Numerical analysis of the transient pressure damping in a single polymeric pipe with a leak

ABSTRACT

In recent decades transient test-based techniques (TTBTs) have been used for fault detection in transmission mains. Within TTBTs, the direct transient analysis (DTA) allows the identification of the defects directly by analysing the pressure signal. A possible DTA procedure is based on the analysis of the damping of the pressure peaks. In this paper, it is shown that the pressure decay in a polymeric leaky pipe depends exponentially on leak size and location and the pressure at the leak. It is also shown that, for a given transient, the same damping of the pressure peaks may result from different pipe systems (e.g. with a leak of a different size in a different location).     

Development of a numerical model to predict heat exchange rates for a ground-source heat pump system

Ground-source heat pump (GSHP) systems can achieve a higher coefficient of performance than conventional air-source heat pump (ASHP) systems. For the design of a GSHP system, it is necessary to accurately predict the heat extraction and injection rates of the heat exchanger. Many models that combine ground heat conduction and heat exchangers have been proposed to predict heat extraction/injection rates from/into the ground in the research field of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. However, most analysis models are inaccurate in their predictions for long periods because they are based on a thermal conduction model using a cylindrical coordinate model or an equivalent diameter model. In this paper, a numerical model that combines a heat transport model with ground water flow and a heat exchanger model with an exact shape is developed. Furthermore, a method for estimating soil properties based on ground investigations is proposed. Comparison between experimental results and numerical analysis based on the model developed above was conducted under the conditions of an experiment from 2004. The analytical results agreed well with the experimental results. Finally, the proposed model was used to predict the heat exchange rate for an actual office building in Japan.     

Build-up and performance test of a novel solar thermal roof for heat pump operation

Global increase in energy demand and fossil fuel prices loaded ever-increasing pressure on identifying and implementing new means to utilise clean and efficient energy resources. Due to the environmental benefits, technical and economic possibilities of Solar-Assisted Heat Pump Systems, there has been a growing interest for such hybrid systems with a variety of system configurations for various climates. International Energy Agency Task 44 of the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme has recently started working on finding methods to most effectively use solar heat pump systems for residential use. In the present study, a novel solar thermal roof collector was developed by primarily exploiting components and techniques widely available on the market and coupled with a commercial heat pump unit. The proposed indirect series Solar-assisted Heat Pump system was experimentally tested and system performance was investigated. Yet, the analysis based on indoor and outdoor testing predominantly focuses on the solar thermal roof collector. A detailed thermal model was developed to describe the system operation. Also, a computer model was set up by using Engineering Equation Solver to carry out the numerical computations of the governing equations. Analyses show that the difference in water temperature could reach up to 18°C while maximum thermal efficiency found to be 26%. Data processing of the series covering the test period represents that Coefficient Performance of the heat pump (COP_HP) and overall system (COP_SYS) averages were attained as COP_HP?=?3.01 and COP_SYS?=?2.29, respectively. An economic analysis points a minimum payback period of about three years for the system.     

Neural network using the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm for optimal real-time operation of water distribution systems

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes an Adaptive Neural Network (NN) controller for the real-time pressure control in water distribution systems. Pressure control is one of the main technical options that can be implemented by a water utility to increase the hydraulic and energy efficiency of systems. The network adopted the Levenberg–Marquardt backpropagation algorithm, being responsible for maintaining the pump head at an optimal value, eliminating the excess pressure of the system. The advantage of the approach is that, once the network is trained, it allows instantaneous evaluation of solutions at any desired number of points; thus, spending little computing time. The controller was applied in the experimental setup, and the results showed excellent performance regarding pressure regulation. Finally, it is expected that the NN controller can be easily implemented in similar water distribution systems.     

Analytical and experimental analysis of a low-pressure heat exchanger suitable for passive ventilation

A core element in sustainable ventilation systems is the heat recovery system. Conventional heat recovery systems have a high pressure drop that acts as blockage to naturally driven airflow. The heat recovery system we propose here consists of two separated air-to-liquid heat exchangers interconnected by a liquid loop powered by a pump ideal as a component in a heat recovery system for passive ventilation systems. This paper describes the analytical framework and the experimental development of one exchanger in the liquid-loop. The exchanger was constructed from the 8 mm plastic tubing that is commonly used in water-based floor-heating systems. The pressure loss and temperature exchange efficiency was measured. For a design airflow rate of 560 L/s, the pressure loss was 0.37 Pa and the efficiency was 75.6%. The experimental results agree well with the literature or numerical fluid calculations. Within the analytical framework, the total heat recovery of two liquid-coupled exchangers was calculated to be in the range 64.5–75.4%, depending on the parasitic heat loss in the experimental setup. The total pressure drop of the heat recovery system is 0.74 Pa. Moreover, preliminary improvement calculations promise a future total efficiency of 80% with a pressure drop of 1.2 Pa.     

Analysis and design of a robust controller for a grid-connected photovoltaic power plant

ABSTRACT

Application of renewable energy systems has a drastic impact on the present power system. In particular, solar photovoltaic power generation is expanding exponentially. Hence, in this article analysis and design of a 1 Mega Watt (1?MW) solar power plant has been modelled. The obtained power is given as an input to the voltage source converter, which contently regulates the active and reactive power by controlling the pulse width modulation signals. In this article, robust control schemes were discussed to support the required active and reactive power. Further, a detailed analysis has been presented at various fault conditions and the results are explored.     

Backflow air and pressure analysis in emptying a pipeline containing an entrapped air pocket

ABSTRACT

The prediction of the pressure inside the air pocket in water pipelines has been the topic for a lot of research works. Several aspects in this field have been discussed, such as the filling and the emptying procedures. The emptying process can affect the safety and the efficiency of water systems. Current research presents an analysis of the emptying process using experimental and computational results. The phenomenon is simulated using the two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (2D CFD) and the one-dimensional mathematical (1D) models. A backflow air analysis is also provided based on CFD simulations. The developed models show good ability in the prediction of the sub-atmospheric pressure and the flow velocity in the system. In most of the cases, the 1D and 2D CFD models show similar performance in the prediction of the pressure and the velocity results. The backflow air development can be accurately explained using the CFD model.     

Performance studies of R433A in a direct expansion solar-assisted heat pump

ABSTRACT

Energy assessment of a simple direct expansion solar-assisted heat pump system has been experimentally assessed with R433A as a possible alternative to R22. An artificial neural network integrated genetic algorithm model was developed to assess the performance system. The data obtained from the experimentation at different ambient conditions are used as the training data for the ANN network. The back propagation learning mechanism with variants Lavenberg-Maguardt with 20 neurons in the hidden layer were used in modelling of ANN. The values obtained from the analysis using ANN are optimised further by integrating the ANN procedure with GA. The results indicated that R433A has 6.4% and 1% lower instantaneous compressor power consumption and heating capacity compared to R22. Energy performance ratio of R433A was found to be about 5.67% higher compared to R22. The results confirmed that R433A can be used as a possible alternative to R22 DX-SAHP systems.     

Development of a tram track degradation prediction model based on the acceleration data

Abstract

Although vibration is considered as one of the important factors in passenger ride comfort, yet it has not been applied for predicting tram track degradation in tram network. Rail track degradation prediction models form an essential part of the rail infrastructure maintenance management systems. Vibration can be measured by acceleration signals. The acceleration signal is derived from the movement of railway vehicles on rail structure. In this study, vehicle acceleration data along with other track structural parameters have been used to predict tram track degradation index which can be considered as a representative of tram track quality. The index used in this study has been developed based on a mixture of tram track geometry deviations of several years. Three types of machine learning models have been employed for creating the prediction models. In this study, Melbourne tram network data have been applied for developing as well as predicting the degradation index. Based on the evaluation results, the proposed random forest regression model made more accurate predictions on track degradation compared to other developed models. The results of this study can help tram track managers to deploy cost-effective maintenance strategies by applying vehicle acceleration data in their decision-making processes.     

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     

Numerical and experimental analysis of a horizontal ground-coupled heat pump system

The main objective of this work is to evaluate a heat pump system using the ground as a source of heat. A ground-coupled heat pump (GCHP) system has been installed and tested at the test room, University of Firat, Elazig, Turkey. Results obtained during experimental testing are presented and discussed here. The coefficient of performance (COP_sys) of the GCHP system is determined from the measured data. A numerical model of heat transfer in the ground was developed for determining the temperature distribution in the vicinity of the pipe. The finite difference approximation is used for numerical analysis. It is observed that the numerical results agree with the experimental results.     

Hydraulic transient in residential buildings with a direct pump connection

This paper consists of an experimental and numerical study into transient behaviour in a residential building. The analysed effects occur by centrifugal pumps when they start with a direct supply (fixed-speed pumps are connected to the service pipe without an atmospheric tank). Direct supply increases the transient effect and places higher demands on the water main. The properties of such an installation were analysed using a hydraulic model in order to detect the most unfavourable scenario. The results were compared to experimental data. Basic hydraulics demonstrates that a pressure drop occurs during the start-up. The magnitude mainly depends on the pump capacity. But, numerical and field results show that other variables related to service pipe design could also negatively affect the pressure surge. The study provides water utilities with information about the influence of the different variables on pressure surge magnitude and basic design criteria to minimize these effects.     

Using EPA-SWMM to simulate intermittent water distribution systems

ABSTRACT

EPA Storm Water Management Model (EPA-SWMM), developed for the analysis of urban drainage systems, was used in a novel way to simulate the filling phase in intermittent water distribution systems. Firstly, the model was validated against field experimental observations from a filling test in a real water distribution network in Sicily. Then, model results were compared to those obtained by the use of a model based on the theory of the rigid water column, revealing the potential and limitations of the two approaches. The obtained results open new perspectives for the use of EPA-SWMM for the analysis of processes occurring in intermittent water distribution systems.     

Performance analysis on a hybrid air-conditioning system of a green building

This paper presents the performance analysis on a hybrid air-conditioning system according to the hybrid building energy system of the green building demonstration project in Shanghai, in which a 150 m² solar collector is used to power two 10 kW adsorption chillers, a vapor compression heat pump is used to cool air in the evaporating end while the condensing heating at about 80 °C is fully used to regenerate a liquid desiccant dehumidification system. In the hybrid system, the sensible cooling to the air is treated mainly by solar adsorption cooling and vapor compression cooling, whereas the latent heat is treated by the liquid desiccant dehumidification system with regeneration from the condensing heat of the heat pump. The results show that the performance of this system is 44.5% higher than conventional vapor compression system at a latent load of 30% and this improving can be achieved by 73.8% at a 42% latent load. The optimal ratio of adsorption refrigerating power to total cooling load for this kind of hybrid systems is also studied in this paper.     

Energy efficient control of variable speed pumps in complex building central air-conditioning systems

This paper presents the optimal control strategies for variable speed pumps with different configurations in complex building air-conditioning systems to enhance their energy efficiencies. Through a detailed analysis of the system characteristics, the pressure drop models for different water networks in complex air-conditioning systems are developed and then used to formulate an optimal pump sequence control strategy. This sequence control strategy determines the optimal number of pumps in operation taking into account their power consumptions and maintenance costs. The variable speed pumps in complex air-conditioning systems can be classified into two groups: the pumps distributing water to terminal units and pumps distributing water to heat exchanges. The speeds of pumps distributing water to terminal units are controlled by resetting the pressure differential set-point using the online opening signals of water control valves. The speeds of pumps distributing water to heat exchanges are controlled using a water flow controller. The performances of these strategies are tested and evaluated in a simulated virtual environment representing the complex air-conditioning system in a super high-rise building by comparing with that of other reference strategies. The results showed that about 12-32% of pump energy could be saved by using these optimal control strategies.     

Development of a testing method for control HVAC systems by emulation

CEN TC247 has prepared draft standards for main types of room controllers. These standards include a performance testing procedure that was designed to facilitate the introduction on the market of innovative controllers (adaptive controllers, fuzzy controllers …). The test procedure is based on the connection of the real controller to be tested to a virtual building and technical plants. The objective of the study which is part of the European SIMTEST project is the development of a testing method by emulation for control systems for heating ventilating and air conditioning applications. This study was focused on the development of numerical models of building and HVAC systems, which are the core of the test facility. The models developed are adapted to the needs of HVAC controller design and test. They take into account static and dynamic phenomena, which are necessary to assess, control functions in terms of comfort and energy consumption. These models are adapted to the test of all controllers, which are in the scope of the three draft standards CEN TC247, in particular to controllers for heating systems, fan coils, variable air volume systems and chilled ceilings. We present in this paper:

• (1)The testing method developed including the simulated environment with its models, the interfaces and the test procedure.
• (2)The validation of the testing method by inspection and comparison of the results obtained by emulation to the results obtained by real tests in a cell. Each application is tested with two different controllers: a high performance and low performance controllers. The same controllers are used in the two different testing methods.

     

Exergetic cost analysis of a space heating system

In order to evaluate and improve the design of space heating systems with groundwater source heat pumps (GWHP), common design practices should be examined. In this paper, a GWHP system with common design is studied. The COP of the heat pump is 3.5 at design condition. The system is divided into five subsystems, and exergetic cost analysis is performed on it based on structural theory of thermoeconomics. The results show that the three largest relative exergy destructions and lowest exergy efficiencies occur in power generation and distribution, heat pump, and terminal unit subsystems with relative exergy destructions of 71.2%, 17.1% and 7.02% and exergy efficiencies of 32.8%, 54.8% and 65.6% respectively. The three subsystems also have the largest increases of unit exergetic costs of 2.04 W/W, 2.15 W/W, and 2.73 W/W respectively. Therefore, designers of GWHP space heating systems should pay close attention to heat pump and terminal unit subsystems, especially to the latter one because of its larger increase of unit exergetic cost. The unit exergetic cost of the system final exergetic product is 7.92 W/W. This value can be used to evaluate the system and compare it with others from the viewpoint of energy conservation.     

Comparison between design and actual energy performance of a HVAC-ground coupled heat pump system in cooling and heating operation

This work compares the experimental results obtained for the energy performance study of a ground coupled heat pump system with the design values predicted by means of standard methodology. The system energy performance of a monitored ground coupled heat pump system is calculated using the instantaneous measurements of temperature, flow and power consumption and these values are compared with the numerical predictions. These predictions are performed with the TRNSYS software tool following standard procedures taking the experimental thermal loads as input values. The main result of this work is that simulation results solely based on nominal heat pump capacities and performances overestimate the measured overall energy performance by a percentage between 15% and 20%. A sensitivity analysis of the simulation results to changes in percentage of its input parameters showed that the heat pump nominal coefficient of performance is the parameter that mostly affects the energy performance predictions. This analysis supports the idea that the discrepancies between experimental results and simulation outputs for this ground coupled system are mainly due to heat pump performance degradation for being used at partial load. An estimation of the impact of this effect in energy performance predictions reduces the discrepancies to values around 5%.     

中央空调变流量冷水系统变压差控制方法应用研究

提出了中央空调变流量冷水系统中二次泵的变压差控制策略,以空调冷冻水系统最不利末端用户两端的压差作为二次泵变频控制的控制信号,改变二次泵的频率,使二次泵输送的冷冻水量和空调用户所需的冷冻水量相等.进行了数值仿真模拟,仿真结果表明二次泵变压差控制不仅节约二次泵的输送能耗,而且能维持冷机的COP在一个较高水平.     

Stability of relatively deep segments of spherical shells loaded by external pressure

The buckling of shells in the form of spherical segment depends strictly on its rise. Determination of full equilibrium paths for shells of higher rise is very laborious and evokes many numerical problems. Spherical caps loaded by the external pressure and clamped along the base circle are the subject of a detailed analysis. The stability analysis for shells of relative slenderness of interval λ=3.5–12 was performed and is presented in the paper. Three critical points, and namely the primary bifurcation point, the primary higher limit point and the primary lower limit point were basis for the plot of relative critical pressure versus slenderness parameter. This plot has big practical significance. One can read off from it the value of critical pressure being the basis of designing procedure, which takes into account stability criterion. The author's program based on FEM and taking into account all singularities characteristic for nonlinear elastic stability, was used in calculations. The correctness of the approach was verified on the example of spherical segment of slenderness λ=8 solved before by other authors.