰谷电价差进行智能化管理;产热与热传输为同一介质,无污染,能抑制结垢物质在管道内壁和加热系统内壁的粘附;不需要其他任何加热元件,主要器件不属于压力容器设备,运行安全性高;采用微电脑自动控制,可单机或多机并列使用;安装简便,无需改动原有管线。大庆油田的现场应用案例表明,聚能加热技术适用于距离热源较远、相对独立的中小规模建筑(油田注水站、配注站、聚合物注入站、野外采油队等)的采暖需求,完全可以替代电采暖和锅炉采暖,节能效果显著,可有效降低运行费用和人工费用。     

Solar seasonal thermal energy storage for space heating in residential buildings: Optimization and comparison with an air-source heat pump

ABSTRACT

This study evaluates the techno-economics of replacing an air-source heat pump (ASHP) system with a solar seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) system for space heating in Hangzhou, China. Three heating systems, solar STES, ASHP, and ASHP with short-term storage of solar energy, are developed using TRNSYS for a house with 240 m² of floor area. The ratio of tank volume to collector area (RVA) of the STES is optimized for the lowest equivalent annual cost over a lifespan of 20 y. The determined optimal RVA is 0.33 m³/m², although it depends on the system and electricity prices. The optimized STES reduces the electricity demand to 1,269 kWh (74% reduction). Despite the superior energy performance, the economic benefit is only possible with large STES systems, which enjoy low tank prices due to scale effects. The results suggest that policy support is needed for STES, where district scaling is not an option.     

Methodology for estimation of potential for solar water heating in a target area

Proper estimation of potential of any renewable energy technology is essential for planning and promotion of the technology. The methods reported in literature for estimation of potential of solar water heating in a target area are aggregate in nature. A methodology for potential estimation (technical, economic and market potential) of solar water heating in a target area is proposed in this paper. This methodology links the micro-level factors and macro-level market effects affecting the diffusion or adoption of solar water heating systems. Different sectors with end uses of low temperature hot water are considered for potential estimation. Potential is estimated at each end use point by simulation using TRNSYS taking micro-level factors. The methodology is illustrated for a synthetic area in India with an area of 2 sq. km and population of 10,000. The end use sectors considered are residential, hospitals, nursing homes and hotels. The estimated technical potential and market potential are 1700 m² and 350 m² of collector area, respectively. The annual energy savings for the technical potential in the area is estimated as 110 kW h/capita and 0.55 million-kW h/sq. km. area, with an annual average peak saving of 1 MW. The annual savings is 650-kW h per m² of collector area and accounts for approximately 3% of the total electricity consumption of the target area. Some of the salient features of the model are the factors considered for potential estimation; estimation of electrical usage pattern for typical day, amount of electricity savings and savings during the peak load. The framework is general and enables accurate estimation of potential of solar water heating for a city, block. Energy planners and policy makers can use this framework for tracking and promotion of diffusion of solar water heating systems.     

含蜡原油固态储存及加热技术

我国盛产含蜡原油,其高凝点的特性给储存带来诸多困难。常规液态储存方式采用间歇供热,该方式能量消耗巨大,还会产生一些安全问题。介绍一种含蜡原油储罐顶部加热技术,解决常规加热技术中存在的安全和能量浪费问题,利用与之相适应的储罐固态储存含蜡原油,只需要在收发油时向储罐中供热,就能快速恢复作业,实现节能与安全储存。     

Recapitulation on latent heat hybrid buildings

In the existent paper, the performance of thermal storage hybrid buildings exploiting the latent heat of phase change materials (PCMs) for thermal refrigeration and heating of the contemporary period has been investigated. The conventional buildings consume a large amount of electricity, primarily for the heating and cooling applications. Electricity generation primarily relies on coal-based thermal power plants. The emissions from these establishments pose a serious threat to the environment. Moreover, conventional heating/cooling units rely on exorbitant energy cost. The usage of any kind of thermal storage system is an efficacious way of stockpiling thermal energy and utilizing it when needed. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of the available thermal storage units incorporating PCMs. The various segments of the buildings, viz, ceiling, window, wall, and floor have been analyzed in details. The results are quite promising in terms of load reduction and overall energy saving. Indoor surface temperature reduction of up to 7^oC has been achieved. The energy saving of up to 40% can be realized by employing PCM. A comprehensive list of the PCMs is also tried to build up for end users according to their temperature requirement.     

Optimization of a community solar heating system with a heat pump and seasonal storage

The optimization of a district solar heating system with an electric-driven heat pump and seasonal heat storage is discussed. The optimization process comprises thermal, economic and system control analyses. Thermal and economic optima have been derived for collector area and storage volume simultaneously. The effects of different collector types and building loads are also investigated. Summertime charging of the storage by off-peak electricity has been applied to avoid severe peaking of auxiliary in the winter and to reduce the yearly energy cost. The thermal co-storage of electric energy is emphasized with systems which fail to supply heat for the heat pump during the winter heating season.‡ It has been found that system cost-effectiveness is only slightly affected as storage volume is increased beyond the optimum size. Large variations in the optima for different system configurations were found. The minimum cost of heat supplied in an optimal 500-unit community with 90% solar fraction was estimated at 8.9 ¢ kWh⁻¹.     

An integrated system of zinc oxide solar panels,fuel cells,and hydrogen storage for heating and cooling applications

Due to the production of hydrogen, using fuel cells for energy conversion and storing encounters safety problems. Combining high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells with photovoltaic solar panels or zinc oxide solar panels can be a good candidate to produce/convert and store the energy more efficiently for using at peak times. The current paper intends to analyze the efficiency of integration of zinc oxide solar panels and fuel cells to produce hydrogen directly. Therefore, the excess step of converting electricity to hydrogen and re-converting it to electricity, which is customarily used for the integration of the photovoltaic and solid oxide fuel cells, could be skipped. The new method paves the way for providing the required energy for heating/cooling through the floor heating and ceiling cooling systems as well as generating electricity. The article also demonstrates that it is possible to have heat during the day and night for an area of 1920 m² and 542 m². It is also possible to create coolness during the day and night for an area of 925 m² and 260 m².     

Meeting the electricity demand for the heating of greenhouses with hydrogen: Solar photovoltaic-hydrogen-heat pump system application in Turkey

Providing the heating system with coal in greenhouses causes harmful results in terms of carbon emissions. In this study, analyzes were performed to meet the electrical energy required for the heating system with a heat pump from a solar photovoltaic-hydrogen system. For floor area 25000 m² where greenhouses the required energy is obtained directly from hydrogen without using a heat pump 3000 m² solar panel area required. The use of a heat pump reduces energy needs but it is also not feasible for large greenhouses. For convenience, a solar photovoltaic-hydrogen-heat pump system analysis was also made for 1000 m² floor area greenhouses and it is found that the 24 m² solar panel area is adequate in terms of meeting energy demand. Using a solar-hydrogen-heat pump system reduces carbon emissions by 86.5 tons per 1000 m² floor area greenhouse. Considering the hydrogen storage system becomes unfeasible. We normalized the greenhouse floor area to 1 m² and proposed reference values for hydrogen to be produced in 1 h, storage, and PV area. In addition, an analysis was made for the use of hydrogen energy for greenhouses that do not require a heating system and only work with a water pump.     

A new integrated system with cooling storage in soil and ground-coupled heat pump

For the purpose of decreasing the peak electricity, balancing the on and off-peak electric load and utilizing the renewable geothermal energy, a new integrated system with cooling storage in soil and a ground-coupled heat pump is presented. In the integrated system, the moist soil acts as the material for cooling storage, and pipes serve as the cooling storage devices and geothermal heat exchangers simultaneously. In the cooling season, the cooling energy is stored in soil during the off-peak period and is extracted for space cooling during the on-peak period. While in other seasons, the system works as a ground-coupled heat pump for heating or cooling. A mathematical model which describes the charging and discharging processes of the integrated system has been developed and validated, and a computer code has been implemented to simulate the operational performance of cooling charging and discharging in soil. A parametric study indicates that the charging inlet temperature, tube diameter, moisture content of soil and pipe distance are important factors in determining the cyclic performance of the integrated system.     

采暖用燃气热水锅炉增效方式探讨

以采暖用燃气热水锅炉为分析背景,通过介绍锅炉运行过程中能源消耗情况,分析了每个环节的节能潜力,得出,降低排烟热损失、提高运行控制水平的节能潜力较大,而降低锅炉排污热损失、降低燃气热水锅炉系统补水率有一定的节能潜力。     

Shallow gravel aquifers and the urban ‘heat island’ effect: a source of low enthalpy geothermal energy

Northern European countries with no high temperature geothermal resources can utilise the urban ‘heat island’ effect to generate low enthalpy geothermal energy for space heating/cooling systems in buildings, provided a suitable aquifer underlies the urban area. Buried valleys, formed at the height of the Pleistocene glaciation 15,000 years ago, when sea level was 130 m lower than present, and infilled with gravels as sea level rose again at the end of the Pleistocene, underlie many European cities. These high yielding aquifers exist at only a few metres depth, and can provide a supply of groundwater at temperatures elevated 3–4 K above the average rural groundwater temperatures. This can produce a marked improvement both in the output and in the efficiency of a geothermal system making use of this source. When passed through a heat pump operating at a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 4.5:1, a well yielding 20 l/s of groundwater at 13 °C can generate 865 kW heat, sufficient to supply space heating for buildings with a footprint in excess of 12,000 m² with a peak heating intensity of 70 W/m². The economics of this low enthalpy geothermal energy source are outlined. Although development costs are minimal, at current low natural gas fuel prices in Ireland, heating-only applications will be less attractive, and a real cost saving will only accrue if dual heating/cooling functions can be developed.     

Design and transient-based analysis of a power to hydrogen (P2H2) system for an off-grid zero energy building with hydrogen energy storage

In this study, zero energy building (ZEB) with four occupants in the capital and most populated city of Iran as one of the biggest greenhouse gas producers is simulated and designed to reduce Iran's greenhouse emissions. Due to the benefits of hydrogen energy and its usages, it is used as the primary energy storage of this building. Also, the thermal comfort of occupants is evaluated using the Fanger model, and domestic hot water consumption is supplied. Using hydrogen energy as energy storage of an off-grid zero energy building in Iran by considering occupant thermal comfort using the fanger model has been presented for the first time in this study. The contribution of electrolyzer and fuel cell in supplying domestic hot water is shown. For this simulation, Trnsys software is used. Using Trnsys software, the transient performance of mentioned ZEB is evaluated in a year. PV panels are used for supplying electricity consumption of the building. Excess produced electricity is converted to hydrogen and stored in the hydrogen tank when a lack of sunrays exists and electricity is required. An evacuated tube solar collector is used to produce hot water. The produced hot water will be stored in the hot water tank. For supplying the cooling load, hot water fired water-cooled absorption chiller is used. Also, a fan coil with hot water circulation and humidifier are used for heating and humidifying the building. Domestic hot water consumption of the occupants is supplied using stored hot water and rejected heat of fuel cell and the electrolyzer. The thermal comfort of occupants is evaluated using the Fanger model with MATLAB software. Results show that using 64 m² PV panel power consumption of the building is supplied without a power outage, and final hydrogen pressure tank will be higher than its initial and building will be zero energy. Required hot water of the building is provided with 75 m² evacuated tube solar collector. The HVAC system of the building provided thermal comfort during a year. The monthly average of occupant predicted mean vote (PMV) is between ?0.4 and 0.4. Their predicted percentage of dissatisfaction (PPD) is lower than 13%. Also, supplied domestic hot water (DHW) always has a temperature of 50 °C, which is a setpoint temperature of DHW. Finally, it can be concluded that using the building's rooftop area can be transformed to ZEB and reduce a significant amount of greenhouse emissions of Iran. Also, it can be concluded that fuel cell rejected heat, unlike electrolyzer, can significantly contribute to supplying domestic hot water requirements. Rejected heat of electrolyzer for heating domestic water can be ignored.     

Economic comparison of solar-assisted heat pumps

A study of the economic performance of a solar system, air-to-air heat pumps, and several solar-assisted heat pump systems (SAHP) for residential heating is presented. The study is based on a computer simulation which is supported by monitoring data from an existing installation, the Terrosi-Grumman house in Quechee, Vermont. Three different SAHP configurations as well as conventional solar and air-to-air heat pump systems are evaluated for a northern New England climate. All systems are evaluated both with and without a peak/off-peak electricity price differential.

The SAHP systems are: (1) the series system in which the solar storage serves as the energy source for the heat pump, (2) the series off-peak system in which the heat pump in the series system operates only during certain periods of the day under a special electric rate structure, (3) a parallel system in which the environment is the source for both the collector and the heat pump, and (4) a peak/off-peak parallel system in which oil is operated during the period of peak electricity price. Hybrid air-to-air heat pump/oil systems are also evaluated.

For all alternatives, two different economic analyses are used: (1) the rate of return which emphasizes the return earned on the capital investment, and (2) the life cycle critical price which compares the current capital cost to the present worth of the stream of all future energy savings.

Both economic measures select the air-to-air heat pump/on-peak oil system when there is a peak/off-peak electricity price differential. (In this case the ratio of off-peak to average price is 40 per cent.) When there is no price differential, the air-to-air heat pump/oil system is still preferred, but the oil system is now operated when the ambient temperature falls below −6.7°C (20°F). When the electricity price is doubled (from 19.5 to 40$/GJ), solar/oil is the preferred system.     

太阳能与谷电互补供热系统设计

利用太阳能辅以低谷电加热,采用两个储热罐进行交替轮流集热、供热。当正常集热或低温预热时,两个储热罐的水温低者优先集热循环运行;若两储热罐水温相同,则设定储热罐优先集热循环运行。当正常供热、夜间防冻循环和低温维持运行时,太阳能集热系统优先于低谷电循环运行给储热罐加热。当假日集热或低温保温供热时,同时给两储热罐集热循环运行。供热循环水泵和用热循环水泵的启动运行,以供热时优先,其停止运行以用热系统的回水温度大于或等于取暖温度的最大设定值者优先。以可编程控制器和组态软件技术,实现了系统集热、供热时段的定温、定时、定温差。此互补供热系统可以取代传统的高耗能锅炉,节能率达30%以上。     

Swedish solar heated residential area with seasonal storage in rock: Initial evaluation

A partly solar heated building area comprising 50 residential units has been built in Anneberg, Sweden. The system includes low-temperature space heating with seasonal ground storage of solar heat. Heating is supplied by 2400 m² solar collectors and individual electrical heaters for supplementary heating. The ground storage comprises about 60,000 m³ of crystalline rock with 100 boreholes drilled to 65 m depth and fitted with double U-pipes. The collectors will have favourable working conditions but the store is rather small, the estimated heat loss from the heat store is about 40% of stored solar heat and the average solar fraction is estimated to 70% after 3–5 years of operation. An initial evaluation after 2 years of operation shows that, although problems have occurred and several parts seem to work less efficient than expected, the overall system idea works as intended.     

采用蓄热技术扩大供热机组调峰裕度的研究

本文介绍了国内外蓄热技术的利用情况,并且针对蓄热技术在热电厂供热方式转变中的应用进行了详细的研究。提出了增大供热机组冬季调峰能力的方法。通过该方法供热机组冬季能够大容量参与电网调峰,为更好地保证冬季稳定供电、节能降耗以及大量接纳风电提供了一种可行的措施。     

Heat storage-type floor heating system with heat pump driven by nighttime electric power

We performed tests for heat storage-type floor heating that employs a heat pump driven with nighttime electric power for 8 h (11 PM to 7 AM) as the heat source. The phase change material (PCM) applied was a package of mirabilite (Na₂SO₄ · 10H₂O). The melting point is 32 °C, the freezing point 30 °C, and the stored heat amount 43 W · h/kg (ΔT = 10 °C). The test room for floor heating was a wooden structure without windows, and the floor area was 40 m². The hot water panel (5 mm in thickness, made of plastic, 26 m²) was laid on the stage (1.2 m in height) inside the room and the PCM was superimposed on the upper surface of the stage (the total stored heat amount was 28.5 kW). Since the heat pump runs in cycles of 8-h operation and 16-h nonoperation, it needs an extracted heat amount of three times compared with the case of round-the-clock operation. For this reason, we have developed a wet film-type vertical heat extracting tube with a built-in Freon flashing pump to obtain extracted heat about three times greater than was previously possible. We have calculated the heat balance from the results of the tests for floor heating and have studied the practicability of this system. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Inc. Heat Trans Jpn Res, 26(2): 122–130, 1997