Nanofibrous membrane-based absorption refrigeration system

This paper presents a study on the efficacy of highly porous nanofibrous membranes for application in membrane-based absorbers and desorbers. Permeability studies showed that membranes with a pore size greater than about one micron have a sufficient permeability for application in the absorber heat exchanger. Membranes with smaller pores were found to be adequate for the desorber heat exchanger. The membranes were implemented in experimental membrane-based absorber and desorber modules and successfully tested. Parametric studies were conducted on both absorber and desorber processes. Studies on the absorption process were focused on the effects of water vapor pressure, cooling water temperature, and the solution velocity on the absorption rate. Desorption studies were conducted on the effects of wall temperature, vapor and solution pressures, and the solution velocity on the desorption rate. Significantly higher absorption and desorption rates than in the falling film absorbers and desorbers were achieved.     

A study of working fluids for heat driven ejector refrigeration using lumped parameter models

This paper studies the influence of working fluids over the performance of heat driven ejector refrigeration systems performance by using a lumped parameter model. The model used has been selected after a comparison of different models with a set of experimental data available in the literature. The effect of generator, evaporator and condenser temperature over the entrainment ratio and the COP has been investigated for different working fluids in the typical operating conditions of low grade energy sources. The results show a growth in performance (the entrainment ratio and the COP) with a rise in the generator and evaporator temperature and a decrease in the condenser temperature. The working fluids have a great impact on the ejector performance and each refrigerant has its own range of operating conditions. R134a is found to be suitable for low generator temperature (70–100 °C), whereas the hydrocarbons R600 is suitable for medium generator temperatures (100–130 °C) and R601 for high generator temperatures (130–180 °C).     

Ejector expansion refrigeration system: Ejector design and performance evaluation

Use of a two-phase flow ejector as an expansion device in vapor compression refrigeration systems is one of the efficient ways to enhance its performance. The present work aims to design a constant-area two phase flow ejector and to evaluate performance characteristics of the ejector expansion refrigeration system working with R134a. In order to achieve these objectives, a simulation program is developed and effects of operating conditions and ejector internal efficiencies on the system performance are investigated using EES software. Comparison between present results and published experimental data revealed that the developed model can predict the system COP with a maximum error of 2.3%. The system COP increased by 87.5% as evaporation temperature changed from −10 °C to 10 °C. Finally, correlations to size ejector main diameters as a function of operating conditions, system cooling capacity and ejector internal efficiencies are reported.     

A propane water-to-water heat pump booster for sanitary hot water production: Seasonal performance analysis of a new solution optimizing COP

Electrical heat pumps for sanitary hot water production achieve a high performance with a good matching of water and refrigerant temperature profiles during the heat rejection stage, as it happens in CO₂ systems. This work considers the thermodynamic possibility to adapt the condenser pressure of a propane heat pump to maximize the COP, while producing sanitary hot water up to 60 °C from a heat sink equal to 15 or 25 °C. The performance of the heat pump is calculated through specific models which, in combination with a TRNSYS model of the whole system, allowed to assess its seasonal performance for a hotel in Strasbourg, also varying the control logic and the size of the storage tank. Results obtained led to the conclusion that, for achieving a high seasonal performance, the control logic of the tank has the largest influence.     

Comparison of different kinds of heat recoveries applied in adsorption refrigeration system

Heat recovery is an effective way to improve adsorption refrigeration system performance due to its easy realization and obvious improvement. Three kinds of heat recoveries (circular heat recovery is complete type and serial and passive heat recoveries are part type) have been applied in recent adsorption refrigerators. Theoretical analysis of three heat recovery methods has been done and results show that serial and passive heat recoveries (part type) are more optimal than circular heat recovery (complete type) when manufacture and cost are considered. Furthermore, a CFD model of a fin-tube type adsorber has been established and simulations of serial and passive heat recoveries have been done. The simulation results show that recovery time of passive heat recovery has an effective range whose value is approximately double of optimum recovery time. Thus, serial heat recovery is more reliable than passive heat recovery. Besides, Optimum recovery time of both serial and passive heat recoveries is approximately equal to the ratio of tube length to heating/cooling flow rate. Contribution distribution of recovered heat has also been analyzed. And the results show that contributions of fluid and tube regions are respectively 89%∼94% and 5%∼10% while contributions of adsorbent and fin regions are negligible.     

Theoretical analyses of a new two-stage absorption-transcritical hybrid refrigeration system

In this context, a two-stage absorption-transcritical hybrid refrigeration system is proposed. R744 is chosen as a refrigerant for the transcritical heat pump subsystem and LiBr-H₂O working pair for the two-stage absorption refrigeration subsystem. Based on the mathematical and physical models, theoretical investigation is carried out on its performance. The main effects are discussed on COP_net (the ratio of cooling capacity powered by low-grade heat to the low-grade heat consumption for the hybrid system) and COP_mt (the ratio of cooling capacity powered by mechanical work to the mechanical work consumption for the hybrid system). Comparing with the normal two-stage absorption refrigeration system, theoretical results show that COP_net could be improved up to about 55% when the refrigeration temperature is 7 °C. In addition, COP_mt are more than 50% higher than that of the conventional transcritical refrigeration system. It is also found that both 45–55 °C low-grade heat and condensing heat could be used as actuating heat of the two-stage absorption refrigeration subsystem.     

Theoretical energy performance evaluation of different single stage vapour compression refrigeration configurations using R1234yf and R1234ze(E) as working fluids

R1234yf and R1234ze(E) have been proposed as alternatives for R134a in order to work with low GWP refrigerants, but this replacement results generally in a decrease of the performance. For this reason, it is interesting to explore ways to improve the system performance using these refrigerants. In this paper, a comparative study in terms of energy performance of different single stage vapour compression configurations using R1234yf and R1234ze(E) as working fluids has been carried out. The most efficient configuration is the one which uses an expander or an ejector as expansion device. On the other hand, using an internal heat exchanger in a cycle which replaces the expansion valve by an expander or an ejector could produce a detrimental effect on the COP. However, for all the configurations the introduction of an internal heat exchanger produces a significant increment on the cooling capacity.     

Ice-cream storage energy efficiency with model predictive control of a refrigeration system coupled to a PCM tank

A model predictive controller (MPC) was developed in order to optimise energy management of an ice-cream warehouse refrigeration system coupled to a phase-change material (PCM) tank. The controller's internal model was based on a steady-state refrigeration cycle model and energy balances on the PCM tank and warehouse. Considering crystal growth in ice-cream, the quality evolution was based on Ostwald ripening equation. The product temperature field was determined by a 1-D finite difference equation. An original PCM model was developed for better performance of Levenberg–Marquardt's optimisation algorithm which was modified in order to take into account control variables' bounds. Simulation of the ice-cream storage for a period of 90 days lead to good results on the optimised control sequence with efficient energy management thanks to the PCM tank. Ice crystals size remained below the defined target: 26 μm. This study showed the great potential of MPC to reduce energy consumption and guarantee food quality.     

Effect of regeneration temperatures in the exergetic performances of the developed desiccant-evaporative air-conditioning system

The developed desiccant-evaporative air-conditioning system was evaluated using the exergetic method under controlled environmental conditions to determine the performances of the whole system and its components.Percentage contributions of exergy destruction of system components at different regeneration temperatures and reference temperatures were determined. Exergy destruction coefficient of different components at different regeneration and reference temperatures were presented. It was shown that exergetic performances varied with respect to the regeneration and reference temperatures. The exergetic performances based on thermal, electric, total exergy input, first definition and second definition efficiencies were shown.Based on the results, reference and regeneration temperatures affected the determination of the system performances and its components. It was shown that air-heating coil, air fans and desiccant wheel contributed to large percentage of exergy destruction. Hence, the mentioned components should be given attention for further improvement of the system performances.     

Experimental investigation of a reversible heat pump/organic Rankine cycle unit designed to be coupled with a passive house to get a Net Zero Energy Building

This paper presents an innovative reversible Heat Pump/Organic Rankine Cycle (HP/ORC) experimental unit designed to be coupled to a Net Zero Energy Building (connected to a 120 m² thermal solar roof and a ground heat exchanger). The system can operate in three different modes: an ORC mode to produce electricity when a large amount of heat is collected by the solar roof, a direct heating mode using exclusively the solar roof, and a HP mode for space heating during cold weather conditions. This paper describes a comprehensive experimental campaign carried out on a prototype unit using a modified HVAC scroll compressor (4 kWe). From the results, the technical feasibility of the system is demonstrated. A cycle efficiency of 4.2% is achieved in ORC mode (with condensation and evaporation temperature respectively of 25 °C and 88 °C) and a COP of 3.1 is obtained in HP mode (with condensation and evaporation temperature respectively of 61 °C and 21 °C).     

Experimental study of a miniature vapor compression refrigeration system with two heat sink evaporators connected in series or in parallel

A miniature vapor compression refrigeration system included two heat sinks connected in series (indicated as series system) or in parallel (indicated as parallel system) was built. The performance of the series system was studied and compared with that of the parallel system. The results indicate that the largest cooling capacity of the two systems is about 160 W and the optimal refrigerant charge is about 0.6 M_total in the miniature vapor compress refrigeration (VCR) system. There is no relation between the optimal refrigerant charge and the arrangement of the heat sinks. The coefficient of performance (COP) of the series system ranged from 1.81 to 3.22, while the COP of the parallel system was in the range of 1.51–2.92 under the cooling capacity of 100 W. The cooling of the heat sink 2 lag behind that of the heat sink 1 in the serial system, while the refrigerant is difficult to equally distribute in the parallel system.     

A household dishwasher heated by a heat pump system using an energy storage unit with water as the heat source

Electricity usage by a household dishwasher can be reduced by using a heat pump system to heat the dishwasher cabinet, dishware and washing water. The evaporator obtains the energy from an energy storage unit which consists of a container filled with water which freezes to ice. The majority of the heat transfer from the energy storage to the evaporator occurs when ice is created in the energy storage unit. A transient simulation model of a dishwasher with a heat pump system was developed and compared to an experimental setup with good agreement. A simulation study of the compressor cylinder volume and the compressor operating time was performed. The results showed a 24% reduction in total electricity use compared to a dishwasher cycle using a traditional electric element.     

Experimental study on cooling performance of air conditioning system with dual independent evaporative condenser

Evaporative condenser is an energy efficient and environmentally friendly air conditioning equipment. This paper proposed an air conditioning system using dual independent evaporative condenser and investigated the cooling performance. Many factors, such as evaporator water inlet temperature, compressor frequency, air dry-bulb temperature, air velocity and water spray rate, which influenced the cooling performances of air conditioning system with evaporative condenser have been investigated. The results indicated that cooling capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) increased significantly with the increasing of evaporator water inlet temperature (12–25 °C), the air velocity (2.05–3.97 m s⁻¹) and the water spray rate (0.03–0.05 kg m⁻¹ s). However, COP decreased with the increasing ambient air dry-bulb temperature (31.2–35.1 °C) and the compressor frequency (50–90 Hz). Furthermore, the heat transfer coefficient (K₀) was 232–409 W m⁻² K⁻¹ in different air velocity and water spray rate.     

Optimization of an oil charge amount on electric driven scroll compressor for eco-friendly vehicle

The purpose of this study is to optimize the amount of oil charge in the electric driven scroll compressor for eco-friendly vehicles. R134a is used as the refrigerant in the vehicle and Polyolester (POE) oil as the compressor oil. The initial amount of oil was increased at 20 g intervals from 40 g to 120 g, and at each initial amount of oil charge, the back pressure is measured at each step of the complex durability test and under each condition of the performance test. Throughout the test, it is found out that the optimum amount of oil is determined by the back pressure, which is 80 g in this test. The performance of a system is compared with pull-down tests in the actual air conditioning system, and the optimum amount of oil was confirmed. A complex durability test was also evaluated and verified for the durability of the compressor with the confirmed amount of oil.     

Impact of fin spacing on temperature distribution in adsorption cooling system for vehicle A/C applications

Effects of fin spacing on the temperature distribution in a finned tube adsorber bed are studied to decrease the temperature gradient inside the adsorber bed and minimize the adsorber bed to adsorbent mass ratio (AAMR) for vehicle air conditioning applications. Finned tube adsorber beds have shown higher specific cooling power and coefficient of performance, and low AAMR among the existing adsorber beds. A single-adsorber bed ACS with interchangeable heat exchangers is built and equipped with hermetic type T thermocouples. Two copper heat exchangers with 6.35 mm (1/4″) and 9.5 mm (3/8″) fin spacing are custom-built and packed with 2–4 mm silica gel beads. The experimental results show that by decreasing the fin spacing from 9.5 mm to 6.35 mm, the temperature difference between the fin and adsorbent reduces by 4.6 °C under the cycle time of 600 s and an adsorption to desorption time ratio (ADTR) of one. A greater reduction in the temperature gradient inside the adsorber bed with smaller fin spacing is observed for short cycle time operation, e.g. 600 s, compared to long cycle time operation, e.g. 1400 s. Finally, simultaneous comparison of the temperature gradient between the fins and AAMR against fin spacing indicates that the optimum fin spacing for a finned tube heat exchanger packed with 2–4 mm silica gel beads is about 6 mm.     

Effects of vapor injection techniques on the heating performance of a CO2 heat pump at low ambient temperatures

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of vapor injection techniques on the heating performance of a CO₂ heat pump. The performances of the flash tank vapor injection (FTVI), sub-cooler vapor injection (SCVI) and FTVI with a suction line heat exchanger (FTSX) cycles were measured and analyzed with variations of the outdoor temperature, compressor frequency, and injection mass flow rate. At the outdoor temperature of −15 °C and compressor frequency of 55 Hz, the heating capacity and COP of the optimized SCVI cycle were 12.1% and 12.7% higher than those of the optimized FTVI cycle, respectively, because the total mass flow rate in the SCVI cycle was higher than that in the FTVI cycle by the large temperature and pressure differences in the sub-cooler of the SCVI cycle. In addition, the optimum injection flow rate ratios in the vapor injection CO₂ cycles yielding the maximum COP were determined at various compressor frequencies.     

Experimental study on the heat transfer and flow characteristics of nanorefrigerants inside a corrugated tube

The heat transfer and flow characteristics of MWCNT-R141b nanorefrigerant with different mass fractions have been studied through experiments. Experimental results were compared with existing correlations. A two-step method was used to prepare the nanorefrigerants. Span-80 was used as surfactant with an average particle diameter of 20 nm. Transmittance method was used to evaluate the stability of nanorefrigerants. Results showed that the stability of MWCNT-R141b nanorefrigerant, which is the added dispersant, was good during the experiments. The 0.3 wt% MWCNT-R141b nanorefrigerants had optimal heat transfer enhancement effects compared with pure refrigerants. The maximum Nusselt number increased by 40%. The specific pressure drop of nanorefrigerant increased as the Reynolds number (Re) increased, and the specific pressure drop of the pure refrigerant was minimum, which is similar to R141b.     

Effect of the header pressure drop induced flow maldistribution on the microchannel evaporator performance

This paper presents an experimental and numerical investigation of the flow maldistribution caused by the pressure drop in headers and its impact on the performance of a microchannel evaporator with horizontal headers and vertically oriented tubes. Experimental results show that the flash gas bypass method almost eliminates the quality induced maldistribution. However, refrigerant flow maldistribution caused by the header pressure drop still exists. This is mainly because the pressure drop along the headers results in uneven pressure difference and therefore non-uniform liquid refrigerant mass flow rate across each microchannel tube. A microchannel evaporator model validated by experimental results is employed to quantify header pressure drop induced flow maldistribution. Parametric analysis reveals that such maldistribution impact is significantly reduced by enlarging the outlet header size, increasing heat exchanger aspect ratio, or reducing the microchannel size while other parameters are kept constant. When ratio of outlet header to the total evaporator pressure drop is less than 30%, the cooling capacity reduction is limited below 3%.     

Simplified explicit calculation algorithms for determining the performance of refrigerant coils in vapour-compression systems

Simplified explicit calculation algorithms were proposed for determining the performance of the condenser, evaporator and air cooler in a vapour-compression system based on a zone-model approach. It was assumed that the fluid temperature changes in the sub-cooled and superheated portions were small and that the wet portion of an air cooler only occurred in the entire saturated portion if it was not fully-dry. With R134a employed as the refrigerant, the simulated coil capacity based on the present modelling approach were compared with those based on a multi-node numerical approach at different refrigerant mass flow rates. It was found that the errors in the simulated specific enthalpy change of the refrigerant across the coil did not exceed 3.6% in all cases. In particular, the errors incurred by employing the present modelling approach in simulating the capacity and compressor power input of a sample water-cooled chiller at different condenser and evaporator fluid entering temperatures were less than 2.7% and 3.1% respectively. This showed that the present approach could be a good choice for improving the computation efficiency of a vapour-compression system significantly while the accuracy of the simulation could still be maintained at an acceptable level.     

Assessment of R-438A as a retrofit refrigerant for R-22 in direct expansion water chiller

The present work aims to evaluate the performance characteristics of a vapor compression refrigeration system using R-438A as a retrofit refrigerant for R-22. In order to achieve this objective, a test facility is developed and experiments are performed over a wide range of chilled water inlet temperature (11:20 °C), condenser water inlet temperature (25:35 °C) and condenser water mass flow rate (363:543 kg h⁻¹). Results showed that as the chilled water inlet temperature changes from 11.5 to 20.5 °C, system COP increases from 1.78 to 2.07 at constant condenser water inlet temperature of 25.5 °C. Cooling capacity and COP of the system using R-438A are lower than R-22 by 11% and 12.5%, respectively. However, compressor discharge temperature using R-438A is slightly lower than R-22 which confirms that R-438A can be used as a retrofit refrigerant for R-22 to complete the remaining life time of the existing plants.