Advancement of solar desiccant cooling system for building use in subtropical Hong Kong

The solar desiccant cooling system (SDCS) had a saving potential of the year-round primary energy consumption as compared to the conventional air-conditioning system for full fresh air application in the subtropical Hong Kong. In order to further enhance its energy efficiency, advancement of the basic SDCS was carried out through a strategy of hybrid design. Six hybrid system alternatives of SDCS were therefore proposed, three for full fresh air design while another three for return air design for the building zone. Year-round performance evaluation of each solar hybrid desiccant cooling system was conducted for typical office application under different climatic and loading conditions. All the six hybrid system alternatives were found technically feasible, with up to 35.2% saving of year-round primary energy consumption against the conventional air-conditioning systems. Among the hybrid alternatives, recommendations were made on the SDCS hybridized with vapour compression refrigeration for full fresh air design; and the SDCS hybridized with vapour absorption refrigeration for return air design, since they had the saving potentials of both primary energy and initial cost. These two hybrid system alternatives used evacuated tubes, a more economical type of solar collectors compared to the PV or PVT panels.     

Application potential of solar air-conditioning systems for displacement ventilation

Solar air-conditioning can have higher application potential for buildings through the strategy of high temperature cooling. In recent years, displacement ventilation (DV), which makes use of the indoor rising plumes from the internal heat gains, provides a more effective supply air option than the traditional mixing ventilation (MV) in terms of both thermal comfort and indoor air quality. As it is possible to raise the supply air temperature to 19 °C for DV, it would enhance the competitive edge of the solar air-conditioning against the conventional vapour compression refrigeration. Through dynamic simulation, a solar-desiccant-cooling displacement ventilation system (SDC_DV) was developed for full-fresh-air provision, while a solar-hybrid-desiccant-cooling displacement ventilation system (SHDC_DV) for return air arrangement. The latter was further hybridized with absorption chiller (AB) to become SHDC_AB_DV, or adsorption chiller (AD) to be SHDC_AD_DV, in order to be wholly energized by the solar thermal gain. Benchmarked with the conventional system using MV, the SDC_DV had 43.3% saving in year-round primary energy consumption for a typical office in the subtropical climate; the SHDC_AB_DV had 49.5% saving, and the SHDC_AD_DV had 18.3% saving. Compared with their MV counterparts, the SDC_DV, the SHDC_AB_DV and the SHDC_AD_DV could have 42.4%, 21.9% and 30.3% saving respectively.     

太阳能喷射制冷系统微小型喷射器试验研究

蒸汽喷射式制冷系统可以采用太阳能、地热、废热等为驱动热源,以水等低沸点的环境友好工质为介质,不仅可节约大量的电能,而且还保护了环境。针对太阳能喷射式制冷系统中微小型喷射器的设计和运行问题,本文试验研究了微小型喷射器的运行参数和结构参数对喷射性能的影响,为微小型喷射器设计和运行提供了指导。     

Use of nanoparticles to make mineral oil lubricants feasible for use in a residential air conditioner employing hydro-fluorocarbons refrigerants

The application of nano-fluids in refrigerating systems is considered to be a potential way to improve the energy efficiency and reliability of HVAC&R facilities and to make economic the use of environment-friendly refrigerants. In this paper, we report a method that uses nanoparticles to enhance the energy efficiency of retrofitted residential air conditioners (RAC) employing HFCs as alternative refrigerants. The reliability and performance of RAC with nanoparticles in the working fluid have been investigated experimentally. A new mineral-based nano-refrigeration oil (MNRO), formed by blending some nanoparticles (NiFe₂O₄) into naphthene based oil B32, was employed in the RAC using R410a as refrigerant. A method showing how to disperse the NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles in the mineral oil refrigeration lubricants is presented together with an investigation of their stability. The solubilities of the new MNRO in R134a, R407C, R410a and R425a were measured. The performances of the RAC, such as the cooling/heating capacity, the power input and the energy efficiency ratio, were determined. The results indicate that the mixture of R410a/MNRO works normally in the RAC. The cooling/heating EER of the RAC increased about 6% by replacing the Polyol-Easter oil VG 32 lubricant with MNRO.     

空调冷源温度与冷水机组的能效

在阐明影响冷水机组能效的基础上,利用压焓图,对制冷循环进行了热力学分析,进而以表格的形式列出了制冷剂分别为R134a和R407c,冷凝温度为40℃,蒸发温度在5℃～16℃之间变化时,制冷理论循环的单位质量制冷量、耗功量及制冷系数的变化规律.结果表明,制冷剂分别为R134a、R407c时,蒸发温度每升高1℃,制冷系数平均...     

A review on performance improvement of an absorption refrigeration system by modification of basic cycle

The vapour absorption refrigeration system is not so much used commercially because of its low performance. The performance of an absorption refrigeration system is required to make it an efficient alternative of vapour compression refrigeration systems. This paper reviews different research on modification of absorption systems contributing to enhance the performance of absorption refrigeration systems. This study suggests that the performance of absorption refrigeration is improved by using double-effect and semi-generator absorber solution heat exchanger arrangement. The coefficient of performance of absorption refrigeration is also improved by the combination of different refrigeration cycles (hybrid refrigeration cycle) such as compression–absorption and ejector–absorption.

Abbreviations: COP: coefficient of performance; GAX: generator absorber solution heat exchanger; ARS: absorption refrigeration system; ECOP: ecological coefficient of performance; CAHP: compression-assisted absorption heat pump     

On-site study of HCFC-22 substitution for HFC non-azeotropic blends (R417A, R422D) on a water chiller of a centralized HVAC system

The European Regulation no 2037/2000 has banned manufacturing HCFC refrigerants from January 1st 2010, although its use is allowed up to 2015 if the fluids come from a recycling process. This situation creates the need for developing new working fluids to replace the HCFC in the refrigeration plants now in operation. Among all the HCFCs the R22 is the most widely used in a wide range of applications, especially in air conditioning. This work presents an on-site experimental study of the R22 replacement by two possible substitutes, the HFC-417A and the HFC-422D, in a water chiller in which the energy performance was evaluated. This chiller is part of the centralized HVAC system of a lecture room building at the Jaume I University of Castellón, Spain. This communication compares and analyses main operation parameters of the chiller when operating with each refrigerant in real conditions.     

空气源热泵的稳态仿真及性能比较

建立了空气源热泵的稳态仿真模型,得出了R22和其替代工质R32／R134a系统循环性能随工况的变化曲线。相同工况下两种工质性能比较结果表明,采用混合工质的系统制热性能系数高,制热量低,耗功量小,混合工质替代纯工质有一定的节能优势。     

Modeling solar-driven ejector refrigeration system offering air conditioning for office buildings

A lumped method combined with dynamic model is proposed for use in investigating the performance and solar fraction of a solar-driven ejector refrigeration system (SERS) using R134a, for office air conditioning application for buildings in Shanghai, China. Classical hourly outdoor temperature and solar radiation model were used to provide basic data for accurate analysis of the system performance. Results indicate that during the office working-time, i.e., from 9:00 to 17:00, the average COP and the average solar fraction of the system were 0.48 and 0.82 respectively when the operating conditions were: generator temperature (85 °C), evaporator temperature (8 °C) and condenser temperature varying with ambient temperature. Compared with traditional compressor based air conditioner, the system can save upto 80% electric energy when providing the same cooling capacity for office buildings. Hence, the system offers a good energy conservation method for office buildings.     

Strategy for designing more energy efficient chiller plants serving air-conditioned buildings

In cities located in the subtropical regions, air-cooled chillers are commonly used to cool commercial buildings almost year-round, which accounts for considerable electricity consumption in the long term. This paper explains how a chiller plant should be designed to enable the chillers to operate frequently with maximum performance. Four design options with respect to the number and size of chillers were studied for a chiller plant satisfying the year-round cooling demand of a hotel. For each design option, the annual electricity consumption of chillers and pumps was assessed using a sophisticated chiller model. The assessment showed that an electricity saving of 10.1% can be achieved by installing a chiller plant with six chillers of three different sizes instead of four equally sized chillers. The results of this paper will give engineers and researchers a better idea about how to select chillers of different sizes and how chiller part load performance curves can be used to evaluate improvements in the energy performance of a chiller plant with alternative designs.     

Magnetic refrigeration: a promising new technology for energy saving

Magnetic refrigeration is an emerging, environment-friendly technology based on a magnetic solid that acts as a refrigerant by magnetocaloric effect. The reference cycle for magnetic refrigeration is AMR (Active Magnetic Regenerative refrigeration). In this paper, attention is directed towards the near-room-temperature range. We compare the energetic performance of a commercial R134a refrigeration plant to that of a magnetic refrigerator working with an AMR cycle. The comparison is carried out by means of a mathematical model. In these simulations, we consider different solid magnetic refrigerants, namely, Gd, Gd_0.95Dy_0.05, Gd_0.9Tb_0.1,Gd₅Si₂Ge₂, MnAs_0.9Sb_0.1, and MnAs_0.95Sb_0.05. We compared two different geometries of the regenerator: a porous medium and a flat plate. In the former, the Coefficient of Performance (COP) of the AMR cycle is better than that of the vapour compression plant only in the low mass flow-rate range. Whereas in a flat plate regenerator, the COP of the AMR cycle is better than that of the vapour compression plant only in the high mass flow-rate range.     

Numerical simulation and performance assessment of an absorption solar air-conditioning system coupled with an office building

To minimize environmental impact and CO₂ production associated with air-conditioning, it is reasonable to evaluate the prospects of a clean energy source. Solar energy, via thermal collectors can provide a part of the heating needs. Moreover, it can drive absorption chiller in order to satisfy the cooling needs of buildings. The objective of the work is to evaluate accurately the energy consumption of an air-conditioning system including a solar driven absorption chiller. The complete simulation environment includes the absorption chiller itself, the cooling tower, the solar collectors field, heater, storage devices, pumps, heating-cooling distribution, emission system and building. A decrease of primary energy consumption of 22% for heating and cooling is reached when using a solar air-conditioning system instead of classical heating and cooling devices. The modelling of each subsystem is detailed. TRNSYS software modular approach provides the possibility to model and simulate this complete system.     

冷却水系统变流量的全年工况节能分析

本文对变流量时冷却水系统的节能效果进行了分析。首先以冷却变频水泵调速引起冷水机组和水泵系统的全年节能量的变化为优化目标函数,分析了变流量时不同控制方式对水泵和机组能耗的影响。而后建立了冷却水变流量时系统的节能优化模型,并应用实例进行分析,计算得出了不同控制方式下冷却水系统全年以及不同负荷率工况下的运行能耗,在此基础上得到了最优化的控制方法。研究结果表明:冷却水系统采用变流量是可行的,系统综合节能效果显著;定温差+最小压差控制是相对节能的变流量控制方式,同定流量控制比较,系统全年节能率为6.07%。     

压缩-喷射二级制冷系统热性能系数的研究

介绍了压缩喷射二级制冷系统的结构,比较了喷射制冷、压缩喷射二级制冷、压缩制冷系统的热性能系数,结果表明压缩喷射二级制冷系统的热性能系数大于喷射制冷系统,在低焓能领域有应用前景。     

螺杆式冷水机组选型中值得重视的几个问题

水冷式螺杆冷水机组以其变工况运行效果较好、运行寿命长、体积小、容积效率高等特点在中等冷量范围内得到广泛应用。分析了所用制冷剂（R22，R134a）、名义工况和污垢系数对螺杆式冷水机组性能的影响，为实际选型和使用提供依据。     

Performance investigation of ozone-friendly R404A and R507 refrigerants as alternatives to R22 in a window air-conditioner

In this study, experimental research was carried out to investigate the performance of R22 and its ozone-friendly alternative refrigerants (R404A and R507) in a window air-conditioner. The performance parameters of the system using R22 were considered as benchmarks and those obtained using alternative refrigerants were compared. Experimental results showed that R22 had the lowest pressure ratio and discharge temperature closely followed by R507. The average discharge temperature obtained using R507 and R404A were 4.2% and 15.3% higher than that of R22, respectively. The lowest compressor power and energy consumption were obtained from R507 retrofitted system. Also, the highest refrigeration capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) were obtained using R507 in the system. The average refrigeration capacities of R507 and R404A were 4.7% higher and 8.4% lower than that of R22, respectively, while the average COP of R507 increased by 10.6% and that of R404A reduced by 16.0% with respect to that of R22. Generally, the investigation has revealed that R507 can be used successfully as a retrofitting refrigerant in existing window air-conditioners originally designed to use R22 in the event of HCFC phased out.     

太阳能地板辐射供暖制冷系统模型仿真

近年来,我国北方地区新建住宅的采暖系统多数采用地板辐射供暖技术,而制冷系统仍采用传统的空调制冷技术,有必要对地板辐射制冷技术的应用进行研究,为此,针对一套实验用太阳房,搭建了太阳能地板辐射供暖制冷系统.通过计算确定了集热器面积、蓄热水箱体积、吸收式制冷机组的制冷量.利用TRNSYS仿真平台建立了系统仿真模型,并对控制策略进行了验证.仿真结果表明,该系统能有效地利用太阳能保持冬季室温18℃左右、夏季26℃左右的舒适温度.     

太阳能与空调技术

针对我国目前采暖、空调能耗较大的现状,分别阐述了太阳能在制冷系统和采暖系统中的应用,详细介绍了各种太阳能制冷和采暖方式的原理及特点,以期促进太阳能在空调及采暖系统中的应用,从而降低能源消耗。     

双蒸发器螺旋式压缩机区域蓄冰制冷系统

本文介绍采用双蒸发器螺旋式压缩机大型区域蓄冰制冷系统，结合工程实际对采用双蒸发器螺旋式压缩机的某大型区域蓄冰制冷系统的设计、设备的选型和该系统控制方案进行了详细的介绍。和普通蓄冰制冷系统不同，此系统制冰制冷不采用同一个循环系统，使该系统能同时制冷制冰，避免了普通蓄冰系统制冰和制冷模式切换造成的时间和能源的浪费。针对系统控制设备、测控参数数量多且分散的特点，采用具有强大网络功能的Tridium控制器和现场可编程控制器进行集散管理。     

Advanced control of condensing temperature for enhancing the operating efficiency of air-cooled chillers

Air-cooled chillers are commonly used to provide cooling energy in commercial buildings in the subtropical climate. These chillers have long been considered inefficient because they operate under head pressure control where the condensing temperature is kept high in the refrigeration cycle. This paper considers a novel method to strategically lower the condensing temperature to enhance chiller efficiency at any outdoor temperature. An experiment is carried out on an air-cooled reciprocating chiller to confirm that an electronic expansion valve enables refrigerant to be adequately fed into the evaporator in all operating conditions, even when the condensing temperature falls to around 20 °C. By enhancing the heat rejection airflow of the condenser, both the condensing temperature and chiller power can decrease considerably with less fluctuation. According to the algorithm of staging condenser fans, this enhancement corresponds to resetting the set point of the condensing temperature based on any outdoor temperature. The potential and benefits of implementing this reset strategy are discussed.