Applicability and optimum control strategy of energy recovery ventilators in different climatic conditions

Energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) transfer energy between the air exhausted from building and the outdoor supply air to reduce the energy consumption associated with the conditioning of ventilation air. In this paper, the applicability of ERVs with sensible and latent effectiveness values in a practical range is studied using TRNSYS simulation program. The impact of ERV on annual cooling and heating energy consumption is investigated by modeling a 10-storey office building in four American cities as representatives of major climatic conditions. The results show that heat and moisture recovery can lead to a significant reduction in the annual heating energy consumption (i.e., up to 40%, which is 5% higher than heat recovery). Also, an ERV with the capability of moisture recovery may reduce the annual cooling energy consumption by 20% provided the ERV is properly controlled. Since the un-controlled operation of ERVs during the summer may increase the cooling energy consumption, an optimum control strategy is developed and verified in the paper. This optimum control strategy depends on ERV's latent to sensible effectiveness ratio. For instance, an ERV with equal sensible and latent effectiveness should be operated when either the outdoor enthalpy or temperature is greater than that of the indoor air.     

Energy saving in an air conditioning system using modified HVAC unit as an energy reducer

Nowadays, global warming, environment pollution, and limitations in energy resources have appeared as a serious global crisis. Therefore, energy efficiency and energy conservation are necessary in all energy-consuming devices, such as heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The aims of this project are to evaluate the performance and energy conservation of a conventional air conditioning system and also compare its performance with the proposed HVAC system, which consists of a heat recovery unit to reduce the initial capital cost and electricity consumption of the system. Through hour-by-hour simulations, the annual energy consumptions of these two systems have to be calculated and analysed. A CO₂-based demand controlled ventilation strategy offers a great opportunity to reduce additional energy consumption in the above HVAC systems, while providing the required ventilation.     

The use of a double heat pipe heat exchanger system for reducing energy consumption of treating ventilation air in an operating theatre—A full year energy consumption model simulation

In two earlier papers [Y.H. Yau, Application of a heat pipe heat exchanger to dehumidification enhancement in tropical HVAC systems—a baseline performance characteristics study, International Journal of Thermal Sciences 46 (2) (2007) 164–171; Y.H. Yau, The analysis of enthalpy change with and without a heat pipe heat exchanger in a tropical air conditioning system, International Journal of Energy Research 30 (15) (2006) 1251–1263], two series of experiments were conducted under controlled conditions to establish the baseline performance characteristics of the heat pipe heat exchanger (HPHX). In the present paper, a complete empirical transient systems simulation program model is assembled to estimate the air states as well as the entire typical meteorological year energy consumption of an operating theatre located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.     

Efficiency of energy recovery ventilator with various weathers and its energy saving performance in a residential apartment

The energy recovery ventilator (ERV) is an effective method, which can transfer heat and moisture from the exhaust air into the outdoor fresh air to save energy in buildings. Nowadays, ERV has been widely used in the commercial, industrial and residential buildings in China. Its energy saving performance depends on a lot of factors, such as the outdoor environmental conditions, the enthalpy efficiency of the exchanger, and so on. Based on the relationship among sensible heat, latent heat and enthalpy efficiency, we analyzed the weighted coefficient equations for describing the performance of ERV in different climatic zones in China. According to China weather data, enthalpy efficiency of the exchanger mainly depends on sensible heat efficiency in winter and latent heat efficiency in summer. The energy simulations of a sample apartment in a residential building were made under different operation conditions to study the performance of ERV. The energy saving performances of the ERV were studied with five different outdoor climatic conditions, the enthalpy efficiency, fan power consumption of ERV and fresh air change rate. To improve energy saving performance, better efficient enthalpy exchange material and higher effiencient fans must be explored, while reasonable fresh air change rate as well as proper operation period according to local climate should also be carefully considered.     

Theoretical performance assessment of an integrated photovoltaic and earth air heat exchanger greenhouse using energy and exergy analysis methods

In this paper, a simplified mathematical model develops to study round the year effectiveness of photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) and earth air heat exchanger (EAHE) integrated with a greenhouse, located at IIT Delhi, India. The solar energy application through photovoltaic system and earth air heat exchanger (EAHE) for heating and cooling of a greenhouse is studied with the help of this simplified mathematical model. Calculations are done for four types of weather conditions (a, b, c and d types) in New Delhi, India. The paper compares greenhouse air temperatures when it is operated with photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) during daytime coupled with earth air heat exchanger (EAHE) at night, with air temperatures when it is operated exclusively with photovoltaic/thermal system (PV/T) and earth air heat exchanger (EAHE), for 24 h. The results reveal that air temperature inside the greenhouse can be increased by around 7-8 °C during winter season, when the system is operated with photovoltaic (PV/T), coupled with earth air heat exchanger (EAHE) at night. From the results, it is seen that the hourly useful thermal energy generated, during daytime and night, when the system is operated with photovoltaic (PV/T) coupled with earth air heat exchanger (EAHE), is 33 MJ and 24.5 MJ, respectively. The yearly thermal energy generated by the system has been calculated to be 24728.8 kWh, while the net electrical energy savings for the year is 805.9 kWh and the annual thermal exergy energy generated is 1006.2 kWh.     

空气源-水环复合热泵空调系统能耗研究

介绍了水环热泵空调系统辅助热源的形式,提出了采用空气源和电加热作为辅助热源的空气源-水环复合热泵空调系统,研究了不同室外温度时建筑不同内外区冷热负荷比下该系统的能耗,分析了循环水温对系统能耗的影响,比较了该系统与采用电热锅炉和燃煤锅炉的传统水环热泵空调系统的一次能耗。     

Analysis of indoor environmental conditions and heat pump energy supply systems in indoor swimming pools

For indoor swimming pools, a lot of energy is needed to control the indoor temperature, relative humidity and pool water temperature. Meanwhile, the indoor air contains a high specific enthalpy due to water evaporation. A new heat pump dehumidifier is studied to reduce energy consumption. The most significant feature of this system is that it can not only recover the latent heat from indoor moist air, but also absorb heat from outdoor air to heat the indoor air and pool water. First, indoor environmental conditions, including space parameters and pool temperature, are analyzed based on human thermal comfort and energy saving. Subsequently, the models of heat and moisture gain are built. After that, the construction and operating modes of the heat pump dehumidifier are described, and the system model is established based on polynomial equations model. In a case study, an indoor swimming pool with a heat pump dehumidifier in Shanghai is studied. When outdoor air specific enthalpy is higher than 18.6 kJ/kg, the requirement of pool water heating can be met only by the heat pump dehumidifier, thus, auxiliary pool heater will not to be put into use. At last, economic analysis between the heat pump dehumidifier and conventional dehumidifier is conducted.     

Experimental investigation of dehumidification process in cooling coil by utilizing air-to-air heat exchanger in humid climate of Iran

Energy recovery systems can be used in HVAC to reduce energy consumption by recovering wasted energy from the exhausted air to pre-cool inlet fresh air. In this paper, experimental study of utilizing cooling coil (CC) and cooling coil combined with heat exchanger (CCHE) has been developed. Considering the different climate zones in Iran, the experimental study has been done for the areas with high humidity content. In each case, the effects of air-to-air heat exchanger (HE) on the sensible and latent cooling load are investigated. The analysis gives the applicability of HE in Iran for various operational conditions to obtain air with lower moisture content. In CCHE systems more latent load quota is allocated in cooling coils and lower air humidity ratio can be obtained. Also in the cities with higher dew point depression (difference between dry-bulb and dew point temperature) more humidity reduction is achieved and the difference between latent load quotas of CCHE system is higher than CC system.     

A combined system of chilled ceiling,displacement ventilation and desiccant dehumidification

Different types of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems consume different amounts of energy yet they deliver similar levels of acceptable indoor air quality (IAQ) and thermal comfort. It is desirable to provide buildings with an optimal HVAC system to create the best IAQ and thermal comfort with minimum energy consumption. In this paper, a combined system of chilled ceiling, displacement ventilation and desiccant dehumidification is designed and applied for space conditioning in a hot and humid climate. IAQ, thermal comfort, and energy saving potential of the combined system are estimated using a mathematical model of the system described in this paper. To confirm the feasibility of the combined system in a hot and humid climate, like China, and to evaluate the system performance, the mathematical model simulates an office building in Beijing and estimates IAQ, thermal comfort and energy consumption. We conclude that in comparison with a conventional all-air system the combined system saves 8.2% of total primary energy consumption in addition to achieving better IAQ and thermal comfort. Chilled ceiling, displacement ventilation and desiccant dehumidification respond consistently to cooling source demand and complement each other on indoor comfort and air quality. It is feasible to combine the three technologies for space conditioning of office building in a hot and humid climate.     

夏热冬冷地区办公建筑降低供暖空调能耗的技术路径

以上海地区某办公建筑为例,基于EnergyPlus能耗模拟,探讨了围护结构性能提升和暖通空调系统优化这2条节能技术路径对夏热冬冷地区办公建筑降低供暖空调全年能耗的有效性.结果 表明:围护结构性能提升的节能潜力较小,经济性较差;单纯提高围护结构保温隔热性能并不能保证降低建筑年耗冷量,应综合分析全年供热供冷能耗确定围护结构...     

带热回收的新风空调系统在医院建筑中的应用分析

针对一个独立新风、集中排风并带全热交换器能量回收的医院输液室空调系统,实验测试了空调系统的能耗,计算了全年节能潜力,并通过测量室内CO2浓度,研究了通风对室内空气质量的改善程度。结果表明,该空调系统在改善室内空气质量的同时可以节约能量,是医院建筑的理想空调系统。     

Experiences with a gas driven,desiccant assisted air conditioning system with geothermal energy for an office building

Thermal driven desiccant assisted air conditioning systems make use of waste heat to dehumidify humid outside air in a desiccant wheel. Within the scope of a research project, an investigation of a desiccant assisted air conditioning system was carried out, and a demonstration plant was built in an office building in Hamburg, Germany. The HVAC system consists of a small CHP-plant, a desiccant assisted ventilation system and an earth energy system (borehole heat exchangers) for cooling instead of an electric driven compression chiller. The radiant floor heating system of the building is used for cooling. In this paper, measurement results and investigations of performance, energy demand and operating costs will be presented. It was found that considerable primary energy savings can be achieved (70%) using desiccant air conditioning with borehole heat exchangers. But even if electric chiller is used, savings of 30% in primary energy can be accomplished. Starting costs for the demonstration plant were not higher than for a conventional system, but running costs could be reduced drastically.     

转轮全热交换器对空调箱运行能耗的影响

以浦东图书馆新馆空调系统为例,分析了转轮全热交换器在空调节能方面的作用及其所受的影响：转轮全热交换器在水系统上大大减少了系统运行能耗,新风比以及室内外焓差越大,节能效果越明显。     

Modelling and performance prediction of an integrated central cooling plant for HVAC energy efficiency improvement

The aim of this paper is to explore methods to reduce the energy consumption of a central cooling plant. To achieve this, we have developed a new design for heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) efficiency improvement. A storage tank together with an immersed heat exchanger is installed in the discharge line between the compressor and condenser. The heat exchanger uses the make-up water of the cooling tower to reduce the refrigerant temperature entering the condenser. To investigate the potential of energy savings, we used a real-world commercial building with a central cooling plant, located in a hot and dry climate, for our case study. The energy consumption and relevant data of the existing central cooling plant were acquired over the course of a typical week in summer. The integrated system has been modeled and analyzed to achieve energy conservation. The performance of the proposed cooling system was simulated using a transient simulation software package. Comparison of the proposed system with existing cooling plant is included in this paper to demonstrate the advantages of our new configuration. Results show that up to 18% power saving can be obtained by using our design.     

集中空调系统各环节温差及提高性能的途径分析

从换热温差的角度分析了常规集中空调系统各环节的特性,研究了换热温差对空调系统投入的换热面积、输配能耗和制冷机组能耗等的影响.根据显热、潜热负荷的不同特点介绍了温湿度独立控制空调系统的理念,并分析了温湿度独立控制系统各环节中的温度分布情况.介绍了进一步提高新风处理过程性能及温度控制系统性能的方法,以某办公建筑为例分析了采用不同形式的集中空调系统方案时在换热温差、系统性能等方面的差异.     

Evaluation of distributed environmental control systems for improving IAQ and reducing energy consumption in office buildings

Conventional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are incapable of providing control over individual environments or adjusting fresh air supply based on the dynamic occupancy of individual rooms in an office building. This paper introduces the concept of distributed environmental control systems (DECS) and shows that improvement in indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy efficiency can be achieved by providing required amounts of fresh air directly to the individual office spaces through distributed demand controlled ventilation (DDCV). In DDCV, fresh air is provided to each micro-environment (room or cubicle) based on input from distributed sensors (CO₂, VOC, occupancy, etc.) or intelligent scheduling techniques to provide acceptable IAQ for each occupant, rather than for groups or populations of occupants. In order to study DECS, a numerical model was developed that incorporates some of the best available models for studying building energy consumption, indoor air flow, contaminant transport and HVAC system performance. The developed model was applied to a DECS in a model office building equipped with a DDCV system. By implementing DECS/DDCV and intelligent scheduling techniques it is possible to achieve an improvement in IAQ along with a reduction in annual energy consumption compared to conventional ventilation systems.     

蒸发冷却空调新风系统的全年应用研究

结合干热、严寒或寒冷地区全年气候特点及冬夏季建筑能耗特性,通过逐时新风能耗模拟计算,得到设置热回收装置的全年用蒸发冷却空调系统冬季新风节能量远大于夏季节能量,选用热回收装置时应重点关注冬季热回收效率,各类热回收装置中转轮热回收装置全年节能量最大,节能效果最好。基于此,深入分析了蒸发冷却空调系统冬夏季新风加湿需求、新风量变化范围和水系统管径选择,给出了全年用蒸发冷却空调机组冬季运行的防冻措施。     

热电联供系统复合除湿空调系统动态仿真

将燃气内燃机热电联供系统(CHP)与热湿独立处理空调系统(采用固体除湿转轮)组成复合空调系统.供冷期,利用燃气内燃机余热再生除湿转轮.供暖期,利用燃气内燃机余热加热新风与供暖.针对上海某超市建筑,使用动态仿真方法对常规分供系统(采用热湿联合处理,配置电制冷机、燃气锅炉)、复合空调系统的一次能源利用率、静态投资回收期、二...     

空调系统中热湿处理过程的(火用)评价方法及应用

提出对热、湿处理过程进行单独(火用)评价的概念,并构建了相应评价指标.以某一次回风空调系统的典型夏季空气处理过程为例,在热力学极限意义上阐明了对热、湿处理进行单独(火用)评价的实施过程,计算结果表明该空气处理过程的显热(火用)效明显高于潜热(火用)效,潜热(火用)效低下的原因主要在于再热显热(火用)损和冷凝水(火用)损...     

地源热泵结合水蓄能系统应用分析

以某工程案例介绍了常规冷水机组、地源热泵机组与水蓄冷、蓄热系统的结合应用。通过系统初投资及运行费用的分析,结合空调系统的稳定性、灵活性、实用性,指出了地源热泵与水蓄能系统的应用前景。