WorldWideScience

Sample records for solar-assisted desiccant cooling

  1. Solar assisted liquid desiccant cooling using clay based membranes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priya S. Shanmuga

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The environmental concerns have led to the urge of the usage of non-conventional energy resources like solar, wind, thermal, geothermal etc. which provide enormous source of energy without causing any further diminution of the environment. Instead of the conventional HVAC systems that cause colossal environmental perils, usage of liquid desiccants in coming in vogue whereby reducing ecological threats. Moreover, solar assisted systems provide further impulse to such systems. This paper discusses about the various comparisons between liquid desiccants: Lithium chloride, Potassium formate and Calcium chloride and concludes that potassium formate is the best desiccant to be used among the three. Potassium formate (HCOOK is used which is cheaper and less corrosive as compared to the other aqueous salts, and has a negative crystallization temperature. Potassium formate is a new liquid desiccant and thus, not much research is available currently. The weather conditions of Manipal provide an appropriate condition for the experimentations of solar aided liquid desiccant evaporative cooling systems due to its humid climate and intense solar radiation obtained. The small scale experimentation also encounters the problem of liquid desiccant carryover by the air flow, with the help of clay based membranes which are again cheap, environmentally benign and obtained in a facile way. The projected system takes complete advantage of pure solar energy aimed at the regeneration of liquid desiccant.

  2. Potential Evaluation of Solar Heat Assisted Desiccant Hybrid Air Conditioning System

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Thien Nha; Hamamoto, Yoshinori; Akisawa, Atsushi; Kashiwagi, Takao

    The solar thermal driven desiccant dehumidification-absorption cooling hybrid system has superior advantage in hot-humid climate regions. The reasonable air processing of desiccant hybrid air conditioning system and the utility of clean and free energy make the system environment friendly and energy efficient. The study investigates the performance of the desiccant dehumidification air conditioning systems with solar thermal assistant. The investigation is performed for three cases which are combinations of solar thermal and absorption cooling systems with different heat supply temperature levels. Two solar thermal systems are used in the study: the flat plate collector (FPC) and the vacuum tube with compound parabolic concentrator (CPC). The single-effect and high energy efficient double-, triple-effect LiBr-water absorption cooling cycles are considered for cooling systems. COP of desiccant hybrid air conditioning systems are determined. The evaluation of these systems is subsequently performed. The single effect absorption cooling cycle combined with the flat plate collector solar system is found to be the most energy efficient air conditioning system.

  3. Performance comparison between a solar driven rotary desiccant cooling system and conventional vapor compression system (performance study of desiccant cooling)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ge, T.S.; Ziegler, F.; Wang, R.Z.; Wang, H.

    2010-01-01

    Solar driven rotary desiccant cooling systems have been widely recognized as alternatives to conventional vapor compression systems for their merits of energy-saving and being eco-friendly. In the previous paper, the basic performance features of desiccant wheel have been discussed. In this paper, a solar driven two-stage rotary desiccant cooling system and a vapor compression system are simulated to provide cooling for one floor in a commercial office building in two cities with different climates: Berlin and Shanghai. The model developed in the previous paper is adopted to predict the performance of the desiccant wheel. The objectives of this paper are to evaluate and compare the thermodynamic and economic performance of the two systems and to obtain useful data for practical application. Results show that the desiccant cooling system is able to meet the cooling demand and provide comfortable supply air in both of the two regions. The required regeneration temperatures are 55 deg. C in Berlin and 85 deg. C in Shanghai. As compared to the vapor compression system, the desiccant cooling system has better supply air quality and consumes less electricity. The results of the economic analysis demonstrate that the dynamic investment payback periods are 4.7 years in Berlin and 7.2 years in Shanghai.

  4. Desiccant-assisted cooling fundamentals and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Brum, Nisio

    2014-01-01

    The increasing concern with indoor air quality has led to air-quality standards with increased ventilation rates. Although increasing the volume flow rate of outside air is advisable from the perspective of air-quality, it is detrimental to energy consumption, since the outside air has to be brought to the comfort condition before it is insufflated to the  conditioned ambient. Moreover, the humidity load carried within outside air has challenging HVAC engineers to design cooling units which are able to satisfactorily handle both sensible and latent contributions to the thermal load. This constitutes a favorable scenario for the use of solid desiccants to assist the cooling units. In fact, desiccant wheels have been increasingly applied by HVAC designers, allowing distinct processes for the air cooling and dehumidification. In fact, the ability of solid desiccants in moisture removal is effective enough to allow the use of evaporative coolers, in opposition to the traditional vapor-compression cycle, resultin...

  5. Solar hybrid cooling system for high-tech offices in subtropical climate - Radiant cooling by absorption refrigeration and desiccant dehumidification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fong, K.F.; Chow, T.T.; Lee, C.K.; Lin, Z.; Chan, L.S.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → A solar hybrid cooling system is proposed for high-tech offices in subtropical climate. → An integration of radiant cooling, absorption refrigeration and desiccant dehumidification. → Year-round cooling and energy performances were evaluated through dynamic simulation. → Its annual primary energy consumption was lower than conventional system up to 36.5%. → The passive chilled beams were more energy-efficient than the active chilled beams. - Abstract: A solar hybrid cooling design is proposed for high cooling load demand in hot and humid climate. For the typical building cooling load, the system can handle the zone cooling load (mainly sensible) by radiant cooling with the chilled water from absorption refrigeration, while the ventilation load (largely latent) by desiccant dehumidification. This hybrid system utilizes solar energy for driving the absorption chiller and regenerating the desiccant wheel. Since a high chilled water temperature generated from the absorption chiller is not effective to handle the required latent load, desiccant dehumidification is therefore involved. It is an integration of radiant cooling, absorption refrigeration and desiccant dehumidification, which are powered up by solar energy. In this study, the application potential of the solar hybrid cooling system was evaluated for the high-tech offices in the subtropical climate through dynamic simulation. The high-tech offices are featured with relatively high internal sensible heat gains due to the intensive office electric equipment. The key performance indicators included the solar fraction and the primary energy consumption. Comparative study was also carried out for the solar hybrid cooling system using two common types of chilled ceilings, the passive chilled beams and active chilled beams. It was found that the solar hybrid cooling system was technically feasible for the applications of relatively higher cooling load demand. The annual primary energy

  6. Simulation Analysis of the Four Configurations of Solar Desiccant Cooling System Using Evaporative Cooling in Tropical Weather in Malaysia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. M. S. Dezfouli

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A high demand for air conditioning systems exists in hot and humid regions because of the warm climate during the year. The high energy consumption of conventional air conditioning system is the reason for our investigation of the solar desiccant cooling system as an energy-efficient cooling system. Four model configurations were considered to determine the best configuration of a solar desiccant cooling system: one-stage ventilation, one-stage recirculation, two-stage ventilation, and two-stage recirculation. These models were stimulated for 8,760 hr of operation under hot and humid weather in Malaysia. Several parameters (i.e., coefficient of performance or COP, room temperature and humidity ratio, and the solar fraction of each system were evaluated by detecting the temperature and humidity ratio of the different points of each configuration by TRNSYS simulation. The latent and sensible loads of the test room were 0.875 kW and 2.625 kW, respectively. By investigating the simulation results of the four systems, the ventilation modes were found to be higher than the recirculation modes in the one- and two-stage solar desiccant cooling systems. The isothermal dehumidification COP of the two-stage ventilation was higher than that of the two-stage recirculation. Hence, the two-stage ventilation mode desiccant cooling system in a hot and humid area has higher efficiency than the other configurations.

  7. Adsorption Machine & Desiccant Wheel based SOLAR COOLING in a Second Law perspective

    OpenAIRE

    Bivona, Santo

    2011-01-01

    This thesis work is intended to investigate energy and exergy performance of a low power prototype solar air conditioning system based on sorption materials. Its performance is analyzed in the light of both the First and Second Law of Thermodynamics and compared with conventional HVAC systems as well as with a further solar cooling technology based on desiccant wheels (Solar DEC). The adsorption machine based solar cooling plant was thoroughly designed and its thermal performance analysed ...

  8. Parameter analysis and optimization of the energy and economic performance of solar-assisted liquid desiccant cooling system under different climate conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi, Ronghui; Lu, Lin; Huang, Yu

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Operation conditions significantly affect energy & economic performance of SLDCS. • Control parameters in three areas were optimized by Multi-Population Genetic Algorithm. • Solar collector area showed the greatest effect on system performance for humid areas. • Desiccant concentration showed greatest effect on system performance for dry areas. • Requirement of collector area, heating water and desiccant flow rates for humid areas is highest. - Abstract: Operation conditions significantly affect the energy and economic performance of solar-assisted liquid desiccant cooling systems. This study optimized the system control parameters for buildings in different climates, i.e., Singapore (hot and humid), Beijing (moderate) and Boulder (hot and dry), with a multi-parameter optimization based on the Multi-Population Genetic Algorithm to obtain optimal system performance in terms of relatively maximum electricity saving rate with a minimum cost payback period. The results indicated that the selection of operation parameters is significantly influenced by climatic conditions. The solar collector installation area exhibited the greatest effect on both energy and economic performance in humid areas, and the heating water flow rate was also important. For dry areas, a change in desiccant concentration had the largest effect on system performance. Although the effect of the desiccant flow rate was significant in humid cities, it appeared to have little influence over buildings in dry areas. Furthermore, the requirements of the solar collector installation area in humid areas were much higher. The optimized area was up to 70 m"2 in Singapore compared with 27.5 m"2 in Boulder. Similar results were found for the flow rates of heating water and the desiccant solution. Applying the optimization, humid cities could achieve an electricity saving of more than 40% with a six-year payback period. The optimal performance for hot and dry areas of a 38% electricity

  9. Effect of inter-cooling on the performance and economics of a solar energy assisted hybrid air conditioning system with six stages one-rotor desiccant wheel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elzahzby, Ali M.; Kabeel, A.E.; Bassuoni, M.M.; Abdelgaied, Mohamed

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Development of a mathematical model for predicting the performance of solar energy assisted hybrid air conditioning system. • The model uses a one-rotor six-stage rotary silica gel desiccant wheel. • Theoretical model results are in good agreement with experimental data. • The influences of main operating parameters on optimal rotational speed are discussed. • A life cycle cost analysis of the proposed system has been investigated. - Abstract: In this study, a mathematical model for predicting the performance of solar energy assisted hybrid air conditioning system (SEAHACS) was considered. The desiccant wheels used honeycombed silica gel–haloids composite material. This one-rotor desiccant wheel is divided into six stages, in which two-stage dehumidification process, two-stage pre-cooling process and two-stage regeneration process are realized. Three air streams are involved in the present system. The mathematical model has been validated with the experimental data. As the key operating and design parameter, the range of process air inlet temperature from 27.5 to 45 °C, range of humidity ratio of the inlet process air from 9 to 21 g/kg, process air inlet velocity from 1.5 to 5.5 m/s have been examined for a range of rotation speed from 6 to 20 rev/h. the optimization of this parameters is conducted based on the moisture removal capacity D, relative moisture removal capacity, dehumidification coefficient of performance, thermal coefficient of performance, and supply air temperature and humidity ratio. At last, the influences of these main parameters on optimal rotational speed are discussed. Eventually, the life cycle cost analysis of the solar energy assisted hybrid air conditioning system has been investigated

  10. Assessment of Energy, Environmental and Economic Performance of a Solar Desiccant Cooling System with Different Collector Types

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Angrisani

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Desiccant-based air handling units can achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings with respect to conventional air conditioning systems. Benefits are maximized when they interact with renewable energy technologies, such as solar collectors. In this work, experimental tests and data derived from scientific and technical literature are used to implement a model of a solar desiccant cooling system, considering three different collector technologies (air, flat-plate and evacuated collectors. Simulations were then performed to compare the energy, environmental and economic performance of the system with those of a desiccant-based unit where regeneration thermal energy is supplied by a natural gas boiler, and with those of a conventional air-handling unit. The only solution that allows achieving the economic feasibility of the solar desiccant cooling unit consists of 16 m2 of evacuated solar collectors. This is able to obtain, with respect to the reference system, a reduction of primary energy consumption and of the equivalent CO2 emissions of 50.2% and 49.8%, respectively, but with a payback time of 20 years.

  11. Energy performance of solar-assisted liquid desiccant air-conditioning system for commercial building in main climate zones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi, Ronghui; Lu, Lin; Huang, Yu

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Simulation of solar liquid desiccant AC system in four climate regions was conducted. • System performance was determined by relationship of sensible and latent cooling load. • For humid area, saving amount is large by handling latent load with solar energy. • For dry area, electricity saving rate is considerable due to the high COP of chillers. • For buildings with mild SHR, the system performance was not as good as others. - Abstract: Liquid desiccant air-conditioning (LDAC) system, which consists of a liquid desiccant ventilation system for dehumidification and an air-handling unit for cooling, has become a promising alternative for conventional technology. To evaluate its feasibility and applicability, the simulation of solar-assisted LDAC (SLDAC) in commercial buildings in five cities of four main climate regions were conducted, including Singapore in Tropical, Houston and Beijing in Temperate, Boulder in Arid and Los Angeles in Mediterranean. Results showed that the system’s performance was seriously affected by the ratios of building’s sensible and latent cooling load. For buildings located in humid areas with low sensible-total heat ratio (SHR), the electricity energy reduction of SLDAC was high, about 450 MW h in Houston and Singapore, which accounted for 40% of the total energy consumption in cooling seasons. The cost payback period was as short as approximately 7 years. The main reason is that the energy required for handling the moisture could be saved by liquid desiccant dehumidification, and the regeneration heat could be covered by solar collectors. For buildings in dry climate with high SHR, the total cooling load was low, but up to 45% electricity of AC system could be saved in Boulder because the chiller COP could be significantly improved during more than 70% operation time. The cost payback period was around 22 years, which was acceptable. However, for the buildings with mild SHR, such as those in Beijing and Los

  12. Performance of a desiccant assisted packed bed passive solar dryer for copra processing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Padmanaban Govindarajulu

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the performance of a novel desiccant assisted packed bed passive solar dryer was evaluated for copra processing and compared with conventional passive solar dryer. This novel solar dryer consists of a desiccant assisted packed bed solar air heater attached with a dryer cabin. The desiccant and phase change materials packed in the solar air heater has control the humidity and retains the heat for longer duration, respectively. The performance of the dryer was evaluated (in terms of drying time to attain the final equilibrium moisture content, drying rate, specific moisture extraction rate, pick-up efficiency, and dryer efficiency under the meteorological conditions of Coimbatore city in India during March and April 2016. The copra was dried from initial moisture content (wet basis of about 52% to the final moisture content (wet basis of about 8% in 62 hours with specific moisture extraction rate of 0.82 kg/kWh. The drying time was reduced by about 44 hours when compared to the conventional passive solar dryer. The dryer pick-up efficiency was varied between about 10% and 65%. The average dryer thermal efficiency was calculated to be about 32%. The quality of final dried product was found to be good.

  13. Performance Assessment of a Solar-Assisted Desiccant-Based Air Handling Unit Considering Different Scenarios

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Angrisani

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, three alternative layouts (scenarios of an innovative solar-assisted hybrid desiccant-based air handling unit (AHU are investigated through dynamic simulations. Performance is evaluated with respect to a reference system and compared to those of the innovative plant without modifications. For each scenario, different collector types, surfaces and tilt angles are considered. The effect of the solar thermal energy surplus exploitation for other low-temperature uses is also investigated. The first alternative scenario consists of the recovery of the heat rejected by the condenser of the chiller to pre-heat the regeneration air. The second scenario considers the pre-heating of regeneration air with the warmer regeneration air exiting the desiccant wheel (DW. The last scenario provides pre-cooling of the process air before entering the DW. Results reveal that the plants with evacuated solar collectors (SC can ensure primary energy savings (15%–24% and avoid equivalent CO2 emissions (14%–22%, about 10 percentage points more than those with flat-plate collectors, when the solar thermal energy is used only for air conditioning and the collectors have the best tilt angle. If all of the solar thermal energy is considered, the best results with evacuated tube collectors are approximately 73% in terms of primary energy saving, 71% in terms of avoided equivalent CO2 emissions and a payback period of six years.

  14. Experimental study on solar desiccant cooling system. 2nd Report; Taiyonetsu kudo desiccant cooling system no jikkenteki kento. 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tanaka, H; Funato, H [Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Fukuoka (Japan); Kuma, T [Seibu Giken Co. Ltd., Fukuoka (Japan)

    1996-10-27

    Study has been made about a desiccant cleaning system using solar heated water for regenerating the dehumidifier. A dehumidifier and evaporation coolers are combined to attain a synergistic effect in dehumidifying and cooling the air in the house. The simultaneous control of humidity and temperature, however, is quite difficult. Under the circumstances, an evaporation cooler was removed from the outdoor air intake side, to leave a humidifier alone for the control of humidity only. In addition, the length of the dehumidifier was reduced into half for saving fan driving power and for downscaling the model. With only one evaporation cooler in operation that is installed at the exhaust side, the cooling effect is diminished by half. For dealing with the situation, ultrasonic atomization is performed at the exhaust side evaporation cooler for the improvement of the air cooling effect for the next sensible heat exchanger (intake side). The return air is heated by the solar heater water (approximately 60{degree}C hot), regenerates the dehumidifier, and then exhausted. The atomization process elevates the cooling effect, and the resultant cooling effect was as high as that expected from a 2-cooler setup. The dehumidification effect, however, lowers a little. Exclusion of the atomization process will enhance the dehumidification effect, but will reduce the cooling effect as well. 3 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.

  15. Parametric Analysis of Design Parameter Effects on the Performance of a Solar Desiccant Evaporative Cooling System in Brisbane, Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yunlong Ma

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Solar desiccant cooling is widely considered as an attractive replacement for conventional vapor compression air conditioning systems because of its environmental friendliness and energy efficiency advantages. The system performance of solar desiccant cooling strongly depends on the input parameters associated with the system components, such as the solar collector, storage tank and backup heater, etc. In order to understand the implications of different design parameters on the system performance, this study has conducted a parametric analysis on the solar collector area, storage tank volume, and backup heater capacity of a solid solar desiccant cooling system for an office building in Brisbane, Australia climate. In addition, a parametric analysis on the outdoor air humidity ratio control set-point which triggers the operation of the desiccant wheel has also been investigated. The simulation results have shown that either increasing the storage tank volume or increasing solar collector area would result in both increased solar fraction (SF and system coefficient of performance (COP, while at the same time reduce the backup heater energy consumption. However, the storage tank volume is more sensitive to the system performance than the collector area. From the economic aspect, a storage capacity of 30 m3/576 m2 has the lowest life cycle cost (LCC of $405,954 for the solar subsystem. In addition, 100 kW backup heater capacity is preferable for the satisfaction of the design regeneration heating coil hot water inlet temperature set-point with relatively low backup heater energy consumption. Moreover, an outdoor air humidity ratio control set-point of 0.008 kgWater/kgDryAir is more reasonable, as it could both guarantee the indoor design conditions and achieve low backup heater energy consumption.

  16. Theoretical modelling and experimental study of air thermal conditioning process of a heat pump assisted solid desiccant cooling system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nie, Jinzhe; Li, Zan; Hu, Wenju

    2017-01-01

    purification aimed at improving indoor air quality and reducing building energy consumption. The heat and moisture transfer in adsorption desiccant rotor was theoretical modelled with one-dimensional partial differential equations. The theoretical model was validated with experimental measurements...... system, the energy performance of HP-SDC was more efficient mainly due to high efficient air purification capacity, reduction of cooling load and raised evaporation temperature. The energy performance of HP-SDC was sensitive to outdoor humidity ratio. Further improvements of HP-SDC energy efficiency......Taking the integrated gaseous contaminants and moisture adsorption potential of desiccant material, a new heat pump assisted solid desiccant cooling system (HP-SDC) was proposed based on the combination of desiccant rotor with heat pump. The HP-SDC was designed for dehumidification, cooling and air...

  17. Solar heating cooling. Preparation of possible participation in IEA, Solar Heating Cooling Task 25

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-03-01

    For the Danish solar heating industries it is interesting to discuss the domestic market possibilities and the export possibilities for solar heating cooling systems. The Danish solar heating sector also wants to participate in the international collaboration within IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Task 25 'Solar Assisted Air Conditioning of Buildings'. The Danish Energy Agency therefore has granted means for this project to discuss: The price of cooling for 3 different solar cooling methods (absorption cooling, desiccant cooling and ejector cooling); Market possibilities in Denmark and abroad; The advantages by Danish participation in IEA Task 25. The task has been solved through literature studies to establish status for the 3 technologies. It turned out that ejector cooling by low temperatures (85 deg. C from the solar collector) exists as pilot plants in relation to district heating, but is still not commercial accessible. Desiccant cooling, where the supplied heat has temperatures down to 55 deg. C is a well-developed technology. However only a handful of pilot plants with solar heating exists, and thus optimization relating to operation strategy and economy is on the experimental stage. Absorption cooling plants driven by solar heating are found in a large number in Japan and are also demonstrated in several other countries. The combination of absorption heating pump and solar heating is considered to be commercial accessible. Solar heating is interesting as heat source of to the extent that it can replace other sources of heat without the economy being depreciated. This can be the case in South Europe if: 1) oil or natural gas is used for heating; 2) a solar heating system already exists, e.g. for domestic water supply, and is installed so that the marginal costs by solar heating supply of the ventilation plant is reduced. All in all the above conditions mean that the market for solar heating for cooling is very limited in Europe, where almost everybody are

  18. Desiccant cooling: State-of-the-art assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pesaran, A.A.; Penney, T.R.; Czanderna, A.W.

    1992-10-01

    The objectives of this document are to present an overview of the work accomplished to date on desiccant cooling to provide assessment of the state of the art of desiccant cooling technology in the field of desiccant material dehumidifier components, desiccant systems, and models. The report also discusses the factors that affect the widespread acceptance of desiccant cooling technology. This report is organized as follows. First, a basic description and historical overview of desiccant cooling technology is provided. Then, the recent research and development (R D) program history (focusing on DOE's funded efforts) is discussed. The status of the technology elements (materials, components, systems) is discussed in detail and a preliminary study on the energy impact of desiccant technology is presented. R D needs for advancing the technology in the market are identified. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's unique desiccant test facilities and their typical outputs are described briefly. Finally, the results of a comprehensive literature search on desiccant cooling are presented in a bibliography. The bibliography contains approximately 900 citations on desiccant cooling.

  19. Desiccant cooling: State-of-the-art assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pesaran, A.A.; Penney, T.R.; Czanderna, A.W.

    1992-10-01

    The objectives of this document are to present an overview of the work accomplished to date on desiccant cooling to provide assessment of the state of the art of desiccant cooling technology in the field of desiccant material dehumidifier components, desiccant systems, and models. The report also discusses the factors that affect the widespread acceptance of desiccant cooling technology. This report is organized as follows. First, a basic description and historical overview of desiccant cooling technology is provided. Then, the recent research and development (R&D) program history (focusing on DOE`s funded efforts) is discussed. The status of the technology elements (materials, components, systems) is discussed in detail and a preliminary study on the energy impact of desiccant technology is presented. R&D needs for advancing the technology in the market are identified. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory`s unique desiccant test facilities and their typical outputs are described briefly. Finally, the results of a comprehensive literature search on desiccant cooling are presented in a bibliography. The bibliography contains approximately 900 citations on desiccant cooling.

  20. The effects of regeneration temperature of the desiccant wheel on the performance of desiccant cooling cycles for greenhouse thermally insulated

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rjibi, Amel; Kooli, Sami; Guizani, Amenaallah

    2018-05-01

    The use of solar energy for cooling greenhouses in the hot period in Mediterranean climate is an important issue. Desiccant evaporative cooling (DEC) system is advantageous because it uses a low grade thermal energy and preserves the merits to be friendly environmentally technology. In this paper, a numerical investigation was carried out on a desiccant cooling system powered by air solar collectors coupled to an insulated greenhouse. The influence of the regeneration temperature on the air stream properties at every system component state point was studied. The performance of the desiccant cooling system was evaluated in terms of thermal and electric coefficient of performance. Results show that the best performance of the system (COPel = 14 and COPth = 0.94) was obtained for a 60 °C regeneration temperature and a supply flow rate ratio of 0.2. An economic analysis shows that the use of the DEC system for greenhouse cooling is attractive and profitable since the payback period is 1 years. The use of the proposed system allows saving 9396 kWh/year of electric energy compared to conventional system.

  1. Modelling and analysis of a desiccant cooling system using the regenerative indirect evaporative cooling process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bellemo, Lorenzo; Elmegaard, Brian; Reinholdt, Lars O.

    2013-01-01

    This paper focuses on the numerical modeling and analysis of a Desiccant Cooling (DEC) system with regenerative indirect evaporative cooling, termed Desiccant Dewpoint Cooling (DDC) system. The DDC system includes a Desiccant Wheel (DW), Dew Point Coolers (DPCs), a heat recovery unit and a heat...... in different climates: temperate in Copenhagen and Mediterranean in Venice. Cheap and clean heat sources (e.g. solar energy) strongly increase the attractiveness of the DDC system. For the Mediterranean climate the DDC system represents a convenient alternative to chiller-based systems in terms of energy costs...... and CO2 emissions. The electricity consumption for auxiliaries in the DDC system is higher than in the chiller-based systems. The number of commercial-size DPC units required to cover the cooling load during the whole period is high: 8 in Copenhagen and 12 in Venice....

  2. Solar heating cooling. Preparation of possible participation in IEA, Solar Heating Cooling Task 25; Solvarmedrevet koeling. Forberedelse af evt. deltagelse i IEA, Solar Heating Cooling Task 25

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-03-01

    For the Danish solar heating industries it is interesting to discuss the domestic market possibilities and the export possibilities for solar heating cooling systems. The Danish solar heating sector also wants to participate in the international collaboration within IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Task 25 'Solar Assisted Air Conditioning of Buildings'. The Danish Energy Agency therefore has granted means for this project to discuss: The price of cooling for 3 different solar cooling methods (absorption cooling, desiccant cooling and ejector cooling); Market possibilities in Denmark and abroad; The advantages by Danish participation in IEA Task 25. The task has been solved through literature studies to establish status for the 3 technologies. It turned out that ejector cooling by low temperatures (85 deg. C from the solar collector) exists as pilot plants in relation to district heating, but is still not commercial accessible. Desiccant cooling, where the supplied heat has temperatures down to 55 deg. C is a well-developed technology. However only a handful of pilot plants with solar heating exists, and thus optimization relating to operation strategy and economy is on the experimental stage. Absorption cooling plants driven by solar heating are found in a large number in Japan and are also demonstrated in several other countries. The combination of absorption heating pump and solar heating is considered to be commercial accessible. Solar heating is interesting as heat source of to the exent that it can replace other sources of heat without the economy being depreciated. This can be the case in South Europe if: 1) oil or natural gas is used for heating; 2) a solar heating system already exists, e.g. for domestic water supply, and is installed so that the marginal costs by solar heating supply of the ventilation plant is reduced. All in all the above conditions mean that the market for solar heating for cooling is very limited in Europe, where almost

  3. Primary energy savings in desiccant and evaporative cooling-assisted 100% outdoor air system combined with a fuel cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Min-Hwi; Dong, Hae-Won; Park, Joon-Young; Jeong, Jae-Weon

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A LD-IDECOAS integrated with a PEMFC was proposed. • A pilot system was installed and tested during cooling operation. • The proposed system powered by the PEMFC saved 21% of the primary energy consumption during cooling. - Abstract: The main purpose of this study involved investigating the primary energy saving potential of a liquid desiccant and evaporative cooling-assisted 100% outdoor air system (LD-IDECOAS) integrated with a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). During the cooling season, the heat produced by the PEMFC was used to regenerate a weak desiccant solution, and the electricity generated was used to operate the LD-IDECOAS. A pilot LD-IDECOAS powered by a PEMFC was installed and operated in an office space to experimentally verify the annual operating energy savings of the proposed system. The findings indicated that the heat reclaimed from the PEMFC saved 42% of the desiccant solution regenerating energy when compared to that in the case of a conventional gas-fired water heater. The results also suggested that the LD-IDECOAS combined with a PEMFC consumed 21% less primary energy when compared with that of a system powered by grid electricity and a conventional gas-fired water heater.

  4. Simulation of potential standalone liquid desiccant cooling cycles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Rajat Subhra; Jain, Sanjeev

    2015-01-01

    LDCS (Liquid desiccant cooling systems), capable of achieving dehumidification and cooling with low-grade heat input, can be effectively used for treating fresh air in hot and humid regions. These can also be operated using non-concentrating solar collectors. The present study is concerned with the evaluation of various potential liquid desiccant cycles for tropical climatic conditions. Six potential standalone liquid desiccant cycles are identified and analyzed to select the best configuration for achieving thermal comfort. A computer simulation model is developed in EES (Equation Solver) software platform to evaluate the performance of all the cycles at various operating conditions. Aqueous solution of LiCl (lithium chloride) is used as desiccant. Mass and energy balance equations of all the components along with their effectiveness and LiCl property correlation equations are solved simultaneously for given ambient conditions. As the desiccant circuit is a closed loop, no assumptions are made about its concentration and temperature in the algorithm. Supply air conditions, cooling capacity, COP (capacity and coefficient of performance) and CR (circulation rate) per unit cooling capacity and hot water temperature requirement are used as a measure for analyzing the performance of the different cycles. The effect of hot water temperature on the performance of the cycles is evaluated at ARI conditions. The performances of the cycles are also evaluated for cities selected from each of the climatic zone of India that represent typical tropical climates. Although all the cycles are feasible at ARI and hot and dry conditions, only two cycles can achieve the selected indoor conditions in the peak humid conditions. The results would be useful for selecting suitable liquid desiccant cycle for a given climate. - Highlights: • Six potential standalone liquid desiccant cycles identified and analyzed to select best configuration. • A computer simulation model is developed in

  5. Investigation on a two-stage solar liquid-desiccant (LiBr) dehumidification system assisted by CaCl2 solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiong, Z.Q.; Dai, Y.J.; Wang, R.Z.

    2009-01-01

    A two-stage solar powered liquid-desiccant dehumidification system, for which two kinds of desiccant solution (lithium chloride and calcium bromide) are fed to the two dehumidification stages separately, has been studied. In the studied system air moisture (latent) load is separately removed by a pre-dehumidifier using cheap calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ) and a main dehumidifier using stable lithium bromide (LiBr). Side-effect of mixing heat rejected during dehumidification process is considerably alleviated by an indirect evaporative cooling unit added between the two dehumidification stages. The feasibility of high-desiccant concentration difference achieved by reusing desiccant solution to dehumidify air and regenerating desiccant repeatedly is analyzed. By increasing desiccant concentration difference, desiccant storage capacity is effectively explored. It is found that the pre-dehumidification effect of CaCl 2 solution is significant in high ambient humidity condition. Also seen is that the desiccant investment can be decreased by 53%, though the cost of equipments is somewhat increased, and the Tcop and COP of the proposed system can reach 0.97 and 2.13, respectively

  6. Simulation and parameter analysis of a two-stage desiccant cooing/heating system driven by solar air collectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, H.; Dai, Y.J.; Köhler, M.; Wang, R.Z.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A solar desiccant cooling/heating system is simulation studied. ► The mean deviation is about 10.5% for temperature and 9.6% for humidity ratio. ► The 51.7% of humidity load and 76% of the total cooling can be handled. ► About 49.0% of heating load can be handled by solar energy. ► An optimization of solar air collector has been investigated. - Abstract: To increase the fraction of solar energy might be used in supplying energy for the operation of a building, a solar desiccant cooling and heating system was modeled in Simulink. First, base case performance models were programmed according to the configuration of the installed solar desiccant system and verified by the experimental data. Then, the year-round performance about the system was simulated. Last, design parameters of solar air collectors were optimized that include collector area, air leakage and thermal insulation. Comparison between numerical and experimental results shows good agreement. During the simulation, the humidity load for 63 days (51.7%) can be totally handled by the two-stage desiccant cooling unit. For seasonal total heating load, about 49.0% can be handled by solar energy. Based on optimized results, the thermal energy subsystem functioned to its expected performance in solar energy collection and thermal storage

  7. Efficient energy storage in liquid desiccant cooling systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hublitz, Astrid

    2008-07-18

    Liquid Desiccant Cooling Systems (LDCS) are open loop sorption systems for air conditioning that use a liquid desiccant such as a concentrated salt solution to dehumidify the outside air and cool it by evaporative cooling. Thermochemical energy storage in the concentrated liquid desiccant can bridge power mismatches between demand and supply. Low-flow LDCS provide high energy storage capacities but are not a state-of-the-art technology yet. The key challenge remains the uniform distribution of the liquid desiccant on the heat and mass transfer surfaces. The present research analyzes the factors of influence on the energy storage capacity by simulation of the heat and mass transfer processes and specifies performance goals for the distribution of the process media. Consequently, a distribution device for the liquid desiccant is developed that reliably meets the performance goals. (orig.)

  8. Analysis of a solid desiccant cooling system with indirect evaporative cooling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bellemo, Lorenzo

    investigates the performance of a solid desiccant cooling system implementing in-direct evaporative cooling processes. The aim is to quantify the system thermal and electrical performance for varying component dimensions and operating conditions, and to identify its range of applicability. This information...... evaporative cooler. Detailed steady state numerical models are developed and implemented in MATLAB. The models need to be accurate and require low computational effort, for analysing the internal heat and mass transfer processes, as well as carrying out repetitive design and optimization simulations......-to-air heat exchanger for enhancing cooling capacity and thermal performance. The system perfor-mance is investigated considering regeneration temperatures between 50 ºC and 90 ºC, which enable low temperature heat sources, such as solar energy or waste heat, to be used. The effects of several geometrical...

  9. System performance and economic analysis of solar-assisted cooling/heating system

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, B.J.; Wu, J.H.; Yen, R.H.; Wang, J.H.; Hsu, H.Y.; Hsia, C.J.; Yen, C.W.; Chang, J.M.

    2011-01-01

    The long-term system simulation and economic analysis of solar-assisted cooling/heating system (SACH-2) was carried out in order to find an economical design. The solar heat driven ejector cooling system (ECS) is used to provide part of the cooling

  10. Design of Air Ventilation System for Cargo Hold Vessels Using Solar Desiccant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alam Baheramsyah

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available One of the facilities and infrastructure of the vessel is the ventilation system in the cargo hold to maintain the quality. One attempt to avoid high moisture ratios is to provide a dry air supply by using desiccants. The purpose of this thesis is to design the system of air ventilation with solar desiccant by analysis the calculation with decrease air humidity ratio after passing desiccant rotor as well as fulfillment needs of heater and cooling system using heat of exhaust gas and seawater as well as fulfillment of electricity need using solar energy. From the result of analysis obtain to provide air supply in the cargo hold of 437.5 m3 / hour, the specification of rotor desiccant has a diameter of 550 mm with thickness 200 mm to decrease ratio of outside air humidity equal to 83.1% become 46.5%. Dehumidification air temperature of 47.7oC will be lowered to 35oC by using the sea water cooling media. As for the reactivation air heater requirement of 24.292 kW would be to fulfilled by utilizing the exhaust power of 498.12 kW. And for the electric power needs of the syetm is 34,488 wp will be supplied from the total solar module is 33 units with 345 wp per-capacity.

  11. Huge opportunity for solar cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rowe, Daniel

    2014-01-01

    In Europe more than 400 solar cooling systems have been installed. By contrast, only a small number of solar cooling installations exist in Australia - primarily adsorption and absorption systems for commercial and hospitals - although these systems are growing. As with other renewable energy technologies, cost is a challenge. However solar cooling is currently competitive with other technologies, with some suggesting that system costs have been decreasing by about 20% per annum in recent times. Australia is also leading efforts in the development of residential solar desiccant technology, currently commercialising Australian-developed technology. Commercial and industrial enterprises are increasingly aware of the impact of demand charges, the potential to install technology as a hedge against future energy price rises and opportunities associated with increased on-site generation and reduced reliance on the grid, often necessitating on-site demand reduction and management. They are also driven by environmental and corporate social responsibility objectives as well as the opportunity for energy independence and uninterruptible operation. Interestingly, many of these interests are mirrdred at residential level, inspiring CSIRO's commercialisation of a domestic scale solar air conditioner with Australian manufacturer Brevis Climate Systems. Australia and other countries are increasingly aware of solar cooling as technology which can reduce or replace grid-powered cooling, particularly in applications where large building thermal energy requirements exist. In these applications, heating, cooling and hot water are generated and used in large amounts and the relative amounts of each can be varied dynamically, depending on building requirements. Recent demonstrations of solar cooling technology in Australia include Hunter TAFE's Solar Desiccant Cooling System - which provides heating, cooling and hot water to commercial training kitchens and classrooms - GPT

  12. Performance evaluation of a solar energy assisted hybrid desiccant air conditioner integrated with HDH desalination system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kabeel, A.E.; Abdelgaied, Mohamed; Zakaria, Yehya

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • The performance of a solar hybrid air conditioner integrated with HDH desalination system is numerically investigated. • For increase the regeneration air from 70 to 130 m 3 /h, the distillate water productivity increases from 2.988 to 4.78 L/h. • For increase the regeneration air from 70 to 130 m 3 /h, COP overall daily decreases from 4.66 to 3.386. • For increases the regeneration air temperature from 75 to 95 °C, the distillate water increases from 3.1752 to 5.011 L/h. • For increases the regeneration air temperature from 75 to 95 °C, COP overall daily decreases from 4.392 to 3.636. - Abstract: In this study, the performances of a solar energy assisted hybrid desiccant air conditioning system integrated with humidification–dehumidification (HDH) desalination system are numerically investigated. The aim of this study is to benefit from the temperature rise of the regeneration air outside of the desiccant conditioning system as well as the water vapor content in this regeneration air by feeding it to the humidification-dehumidification water desalination unit to produce distillate water. The distillate water productivity, human thermal comfort issues, and energy saving represent the main objective of the present numerical study. The simulated results developed for subsystems are validated with the published experimental results. The effects of regeneration air temperature and flow rate on supply cooled air temperature, distillate water productivity, the cooling coefficient of performance and overall daily coefficient of performance of the proposed system are investigated. The results show that (i) the distillate water productivity increases from 3.175 to 5.011 L/h and overall daily coefficient of performance decreases from 4.392 to 3.636 with increasing the regeneration air temperature from 75 to 95 as (ii) the increase in the regeneration air flow rate from 70 to 130 m 3 /h, increases the distillate water productivity from 2.988 to 4

  13. Performance test of solar-assisted ejector cooling system

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Bin-Juine

    2014-03-01

    A solar-assisted ejector cooling/heating system (SACH-2k) is built and test result is reported. The solar-driven ejector cooling system (ECS) is connected in series with an inverter-type air conditioner (IAC). Several advanced technologies are developed in SACH-k2, including generator liquid level control in ECS, the ECS evaporator temperature control, and optimal control of fan power in cooling tower of ECS. From the field test results, the generator liquid level control performs quite well and keeps stable performance of ejector. The ECS evaporator temperature control also performs satisfactorily to keep ejector performance normally under low or fluctuating solar radiation. The fan power control system cooling tower performs stably and reduces the power consumption dramatically without affecting the ECS performance. The test results show that the overall system COPo including power consumptions of peripheral increases from 2.94-3.3 (IAC alone) to 4.06-4.5 (SACH-k2), about 33-43%. The highest COPo is 4.5. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and IIR. All rights reserved.

  14. Experimental investigation of a building integrated photovoltaic/thermal roof collector combined with a liquid desiccant enhanced indirect evaporative cooling system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buker, Mahmut Sami; Mempouo, Blaise; Riffat, Saffa B.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Novel solar thermal collector for liquid desiccant air conditioning was introduced. • Low cost poly heat exchanger loop underneath the photovoltaic modules was proposed. • The ability of the combined system was experimentally investigated. • Water temperature in the loop could reach up to 35.5 °C during the tests. • This tri-gen system can supply 3 kW heating, 5.2 kW cooling and 10.3 MW h/year power. - Abstract: Large consumption of limited conventional fossil fuel resources, economic and environmental problems associated with the global warming and climate change have emphasized the immediate need to transition to renewable energy resources. Solar thermal applications along with renewable energy based cooling practices have attracted considerable interest towards sustainable solutions promising various technical, economic and environmental benefits. This study introduces a new concept on solar thermal energy driven liquid desiccant based dew point cooling system that integrates several green technologies; including photovoltaic modules, polyethylene heat exchanger loop and a combined liquid desiccant dehumidification-indirect evaporative air conditioning unit. A pilot scale experimental set-up was developed and tested to investigate the performance of the proposed system and influence of the various parameters such as weather condition, air flow and regeneration temperature. A cost effective, easy-to-make polyethylene heat exchanger loop was employed underneath PV panels for heat generation. In addition, a liquid desiccant enhanced dew point cooling unit was utilized to provide air conditioning through dehumidification of humid air and indirect evaporative cooling. The experimental results show that the proposed tri-generation system is capable of providing about 3 kW of heating, 5.2 kW of cooling power and 10.3 MW h/year power generation, respectively. The findings confirm the potential of the examined technology, and elucidate the

  15. Annual DOE active solar heating and cooling contractors' review meeting. Premeeting proceedings and project summaries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None,

    1981-09-01

    Ninety-three project summaries are presented which discuss the following aspects of active solar heating and cooling: Rankine solar cooling systems; absorption solar cooling systems; desiccant solar cooling systems; solar heat pump systems; solar hot water systems; special projects (such as the National Solar Data Network, hybrid solar thermal/photovoltaic applications, and heat transfer and water migration in soils); administrative/management support; and solar collector, storage, controls, analysis, and materials technology. (LEW)

  16. Solar assisted conditioning of residences with floor heating and ceiling cooling: review and simulation results

    OpenAIRE

    Egrican, Nilufer; Korkmaz, Adnan

    2015-01-01

    Solar or solar assisted heating and cooling systems are becoming widespread to reduce CO2 emissions. Efficient radiant space heating and cooling systems can be used to decrease the energy bills and improve occupant thermal comfort in buildings. This study uses the TRNSYS program, for the modeling and simulation of solar assisted radiant heating and cooling of a building with the domestic hot water supply, to examine the effects of various parameters on energy consumption. Calculations are per...

  17. Development of a novel rotary desiccant cooling cycle with isothermal dehumidification and regenerative evaporative cooling using thermodynamic analysis method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    La, D.; Li, Y.; Dai, Y.J.; Ge, T.S.; Wang, R.Z.

    2012-01-01

    A novel rotary desiccant cooling cycle is proposed and studied using thermodynamic analysis method. The proposed cycle integrates the technologies of isothermal dehumidification and regenerative evaporative cooling, which are beneficial for irreversibility reduction. Thermodynamic investigation on the basic rotary desiccant cooling cycle shows that the exergy efficiency of the basic cycle is only 8.6%. The processes of desiccant dehumidification and evaporative cooling, which are essentially the basis for rotary desiccant cooling, affect the exergy performance of the cycle greatly and account for about one third of the total exergy destruction. The proposed cycle has potential to improve rotary desiccant cooling technology. It is advantageous in terms of both heat source utilization rate and space cooling capacity. The exergy efficiency of the new cycle is enhanced significantly to 29.1%, which is about three times that of the ventilation cycle, and 60% higher than that of the two-stage rotary desiccant cooling cycle. Furthermore, the regeneration temperature is reduced from 80 °C to about 60 °C. The corresponding specific exergy of the supply air is increased by nearly 30% when compared with the conventional cycles. -- Highlights: ► A novel rotary desiccant cooling cycle is developed using thermodynamic analysis method. ► Isothermal dehumidification and regenerative evaporative cooling have been integrated. ► The cycle is advantageous in terms of both heat source utilization rate and space cooling capacity. ► Cascaded energy utilization is beneficial for cycle performance improvement. ► Upper limits, which will be helpful to practical design and optimization, are obtained.

  18. Man-portable personal cooling garment based on vacuum desiccant cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Yifan; Stapleton, Jill; Diagne, Barbara Thiané; Kenny, Glen P.; Lan, Christopher Q.

    2012-01-01

    A man-portable personal cooling garment based on the concept of vacuum desiccant cooling (VDC) was developed. It was demonstrated with cooling pads that a cooling capacity of 373.1 W/m 2 could be achieved in an ambient environment of 37 °C. Tests with human subjects wearing prototype cooling garments consisting of 12 VDC pads with an overall weight of 3.4 kg covering 0.4 m 2 body surface indicate that the garment could maintain a core temperature substantially lower than the control when the workload was walking on a treadmill of 2% inclination at 3 mph. The exercise was carried out in an environment of 40 °C and 50% relative humidity (RH) for 60 min. Tests also showed that the VDC garment could effectively reduce the metabolic heat accumulation in body with subject wearing heavily insulated nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) suit working in the heat and allow the participant to work safely for 60 min, almost doubling the safe working time of the same participant when he wore NBC suit only. - Highlights: ► Heat stress mitigation is important for workers health, safety, and performance. ► Vacuum desiccant cooling (VDC) a novel concept for personal cooling. ► VDC garment man-portable and more efficient than commercial ice/pad vest. ► VDC garment suitable for personal cooling with NBC suit.

  19. Optimal control and performance test of solar-assisted cooling system

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, B.J.

    2010-10-01

    The solar-assisted cooling system (SACH) was developed in the present study. The ejector cooling system (ECS) is driven by solar heat and connected in parallel with an inverter-type air conditioner (A/C). The cooling load can be supplied by the ECS when solar energy is available and the input power of the A/C can be reduced. In variable weather, the ECS will probably operate at off-design condition of ejector and the cooling capability of the ECS can be lost completely. In order to make the ejector operate at critical or non-critical double-choking condition to obtain a better performance, an electronic expansion valve was installed in the suction line of the ejector to regulate the opening of the expansion valve to control the evaporator temperature. This will make the SACH always produce cooling effect even at lower solar radiation periods while the ejector performs at off-design conditions. The energy saving of A/C is experimentally shown 50-70% due to the cooling performance of ECS. The long-term performance test results show that the daily energy saving is around 30-70% as compared to the energy consumption of A/C alone (without solar-driven ECS). The total energy saving of A/C is 52% over the entire test period. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. System performance and economic analysis of solar-assisted cooling/heating system

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, B.J.

    2011-11-01

    The long-term system simulation and economic analysis of solar-assisted cooling/heating system (SACH-2) was carried out in order to find an economical design. The solar heat driven ejector cooling system (ECS) is used to provide part of the cooling load to reduce the energy consumption of the air conditioner installed as the base-load cooler. A standard SACH-2 system for cooling load 3.5. kW (1. RT) and daily cooling time 10 h is used for case study. The cooling performance is assumed only in summer seasons from May to October. In winter season from November to April, only heat is supplied. Two installation locations (Taipei and Tainan) were examined.It was found from the cooling performance simulation that in order to save 50% energy of the air conditioner, the required solar collector area is 40m2 in Taipei and 31m2 in Tainan, for COPj=0.2. If the solar collector area is designed as 20m2, the solar ejector cooling system will supply about 17-26% cooling load in Taipei in summer season and about 21-27% cooling load in Tainan. Simulation for long-term performance including cooling in summer (May-October) and hot water supply in winter (November-April) was carried out to determine the monthly-average energy savings. The corresponding daily hot water supply (with 40°C temperature rise of water) for 20m2 solar collector area is 616-858L/day in Tainan and 304-533L/day in Taipei.The economic analysis shows that the payback time of SACH-2 decreases with increasing cooling capacity. The payback time is 4.8. years in Tainan and 6.2. years in Taipei when the cooling capacity >10. RT. If the ECS is treated as an additional device used as a protective equipment to avoid overheating of solar collectors and to convert the excess solar heat in summer into cooling to reduce the energy consumption of air conditioner, the payback time is less than 3 years for cooling capacity larger than 3. RT. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

  1. A solar cooling system for greenhouse food production in hot climates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davies, P.A. [School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

    2005-12-01

    This study is motivated by the difficulty of cultivating crops in very hot countries and by the tendency for some such countries to become dependent on imported food. Liquid desiccation with solar regeneration is considered as maintained at or above room temperature, and this was confirgreenhouses. Previous studies demonstrated the technical feasibility of the desiccation-evaporation process, but mainly in the context of human dwellings. In the proposed cycle, the air is dried prior to entering the evaporative cooler. This lowers the wet-bulb temperature of the air. The cooling is assisted by using the regenerator to partially shade the greenhouse. The heat of desiccation is transferred and rejected at the outlet of the greenhouse. The cycle is analysed and results given for the climate of the The Gulf, based on weather data from Abu Dhabi. Taking examples of a temperate crop (lettuce), a tropical crop (tomato) and a tropical crop resistant to high temperatures (cucumber) we estimate the extension in growing seasons relative to (i) a greenhouse with simple fan ventilation (ii) a greenhouse with conventional evaporative cooling. Compared to option (ii), the proposed system lowers summers maximum temperatures by 5{sup o}C. This will extend the optimum season for lettuce cultivation from 3 to 6 months of the year and, for tomato and cucumber, from 7 months to the whole year. (author)

  2. Theoretical study on volatile organic compound removal and energy performance of a novel heat pump assisted solid desiccant cooling system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nie, Jinzhe; Fang, Lei; Zhang, Ge

    2015-01-01

    for cooling, dehumidification and indoor air cleaning in normal office, commercial or residential buildings. The desiccant rotor was used for dehumidification and indoor air cleaning; the heat pump provided sensible cooling and regeneration heat for the desiccant rotor. The theoretical model consisted of two...... and predicted. The theoretical model was validated by experimental data. Validating results showed that the model could be used to predict the performance of HP-SDC. The results also showed that the HP-SDC could clean air borne contaminants effectively and could provide an energy efficient choice...

  3. Development of hybrid solar-assisted cooling/heating system

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, B.J.; Wu, J.H.; Hsu, H.Y.; Wang, J.H.

    2010-01-01

    A solar-assisted ejector cooling/heating system (SACH) was developed in this study. The SACH combines a pump-less ejector cooling system (ECS) with an inverter-type heat pump (R22) and is able to provide a stable capacity for space cooling. The ECS is driven by solar heat and is used to cool the condenser of the R22 heat pump to increase its COP and reduce the energy consumption of the compressor by regulating the rotational speed of the compressor through a control system. In a complete SACH system test run at outdoor temperature 35 °C, indoor temperature 25 °C and compressor speed 20-80 Hz, and the ECS operating at generator temperature 90 °C and condensing temperature 37 °C, the corresponding condensing temperature of the heat pump in the SACH is 24.5-42 °C, cooling capacity 1.02-2.44 kW, input power 0.20-0.98 kW, and cooling COPc 5.11-2.50. This indicates that the use of ECS in SACH can effectively reduce the condensing temperature of the heat pump by 12.6-7.3 °C and reduce the power consumption by 81.2-34.5%. The SACH can also supply heat from the heat pump. At ambient temperature from 5 °C to 35 °C, the heating COPh is in the range 2.0-3.3. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Development of hybrid solar-assisted cooling/heating system

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, B.J.

    2010-08-01

    A solar-assisted ejector cooling/heating system (SACH) was developed in this study. The SACH combines a pump-less ejector cooling system (ECS) with an inverter-type heat pump (R22) and is able to provide a stable capacity for space cooling. The ECS is driven by solar heat and is used to cool the condenser of the R22 heat pump to increase its COP and reduce the energy consumption of the compressor by regulating the rotational speed of the compressor through a control system. In a complete SACH system test run at outdoor temperature 35 °C, indoor temperature 25 °C and compressor speed 20-80 Hz, and the ECS operating at generator temperature 90 °C and condensing temperature 37 °C, the corresponding condensing temperature of the heat pump in the SACH is 24.5-42 °C, cooling capacity 1.02-2.44 kW, input power 0.20-0.98 kW, and cooling COPc 5.11-2.50. This indicates that the use of ECS in SACH can effectively reduce the condensing temperature of the heat pump by 12.6-7.3 °C and reduce the power consumption by 81.2-34.5%. The SACH can also supply heat from the heat pump. At ambient temperature from 5 °C to 35 °C, the heating COPh is in the range 2.0-3.3. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Thermo-economic Optimization of Solar Assisted Heating and Cooling (SAHC System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Ghafoor

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The energy demand for cooling is continuously increasing due to growing thermal loads, changing architectural modes of building, and especially due to occupants indoor comfort requirements resulting higher electricity demand notably during peak load hours. This increasing electricity demand is resulting higher primary energy consumption and emission of green house gases (GHG due to electricity generation from fossil fuels. An exciting alternative to reduce the peak electricity consumption is the possible utilization of solar heat to run thermally driven cooling machines instead of vapor compression machines utilizing high amount of electricity. In order to widen the use of solar collectors, they should also be used to contribute for sanitary hot water production and space heating. Pakistan lying on solar belt has a huge potential to utilize solar thermal heat for heating and cooling requirement because cooling is dominant throughout the year and the enormous amount of radiation availability provides an opportunity to use it for solar thermal driven cooling systems. The sensitivity analysis of solar assisted heating and cooling system has been carried out under climatic conditions of Faisalabad (Pakistan and its economic feasibility has been calculated using maximization of NPV. Both storage size and collector area has been optimized using different economic boundary conditions. Results show that optimum area of collector lies between 0.26m2 to 0.36m2 of collector area per m2 of conditioned area for ieff values of 4.5% to 0.5%. The optimum area of collector increases by decreasing effective interest rate resulting higher solar fraction. The NPV was found to be negative for all ieff values which shows that some incentives/subsidies are needed to be provided to make the system cost beneficial. Results also show that solar fraction space heating varies between 87 and 100% during heating season and solar fraction cooling between 55 and 100% during

  6. Desiccant Dewpoint Cooling System Independent of External Water Sources

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bellemo, Lorenzo; Elmegaard, Brian; Markussen, Wiebke B.

    2015-01-01

    the air that regenerates the desiccant dehumidifier, and using it for running the evaporative coolers in the system. A closed regeneration circuit is used for maximizing the amount of condensed water. This solution is applied to a system with a desiccant wheel dehumidifier and a dew point cooler, termed...... desiccant dew-point cooling system, for demonstrating its function and applicability. Simulations are carried out for varying outdoor conditions under constant supply conditions. The results show that the system is independent of external water supply for the majority of simulated conditions. In comparison...... to the desiccant dew-point system without water recovery, the required regeneration temperature increases and the system thermal efficiency decreases....

  7. Performance assessment and transient optimization of air precooling in multi-stage solid desiccant air conditioning systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gadalla, Mohamed; Saghafifar, Mohammad

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Studying three two-stage solid desiccant cooling systems using Maisotsenko cooler. • Proposing precooling to improve two-stage desiccant systems’ COP for humid climates. • Performing transient analysis for a two-stage solid desiccant cooler in UAE. • Optimizing daily performance of a two-stage solid desiccant cooler for UAE. - Abstract: Renewable energy is one of the most promising solutions to both energy and global warming crisis. Energy consumption can be minimized considerably by utilizing solar energy in air conditioning systems operation. One of the popular solar air conditioning technologies is desiccant air conditioning. Nonetheless, conventional desiccant air conditioning systems have a relatively low coefficient of performance (COP). In consequence, two-stage desiccant air-conditioning systems are proposed to improve desiccant air conditioning systems’ COP. Moreover, a recently commercialized cooling method named Maisotsenko cooling cycle which is capable of cooling air near to its dew point temperature is considered to be integrated within the proposed multi-stage desiccant cooling systems. In this paper, three new two-stage desiccant air conditioning systems incorporating Maisotsenko cooling cycle are proposed and investigated in details for hot and humid climates such as UAE. Furthermore, air precooling is considered to improve two stage desiccant air conditioning systems’ COP. Moreover, full transient analysis and optimization are carried out in UAE within June–October. The proposed system can minimize the required solar heating during noon time as the ambient air dry bulb temperature rises. Average COP of the system during electricity load peak hours (10:00–14:00) for all five considered and combined months is 1.77. Average rate of heat input required to operate the system and average building cooling load are determined to be 100.3 kW and 46.2 kW, respectively. Therefore, system average COP is computed to be 0.46.

  8. Analysis on a hybrid desiccant air-conditioning system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia, C.X.; Dai, Y.J.; Wu, J.Y.; Wang, R.Z.

    2006-01-01

    Hybrid desiccant-assisted preconditioner and split cooling coil system, which combines the merits of moisture removal by desiccant and cooling coil for sensible heat removal, is a potential alternative to conventional vapor compression cooling systems. In this paper, experiments on a hybrid desiccant air-conditioning system, which is actually an integration of a rotary solid desiccant dehumidification and a vapor compression air-conditioning unit, had been carried out. It is found that, compared with the conventional VC (vapor compression) system, the hybrid desiccant cooling system economizes 37.5% electricity powers when the process air temperature and relative humidity are maintained at 30 o C, and 55% respectively. The reason why the hybrid desiccant cooling system features better performance relative to the VC system lies in the improvement brought about in the performance of the evaporator in VC unit due to desiccant dehumidification. A thermodynamic model of the hybrid desiccant system with R-22 as the refrigerant has been developed and the impact of operating parameters on the sensible heat ratio of the evaporator and the electric power saving rate has been analyzed. It is found that a majority of evaporators can operate in the dry condition even if the regeneration temperature is lower (i.e. 80 o C)

  9. Experimental Investigation of Air Conditioner using the Desiccant Cooling System in Equatorial Climates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Kamaruddin

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Indonesia lies in the tropical climate which requires air conditioning to increase working productivity of the people. Up to now people are still using the compressive cooling system which uses Freon as the refrigerant, which have been known to have a negative environmental impact. Therefore, new cooling system which is environmentally friendly is now needed. Desiccant cooling system manipulates the humidity condition of outside air in such a way so that the final temperature should become at 25 °C and RH of 65 %. Since it does not require refrigerant, a desiccant cooling has the potential to be developed in a tropical country like Indonesia. In this study an experimental desiccant cooling system has been designed and constructed and tested under laboratory condition. Experimental results have shown that the resulting air temperature was 26.1 °C with RH of 55.6 %, and average cooling capacity was 0.425 kW. The COP was found to be 0.44.

  10. Applicability of a desiccant dew-point cooling system independent of external water sources

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bellemo, Lorenzo; Elmegaard, Brian; Kærn, Martin Ryhl

    2015-01-01

    The applicability of a technical solution for making desiccant cooling systems independent of external water sources is investigated. Water is produced by condensing the desorbed water vapour in a closed regeneration circuit. Desorbed water recovery is applied to a desiccant dew-point cooling...... system, which includes a desiccant wheel and a dew point cooler. The system is simulated during the summer period in the Mediterranean climate of Rome and it results completely independent of external water sources. The seasonal thermal COP drops 8% in comparison to the open regeneration circuit solution...

  11. Experimental study of regenerative desiccant integrated solar dryer with and without reflective mirror

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shanmugam, V. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sathyabama University, Chennai, 600 119 (India); Natarajan, E. [Institute for Energy Studies, College of Engineering, Anna University, Chennai, 600 025 (India)

    2007-06-15

    An indirect forced convection with desiccant integrated solar dryer has been built and tested. The main parts are: a flat plate solar air collector, a drying chamber, desiccant bed and a centrifugal blower. The system is operated in two modes, sunshine hours and off sunshine hours. During sun shine hours the hot air from the flat plate collector is forced to the drying chamber for drying the product and simultaneously the desiccant bed receives solar radiation directly and through the reflected mirror. In the off sunshine hours, the dryer is operated by circulating the air inside the drying chamber through the desiccant bed by a reversible fan. The dryer is used to dry 20 kg of green peas and pineapple slices. Drying experiments were conducted with and without the integration of desiccant unit. The effect of reflective mirror on the drying potential of desiccant unit was also investigated. With the inclusion of reflective mirror, the drying potential of the desiccant material is increased by 20% and the drying time is reduced. The drying efficiency of the system varies between 43% and 55% and the pick-up efficiency varies between 20% and 60%, respectively. Approximately in all the drying experiments 60% of moisture is removed by air heated using solar energy and the remainder by the desiccant. The inclusion of reflective mirror on the desiccant bed makes faster regeneration of the desiccant material. (author)

  12. Thermal analysis of a direct evaporative cooling system enhancement with desiccant dehumidification for vehicular air conditioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alahmer, Ali

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermal analysis was conducted to design a desiccant evaporative cooling system for vehicular air conditioning. • EC is more efficient than the conventional air conditioning when the gasoline price is more than 0.34 $/liter. • Drawbacks of evaporative cooler of increased weight and reduced COP. • A rotary desiccant dehumidifier with generation was combined with evaporative cooling to be more efficient. - Abstract: This manuscript analyzes the sub-systems of evaporative cooler (EC) combined with desiccant dehumidification and regeneration for automotive air conditioning purpose. The thermodynamic and psychometric analysis was conducted to design all evaporative cooling system components in terms of desiccant selection, regeneration process, compact heat exchanger and evaporative cooler. Moreover, the effect of the desiccant, heat exchanger and evaporative performances on the mass flow rate and water sprayed required for evaporative cooling system was investigated. The results show that the theoretical evaporative cooling design will achieve two main objectives: lower fuel consumption and less environmental pollutants. However, it has the two drawbacks in terms of increased weight and reduces the coefficient of performance (COP). The main remark is that evaporating cooling system is more efficient than the conventional air conditioning when the gasoline price is more than 0.34 $/liter.

  13. Experimental Analysis on Solar Desiccant Air Conditioner

    OpenAIRE

    Dr. U. V. Kongre, C. M. Singh, A. B. Biswas

    2014-01-01

    The experiment investigated and evaluated the feasibility of an solar desiccant air conditioner. Its effectiveness as a possible air conditioner option used in household air conditioner or as an energy efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional air conditioning units used in houses are evaluated. A solar water heater was used as heat gain. The model utilizes the technology of solar air conditioner system. The purpose in the long term wou...

  14. ANN based optimization of a solar assisted hybrid cooling system in Turkey

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ozgur, Arif; Yetik, Ozge; Arslan, Oguz [Mechanical Eng. Dept., Engineering Faculty, Dumlupinar University (Turkey)], email: maozgur@dpu.edu.tr, email: ozgeyetik@dpu.edu.tr, email: oarslan@dpu.edu.tr

    2011-07-01

    This study achieved optimization of a solar assisted hybrid cooling system with refrigerants such as R717, R141b, R134a and R123 using an artificial neural network (ANN) model based on average total solar radiation, ambient temperature, generator temperature, condenser temperature, intercooler temperature and fluid types. ANN is a new tool; it works rapidly and can thus be a solution for design and optimization of complex power cycles. A unique flexible ANN algorithm was introduced to evaluate the solar ejector cooling systems because of the nonlinearity of neural networks. The conclusion was that the best COPs value obtained with the ANN is 1.35 and COPc is 3.03 when the average total solar radiation, ambient temperature, generator temperature, condenser temperature, intercooler temperature and algorithm are respectively 674.72 W/m2, 17.9, 80, 15 and 13 degree celsius and LM with 14 neurons in single hidden layer, for R717.

  15. Zero Energy Communities with Central Solar Plants using Liquid Desiccants and Local Storage: Preprint

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burch, J.; Woods, J.; Kozubal, E.; Boranian, A.

    2012-08-01

    The zero energy community considered here consists of tens to tens-of-thousands of residences coupled to a central solar plant that produces all the community's electrical and thermal needs. A distribution network carries fluids to meet the heating and cooling loads. Large central solar systems can significantly reduce cost of energy vs. single family systems, and they enable economical seasonal heat storage. However, the thermal distribution system is costly. Conventional district heating/cooling systems use a water/glycol solution to deliver sensible energy. Piping is sized to meet the peak instantaneous load. A new district system introduced here differs in two key ways: (i) it continuously distributes a hot liquid desiccant (LD) solution to LD-based heating and cooling equipment in each home; and (ii) it uses central and local storage of both LD and heat to reduce flow rates to meet average loads. Results for piping sizes in conventional and LD thermal communities show that the LD zero energy community reduces distribution piping diameters meeting heating loads by {approx}5X and meeting cooling loads by {approx}8X for cooling, depending on climate.

  16. Research and development needs for desiccant cooling technology 1992--1997. (Supplement to the NREL report, Desiccant Cooling: State-of-the-Art Assessment)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pesaran, A A

    1992-12-01

    This report is a supplement to Desiccant Cooling: State-of-the-Art Assessment (NREL/TP-254-4147, DE93000013). In this supplement document we have described a detailed program assuming sufficient funding to implement the R&D activities needed. Desiccant dehumidification is a mature technology for industrial applications, and in recent years the technology has been used for air conditioning a number of institutional and commercial buildings. Our proposal is based on argumentative discussions at various national meetings with leaders of the technology. The goal is the penetration of the broad air conditioning market. This work is funded by the Buildings technology Office of the US Department of Energy.

  17. Desiccant Enhanced Evaporative Air-Conditioning (DEVap): Evaluation of a New Concept in Ultra Efficient Air Conditioning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kozubal, E.; Woods, J.; Burch, J.; Boranian, A.; Merrigan, T.

    2011-01-01

    NREL has developed the novel concept of a desiccant enhanced evaporative air conditioner (DEVap) with the objective of combining the benefits of liquid desiccant and evaporative cooling technologies into an innovative 'cooling core.' Liquid desiccant technologies have extraordinary dehumidification potential, but require an efficient cooling sink. DEVap's thermodynamic potential overcomes many shortcomings of standard refrigeration-based direct expansion cooling. DEVap decouples cooling and dehumidification performance, which results in independent temperature and humidity control. The energy input is largely switched away from electricity to low-grade thermal energy that can be sourced from fuels such as natural gas, waste heat, solar, or biofuels.

  18. Innovative PCM-desiccant packet to provide dry microclimate and improve performance of cooling vest in hot environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itani, Mariam; Ghaddar, Nesreen; Ghali, Kamel

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A PCM and desiccant packet is proposed for use in personal cooling vest to keep dry air next to skin. • A PCM-Desiccant model for clothed heated wet cylinder is developed and validated experimentally. • The microclimate air temperature was 0.6 °C higher in PCM-Desiccant case compared to PCM-only case. • Microclimate humidity content decreased due to desiccant from 21.23 to 19.74 g/kg dry air. • PCM melted fraction increased due to desiccant from 0.24 to 0.5. - Abstract: A novel combination of phase change material (PCM) and a solid desiccant layer is proposed for the aim of maintaining dry cool microclimate air adjacent to wet warm skin and hence improve PCM performance in cooling vests used in hot humid environment. A fabric-PCM-Desiccant model is developed to predict the temperature and moisture content of the microclimate air layer in the presence of a PCM-Desiccant packet. The developed model is validated through experiments conducted on a wet clothed heated cylinder for the two cases of using (i) a PCM only packet and (ii) a PCM-Desiccant packet. Microclimate air temperatures and humidity content as well as PCM and desiccant temperatures were measured experimentally and were compared with predicted values by the fabric-PCM-Desiccant model. Good agreement was attained with a maximum relative error of 7% in measured temperatures. A decrease is observed in the humidity content of the microclimate air in the presence of the solid desiccant from 21.23 g/kg dry air to 19.74 g/kg dry air and an increase in the melted fraction of the PCM at the end of the experiment from 0.24 to 0.5.

  19. Absorber and regenerator models for liquid desiccant air conditioning systems. Validation and comparison using experimental data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Krause, M.; Heinzen, R.; Jordan, U.; Vajen, K. [Kassel Univ., Inst. of Thermal Engineering, Kassel (Germany); Saman, W.; Halawa, E. [Sustainable Energy Centre, Univ. of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide (Australia)

    2008-07-01

    Solar assisted air conditioning systems using liquid desiccants represent a promising option to decrease high summer energy demand caused by electrically driven vapor compression machines. The main components of liquid desiccant systems are absorbers for dehumidifying and cooling of supply air and regenerators for concentrating the desiccant. However, high efficient and validated reliable components are required and the design and operation have to be adjusted to each respective building design, location, and user demand. Simulation tools can help to optimize component and system design. The present paper presents new developed numerical models for absorbers and regenerators, as well as experimental data of a regenerator prototype. The models have been compared with a finite-difference method model as well as experimental data. The data are gained from the regenerator prototype presented and an absorber presented in the literature. (orig.)

  20. Modeling of a regenerative indirect evaporative cooler for a desiccant cooling system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bellemo, Lorenzo; Elmegaard, Brian; Reinholdt, Lars O.

    This paper presents a numerical study of a regenerative indirect evaporative cooler, the so-called Dew Point Cooler (DPC), which is part of a Desiccant Cooling system that may both dehumidify and cool humid air. The DPC model is based on first principles using a 1D finite volume scheme...

  1. Solar air-conditioning. Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2009-07-01

    Within the 3rd International Conference on solar air-conditioning in Palermo (Italy) at 30th September to 2nd October, 2009 the following lectures were held: (1) Removal of non-technological barriers to solar cooling technology across Southern European islands (Stefano Rugginenti); (2) The added economic and environmental value of solar thermal systems in microgrids with combined heat and power (Chris Marney); (3) Australian solar cooling interest group (Paul Kohlenbach); (4) Designing of a technology roadmap for solar assisted air conditioning in Austria (Hilbert Focke); (5) Solar cooling in the new context of renewable policies at European level (Raffaele Piria); (6) Prototype of a solar driven steam jet ejector chiller (Clemens Pollerberg); (7) New integrated solar air conditioning system (Joan Carlos Bruno); (8) Primary energy optimised operation of solar driven desiccant evaporative cooling systems through innovative control strategies; (9) Green chiller association (Uli Jakob); (10) Climate Well {sup registered} (Olof Hallstrom); (11) Low capacity absorption chillers for solar cooling applications (Gregor Weidner); (12) Solar cooling in residential, small scale commercial and industrial applications with adsorption technology (Walter Mittelbach); (13) French solar heating and cooling development programme based on energy performance (Daniel Mugnier); (14) Mirrox fresnel process heat collectors for industrial applications and solar cooling (Christian Zahler); (15) Modelling and analyzing solar cooling systems in polysun (Seyen Hossein Rezaei); (16) Solar cooling application in Valle Susa Italy (Sufia Jung); (17) Virtual case study on small solar cooling systems within the SolarCombi+Project (Bjoern Nienborg); (18) Design of solar cooling plants under uncertainty (Fernando Dominguez-Munoz); (19) Fast pre-design of systems using solar thermally driven chillers (Hans-Martin Henning); (20) Design of a high fraction solar heating and cooling plant in southern

  2. Low-Flow Liquid Desiccant Air-Conditioning: Demonstrated Performance and Cost Implications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kozubal, E.; Herrmann, L.; Deru, M.; Clark, J.; Lowenstein, A.

    2014-09-01

    Cooling loads must be dramatically reduced when designing net-zero energy buildings or other highly efficient facilities. Advances in this area have focused primarily on reducing a building's sensible cooling loads by improving the envelope, integrating properly sized daylighting systems, adding exterior solar shading devices, and reducing internal heat gains. As sensible loads decrease, however, latent loads remain relatively constant, and thus become a greater fraction of the overall cooling requirement in highly efficient building designs, particularly in humid climates. This shift toward latent cooling is a challenge for heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Traditional systems typically dehumidify by first overcooling air below the dew-point temperature and then reheating it to an appropriate supply temperature, which requires an excessive amount of energy. Another dehumidification strategy incorporates solid desiccant rotors that remove water from air more efficiently; however, these systems are large and increase fan energy consumption due to the increased airside pressure drop of solid desiccant rotors. A third dehumidification strategy involves high flow liquid desiccant systems. These systems require a high maintenance separator to protect the air distribution system from corrosive desiccant droplet carryover and so are more commonly used in industrial applications and rarely in commercial buildings. Both solid desiccant systems and most high-flow liquid desiccant systems (if not internally cooled) add sensible energy which must later be removed to the air stream during dehumidification, through the release of sensible heat during the sorption process.

  3. Effect of irreversible processes on the thermodynamic performance of open-cycle desiccant cooling cycles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    La, Dong; Li, Yong; Dai, Yanjun; Ge, Tianshu; Wang, Ruzhu

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Effects of irreversible processes on the performance of desiccant cooling cycle are identified. ► The exergy destructions involved are classified by the properties of the individual processes. ► Appropriate indexes for thermodynamic evaluation are proposed based on thermodynamic analyses. - Abstract: Thermodynamic analyses of desiccant cooling cycle usually focus on the overall cycle performance in previous study. In this paper, the effects of the individual irreversible processes in each component on thermodynamic performance are analyzed in detail. The objective of this paper is to reveal the elemental features of the individual components, and to show their effects on the thermodynamic performance of the whole cycle in a fundamental way. Appropriate indexes for thermodynamic evaluation are derived based on the first and second law analyses. A generalized model independent of the connection of components is developed. The results indicate that as the effectiveness of the desiccant wheel increases, the cycle performance is increased principally due to the significant reduction in exergy carried out by exhaust air. The corresponding exergy destruction coefficient of the cycle with moderate performance desiccant wheel is decreased greatly to 3.9%, which is more than 50% lower than that of the cycle with low performance desiccant wheel. The effect of the heat source is similar. As the temperature of the heat source increases from 60 °C to 90 °C, the percentage of exergy destruction raised by exhaust air increases sharply from 5.3% to 21.8%. High heat exchanger effectiveness improves the cycle performance mainly by lowering the irreversibility of the heat exchanger, using less regeneration heat and pre-cooling the process air effectively

  4. Experimental performance of a liquid desiccant dehumidification system under tropical climates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jain, Sanjeev; Tripathi, Sagun; Das, Rajat Subhra

    2011-01-01

    Research highlights: → Indirect contact between air and desiccant using a porous surface to avoid carryover. → Humidity effectiveness and moisture removal rate reported under varying conditions. → Humidity effectiveness with LiCl as desiccant in the range 0.36-0.45. → Mass transfer characteristic of contactor surface restricted system performance. -- Abstract: The current energy crisis, climate change and increased air conditioning demands have generated a need for developing technologies based on renewable energy sources. Foremost amongst the cooling technologies are the sorption technologies working on low grade heat that can be supplied by solar energy. Liquid desiccant technologies seem to be a promising option as these tend to have higher thermal COPs, lower regeneration temperatures, facilitate simultaneous cooling and ease of storage of concentrated desiccant that can be used during the nonsunshine hours. But few concerns like carryover of liquid desiccant in air require further investigations. The liquid desiccant system under study incorporates a double channelled exchanger for air to liquid desiccant heat and mass transfer. It provides a large surface area for air/desiccant contact and reduces the carryover as direct contact between desiccant and air is minimized unlike spray towers, packed bed and falling film designs. Desiccant is heated in a plate heat exchanger using hot water and then regenerated in a regenerator. The set-up comprises of a dehumidifier, along with a regenerator, a cooling tower, plate heat exchangers and a control unit. Experiments were conducted on the system using calcium chloride and lithium chloride as desiccants by varying parameters like inlet air conditions, hot water temperature and desiccant concentration in order to evaluate the performance of the system under different operating conditions. The performance of the system is presented in terms of moisture removal rates, dehumidifier and regenerator effectiveness.

  5. Experimental performance of indirect air–liquid membrane contactors for liquid desiccant cooling systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, Rajat Subhra; Jain, Sanjeev

    2013-01-01

    Owing to the stringent indoor air quality (IAQ) requirements and high cost of desiccants, one of the major concerns in liquid desiccant technology has been the carryover, which can be eliminated through indirect contact between desiccant and air. Membrane contactors using microporous semipermeable hydrophobic membranes have a great potential in this regard. This communication investigates the performance of semipermeable membrane based indirect contactors as dehumidifiers in liquid desiccant cooling applications. Experiments on different types of membrane contactors are carried out using lithium chloride (LiCl) solution as desiccant. The membrane contactors consist of alternate channels of air and liquid desiccant flowing in cross-flow direction. Hydrophobic membranes form a liquid tight, vapor permeable porous barrier between hygroscopic solution and moist air, thus eliminating carryover of desiccant droplets. In order to provide maximum contact area for air–desiccant interaction, a wicking material is sandwiched between two membranes in the liquid channel. It is observed that vapor flux upto 1300 g/m 2 h can be achieved in a membrane contactor with polypropylene (PP) membranes, although the dehumidification effectiveness remains low. The effect of key parameters on the transmembrane vapor transport is presented in the paper. - Highlights: • Indirect membrane contactors developed to avoid carryover in liquid desiccant system. • Dehumidification effectiveness and vapor flux reported under varying conditions. • Vapor flux upto 1295 g/m 2 h in polypropylene contactor with high area density. • Dehumidification effectiveness with LiCl solution varies within 23% to 45%

  6. Study on effectiveness of continuous solar dryer integrated with desiccant thermal storage for drying cocoa beans

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sari Farah Dina

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available The main objective is to assess effectiveness of continuous solar dryer integrated with desiccant thermal storage for drying cocoa beans. Two type of desiccants were tested, molecular sieve 13× (Na86 [(AlO286·(SiO2106]·264H2O as an adsorbent type and CaCl2 as an absorbent type. The results revealed that during sunshine hours, the maximum temperature within the drying chamber varied from 40 °C to 54 °C. In average, it was 9–12 °C higher than ambient temperature. These temperatures are very suitable for drying cocoa beans. During off-sunshine hours, humidity of air inside the drying chamber was lower than ambient because of the desiccant thermal storage. Drying times for intermittent directs sun drying, solar dryer integrated with adsorbent, and solar dryer integrated with absorbent were 55 h, 41 h, and 30 h, respectively. Specific energy consumptions for direct sun drying, solar dryer integrated with adsorbent, and solar dryer integrated with absorber were 60.4 MJ/kg moist, 18.94 MJ/kg moist, and 13.29 MJ/kg moist, respectively. The main conclusion can be drawn here is that a solar dryer integrated with desiccant thermal storage makes drying using solar energy more effective in term of drying time and specific energy consumption.

  7. Use of dehumidifiers in desiccant cooling and dehumidification systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van den Bulck, E.; Mitchell, J.W.; Klein, S.A.

    1986-01-01

    The use of rotary dehumidifiers in gas-fired open-cycle desiccant cooling systems is investigated by analyzing the performance of the rotary heat exchanger-rotary dehumidifier subsystem. For a given cooling load, the required regeneration heat supply can be minimized by choosing appropriate values for the regeneration air mass flow rate and the wheel rotation speed. A map is presented showing optimal values for rotational speed and regeneration flow rate as functions of the regeneration air inlet temperature and the process air inlet humidity ratio. This regeneration temperature is further optimized as a function of the process humidity ratio. In the analysis, the control strategy adjusts the process air mass flow rate to provide the required cooling load. Additional control options are considered and the sensitivity of the regeneration heat required to the wheel speed, regeneration air mass flow rate, and inlet temperature is discussed. Experimental data reported in the literature are compared with the analytical results and indicate good agreement

  8. Study of an optimization of regeneration for an absorbent used in the solar desiccant cooling system; Taiyonetsu riyo desiccant reibo ni mochiirareru kyushuzai saisei tokusei no saitekika ni kansuru kenkyu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saito, Y [Osaka Institute of Technology, Osaka (Japan)

    1997-11-25

    A desiccant cooling system uses concentrated aqueous solution of an absorbent to reduce humidity, hence the resultant absorbent solution becomes dilute. Regeneration of the dilute solution uses solar heat, where the regeneration characteristics are affected by solution temperature, vapor pressure, water content, air-liquid flow rate, and other factors. Therefore, mutual relationship among these different factors were investigated, and an optimum operating condition was discussed. The regeneration characteristics of the absorbent is strongly affected by temperature of triethylene glycol (TEG). This is because vapor pressure, Ps, in the TEG aqueous solution increases as the TEG temperature rises. This means that preheating the solution is effective in regenerating the absorbent. As the regeneration progresses, the water content, Ww, decreases, and the regeneration rate decreases. This is because of reduction in the Ps in association with decrease in the Ww of the TEG. This suggests that it is important in the absorbent regeneration to reduce flow rate of the TEG aqueous solution as low as possible. Raised air temperature reduces difference in vapor partial pressure between the TEG and the air, resulting in reduced regeneration rate. 5 refs., 9 figs.

  9. Solar-assisted dual-effect adsorption cycle for the production of cooling effect and potable water

    KAUST Repository

    Ng, K. C.

    2009-05-17

    This paper investigates the performance of a solar-assisted adsorption (AD) cycle which produces two useful effects, namely cooling and desalination, with only a low-temperature heat input such as thermal energy from solar collectors. Heat sources varying from 65 to 80°C can be obtained from 215-m2 flat plate-type solar collectors to regenerate the proposed silica gel-water-based AD cycle. In this paper, both mathematical modelling and experimental results from the AD cycle operation are discussed, in terms of two key parameters, namely specific daily water production (SDWP) and specific cooling capacity (SCC). The experimental results show that the AD cycle is capable of producing chilled water at 7 to 10°C with varying SCC range of 25-35 Rton/tonne of silica gel. Simultaneously, the AD cycle produces a SDWP of 3-5 m3 per tonne of silica gel per day, rendering it as a dual-effect machine that has an overall conversion or performance ratio of 0.8-1.1. © The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

  10. Solar-assisted dual-effect adsorption cycle for the production of cooling effect and potable water

    KAUST Repository

    Ng, K. C.; Thu, K.; Chakraborty, A.; Saha, B. B.; Chun, W. G.

    2009-01-01

    This paper investigates the performance of a solar-assisted adsorption (AD) cycle which produces two useful effects, namely cooling and desalination, with only a low-temperature heat input such as thermal energy from solar collectors. Heat sources varying from 65 to 80°C can be obtained from 215-m2 flat plate-type solar collectors to regenerate the proposed silica gel-water-based AD cycle. In this paper, both mathematical modelling and experimental results from the AD cycle operation are discussed, in terms of two key parameters, namely specific daily water production (SDWP) and specific cooling capacity (SCC). The experimental results show that the AD cycle is capable of producing chilled water at 7 to 10°C with varying SCC range of 25-35 Rton/tonne of silica gel. Simultaneously, the AD cycle produces a SDWP of 3-5 m3 per tonne of silica gel per day, rendering it as a dual-effect machine that has an overall conversion or performance ratio of 0.8-1.1. © The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

  11. Optimal control and performance test of solar-assisted cooling system

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, B.J.; Yen, C.W.; Wu, J.H.; Liu, J.H.; Hsu, H.Y.; Petrenko, V.O.; Chang, J.M.; Lu, C.W.

    2010-01-01

    temperature. This will make the SACH always produce cooling effect even at lower solar radiation periods while the ejector performs at off-design conditions. The energy saving of A/C is experimentally shown 50-70% due to the cooling performance of ECS

  12. Solar heating and cooling system installed at Leavenworth, Kansas

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-01-01

    A solar heating and cooling is described which is designed to furnish 90 percent of the overall heating load, 70 percent of the cooling load and 100 percent of the domestic hot water load. The building has two floors with a total of 12,000 square feet gross area. The system has 120 flat-plate liquid solar panels with a net area of 2,200 square feet. Five 3 ton Arkla solar assisted absorption units provide the cooling, in conjunction with a 3,000 gallon chilled water storage tank. Two 3,000 gallon storage tanks are provided with one designated for summer use, whereas both tanks are utilized during winter.

  13. Application of cooling with solid dissecants in solar heating and heating water systems; Aplicacion de la refrigeracion con desecantes solidos en sistemas solares de calefaccion y agua caliente sanitaria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carrillo Andres, A.; Cejudo Lopez, J. M.; Dominguez Munoz, F.; Serrano Casares, F.

    2004-07-01

    Solar thermal systems designed for domestic hot water and space heating, must be dimensioned on a larger scale than for purely domestic hot water. In summer, when there are many days when no heating is required, the oversized collector area leads to frequent stagnancy situations. In order to use the excess of collector area in summer, a solar desiccant cooling system can be integrated in the solar thermal system. This paper study such combination, using computer simulations with the program TRNSYS, Klein(2000). (Author)

  14. Solar absorption cooling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kim, D.S.

    2007-01-01

    As the world concerns more and more on global climate changes and depleting energy resources, solar cooling technology receives increasing interests from the public as an environment-friendly and sustainable alternative. However, making a competitive solar cooling machine for the market still

  15. Performance analysis of ventilation systems with desiccant wheel cooling based on exergy destruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tu, Rang; Liu, Xiao-Hua; Hwang, Yunho; Ma, Fei

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Ventilation systems with desiccant wheel were analyzed from exergy destruction. • Main performances influencing factors for ventilation systems are put forward. • Improved ventilation systems with lower exergy destruction are suggested. • Performances of heat pumps driven ventilation systems are greatly increased. - Abstract: This paper investigates the performances of ventilation systems with desiccant wheel cooling from the perspective of exergy destructions. Based on the inherent influencing factors for exergy destructions of heat and mass transfer and heat sources, provide guidelines for efficient system design. First, performances of a basic ventilation system are simulated, which is operated at high regeneration temperature and low coefficient of performance (COP). Then, exergy analysis of the basic ventilation system shows that exergy destructions mainly exist in the heat and mass transfer components and the heat source. The inherent influencing factors for the heat and mass transfer exergy destruction are heat and mass transfer capacities, which are related to over dehumidification of the desiccant wheel, and unmatched coefficients, which represent the uniformity of the temperature or humidity ratio differences fields for heat and mass transfer components. Based on these findings, two improved ventilation systems are suggested. For the first system, over dehumidification is avoided and unmatched coefficients for each component are reduced. With lower heat and mass transfer exergy destructions and lower regeneration temperature, COP and exergy efficiency of the first system are increased compared with the basic ventilation system. For the second system, a heat pump, which recovers heat from the process air to heat the regeneration air, is adopted to replace the electrical heater and cooling devices. The exergy destruction of the heat pump is considerably reduced as compared with heat source exergy destruction of the basic ventilation

  16. Performance Analysis of a Solar Dryer Equipped with a Recycling Air System and Desiccant Chamber

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.H Aghkhani

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Drying is a high energy consuming process. Solar drying is one of the most popular methods for dehydration of agricultural products. In the present study, the performance of a forced convection solar dryer equipped with recycling air system and desiccant chamber was investigated. The solar dryer is comprised of solar collector, drying chamber, silica jell desiccant chamber, air ducts, fan and measuring and controlling system. Drying rate and energy consumption in three levels of air temperature (40, 45 and 50 oC and two modes of drying (with recycling air and no-recycling with open duct system were measured and compared. The results showed that increasing the drying air temperature decreased the drying time and increased the energy consumption in the mode of non-recycling air system. The dryer efficiency and drying rate were better in the mode of recycling air system than open duct system. The highest dryer efficiency was obtained from drying air temperature of 50 oC and the mode of recycling air system. In general, the efficiency of solar collector and the highest efficiency of the dryer were 0.34 and 0.41, respectively.

  17. Solar-assisted heat pump system for cost-effective space heating and cooling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andrews, J W; Kush, E A; Metz, P D

    1978-03-01

    The use of heat pumps for the utilization of solar energy is studied. Two requirements for a cost-effective system are identified: (1) a special heat pump whose coefficient of performance continues to rise with source temperature over the entire range appropriate for solar assist, and (2) a low-cost collection and storage subsystem able to supply solar energy to the heat pump efficiently at low temperatures. Programs leading to the development of these components are discussed. A solar assisted heat pump system using these components is simulated via a computer, and the results of the simulation are used as the basis for a cost comparison of the proposed system with other solar and conventional systems.

  18. The use of cooling systems with desiccants in the condition of buildings; El uso de sistemas de enfriamiento con desecantes en el acondicionamiento de edificaciones

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alpuche Cruz, Maria G; Avila Segura, Francisco [Centro de Investigacion en Energia, UNAM, Temixco, Morelos (Mexico)

    2000-07-01

    In this document some papers about the development of solid and liquid desiccant cooling systems and dehumidification are analyzed. In a desiccant cooling cycle, the desiccant reduces the quantity of humidity of the air and temperature is decreases by others components such as heat exchangers, cooling evaporatives or conventional coolers. The main advantage of this systems is the capacity to use a low-grade thermal energy. These systems are being used in residence and commercial constructions to reduce energy and to optimize costs, however the initial cost is significantly higher that the conventional cooling systems. Recent studies have been focused in analyzing desiccant cooling systems, through computer modeling. [Spanish] En este documento se analizan algunas publicaciones sobre el desarrollo de los sistemas de enfriamiento y deshumidificacion con desecantes solidos y liquidos. En el ciclo de enfriamiento en el desecante, el desecante reduce la cantidad de humedad del aire y la temperatura se reduce por medio de otros componentes tales como intercambiadores de calor, enfriadores evaporativos o enfriadores convencionales. La ventaja principal que ofrecen estos sistemas es la capacidad de utilizar una baja cantidad de energia termica. Estos sistemas estan siendo utilizados en edificaciones habitacionales y comerciales para reducir el consumo de energia y optimizar costos, sin embargo el costo inicial es significativamente mas alto que los sistemas de enfriamiento convencionales. Estudios recientes se han enfocado en analizar estos sistemas de enfriamiento con desecantes, a traves de la modelacion por computadora.

  19. Moving Advanced Desiccant Materials into Mainstream Non-CFC Cooling Products

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sand, J R [ORNL; Grossman, G [ORNL; Rice, C K [ORNL; Fairchild, P D [ORNL; Gross, I L [Engelhard/ICC

    1994-01-01

    Desiccant air-conditioning systems can be used as alternatives for conventional air-conditioning equipment in any commercial or residential building. Recent breakthroughs in desiccant materials technology and the creation of new markets by Indoor Air Quality issues make desiccant-based air-conditioning equipment practical for many space-conditioning applications.

  20. Solar heating and cooling system installed at Leavenworth, Kansas. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Perkins, R. M.

    1980-06-01

    The solar heating and cooling system installed at the headquarters of Citizens Mutual Savings Association in Leavenworth, Kansas, is described in detail. The project is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's solar demonstration program and became operational in March, 1979. The designer was TEC, Inc. Consulting Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri and contractor was Norris Brothers, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas. The solar system is expected to furnish 90 percent of the overall heating load, 70 percent of the cooling load and 100 percent of the domestic hot water load. The building has two floors with a total of 12,000 square feet gross area. The system has 120 flat-plate liquid solar panels with a net area of 2200 square feet. Five, 3-ton Arkla solar assisted absorption units provide the cooling, in conjunction with a 3000 gallon chilled water storage tank. Two, 3000 gallon storage tanks are provided with one designated for summer use, whereas both tanks are utilized during winter.

  1. Performance assessment of adding Cu-ultrafine particles into falling film desiccant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Mulla Ali, A.

    2006-01-01

    The concept of dehumidification between air and liquid desiccant for the improvement of the efficiency of heating and cooling fluids in industrial applications was discussed. The use of solid/liquid desiccants has received much attention in recent years because liquid desiccants can take moisture from surrounding air at low temperature and then release the moisture at high temperature to provide a continuous process of dehumidification of air and regeneration of liquid desiccant. This process can be used with conventional vapor compression cycles. This paper presented a comparative numerical study between parallel and counter flow configurations that examined the effects of various parameters on heat and mass transfer for the dehumidification and cooling processes of air and regeneration rate of liquid desiccant. Ultrafine particles were added to the falling film desiccant to investigate heat and mass transfer enhancement for both parallel and counter flow channels. The Cu-volume fraction in the falling film desiccant and dispersion effect were the important parameters. A mathematical model was therefore developed to account for the addition of Cu-ultrafine particles into the film desiccant. The dehumidification and cooling rate processes were found to improve with an increase in the Cu-ultrafine particles and dispersion effect. The new hybrid AC system was shown to improve indoor air quality, reduce energy consumption, and be environmentally safe. It was concluded that although the volume fraction and dispersion factor improve the dehumidification and cooling processes of the air, the improvements are not significant due to the small thickness of the falling-film desiccant. The regeneration process did not improve for either controlling parameter because of the small thickness of the film desiccant. 14 refs., 10 figs

  2. Active Desiccant-Based Preconditioning Market Analysis and Product Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fischer, J.

    2001-01-11

    The Phase 1 report (ORNL/Sub/94-SVO44/1), completed earlier in this program, involved a comprehensive field survey and market analysis comparing various specialized outdoor air handling units. This initial investigation included conventional cooling and reheat, conventional cooling with sensible recovery, total energy recovery systems (passive desiccant technology) and various active desiccant systems. The report concluded that several markets do promise a significant sales opportunity for a Climate Changer-based active desiccant system offering. (Climate Changer is a registered trademark of Trane Company.) This initial market analysis defined the wants and needs of the end customers (design engineers and building owners), which, along with subsequent information included in this report, have been used to guide the determination of the most promising active desiccant system configurations. This Phase 2 report begins with a summary of a more thorough investigation of those specific markets identified as most promising for active desiccant systems. Table 1 estimates the annual sales potential for a cost-effective product line of active desiccant systems, such as that built from Climate Changer modules. The Product Development Strategy section describes the active desiccant system configurations chosen to best fit the needs of the marketplace while minimizing system options. Key design objectives based on market research are listed in this report for these active desiccant systems. Corresponding performance goals for the dehumidification wheel required to meet the overall system design objectives are also defined. The Performance Modeling section describes the strategy used by SEMCO to design the dehumidification wheels integrated into the prototype systems currently being tested as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Desiccant Technology Program. Actual performance data from wheel testing was used to revise the system performance and energy analysis

  3. Liquid desiccant dehumidification and regeneration process to meet cooling and freshwater needs of desert greenhouses

    KAUST Repository

    Lefers, Ryan

    2016-04-19

    Agriculture accounts for ~70% of freshwater usage worldwide. Seawater desalination alone cannot meet the growing needs for irrigation and food production, particularly in hot, desert environments. Greenhouse cultivation of high-value crops uses just a fraction of freshwater per unit of food produced when compared with open field cultivation. However, desert greenhouse producers face three main challenges: freshwater supply, plant nutrient supply, and cooling of the greenhouse. The common practice of evaporative cooling for greenhouses consumes large amounts of fresh water. In Saudi Arabia, the most common greenhouse cooling schemes are fresh water-based evaporative cooling, often using fossil groundwater or energy-intensive desalinated water, and traditional refrigeration-based direct expansion cooling, largely powered by the burning of fossil fuels. The coastal deserts have ambient conditions that are seasonally too humid to support adequate evaporative cooling, necessitating additional energy consumption in the dehumidification process of refrigeration-based cooling. This project evaluates the use of a combined-system liquid desiccant dehumidifier and membrane distillation unit that can meet the dual needs of cooling and freshwater supply for a greenhouse in a hot and humid environment. © 2016 Balaban Desalination Publications. All rights reserved.

  4. Solar-Powered, Liquid-Desiccant Air Conditioner for Low-Electricity Humidity Control: Report and Summary Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dean, J.; Kozubal, E.; Herrmann, L.; Miller, J.; Lowenstein, A.; Barker, G.; Slayzak, S.

    2012-11-01

    The primary objective of this project was to demonstrate the capabilities of a new high-performance, liquid-desiccant dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS) to enhance cooling efficiency and comfort in humid climates while substantially reducing electric peak demand at Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), which is 12 miles east of Panama City, Florida.

  5. Viability and application of ethanol production coupled with solar cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Americano da Costa, Marcus V.; Pasamontes, Manuel; Normey-Rico, Julio E.; Guzmán, José L.; Berenguel, Manuel

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Two types of clean energy were analized together: bioethanol and solar. ► The ethanol fermentation process was modeled. ► An advanced control was implemented in the unit model. ► A real plant of solar energy was operated. ► The experiments were performed using the Hardware in the Loop technique. -- Abstract: This work presents a combined optimization system to use solar energy as support for the ethanol industry. Solar radiation is used to produce energy in order to assist the cooling systems in the fermentation process. The experiments have been performed following a hardware in the loop technique by mixing the solar cooling plant in the Centro de Investigación de Energía Solar (CIESOL) located at the University of Almería (Spain), and a simulator of ethanol fermentation processes in Brazilian factories. The results are analyzed in detail to show the main advantages (important increment in ethanol production and use of clean energies) compared to the mode of operation of the current factories in Brazil.

  6. Effect of operating conditions on performance of silica gel-water air-fluidised desiccant cooler

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rogala Zbigniew

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Fluidised desiccant cooling is reported in the literature as an efficient way to provide cooling for air-conditioning purposes. The performance of this technology can be described by electric and thermal Coefficients of Performance (COP and Specific Cooling Power (SCP. In this paper comprehensive theoretical study was carried out in order to assess the effect of operating conditions such as: superficial air velocity, desiccant particle diameter, bed switching time and desiccant filling height on the performance of fluidised desiccant cooler (FDC. It was concluded that FDC should be filled with as small as possible desiccant particles featuring diameters and should not be operated with shorter switching times than optimum. Moreover in order to efficiently run such systems superficial air velocities during adsorption and desorption should be similar. At last substantial effect of desiccant filling height on performance of FDC was presented.

  7. Thermo economical optimization of a jet nozzle cooling cycle assisted by solar energy; Otimizacao termoeconomica de ciclo de refrigeracao por compressao por ejetor auxiliado com energia solar

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tapia, Gabriel I. Medina; Colle, Sergio [Santa Catarina Univ., Florianopolis, SC (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Mecanica]. E-mail: gabriel@emc.ufsc.br; colle@emc.ufsc.br

    2000-07-01

    The present work deals with the analysis of the jet nozzle cooling cycle assisted by solar energy. Both, a thermodynamic and economic optimization are carried out, for ammonia as working fluid. The optimization of the ejector is also focussed, for different values of the relevant design parameters. The method P{sub 1} - {sub P}2 for economical optimization of solar energy systems is used in order to find out the optimum collector area, which corresponds to the maximum value of the life time cost saving. The numerical results are presented in terms of the specific costs of the auxiliary energy, as well as the collector area. (author)

  8. Performance advancement of solar air-conditioning through integrated system design for building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fong, K.F.; Lee, C.K.

    2014-01-01

    This study is to advance the energy performance of solar air-conditioning system through appropriate component integration from the absorption refrigeration cycle and proper high-temperature cooling. In the previous studies, the solar absorption air-conditioning using the working pair of water – lithium bromide (H 2 O–LiBr) is found to have prominent primary energy saving than the conventional compression air-conditioning for buildings in the hot-humid climate. In this study, three integration strategies have been generated for solar cooling, namely integrated absorption air-conditioning; integrated absorption-desiccant air-conditioning; and integrated absorption-desiccant air-conditioning for radiant cooling. To realize these ideas, the working pair of ammonia – water (NH 3 –H 2 O) was used in the absorption cycle, rather than H 2 O–LiBr. As such, the evaporator and the condenser can be separate from the absorption refrigeration cycle for the new configuration of various integrated design alternatives. Through dynamic simulation, the year-round primary energy saving of the proposed integration strategies for solar NH 3 –H 2 O absorption air-conditioning systems could be up to 50.6% and 25.5%, as compared to the conventional compression air-conditioning and the basic solar H 2 O–LiBr absorption air-conditioning respectively. Consequently, carbon reduction of building air-conditioning can be achieved more effectively through the integrated system design in the hot and humid cities. - Highlights: • Three integration strategies, IAAU, IADAU and IADAU-RC, are proposed to advance solar air-conditioning. • NH 3 –H 2 O is adopted for absorption refrigeration instead of H 2 O–LiBr. • Separate evaporator and condenser, desiccant cooling and radiant cooling are designed for IADAU-RC. • IADAU-RC can have 50.6% primary energy saving against the conventional air-conditioning

  9. Solar-Cooled Hotel in the Virgin Islands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harber, H.

    1982-01-01

    Performance of solar cooling system is described in 21-page report. System provides cooling for public areas including ball rooms, restaurant, lounge, lobby and shops. Chilled water from solar-cooling system is also used to cool hot water from hotel's desalinization plant.

  10. Technology Roadmaps: Solar Heating and Cooling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2012-09-06

    The solar heating and cooling (SHC) roadmap outlines a pathway for solar energy to supply almost one sixth (18 EJ) of the world's total energy use for both heating and cooling by 2050. This would save some 800 megatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year; more than the total CO2 emissions in Germany in 2009. While solar heating and cooling today makes a modest contribution to world energy demand, the roadmap envisages that if concerted action is taken by governments and industry, solar energy could annually produce more than 16% of total final energy use for low temperature heat and nearly 17% for cooling. Given that global energy demand for heat represents almost half of the world's final energy use -- more than the combined global demand for electricity and transport -- solar heat can make a significant contribution in both tackling climate change and strengthening energy security.

  11. Technology Roadmaps: Solar Heating and Cooling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2012-07-01

    The solar heating and cooling (SHC) roadmap outlines a pathway for solar energy to supply almost one sixth (18 EJ) of the world’s total energy use for both heating and cooling by 2050. This would save some 800 megatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year; more than the total CO2 emissions in Germany in 2009. While solar heating and cooling today makes a modest contribution to world energy demand, the roadmap envisages that if concerted action is taken by governments and industry, solar energy could annually produce more than 16% of total final energy use for low temperature heat and nearly 17% for cooling. Given that global energy demand for heat represents almost half of the world’s final energy use – more than the combined global demand for electricity and transport – solar heat can make a significant contribution in both tackling climate change and strengthening energy security.

  12. Solar Assisted Ground Source Heat Pump Performance in Nearly Zero Energy Building in Baltic Countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Januševičius, Karolis; Streckienė, Giedrė

    2013-12-01

    In near zero energy buildings (NZEB) built in Baltic countries, heat production systems meet the challenge of large share domestic hot water demand and high required heating capacity. Due to passive solar design, cooling demand in residential buildings also needs an assessment and solution. Heat pump systems are a widespread solution to reduce energy use. A combination of heat pump and solar thermal collectors helps to meet standard requirements and increases the share of renewable energy use in total energy balance of country. The presented paper describes a simulation study of solar assisted heat pump systems carried out in TRNSYS. The purpose of this simulation was to investigate how the performance of a solar assisted heat pump combination varies in near zero energy building. Results of three systems were compared to autonomous (independent) systems simulated performance. Different solar assisted heat pump design solutions with serial and parallel solar thermal collector connections to the heat pump loop were modelled and a passive cooling possibility was assessed. Simulations were performed for three Baltic countries: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

  13. Solar heating and cooling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duffie, J A

    1976-01-01

    Solar energy is discussed as an energy resource that can be converted into useful energy forms to meet a variety of energy needs. The review briefly explains the nature of this energy resource, the kinds of applications that can be made useful, and the status of several systems to which it has been applied. More specifically, information on solar collectors, solar water heating, solar heating of buildings, solar cooling plus other applications, are included.

  14. A desiccant-enhanced evaporative air conditioner: Numerical model and experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woods, Jason; Kozubal, Eric

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► We studied a new process combining liquid desiccants and evaporative cooling. ► We modeled the process using a finite-difference numerical model. ► We measured the performance of the process with experimental prototypes. ► Results show agreement between model and experiment of ±10%. ► Results add confidence to previous modeled energy savings estimates of 40–85%. - Abstract: This article presents modeling and experimental results on a recently proposed liquid desiccant air conditioner, which consists of two stages: a liquid desiccant dehumidifier and an indirect evaporative cooler. Each stage is a stack of channel pairs, where a channel pair is a process air channel separated from an exhaust air channel with a thin plastic plate. In the first stage, a liquid desiccant film, which lines the process air channels, removes moisture from the air through a porous hydrophobic membrane. An evaporating water film wets the surface of the exhaust channels and transfers the enthalpy of vaporization from the liquid desiccant into an exhaust airstream, cooling the desiccant and enabling lower outlet humidity. The second stage is a counterflow indirect evaporative cooler that siphons off and uses a portion of the cool-dry air exiting the second stage as the evaporative sink. The objectives of this article are to (1) present fluid-thermal numerical models for each stage, (2) present experimental results of prototypes for each stage, and (3) compare the modeled and experimental results. Several experiments were performed on the prototypes over a range of inlet temperatures and humidities, process and exhaust air flow rates, and desiccant concentrations and flow rates. The model predicts the experiments within ±10%.

  15. Early developments in solar cooling equipment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, J. M.

    1978-01-01

    A brief description of a development program to design, fabricate and field test a series of solar operated or driven cooling devices, undertaken by the Marshall Space Flight Center in the context of the Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act of 1974, is presented. Attention is given to two basic design concepts: the Rankine cycle principle and the use of a dessicant for cooling.

  16. Performance assesment of solar heating and cooling systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shesho, Igor; Armenski, Slave [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, ' Ss. Cyril and Methodius' University, Skopje (Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of); others, and

    2014-07-01

    Thermal performance of the solar thermal systems are estimated using numerical methods and software since the solar processes are transitient in nature been driven by time dependent forcing functions and loads. The system components are defined with mathematical relationships that describe how components function. They are based on the first principles (energy balances, mass balances, rate equations and equilibrium relationships) at one extreme or empirical curve fits to operating data from specific machines such as absorption chillers. The component models are programed, i.e. they represent written subroutines which are simultaneously solved with the executive program. In this paper for executive program is chosen TRNSYS containing library with solar thermal system component models. Validation of the TRNSYS components models is performed, i.e. the simulation results are compared with experimental measurements. Analysis is performed for solar assisted cooling system in order to determine the solar fractions and efficiencies for different collector types, areas and storage tanks. Specific indicators are derived in order to facilitate the techno-economic analysis and design of solar air-conditioning systems. (Author)

  17. Solar heating and cooling of buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourke, R. D.; Davis, E. S.

    1975-01-01

    Solar energy has been used for space heating and water heating for many years. A less common application, although technically feasible, is solar cooling. This paper describes the techniques employed in the heating and cooling of buildings, and in water heating. The potential for solar energy to displace conventional energy sources is discussed. Water heating for new apartments appears to have some features which could make it a place to begin the resurgence of solar energy applications in the United States. A project to investigate apartment solar water heating, currently in the pilot plant construction phase, is described.

  18. Thermodynamic performance analysis and optimization of a solar-assisted combined cooling, heating and power system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jiangjiang; Lu, Yanchao; Yang, Ying; Mao, Tianzhi

    2016-01-01

    This study aims to present a thermodynamic performance analysis and to optimize the configurations of a hybrid combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) system incorporating solar energy and natural gas. A basic natural gas CCHP system containing a power generation unit, a heat recovery system, an absorption cooling system and a storage tank is integrated with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and/or a heat collector. Based on thermodynamic modeling, the thermodynamic performance, including energy and exergy efficiencies, under variable work conditions, such as electric load factor, solar irradiance and installation ratio, of the solar PV panels and heat collector is investigated and analyzed. The results of the energy supply side analysis indicate that the integration of solar PV into the CCHP system more efficiently improves the exergy efficiency, whereas the integration of a solar heat collector improves the energy efficiency. To match the building loads, the optimization method combined with the operation strategy is employed to optimize the system configurations to maximize the integrated benefits of energy and economic costs. The optimization results of demand–supply matching demonstrate that the integration of a solar heat collector achieves a better integrated performance than the solar PV integration in the specific case study. - Highlights: • Design a CCHP system integrated with solar PV and heat collector. • Present the energy and exergy analyses under variable work conditions. • Propose an optimization method of CCHP system for demand-supply matching.

  19. Solar cooling systems. Classification and energetic evaluation; Solare Kuehlsysteme. Klassifizierung und energetische Bewertung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hennig, Jakob [Technische Univ. Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany); Hafner, Armin [SINTEF Energy Research, Trondheim (Norway); Eikevik, Trygve M. [NTNU, Trondheim (Norway)

    2012-07-01

    The investigation of alternative, sustainable concepts for cold production is worthwhile in times of increasing energy demand for cooling and air conditioning applications. Energy sources such as solar radiation can help to reduce the burden on the environment and energy networks. Solar electricity from photovoltaic cells or solar power from solar collectors can be used in refrigerating equipment (such as cold vapor compression chiller, absorption chiller, adsorption chillers, open systems, thermo-mechanical systems or ejector-based systems) are fed in order to produce the desired coldness. In many cases, the temporal coincidence of radiation supply and cooling requirements makes the solar cooling to a promising concept, especially at sites with a high solar radiation, large cooling demand, high energy prices, or insufficient access to public power grids. A model-based investigation of different solar cooling systems with an equivalent cooling capacity was carried out. The results show that the performance potential strongly depends on the selected technology and the site of the system. A balanced daily energy balance can be achieved with an appropriately dimensioned solar power plant with cooling concept. Depending on the system and interpretation, primary energy savings or a primary energy overhead can be achieved within a year in comparison to a conventional system.

  20. Preliminary Study of Solar Chimney Assisted Cooling System for SMART

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Byung Il; Park, Seong Jun; Lee, Young Hyeon; Park, Hyo Chan; Park, Youn Won [BEES Inc., KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-05-15

    In this paper, the possibility of application for a complete passive final heat removal system using a solar chimney power plant for SMART NPP was estimated. Additionally the size of the cooling system was approximately calculated under the some assumptions. In order to estimate the applicability of SCPP as a complete passive secondary cooling system for SMART, we try to calculate the size of heat exchanger and simulate SCPP performance. As a result, it was found that SCPP could be coupled with SMART and some of waste heat could be recovered into electricity without any change in SCPP size. The related all parameters satisfying the constraint of the final heat removal system for SMART were calculated. Using the constraint of the amount of heat to be removed from SMART, two kinds of SCPP performances were analyzed; one for a stand alone SCPP in Fig 8(a) and second for SCPP with SMART in Fig 8(b)

  1. Desiccative and evaporative cooling systems in the field of energy change; Planung und Wirtschaftlichkeit von DEC-Anlagen im Umfeld der Energiewende

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mai, Ronny [ILK Dresden gGmbH, Dresden (Germany). Bereich Luft- und Klimatechnik

    2013-06-15

    Desiccative and evaporative cooling systems are established on the market since a few years. They are energy efficient, they can use renewable energy and replace conventional compression cooling systems. Their primary energy demand is up to one-third below the demand of conventional air conditioning systems. Nevertheless there is a big difference on the market. The sales have been stagnating for years, although the energy change requires efficient and sustainable technologies in this Article, the existing prejudices and their thrift are discussed. (orig.)

  2. A novel solar-assisted heat pump driven by photovoltaic/thermal collectors: Dynamic simulation and thermoeconomic optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calise, Francesco; Dentice d'Accadia, Massimo; Figaj, Rafal Damian; Vanoli, Laura

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents a dynamic simulation model and a thermo-economic analysis of a novel polygeneration system based on a solar-assisted heat pump and an adsorption chiller, both driven by PVT (photovoltaic/thermal) collectors. The aim of this work is to design and dynamically simulate a novel ultra-high efficient solar heating and cooling system. The overall plant layout is designed to supply electricity, space heating and cooling and domestic hot water for a small residential building. The system combines solar cooling, solar-assisted heat pump and photovoltaic/thermal collector technologies in a novel solar polygeneration system. In fact, the polygeneration system is based on a PVT solar field, coupled with a water-to-water electric heat pump or to an adsorption chiller. PVT collectors simultaneously produce electricity and thermal energy. During the winter, hot water produced by PVT collectors primarily supplies the evaporator of the heat pump, whereas in summer, solar energy supplies an adsorption chiller providing the required space cooling. All year long, solar thermal energy in excess is converted into DHW (domestic hot water). The system model was developed in TRNSYS environment. 1-year dynamic simulations are performed for different case studies in various weather conditions. The results are analysed on different time bases presenting energetic, environmental and economic performance data. Finally, a sensitivity analysis and a thermoeconomic optimization were performed, in order to determine the set of system design/control parameters that minimize the simple pay-back period. The results showed a total energy efficiency of the PVT of 49%, a heat pump yearly coefficient of performance for heating mode above 4 and a coefficient of performance of the adsorption chiller of 0.55. Finally, it is also concluded that system performance is highly sensitive to the PVT field area. The system is profitable when a capital investment subsidy of 50% is considered

  3. Low-Flow Liquid Desiccant Air Conditioning: General Guidance and Site Considerations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kozubal, E.; Herrmann, L.; Deru, M.; Clark, J.

    2014-09-01

    Dehumidification or latent cooling in buildings is an area of growing interest that has been identified as needing more research and improved technologies for higher performance. Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems typically expend excessive energy by using overcool-and-reheat strategies to dehumidify buildings. These systems first overcool ventilation air to remove moisture and then reheat the air to meet comfort requirements. Another common strategy incorporates solid desiccant rotors that remove moisture from the air more efficiently; however, these systems increase fan energy consumption because of the high airside pressure drop of solid desiccant rotors and can add heat of absorption to the ventilation air. Alternatively, liquid desiccant air-conditioning (LDAC) technology provides an innovative dehumidification solution that: (1) eliminates the need for overcooling and reheating from traditional cooling systems; and (2) avoids the increased fan energy and air heating from solid desiccant rotor systems.

  4. Cooled solar PV panels for output energy efficiency optimisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peng, Zhijun; Herfatmanesh, Mohammad R.; Liu, Yiming

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Effects of cooling on solar PV performance have been experimentally investigated. • As a solar panel is cooled down, the electric output can have significant increase. • A cooled solar PV system has been proposed for resident application. • Life cycle assessment suggests the cost payback time of cooled PV can be reduced. - Abstract: As working temperature plays a critical role in influencing solar PV’s electrical output and efficacy, it is necessary to examine possible way for maintaining the appropriate temperature for solar panels. This research is aiming to investigate practical effects of solar PV surface temperature on output performance, in particular efficiency. Experimental works were carried out under different radiation condition for exploring the variation of the output voltage, current, output power and efficiency. After that, the cooling test was conducted to find how much efficiency improvement can be achieved with the cooling condition. As test results show the efficiency of solar PV can have an increasing rate of 47% with the cooled condition, a cooling system is proposed for possible system setup of residential solar PV application. The system performance and life cycle assessment suggest that the annual PV electric output efficiencies can increase up to 35%, and the annual total system energy efficiency including electric output and hot water energy output can increase up to 107%. The cost payback time can be reduced to 12.1 years, compared to 15 years of the baseline of a similar system without cooling sub-system.

  5. Experiments on novel solar heating and cooling system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Yiping; Cui Yong; Zhu Li; Han Lijun

    2008-01-01

    Solar heating and nocturnal radiant cooling techniques are united to produce a novel solar heating and cooling system. The radiant panel with both heating and cooling functions can be used as structural materials for the building envelope, which realizes true building integrated utilization of solar energy. Based on the natural circulation principle, the operation status can be changed automatically between the heating cycle and the cooling cycle. System performances under different climate conditions using different covers on the radiant panel are studied. The results show that the novel solar heating and cooling system has good performance of heating and cooling. For the no cover system, the daily average heat collecting efficiency is 52% with the maximum efficiency of 73%, while at night, the cooling capacity is about 47 W/m 2 on a sunny day. On a cloudy day, the daily average heat collecting efficiency is 47% with the maximum of 84%, while the cooling capacity is about 33 W/m 2 . As a polycarbonate (PC) panel or polyethylene film are used as covers, the maximum heat collecting efficiencies are 75% and 72% and the daily average heat collecting efficiencies are 61% and 58%, while the cooling capacities are 50 W/m 2 and 36 W/m 2 , respectively

  6. Experimental Study on Solar Cooling Tube Using Thermal/Vacuum Emptying Method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huizhong Zhao

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A solar cooling tube using thermal/vacuum emptying method was experimentally studied in this paper. The coefficient of performance (COP of the solar cooling tube was mostly affected by the vacuum degree of the system. In past research, the thermal vacuum method, using an electric oven and iodine-tungsten lamp to heat up the adsorbent bed and H2O vapor to expel the air from the solar cooling tube, was used to manufacture solar cooling tubes. This paper presents a novel thermal vacuum combined with vacuum pump method allowing an increased vacuum state for producing solar cooling tubes. The following conclusions are reached: the adsorbent bed temperature of solar cooling tube could reaches up to 233°C, and this temperature is sufficient to meet desorption demand; the refrigerator power of a single solar cooling tube varies from 1 W to 12 W; the total supply refrigerating capacity is about 287 kJ; and the COP of this solar cooling tube is about 0.215.

  7. Experimental study of a solar-assisted ground-coupled heat pump system with solar seasonal thermal storage in severe cold areas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Xiao; Zheng, Maoyu; Zhang, Wenyong; Zhang, Shu; Yang, Tao [School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, NO 202 Haihe Road, Harbin, Hei Longjiang 150090 (China)

    2010-11-15

    This paper presents the experimental study of a solar-assisted ground-coupled heat pump system (SAGCHPS) with solar seasonal thermal storage installed in a detached house in Harbin. The solar seasonal thermal storage was conducted throughout the non-heating seasons. In summer, the soil was used as the heat sink to cool the building directly. In winter, the solar energy was used as a priority, and the building was heated by a ground-coupled heat pump (GCHP) and solar collectors alternately. The results show that the system can meet the heating-cooling energy needs of the building. In the heating mode, the heat directly supplied by solar collectors accounted for 49.7% of the total heating output, and the average coefficient of performance (COP) of the heat pump and the system were 4.29 and 6.55, respectively. In the cooling mode, the COP of the system reached 21.35, as the heat pump was not necessary to be started. After a year of operation, the heat extracted from the soil by the heat pump accounted for 75.5% of the heat stored by solar seasonal thermal storage. The excess heat raised the soil temperature to a higher level, which was favorable for increasing the COP of the heat pump. (author)

  8. Tarp-Assisted Cooling as a Method of Whole-Body Cooling in Hyperthermic Individuals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hosokawa, Yuri; Adams, William M; Belval, Luke N; Vandermark, Lesley W; Casa, Douglas J

    2017-03-01

    We investigated the efficacy of tarp-assisted cooling as a body cooling modality. Participants exercised on a motorized treadmill in hot conditions (ambient temperature 39.5°C [103.1°F], SD 3.1°C [5.58°F]; relative humidity 38.1% [SD 6.7%]) until they reached exercise-induced hyperthermia. After exercise, participants were cooled with either partial immersion using a tarp-assisted cooling method (water temperature 9.20°C [48.56°F], SD 2.81°C [5.06°F]) or passive cooling in a climatic chamber. There were no differences in exercise duration (mean difference=0.10 minutes; 95% CI -5.98 to 6.17 minutes or end exercise rectal temperature (mean difference=0.10°C [0.18°F]; 95% CI -0.05°C to 0.25°C [-0.09°F to 0.45°F] between tarp-assisted cooling (48.47 minutes [SD 8.27 minutes]; rectal temperature 39.73°C [103.51°F], SD 0.27°C [0.49°F]) and passive cooling (48.37 minutes [SD 7.10 minutes]; 39.63°C [103.33°F], SD 0.40°C [0.72°F]). Cooling time to rectal temperature 38.25°C (100.85°F) was significantly faster in tarp-assisted cooling (10.30 minutes [SD 1.33 minutes]) than passive cooling (42.78 [SD 5.87 minutes]). Cooling rates for tarp-assisted cooling and passive cooling were 0.17°C/min (0.31°F/min), SD 0.07°C/min (0.13°F/min) and 0.04°C/min (0.07°F/min), SD 0.01°C/min (0.02°F/min), respectively (mean difference=0.13°C [0.23°F]; 95% CI 0.09°C to 0.17°C [0.16°F to 0.31°F]. No sex differences were observed in tarp-assisted cooling rates (men 0.17°C/min [0.31°F/min], SD 0.07°C/min [0.13°F/min]; women 0.16°C/min [0.29°F/min], SD 0.07°C/min [0.13°F/min]; mean difference=0.02°C/min [0.04°F/min]; 95% CI -0.06°C/min to 0.10°C/min [-0.11°F/min to 0.18°F/min]). Women (0.04°C/min [0.07°F/min], SD 0.01°C/min [0.02°F/min]) had greater cooling rates than men (0.03°C/min [0.05°F/min], SD 0.01°C/min [0.02°F/min]) in passive cooling, with negligible clinical effect (mean difference=0.01°C/min [0.02°F/min]; 95% CI 0.001

  9. Cooling by evaporation. Alternative for air cooling below the dew point; Koelen door verdampen. Alternatief bij koelen van lucht onder het dauwpunt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Goossens, L.N.F.M. [Koninklijke Verhulst Luchtbehandeling, Waalwijk (Netherlands)

    1997-12-01

    One of the last developments in the indoor climate technology is desiccative evaporative cooling (DEC or cooling by dehumidification and evaporation). DEC is a combination of proven concepts, as e.g. adsorption, adiabatic cooling and heat recovery. DEC shows a high thermal comfort, low costs for exploitation and environment friendly components. The energy for drying requires a low-temperature level and can be produced by waste heat, a heat distribution system, through a cogeneration installation or by means of solar collectors. At the Royal Verhulst Air Conditioning company (`Koninklijke Verhulst Luchtbehandeling`) in Waalwijk, Netherlands, a DEC system was built to validate the programme to calculate the savings. In this article the principles and operation of the system (Roto-Cool) are briefly described. 4 figs., 2 ills.

  10. Comparative analysis of thermally activated, environmentally friendly cooling systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, Y.; Metchop, L.; Frantzis, A.; Phelan, P.E.

    2008-01-01

    This paper compares the relative performances of three different thermally activated, environmentally friendly cooling systems, e.g. a silica-gel-water adsorption system, a LiBr-H 2 O absorption system and a desiccant air system. The adsorption and absorption systems in the current study employ water as the refrigerant, while the desiccant system cools atmospheric air directly. Each of these systems can be utilized at relatively low heat source temperatures such as achieved by flat plate solar collectors, but it is unclear which of these systems is best suited to what range of heat source temperature. Our study explores answers to this question by generating quantitative results comparing their relative thermal performance, i.e. COP and refrigeration capacity, and a qualitative comparison based on the size, maturity of technology, safe operation etc. In order to provide a fair comparison between the fundamentally different systems, a UA (overall heat transfer coefficient multiplied by the heat transfer area) value of 1.0 kW deg. C -1 is considered for the heat exchanger that transfers heat from the supplied hot water. Furthermore, to compare systems of similar size, the mass of silica-gel in the adsorption and desiccant systems and the mass of LiBr-H 2 O solution in the absorption system were specified such that each system provides the same amount of refrigeration (8.0 kW) at a source temperature of 90 deg. C. It is found that the absorption and adsorption cooling systems have a higher refrigeration capacity at heat source temperatures below 90 deg. C, while the desiccant air system outperforms the others at temperatures above 90 deg. C

  11. Sistema de enfriamiento con desecante para reducir consumo de energía en restaurante caso de estudio; Desiccant cooling system to decrease energy consumption in Restaurant study case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tania Carbonell Morales

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Este artículo mostró la posibilidad de emplear un sistema de enfriamiento con rueda desecante para el tratamiento del aire de las diferentes áreas del Restaurante caso de estudio, instalación alta consumidora de energía, de ahí la necesidad de estudiar nuevas alternativas para el acondicionamiento de aire que permitan el control de la humedad y el ahorro de energía. El análisis bibliográfico realizado mostró que actualmente los sistemas de enfriamiento con desecante están siendo estudiados y empleados como una alternativa para el ahorro de energía y el cuidado del medioambiente en el campo del tratamiento del aire. Se propuso un sistema compuesto fundamentalmente por una rueda desecante de gel de sílice, una rueda conservadora de energía y un intercambiador de calor. Con el nuevo sistema de enfriamiento la demanda de energía eléctrica disminuye previéndose ahorros del orden de 1 1802 CUC anualmente solo por concepto de consumo de energía eléctrica.In this paper the possibility of using a cooling system with a desiccant wheel for air treatment of different areas of the case study restaurant is shown. This facility is classified as high consumer of energy, making it necessaryto study new alternatives for air conditioning allowing humidity control and energy saving. The literature review conducted on cooling systems with desiccant wheel technology was currently being studied and used as analternative to saving energy and protecting the environment in the field of air treatment. The desiccant cooling system proposed is fundamentally for a desiccant wheel of silica gel, an energy conservative wheel and a heatexchanger. With the new cooling system electricity demand decreases and significant savings of about 1 1802 CUC are forecasted only in annual electricity consumption.

  12. Sistema de enfriamiento con desecante para reducir consumo de energía en restaurante caso de estudio; Desiccant cooling system to decrease energy consumption in Restaurant study case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tania – Carbonell Morales

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Este artículo mostró la posibilidad de emplear un sistema de enfriamiento con rueda desecante para el tratamiento del aire de las diferentes áreas del Restaurante caso de estudio, instalación alta consumidora de energía, de ahí la necesidad de es tudiar nuevas alternativas para el acondicionamiento de aire que permitan el control de la humedad y el ahorro de energía. El análisis bibliográfico realizado mostró que actualmente los sistemas de enfriamiento con desecante están siendo estudia dos y empleados como una alternativa para el ahorro de energía y el cuidado del medioambiente en el campo del tratamiento del aire. Se propuso un sistema compuesto fundamentalmente por una rueda desecante de gel de sílice, una rueda conservadora de energía y un intercambiador de calor. Con el nuevo sistema de enfriamiento la demanda de energía eléctrica disminuye previéndose ahorros del orden de 11802 CUC anualmente solo por concepto de consumo de energía eléctrica. In this paper the possibility of using a cooling syst em with a desiccant wheel for air treatment of different areas of the case study restaurant is shown. This facility is classified as high consumer of energy, making it necessary to study new alternatives for air conditioning allowing humidity control and energy saving. The literature review conducted on cooling systems with desiccant wheel technology was currently being studied and used as an alternative to saving energy and protecting the environment in the field of air treatment. The desiccant cooling system proposed is fundamentally for a desiccant wheel of silica gel, an energy conservative wheel and a heat exchanger. With the new cooling system electricit y demand decreases and significant savings of about 11802 CUC are forecasted only in annual electricity consumption

  13. A parametric study of solar operated cooling system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zagalei, Abdullatif Salin

    2006-01-01

    Because of energy for air conditioning has been the fastest-growing segment of energy of consumption market in Libya and generally in north Africa, and with the realization depleting nature of fossil fuel, solar cooling of buildings which leads to the improvement of human comfort represents a potentially significant application of solar energy where the availability of solar radiation meets with the cooling load demand. This application has been shown to be technically feasible but the equipment needs further investigative research to improve its performance and feasibility. A solar operated absorption cooling system with energy storage is selected. A latent heat storage would be a space saver for such application for solar energy. A system modeling is an essential activity in order to go for system simulation. A complete solar cooling system to be modeled through the thermodynamic analysis of each system components. Resulting a package of equations used directly to the system simulation in order to predict the system performance to obtain the optimum working conditions for the selected cooling system. A computer code which is used to simulate a series of calculations was written in Fortran language according to the constructed information flow diagram and simulation program flow char. For a typical input data a set of results are reported and discussed and shows that the selected system promises to be a good choice for air conditioning application in Libya specially for large building as storehouses, shopping centers, public administrative.(Author)

  14. Reducing a solar-assisted air-conditioning system’s energy consumption by applying real-time occupancy sensors and chilled water storage tanks throughout the summer: A case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosiek, S.; Batlles, F.J.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • We present an innovative occupancy and chilled water storage-based operation mode. • This mode was implemented to the solar-assisted air-conditioning system. • It permits to save 42% of total electrical energy during one cooling period. • It allows storing the excess cooling capacity of the absorption chiller. • It prevents the sudden start/stop (on/off cycles) of the absorption chiller. - Abstract: This study describes an innovative occupancy and chilled-water storage-based operation sequence implemented in a solar-assisted air-conditioning system. The core purpose of this solar-assisted air-conditioning system is to handle the cooling and heating load of the Solar Energy Research Centre (CIESOL), thus minimising its environmental impact. In this study, the cooling mode was investigated with special attention focused on the chilled-water storage circuit. The critical concern is that the solar-assisted air-conditioning system should always operate considering the actual load conditions, not using an abstract maximum load that is predetermined during the system’s design process, which can lead to energy waste during periods of low occupancy. Thus, the fundamental problem is to identify the optimum operation sequence for the solar-assisted air-conditioning system that provides the best energy performance. The significance of this work lies in the demonstration of a new operation strategy that utilises real-time occupancy monitoring and chilled-water storage tanks to improve the efficiency of solar-assisted air-conditioning systems, thereby reducing their electricity consumption. Adopting this strategy resulted in a large energy-saving potential. The results demonstrate that during one cooling period, it is possible to conserve approximately 42% of the total electrical energy consumed by the system prior to the adoption of this operation strategy

  15. Performance investigation of solid desiccant evaporative cooling system configurations in different climatic zones

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, Muzaffar; Vukovic, Vladimir; Sheikh, Nadeem Ahmed; Ali, Hafiz M.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Five configurations of a DEC system are analyzed in five climate zones. • DEC system model configurations are developed in Dymola/Modelica. • Performance analysis predicted a suitable DEC system configuration for each climate zone. • Results show that climate of Vienna, Sao Paulo, and Adelaide favors the ventilated-dunkle cycle. • While ventilation cycle configuration suits the climate of Karachi and Shanghai. - Abstract: Performance of desiccant evaporative cooling (DEC) system configurations is strongly influenced by the climate conditions and varies widely in different climate zones. Finding the optimal configuration of DEC systems for a specific climatic zone is tedious and time consuming. This investigation conducts performance analysis of five DEC system configurations under climatic conditions of five cities from different zones: Vienna, Karachi, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, and Adelaide. On the basis of operating cycle, three standard and two modified system configurations (ventilation, recirculation, dunkle cycles; ventilated-recirculation and ventilated-dunkle cycles) are analyzed in these five climate zones. Using an advance equation-based object-oriented (EOO) modeling and simulation approach, optimal configurations of a DEC system are determined for each climate zone. Based on the hourly climate data of each zone for its respective design cooling day, performance of each system configuration is estimated using three performance parameters: cooling capacity, COP, and cooling energy delivered. The results revealed that the continental/micro-thermal climate of Vienna, temperate/mesothermal climate of Sao Paulo, and dry-summer subtropical climate of Adelaide favor the use of ventilated-dunkle cycle configuration with average COP of 0.405, 0.89 and 1.01 respectively. While ventilation cycle based DEC configuration suits arid and semiarid climate of Karachi and another category of temperate/mesothermal climate of Shanghai with average COP of

  16. Developing a Standard Method of Test for Packaged, Solid-Desiccant Based Dehumidification Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sand, J.R.

    2001-01-01

    A draft Method of Test (MOT) has been proposed for packaged, air-to-air, desiccant-based dehumidifier systems that incorporate a thermally-regenerated desiccant material for dehumidification. This MOT is intended to function as the ''system'' testing and rating compliment to the desiccant ''component'' (desiccant wheels and/or cassettes) MOT (ASHRAE 1998) and rating standard (ARI 1998) already adopted by industry. This draft standard applies to ''packaged systems'' that: Use desiccants for dehumidification of conditioned air for buildings; Use heated air for regeneration of the desiccant material; Include fans for moving process and regeneration air; May include other system components for filtering, pre-cooling, post-cooling, or heating conditioned air; and May include other components for humidification of conditioned air. The proposed draft applies to four different system operating modes depending on whether outdoor or indoor air is used for process air and regeneration air streams . Only the ''ventilation'' mode which uses outdoor air for both process and regeneration inlets is evaluated in this paper. Performance of the dehumidification system is presented in terms that would be most familiar and useful to designers of building HVAC systems to facilitate integration of desiccant equipment with more conventional hardware. Parametric performance results from a modified, commercial desiccant dehumidifier undergoing laboratory testing were used as data input to evaluate the draft standard. Performance results calculated from this experimental input, results from an error-checking/heat-balance verification test built into the standard, and estimated comparisons between desiccant and similarly performing conventional dehumidification equipment are calculated and presented. Some variations in test procedures are suggested to aid in analytical assessment of individual component performance

  17. Experimental investigation of a solar adsorption chiller used for grain depot cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, H.L.; Dai, Y.J.; Wang, R.Z.; Wu, J.Y.; Xu, Y.X.; Shen, J.M.

    2006-01-01

    The solar cooling technology is attractive since cooling load of building is roughly in phase with solar energy availability. In this study, a solar adsorption chiller was built and tested with aim of developing an alternative refrigeration system used for grain cooling storage. This solar adsorption chiller consists of four subsystems, namely, a solar water heating unit with 49.4 m 2 solar collecting area, a silica gel-water adsorption chiller, a cooling tower and a fan coil unit. In order to achieve continuous refrigeration, two adsorption units are operated out-of-phase with mass recovery cycle in the adsorption chiller. Field test results show that, under the climatic conditions of daily solar radiation being about 16-21 MJ/m 2 , this solar adsorption chiller can furnish 14-22 deg. C chilled air with an average cooling output ranging from about 3.2-4.4 kW, its daily solar cooling COP (coefficient of performance) is about 0.1-0.13

  18. Performance Analysis of XCPC Powered Solar Cooling Demonstration Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widyolar, Bennett K.

    A solar thermal cooling system using novel non-tracking External Compound Parabolic Concentrators (XCPC) has been built at the University of California, Merced and operated for two cooling seasons. Its performance in providing power for space cooling has been analyzed. This solar cooling system is comprised of 53.3 m2 of XCPC trough collectors which are used to power a 23 kW double effect (LiBr) absorption chiller. This is the first system that combines both XCPC and absorption chilling technologies. Performance of the system was measured in both sunny and cloudy conditions, with both clean and dirty collectors. It was found that these collectors are well suited at providing thermal power to drive absorption cooling systems and that both the coinciding of available thermal power with cooling demand and the simplicity of the XCPC collectors compared to other solar thermal collectors makes them a highly attractive candidate for cooling projects.

  19. Solar heating and cooling demonstration project at the Florida Solar Energy Center

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hankins, J.D.

    1980-02-01

    The retrofitted solar heating and cooling system installed at the Florida Solar Energy Center is described. Information is provided on the system's test, operation, controls, hardware and installation, including detailed drawings. The Center's office building, approximately 5000 square feet of space, with solar air conditioning and heating as a demonstration of the technical feasibility is located just north of Port Canaveral, Florida. The system was designed to supply approximately 70% of the annual cooling and 100% of the heating load. The project provides unique high-temperature, non-imaging, non-tracking, evacuated-tube collectors. The design of the system was kept simple and employs five hydronic loops. They are energy collection, chilled water production, space cooling, space heating and energy rejection.

  20. Triple-bore hollow fiber membrane contactor for liquid desiccant based air dehumidification

    KAUST Repository

    Bettahalli Narasimha, Murthy Srivatsa

    2016-04-26

    Dehumidification is responsible for a large part of the energy consumption in cooling systems in high humidity environments worldwide. Improving efficiency is therefore essential. Liquid desiccants offer a promising solution for dehumidification, as desired levels of humidity removal could be easily regulated. The use of membrane contactors in combination with liquid desiccant is attractive for dehumidification because they prevent direct contact between the humid air and the desiccant, removing both the potential for desiccant carryover to the air and the potential for contamination of the liquid desiccant by dust and other airborne materials, as well as minimizing corrosion. However, the expected additional mass transport barrier of the membrane surface can lower the expected desiccation rate per unit of desiccant surface area. In this context, hollow fiber membranes present an attractive option for membrane liquid desiccant contactors because of their high surface area per unit volume. We demonstrate in this work the performance of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) based triple-bore hollow fiber membranes as liquid desiccant contactors, which are permeable to water vapor but impermeable to liquid water, for dehumidification of hot and humid air.

  1. Solar thermal heating and cooling. A bibliography with abstracts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arenson, M.

    1979-01-01

    This bibliographic series cites and abstracts the literature and technical papers on the heating and cooling of buildings with solar thermal energy. Over 650 citations are arranged in the following categories: space heating and cooling systems; space heating and cooling models; building energy conservation; architectural considerations, thermal load computations; thermal load measurements, domestic hot water, solar and atmospheric radiation, swimming pools; and economics.

  2. Solar heating and cooling demonstration project at the Florida solar energy center

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-01-01

    The retrofitted solar heating and cooling system installed at the Florida Solar Energy Center is described. The system was designed to supply approximately 70 percent of the annual cooling and 100 percent of the heating load. The project provides unique high temperature, nonimaging, nontracking, evacuated tube collectors. The design of the system was kept simple and employs five hydronic loops. They are energy collection, chilled water production, space cooling, space heating and energy rejection. Information is provided on the system's acceptance test results operation, controls, hardware and installation, including detailed drawings.

  3. Solar district heating and cooling: A review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perez-Mora, Nicolas; Bava, Federico; Andersen, Martin

    2018-01-01

    and decentralized solar district heating as well as block heating. For the different technologies, the paper describes commonly adopted control strategies, system configurations, types of installation, and integration. Real‐world examples are also given to provide a more detailed insight into how solar thermal...... technology can be integrated with district heating. Solar thermal technology combined with thermally driven chillers to provide cooling for cooling networks is also included in this paper. In order for a technology to spread successfully, not only technical but also economic issues need to be tackled. Hence......Both district heating and solar collector systems have been known and implemented for many years. However, the combination of the two, with solar collectors supplying heat to the district heating network, is relatively new, and no comprehensive review of scientific publications on this topic could...

  4. Design of SMART waste heat removal dry cooling tower using solar energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Yong Jae; Jeong, Yong Hoon

    2014-01-01

    The 85% of cooling system are once-through cooling system and closed cycle wet cooling system. However, many countries are trying to reduce the power plant water requirement due to the water shortage and water pollution. Dry cooling system is investigated for water saving advantage. There are two dry cooling system which are direct and indirect cooling system. In direct type, turbine exhaust is directly cooled by air-cooled condenser. In indirect system, turbine steam is cooled by recirculating intermediate cooling water loop, then the loop is cooled by air-cooled heat exchanger in cooling tower. In this paper, the purpose is to remove SMART waste heat, 200MW by using newly designed tower. The possibility of enhancing cooling performance by solar energy is analyzed. The simple cooling tower and solar energy cooling tower are presented and two design should meet the purpose of removing SMART waste heat, 200MW. In first design, when tower diameter is 70m, the height of tower should be 360m high. In second design, the chimney height decrease from 360m to 180m as collector radius increase from 100m to 500m due to collector temperature enhancement by solar energy, To analyze solar cooling tower further, consideration of solar energy performance at night should be analyzed

  5. Design of SMART waste heat removal dry cooling tower using solar energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Yong Jae; Jeong, Yong Hoon [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    The 85% of cooling system are once-through cooling system and closed cycle wet cooling system. However, many countries are trying to reduce the power plant water requirement due to the water shortage and water pollution. Dry cooling system is investigated for water saving advantage. There are two dry cooling system which are direct and indirect cooling system. In direct type, turbine exhaust is directly cooled by air-cooled condenser. In indirect system, turbine steam is cooled by recirculating intermediate cooling water loop, then the loop is cooled by air-cooled heat exchanger in cooling tower. In this paper, the purpose is to remove SMART waste heat, 200MW by using newly designed tower. The possibility of enhancing cooling performance by solar energy is analyzed. The simple cooling tower and solar energy cooling tower are presented and two design should meet the purpose of removing SMART waste heat, 200MW. In first design, when tower diameter is 70m, the height of tower should be 360m high. In second design, the chimney height decrease from 360m to 180m as collector radius increase from 100m to 500m due to collector temperature enhancement by solar energy, To analyze solar cooling tower further, consideration of solar energy performance at night should be analyzed.

  6. Desiccant-Based Preconditioning Market Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fischer, J.

    2001-01-11

    A number of important conclusions can be drawn as a result of this broad, first-phase market evaluation. The more important conclusions include the following: (1) A very significant market opportunity will exist for specialized outdoor air-handling units (SOAHUs) as more construction and renovation projects are designed to incorporate the recommendations made by the ASHRAE 62-1989 standard. Based on this investigation, the total potential market is currently $725,000,000 annually (see Table 6, Sect. 3). Based on the market evaluations completed, it is estimated that approximately $398,000,000 (55%) of this total market could be served by DBC systems if they were made cost-effective through mass production. Approximately $306,000,000 (42%) of the total can be served by a non-regenerated, desiccant-based total recovery approach, based on the information provided by this investigation. Approximately $92,000,000 (13%) can be served by a regenerated desiccant-based cooling approach (see Table 7, Sect. 3). (2) A projection of the market selling price of various desiccant-based SOAHU systems was prepared using prices provided by Trane for central-station, air-handling modules currently manufactured. The wheel-component pricing was added to these components by SEMCO. This resulted in projected pricing for these systems that is significantly less than that currently offered by custom suppliers (see Table 4, Sect. 2). Estimated payback periods for all SOAHU approaches were quite short when compared with conventional over-cooling and reheat systems. Actual paybacks may vary significantly depending on site-specific considerations. (3) In comparing cost vs benefit of each SOAHU approach, it is critical that the total system design be evaluated. For example, the cost premium of a DBC system is very significant when compared to a conventional air handling system, yet the reduced chiller, boiler, cooling tower, and other expense often equals or exceeds this premium, resulting in a

  7. Analysis of a Hybrid Solar-Assisted Trigeneration System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elisa Marrasso

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available A hybrid solar-assisted trigeneration system is analyzed in this paper. The system is composed of a 20 m2 solar field of evacuated tube collectors, a natural gas fired micro combined heat and power system delivering 12.5 kW of thermal power, an absorption heat pump (AHP with a nominal cooling power of 17.6 kW, two storage tanks (hot and cold and an electric auxiliary heater (AH. The plant satisfies the energy demand of an office building located in Naples (Southern Italy. The electric energy of the cogenerator is used to meet the load and auxiliaries electric demand; the interactions with the grid are considered in cases of excess or over requests. This hybrid solution is interesting for buildings located in cities or historical centers with limited usable roof surface to install a conventional solar heating and cooling (SHC system able to achieve high solar fraction (SF. The results of dynamic simulation show that a tilt angle of 30° maximizes the SF of the system on annual basis achieving about 53.5%. The influence on the performance of proposed system of the hot water storage tank (HST characteristics (volume, insulation is also studied. It is highlighted that the SF improves when better insulated and bigger HSTs are considered. A maximum SF of about 58.2% is obtained with a 2000 L storage, whereas the lower thermal losses take place with a better insulated 1000 L tank.

  8. Solar radiation and cooling load calculation for radiant systems: Definition and evaluation of the Direct Solar Load

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Causone, Francesco; Corgnati, Stefano P.; Filippi, Marco

    2010-01-01

    The study of the influence of solar radiation on the built environment is a basic issue in building physics and currently it is extremely important because glazed envelopes are widely used in contemporary architecture. In the present study, the removal of solar heat gains by radiant cooling systems...... is investigated. Particular attention is given to the portion of solar radiation converted to cooling load, without taking part in thermal absorption phenomena due to the thermal mass of the room. This specific component of the cooling load is defined as the Direct Solar Load. A simplified procedure to correctly...... calculate the magnitude of the Direct Solar Load in cooling load calculations is proposed and it is implemented with the Heat Balance method and the Radiant Time Series method. The F ratio of the solar heat gains directly converted to cooling load, in the case of a low thermal mass radiant ceiling...

  9. Cooling with solar energy - Tests in practice passed

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lainsecq de, M.

    2004-01-01

    This article discusses the use of solar energy to provide summer cooling. Starting with centuries-old methods of adiabatic cooling used in the southern valleys of the Grisons in Switzerland, various methods of using solar energy to generate cold are examined. The article mentions the increasing load being placed on electricity supplies by conventional cooling systems and describes two real-life installations that use solar energy to generate cold. The first installation described uses evacuated tube collectors to provide around 45,000 kilowatt-hours of energy for an office complex, of which one third is used in summer to generate cold. The second installation features flat-plate collectors and two absorption refrigeration machines. Financial and environmental balances are presented and discussed

  10. Influence of desiccation procedures on the surface wettability and corrosion resistance of porous aluminium anodic oxide films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng Meng, E-mail: ZhengMeng@eng.hokudai.ac.jp [Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita-13, Nishi-8, Kita-Ku, Sapporo 060-8628 (Japan); Sakairi, Masatoshi [Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita-13, Nishi-8, Kita-Ku, Sapporo 060-8628 (Japan); Jha, Himendra [Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Lichtenbergstrasse 4, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

    2012-02-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Simple desiccation treatment without coating or etching produces hydrophobicity of porous anodic oxide film. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Treatment time can be shortened by controlling desiccation condition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Surface microstructure is the key point to determine the wettability. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The hydrophobic surfaces show better corrosion resistance than oxide aluminium. - Abstract: A hydrophobic oxide film was formed on aluminium by anodizing followed by desiccation treatment. Films subjected to gradual heating and cooling exhibit larger water contact angles than samples exposed to fast heating and cooling at the same temperature. From SEM and Auger Electron Spectroscopic observations, the low wettability surface shows a regular porous morphology with no significant chemical composition differences due to the different treatments. The desiccation process improves the corrosion resistance, shown by immersion in NaCl. The change in morphology by the desiccation processes is considered a main reason to lower the wettability, which further affects the corrosion properties.

  11. Citywide Impacts of Cool Roof and Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Deployment on Near-Surface Air Temperature and Cooling Energy Demand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salamanca, F.; Georgescu, M.; Mahalov, A.; Moustaoui, M.; Martilli, A.

    2016-10-01

    Assessment of mitigation strategies that combat global warming, urban heat islands (UHIs), and urban energy demand can be crucial for urban planners and energy providers, especially for hot, semi-arid urban environments where summertime cooling demands are excessive. Within this context, summertime regional impacts of cool roof and rooftop solar photovoltaic deployment on near-surface air temperature and cooling energy demand are examined for the two major USA cities of Arizona: Phoenix and Tucson. A detailed physics-based parametrization of solar photovoltaic panels is developed and implemented in a multilayer building energy model that is fully coupled to the Weather Research and Forecasting mesoscale numerical model. We conduct a suite of sensitivity experiments (with different coverage rates of cool roof and rooftop solar photovoltaic deployment) for a 10-day clear-sky extreme heat period over the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas at high spatial resolution (1-km horizontal grid spacing). Results show that deployment of cool roofs and rooftop solar photovoltaic panels reduce near-surface air temperature across the diurnal cycle and decrease daily citywide cooling energy demand. During the day, cool roofs are more effective at cooling than rooftop solar photovoltaic systems, but during the night, solar panels are more efficient at reducing the UHI effect. For the maximum coverage rate deployment, cool roofs reduced daily citywide cooling energy demand by 13-14 %, while rooftop solar photovoltaic panels by 8-11 % (without considering the additional savings derived from their electricity production). The results presented here demonstrate that deployment of both roofing technologies have multiple benefits for the urban environment, while solar photovoltaic panels add additional value because they reduce the dependence on fossil fuel consumption for electricity generation.

  12. Experimental study on a parabolic concentrator assisted solar desalting system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arunkumar, T.; Denkenberger, David; Velraj, R.; Sathyamurthy, Ravishankar; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Vinothkumar, K.

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • We optimized the augmentation of condense by enhanced desalination methodology. • Parabolic concentrator has been integrated with solar distillation systems. • We measured ambient together with solar radiation intensity. - Abstract: This paper presents a modification of parabolic concentrator (PC) – solar still with continuous water circulation using a storage tank to enhance the productivity. Four modes of operation were studied experimentally: (i) PC-solar still without top cover cooling; (ii) PC-solar still with top cover cooling, PC-solar still integrated with phase change material (PCM) without top cover cooling and PC-solar still integrated PCM with cooling. The experiments were carried out for the cooling water flow rates of 40 ml/min; 50 ml/min, 60 ml/min, 80 ml/min and 100 ml/min. Diurnal variations of water temperature (T_w), ambient air temperature (T_a), top cover temperature (T_o_c) and production rate are measured with frequent time intervals. Water cooling was not cost effective, but adding PCM was.

  13. A solar assisted heat-pump dryer and water heater

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hawlader, M.N.A.; Chou, S.K.; Jahangeer, K.A.; Rahman, S.M.A.

    2006-01-01

    Growing concern about the depletion of conventional energy resources has provided impetus for considerable research and development in the area of alternative energy sources. A solar assisted heat pump dryer and water heater found to be one of the solutions while exploring for alternative energy sources. The heat pump system is used for drying and water heating applications with the major share of the energy derived from the sun and the ambient. The solar assisted heat pump dryer and water heater has been designed, fabricated and tested. The performance of the system has been investigated under the meteorological conditions of Singapore. The system consists of a variable speed reciprocating compressor, evaporator-collector, storage tank, air cooled condenser, auxiliary heater, blower, dryer, dehumidifier, and air collector. The drying medium used is air and the drying chamber is configured to carry out batch drying of good grains. A water tank connected in series with the air cooled condenser delivers hot water for domestic applications. The water tank also ensures complete condensation of the refrigerant vapour. A simulation program is developed using Fortran language to evaluate the performance of the system and the influence of different variables. The performance indices considered to evaluate the performance of the system are: Solar Fraction (SF), Coefficient of Performance (COP) and Specific Moisture Extraction Rate (SMER). A COP value of 7.5 for a compressor speed of 1800 rpm was observed. Maximum collector efficiencies of 0.86 and 0.81 have been found for evaporator-collector and air collector, respectively. A value of the SMER of 0.79 has been obtained for a load of 20 kg and a compressor speed of 1200 rpm

  14. Dry cooling with night cool storage to enhance solar power plants performance in extreme conditions areas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muñoz, J.; Martínez-Val, J.M.; Abbas, R.; Abánades, A.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Solar thermo-electric power plants with thermal storage for condenser cooling. ► Technology to mitigate the negative effect on Rankine cycles of the day-time high temperatures in deserts. ► Electricity production augmentation in demand-peak hours by the use of day-night temperature difference. -- Abstract: Solar thermal power plants are usually installed in locations with high yearly average solar radiation, often deserts. In such conditions, cooling water required for thermodynamic cycles is rarely available. Moreover, when solar radiation is high, ambient temperature is very high as well; this leads to excessive condensation temperature, especially when air-condensers are used, and decreases the plant efficiency. However, temperature variation in deserts is often very high, which drives to relatively low temperatures during the night. This fact can be exploited with the use of a closed cooling system, so that the coolant (water) is chilled during the night and store. Chilled water is then used during peak temperature hours to cool the condenser (dry cooling), thus enhancing power output and efficiency. The present work analyzes the performance improvement achieved by night thermal cool storage, compared to its equivalent air cooled power plant. Dry cooling is proved to be energy-effective for moderately high day–night temperature differences (20 °C), often found in desert locations. The storage volume requirement for different power plant efficiencies has also been studied, resulting on an asymptotic tendency.

  15. Simulation of solar-powered absorption cooling system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Atmaca, I.; Yigit, A. [Uludag Univ., Bursa (Turkey). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

    2003-07-01

    With developing technology and the rapid increase in world population, the demand for energy is ever increasing. Conventional energy will not be enough to meet the continuously increasing need for energy in the future. In this case, renewable energy sources will become important. Solar energy is a very important energy source because of its advantages. Instead of a compressor system, which uses electricity, an absorption cooling system, using renewable energy and kinds of waste heat energy, may be used for cooling. In this study, a solar-powered, single stage, absorption cooling system, using a water-lithium bromide solution, is simulated. A modular computer program has been developed for the absorption system to simulate various cycle configurations and solar energy parameters for Antalya, Turkey. So, the effects of hot water inlet temperatures on the coefficient of performance (COP) and the surface area of the absorption cooling components are studied. In addition, reference temperatures which are the minimum allowable hot water inlet temperatures are determined and their effect on the fraction of the total load met by non-purchased energy (FNP) and the coefficient of performance are researched. Also, the effects of the collector type and storage tank mass are investigated in detail. (author)

  16. Solar-assisted absorption air-conditioning systems in buildings: Control strategies and operational modes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirazi, Ali; Pintaldi, Sergio; White, Stephen D.; Morrison, Graham L.; Rosengarten, Gary; Taylor, Robert A.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A simulation model of a solar driven absorption chiller is developed in detail. • Three control strategies were proposed in the solar loop of the plant. • Series and parallel auxiliary heater arrangements were investigated. • The results showed the auxiliary-heater in parallel outperformed the series one. • Solar fraction can be increased by 20% by implementing the proposed configuration. - Abstract: Solar-assisted cooling technology has enormous potential for air-conditioning applications since both solar energy supply and cooling energy demand are well correlated. Unfortunately, market uptake of solar cooling technologies has been slow due to the high capital cost and limited design/operational experience. In the present work, different designs and operational modes for solar heating and cooling (SHC) absorption chiller systems are investigated and compared in order to identify the preferred design strategies for these systems. Three control scenarios are proposed for the solar collector loop. The first uses a constant flow pump, while the second and third control schemes employ a variable speed pump, where the solar collector (SC) set-point temperature could be either fixed or adjusted to the required demand. Series and parallel arrangements, between the auxiliary heater and the storage tank, have been examined in detail from an energy efficiency perspective. A simulation model for different system layouts is developed in the transient system simulation environment (TRNSYS, Version 17). Simulation results revealed that the total solar fraction of the plant is increased by up to 11% when a variable speed solar loop pump is used to achieve a collector set-point temperature adjusted according to the building load demand. Another significant finding of this study is that a parallel configuration for the auxiliary heater out-performs a conventional series configuration. The yearly performance of an auxiliary heater in parallel with the storage

  17. Performance of desiccant air conditioning system with geothermal energy under different climatic conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Agouz, S.A.; Kabeel, A.E.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The performance of the hybrid air conditioning system is studied. • The influence of important operating parameters are estimated. • The ventilation, makeup and mix cycles are investigated at different climate. • The highest COP of the hybrid air conditioning system is 1.03. • The hybrid system provides a human thermal comfort at different climates. - Abstract: Energy saving still and continue a major seek in our life, due to the continuous increase in energy consumptions. So, a desiccant air conditioning system with geothermal energy is conducted in the current study. The thermal analysis of air conditioning system with its different components desiccant wheel, solar collector, heat exchanger, ground heat exchanger and water spray evaporative cooler is presented. Three different air conditioning cycles are simulated in the current study for different zones like: hot-dry zone, warm-dry zone, hot-humid zone and the warm-humid zone. The results show that the desiccant air conditioning system successfully provides a better thermal comfort condition in different climates. This hybrid system significantly decreases the supplied air temperature from 12.7 to 21.7 °C at different climate zones. When ω in , air and T Reg increasing, COP decreases and the ventilation cycle provides the better COP. The highest COP value of the desiccant air conditioning system is about 1.03 while the lowest value is about 0.15. The SHR of makeup cycle is higher than that ventilation cycle at warm and hot-humid zone and vice versa at warm and hot-dry zone. The highest SHR value of the desiccant air conditioning system is about 0.99 while the lowest value is about 0.2. The T sup,air , ω sup,air , COP and SHR isolines may easily be used for pre-evaluating of various cooling cycles in different climates. The hybrid system provides a human thermal comfort at different climates

  18. MULTIFUNCTIONAL SOLAR SYSTEMS FOR HEATING AND COOLING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doroshenko A.V.

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The basic circuits of multifunctional solar systems of air drainage, heating (hot water supply and heating, cooling and air conditioning are developed on the basis of open absorption cycle with a direct absorbent regeneration. Basic decisions for new generation of gas-liquid solar collectors are developed. Heat-mass-transfer apparatus included in evaporative cooling system, are based on film interaction of flows of gas and liquid and in them, for the creation of nozzle, multi-channel structures from polymeric materials and porous ceramics are used. Preliminary analysis of multifunctional systems possibilities is implemented.

  19. Solar-Enhanced Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers for Geothermal Power Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamel Hooman

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper focuses on the optimization of a Solar-Enhanced Natural-Draft Dry-Cooling Tower (SENDDCT, originally designed by the Queensland Geothermal Energy Centre of Excellence (QGECE, as the air-cooled condenser of a geothermal power plant. The conventional method of heat transfer augmentation through fin-assisted area extension is compared with a metal foam-wrapped tube bundle. Both lead to heat-transfer enhancement, albeit at the expense of a higher pressure drop when compared to the bare tube bundle as our reference case. An optimal design is obtained through the use of a simplified analytical model and existing correlations by maximizing the heat transfer rate with a minimum pressure drop goal as the constraint. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to investigate the effect of sunroof diameter, as well as tube bundle layouts and tube spacing, on the overall performance of the system. Aiming to minimize the flow and thermal resistances for a SENDDCT, an optimum design is presented for an existing tower to be equipped with solar panels to afterheat the air leaving the heat exchanger bundles, which are arranged vertically around the tower skirt. Finally, correlations are proposed to predict the total pressure drop and heat transfer of the extended surfaces considered here.

  20. Experimental investigations on performance of liquid desiccant-vapor compression hybrid air conditioner

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohan, B. Shaji; Tiwari, Shaligram; Maiya, M.P.

    2015-01-01

    A coupled desiccant column is integrated with a conventional room air conditioner (AC) to enhance dehumidification of the room air. One desiccant column (absorber) is placed after the evaporator the other (regenerator) after the condenser of the AC unit. Such a novel liquid desiccant vapour compression hybrid air conditioning system has been fabricated and tested in a balanced ambient room type calorimeter for very low flow rates of liquid desiccant (lithium bromide solution). The moisture from the cold supply air is transferred to the hot condenser air by the desiccant flowing in the loop, thereby complimenting the dehumidification of the room air at the evaporator. The supply air is also sensibly heated during the dehumidification process by liquid desiccant in the absorber, which together enables the hybrid system to maintain low humidity in the room. Whereas the liquid desiccant is regenerated by the condenser waste heat, the entire cooling is derived only by the AC unit. The experimental results show that an increase of room temperature reduces both dehumidification of process air and regeneration of liquid desiccant, whereas an increase of room specific humidity enhances both these for the flow rate of the liquid desiccant in the range of 0.2–1.6% of the air flow rate through the absorber. - Highlights: • A liquid desiccant vapor compression hybrid system is fabricated and tested. • The liquid desiccant reduces latent load but equally increases sensible load. • Hybrid system performance is studied for varying room temperature and humidity. • Higher room temperature lowers air dehumidification and desiccant regeneration. • Increase of room specific humidity enhances dehumidification and also regeneration

  1. Theoretical study for solar air pretreatment collector/regenerator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peng Donggen; Zhang Xiaosong; Yin Yonggao [School of Energy and Environment, Southeast Univ., Nanjing (China)

    2008-07-01

    A new liquid regeneration equipment - solar air pretreatment collector/regenerator for liquid desiccant cooling system is put forward in this paper, which is preferable to solution regeneration in hot and moist climate in South China. The equipment can achieve liquid regeneration in lower temperature. When the solution and the air are in ''match'' state in collector/ regenerator, a match air to salt mass ratio ASMR* is found by theoretical study in which there is the largest theoretical storage capacity SC{sub max}. After two new concepts of the effective solution proportion (EPS) and the effective storage capacity (ESC) are defined, it is found by theoretical calculation that when ESP drops from 100% to 67%, ESC raises lowly, not drops and liquid outlet concentration C{sub str} {sub sol} increases from 40% to 49% in which its increment totals to 90%. All these data explain fully that air pretreatment liquid regeneration equipment enables to improve the performance of liquid desiccant cooling system. (orig.)

  2. Experimental study of efficiency of solar panel by phase change material cooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Nicholas Tan Jian; Nan, Wong Jian; Guiping, Cheng

    2017-07-01

    The dependence of efficiency of photovoltaic panels on their temperature during operation is a major concern for developers and users. In this paper, a phase change material (PCM) cooling system was designed for a 60W mono-crystalline solar panel. Tealights candle was selected as the cooling medium. The solar irradiance was recorded using Kipp & Zonen CMP3 pyranometer and Meteon data logger. Temperature distribution on the surface of solar panel, output voltage and output current of solar panel were measured. The average irradiance throughout data collection was found to be 705W/m2 and highest irradiance was 1100 W/m2. The average solar panel temperature was 43.6°C and a maximum temperature of 53°C was at the center of solar panel. Results showed that average power output and efficiency of the solar panel were 44.4W and 15%, respectively. It was found that the higher the solar irradiance, the lower the efficiency of solar panel and the higher the temperature and power output of solar panel. This is due to the fact that high irradiance results in high power input and high solar panel temperature. But high PV panel temperature reduces its power output. Therefore, the increase of power input outweighs that of power output, which leads to the decrease of efficiency of solar panel with the increase of solar irradiance. Compared with solar panel without cooling, the power output and efficiency of solar panel did not increase with PCM cooling. It indicates that Tealights candle as PCM cooling is not efficient in improving the efficiency of solar panel in this study.

  3. Optimization design of solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zou, Zheng; Guan, Zhiqiang; Gurgenci, Hal

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • We proposed a cost model for solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower. • We proposed an optimization scheme for this new cooling system. • We optimally designed one for a 50 MW EGS geothermal plant as a demonstration. • Results proved its economic advantages for EGS geothermal application. - Abstract: This paper proposed an optimization scheme for solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower design, in which a detailed cost model was proposed including capital, labour, maintenance and operation costs of each component. Based on the developed cost model, the optimal design option can be identified in terms of the relatively lower annual cost and the relatively higher total extra income over the Solar Enhanced Natural Draft Dry Cooling Tower (SENDDCT) lifetime. As a case study, a SENDDCT was optimally designed to meet the cooling demand for a 50 MW geothermal power plant with Engineered Geothermal System (EGS) technology. The results showed that the optimized SENDDCT not only has better cooling performance during the daytime but also is a cost effective option for EGS geothermal power plants

  4. A RADIANT AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM USING SOLAR-DRIVEN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. A. ABDALLA

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Every air-conditioning system needs some fresh air to provide adequate ventilation air required to remove moisture, gases like ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, disease organisms, and heat from occupied spaces. However, natural ventilation is difficult to control because urban areas outside air is often polluted and cannot be supplied to inner spaces before being filtered. Besides the high electrical demand of refrigerant compression units used by most air-conditioning systems, and fans used to transport the cool air through the thermal distribution system draw a significant amount of electrical energy in comparison with electrical energy used by the building thermal conditioning systems. Part of this electricity heats the cooled air; thereby add to the internal thermal cooling peak load. In addition, refrigerant compression has both direct and indirect negative effects on the environment on both local and global scales. In seeking for innovative air-conditioning systems that maintain and improve indoor air quality under potentially more demanding performance criteria without increasing environmental impact, this paper presents radiant air-conditioning system which uses a solar-driven liquid desiccant evaporative cooler. The paper describes the proposed solar-driven liquid desiccant evaporative cooling system and the method used for investigating its performance in providing cold water for a radiant air-conditioning system in Khartoum (Central Sudan. The results of the investigation show that the system can operate in humid as well as dry climates and that employing such a system reduces air-conditioning peak electrical demands as compared to vapour compression systems.

  5. Modeling and experimental validation of the solar loop for absorption solar cooling system using double-glazed collectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marc, Olivier; Praene, Jean-Philippe; Bastide, Alain; Lucas, Franck

    2011-01-01

    Solar cooling applied to buildings is without a doubt an interesting alternative for reducing energy consumption in traditional mechanical steam compression air conditioning systems. The study of these systems should have a closely purely fundamental approach including the development of numerical models in order to predict the overall installation performance. The final objective is to estimate cooling capacity, power consumption, and overall installation performance with relation to outside factors (solar irradiation, outside temperature...). The first stage in this work consists of estimating the primary energy produced by the solar collector field. The estimation of this primary energy is crucial to ensure the evaluation of the cooling capacity and therefore the cooling distribution and thermal comfort in the building. Indeed, the absorption chiller performance is directly related to its heat source. This study presents dynamic models for double glazing solar collectors and compares the results of the simulation with experimental results taken from our test bench (two collectors). In the second part, we present an extensive collector field model (36 collectors) from our solar cooling installation at The University Institute of Technology in St Pierre, Reunion Island as well as our stratified tank storage model. A comparison of the simulation results with real scale solar experimental data taken from our installation enables validation of the double glazing solar collector and stratified tank dynamic models.

  6. Site dependent factors affecting the economic feasibility of solar powered absorption cooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartlett, J. C.

    1978-01-01

    A procedure was developed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of combining an absorption cycle chiller with a solar energy system. A basic assumption of the procedure is that a solar energy system exists for meeting the heating load of the building, and that the building must be cooled. The decision to be made is to either cool the building with a conventional vapor compression cycle chiller or to use the existing solar energy system to provide a heat input to the absorption chiller. Two methods of meeting the cooling load not supplied by solar energy were considered. In the first method, heat is supplied to the absorption chiller by a boiler using fossil fuel. In the second method, the load not met by solar energy is net by a conventional vapor compression chiller. In addition, the procedure can consider waste heat as another form of auxiliary energy. Commercial applications of solar cooling with an absorption chiller were found to be more cost effective than the residential applications. In general, it was found that the larger the chiller, the more economically feasible it would be. Also, it was found that a conventional vapor compression chiller is a viable alternative for the auxiliary cooling source, especially for the larger chillers. The results of the analysis gives a relative rating of the sites considered as to their economic feasibility of solar cooling.

  7. Solar-assisted low energy dwellings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Esbensen, T V

    1980-02-01

    The Zero Energy House Group was formed as a subproject of the CCMS Solar Energy Pilot Study in 1974 by seven participating countries experimenting with solar-assisted low-energy dwellings for temperate and northern European climatic conditions. A Zero Energy House is one in which solar energy is used to meet the reduced energy needs of buildings incorporating various thermal energy conservation features. This final report of the Zero Energy House Group includes brief descriptions of 13 major low-energy dwellings in the participating CCMS countries. An overall assessment of the state-of-the-art in solar-assisted low-energy dwellings is also included.

  8. Modeling and characteristics analysis of hybrid cooling-tower-solar-chimney system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zou, Zheng; He, Suoying

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • A 3-D model for hybrid cooling-tower-solar-chimney system is developed. • The inclusion of heat exchangers into solar chimney boosts the power output. • The huge jump in power output is at the expense of heat dissipation capacity. • The heat exchanger as second heat source has greater impact on system performance. - Abstract: The hybrid cooling-tower-solar-chimney system (HCTSC), combining solar chimney with natural draft dry cooling tower, generates electricity and dissipates waste heat for the coupled geothermal power plant simultaneously. Based on a developed 3-D model, performance comparisons between the HCTSC system, solar chimney and natural draft dry cooling tower were performed in terms of power output of turbine and heat dissipation capacity. Results show that compared to the traditional solar chimney with similar geometric dimensions, HCTSC system can achieve over 20 times increase in the power output of turbine. However, this huge jump in power output is at the expense of heat dissipation capacity, which may lead to the malfunction of the coupled thermal power plant. By increasing the heat transfer area of the heat exchanger, the HCTSC system can manage to recover its heat dissipation capacity

  9. The NASA-Lewis/ERDA Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Couch, J. P.; Bloomfield, H. S.

    1975-01-01

    The NASA Lewis Research Center plans to carry out a major role in the ERDA Solar Heating and Cooling Program. This role would be to create and test the enabling technology for future solar heating, cooling, and combined heating/cooling systems. The major objectives of the project are to achieve reduction in solar energy system costs, while maintaining adequate performance, reliability, life, and maintenance characteristics. The project approach is to move progressively through component, subsystem, and then system technology advancement phases in parallel with continuing manufacturing cost assessment studies. This approach will be accomplished principally by contract with industry to develop advanced components and subsystems. This advanced hardware will be tested to establish 'technology readiness' both under controlled laboratory conditions and under real sun conditions.

  10. Solar Cooling for Buildings. Workshop Proceedings (Los Angeles, California, February 6-8, 1974).

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Winter, Francis, Ed.

    A consensus has developed among U.S. solar researchers that the solar-powered cooling of buildings is an important topic. Most solar heating systems are technically simpler, and more highly developed, than solar cooling devices are. The determination of the best design concept for any particular application is not a simple process. Significant…

  11. System design and installation for RS600 programmable control system for solar heating and cooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-01-01

    Procedures for installing, operating, and maintaining a programmable control system which utilizes a F8 microprocessor to perform all timing, control, and calculation functions in order to customize system performance to meet individual requirements for solar heating, combined heating and cooling, and/or hot water systems are described. The manual discusses user configuration and options, displays, theory of operation, trouble-shooting procedures, and warranty and assistance. Wiring lists, parts lists, drawings, and diagrams are included.

  12. Feasibility study on an energy-saving desiccant wheel system with CO2 heat pump

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yefeng; Meng, Deren; Chen, Shen

    2018-02-01

    In traditional desiccant wheel, air regeneration process occurs inside an open loop, and lots of energy is consumed. In this paper, an energy-saving desiccant wheel system with CO2 heat pump and closed loop air regeneration is proposed. The general theory and features of the desiccant wheel are analysed. The main feature of the proposed system is that the air regeneration process occurs inside a closed loop, and a CO2 heat pump is utilized inside this loop for the air regeneration process as well as supplying cooling for the process air. The simulation results show that the proposed system can save significant energy.

  13. Solar sorptive cooling. Technologies, user requirements, practical experience, future prospects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Treffinger, P. [DLR Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., Hardthausen (Germany); Hertlein, H.P. [eds.] [Forschungsverbund Sonnenenergie, Koeln (Germany)

    1998-09-01

    Sorptive cooling techniques permit the use of low-temperature solar heat, i.e. a renewable energy of low cost and world-wide availability. The Forschungsverbund Sonnenenergie intends to develop solar sorptive cooling technologies to the prototype stage and, in cooperation with the solar industry and its end users, to promote practical application in air conditioning of buildings and cold storage of food. The workshop presents an outline of the state of development of solar sorptive cooling from the view of users and developers. Exemplary solar cooling systems are described, and the potential of open and closed sorptive processes is assessed. Future central activities will be defined in an intensive discussion between planners, producers, users and developers. [German] Der Einsatz von Sorptionstechniken zur Kaelteerzeugung erlaubt es, als treibende Solarenergie Niedertemperatur-Solarwaerme einzusetzen, also eine regenerative Energie mit sehr geringen Kosten und weltweiter Verfuegbarkeit. Der Forschungsverbund Sonnenenergie hat sich als Aufgabe gestellt, die Techniken der solaren Sorptionskuehlung bis zum Prototyp zu entwickeln und mit Industrie und Nutzern die praktische Anwendung voranzubringen. Die Anwendungsfelder sind die Klimatisierung von Gebaeuden und die Kaltlagerung von Lebensmitteln. Der Workshop gibt einen Ueberblick zum Entwicklungsstand der solaren Sorptionskuehlung aus der Sicht der Anwender und Entwickler. Bereits ausgefuehrte Beispiele zur solaren Kuehlung werden vorgestellt und das Potential geschlossener und offener Sorptionsverfahren angegeben. In intensiver Diskussion zwischen Planern, Herstellern, Nutzern und Entwicklern sollen kuenftige Arbeitsschwerpunkte herausgearbeitet werden. (orig.)

  14. Solar cooling - comparative study between thermal and electrical use in industrial buildings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badea, N.; Badea, G. V.; Epureanu, A.; Frumuşanu, G.

    2016-08-01

    The increase in the share of renewable energy sources together with the emphasis on the need for energy security bring to a spotlight the field of trigeneration autonomous microsystems, as a solution to cover the energy consumptions, not only for isolated industrial buildings, but also for industrial buildings located in urban areas. The use of solar energy for cooling has been taken into account to offer a cooling comfort in the building. Cooling and air- conditioned production are current applications promoting the use of solar energy technologies. Solar cooling systems can be classified, depending on the used energy, in electrical systems using mechanical compression chillers and systems using thermal compression by absorption or adsorption. This comparative study presents the main strengths and weaknesses of solar cooling obtained: i) through the transformation of heat resulted from thermal solar panels combined with adsorption chillers, and ii) through the multiple conversion of electricity - photovoltaic panels - battery - inverter - combined with mechanical compression chillers. Both solutions are analyzed from the standpoints of energy efficiency, dynamic performances (demand response), and costs sizes. At the end of the paper, experimental results obtained in the climatic condition of Galafi city, Romania, are presented.

  15. Fabrication and Properties of Micro-Nanoencapsulated Phase Change Materials for Internally-Cooled Liquid Desiccant Dehumidification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaofeng Niu

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Micro-nanoencapsulated phase change materials (M-NEPCMs are proposed to be useful in liquid desiccant dehumidification by restraining the temperature rise in the moisture-removal process and improving the dehumidification efficiency. In this paper, the n-octadecane M-NEPCMs with desirable thermal properties for internally-cooled dehumidification were fabricated by using compound emulsifiers through the in-situ polymerization method. Melamine-formaldehyde resin was used as the shell material. The effects of the mixing ratio, emulsification methods and amount of the compound emulsifiers on the morphology, size and thermal properties of the M-NEPCMs were investigated experimentally. The optimum weight mixing ratio of the compound emulsifiers is SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate:Tween80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate:Span80 (sorbitan monooleate = 0.1:0.6:0.3, which achieves the best stability of the n-octadecane emulsion. When the compound emulsifiers are 10 wt. % of the core material, the melting enthalpy of M-NEPCMs reaches its maximum of 145.26 J/g of capsules, with an encapsulation efficiency of 62.88% and a mean diameter of 636 nm. The sub-cooling of the prepared M-NEPCMs is lower than 3 °C, with an acceptable thermal reliability after the thermal cycling test. A pre-emulsification prior to the addition of deionized water in the emulsification is beneficial to the morphology of the capsules, as the phase change enthalpy can be increased by 123.7%.

  16. Fabrication and Properties of Micro-Nanoencapsulated Phase Change Materials for Internally-Cooled Liquid Desiccant Dehumidification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Xiaofeng; Xu, Qing; Zhang, Yi; Zhang, Yue; Yan, Yufeng; Liu, Tao

    2017-04-29

    Micro-nanoencapsulated phase change materials (M-NEPCMs) are proposed to be useful in liquid desiccant dehumidification by restraining the temperature rise in the moisture-removal process and improving the dehumidification efficiency. In this paper, the n -octadecane M-NEPCMs with desirable thermal properties for internally-cooled dehumidification were fabricated by using compound emulsifiers through the in-situ polymerization method. Melamine-formaldehyde resin was used as the shell material. The effects of the mixing ratio, emulsification methods and amount of the compound emulsifiers on the morphology, size and thermal properties of the M-NEPCMs were investigated experimentally. The optimum weight mixing ratio of the compound emulsifiers is SDS (sodium dodecyl sulfate):Tween80 (polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate):Span80 (sorbitan monooleate) = 0.1:0.6:0.3, which achieves the best stability of the n -octadecane emulsion. When the compound emulsifiers are 10 wt. % of the core material, the melting enthalpy of M-NEPCMs reaches its maximum of 145.26 J/g of capsules, with an encapsulation efficiency of 62.88% and a mean diameter of 636 nm. The sub-cooling of the prepared M-NEPCMs is lower than 3 °C, with an acceptable thermal reliability after the thermal cycling test. A pre-emulsification prior to the addition of deionized water in the emulsification is beneficial to the morphology of the capsules, as the phase change enthalpy can be increased by 123.7%.

  17. Moving Advanced Desiccant Materials into Mainstream Non-CFC Cooling Products

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sand, J. R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Grossman, T. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Rice, C. K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Fairchild, P. D. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Gross, I. L. [Engelhard/ICC, Hatboro, PA (United States). Fresh Air Solutions

    2004-12-30

    Desiccant dehumidification technology is emerging as a technically viable alternative for comfort conditioning in many commercial and institutional buildings. Attempts to improve the indoor air quality of buildings has resulted in increasingly stringent guidelines for occupant outdoor air ventilation rates. Additionally, revised building heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) design criteria based on regional peak dew point data highlight the important of the latent (moisture removal) building load relative to the sensible (temperature) building load.

  18. Thermodynamic analysis of an innovative liquid desiccant air conditioning system to supply potable water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, M.A.; Gandhidasan, P.; Zubair, Syed M.; Bahaidarah, Haitham M.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • The study objective is to reduce the energy consumption of desiccant AC system. • Heat and mass losses are recovered in the proposed system using a condenser. • The conventional and the proposed systems are compared in terms of COP. • The proposed system performance is better than the conventional system. • The proposed system produces freshwater in addition to space cooling. - Abstract: Liquid desiccant air conditioning systems are cost-effective, environmentally friendly and energy efficient techniques, especially in coastal areas. In the conventional liquid desiccant air conditioning system, the scavenging air is expelled into the atmosphere carrying a considerable amount of energy and water vapor. Thus, there is plenty of room to improve the system performance by recovering these losses. The proposed system consists of a conventional liquid desiccant air conditioning system plus a condenser. The aim of this study is to reduce the energy consumption by recovering the heat from the scavenging air using the condenser while also producing freshwater in addition to space cooling. Lithium chloride (LiCl) is used as the liquid desiccant for this study. The mathematical formulation for simultaneous heat and mass transfer between the condenser and the regenerator was developed to establish a comparison between the performance of the conventional and modified systems. Using the generated model, it is found that the modified system performance is 11.25% better than the conventional system and that it produces 86.4 kg of freshwater per hour as a by-product under the given conditions.

  19. The development of a solar residential heating and cooling system

    Science.gov (United States)

    1975-01-01

    The MSFC solar heating and cooling facility was assembled to demonstrate the engineering feasibility of utilizing solar energy for heating and cooling buildings, to provide an engineering evaluation of the total system and the key subsystems, and to investigate areas of possible improvement in design and efficiency. The basic solar heating and cooling system utilizes a flat plate solar energy collector, a large water tank for thermal energy storage, heat exchangers for space heating, and an absorption cycle air conditioner for space cooling. A complete description of all systems is given. Development activities for this test system included assembly, checkout, operation, modification, and data analysis, all of which are discussed. Selected data analyses for the first 15 weeks of testing are included, findings associated with energy storage and the energy storage system are outlined, and conclusions resulting from test findings are provided. An evaluation of the data for summer operation indicates that the current system is capable of supplying an average of 50 percent of the thermal energy required to drive the air conditioner. Preliminary evaluation of data collected for operation in the heating mode during the winter indicates that nearly 100 percent of the thermal energy required for heating can be supplied by the system.

  20. Design, construction, and testing of a residential solar heating and cooling system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ward, D.S.; Loef, G.O.G.

    1976-06-01

    The NSF/CSU Solar House I solar heating and cooling system became operational on 1 July 1974. During the first months of operation the emphasis was placed on adjustment, ''tuning,'' and fault correction in the solar collection and the solar/fuel/cooling subsystems. Following this initial check out period, analysis and testing of the system utilizing a full year of data were accomplished. This report discusses the results of this analysis of the full year of operation. (WDM)

  1. Solar-powered Rankine heat pump for heating and cooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rousseau, J.

    1978-01-01

    The design, operation and performance of a familyy of solar heating and cooling systems are discussed. The systems feature a reversible heat pump operating with R-11 as the working fluid and using a motor-driven centrifugal compressor. In the cooling mode, solar energy provides the heat source for a Rankine power loop. The system is operational with heat source temperatures ranging from 155 to 220 F; the estimated coefficient of performance is 0.7. In the heating mode, the vapor-cycle heat pump processes solar energy collected at low temperatures (40 to 80 F). The speed of the compressor can be adjusted so that the heat pump capacity matches the load, allowing a seasonal coefficient of performance of about 8 to be attained.

  2. Testing and further development of a solar absorption cooling plant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amannsberger, K.; Heckel, H.; Kreutmair, J.; Weber, K. H.

    1984-12-01

    Ammonia water absorption cooling units using the process heat of line-focusing solar collectors were developed and tested. Reduction of the evaporation temperature to minus 10 C; development of an air-cooled rectifying device for the refrigerant vapor; dry cooling of absorber and condenser by natural draft; refrigerating capacities of 14 to 10 kW which correspond to air temperatures of 25 to 40 C and 24 kW power consumption to heat the machine; auxiliary power requirement 450 W; full compatibility with changing heat input and air temperature, adaptation by automatic stabilization effects; and power optimization under changing boundary conditions by a simple regulating procedure independent of auxiliary power are achieved. The dynamic behavior of the directly linked collector-refrigeration machine system was determined. Operating conditions, market, and economic viability of solar cooling in third-world countries are described. Ice production procedures using absorption cooling units are demonstrated.

  3. Performance analysis of solar air cooled double effect LiBr/H2O absorption cooling system in subtropical city

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Zeyu; Ye, Xiangyang; Liu, Jinping

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The meteorological data during the working period of air conditioning was measured. • The suitable working range of collector temperature of system was gotten. • The characteristic of hourly and monthly total efficiency of system were obtained. • The yearly performance of system was calculated. - Abstract: Due to the absence of cooling tower and independent on water, the air cooled solar double effect LiBr/H 2 O absorption cooling system is more convenient to be used in commercial building and household use. The performance with collector temperature is an important field for such system. The paper mainly deals with the performance with collector temperature for the solar air cooled double effect LiBr/H 2 O absorption cooling system in subtropical city. The parameters of system are: aperture area of collector array is 27 m 2 , tilted angle of collector with respect to the horizontal plane is 20 toward to south evaporator temperature is 5 °C and the cooling capacity is 20 kW. The simulation is based on the meteorological data of monthly typical day which was summarized from a year round measured data. A corresponding parametric model was developed. The hourly and average performance with the collector temperature for monthly typical day was obtained and discussed. It was found that the suitable working range of inlet temperature of collector is 110–130 °C to improve performance and lower the risk of crystallization. The difference of hourly total efficiency in 9:00–16:00 is less, and the monthly total efficiency from May to October is approximate. The yearly performance of system including total efficiency, cooling capacity per area of collector and solar fraction was given. Furthermore, the effect of effectiveness of heat exchanger and pressure drop on total efficiency and solar fraction was studied and compared. The paper can serve as a preliminary investigation of solar air cooled double effect LiBr/H 2 O absorption cooling system in

  4. Optimal working pairs for solar adsorption cooling applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Allouhi, A.; Kousksou, T.; Jamil, A.; El Rhafiki, T.; Mourad, Y.; Zeraouli, Y.

    2015-01-01

    This article suggests a detailed comparison of 7 working pairs intended for use in solar adsorption cooling systems. The performance analysis was based on two indicators: adsorption capacity and solar coefficient of performance. Based on a reformed form of the Dubinin–Astakhov equation, a 3D graph was constructed to show the adsorbate concentration in the appropriate adsorbent as a first step to determine the adsorption capacity. A MATLAB program was developed to solve the system equation to predict the solar coefficient of performance for a typical summer day in a Moroccan city Fez. It was found that maximal adsorption capacity is obtained by activated carbon fibre/methanol (0.3406 kg kg −1 ) followed by activated carbon/methanol (0.2565 kg kg −1 ) and activated carbon/ethanol (0.2008 kg kg −1 ). At a condenser temperature of 25 °C, with an adsorbent mass of 20 kg, and an integrated collector-reactor configuration, the couple silica gel/water for air conditioning purpose can reach an SCOP of 0.3843. Activated carbon fibre/methanol is the following more efficient couple and can be used in the different cooling applications with an SCOP ranging from 0.1726 to 0.3287. Furthermore, adequate indicators are evaluated addressing the economic, environmental and safe aspects associated with each working pair. - Highlights: • 7 working pairs intended for use in solar adsorption cooling systems are compared. • A MATLAB program is used to predict the solar coefficient of performance. • Maximal adsorption capacity is obtained by activated carbon fibre/methanol

  5. Thermodynamic performance analysis of a fuel cell trigeneration system integrated with solar-assisted methanol reforming

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jiangjiang; Wu, Jing; Xu, Zilong; Li, Meng

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Propose a fuel cell trigeneration system integrated with solar-assisted methanol reforming. • Optimize the reaction parameters of methanol steam reforming. • Present the energy and exergy analysis under design and off-design work conditions. • Analyze the contributions of solar energy to the trigeneration system. - Abstract: A solar-assisted trigeneration system for producing electricity, cooling, and heating simultaneously is an alternative scheme to improve energy efficiency and boost renewable energy. This paper proposes a phosphoric acid fuel cell trigeneration system integrated with methanol and steam reforming assisted by solar thermal energy. The trigeneration system consists of a solar heat collection subsystem, methanol steam reforming subsystem, fuel cell power generation subsystem, and recovered heat utilization subsystem. Their respective thermodynamic models are constructed to simulate the system input/output characteristics, and energy and exergy efficiencies are employed to evaluate the system thermodynamic performances. The contribution of solar energy to the system is analyzed using solar energy/exergy share. Through the simulation and analysis of methanol and steam reforming reactions, the optimal reaction pressure, temperature, and methanol to water ratio are obtained to improve the flow rate and content of produced hydrogen. The thermodynamic simulations of the trigeneration system show that the system energy efficiencies at the summer and winter design work conditions are 73.7% and 51.7%, while its exergy efficiencies are 18.8% and 26.1%, respectively. When the solar radiation intensity is different from the design work condition, the total energy and exergy efficiencies in winter decrease approximately by 4.7% and 2.2%, respectively, due to the decrease in solar heat collection efficiency. This proposed novel trigeneration system complemented by solar heat energy and methanol chemical energy is favorable for improving the

  6. Experimental performance study of a proposed desiccant based air conditioning system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bassuoni, M M

    2014-01-01

    An experimental investigation on the performance of a proposed hybrid desiccant based air conditioning system referred as HDBAC is introduced in this paper. HDBAC is mainly consisted of a liquid desiccant dehumidification unit integrated with a vapor compression system (VCS). The VCS unit has a cooling capacity of 5.27 kW and uses 134a as refrigerant. Calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution is used as the working desiccant material. HDBAC system is used to serve low sensible heat factor applications. The effect of different parameters such as, process air flow rate, desiccant solution flow rate, evaporator box and condenser box solution temperatures, strong solution concentration and regeneration temperature on the performance of the system is studied. The performance of the system is evaluated using some parameters such as: the coefficient of performance (COPa), specific moisture removal and energy saving percentage. A remarkable increase of about 54% in the coefficient of performance of the proposed system over VCS with reheat is achieved. A maximum overall energy saving of about 46% is observed which emphasizes the use of the proposed system as an energy efficient air conditioning system.

  7. Comfortable, high-efficiency heat pump with desiccant-coated, water-sorbing heat exchangers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tu, Y D; Wang, R Z; Ge, T S; Zheng, X

    2017-01-12

    Comfortable, efficient, and affordable heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in buildings are highly desirable due to the demands of energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. Traditional vapor-compression air conditioners exhibit a lower coefficient of performance (COP) (typically 2.8-3.8) owing to the cooling-based dehumidification methods that handle both sensible and latent loads together. Temperature- and humidity-independent control or desiccant systems have been proposed to overcome these challenges; however, the COP of current desiccant systems is quite small and additional heat sources are usually needed. Here, we report on a desiccant-enhanced, direct expansion heat pump based on a water-sorbing heat exchanger with a desiccant coating that exhibits an ultrahigh COP value of more than 7 without sacrificing any comfort or compactness. The pump's efficiency is doubled compared to that of pumps currently used in conventional room air conditioners, which is a revolutionary HVAC breakthrough. Our proposed water-sorbing heat exchanger can independently handle sensible and latent loads at the same time. The desiccants adsorb moisture almost isothermally and can be regenerated by condensation heat. This new approach opens up the possibility of achieving ultrahigh efficiency for a broad range of temperature- and humidity-control applications.

  8. A study of a wind catcher assisted adsorption cooling channel for natural cooling of a 2-storey building

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haghighi, A.P.; Pakdel, S.H.; Jafari, A.

    2016-01-01

    This study proposes a new system composing of a wind catcher and a solar driven two-bed silica gel–water adsorption chiller in order to provide natural cooling of a two-story building. The wind catcher provides the required ventilation, and the air flowing though the wind catcher is cooled by the cooling plates fed by the adsorption chiller. The performance of the system is studied theoretically under different ambient conditions such as wind velocity, solar radiation, air temperature and relative humidity. In addition, the influence of geometric parameters such as size of the apertures, wind catcher's height and dimensions of the cooling plates and the number of them are studied. Furthermore, the system's capability to provide thermal comfort in the living space is investigated. It is found that at lower ACH (air change per hour) values, inlet air's temperature and absolute humidity reduce more. In addition, with the rise of the cooling plates' length, the cooling effect increases. The results indicated that with the increase of ACH values, thermal comfort condition is achieved for larger cooling demands. Furthermore, the system was found to be able to cool the air between 10 and 20 °C under different ambient conditions. - Highlights: • A new system consisting of a wind catcher and a solar adsorption chiller is proposed. • The values of ACH were compared under different geometrical parameters. • With the increase of ACH, thermal comfort can be achieved for larger cooling demands. • Thermal comfort is achieved for a maximum of 2200 W cooling demand in a 50 m 3 room. • Application of the system is found to be beneficial in hot and humid climates.

  9. Solar-powered cooling system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farmer, Joseph C.

    2015-07-28

    A solar-powered adsorption-desorption refrigeration and air conditioning system that uses nanostructural materials such as aerogels, zeolites, and sol gels as the adsorptive media. Refrigerant molecules are adsorbed on the high surface area of the nanostructural material while the material is at a relatively low temperature, perhaps at night. During daylight hours, when the nanostructural materials is heated by the sun, the refrigerant are thermally desorbed from the surface of the aerogel, thereby creating a pressurized gas phase in the vessel that contains the aerogel. This solar-driven pressurization forces the heated gaseous refrigerant through a condenser, followed by an expansion valve. In the condenser, heat is removed from the refrigerant, first by circulating air or water. Eventually, the cooled gaseous refrigerant expands isenthalpically through a throttle valve into an evaporator, in a fashion similar to that in more conventional vapor recompression systems.

  10. Field test measurements and system optimisation at a solar operated DEC ventilation system at industrial use; Feldtest-Messungen und Systemoptimierung an einer solarbetriebenen DEC-Klimatisierungsanlage im industriellen Einsatz

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bader, Tobias; Finkenzeller, Michael; Trinkl, Christoph; Zoerner, Wilfried [Hochschule Ingolstadt (Germany). Kompetenzfeld Erneuerbare Energien

    2010-07-01

    The field of competence for renewable energy at the Ingolstadt University (Federal Republic of Germany) examines and optimizes an innovative, solar powered air conditioning system with DEC technology (DEC = Desiccant and Evaporative Cooling) in a multi-functional industrial buildings. In addition to a geothermal heat pump system for basic energy supply of heating and cooling, the building is fitted with two solar thermal solar collector panels and a sorption supported air conditioning system. This air conditioner consists of two units, each with a nominal air flow of 8,000 m{sup 3} per hour. The two solar collector panels provide the heat necessary for the regeneration of the sorption rotors and support the domestic preparation of hot water.

  11. Passive Method to Reduce Solar Energy Effect on the Cooling Load in Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Orfi J.

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Energy needed for cooling residential and industrial buildings in hot weather countries is the major issue. The period needed for cooling or comfort conditions in those countries exceeds five months and outdoor temperature reaches more than 40 °C. Also, the solar intensity usually high and can reach about one kW per m2. Hence, any attempt to reduce the effect of solar energy on the cooling load is worthy to investigate. The present work analyzes using artificial, naturally ventilated, shading covers to reduce the effect of solar energy. Analytical and numerical analyzes were performed on the effect of adding a ventilated cover to walls and roof exposed to the solar energy.

  12. Separate sensible and latent cooling system: A preliminary analysis of a novel approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nawaz, Kashif [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2017-10-01

    Separate sensible and latent cooling systems offer significant increases in the overall performance of cooling/dehumidification systems compared with conventional vapor-compression air-conditioning systems. Key to the energy efficiency of such systems is the performance of the heat and mass exchangers that provide sensible cooling and dehumidification. A novel design is proposed for dehumidification applications, deploying metal foam as a substrate coated with solid desiccants. The current report provides some preliminary information regarding the development of the technology and discusses factors such as manufacturing of desiccants, characterization of desiccants, and development of the metal foam heat exchanger. All three aspects provide the necessary infrastructure for further development and validation of the proposed concept.

  13. Lighting and cooling energy consumption in an open-plan office using solar film coating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Danny H.W.; Lam, Tony N.T.; Wong, S.L.; Tsang, Ernest K.W.

    2008-01-01

    In subtropical Hong Kong, solar heat gain via glazing contributes to a significant proportion of the building envelope cooling load. The principal fenestration design includes eliminating direct sunlight and reducing cooling requirements. Daylighting is an effective approach to allow a flexible building facade design strategy, and to enhance an energy-efficient and green building development. This paper studies the lighting and cooling energy performances for a fully air-conditioned open-plan office when solar control films together with daylight-linked lighting controls are being used. Measurements were undertaken at two stages including the electricity expenditures for the office using photoelectric dimming controls only (first stage) and together with the solar control film coatings on the windows (second stage). Electric lighting and cooling energy consumption, transmitted daylight illuminance and solar radiation were systematically recorded and analysed. The measured data were also used for conducting and validating the building energy simulations. The findings showed that the solar film coatings coupled with lighting dimming controls cut down 21.2% electric lighting and 6.9% cooling energy consumption for the open-plan office

  14. Solar cooling - Economical assessment and CO{sub 2} balance; Solar Cooling. Oekonomische Bewertung und CO{sub 2} Bilanzierung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gantenbein, P.; Machein, T.; Frank, E.

    2010-07-01

    This short, illustrated final report discusses how thermally-driven sorption chiller systems can help meet future cooling needs in houses and workplaces. Increasing global temperatures are commented on and their influence on space heating and cooling is discussed. The modelling of a single-family home, an office building and an industrial building is described. Three cooling systems are taken into consideration: a single-stage LiBr-H{sub 2}O absorber machine using solar energy from vacuum-pipe collectors, a compressor refrigeration system with a heating function powered by photovoltaics and a compressor system run on mains electricity. The simulations were carried out for locations in three different climate zones, in Lugano, Switzerland, Athens, Greece and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The results are commented on.

  15. Solar cooling between thermal and photovoltaic: An energy and economic comparative study in the Mediterranean conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Noro, M.; Lazzarin, R.M.

    2014-01-01

    This paper considers different cooling systems and investigates the most promising alternatives when solar energy is to be used to supply the cooling demand. All the systems are evaluated during a summer cooling season by the energetic and economic point of view by dynamic simulation for two different climates. For Milan (Cfb climate) the highest OSE (overall system efficiency) is reached by LiBr (lithium-bromide) double effect absorption chiller driven by parabolic through collector (0.53). In terms of the collecting surface area, the best systems for Milan feature 0.08 m 2  MJ −1 per day both for electric system (mono-crystalline photovoltaic coupled to water cooled chiller) and thermal system (PTC (parabolic trough collectors) coupled to double effect water-LiBr absorption chiller). Southern latitudes like Trapani (Csa climate) allow a quite better performance for thermal solar cooling solutions. The NPV (net present worths) of electric solar cooling solutions are favorable with respect to the traditional solution and the DPV (discounted payback periods) are all lower than the period of economic analysis above all for water cooled chillers. Finally a sensitivity analysis of the specific investment cost (€ MJ −1 per day) is carried out regarding the investment cost of collectors, the solar ratio and the interest rate. - Highlights: • Solar cooling is obtained with solar thermal or PV (photovoltaic) with easy available equipment. • In the past PV driven systems for solar cooling were not considered as too expensive. • An energy/economic comparison is carried out for the various solar cooling systems. • Sensitivity analyses are carried out varying different parameters

  16. Improving the Solar Panel Efficiency by Using Cooling and Cleaning Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anmar Khalil Ibrahim

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper is a contribution to research work which aims at ending the electricity crisis in Iraq. The electric power stations, which use conventional fuel, are unable to provide the growing population with electricity all day-long. Moreover, electric distribution lines are sometimes exposed to attacks by terrorists. This paper recommends solar energy as the optimum solution to the electricity problem in Iraq, since it is both renewable and friendly to the environment. The paper also concentrated on reliability techniques to improve the efficiency of the solar energy system. This was achieved by means of designing and constructing a cooling system that consists of fans, sprinklers and wipers to eliminate excessive heat from solar panels when temperature rises to maximum levels. Sprinklers and wipers are also useful for cleaning the panels because dust is a negative factor which undermines the generation capacity of solar panels.   The cooling system is operated by means of a microcontroller that is programmed through Proteus 8, Arduino, and Matlab2016. Statistics reveal that a cooling system has significantly improved the productive capacity of the solar system and it can achieve an energy gain of (34.55%.

  17. Solar heating and cooling of mobile homes, Phase II. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jacobsen, A.A.

    1976-12-01

    The specific objectives of the Phase II program were: (1) through system testing, confirm the feasibility of a solar heated and cooled mobile home; (2) update system performance analysis and provide solar heating and cooling computer model verification; (3) evaluate the performance of both an absorption and a Rankine air conditioning system; (4) perform a consumer demand analysis through field survey to ascertain the acceptance of solar energy into the mobile home market; and (5) while at field locations to conduct the consumer demand analysis, gather test data from various U.S. climatic zones. Results are presented and discussed. (WHK)

  18. System design package for the solar heating and cooling central data processing system

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-01-01

    The central data processing system provides the resources required to assess the performance of solar heating and cooling systems installed at remote sites. These sites consist of residential, commercial, government, and educational types of buildings, and the solar heating and cooling systems can be hot-water, space heating, cooling, and combinations of these. The instrumentation data associated with these systems will vary according to the application and must be collected, processed, and presented in a form which supports continuity of performance evaluation across all applications. Overall software system requirements were established for use in the central integration facility which transforms raw data collected at remote sites into performance evaluation information for assessing the performance of solar heating and cooling systems.

  19. Exergoeconomic Assessment of Solar Absorption and Absorption–Compression Hybrid Refrigeration in Building Cooling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yue Jing

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The paper mainly deals with the match of solar refrigeration, i.e., solar/natural gas-driven absorption chiller (SNGDAC, solar vapor compression–absorption integrated refrigeration system with parallel configuration (SVCAIRSPC, and solar absorption-subcooled compression hybrid cooling system (SASCHCS, and building cooling based on the exergoeconomics. Three types of building cooling are considered: Type 1 is the single-story building, type 2 includes the two-story and three-story buildings, and type 3 is the multi-story buildings. Besides this, two Chinese cities, Guangzhou and Turpan, are taken into account as well. The product cost flow rate is employed as the primary decision variable. The result exhibits that SNGDAC is considered as a suitable solution for type 1 buildings in Turpan, owing to its negligible natural gas consumption and lowest product cost flow rate. SVCAIRSPC is more applicable for type 2 buildings in Turpan because of its higher actual cooling capacity of absorption subsystem and lower fuel and product cost flow rate. Additionally, SASCHCS shows the most extensive cost-effectiveness, namely, its exergy destruction and product cost flow rate are both the lowest when used in all types of buildings in Guangzhou or type 3 buildings in Turpan. This paper is helpful to promote the application of solar cooling.

  20. France uses the sun to cool its wine: the Banyuls winery solar cooling system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    2003-12-01

    The engineering consultancy Tecsol was asked to design a cooling system for a winery that would limit the variations in temperature during the year. Tecsol proposed a solar system. The total investment cost amounted to nearly two million French Francs (300,000 euros), almost double the cost of a conventional air-conditioning system. However, because the solar system reduced the conventional energy needs of the warehouse by about 40%, the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management (ADEME) provided a 37% subsidy for its rational use of energy. The 'Solarclim' solar installation has three functions: it produces hot water via 693 vacuum tube collectors with a useful surface of 130 m{sup 2}. The collectors are fixed to the roof of the wine cellar, which has an angle of 15 deg. Heat from the collectors is transferred to a 1000-litre hot water storage tank; it produces chilled water using a lithium bromide absorption plant with a nominal cooling capacity of 52 kW. This is housed in the technical premises on the lowest level and is used in conjunction with a 180 kW open-circuit cooling tower on the north facade; and the third function combines air-conditioning and, when necessary, space heating. The installation has been operating for 12 years with no particular problems. The equipment is environmentally friendly. The solar heat source avoids CO{sub 2} emissions, the absorption machine does not use CFCs or HCFCs, and the system is totally silent. (UK)

  1. A portable solar-powered air-cooling system based on phase-change materials for a vehicle cabin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi, Lingfei; Pan, Hongye; Zhu, Xin; Zhang, Xingtian; Salman, Waleed; Zhang, Zutao; Li, Li; Zhu, Miankuan; Yuan, Yanping; Xiang, Bo

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: This paper proposed a portable solar-powered air cooling system for a vehicle cabin based on Phase-change Materials. The cooling system contains three main parts: a solar-energy collection module, an energy-storage module and a phase-change cooling module. The operating principle can be described as follows. For energy input, the solar-energy-collection module harvests solar energy and converts it to electricity. The power-storage module stores the electrical energy in the supercapacitor to power the electrical equipment, mainly the air pump (AP) and water pump (WP) of the phase-change cooling module. Finally, the phase-change cooling module provides cold air for the vehicle cabin to create a comfortable vehicle interior in a hot summer. The proposed system is demonstrated through thermal simulations, which show the long-duration cooling effect of the system. Temperature drops of were obtained in field tests, predicting that the proposed cooling system is beneficial and practical for cooling vehicle cabins. - Highlights: • A novel portable air cooling system based on PCMs is presented. • Solar energy was adopted to power the proposed air cooling system. • This proposed system is used for cooling vehicle cabins exposed to the sun. • Experimental results show that the proposed system has a good cooling effect. - Abstract: In summer, the temperature is very high inside vehicles parked under the hot sun. This causes consuming more fossil energy to power the air conditioner and generation of harmful gases. There is currently no effective method to address this problem in an energy-saving and environmentally friendly manner. In this paper, a novel solar-powered air-cooling system for vehicle cabins is proposed based on Phase-change Materials (PCMs); the system prevents the temperature inside a vehicle cabin from rising too high when the vehicle is parked outdoor exposure to the sun. The proposed system consists of three main parts: a solar

  2. Performance test of solar-assisted ejector cooling system

    KAUST Repository

    Huang, Bin-Juine; Ton, Wei-Zhe; Wu, Chen-Chun; Ko, Hua-Wei; Chang, Hsien-Shun; Hsu, Hang-Yuen; Liu, Jen-Hao; Wu, Jia-Hung; Yen, Rue-Her

    2014-01-01

    are developed in SACH-k2, including generator liquid level control in ECS, the ECS evaporator temperature control, and optimal control of fan power in cooling tower of ECS. From the field test results, the generator liquid level control performs quite well

  3. Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Absorption Cooling for Commercial buildings in India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muthalagappan Narayanan

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Space cooling and heating always tends to be a major part of the primary energy usage. By using fossil fuel electricity for these purposes, the situation becomes even worse. One of the major electricity consumptions in India is air conditioning. There are a lot of different technologies and few researchers have come up with a debate between solar absorption cooling and PV electric cooling. In a previous paper, PV electric cooling was studied and now as a continuation, this paper focuses on solar thermal absorption cooling systems and their application in commercial/office buildings in India. A typical Indian commercial building is taken for the simulation in TRNSYS. Through this simulation, the feasibility and operational strategy of the system is analysed, after which parametric study and economic analysis of the system is done. When compared with the expenses for a traditional air conditioner unit, this solar absorption cooling will take 13.6 years to pay back and will take 15.5 years to payback the price of itself and there after all the extra money are savings or profit.  Although the place chosen for this study is one of the typical tropical place in India, this payback might vary with different places, climate and the cooling demand. Article History: Received May 12th 2017; Received in revised form August 15th 2017; Accepted 1st Sept 2017; Available online How to Cite This Article: Narayanan, M. (2017. Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Absorption Cooling for Commercial Buildings in India.  International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 6(3, 253-262. https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.6.3.253-262

  4. Solar cycle variability of nonmigrating tides in the infrared cooling of the thermosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nischal, N.; Oberheide, J.; Mlynczak, M. G.; Marsh, D. R.

    2017-12-01

    Nitric Oxide (NO) at 5.3 μm and Carbon dioxide (CO2) at 15 μm are the major infrared emissions responsible for the radiative cooling of the thermosphere. We study the impact of two important diurnal nonmigrating tides, the DE2 and DE3, on NO and CO2 infrared emissions over a complete solar cycle (2002-2013) by (i) analyzing NO and CO2 cooling rate data from SABER and (ii) photochemical modeling using dynamical tides from a thermospheric empirical tidal model, CTMT. Both observed and modeled results show that the NO cooling rate amplitudes for DE2 and DE3 exhibit strong solar cycle dependence. NO 5.3 μm cooling rate tides are relatively unimportant for the infrared energy budget during solar minimum but important during solar maximum. On the other hand DE2 and DE3 in CO2 show comparatively small variability over a solar cycle. CO2 15 μm cooling rate tides remain, to a large extent, constant between solar minimum and maximum. This different responses by NO and CO2 emissions to the DE2 and DE3 during a solar cycle comes form the fact that the collisional reaction rate for NO is highly sensitive to the temperature comparative to that for CO2. Moreover, the solar cycle variability of these nonmigrating tides in thermospheric infrared emissions shows a clear QBO signals substantiating the impact of tropospheric weather system on the energy budget of the thermosphere. The relative contribution from the individual tidal drivers; temperature, density and advection to the observed DE2 and DE3 tides does not vary much over the course of the solar cycle, and this is true for both NO and CO2 emissions.

  5. A dynamic model of an innovative high-temperature solar heating and cooling system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Buonomano Annamaria

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper a new simulation model of a novel solar heating and cooling system based on innovative high temperature flat plate evacuated solar thermal collector is presented. The system configuration includes: flat-plate evacuated solar collectors, a double-stage LiBr-H2O absorption chiller, gas-fired auxiliary heater, a closed loop cooling tower, pumps, heat exchangers, storage tanks, valves, mixers and controllers. The novelty of this study lies in the utilization of flat-plate stationary solar collectors, manufactured by TVP Solar, rather than concentrating ones (typically adopted for driving double-stage absorption chillers. Such devices show ultra-high thermal efficiencies, even at very high (about 200°C operating temperatures, thanks to the high vacuum insulation. Aim of the paper is to analyse the energy and economic feasibility of such novel technology, by including it in a prototypal solar heating and cooling system. For this purpose, the solar heating and cooling system design and performance were analysed by means of a purposely developed dynamic simulation model, implemented in TRNSYS. A suitable case study is also presented. Here, the simulated plant is conceived for the space heating and cooling and the domestic hot water production of a small building, whose energy needs are fulfilled through a real installation (settled also for experimental purposes built up close to Naples (South Italy. Simulation results show that the investigated system is able to reach high thermal efficiencies and very good energy performance. Finally, the economic analysis shows results comparable to those achieved through similar renewable energy systems.

  6. Optimizing an advanced hybrid of solar-assisted supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle: A vital transition for low-carbon power generation industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milani, Dia; Luu, Minh Tri; McNaughton, Robbie; Abbas, Ali

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • The layout of 14 demonstrative supercritical CO 2 closed Brayton cycles are analysed. • The key parameters of the “combined” cycle are sensitized and optimized. • The effect of thermal efficiency vs HX area on techno-economic nexus is highlighted. • The design of a matching solar heliostat field in direct configuration is revealed. • The water demand for hybrid vs water-only cooling scenarios are assessed. - Abstract: Current worldwide infrastructure of electrical power generation would mostly continue to rely on fossil-fuel but require a modest transition for the ultimate goal of decarbonizing power generation industry. By relying on those already established and carefully managed centrepiece power plants (PPs), we aim at filling the deficits of the current electrical networks with smaller, cleaner, and also more efficient PPs. In this context, we present a unique model for a small-scale decentralized solar-assisted supercritical CO 2 closed Brayton cycle (sCO 2 -CBC). Our model is based on the optimized values of three key performance indicators (KPIs); thermal efficiency, concentrated solar power (CSP) compatibility, and water demand for cooling. For a case-study of 10 MW e CSP-assisted sCO 2 -CBC power plant, our dynamic model shows a 52.7% thermal efficiency and 25.9% solar penetration and up to 80% of water saving in heat-rejection units. These KPIs show significant promise of the solar-assisted supercritical CO 2 power cycle for an imperative transformation in the power industry towards future sustainable electricity generation.

  7. Experimental analysis and dynamic simulation of a novel high-temperature solar cooling system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Buonomano, Annamaria; Calise, Francesco; D’Accadia, Massimo Dentice; Ferruzzi, Gabriele; Frascogna, Sabrina; Palombo, Adolfo; Russo, Roberto; Scarpellino, Marco

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • The paper presents an innovative high temperature solar cooling system. • The system is based on novel flat-plate evacuated solar thermal collectors. • Results of an experimental campaign in Saudi Arabia are reported. • A dynamic simulation model and a detailed economic analyses are developed. • Results show that the collector and the system as a whole exhibit excellent performance. - Abstract: This paper presents experimental and numerical analyses of a novel high-temperature solar cooling system based on innovative flat-plate evacuated solar thermal collectors (SC). This is the first solar cooling system, including a double-effect absorption chiller, which is based on non-concentrating solar thermal collectors. The aim of the paper is prove the technical and economic feasibility of the system, also presenting a comparison with a conventional technology, based on concentrating solar thermal collectors. To this scope, an experimental setup has been installed in Saudi Arabia. Here, several measurement devices are installed in order to monitor and control all the thermodynamic parameters of the system. The paper presents some of the main results of this experimental campaign, showing temperatures, powers, energies and efficiencies for a selected period. Experimental results showed that collector peak efficiency is higher than 60%, whereas daily average efficiency is around 40%. This prototypal solar cooling system has been numerically analysed, developing a dynamic simulation model aiming at predicting system performance. For a representative operating period, numerical data were compared with the experimental one, showing an excellent accuracy of the model. A similar system, equipped with Parabolic Trough solar thermal collectors (PTC) was also simulated in order to compare the novel solar collectors with such reference technology. For both systems a detailed thermo-economic model has been implemented in order to perform such comparison also

  8. Performance investigation on the ultrasonic atomization liquid desiccant regeneration system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Zili; Zhang, Kaisheng; Hwang, Yunho; Lian, Zhiwei

    2016-01-01

    was less than 7.0% of total energy cost. Moreover, when the UARS is integrated with the ultrasonic atomization assisted dehumidifier, energy savings can reach up to 60.4% as compared with the packed-bed system. This study validated the feasibility and energy saving potential of applying ultrasonic atomization technology to liquid desiccant regeneration systems.

  9. The regeneration of a liquid desiccant using direct contact membrane distillation to unlock the potential of coastal desert agriculture

    KAUST Repository

    Cribbs, Kimberly

    2018-04-01

    In Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, a lack of freshwater, poor soil quality, and ambient temperatures unsuitable for cultivation for parts of the year hinders domestic agriculture. The result is a reliance on a fluctuating supply of imported fresh produce which may have high costs and compromised quality. There are agricultural technologies available such as hydroponics and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) that can allow GCC countries to overcome poor soil quality and ambient temperatures unsuitable for cultivation, respectively. Evaporative cooling is the most common form of cooling for CEA and requires a significant amount of water. In water-scarce regions, it is desirable for sea or brackish water to be used for evaporative cooling. Unfortunately, in many coastal desert regions, evaporative cooling does not provide enough cooling due to the high wet-bulb temperature of the ambient air during hot and humid months of the year. A liquid desiccant dehumidification system has been proven to lower the wet-bulb temperature of ambient air in the coastal city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to a level that allows for evaporative cooling to meet the needs of heat-sensitive crops. Much of the past research on the regeneration of the liquid desiccant solution has been on configurations that release water vapor back to the atmosphere. Studies have shown that the amount of water captured by the liquid desiccant when used to dehumidify a greenhouse can supply a significant amount of the water needed for irrigation. This thesis studied the regeneration of a magnesium chloride (MgCl2) liquid desiccant solution from approximately 20 to 31wt% by direct contact membrane distillation and explored the possibility of using the recovered water for irrigation. Two microporous hydrophobic PTFE membranes were experimentally tested and modeled when the bulk feed and coolant temperature difference was between 10 and 60°C. In eight experiments, the salt rejection was higher than 99

  10. Handling zone dividing method in packed bed liquid desiccant dehumidification/regeneration process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, X.H.; Jiang, Y.

    2009-01-01

    Dehumidifier and regenerator are the most significant components in liquid desiccant air-conditioning systems, in which air directly contacts liquid desiccant and heat and mass transfer process occurs between the two fluids. Heat transfer process and mass transfer process within dehumidifier/regenerator influence each other and should not be separately considered. Based on the previous reachable handling region analysis, a zonal method is proposed in present study. Four zones are divided in the psychrometric chart according to the relative position of inlet air to inlet desiccant including two dehumidification zones, zone A and zone D, and two regeneration zones, zone B and zone C. In zone A or C, mass transfer is key process, and counter-flow configuration has the best mass transfer performance and parallel-flow is the poorest in the same operating conditions. In zone B or D, heat transfer is governing process, parallel-flow has the best mass transfer performance and counter-flow is the poorest. In order to obtain better mass transfer performance, liquid desiccant should be cooled (in zone A) rather than air (in zone D) in dehumidifier, and liquid desiccant should be heated (in zone C) rather than air (in zone B) in regenerator. The divided zones and the corresponding zonal properties will be helpful to the design and optimization of dehumidifiers and regenerators.

  11. Comparison of desiccant air conditioning systems with different indirect evaporative air coolers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pandelidis, Demis; Anisimov, Sergey; Worek, William M.; Drąg, Paweł

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A numerical study of desiccant air conditioning systems is presented. • The ε-NTU model is used for the analysis. • Different arrangements of the desiccant systems were compared. • The systems were compared under different operating conditions. - Abstract: This paper presents a numerical analysis of three desiccant air-conditioning systems equipped with different indirect evaporative air coolers: (1) the cross-flow Maisotsenko cycle heat and mass exchanger (HMX), (2) the regenerative counter-flow Maisotsenko cycle heat and mass exchanger and (3) the standard cross-flow evaporative air cooler. To analyze the desiccant wheel and the indirect evaporative air coolers, the modified ε-NTU-model was used. The simulations were performed under assumption that the desiccant wheel is regenerated with air heated to relatively low temperature values (50–60 °C), which can be produced with solar panels in typical moderate climatic conditions. It was established that the main advantage of the presented solutions is that they can provide comfort conditions even with less effective dehumidification. The different systems were compared under variable selected operational factors (i.e. inlet air temperature, humidity and regeneration air temperature). The analysis allowed establishing the advantages and disadvantages of presented solutions and allowed estimating their application potential.

  12. Preliminary design package for residential heating/cooling system: Rankine air conditioner redesign

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-01-01

    A summary of the preliminary redesign and development of a marketable single family heating and cooling system is presented. The interim design and schedule status of the residential (3-ton) redesign, problem areas and solutions, and the definition of plans for future design and development activities were discussed. The proposed system for a single-family residential heating and cooling system is a single-loop, solar-assisted, hydronic-to-warm-air heating subsystem with solar-assisted domestic water heating and a Rankine-driven expansion air-conditioning subsystem.

  13. Performance modelling and simulation of an absorption solar cooling system for Malaysia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Assilzadeh, F.; Ali, Y.; Kamaruzzaman Sopian

    2006-01-01

    Solar radiation contains huge amounts of energy and is required for almost all the natural processes on earth. Solar-powered air-conditioning has many advantages when compared to normal electricity system. This paper presents a solar cooling system that has been designed for Malaysia and other tropical regions using evacuated tube solar collector and LiBr absorption system. A modelling and simulation of absorption solar cooling system is modeled in Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) environment. The typical meteorological year file containing the weather parameters is used to simulate the system. Then a system optimization is carried out in order to select the appropriate type of collector, the optimum size of storage tank, the optimum collector slope and area and the optimum thermostat setting of the auxiliary boiler

  14. Assessment of solar-assisted gas-fired heat pump systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lansing, F. L.

    1981-01-01

    As a possible application for the Goldstone Energy Project, the performance of a 10 ton heat pump unit using a hybrid solar gas energy source was evaluated in an effort to optimize the solar collector size. The heat pump system is designed to provide all the cooling and/or heating requirements of a selected office building. The system performance is to be augmented in the heating mode by utilizing the waste heat from the power cycle. A simplified system analysis is described to assess and compute interrrelationships of the engine, heat pump, and solar and building performance parameters, and to optimize the solar concentrator/building area ratio for a minimum total system cost. In addition, four alternative heating cooling systems, commonly used for building comfort, are described; their costs are compared, and are found to be less competitive with the gas solar heat pump system at the projected solar equipment costs.

  15. FY 1998 Report on development of technologies for commercialization of photovoltaic power systems. International co-operative project (Information collected for IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme); 1998 nendo taiyoko hatsuden system jitsuyoka gijutsu kaihatsu kokusai kyoryoku jigyo. IEA taiyo reidanbo kyuto program ni kansuru joho shushu

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-03-01

    The IEA/ Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHCP) committee members were dispatched to the IEA/SHCP Executive Committee and Expert Meetings, to collect information, present the reports and hold the discussions, among others. Described herein are the results. The third Expert Meeting of the IEA/SHCP Task 23 prepared the document covering the examples of solar energy use in large buildings and distributed them in Subtask A, and proposed and discussed the comprehensive performance evaluation methods and simulation-based design tools in Subtask C. The second workshop of the IEA/SHCP Task 25 discussed evaluation of the current technologies for solar assisted air conditioning, design of the solar assisted cooling systems, economic evaluation and market researches, investigations of cooling system hardware, and development of simulation programs and design tools. The examples of solar cooling are mostly found in Japan, and European countries are conducting experiments and field tests, because of lack of commercial grade freezers. (NEDO)

  16. Initial operation of a solar heating and cooling system in a full-scale solar building test facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knoll, R. H.; Miao, D.; Hamlet, I. L.; Jensen, R. N.

    1976-01-01

    The Solar Building Test Facility (SBTF) located at Hampton, Virginia became operational in early summer of 1976. This facility is a joint effort by NASA-Lewis and NASA-Langley to advance the technology for heating and cooling of office buildings with solar energy. Its purposes are to (1) test system components which include high-performing collectors, (2) test performance of complete solar heating and cooling system, (3) investigate component interactions and (4) investigate durability, maintenance and reliability of components. The SBTF consists of a 50,000 square foot office building modified to accept solar heated water for operation of an absorption air conditioner and for the baseboard heating system. A 12,666 square foot solar collector field with a 30,000 gallon storage tank provides the solar heated water. A description of the system and the collectors selected is given here, along with the objectives, test approach, expected system performance and some preliminary results.

  17. Solar heating and cooling of residential buildings: sizing, installation and operation of systems. 1980 edition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1980-09-01

    This manual was prepared as a text for a training course on solar heating and cooling of residential buildings. The course and text are directed toward sizing, installation, operation, and maintenance of solar systems for space heating and hot water supply, and solar cooling is treated only briefly. (MHR)

  18. Solar cooling. Dynamic computer simulations and parameter variations; Solare Kuehlung. Dynamische Rechnersimulationen und Parametervariationen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Adam, Mario; Lohmann, Sandra [Fachhochschule Duesseldorf (Germany). E2 - Erneuerbare Energien und Energieeffizienz

    2011-05-15

    The research project 'Solar cooling in the Hardware-in-the-Loop-Test' is funded by the BMBF and deals with the modeling of a pilot plant for solar cooling with the 17.5 kW absorption chiller of Yazaki in the simulation environment of MATLAB/ Simulink with the toolboxes Stateflow and CARNOT. Dynamic simulations and parameter variations according to the work-efficient methodology of design of experiments are used to select meaningful system configurations, control strategies and dimensioning of the components. The results of these simulations will be presented and a view of the use of acquired knowledge for the planned laboratory field tests on a hardware-in-the-loop test stand will be given. (orig.)

  19. Solar Technical Assistance Team 2013 Webinars | State, Local, and Tribal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Governments | NREL 3 Webinars Solar Technical Assistance Team 2013 Webinars The Solar Technical Assistance Team (STAT) 2013 webinar series provides an overview of solar technologies, resources, and the following sessions are available: Solar Finance for Residential and Commercial Customers and Potential Roles

  20. Solar cooling - implementation of intelligent concepts; Solare Kuehlung - intelligente Konzepte werden Realitaet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puettmer, M. [Goetz GmbH, Metall- und Anlagenbau, Fellbach (Germany); Kranz, H.R. [Siemens AG, Karlsruhe (Germany)

    1995-12-31

    In chapter 11 of the anthology about building control the subject solar cooling is described. The following aspects are discussed: changed preconditions for thermal building concepts, building facades and energy supply - one unit. Can cold be economically generated by solar energy? (BWI) [Deutsch] Kapitel 11 des Sammelbandes ueber Building Control ist dem Thema der solaren Kuehlung gewidmet. In diesem Zusammenhang werden folgende Themenkreise angesprochen: Geaenderte Voraussetzungen fuer thermische Gebaeudekonzepte; Gebaeudefassade und Energieversorgung: eine Einheit; Kann Kaelte mit der Sonne wirtschaftlich erzeugt werden? (BWI)

  1. Collision assisted Zeeman cooling with multiple types of atoms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Mathew S.; Wilson, Rebekah F.; Roberts, Jacob L.

    2014-01-01

    Through a combination of spin-exchange collisions in a magnetic field and optical pumping, it is possible to cool a gas of atoms without requiring the loss of atoms from the gas. This technique, collision assisted Zeeman cooling (CAZ), was developed theoretically assuming a single atomic species [G. Ferrari, Eur. Phys. J. D 13, 67 (2001)]. We have extended this cooling technique to a system of two atomic species rather than just one and have developed a simple analytic model describing the cooling rate. We find that the two-isotope CAZ cooling scheme has a clear theoretical advantage in systems that are reabsorption limited.

  2. Solar Heating and Cooling of Residential Buildings: Sizing, Installation and Operation of Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colorado State Univ., Ft. Collins. Solar Energy Applications Lab.

    This training course and a companion course titled "Design of Systems for Solar Heating and Cooling of Residential Buildings," are designed to train home designers and builders in the fundamentals of solar hydronic and air systems for space heating and cooling and domestic hot water heating for residential buildings. Each course, organized in 22…

  3. Preliminary design package for residential heating/cooling system--Rankine air conditioner redesign

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1978-12-01

    This report contains a summary of the preliminary redesign and development of a marketable single-family heating and cooling system. The objectives discussed are the interim design and schedule status of the Residential (3-ton) redesign, problem areas and solutions, and the definition of plans for future design and development activities. The proposed system for a single-family residential heating and cooling system is a single-loop, solar-assisted, hydronic-to-warm-air heating subsystem with solar-assisted domestic water heating and a Rankine-driven expansion air-conditioning subsystem.

  4. International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, A. J.

    This trip was undertaken to participate in and represent the United States Industry at the International Energy Agency (IEA) Solar Heating and Cooling Program (SHCP) Task 14 Workshop. The meeting took place at the A1 Bani Hotel in Rome Italy.

  5. Maximization of primary energy savings of solar heating and cooling systems by transient simulations and computer design of experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calise, F.; Palombo, A.; Vanoli, L.

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, the simulation of the performance of solar-assisted heating and cooling systems is analyzed. Three different plant layouts are considered: (i) the first one consists of evacuated solar collectors and a single-stage LiBr-H 2 O absorption chiller; here in order to integrate the system in case of insufficient solar radiation, an electric water-cooled chiller is activated; (ii) configuration of the secondly considered system is similar to the first one, but the absorption chiller and the solar collector area are sized for balancing about 30% of the building cooling load only; (iii) the layout of the thirdly considered system differs from the first one since the auxiliary electric chiller is replaced by a gas-fired heater. Such system configurations also include: circulation pumps, storage tanks, feedback controllers, mixers, diverters and on/off hysteresis controllers. All such devices are modelled for maximizing the system energy efficiency. In order to simulate the systems' performance for dynamic heating/cooling loads, a single-lumped capacitance building is also modelled and implemented in the computer code. A cost model is also developed in order to calculate the systems' operating and capital costs. All the models and the relative simulations are carried out by TRNSYS. A design of experiment procedure is also included. By such tool the effects of the system operating parameters' variation on the relative energy efficiency are analyzed. In addition, the set of synthesis/design variables maximizing the system's energetic performance can be also identified. The annual primary energy saving is chosen as the optimization objective function, whereas collector slope, pump flows, set-point temperatures and tank volume are selected as optimizing system design variables. A case study was developed for an office building located in South Italy. Here, the energetic and the economic analysis for all the three considered system layouts are carried out. The

  6. Review of state-of-the-art of solar collector corrosion processes. Task 1 of solar collector studies for solar heating and cooling applications. Final technical progress report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clifford, J E; Diegle, R B

    1980-04-11

    The state-of-the-art of solar collector corrosion processes is reviewed, and Task 1 of a current research program on use of aqueous heat transfer fluids for solar heating and cooling is summarized. The review of available published literature has indicated that lack of quantitative information exists relative to collector corrosion at the present time, particularly for the higher temperature applications of solar heating and cooling compared to domestic water heating. Solar collector systems are reviewed from the corrosion/service life viewpoint, with emphasis on various applications, collector design, heat transfer fluids, and freeze protection methods. Available information (mostly qualitative) on collector corrosion technology is reviewed to indicate potential corrosion problem areas and corrosion prevention practices. Sources of limited quantitative data that are reviewed are current solar applications, research programs on collector corrosion, and pertinent experience in related applications of automotive cooling and non-solar heating and cooling. A data bank was developed to catalog corrosion information. Appendix A of this report is a bibliography of the data bank, with abstracts reproduced from presently available literature accessions (about 220). This report is presented as a descriptive summary of information that is contained in the data bank.

  7. Solar heating, cooling, and hot water systems installed at Richland, Washington

    Science.gov (United States)

    1979-01-01

    The project described is part of the U. S. Department of Energy's solar demonstration program, and became operational in April 1978. The solar system uses 6,000 square feet of flat-plate liquid collectors in a closed loop to deliver solar energy through a liquid-liquid heat exchanger to the building heat-pump duct work or 9,000-gallon thermal energy storage tank. A 25-ton Arkla solar-driven absorption chiller provides the cooling, in conjunction with a 2,000 gallon chilled water storage tank and reflective ponds on three sides of the building surplus heat. A near-by building is essentially identical except for having conventional heat-pump heating and cooling, and can serve as an experimental control. An on-going public relations program was provided from the beginning of the program, and resulted in numerous visitors and tour groups.

  8. Water relations during desiccation of cysts of the potato-cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wharton, D A; Worland, M R

    2001-03-01

    The loss during desiccation of osmotically active water (OAW), which freezes during cooling to -45 degrees C, and osmotically inactive water (OIW), which remains unfrozen, from the cysts of the potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis, was determined using differential scanning calorimetry. Exotherms and endotherms associated with non-egg compartments were not detected after 5 min desiccation at 50% relative humidity and 20 degrees C. The pattern of water loss from the cysts indicates that water is lost from compartments outside the eggs first, that nearly all the non-egg water is OAW and that the OIW content of the cyst is contained within the eggs. Water is lost from the eggs only after the OAW content outside the eggs falls below that within the eggs. Both OAW and OIW are lost from the eggs during desiccation but the eggs retain a small amount of OIW. Other animals which survive some desiccation but which are not anhydrobiotic will tolerate the loss of OAW but not the loss of their OIW. Anhydrobiotic animals can survive the loss of both their OAW and a substantial proportion of their OIW.

  9. Active solar heating and cooling information user study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Belew, W.W.; Wood, B.L.; Marle, T.L.; Reinhardt, C.L.

    1981-01-01

    The results of a series of telephone interviews with groups of users of information on active solar heating and cooling (SHAC). An earlier study identified the information user groups in the solar community and the priority (to accelerate solar energy commercialization) of getting information to each group. In the current study only high-priority groups were examined. Results from 19 SHAC groups respondents are analyzed in this report: DOE-Funded Researchers, Non-DOE-Funded Researchers, Representatives of Manufacturers (4 groups), Distributors, Installers, Architects, Builders, Planners, Engineers (2 groups), Representatives of Utilities, Educators, Cooperative Extension Service County Agents, Building Owners/Managers, and Homeowners (2 groups). The data will be used as input to the determination of information products and services the Solar Energy Research Institute, the Solar Energy Information Data Bank Network, and the entire information outreach community should be preparing and disseminating.

  10. Thermodynamic analysis of an open cycle solid desiccant cooling system using Artificial Neural Network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koronaki, I.P.; Rogdakis, E.; Kakatsiou, T.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► A neural network model based on experimental data was developed. ► Description of the experimental setup. ► Prediction of the state conditions of air at the process and regeneration stream. ► Sensitivity Analysis performed on these predicted results. ► Predicted output values in line with correlation model based on data from industry. - Abstract: This paper examines the performance of an installed open cycle air-conditioning system with a silica gel desiccant wheel which uses a conventional heat pump and heat exchangers for the improvement of the outlet air of the system. A neural network model based on the training of a black box model with experimental data was developed as a method based on experimental results predicting the state conditions of air at the process and regeneration stream. The model development was followed by a Sensitivity Analysis performed on these predicted results. The key parameters were the thermodynamic condition of process and regeneration air streams, the sensible heat factor of the room, and the mass air flow ratio of the regeneration and process streams. The results of this analysis revealed that all investigated parameters influenced the performance of the desiccant unit. Predicted output values of the proposed Neural Network Model for Desiccant Systems are in line with results from other correlation models based on the interpolation of experimental data obtained from industrial air conditioning installations.

  11. Energy and parametric analysis of solar absorption cooling systems in various Moroccan climates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Agrouaz

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to investigate the energetic performance of a solar cooling system using absorption technology under Moroccan climate. The solar fraction and the coefficient of performance of the solar cooling system were evaluated for various climatic conditions. It is found that the system operating in Errachidia shows the best average annual solar fraction (of 30% and COP (of 0.33 owing to the high solar capabilities of this region. Solar fraction values in other regions varied between 19% and 23%. Moreover, the coefficient of performance values shows in the same regions a significant variation from 0.12 to 0.33 all over the year. A detailed parametric study was as well carried out to evidence the effect of the operating and design parameters on the solar air conditioner performance.

  12. Photovoltaic assisted solar drying system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruslan, M.H.; Othman, M.Y.; Baharuddin Yatim; Kamaruzzaman Sopian; Ali, M.I.; Ibarahim, Z.

    2006-01-01

    A photovoltaic assisted solar drying system has been constructed at the Solar Energy Research Park, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. This drying system uses a custom designed parallel flow V-groove type collector. A fan powered by photovoltaic source assists the air flow through the drying system. A funnel with increasing diameter towards the top with ventilator turbine is incorporated into the system to facilitate the air flow during the absence of photovoltaic energy source. This drying system is designed with high efficiency and portability in mind so that it can readily be used at plantation sites where the crops are harvested or produced. A daily mean efficiency about 44% with mean air flow rate 0.16 kgs -1 has been achieved at mean daily radiation intensity of 800 Wm -2 . daily mean temperature of air drying chamber under the above conditions is 46 o C. Study has shown that the air flow and air temperature increase with the increase of solar radiation intensity. On a bright sunny day with instantaneous solar intensity about 600 Wm -2 , the temperature of air entering the drying chamber of 45 o C has been measured. In the absence of photovoltaic or in natural convection flow, the instantaneous efficiency decreased when solar radiation increased. The instantaneous efficiency recorded are 35% and 27% respectively at 570 Wm -2 and 745 Wm -2 of solar radiation. The temperature of drying chamber for the same amount of solar radiation are 42 o C and 48 o C respectively. Thus, the solar dryer shows a great potential for application in drying process of agricultural produce

  13. Energetic and economic evaluation of solar thermal and photovoltaic cooling system in Cuban hotel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Díaz Torres, Yamile; Valdivia Nodal, Yarelis; Castellanos Molina, Luis Miguel; Torres del Toro, Migdalia; Monteagudo Llanes, José

    2015-01-01

    The present paper discusses the energetic and economic feasibility of using two configurations of solar cooling in a Cuban Hotel. The air conditioning hybrid system schemes are: conventional system (Chiller) interconnected in parallel with a solar- powered absorption cooling system (SACS); and a photovoltaic cooling system (PCS). There were analyzed by methodologies and thermodynamic principles governing these technologies. The results show that their uses are alternatives for reducing energy consumption and environmental impact. (full text)

  14. Solar Sustainable Heating, Cooling and Ventilation of a Net Zero Energy House

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kazanci, Ongun Berk; Skrupskelis, Martynas; Olesen, Bjarne W.

    Present work addresses the heating, cooling and ventilation concerns of the Technical University of Denmark’s house, Fold, for Solar Decathlon Europe 2012. Various innovative approaches are investigated, namely, utilization of ground, photo-voltaic/thermal (PV/T) panels and phase change materials...... (PCM). The ground heat exchanger acts as the heat sink and heat source for cooling and heating seasons, respectively. Free cooling enables the same cooling effect to be delivered with 8% of the energy consumption of a representative chiller. The heating and cooling needs of the house are addressed...... by the embedded pipes which are coupled with the ground. Ventilation is mainly used to control the humidity and to remove sensory and chemical pollution. PV/T panels enable the house to be a “plus” energy house. PV/T also yields to a solar fraction of 63% and 31% for Madrid and Copenhagen, respectively...

  15. Mechanical and experimental study on freeze proof solar powered adsorption cooling tube using active carbon/methanol working pair

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao Huizhong; Zhang Min; Liu Zhenyan; Liu Yanling; Ma Xiaodong

    2008-01-01

    The freeze proof solar cooling tube, which can produce cooling capacity with the refrigerant temperature below 0 deg. C using solar light as energy and active carbon-methanol as working pair, was firstly designed and made in this research. This paper focused on mechanical and experimental study on a freeze proof solar powered adsorption cooling tube. The following experimental results could be concluded: at the solar radiation value between 15.3 and 17.1 MJ m -2 , the highest adsorbent bed temperature is below 110 deg. C. The freeze proof solar cooling tube's cooling capacity was about 87-99 kJ, and the coefficient of performance (COP) was more than 0.11 when the evaporation temperature was about -4 deg. C

  16. Solar heating and cooling technical data and systems analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, D. L.

    1977-01-01

    The research activities described herein were concentrated on the areas of economics, heating and cooling systems, architectural design, materials characteristics, climatic conditions, educational information packages, and evaluation of solar energy systems and components.

  17. Solar energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rapp, D.

    1981-01-01

    The book opens with a review of the patterns of energy use and resources in the United States, and an exploration of the potential of solar energy to supply some of this energy in the future. This is followed by background material on solar geometry, solar intensities, flat plate collectors, and economics. Detailed attention is then given to a variety of solar units and systems, including domestic hot water systems, space heating systems, solar-assisted heat pumps, intermediate temperature collectors, space heating/cooling systems, concentrating collectors for high temperatures, storage systems, and solar total energy systems. Finally, rights to solar access are discussed.

  18. Optimum dry-cooling sub-systems for a solar air conditioner

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, J. L. S.; Namkoong, D.

    1978-01-01

    Dry-cooling sub-systems for residential solar powered Rankine compression air conditioners were economically optimized and compared with the cost of a wet cooling tower. Results in terms of yearly incremental busbar cost due to the use of dry-cooling were presented for Philadelphia and Miami. With input data corresponding to local weather, energy rate and capital costs, condenser surface designs and performance, the computerized optimization program yields design specifications of the sub-system which has the lowest annual incremental cost.

  19. Comparison of solar panel cooling system by using dc brushless fan and dc water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Irwan, Y M; Leow, W Z; Irwanto, M; M, Fareq; Hassan, S I S; Amelia, A R; Safwati, I

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to discuss comparison of solar panel cooling system by using DC brushless fan and DC water pump. Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation is an interesting technique to reduce non-renewable energy consumption and as a renewable energy. The temperature of PV modules increases when it absorbs solar radiation, causing a decrease in efficiency. A solar cooling system is design, construct and experimentally researched within this work. To make an effort to cool the PV module, Direct Current (DC) brushless fan and DC water pump with inlet/outlet manifold are designed for constant air movement and water flow circulation at the back side and front side of PV module representatively. Temperature sensors were installed on the PV module to detect temperature of PV. PIC microcontroller was used to control the DC brushless fan and water pump for switch ON or OFF depend on the temperature of PV module automatically. The performance with and without cooling system are shown in this experiment. The PV module with DC water pump cooling system increase 3.52%, 36.27%, 38.98%in term of output voltage, output current, output power respectively. It decrease 6.36 °C compare than to PV module without DC water pump cooling system. While DC brushless fan cooling system increase 3.47%, 29.55%, 32.23%in term of output voltage, output current, and output power respectively. It decrease 6.1 °C compare than to PV module without DC brushless fan cooling system. The efficiency of PV module with cooling system was increasing compared to PV module without cooling system; this is because the ambient temperature dropped significantly. The higher efficiency of PV cell, the payback period of the system can be shorted and the lifespan of PV module can also be longer. (paper)

  20. Solar cooling in the hardware-in-the-loop test; Solare Kuehlung im Hardware-in-the-Loop-Test

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lohmann, Sandra; Radosavljevic, Rada; Goebel, Johannes; Gottschald, Jonas; Adam, Mario [Fachhochschule Duesseldorf (Germany). Erneuerbare Energien und Energieeffizienz E2

    2012-07-01

    The first part of the BMBF-funded research project 'Solar cooling in the hardware-in-the-loop test' (SoCool HIL) deals with the simulation of a solar refrigeration system using the simulation environment Matlab / Simulink with the toolboxes Stateflow and Carnot. Dynamic annual simulations and DoE supported parameter variations were used to select meaningful system configurations, control strategies and dimensioning of components. The second part of this project deals with hardware-in-the-loop tests using the 17.5 kW absorption chiller of the company Yazaki Europe Limited (Hertfordshire, United Kingdom). For this, the chiller is operated on a test bench in order to emulate the behavior of other system components (solar circuit with heat storage, recooling, buildings and cooling distribution / transfer). The chiller is controlled by a simulation of the system using MATLAB / Simulink / Carnot. Based on the knowledge on the real dynamic performance of the chiller the simulation model of the chiller can then be validated. Further tests are used to optimize the control of the chiller to the current cooling load. In addition, some changes in system configurations (for example cold backup) are tested with the real machine. The results of these tests and the findings on the dynamic performance of the chiller are presented.

  1. Results of IEA SHC Task 45: Large Scale Solar Heating and Cooling Systems. Subtask A: “Collectors and Collector Loop”

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bava, Federico; Nielsen, Jan Erik; Knabl, Samuel

    2016-01-01

    . Within this project, subtask A had the more specific objectives of investigating ways to evaluate the influence that different operating conditions can have on the collector performance, assure proper and safe installation of large solar collector fields, and guarantee their performance and yearly energy......The IEA SHC Task 45 Large Scale Solar Heating and Cooling Systems, carried out between January 2011 and December 2014, had the main objective to assist in the development of a strong and sustainable market of large solar heating systems by focusing on high performance and reliability of systems...... output. The results of the different investigations are presented, with a particular focus on how different parameters such as tilt, flow rate and fluid type, can affect the collector efficiency. Other presented results include methods to guarantee and check the thermal performance of a solar collector...

  2. Simulation of solar lithium bromide-water absorption cooling system with parabolic trough collector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazloumi, M.; Naghashzadegan, M.; Javaherdeh, K.

    2008-01-01

    Ahwaz is one of the sweltering cities in Iran where an enormous amount of energy is being consumed to cool residential places in a year. The aim of this research is to simulate a solar single effect lithium bromide-water absorption cooling system in Ahwaz. The solar energy is absorbed by a horizontal N-S parabolic trough collector and stored in an insulated thermal storage tank. The system has been designed to supply the cooling load of a typical house where the cooling load peak is about 17.5 kW (5 tons of refrigeration), which occurs in July. A thermodynamic model has been used to simulate the absorption cycle. The working fluid is water, which is pumped directly to the collector. The results showed that the collector mass flow rate has a negligible effect on the minimum required collector area, but it has a significant effect on the optimum capacity of the storage tank. The minimum required collector area was about 57.6 m 2 , which could supply the cooling loads for the sunshine hours of the design day for July. The operation of the system has also been considered after sunset by saving solar energy

  3. Comparative study of solar cooling systems with building-integrated solar collectors for use in sub-tropical regions like Hong Kong

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fong, K.F.; Lee, C.K.; Chow, T.T.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Performance of building-integrated solar collectors analyzed. ► Comparisons made with solar collectors installed on roof. ► Use of building-integrated solar collectors increased the total primary consumption. ► Reduction in the building load could not compensate drop in solar collector output. ► Building-integrated solar collectors only used when roof space insufficient. -- Abstract: The performance of solar cooling systems with building-integrated (BI) solar collectors was simulated and the results compared with those having the solar collectors installed conventionally on the roof based on the weather data in Hong Kong. Two types of solar collectors and the corresponding cooling systems, namely the flat-plate collectors for absorption refrigeration and the PV panels for DC-driven vapour compression refrigeration, were used in the analysis. It was found that in both cases, the adoption of BI solar collectors resulted in a lower solar fraction (SF) and consequently a higher primary energy consumption even though the zone loads were reduced. The reduction in SF was more pronounced in the peak load season when the solar radiation was nearly parallel to the solar collector surfaces during the daytimes, especially for those facing the south direction. Indeed, there were no outputs from the BI flat-plate collectors facing the south direction between May and July. The more severe deterioration in the system performance with the BI flat-plate type collectors made them technically infeasible in terms of the energy-saving potential. It was concluded that the use of BI solar collectors in solar cooling systems should be restricted only to situations where the availability of the roof was limited or insufficient when applied in sub-tropical regions like Hong Kong.

  4. Cooling load calculation by the radiant time series method - effect of solar radiation models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Costa, Alexandre M.S. [Universidade Estadual de Maringa (UEM), PR (Brazil)], E-mail: amscosta@uem.br

    2010-07-01

    In this work was analyzed numerically the effect of three different models for solar radiation on the cooling load calculated by the radiant time series' method. The solar radiation models implemented were clear sky, isotropic sky and anisotropic sky. The radiant time series' method (RTS) was proposed by ASHRAE (2001) for replacing the classical methods of cooling load calculation, such as TETD/TA. The method is based on computing the effect of space thermal energy storage on the instantaneous cooling load. The computing is carried out by splitting the heat gain components in convective and radiant parts. Following the radiant part is transformed using time series, which coefficients are a function of the construction type and heat gain (solar or non-solar). The transformed result is added to the convective part, giving the instantaneous cooling load. The method was applied for investigate the influence for an example room. The location used was - 23 degree S and 51 degree W and the day was 21 of January, a typical summer day in the southern hemisphere. The room was composed of two vertical walls with windows exposed to outdoors with azimuth angles equals to west and east directions. The output of the different models of solar radiation for the two walls in terms of direct and diffuse components as well heat gains were investigated. It was verified that the clear sky exhibited the less conservative (higher values) for the direct component of solar radiation, with the opposite trend for the diffuse component. For the heat gain, the clear sky gives the higher values, three times higher for the peek hours than the other models. Both isotropic and anisotropic models predicted similar magnitude for the heat gain. The same behavior was also verified for the cooling load. The effect of room thermal inertia was decreasing the cooling load during the peak hours. On the other hand the higher thermal inertia values are the greater for the non peak hours. The effect

  5. Surface Plasmon-Assisted Solar Energy Conversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dodekatos, Georgios; Schünemann, Stefan; Tüysüz, Harun

    2016-01-01

    The utilization of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) from plasmonic noble metals in combination with semiconductors promises great improvements for visible light-driven photocatalysis, in particular for energy conversion. This review summarizes the basic principles of plasmonic photocatalysis, giving a comprehensive overview about the proposed mechanisms for enhancing the performance of photocatalytically active semiconductors with plasmonic devices and their applications for surface plasmon-assisted solar energy conversion. The main focus is on gold and, to a lesser extent, silver nanoparticles in combination with titania as semiconductor and their usage as active plasmonic photocatalysts. Recent advances in water splitting, hydrogen generation with sacrificial organic compounds, and CO2 reduction to hydrocarbons for solar fuel production are highlighted. Finally, further improvements for plasmonic photocatalysts, regarding performance, stability, and economic feasibility, are discussed for surface plasmon-assisted solar energy conversion.

  6. Experimental investigation of a novel configuration of desiccant based evaporative air conditioning system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uçkan, İrfan; Yılmaz, Tuncay; Hürdoğan, Ertaç; Büyükalaca, Orhan

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► A novel desiccant based evaporative cooling system is developed and tested. ► Cooling capacity, COP and energy consumption of the system are evaluated. ► Indoor air conditions are in the range of thermal comfort zone and expanded comfort zone. ► Designing of the system have considerable effect on the energy consumption. - Abstract: A novel configuration of desiccant based evaporative cooling system for air conditioning application is developed and tested. At the beginning of the design stage of the system, an analysis is carried out in order to maximize the performance of the system. It is found based on configuration that outdoor air must be used for regeneration to increase performance of the system and so three air channels are used. Experiments are carried out to investigate the total performance of the system and performance of the components used during summer season in a hot and humid climate. Effectiveness values for both heat exchangers and evaporative coolers are calculated through this work. In addition to the cooling capacity, coefficient of performance (COP) and energy consumption of the system are also evaluated. Results show that the effectiveness for the heat exchangers and evaporative coolers are very high under different outdoor conditions. It is also shown from the results that indoor air conditions are in the range of thermal comfort zone defined by ASHRAE and expanded comfort zone for evaporative air conditioning applications.

  7. Conceptual adsorption system of cooling and heating supplied by solar energy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Turski Michał

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the possibility of reducing the demand for nonrenewable primary energy for buildings using a new conceptual adsorption system of cooling and heating supplied by solar energy. Moreover, the aim of this study is to shorten the payback time of investment in the standard adsorption cooling system through its integration with the heating system. Research has been carried out for an energy-efficient medium-sized single-family building with a floor area of 140 m2 and a heat load of 4.2 kW and cold load of 4.41 kW. It has been shown that the use of an adsorption system of cooling and heating supplied by solar energy decreased the demand for nonrenewable primary energy by about 66% compared to the standard building that meets the current requirements.

  8. Survey and evaluation of available thermal insulation materials for use on solar heating and cooling systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-03-01

    This is the final report of a survey and evaluation of insulation materials for use with components of solar heating and cooling systems. The survey was performed by mailing questionnaires to manufacturers of insulation materials and by conducting an extensive literature search to obtain data on relevant properties of various types of insulation materials. The study evaluated insulation materials for active and passive solar heating and cooling systems and for multifunction applications. Primary and secondary considerations for selecting insulation materials for various components of solar heating and cooling systems are presented.

  9. Solar-Heated and Cooled Office Building--Columbus, Ohio

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-01-01

    Final report documents solar-energy system installed in office building to provide space heating, space cooling and domestic hot water. Collectors mounted on roof track Sun and concentrate rays on fluid-circulating tubes. Collected energy is distributed to hot-water-fired absorption chiller and space-heating and domestic-hot-water preheating systems.

  10. Low-cost personal cooling in hot humid offices. Feasibility study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gunnarsen, L [Danish Building Research Inst., (Denmark); Santos, A [Univ. of the Philippines, Diliman (Philippines)

    1997-05-01

    A solution, based on low-cost solar-powered air drying, to heat stress in buildings located in developing countries with a hot and humid climate is presented. The air-drying facilities are described and a validation of the ensuing benefits through comprehensive human exposure studies is given. A prototype of a solar powered supply system for dried air was constructed and supply air was led to six personal units for ventilation and cooling placed in cubicles simulating office workplaces. 123 heat-acclimatized people were exposed for one hour in each of the cubicles. It is concluded that drying indoor air reduces heat stress among heat-adapted people in hot and humid offices and that the low-cost solar powered air drying system functioned satisfactorily , although some improvements are recommended. The drying power of the sun can be stored in recovered silica gel beads and used for other purposes. It is suggested that further research could explore the possibility of desiccant drying of agricultural products during the rainy season. (ARW) 30 refs.

  11. Solar tower enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Huiqiang; Xu, Yan; Acosta-Iborra, Alberto; Santana, Domingo

    2017-06-01

    Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants are located in desert areas where the Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) value is very high. Since water resource is scarcely available, mechanical draft cooing technology is commonly used, with power consumption of mechanical fans being approximately 2% of the total power generated. Today, there is only one solar power plant (Khi Solar One in South Africa) uses a condenser installed in a Natural Draft Cooling (NDC) tower that avoids the windage loss of water occurring in wet cooling towers. Although, Khi Solar One is a cavity receiver power tower, the receivers can be hung onto the NDC tower. This paper looks at a novel integration of a NDC tower into an external molten salt receiver of a solar power plant, which is one of a largest commercial molten salt tower in China, with 100MWe power capacity. In this configuration study, the NDC tower surrounds the concrete tower of the receiver concentrically. In this way, the receiver concrete tower is the central support of the NDC tower, which consists of cable networks that are fixed to the concrete tower and suspended at a certain height over the floor. The cable networks support the shell of the NDC tower. To perform a preliminary analysis of the behavior of this novel configuration, two cases of numerical simulation in three dimensional (3D) models have been solved using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code, ANSYS Fluent 6.3. The results show that the integration of the NDC tower into an external central receiver tower is feasible. Additionally, the total heat transfer rate is not reduced but slightly increases when the molten salt receiver is in operation because of the additional natural draft induced by the high temperature of the receiver.

  12. Techno-Economic Analysis of Solar Absorption Cooling for Commercial buildings in India

    OpenAIRE

    Muthalagappan Narayanan

    2017-01-01

    Space cooling and heating always tends to be a major part of the primary energy usage. By using fossil fuel electricity for these purposes, the situation becomes even worse. One of the major electricity consumptions in India is air conditioning. There are a lot of different technologies and few researchers have come up with a debate between solar absorption cooling and PV electric cooling. In a previous paper, PV electric cooling was studied and now as a continuation, this paper focuses on so...

  13. Effect of solar radiation on the performance of cross flow wet cooling tower in hot climate of Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banooni, Salem; Chitsazan, Ali

    2016-11-01

    In some cities such as Ahvaz-Iran, the solar radiation is very high and the annual-mean-daily of the global solar radiation is about 17.33 MJ m2 d-1. Solar radiation as an external heat source seems to affect the thermal performance of the cooling towers. Usually, in modeling cooling tower, the effects of solar radiation are ignored. To investigate the effect of sunshade on the performance and modeling of the cooling tower, the experiments were conducted in two different states, cooling towers with and without sunshade. In this study, the Merkel's approach and finite difference technique are used to predict the thermal behavior of cross flow wet cooling tower without sunshade and the results are compared with the data obtained from the cooling towers with and without sunshade. Results showed that the sunshade is very efficient and it reduced the outlet water temperature, the approach and the water exergy of the cooling tower up to 1.2 °C, 15 and 1.1 %, respectively and increased the range and the efficiency of the cooling tower up to 29 and 37 %, respectively. Also, the sunshade decreased the error between the experimental data of the cooling tower with sunshade and the modeling results of the cooling tower without sunshade 1.85 % in average.

  14. Exergetic Analysis of a Novel Solar Cooling System for Combined Cycle Power Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Calise

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a detailed exergetic analysis of a novel high-temperature Solar Assisted Combined Cycle (SACC power plant. The system includes a solar field consisting of innovative high-temperature flat plate evacuated solar thermal collectors, a double stage LiBr-H2O absorption chiller, pumps, heat exchangers, storage tanks, mixers, diverters, controllers and a simple single-pressure Combined Cycle (CC power plant. Here, a high temperature solar cooling system is coupled with a conventional combined cycle, in order to pre-cool gas turbine inlet air in order to enhance system efficiency and electrical capacity. In this paper, the system is analyzed from an exergetic point of view, on the basis of an energy-economic model presented in a recent work, where the obtained main results show that SACC exhibits a higher electrical production and efficiency with respect to the conventional CC. The system performance is evaluated by a dynamic simulation, where detailed simulation models are implemented for all the components included in the system. In addition, for all the components and for the system as whole, energy and exergy balances are implemented in order to calculate the magnitude of the irreversibilities within the system. In fact, exergy analysis is used in order to assess: exergy destructions and exergetic efficiencies. Such parameters are used in order to evaluate the magnitude of the irreversibilities in the system and to identify the sources of such irreversibilities. Exergetic efficiencies and exergy destructions are dynamically calculated for the 1-year operation of the system. Similarly, exergetic results are also integrated on weekly and yearly bases in order to evaluate the corresponding irreversibilities. The results showed that the components of the Joule cycle (combustor, turbine and compressor are the major sources of irreversibilities. System overall exergetic efficiency was around 48%. Average weekly solar collector

  15. Solar cooling for small office buildings: Comparison of solar thermal and photovoltaic options for two different European climates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hartmann, N. [University of Stuttgart, Institute of Energy Economics and the Rational Use of Energy (IER), Hessbruehlstr. 49a, 70565 Stuttgart (Germany); Glueck, C. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Fluid Machinery (FSM), Kaiserstr. 12, 76131 Karlsruhe (Germany); Schmidt, F.P. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Fluid Machinery (FSM), Kaiserstr. 12, 76131 Karlsruhe (Germany); Fraunhofer ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110 Freiburg (Germany)

    2011-05-15

    We present a comparison of solar thermal and solar electric cooling for a typical small office building exposed to two different European climates (Freiburg and Madrid). The investigation is based on load series for heating and cooling obtained previously from annual building simulations in TRNSYS. A conventional compression chiller is used as the reference system against which the solar options are evaluated with respect to primary energy savings and additional cost. A parametric study on collector and storage size is carried out for the solar thermal system to reach achieve the minimal cost per unit of primary energy saved. The simulated solar electric system consists of the reference system, equipped with a grid connected photovoltaic module, which can be varied in size. For cost comparison of the two systems, the electric grid is assumed to function as a cost-free storage. A method to include macroeconomic effects in the comparison is presented and discussed. Within the system parameters and assumptions used here, the grid coupled PV system leads to lower costs of primary energy savings than the solar thermal system at both locations. The presumed macroeconomic advantages of the solar thermal system, due to the non-usage of energy during peak demand, can be confirmed for Madrid. (author)

  16. Study of an aqueous lithium chloride desiccant system Part II: Desiccant regeneration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fumo, Nelson [Universidad Nacional Experimental del Tachira, San Cristobal (Venezuela); Goswami, Yogi [University of Florida, Gainesville (United States)

    2000-07-01

    Desiccant systems have been proposed as alternative to handle the latent load in vapor compression air conditioning for energy saving. The air dehumidification occurs because of the difference in vapor pressure which let the moisture diffuse from the air to the liquid desiccant. The diffused moisture cause a dilution of the desiccant which must be regenerated to return it to the original conditions. This paper presents the results from a study of the performance of a packed tower regenerator for an aqueous lithium chloride desiccant dehumidification system. The rate of water evaporation, as well as the effectiveness of the regeneration process were assessed under the effects of variables such as air and desiccant flow rates, air temperature and humidity, and desiccant temperature and concentration. A variation of the oeberg and Goswami mathematical model was used to predict the experimental findings given satisfactory results. [Spanish] Se han propuesto sistemas desecantes para hacerse cargo de la carga latente en acondicionamiento de aire por compresion de vapor para el ahorro de energia. La deshumidificacion del aire ocurre en razon de la diferencia de presion de vapor que deja la humedad difusa del aire en el desecante liquido. La humedad difusa del aire origina una dilucion del desecante el cual debe de ser regenerado para regresarlo a sus condiciones originales. Este documento presenta los resultados de un estudio sobre el comportamiento de un regenerador de torre empacada para un sistema de deshumidificacion de solucion desecante de cloruro de litio. El regimen de evaporacion de agua, asi como tambien la efectividad del proceso de regeneracion que se evaluo bajo los efectos de variables tales como los regimenes de flujo de aire y de desecante, temperatura del aire y humedad, y temperatura y concentracion del desecante. Una variacion del modelo matematico de Oberg y Goswami se uso para predecir los resultados experimentales que dieron resultados satisfactorios.

  17. Solar heating and cooling system installed at RKL Controls Company, Lumberton, New Jersey. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1981-03-01

    Solar heating and cooling of a 40,000 square foot manufacturing building, sales offices and the solar computer control center/display room are described. Information on system description, test data, major problems and resolutions, performance, operation and maintenance manual, manufacturer's literature and as-built drawings are provided also. The solar system is composed of 6000 square feet of Sunworks double glazed flat plate collectors, external above ground storage subsystem, controls, ARKLA absorption chiller, heat recovery and a cooling tower.

  18. Cooling and quasi-static contraction of the primitive solar nebula after gas accretion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watanabe, Seichiro; Nakagawa, Yoshitsugu; Nakazawa, Kiyoshi

    1990-01-01

    The evolution of the primitive solar nebula in the quasi-static contraction phase where the nebula cools down toward the thermal steady state is studied. The solar irradiation onto the nebula keeps the surface temperature constant, so that the convective ozone retreats from the surface as the nebula cools. Thus if thermal convection is the only source of turbulence, convection will quiet down in an early time of the cooling. Afterward, the nebula evolves toward an isothermal structure in a time scale of 1000 yr. The cooling rates in the vicinity of the midplate at 1 AU are 0.003 K/hr at T(c) = 1000 K and 3 x 10 to the -5th K/hr at T(c) = 300 K for the standard model. If some turbulence exists irrespective of convection, convection may continue for sufficiently strong turbulent heating. 39 refs

  19. Study on Automatic Solar Heat Insulated and Cooling Device of Car

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Gui-Yue

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In view of the common device for heat insulated and cooling of car, an improved new scheme which drove by solar energy is put forward. In this study, the transmission device are arranged inside the automobile, the thin-film solar is composited into the heat insulated and cooling material. Thus, the whole device can be driven by the energy from the photovoltaic conversion, which is clear and zero-pollution. The theoretical energy consumptions and preventable gas emissions are calculated to verify the environmental savings of the device. The results show that it has promising application prospect since it is not only environmentally friendly but also save and convenient as compared to the conventional device.

  20. Theoretical storage capacity for solar air pretreatment liquid collector/regenerator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peng, Donggen; Zhang, Xiaosong; Yin, Yonggao [School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096 (China)

    2008-08-15

    A new liquid regeneration equipment - solar air pretreatment collector/regenerator for liquid desiccant cooling system is put forward in this paper, which is preferable to solution regeneration in hot and moist climate in South China. The equipment can achieve liquid regeneration in lower temperature. When the solution and the air are in ''match'' state in collector/regenerator, a match air to salt mass ratio ASMR* is found by theoretical study in which there is the largest theoretical storage capacity SC{sub max}. At T{sub r} = 60{sup o}C and X{sub in} 2.33 kg/kg, theoretical calculation discovers when Y{sub in} drops from 29 to 14 g/kg, the SC{sub max} increase 50% compared with ASMR{sup *} being around 26-27. After two new concepts of the effective solution proportion (EPS) and the effective storage capacity (ESC) are defined, it is found by theoretical calculation that when ESP drops from 100% to 67%, ESC raises lowly, not drops and liquid outlet concentration C{sub str.sol} increases from 40% to 49% in which its increment totals to 90%. All these data explain fully that air pretreatment liquid regeneration equipment enables to improve the performance of liquid desiccant cooling system. (author)

  1. Absorption solar cooling systems using optimal driving temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lecuona, Antonio; Ventas, Rubén; Vereda, Ciro; López, Ricardo

    2015-01-01

    The optimum instantaneous driving temperature of a solar cooling facility is determined along a day. The chillers compared use single effect cycles working with NH 3 /LiNO 3 , either conventional or hybridised by incorporating a low pressure booster compressor. Their performances are compared with a H 2 O/LiBr single effect absorption chiller as part of the same solar system. The results of a detailed thermodynamic cycle for the absorption chillers allow synthesizing them in a modified characteristic temperature difference model. The day accumulated solar cold production is determined using this optimum temperature during two sunny days in mid-July and mid-September, located in Madrid, Spain. The work shows the influences of operational variables and a striking result: selection of a time-constant temperature during all the day does not necessarily imply a substantial loss, being the temperature chosen a key parameter. The results indicate that the NH 3 /LiNO 3 option with no boosting offers a smaller production above-zero Celsius degrees temperatures, but does not require higher hot water driving temperatures than H 2 O/LiBr. The boosted cycle offers superior performance. Some operational details are discussed. - Highlights: • Instantaneous optimum driving temperature t g,op for solar cooling in Madrid. • 3 absorption cycles tested: H 2 O/LiBr and NH 3 /LiNO 3 single effect and hybrid. • The t g,op of the hybrid cycle is 16 °C lower than both single effect cycles. • The best fixed driving temperature can reach almost the same behaviour than t g,op

  2. A Liquid Desiccant Cycle for Dehumidification and Fresh Water Supply in Controlled Environment Agriculture

    KAUST Repository

    Lefers, Ryan

    2017-12-01

    Controlled environment agriculture allows the production of fresh food indoors from global locations and contexts where it would not otherwise be possible. Growers in extreme climates and urban areas produce food locally indoors, saving thousands of food import miles and capitalizing upon the demand for fresh, tasty, and nutritious food. However, the growing of food, both indoors and outdoors, consumes huge quantities of water - as much as 70-80% of global fresh water supplies. The utilization of liquid desiccants in a closed indoor agriculture cycle provides the possibility of capturing plant-transpired water vapor. The regeneration/desalination of these liquid desiccants offers the potential to recover fresh water for irrigation and also to re-concentrate the desiccants for continued dehumidification. Through the utilization of solar thermal energy, the process can be completed with a very small to zero grid-energy footprint. The primary research in this dissertation focused on two areas: the dehumidification of indoor environments utilizing liquid desiccants inside membrane contactors and the regeneration of these desiccants using membrane distillation. Triple-bore PVDF hollow fiber membranes yielded dehumidification permeance rates around 0.25-0.31 g m-2 h-1 Pa-1 in lab-scale trials. A vacuum membrane distillation unit utilizing PVDF fibers yielded a flux of 2.8-7.0 kg m-2 hr-1. When the membrane contactor dehumidification system was applied in a bench scale controlled environment agriculture setup, the relative humidity levels responded dynamically to both plant transpiration and dehumidification rates, reaching dynamic equilibrium levels during day and night cycles. In addition, recovered fresh water from distillation was successfully applied for irrigation of crops and concentrated desiccants were successfully reused for dehumidification. If applied in practice, the liquid desiccant system for controlled environment agriculture offers the potential to reduce

  3. Field Demonstration of Active Desiccant-Based Outdoor Air Preconditioning Systems, Final Report: Phase 3; FINAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fischer, J.

    2001-01-01

    This report summarizes an investigation of the performance of two active desiccant cooling systems that were installed as pilot systems in two locations-a college dormitory and a research laboratory-during the fall of 1999. The laboratory system was assembled in the field from commercially available Trane air-handling modules combined with a standard total energy recovery module and a customized active desiccant wheel, both produced by SEMCO. The dormitory system was a factory-built, integrated system produced by SEMCO that included both active desiccant and sensible-only recovery wheels, a direct-fired gas regeneration section, and a pre-piped Trane heat pump condensing section. Both systems were equipped with direct digital control systems, complete with full instrumentation and remote monitoring capabilities. This report includes detailed descriptions of these two systems, installation details, samples of actual performance, and estimations of the energy savings realized. These pi lot sites represent a continuation of previous active desiccant product development research (Fischer, Hallstrom, and Sand 2000; Fischer 2000). Both systems performed as anticipated, were reliable, and required minimal maintenance. The dehumidification/total-energy-recovery hybrid approach was particularly effective in all respects. System performance showed remarkable improvement in latent load handling capability and operating efficiency compared with the original conventional cooling system and with the conventional system that remained in another, identical wing of the facility. The dehumidification capacity of the pilot systems was very high, the cost of operation was very low, and the system was cost-effective, offering a simple payback for these retrofit installations of approximately 5 to 6 years. Most important, the dormitory system resolved numerous indoor air quality problems in the dormitory by providing effective humidity control and increased, continuous ventilation air

  4. STDAC: Solar Thermal Design Assistance Center annual report fiscal year 1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-12-31

    The Solar Thermal Design Assistance Center (STDAC) at Sandia is a resource provided by the DOE Solar Thermal Program. The STDAC`s major objective is to accelerate the use of solar thermal systems by providing direct technical assistance to users in industry, government, and foreign countries; cooperating with industry to test, evaluate, and develop renewable energy systems and components; and educating public and private professionals, administrators, and decision makers. This FY94 report highlights the activities and accomplishments of the STDAC. In 1994, the STDAC continued to provide significant direct technical assistance to domestic and international organizations in industry, government, and education, Applying solar thermal technology to solve energy problems is a vital element of direct technical assistance. The STDAC provides information on the status of new, existing, and developing solar technologies; helps users screen applications; predicts the performance of components and systems; and incorporates the experience of Sandia`s solar energy personnel and facilities to provide expert guidance. The STDAC directly enhances the US solar industry`s ability to successfully bring improved systems to the marketplace. By collaborating with Sandia`s Photovoltaic Design Assistance Center and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory the STDAC is able to offer each customer complete service in applying solar thermal technology. At the National Solar Thermal Test Facility the STDAC tests and evaluates new and innovative solar thermal technologies. Evaluations are conducted in dose cooperation with manufacturers, and the results are used to improve the product and/or quantify its performance characteristics. Manufacturers, in turn, benefit from the improved design, economic performance, and operation of their solar thermal technology. The STDAC provides cost sharing and in-kind service to manufacturers in the development and improvement of solar technology.

  5. Thermodynamic analysis of a novel energy-efficient refrigeration system subcooled by liquid desiccant dehumidification and evaporation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    She, Xiaohui; Yin, Yonggao; Zhang, Xiaosong

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • An energy-efficient refrigeration system with a novel subcooling method is proposed. • Thermodynamic analysis is conducted to discuss the effects of operation parameters. • Two different utilization ways of condensation heat are compared. • The system achieves much higher COP, even higher than reverse Carnot cycle. • Suggested mass concentration for LiCl–H 2 O is around 32% at a typical case. - Abstract: A new energy-efficient refrigeration system subcooled by liquid desiccant dehumidification and evaporation was proposed in this paper. In the system, liquid desiccant system could produce very dry air for an indirect evaporative cooler, which would subcool the vapor compression refrigeration system to get higher COP than conventional refrigeration system. The desiccant cooling system can use the condensation heat for the desiccant regeneration. Thermodynamic analysis is made to discuss the effects of operation parameters (condensing temperature, liquid desiccant concentration, ambient air temperature and relative humidity) on the system performance. Results show that the proposed hybrid vapor compression refrigeration system achieves significantly higher COP than conventional vapor compression refrigeration system, and even higher than the reverse Carnot cycle at the same operation conditions. The maximum COPs of the hybrid systems using hot air and ambient air are 18.8% and 16.3% higher than that of the conventional vapor compression refrigeration system under varied conditions, respectively

  6. Solar Heating and Cooling of Buildings (Phase O). Volume 1: Executive Summary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    TRW Systems Group, Redondo Beach, CA.

    The purpose of this study was to establish the technical and economic feasibility of using solar energy for the heating and cooling of buildings. Five selected building types in 14 selected cities were used to determine loads for space heating, space cooling and dehumidification, and domestic service hot water heating. Relying on existing and…

  7. Residential solar air conditioning: Energy and exergy analyses of an ammonia–water absorption cooling system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aman, J.; Ting, D.S.-K.; Henshaw, P.

    2014-01-01

    Large scale heat-driven absorption cooling systems are available in the marketplace for industrial applications but the concept of a solar driven absorption chiller for air-conditioning applications is relatively new. Absorption chillers have a lower efficiency than compression refrigeration systems, when used for small scale applications and this restrains the absorption cooling system from air conditioning applications in residential buildings. The potential of a solar driven ammonia–water absorption chiller for residential air conditioning application is discussed and analyzed in this paper. A thermodynamic model has been developed based on a 10 kW air cooled ammonia–water absorption chiller driven by solar thermal energy. Both energy and exergy analyses have been conducted to evaluate the performance of this residential scale cooling system. The analyses uncovered that the absorber is where the most exergy loss occurs (63%) followed by the generator (13%) and the condenser (11%). Furthermore, the exergy loss of the condenser and absorber greatly increase with temperature, the generator less so, and the exergy loss in the evaporator is the least sensitive to increasing temperature. -- Highlights: • 10 kW solar thermal driven ammonia–water air cooled absorption chiller is investigated. • Energy and exergy analyses have been done to enhance the thermal performance. • Low driving temperature heat sources have been optimized. • The efficiencies of the major components have been evaluated

  8. Simulation and energy efficiency analysis of desiccant wheel systems for drying processes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Antonellis, Stefano; Joppolo, Cesare Maria; Molinaroli, Luca; Pasini, Alberto

    2012-01-01

    In drying processes it is necessary to appropriately control air humidity and temperature in order to enhance water evaporation from product surface. The aim of this work is to investigate several HVAC configurations for product drying based on desiccant wheels, in order to find systems which reach high primary energy savings through the appropriate integration of refrigerating machines, adsorption wheels and cogenerative engines. Simulations are carried out for different values of sensible to latent ambient load ratio and the effect of ambient and outside air conditions is evaluated for each configuration. It is shown that primary energy savings can reach 70–80% compared to the reference technology based on a cooling coil. With respect to works available in literature, the results of this study keep a general approach and they can be used as a simple tool for preliminary assessment in a wide range of applications. -- Highlights: ► Several HVAC systems for product drying based on desiccant wheels are investigated. ► The sensible to latent ambient load ratio influences the choice of the best system. ► Energy savings can reach 80% compared to the technology based on a cooling coil. ► Simulation results can be used for preliminary assessment in many applications.

  9. Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessment of Conventional and Solar Assisted Air Conditioning Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaofeng Li

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Energy consumption in the buildings is responsible for 26% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions where cooling typically accounts for over 50% of the total building energy use. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential for reducing the cooling systems’ environmental footprint with applications of alternative renewable energy source. Three types of cooling systems, water cooled, air cooled and a hybrid solar-based air-conditioning system, with a total of six scenarios were designed in this work. The scenarios accounted for the types of power supply to the air-conditioning systems with electricity from the grid and with a solar power from highly integrated building photovoltaics (BIPV. Within and between these scenarios, systems’ energy performances were compared based on energy modelling while the harvesting potential of the renewable energy source was further predicted based on building’s detailed geometrical model. The results showed that renewable energy obtained via BIPV scenario could cover building’s annual electricity consumption for cooling and reduce 140 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. The hybrid solar air-conditioning system has higher energy efficiency than the air cooled chiller system but lower than the water cooled system.

  10. Sugars and Desiccation Tolerance in Seeds 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koster, Karen L.; Leopold, A. Carl

    1988-01-01

    Soluble sugars have been shown to protect liposomes and lobster microsomes from desiccation damage, and a protective role has been proposed for them in several anhydrous systems. We have studied the relationship between soluble sugar content and the loss of desiccation tolerance in the axes of germinating soybean (Glycine max L. Merr. cv Williams), pea (Pisum sativum L. cv Alaska), and corn (Zea mays L. cv Merit) axes. The loss of desiccation tolerance during imbibition was monitored by following the ability of seeds to germinate after desiccation following various periods of preimbibition and by following the rates of electrolyte leakage from dried, then rehydrated axes. Finally, we analyzed the soluble sugar contents of the axes throughout the transition from desiccation tolerance to intolerance. These analyses show that sucrose and larger oligosaccharides were consistently present during the tolerant stage, and that desiccation tolerance disappeared as the oligosaccharides were lost. The results support the idea that sucrose may serve as the principal agent of desiccation tolerance in these seeds, with the larger oligosaccharides serving to keep the sucrose from crystallizing. PMID:16666392

  11. Impact of Desiccation of Aral Sea on the Regional Climate of Central Asia Using WRF Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Ashish; Huang, Huei-Ping; Zavialov, Peter; Khan, Valentina

    2018-01-01

    This study explores the impacts of the desiccation of the Aral Sea and large-scale climate change on the regional climate of Central Asia in the post-1960 era. A series of climate downscaling experiments for the 1960's and 2000's decades were performed using the Weather Research and Forecast model at 12-km horizontal resolution. To quantify the impacts of the changing surface boundary condition, a set of simulations with an identical lateral boundary condition but different extents of the Aral Sea were performed. It was found that the desiccation of the Aral Sea leads to more snow (and less rain) as desiccated winter surface is relatively much colder than water surface. In summer, desiccation led to substantial warming over the Aral Sea. These impacts were largely confined to within the area covered by the former Aral Sea and its immediate vicinity, although desiccation of the Sea also led to minor cooling over the greater Central Asia in winter. A contrasting set of simulations with an identical surface boundary condition but different lateral boundary conditions produced more identifiable changes in regional climate over the greater Central Asia which was characterized by a warming trend in both winter and summer. Simulations also showed that while the desiccation of the Aral Sea has significant impacts on the local climate over the Sea, the climate over the greater Central Asia on inter-decadal time scale was more strongly influenced by the continental or global-scale climate change on that time scale.

  12. Experimental Validation of the Simulation Model of a DOAS Equipped with a Desiccant Wheel and a Vapor Compression Refrigeration System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro J. Martínez

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available A dedicated outdoor air system (DOAS can be designed to supply 100% of the outside air and meet the latent load of the room with dry air. The objectives of this study were to develop a model of a DOAS equipped with a desiccant wheel and a vapor-compression refrigeration system, build a prototype, validate the model with experimental data, and gain knowledge about the system operation. The test facility was designed with the desiccant wheel downstream of the cooling coil to take advantage of the operating principles of cooling coils and desiccants. A model of the DOAS was developed in the TRNSYS environment. The root mean standard error (RMSE was used for model validation by comparing the measured air and refrigerant properties with the corresponding calculated values. The results obtained with the developed model showed that the DOAS was able to maintain an indoor humidity ratio depending on outdoor conditions. Laboratory tests were also used to investigate the effect of changes in the regeneration air temperature and the process airflow rate on the process air humidity ratio at the outlet of the wheel. The results are consistent with the technical literature.

  13. How to solve materials and design problems in solar heating and cooling. Energy technology review No. 77

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ward, D.S.; Oberoi, H.S.; Weinstein, S.D.

    1982-01-01

    A broad range of difficulties encountered in active and passive solar space heating systems and active solar space cooling systems is covered. The problems include design errors, installation mistakes, inadequate durability of materials, unacceptable reliability of components, and wide variations in performance and operation of different solar systems. Feedback from designers and manufacturers involved in the solar market is summarized. The designers' experiences with and criticisms of solar components are presented, followed by the manufacturers' replies to the various problems encountered. Information is presented on the performance and operation of solar heating and cooling systems so as to enable future designs to maximize performance and eliminate costly errors. (LEW)

  14. System technology improves the chances of solar cooling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmid, W.

    2008-01-01

    This article takes a look at the increasing range of products on offer in the solar cooling area. Such an increase applies in particular to products in the low and medium power ranges under 30 kilowatts. Several hindrances to the expansion of the solar air-conditioning (SAC) market are named, both in the technological as well as in the operational area. The author states that a considerable amount of optimisation work is still to be done. Market offerings using absorption and adsorption techniques are examined, as are silica gel-based systems. Companies in the German-speaking parts of Europe active in the area are listed and their work is reviewed. The opinions of various experts that were presented at a congress on the subject are noted. Planning tools made available by the International Energy Agency's Task 38 'Solar air-conditioning and refrigeration' are mentioned.

  15. Prototype solar heating and cooling systems including potable hot water

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-01-01

    Progress is reviewed in the development, delivery, and support of two prototype solar heating and cooling systems including potable hot water. The system consisted of the following subsystems: collector, auxiliary heating, potable hot water, storage, control, transport, and government-furnished site data acquisition.

  16. Economic analysis of solar assisted absorption chiller for a commercial building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antonyraj, Gnananesan

    Dwindling fossil fuels coupled with changes in global climate intensified the drive to make use of renewable energy resources that have negligible impact on the environment. In this attempt, the industrial community produced various devices and systems to make use of solar energy for heating and cooling of building space as well as generate electric power. The most common components employed for collection of solar energy are the flat plate and evacuated tube collectors that produce hot water that can be employed for heating the building space. In order to cool the building, the absorption chiller is commonly employed that requires hot water at high temperatures for its operation. This thesis deals with economic analysis of solar collector and absorption cooling system to meet the building loads of a commercial building located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Computer simulations are employed to predict the hourly building loads and performance of the flat plate and evacuated tube solar collectors using the hourly weather data. The key variables affecting the economic evaluation of such system are identified and the influence of these parameters is presented. The results of this investigation show that the flat plate solar collectors yield lower payback period compared to the evacuated tube collectors and economic incentives offered by the local and federal agencies play a major role in lowering the payback period.

  17. Radiative cooling of solar absorbers using a visibly transparent photonic crystal thermal blackbody

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Linxiao; Raman, Aaswath P.; Fan, Shanhui

    2015-01-01

    A solar absorber, under the sun, is heated up by sunlight. In many applications, including solar cells and outdoor structures, the absorption of sunlight is intrinsic for either operational or aesthetic considerations, but the resulting heating is undesirable. Because a solar absorber by necessity faces the sky, it also naturally has radiative access to the coldness of the universe. Therefore, in these applications it would be very attractive to directly use the sky as a heat sink while preserving solar absorption properties. Here we experimentally demonstrate a visibly transparent thermal blackbody, based on a silica photonic crystal. When placed on a silicon absorber under sunlight, such a blackbody preserves or even slightly enhances sunlight absorption, but reduces the temperature of the underlying silicon absorber by as much as 13 °C due to radiative cooling. Our work shows that the concept of radiative cooling can be used in combination with the utilization of sunlight, enabling new technological capabilities. PMID:26392542

  18. Combined system of solar heating and cooling using heat pump

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zakhidov, R.A.; Anarbaev, A.I.

    2014-01-01

    The heating and cooling systems of apartment buildings based on combined solar heat-pump equipment has been considered and the procedure of calculating its parameters has been worked out. A technical-economic analysis has been performed and compared with the boiler-setting version. (author)

  19. Solar air conditioning. Dresden colloquium; Solare Klimatisierung. Dresdner Kolloquium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-07-01

    Subjects: R + D activities in solar air conditioning; dessicative and evaporative cooling (DEC) - systems and components; Chances of solar air conditioning in Europe; Practical experience with solar-assisted air conditioning; Performance of a solar system at Lissabon; DEC system in the Alsenblock building, Berlin; Does solar air conditioning require specially designed buildings; Performance of solar heated adsorption refrigerators; Low-capacity absacity absorption systems for solar air conditioning. [German] Die Kolloquiumsschrift beinhaltet Unterlagen ueber die abgehandelten Themen. Sie lauten: F and E-Aktivitaeten im Bereich Solare Klimatisierung; SGK(DEC-Technik) - ausgefuehrte Anlagen und deren Komponenten; Chancen der solaren Klimatisierung in Europa; Erfahrungen mit der solarunterstuetzten Klimatisierung; Energieverbrauch und Regelung von SGK-Anlagen; Betriebserfahrungen einer Solaranlage in Lissabon; Realisierung der SGK im Alsenblock Berlin; Erfordert die solare Klimatisierung besondere Gebaeude?; Betriebserfahrungen mit solar beheizten Adsorptionskaeltemaschinen; Absorptionsanlagen kleiner Leistung fuer solare Klimatisierung. (orig.)

  20. Solar-Assisted Electric Vehicle Charging Station Interim Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lapsa, Melissa Voss [ORNL; Durfee, Norman [ORNL; Maxey, L Curt [ORNL; Overbey, Randall M [ORNL

    2011-09-01

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has been awarded $6.8 million in the Department of Energy (DOE) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds as part of an overall $114.8 million ECOtality grant with matching funds from regional partners to install 125 solar-assisted Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations across Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Memphis. Significant progress has been made toward completing the scope with the installation of 25 solar-assisted charging stations at ORNL; six stations at Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI); and 27 stations at Nissan's Smyrna and Franklin sites, with three more stations under construction at Nissan's new lithium-ion battery plant. Additionally, the procurement process for contracting the installation of 34 stations at Knoxville, the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK), and Nashville sites is underway with completion of installation scheduled for early 2012. Progress is also being made on finalizing sites and beginning installations of 30 stations in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Memphis by EPRI and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). The solar-assisted EV charging station project has made great strides in fiscal year 2011. A total of 58 solar-assisted EV parking spaces have been commissioned in East and Middle Tennessee, and progress on installing the remaining 67 spaces is well underway. The contract for the 34 stations planned for Knoxville, UTK, and Nashville should be underway in October with completion scheduled for the end of March 2012; the remaining three Nissan stations are under construction and scheduled to be complete in November; and the EPRI/TVA stations for Chattanooga, Vanderbilt, and Memphis are underway and should be complete by the end of March 2012. As additional Nissan LEAFs are being delivered, usage of the charging stations has increased substantially. The project is on course to complete all 125 solar-assisted EV charging stations in time to collect meaningful data

  1. Simulation of an adsorption solar cooling system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassan, H.Z.; Mohamad, A.A.; Bennacer, R.

    2011-01-01

    A more realistic theoretical simulation model for a tubular solar adsorption refrigerating system using activated carbon-methanol (AC/M) pair has been introduced. The mathematical model represents the heat and mass transfer inside the adsorption bed, the condenser, and the evaporator. The simulation technique takes into account the variations of ambient temperature and solar radiation along the day. Furthermore, the local pressure, and local thermal conductivity variations in space and time inside the tubular reactor are investigated as well. A C++ computer program is written to solve the proposed numerical model using the finite difference method. The developed program covers the operations of all the system components along the cycle time. The performance of the tubular reactor, the condenser, and the evaporator has been discussed. Time allocation chart and switching operations for the solar refrigeration system processes are illustrated as well. The case studied has a 1 m 2 surface area solar flat plate collector integrated with a 20 stainless steel tubes containing the AC/M pair and each tube has a 5 cm outer diameter. In addition, the condenser pressure is set to 54.2 kpa. It has been found that, the solar coefficient of performance and the specific cooling power of the system are 0.211 and 2.326 respectively. In addition, the pressure distribution inside the adsorption bed has been found nearly uniform and varying only with time. Furthermore, the AC/M thermal conductivity is shown to be constant in both space and time.

  2. Installation guidelines for Solar Heating System, single-family residence at New Castle, Pennsylvania

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-01-01

    The Solar Heating System installer guidelines are provided for each subsystem and includes testing and filling the system. This single-family residential heating system is a solar-assisted, hydronic-to-warm-air system with solar-assisted domestic water heating. It is composed of the following major components: liquid cooled flat plate collectors; water storage tank; passive solar-fired domestic water preheater; electric hot water heater; heat pump with electric backup; solar hot water coil unit; tube-and-shell heat exchanger, three pumps, and associated pipes and valving in an energy transport module; control system; and air-cooled heat purge unit. Information is also provided on the operating procedures, controls, caution requirements, and routine and schedule maintenance. Information consists of written procedures, schematics, detail drawings, pictures and manufacturer's component data.

  3. Feasibility evaluation of two solar cooling systems applied to a cuban hotel. Comparative analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Díaz Torres, Yamile; Valdivia Nodal, Yarelis; Monteagudo Yanes, José Pedro; Miranda Torres, Yudit

    2016-01-01

    The article presents an analysis of technical and economic feasibility of using two configurations of solar cooling in a Cuban hotel. HVAC hybrid schemes are: a cooler of ice water vapor compression (chiller) interconnected in parallel with a smaller capacity chiller, first with a solar-powered absorption cooling system (SACS), and then with a photovoltaic cooling system(PSC). Both were simulated taking into account the weather conditions in the region, thermodynamic calculation methodologies and principles that govern these technologies. The results show that the use of these alternatives contributes to reducing energy consumption and the environmental impact of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC). Economic analysis highlights that PCS is more favorable than the SACS taking into account the cooling cost generation (CCG) but energy assessment indicates that SACS has higher thermal performance for the case study to which it is applied. (author)

  4. A Solar Heating and Cooling System in a Nearly Zero-Energy Building: A Case Study in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhifeng Sun

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The building sector accounts for more than 40% of the global energy consumption. This consumption may be lowered by reducing building energy requirements and using renewable energy in building energy supply systems. Therefore, a nearly zero-energy building, incorporating a solar heating and cooling system, was designed and built in Beijing, China. The system included a 35.17 kW cooling (10-RT absorption chiller, an evacuated tube solar collector with an aperture area of 320.6 m2, two hot-water storage tanks (with capacities of 10 m3 and 30 m3, respectively, two cold-water storage tanks (both with a capacity of 10 m3, and a 281 kW cooling tower. Heat pump systems were used as a backup. At a value of 25.2%, the obtained solar fraction associated with the cooling load was close to the design target of 30%. In addition, the daily solar collector efficiency and the chiller coefficient of performance (COP varied from 0.327 to 0.507 and 0.49 to 0.70, respectively.

  5. Building codes as barriers to solar heating and cooling of buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meeker, F.O. III

    1978-04-01

    The application of building codes to solar energy systems for heating and cooling of buildings is discussed, using as typical codes the three model building codes most widely adopted by states and localities. Some potential barriers to solar energy systems are found, federal and state programs to deal with these barriers are discussed, and alternatives are suggested. To remedy this, a federal program is needed to encourage state adoption of standards and acceptance of certification of solar systems for code approval, and to encourage revisions to codes based on model legislation prepared for the federal government by the model codes groups.

  6. Improved climatic chamber for desiccation simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lozada Catalina

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The climatic chamber at the Universidad de Los Andes was improved for modeling desiccation in soil layers. This chamber allows the measurement of different environmental variables. In this research, evaporation tests were conducted in water imposing boundary conditions for drying, and then these tests were performed in a soil layer. The soil was prepared from a slurry state and was drying controlling the temperature, the infrared radiation, the wind velocity, and the relative humidity. In the first part of this paper, a description of the climatic chamber, operation ranges and theoretical work principles of the climatic chamber are presented. Then, the second part shows the results for desiccation in water and soil. The desiccation tests performed with the climatic chamber allow simulating all environmental conditions accurately during drying coupling the effect of all environmental variables. As a result, the evaporation rate increases with infrared radiation in soil and water. The rate at the beginning of the desiccation tests in clays is the same as in water. However, this evaporation rate decreases as the soil becomes desiccated.

  7. Performance optimization of solar driven small-cooled absorption–diffusion chiller working with light hydrocarbons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sayadi, Zouhour [U.R. Thermique et Thermodynamique des Procédés Industriels, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Monastir (ENIM), Av. Ibn Jazzar, 5060 Monastir (Tunisia); Ben Thameur, Nizar, E-mail: nizarbenthameur@yahoo.fr [U.R. Thermique et Thermodynamique des Procédés Industriels, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Monastir (ENIM), Av. Ibn Jazzar, 5060 Monastir (Tunisia); Bourouis, Mahmoud [Mechanical Engineering Department, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona (Spain); Bellagi, Ahmed [U.R. Thermique et Thermodynamique des Procédés Industriels, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Monastir (ENIM), Av. Ibn Jazzar, 5060 Monastir (Tunisia)

    2013-10-15

    Highlights: • 1 kW{sub cooling} diffusion/absorption machine with light hydrocarbons as working fluids. • Hysys optimization to choose the optimal mixture for a better machine performance. • Cooling loads for a small bed-room (16 m{sup 2}) have been estimated into TRNSYS. • Economic assessment to choose the best combination of solar equipments. • Energy savings, CO{sub 2} avoided and equivalent gasoil and Diesel saved energy. - Abstract: We present in this paper a HYSYS (Aspen One) model and simulation results for 1 kW capacity water-cooled absorption/diffusion machine using different binary mixtures of light hydrocarbons as working fluids (C{sub 3}/n-C{sub 6}, C{sub 3}/c-C{sub 6}, C{sub 3}/c-C{sub 5}, propylene/c-C{sub 5}, propylene/i-C{sub 4}, propylene/i-C{sub 5}) in combination with helium as inert gas. The driving heat is supposed to be provided by an evacuated solar collector field. TRNSYS is used to address the solar aspects of the simulations. For the optimal chiller the driving heat temperature was found to be 121 °C for an evaporator exit temperature of 0 °C. The cooling water flow rate circulating between chiller and cooling tower is 140 l/h. Bubble pump and generator are heated by pressurized water from an insulated tank (70 l/m{sup 2}) maintained at a maximum temperature of 126 °C – with make-up heat when needed – and storing solar heat at an estimated 4.2 kW power. The solar energy cover only 40% for the energy supplied to drive the chiller. It’s found that the necessary collector surface area is about 6 m{sup 2} with annually total costs of 1.60 €/kW h with 20 years lifetime period for the installation. The avoided CO{sub 2} emissions are estimated at 1396 kg. The equivalent saved energy is 521 l of diesel or 604 l of gasoline.

  8. Performance optimization of solar driven small-cooled absorption–diffusion chiller working with light hydrocarbons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayadi, Zouhour; Ben Thameur, Nizar; Bourouis, Mahmoud; Bellagi, Ahmed

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • 1 kW cooling diffusion/absorption machine with light hydrocarbons as working fluids. • Hysys optimization to choose the optimal mixture for a better machine performance. • Cooling loads for a small bed-room (16 m 2 ) have been estimated into TRNSYS. • Economic assessment to choose the best combination of solar equipments. • Energy savings, CO 2 avoided and equivalent gasoil and Diesel saved energy. - Abstract: We present in this paper a HYSYS (Aspen One) model and simulation results for 1 kW capacity water-cooled absorption/diffusion machine using different binary mixtures of light hydrocarbons as working fluids (C 3 /n-C 6 , C 3 /c-C 6 , C 3 /c-C 5 , propylene/c-C 5 , propylene/i-C 4 , propylene/i-C 5 ) in combination with helium as inert gas. The driving heat is supposed to be provided by an evacuated solar collector field. TRNSYS is used to address the solar aspects of the simulations. For the optimal chiller the driving heat temperature was found to be 121 °C for an evaporator exit temperature of 0 °C. The cooling water flow rate circulating between chiller and cooling tower is 140 l/h. Bubble pump and generator are heated by pressurized water from an insulated tank (70 l/m 2 ) maintained at a maximum temperature of 126 °C – with make-up heat when needed – and storing solar heat at an estimated 4.2 kW power. The solar energy cover only 40% for the energy supplied to drive the chiller. It’s found that the necessary collector surface area is about 6 m 2 with annually total costs of 1.60 €/kW h with 20 years lifetime period for the installation. The avoided CO 2 emissions are estimated at 1396 kg. The equivalent saved energy is 521 l of diesel or 604 l of gasoline

  9. Developing sporophytes transition from an inducible to a constitutive ecological strategy of desiccation tolerance in the moss Aloina ambigua: effects of desiccation on fitness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, Lloyd R; Brinda, John C

    2015-03-01

    Two ecological strategies of desiccation tolerance exist in plants, constitutive and inducible. Because of difficulties in culturing sporophytes, very little is known about desiccation tolerance in this generation and how desiccation affects sexual fitness. Cultured sporophytes and vegetative shoots from a single genotype of the moss Aloina ambigua raised in the laboratory were tested for their strategy of desiccation tolerance by desiccating the shoot-sporophyte complex and vegetative shoots at different intensities, and comparing outcomes with those of undried shoot-sporophyte complexes and vegetative shoots. By using a dehardened clonal line, the effects of field, age and genetic variance among plants were removed. The gametophyte and embryonic sporophyte were found to employ a predominantly inducible strategy of desiccation tolerance, while the post-embryonic sporophyte was found to employ a moderately constitutive strategy of desiccation tolerance. Further, desiccation reduced sporophyte fitness, as measured by sporophyte mass, seta length and capsule size. However, the effects of desiccation on sporophyte fitness were reduced if the stress occurred during embryonic development as opposed to postembryonic desiccation. The effects of desiccation on dehardened sporophytes of a bryophyte are shown for the first time. The transition from one desiccation tolerance strategy to the other in a single structure or generation is shown for only the second time in plants and for the first time in bryophytes. Finding degrees of inducible strategies of desiccation tolerance in different life phases prompts the formulation of a continuum hypothesis of ecological desiccation tolerance in mosses, where desiccation tolerance is not an either/or phenomenon, but varies in degree along a gradient of ecological inducibility. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email

  10. Cooling design and evaluation for photovoltaic cells within constrained space in a CPV/CSP hybrid solar system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Sheng; Shi, Junxiang; Chen, Hsiu-Hung; Schafer, Steven R.; Munir, Moiz; Stecker, Greg; Pan, Wei; Lee, Jong-Jan; Chen, Chung-Lung

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A practical cooling solution is proposed for a novel CPV/CSP hybrid solar system. • Both passive and active cooling techniques were systematically investigated. • Comprehensive experimental and numerical studies were conducted for optimal design. • Active cooling is in great need for a high waste heat flux of 21.8 W/cm 2 . • Passive cooling becomes attractive for a waste heat flux less than 13.0 W/cm 2 . - Abstract: A hybrid solar energy system has been designed by combining the advantages of concentrated solar power (CSP) technology and high performance concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) cells which outperforms either single technology. Thermal management is crucial to CPV cells in this hybrid solar system, as concentrated solar radiation onto the PV cells leads to higher heat flux. If the heat is not dissipated effectively, it can cause obvious temperature rise and efficiency reduction in the cell. In addition, the constrained space available for PV cell cooling in such hybrid solar systems presents more challenges. In this study both passive cooling and active cooling techniques were systematically investigated in both numerical and experimental ways. For the passive cooling method, two different designs from off-the-shelf heat pipes with radial fins or annular fins were proposed and studied under various heat rejection requirements. Results shows that heat pipes with radial fins exhibited narrow capability of dumping the heat, while heat pipes with annular fins presented better performances under the same conditions. Numerical optimal designs of annular fin numbers and fin gaps were then carried out and experimentally validated, indicating a capability of dumping moderate waste heat (∼45 W). For active cooling technique, a comprehensive study of designing plate fin heatsinks were conducted corresponding to high Ingress Protection (IP) rated off-the-shelf fans. Results show that with a less than 2 W fan power consumption, this active

  11. Liquid flat plate collector and pump for solar heating and cooling systems: A collection of quarterly reports

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-01-01

    Progress in the development, fabrication, and delivery of solar subsystems consisting of a solar operated pump, and solar collectors which can be used in solar heating and cooling, or hot water, for single family, multifamily, or commercial applications is reported.

  12. Numerical simulation of heat transfer process in solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower with radiation model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Qiuhuan; Zhu, Jialing; Lu, Xinli

    2017-01-01

    Graphical abstract: A 3-D numerical model integrated with a discrete ordinate (DO) solar radiation model (considering solar radiation effect in the room of solar collector) was developed to investigate the influence of solar radiation intensity and ambient pressure on the efficiency and thermal characteristics of the SENDDCT. Our study shows that introducing such a radiation model can more accurately simulate the heat transfer process in the SENDDCT. Calculation results indicate that previous simulations overestimated solar energy obtained by the solar collector and underestimated the heat loss. The cooling performance is improved when the solar radiation intensity or ambient pressure is high. Air temperature and velocity increase with the increase of solar radiation intensity. But ambient pressure has inverse effects on the changes of air temperature and velocity. Under a condition that the solar load increases but the ambient pressure decreases, the increased rate of heat transferred in the heat exchanger is not obvious. Thus the performance of the SENDDCT not only depends on the solar radiation intensity but also depends on the ambient pressure. - Highlights: • A radiation model has been introduced to accurately simulate heat transfer process. • Heat transfer rate would be overestimated if the radiation model was not introduced. • The heat transfer rate is approximately proportional to solar radiation intensity. • The higher the solar radiation or ambient pressure, the better SENDDCT performance. - Abstract: Solar enhanced natural draft dry cooling tower (SENDDCT) is more efficient than natural draft dry cooling tower by utilizing solar radiation in arid region. A three-dimensional numerical model considering solar radiation effect was developed to investigate the influence of solar radiation intensity and ambient pressure on the efficiency and thermal characteristics of SENDDCT. The numerical simulation outcomes reveal that a model with consideration of

  13. Modeling of a solar photovoltaic water pumping system under the influence of panel cooling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chinathambi Gopal

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, the performance of a solar photovoltaic water pumping system was improved by maintaining the cell temperature in the range between 30°C and 40°C. Experiments have been conducted on a laboratory experimental set-up installed with 6.4 m2 solar panel (by providing air cooling either on the top surface or over the beneath surface of the panel to operate a centrifugal pump with a rated capacity of 0.5 HP. The performance characteristics of the photovoltaic panel (such as, cell temperature, photovoltaic panel output, and photovoltaic efficiency, pump performance characteristics (such as pump efficiency and discharge, and system performance characteristics are observed with reference to solar irradiation, ambient temperature and wind velocity. A thermal model has been developed to predict the variations of photovoltaic cell temperature based on the measured glass and tedlar temperatures. The influences of cell temperature and solar irradiation on the performance of the system are described. The results concluded that cooling of photovoltaic panel on beneath surface has maintained the cell temperature in the range between 30°C and 40°C and improved the overall efficiency by about 1.8% when compared to the system without panel cooling.

  14. Experimental Analysis of Cool Traditional Solar Shading Systems for Residential Buildings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Laura Pisello

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In recent years there has been a growing interest in the development and thermal-energy analysis of passive solutions for reducing building cooling needs and thus improving indoor thermal comfort conditions. In this view, several studies were carried out about cool roofs and cool coatings, producing acknowledged mitigation effects on urban heat island phenomenon. The purpose of this work is to investigate the thermal-energy performance of cool louvers of shutters, usually installed in residential buildings, compared to dark color traditional shading systems. To this aim, two full-scale prototype buildings were continuously monitored under summer conditions and the role of the cool shutter in reducing the overheating of the shading system and the energy requirements for cooling was analyzed. After an in-lab optical analysis of the cool coating, showing a huge solar reflectance increase with respect to the traditional configuration, i.e., by about 75%, field monitoring results showed that the cool shutter is able to decrease the indoor air temperature up to 2 °C under free floating conditions. The corresponding energy saving was about 25%, with even much higher peaks during very hot summer conditions.

  15. Solar Technical Assistance Team Profile: Megan Day | State, Local, and

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tribal Governments | NREL Technical Assistance Team Profile: Megan Day Solar Technical governments to grow their installed solar capacity. We're finding out which communities have the most installed solar--both in terms of total capacity and per capita--and trying to figure out what the

  16. Thermoeconomic optimization of Solar Heating and Cooling systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calise, F.; D'Accadia, M. Dentice; Vanoli, L.

    2011-01-01

    In the paper, the optimal thermoeconomic configuration of Solar Heating and Cooling systems (SHC) is investigated. In particular, a case study is presented, referred to an office building located in Naples (south Italy); for such building, three different SHC configurations were analyzed: the first one is based on the coupling of evacuated solar collectors with a single-stage LiBr-H 2 O absorption chiller equipped with a water-to-water electrical heat pump, to be used in case of insufficient solar radiation; in the second case, a similar layout is considered, but the capacities of the absorption chiller and the solar field are smaller, since they are requested to balance just a fraction of the total cooling load of the building selected for the case study; finally, in the third case, the electric heat pump is replaced by an auxiliary gas-fired heater. A zero-dimensional transient simulation model, developed in TRNSYS, was used to analyze each layout from both thermodynamic and economic points of view. In particular, a cost model was developed in order to assess the owning and operating costs for each plant layout. Furthermore, a mixed heuristic-deterministic optimization algorithm was implemented in order to determine the set of the synthesis/design variables able to maximize the overall thermo-economic performance of the systems under analysis. For this purpose, two different objective functions were selected: the Pay-Back Period and the overall annual cost. Possible public funding, in terms of Capital Cost Contributions and/or feed-in tariff, were also considered. The results are presented on monthly and weekly basis, paying special attention to the energy and monetary flows in the optimal configurations. In particular, the thermoeconomic analysis and optimization showed that a good funding policy for the promotion of such technologies should combine a feed-in tariff with a slight Capital Cost Contribution, allowing to achieve satisfactory Pay-Back Periods.

  17. Thermal histories of chondrules in solar nebula shocks, including the effect of molecular line cooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Melissa A.

    Chondrules are millimeter-sized, silicate (mostly ferromagnesian) igneous spheres found within chondritic meteorites. They are some of the oldest materials in our Solar System, having formed within a few million years of its birth. Chondrules were melted at high temperature (over 1800 K), while they were free-floating objects in the early solar nebula. Their petrology and chemistry constrain their formation, especially their thermal histories. Chondrules provide some of the most powerful constraints on conditions in the solar nebula. Models in which chondrule precursors melted by passage through solar nebula shocks are very promising, and meet most constraints on chondrule formation in broad brush. However, these models have been lacking in some of the relevant physics. Previous shock models have used incorrect approximations to the input radiation boundary condition, and the opacity of solids has been treated simply. Most important, a proper treatment of cooling due to molecular line emission has not been included. In this thesis, the shock model is significantly improved in order to determine if it remains consistent with observational constraints. The appropriate boundary condition for the input radiation and the proper method for calculation of the opacity of solids are determined, and a complete treatment of molecular line cooling due to water is included. Previous estimates of the effect of line cooling predicted chondrule cooling rates in excess of 10,000 K per hour. However, once molecular line cooling due to water was incorporated into the full shock model, it was found that line cooling has a minimal effect on the thermal histories of gas and chondrules. This behavior is attributed mostly to the thermal buffering of the gas due to hydrogen dissociation and recombination, which tends to keep the gas temperature at approximately 2000 K until the column densities of water become optically thick to line emission. Chondrule cooling rates in the range of 10

  18. Experimental diagnosis of the influence of operational variables on the performance of a solar absorption cooling system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venegas, M.; Rodriguez-Hidalgo, M.C.; Salgado, R.; Lecuona, A.; Rodriguez, P.; Gutierrez, G.

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the analysis of the performance of a solar cooling facility along one summer season using a commercial single-effect water-lithium bromide absorption chiller aiming at domestic applications. The facility works only with solar energy using flat plate collectors and it is located at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain. The statistical analysis performed with the gathered data shows the influence of five daily operational variables on the system performance. These variables are solar energy received along the day (H) and the average values, along the operating period of the solar cooling facility (from sunrise to the end of the cold-water production), of the ambient temperature (T -bar ), the wind velocity magnitude (V), the wind direction (θ) and the relative humidity (RH). First order correlation functions are given. The analysis of the data allows concluding that the most influential variables on the daily cooling energy produced and the daily averaged solar COP are H, V and θ. The period length of cold-water production is determined mainly by H and T -bar .

  19. Experimental diagnosis of the influence of operational variables on the performance of a solar absorption cooling system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Venegas, M.; Rodriguez-Hidalgo, M.C.; Lecuona, A.; Rodriguez, P.; Gutierrez, G. [Dpto. Ingenieria Termica y de Fluidos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Avda. Universidad 30, 28911 Leganes, Madrid (Spain); Salgado, R. [Dpto. Ingenieria Mecanica, Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Bayamon, 500 Carretera Dr. John Will Harris Bayamon, PR 00957-6257 (United States)

    2011-04-15

    This paper presents the analysis of the performance of a solar cooling facility along one summer season using a commercial single-effect water-lithium bromide absorption chiller aiming at domestic applications. The facility works only with solar energy using flat plate collectors and it is located at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain. The statistical analysis performed with the gathered data shows the influence of five daily operational variables on the system performance. These variables are solar energy received along the day (H) and the average values, along the operating period of the solar cooling facility (from sunrise to the end of the cold-water production), of the ambient temperature (anti T), the wind velocity magnitude (V), the wind direction ({theta}) and the relative humidity (RH). First order correlation functions are given. The analysis of the data allows concluding that the most influential variables on the daily cooling energy produced and the daily averaged solar COP are H, V and {theta}. The period length of cold-water production is determined mainly by H and anti T. (author)

  20. Thermoeconomic optimization of a solar-assisted heat pump based on transient simulations and computer Design of Experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calise, Francesco; Dentice d’Accadia, Massimo; Figaj, Rafal Damian; Vanoli, Laura

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A polygeneration system for a residential house is presented. • Hybrid photovoltaic/thermal collectors are used, coupled with a solar-assisted heat pump. • An optimization has been performed. • The system is profitable even in the absence of incentives. • A simple pay-back period of about 5 year is achieved. - Abstract: In the paper, a model for the simulation and the optimization of a novel solar trigeneration system is presented. The plant simulation model is designed to supply electricity, space heating or cooling and domestic hot water for a small residential building. The system is based on a solar field equipped with flat-plate photovoltaic/thermal collectors, coupled with a water-to-water electric heat pump/chiller. The electrical energy produced by the hybrid collectors is entirely supplied to the building. During the winter, the thermal energy available from the solar field is used as a heat source for the evaporator of the heat pump and/or to produce domestic hot water. During the summer, the heat pump operates in cooling mode, coupled with a closed circuit cooling tower, providing space cooling for the building, and the hot water produced by the collectors is only used to produce domestic hot water. For such a system, a dynamic simulation model was developed in TRNSYS environment, paying special attention to the dynamic simulation of the building, too. The system was analyzed from an energy and economic point of view, considering different time bases. In order to minimize the pay-back period, an optimum set of the main design/control parameters was obtained by means of a sensitivity analysis. Simultaneously, a computer-based Design of Experiment procedure was implemented, aiming at calculating the optimal set of design parameters, using both energy and economic objective functions. The results showed that thermal and electrical efficiencies are above 40% and 10%, respectively. The coefficient of performance of the reversible heat

  1. Comparative economic performance of selected passive solar heating and cooling technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutter, W.

    1981-05-01

    The economic performance of selected passive solar heating and cooling technologies which incorporate energy storage is assessed by using a set of uniform assumptions and methodologies. Where data are available, a given system is assessed at more than one geographical location. Results are obtained in the form of both payback period and net present value for residential applications, and in terms of net present value only for industrial/commercial uses. Results indicate that ventilated trombe walls, solar roof ponds, and certain night effect/floor storage strategies are cost effective, but night effect/rock bed cooling is not. Results also show that, although direct gain out-performs trombe walls in most parts of the country, both direct gain and trombe walls usually produce a net savings in the residential sector. Generally, however, tax regulations result in net economic loss for direct gain and trombe walls used to heat industrial and commercial buildings.

  2. Efficiently-cooled plasmonic amorphous silicon solar cells integrated with a nano-coated heat-pipe plate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yinan; Du, Yanping; Shum, Clifford; Cai, Boyuan; Le, Nam Cao Hoai; Chen, Xi; Duck, Benjamin; Fell, Christopher; Zhu, Yonggang; Gu, Min

    2016-04-01

    Solar photovoltaics (PV) are emerging as a major alternative energy source. The cost of PV electricity depends on the efficiency of conversion of light to electricity. Despite of steady growth in the efficiency for several decades, little has been achieved to reduce the impact of real-world operating temperatures on this efficiency. Here we demonstrate a highly efficient cooling solution to the recently emerging high performance plasmonic solar cell technology by integrating an advanced nano-coated heat-pipe plate. This thermal cooling technology, efficient for both summer and winter time, demonstrates the heat transportation capability up to ten times higher than those of the metal plate and the conventional wickless heat-pipe plates. The reduction in temperature rise of the plasmonic solar cells operating under one sun condition can be as high as 46%, leading to an approximate 56% recovery in efficiency, which dramatically increases the energy yield of the plasmonic solar cells. This newly-developed, thermally-managed plasmonic solar cell device significantly extends the application scope of PV for highly efficient solar energy conversion.

  3. Consumer demand analysis: solar heating and cooling of buildings. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Scott, J.E.

    1976-09-01

    This study concerns the acceptability of solar heating and cooling to homebuyers for residential applications. The study assesses the extent of homeowner awareness of solar technologies, estimates the acceptability of elevated first costs including willingness to trade higher initial costs for life cycle savings, and investigates the impact of solar aesthetics. Also explored are other areas of potential concern to homeowners in evaluating a solar alternative as well as positive motivations that would encourage purchase. Finally, the socioeconomic and attitudinal characteristics of individuals more likely to purchase a solar home rather than a conventional home were studied. The results are based on group depth interviews and personal interviews with active homeseekers, top executives of large residential development firms, and architects. The sample was split evenly between Denver, Colorado and the Philadelphia, Pa./Wilmington, Del. areas. Implications of the results for the commercialization of solar energy and possible public policy decisions are also discussed.

  4. Steady state modeling of desiccant wheels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bellemo, Lorenzo; Elmegaard, Brian; Kærn, Martin Ryhl

    2014-01-01

    Desiccant wheels are rotary desiccant dehumidifiers used in air conditioning and drying applications. The modeling of simultaneous heat and mass transfer in these components is crucial for estimating their performances, as well as for simulating and optimizing their implementation in complete...

  5. Performance of a compact solar absorption cooling system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mulyanef; Kamaruzzaman Sopian

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes the performance of a compact solar absorption system. Purpose of compact solar is collector, generator and condenser in one unit. At present, two types of absorption cooling systems are marketed: the lithium bromide-water system and the ammonia-water system. In the lithium bromide-water system, water vapor is the refrigerant and ammonia water system where ammonia is the refrigerant. In addition, the ammonia-water system requires higher generator temperature 120 o C to 150 o C than a flat-plate solar collector can provide without special techniques. The lithium bromide-water system operates satisfactorily at a generator temperature of 75 o C to 100 o C, achievable by a flat-plate collector. The lithium bromide-water system also has a higher COP than the ammonia-water system. The disadvantage of the lithium bromide-water systems is that the evaporators cannot operate at temperature below 0 o C since the refrigerant is water. The Coefficient of Performance (COP) system is 0.62 and the concentration of LiBr-H 2 O is 50%

  6. Nighttime radiative cooling potential of unglazed and PV/T solar collectors: parametric and experimental analyses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pean, Thibault Quentin; Gennari, Luca; Olesen, Bjarne W.

    2015-01-01

    Nighttime radiative cooling technology has been studied both by means of simulations and experiments, to evaluate its potential and to validate the existing theoretical models used to describe it. Photovoltaic/thermal panels (PV/T) and unglazed solar collectors have been chosen as case studies....... The obtained values showed a good agreement with the ones found in the literature about solar panels or other kinds of heat sinks used for radiative cooling applications. The panels provided a cooling performance per night ranging between 0.2 and 0.9 kWh/m2 of panel. The COP values (defined as the ratio....... An experimental setup has been constructed and tested during summer of 2014, at the Technical University of Denmark. The cooling performance (heat loss) has been measured simultaneously for both types of panels, installed side-by-side. The experimental results have been compared with the results from a commercial...

  7. Cooling out of the blue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmid, W.

    2006-01-01

    This article takes a look at solar cooling and air-conditioning, the use of which is becoming more and more popular. The article discusses how further research and development is necessary. The main challenge for professional experts is the optimal adaptation of building, building technology and solar-driven cooling systems to meet these new requirements. Various solar cooling technologies are looked at, including the use of surplus heat for the generation of cold for cooling systems. Small-scale solar cooling systems now being tested in trials are described. Various developments in Europe are discussed, as are the future chances for solar cooling in the market

  8. Full scale experimental study of a small natural draft dry cooling tower for concentrating solar thermal power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Xiaoxiao; Duniam, Sam; Gurgenci, Hal; Guan, Zhiqiang; Veeraragavan, Anand

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • A 20 m high natural draft dry cooling tower is designed and tested. • The cooling tower model is refined and validated with the experimental data. • The performance of the cooling tower utilized in a CST power plant is investigated. • Ambient temperature effect on Rankine cycle and Brayton cycle is discussed. - Abstract: Concentrating solar thermal power system can provide low carbon, renewable energy resources in countries or regions with strong solar irradiation. For this kind of power plant which is likely to be located in the arid area, natural draft dry cooling tower is a promising choice. To develop the experimental studies on small cooling tower, a 20 m high natural draft dry cooling tower with fully instrumented measurement system was established by the Queensland Geothermal Energy Centre of Excellence. The performance of this cooling tower was measured with the constant heat input of 600 kW and 840 kW and with ambient temperature ranging from 20 °C to 32 °C. The cooling tower numerical model was refined and validated with the experimental data. The model of 1 MW concentrating solar thermal supercritical CO_2 power cycle was developed and integrated with the cooling tower model. The influences of changing ambient temperature and the performance of the cooling tower on efficiency of the power system were simulated. The differences of the mechanism of the ambient temperature effect on Rankine cycle and supercritical CO_2 Brayton cycle were analysed and discussed.

  9. The study of desiccation-tolerance in drying leaves of the desiccation-tolerant grass Sporobolus elongatus and the desiccation-sensitive grass Sporobolus pyramidalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghasempour, Hamid Reza; Kianian, Jahanbakheshe

    2007-03-01

    Hydrated leaves of the resurrection grass Sporobolus elongatus are not desiccation tolerant (DT), but moderate to severe drought stress can induce their DT with the leaves remain attach to drying intact plants. In vivo protein synthesis was studied with SDS-page of extracts of leaves of intact drying plants of S. elongatus (a desiccation-Tolerant grass (DT)) and S. pyramidalis (a desiccation-sensitive species (DS)). Free proline increased in drying leaves. Soluble sugar contents also increased with drying but were less than fully hydrated leaves at 8% RWC. Total protein also showed an increase with an exception at 8% RWC which showed a decrease. SDS-page of extracts of drying leaves of both DT and DS plants were studied as relative water contents (RWC) decreased. In first phase, DT species at 58% RWC (80-51% RWC range), two proteins increased in contents. In the second phase, at 8% (35-4% RWC range) two new bands increased and two bands decreased. In leaves of DS species some bands decreased as drying progressed. Also, as drying advanced free proline increased in DT species. Total protein increased as drying increased but at 8% RWC decreased. All data of results are consistent with current views about studied factors and their roles during drying and induction of desiccation tolerance in DT plants.

  10. Air-cooled LiBr-water absorption chillers for solar air conditioning in extremely hot weathers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, D.S.; Infante Ferreira, C.A.

    2009-01-01

    A low temperature-driven absorption cycle is theoretically investigated for the development of an air-cooled LiBr-water absorption chiller to be combined with low-cost flat solar collectors for solar air conditioning in hot and dry regions. The cycle works with dilute LiBr-water solutions so that risk of LiBr crystallization is less than for commercially available water-cooled LiBr-water absorption chillers even in extremely hot ambient conditions. Two-phase heat exchangers in the system were modelled taking account of the heat and mass transfer resistances in falling film flows by applying the film theory in thermal and concentration boundary layers. Both directly and indirectly air-cooled chillers were modelled by properly combining component models and boundary conditions in a matrix system and solved with an algebraic equation solver. Simulation results predict that the chillers would deliver chilled water around 7.0 deg. C with a COP of 0.37 from 90 deg. C hot water under 35 deg. C ambient condition. At 50 deg. C ambient temperature, the chillers retained about 36% of their cooling power at 35 deg. C ambient. Compared with the directly air-cooled chiller, the indirectly air-cooled chiller presented a cooling power performance reduction of about 30%

  11. Desiccation stress induces developmental heterochrony in ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Stressful environments are known to perturb developmental patterns in insects. In the purview of desiccation as astressor, relatively little is known about the developmental consequences linked with desiccation tolerance. In thisstudy, we have particularly focused on the exploration of the temporal profile of postembryonic ...

  12. Prototype solar heating and combined heating and cooling systems. Quarterly report No. 6

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1978-01-06

    The General Electric Company is developing eight prototype solar heating and combined heating and cooling systems. This effort includes development, manufacture, test, installation, maintenance, problem resolution, and performance evaluation.

  13. Combination of air-source heat pumps with liquid desiccant dehumidification of air

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Li; Hihara, Eiji; Saikawa, Michiyuki

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We propose a frost-free air-source heat pump system with integrated desiccant. ► The system can provide heating load continuously and humidify room. ► The coefficient of performance of the system is 2.6 at T a = −7 °C and RH = 80%. ► The heating load of solution is 3–4 times larger than cooling load of solution. - Abstract: This paper proposes a frost-free air source heat pump system with integrated liquid desiccant dehumidification, in which frosting can be retarded by dehumidifying air before entering an outdoor heat exchanger. And the water removed from the air is used to humidify a room. Simulation is carried out at a dry-bulb temperature of −7 to 5.5 °C and a relative humidity of 80% depending on the frosting conditions. The results show that the coefficient of performance (COP) is in the range of 2.6–2.9, which is 30–40% higher than that of heat pump heating integrated with an electric heater humidifying system. And it is found that the optimum value of the concentration of lithium chloride aqueous solution is 37% for the frost-free operation mode. Experiments are conducted for liquid desiccant system under low air temperature and high relative humidity conditions. Experimental results show that the dew point of the dehumidified air is decreased by 8 °C and the humidity ratio of the humidified air is kept at 8.1 g kg −1 , which ensures the frost-free operation of the heat pump evaporator and the comfortable level of room humidity simultaneously. The heating load of solution is 3–4.5 times larger than cooling load of solution, which agrees with the assumption given at the part of the simulation. Furthermore, the deviations between the calculated COP LHRU and the experimental results are within 33%.

  14. Solar Systems for Heating and Cooling of Buildings

    OpenAIRE

    Henning, Hans-Martin; Döll, Jochen

    2012-01-01

    Recently, the concept of net zero energy buildings has become a major topic in the R&D work on future buildings. In order to achieve a zero energy balance on annual level energy saving and energy efficiency measures have to be fully exploited. However, a demand for active heating and/or cooling will remain in most buildings and under most climatic conditions. Solar energy is the main on-site renewable energy source which can be used to achieve a high fraction of renewable energies to cover th...

  15. Performative building envelope design correlated to solar radiation and cooling energy consumption

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacky, Thiodore; Santoni

    2017-11-01

    Climate change as an ongoing anthropogenic environmental challenge is predominantly caused by an amplification in the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs), notably carbon dioxide (CO2) in building sector. Global CO2 emissions are emitted from HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) occupation to provide thermal comfort in building. In fact, the amount of energy used for cooling or heating building is implication of building envelope design. Building envelope acts as interface layer of heat transfer between outdoor environment and the interior of a building. It appears as wall, window, roof and external shading device. This paper examines performance of various design strategy on building envelope to limit solar radiation and reduce cooling loads in tropical climate. The design strategies are considering orientation, window to wall ratio, material properties, and external shading device. This research applied simulation method using Autodesk Ecotect to investigate simultaneously between variations of wall and window ratio, shading device composition and the implication to the amount of solar radiation, cooling energy consumption. Comparative analysis on the data will determine logical variation between opening and shading device composition and cooling energy consumption. Optimizing the building envelope design is crucial strategy for reducing CO2 emissions and long-term energy reduction in building sector. Simulation technology as feedback loop will lead to better performative building envelope.

  16. Interim Policy Options for Commercialization of Solar Heating and Cooling Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bezdek, Roger

    This interim report reviews the major incentive policy options available to accelerate market penetration of solar heating and cooling (SHAC) systems. Feasible policy options designed to overcome existing barriers to commercial acceptance and market penetration are identified and evaluated. The report is divided into seven sections, each dealing…

  17. Proteomics of desiccation tolerance during development and germination of maize embryos

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huang, Hui; Møller, Ian Max; Song, Song-Quan

    2012-01-01

    Maize seeds were used to identify the key embryo proteins involved in desiccation tolerance during development and germination. Immature maize embryos (28N) during development and mature embryos imbibed for 72 h (72HN) are desiccation sensitive. Mature maize embryos (52N) during development...... pattern. We infer that these eleven proteins are involved in seed desiccation tolerance. We conclude that desiccation-tolerant embryos make more economical use of their resources to accumulate protective molecules and antioxidant systems to deal with maturation drying and desiccation treatment........ are desiccation tolerant. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance and hydrogen peroxide contents decreased and increased with acquisition and loss of desiccation tolerance, respectively. A total of 111 protein spots changed significantly (1.5 fold increase/decrease) in desiccation-tolerant and -sensitive embryos...

  18. Performance analysis of a solar-assisted swimming pool heating system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alkhamis, A I; Sherif, S A [Miami Univ., Coral Gables, FL (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

    1991-12-31

    This paper discusses feasibility studies for a solar-assisted heating system using a computer simulation program. The solar heating is accomplished by employing hot water generated by heat exchange with the solar collector working fluid. The performance of the system is analysed from both thermodynamic and economic standpoints and general conclusions are reached. 17 refs., 7 figs.

  19. Solar thermal market in Taiwan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, Keh-Chin; Lin, Wei-Min; Chung, Kung-Ming

    2013-01-01

    The long-duration of national programs has been the driving force behind the expansion of the local market of solar water heaters (SWHs) in Taiwan in the last two decades. This study examines the potential market for SWHs using the statistical data from end users and the 2010 Population and Housing Census. The current effective utilization rate of residential SWHs in terms of potential number of systems installed is estimated to be 11.8%. The analyses also show that the current national subsidy program has recently lost its momentum in expanding the market. Therefore, regional subsidy programs should become the main force in influencing the growth in sales. In addition, SWHs of larger scale would be particularly effective in industries. To promote such applications, a combination of performance-based and direct subsidy schemes or tax deductions can be offered to end users to promote the applications of SWHs in the commercial sector. Solar-assisted cooling systems are considered to be another potential application of solar energy, which is associated with energy saving and power consumption in commercial and residential buildings. A short review of the R and D activities is also given in this paper. - Highlights: ► Regional subsidy programs will be the main force in influencing the growth in sales. ► A revised program is needed to promote solar water heaters for industry applications. ► Solar-assisted cooling systems are potential applications of solar energy in Taiwan

  20. SIMULACIÓN HORARIA DE UN SISTEMA DE REFRIGERACIÓN COMBINADO EYECTOR-COMPRESIÓN DE VAPOR ASISTIDO POR ENERGÍA SOLAR Y GAS NATURAL HOURLY SIMULATION OF A COMBINED EJECTOR-VAPOR COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION SYSTEM ASSISTED BY SOLAR ENERGY AND NATURAL GAS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Humberto Vidal

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Entre los sistemas de refrigeración movidos térmicamente asistidos por energía solar y gas natural, el sistema de refrigeración con eyector ha recibido especial atención. Este sistema se caracteriza por su simplicidad constructiva, ausencia de partes móviles, operación en bajas temperaturas y bajo costo operacional. Sin embargo, el ciclo de refrigeración por eyector tiene usualmente un bajo coeficiente de desempeño. Una alternativa de solución a este problema lo constituye el sistema de refrigeración con eyector combinado. La primera etapa está constituida por un ciclo de compresión mecánica de vapor convencional con R134a, mientras que la segunda etapa la constituye un ciclo termo-movido con eyector usando R141b como fluido de trabajo. Colectores de placa plana y un quemador de energía auxiliar entregan calor al ciclo de eyector. Este artículo describe la simulación en base horaria de un sistema de refrigeración combinado eyector-compresión de vapor asistido por energía solar y gas natural. El sistema de refrigeración solar combinado es modelado usando la herramienta de simulación TRNSYS-EES y los datos climáticos de un año típico de Florianópolis, Brasil. Los resultados obtenidos con la modelación computacional desarrollada para este sistema muestran la ventaja del ciclo de refrigeración combinado eyector-compresión de vapor por sobre el ciclo simple con eyector. Finalmente, el modelo computacional desarrollado en este artículo podría ser usado para realizar una optimización termo-económica del sistema en trabajos futuros.Among the thermally driven cooling systems assisted by solar energy and natural gas, the ejector cooling system has received special attention. This system is an interesting refrigeration technology due to its construction simplicity, absence of moving parts, operation at lower temperatures and a low operational cost. However, the coefficient of performance of ejector cycle is usually low. The

  1. Maximum Exergetic Efficiency Operation of a Solar Powered H2O-LiBr Absorption Cooling System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camelia Stanciu

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available A solar driven cooling system consisting of a single effect H2O-LiBr absorbtion cooling module (ACS, a parabolic trough collector (PTC, and a storage tank (ST module is analyzed during one full day operation. The pressurized water is used to transfer heat from PTC to ST and to feed the ACS desorber. The system is constrained to operate at the maximum ACS exergetic efficiency, under a time dependent cooling load computed on 15 July for a one storey house located near Bucharest, Romania. To set up the solar assembly, two commercial PTCs were selected, namely PT1-IST and PTC 1800 Solitem, and a single unit ST was initially considered. The mathematical model, relying on the energy balance equations, was coded under Engineering Equation Solver (EES environment. The solar data were obtained from the Meteonorm database. The numerical simulations proved that the system cannot cover the imposed cooling load all day long, due to the large variation of water temperature inside the ST. By splitting the ST into two units, the results revealed that the PT1-IST collector only drives the ACS between 9 am and 4:30 pm, while the PTC 1800 one covers the entire cooling period (9 am–6 pm for optimum ST capacities of 90 kg/90 kg and 90 kg/140 kg, respectively.

  2. Solar thermoelectric cooling using closed loop heat exchangers with macro channels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atta, Raghied M.

    2017-07-01

    In this paper we describe the design, analysis and experimental study of an advanced coolant air conditioning system which cools or warms airflow using thermoelectric (TE) devices powered by solar cells. Both faces of the TE devices are directly connected to closed-loop highly efficient channels plates with macro scale channels and liquid-to-air heat exchangers. The hot side of the system consists of a pump that moves a coolant through the hot face of the TE modules, a radiator that drives heat away into the air, and a fan that transfer the heat over the radiator by forced convection. The cold side of the system consists also of a pump that moves coolant through the cold face of the TE modules, a radiator that drives cold away into the air, and a fan that blows cold air off the radiator. The system was integrated with solar panels, tested and its thermal performance was assessed. The experimental results verify the possibility of heating or cooling air using TE modules with a relatively high coefficient of performance (COP). The system was able to cool a closed space of 30 m3 by 14 °C below ambient within 90 min. The maximum COP of the whole system was 0.72 when the TE modules were running at 11.2 Å and 12 V. This improvement in the system COP over the air cooled heat sink is due to the improvement of the system heat exchange by means of channels plates.

  3. Regeneration of desiccants with solar energy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ghate, S.R.; Butts, C.L.; Lown, J.B.

    1985-01-01

    Saturated silica gel was regenerated with solar energy. This paper describes the experimental set-up for silica gel regeneration and data collection. The regenerated silica gel can be used to dry high moisture in-shell pecans.

  4. Solar-energy-system performance evaluation: Honeywell OTS 44, Ocmulgee, Georgia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathur, A. K.; Pederson, S.

    1982-01-01

    The operation and technical performance of the solar operational test site (OTS 44) are described, based on data collected between April, 1981 and August, 1981. The following topics are discussed: system description, performance assessment, operating energy, energy savings, system maintenance, and conclusions. The solar energy system at OTS 44 is a hydronic heating and cooling system consisting of 5040 square feet of liquid cooled flat plate collectors; a 4000 gallon thermal storage tank; one 25 ton capacity organic Rankine cycle engine assisted water chillers; a forced draft cooling tower; and associated piping, pumps, valves, controls and heat rejection equipment. The solar system has eight basic modes of operation and several combination modes for providing space conditioning and hot water to the building. Data monitored during the 4 months of the operational test period found that the solar system collected 285 MMBtu of thermal energy of the total incident solar energy of 1040 MMBtu and provided 210 MMBtu for cooling and 10 MMBtu for heating and hot water. The net electrical energy saving due to the solar system was approximately 2600 kWh(e), and fossil energy saving was about 20 million Btu (MMBtu).

  5. Solar heating and cooling system for an office building at Reedy Creek Utilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-01-01

    The solar energy system installed in a two story office building at a utilities company, which provides utility service to Walt Disney World, is described. The solar energy system application is 100 percent heating, 80 percent cooling, and 100 percent hot water. The storage medium is water with a capacity of 10,000 gallons hot and 10,000 gallons chilled water. Performance to date has equaled or exceeded design criteria.

  6. Preliminary study on solar-assisted tobacco curing in Thailand

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bamrungwong, S [Chiang Mai Univ.; Suchinda, B; Malila, D

    1982-04-01

    A solar heating system for assisting flue curing of Virginia tobacco leaf was studied. The equipment consisted of a brick and mortar tobacco curing barn of 3.6 m/sup 3/ volume. The solar air heater of 2.8 m/sup 2/ was a non-focus type, made from corrugated galvanized stel sheet coated with flat-black paint. The collector had a single glass cover on top and a 25 mm layer of styrofoam at the bottom. Electrical heating was utilized inside the bar to simulate the main heat source. The system under study had no thermal storage, therefore it was extremely difficult to regulate the temperature inside the barn precisely. Consequently, the solar assisting mode is not recommended during the yellowing stage of curing where very precise temperature control is required. Utilization of solar energy during other stages of curing showed a saving of the main conventional energy up to 33 to 15 percent. The average thermal efficiencies of the collector varied from 70 percent at high flow rate to 67 percent at low flow rate. 6 references.

  7. Renewables for Heating and Cooling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-07-01

    This timely report examines the technologies, current markets and relative costs for heat and cold production using biomass, geothermal and solar-assisted systems. It evaluates a range of national case studies and relevant policies. Should the successful and more cost-effective policies be implemented by other countries, then the relatively untapped economic potential of renewable energy heating and cooling systems could be better realised, resulting in potential doubling of the present market within the next few years.

  8. Economical and environmental assessment of an optimized solar cooling system for a medium-sized benchmark office building in Los Angeles, California

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hang, Yin; Qu, Ming [School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, CIVL G243, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Zhao, Fu [School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University (United States)

    2011-02-15

    This paper presents a systematic energetic, economical, and environmental assessment on a solar cooling system for a medium-sized office building in Los Angeles, California by means of system modeling. The studied solar cooling system primarily consists of evacuated tube solar collectors, a hot water storage tank, a single-effect LiBr-H{sub 2}O absorption chiller, and a gas-fired auxiliary heater. System performance optimization and sensitivity analysis were conducted by varying two major parameters (i.e. storage tank volume and collector area). The results suggest that a trade-off exists between economic performance indicated by the equivalent uniform annual cost (EUAC) and the energetic/environmental performance indicated by the solar fraction and CO{sub 2} reduction percentage, respectively. The cost of carbon footprint reduction was defined and served as an indicator for the overall system performance. Based on this indicator, the optimal system design could be found for a solar cooling system. The approach adapted in this study can be applied to other buildings located in different climate zones to reveal the cost and benefits of solar cooling technologies and facilitate decision-making. (author)

  9. Formation of Cool and Warm Jets by Magnetic Flux Emerging from the Solar Chromosphere to Transition Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Liping; Peter, Hardi; He, Jiansen; Tu, Chuanyi; Wang, Linghua; Zhang, Lei; Yan, Limei

    2018-01-01

    In the solar atmosphere, jets are ubiquitous at various spatial-temporal scales. They are important for understanding the energy and mass transports in the solar atmosphere. According to recent observational studies, the high-speed network jets are likely to be intermittent but continual sources of mass and energy for the solar wind. Here, we conduct a 2D magnetohydrodynamics simulation to investigate the mechanism of these network jets. A combination of magnetic flux emergence and horizontal advection is used to drive the magnetic reconnection in the transition region between a strong magnetic loop and a background open flux. The simulation results show that not only a fast warm jet, much similar to the network jets, is found, but also an adjacent slow cool jet, mostly like classical spicules, is launched. Differing from the fast warm jet driven by magnetic reconnection, the slow cool jet is mainly accelerated by gradients of both thermal pressure and magnetic pressure near the outer border of the mass-concentrated region compressed by the emerging loop. These results provide a different perspective on our understanding of the formation of both the slow cool jets from the solar chromosphere and the fast warm jets from the solar transition region.

  10. Vacuum membrane distillation of liquid desiccants Utilizing Hollow Fiber Membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Lefers, Ryan

    2018-01-31

    This paper documents the testing of a vacuum membrane distillation system intended for use with liquid desiccants. Liquid desiccants offer the possibility for low-energy, ambient temperature dehumidification. Effective desalination and purification of diluted desiccants outputs two important products: a concentrated desiccant for reuse in dehumidification and fresh water. In this study, vacuum membrane distillation was used in the laboratory to purify diluted liquid desiccants. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride were the desiccants selected for testing. Desiccant solutions were pumped through the lumens of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fiber membranes at varying feed inlet temperatures, solution velocity rates and vacuum set points during membrane distillation. An average flux of 8 kg m-2 h-1 was obtained using 30 wt% magnesium chloride solution at a temperature of 50 °C while applying vacuum to achieve 25 mbar absolute pressure on the air side of the membrane. The results are promising for the development of a full-scale vacuum membrane distillation process for desiccant solution regeneration and fresh water recovery. In addition, the recovered condensate was of sufficient quality for use in agricultural irrigation or drinking water.

  11. Vacuum membrane distillation of liquid desiccants Utilizing Hollow Fiber Membranes

    KAUST Repository

    Lefers, Ryan; Srivatsa Bettahalli, N.M.; Fedoroff, Nina V.; Nunes, Suzana Pereira; Leiknes, TorOve

    2018-01-01

    This paper documents the testing of a vacuum membrane distillation system intended for use with liquid desiccants. Liquid desiccants offer the possibility for low-energy, ambient temperature dehumidification. Effective desalination and purification of diluted desiccants outputs two important products: a concentrated desiccant for reuse in dehumidification and fresh water. In this study, vacuum membrane distillation was used in the laboratory to purify diluted liquid desiccants. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride were the desiccants selected for testing. Desiccant solutions were pumped through the lumens of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fiber membranes at varying feed inlet temperatures, solution velocity rates and vacuum set points during membrane distillation. An average flux of 8 kg m-2 h-1 was obtained using 30 wt% magnesium chloride solution at a temperature of 50 °C while applying vacuum to achieve 25 mbar absolute pressure on the air side of the membrane. The results are promising for the development of a full-scale vacuum membrane distillation process for desiccant solution regeneration and fresh water recovery. In addition, the recovered condensate was of sufficient quality for use in agricultural irrigation or drinking water.

  12. Evidence for Solar Cycle Influence on the Infrared Energy Budget and Radiative Cooling of the Thermosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mlynczak, Martin G.; Martin-Torres, F. Javier; Marshall, B. Thomas; Thompson, R. Earl; Williams, Joshua; Turpin, TImothy; Kratz, D. P.; Russell, James M.; Woods, Tom; Gordley, Larry L.

    2007-01-01

    We present direct observational evidence for solar cycle influence on the infrared energy budget and radiative cooling of the thermosphere. By analyzing nearly five years of data from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument, we show that the annual mean infrared power radiated by the nitric oxide (NO) molecule at 5.3 m has decreased by a factor of 2.9. This decrease is correlated (r = 0.96) with the decrease in the annual mean F10.7 solar index. Despite the sharp decrease in radiated power (which is equivalent to a decrease in the vertical integrated radiative cooling rate), the variability of the power as given in the standard deviation of the annual means remains approximately constant. A simple relationship is shown to exist between the infrared power radiated by NO and the F10.7 index, thus providing a fundamental relationship between solar activity and the thermospheric cooling rate for use in thermospheric models. The change in NO radiated power is also consistent with changes in absorbed ultraviolet radiation over the same time period.

  13. The cost - effective solar energy applications in Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pape, A.

    1999-01-01

    This paper outlines several cost-effective solar energy application in Canada, and estimates the GHG emission reduction potential for each. The applications include: (1) passive solar building design; (2) solar water heating applications; (3) solar photovoltaics for remote power; and (4) solar assisted space heating and cooling in industrial buildings. Each technology is briefly profiled in terms of functionality, cost characteristics, energy production characteristics and potential emission reduction benefits. Real-life examples of each application are also included. Finally, the paper concludes on the potential role of solar energy in the reduction of Canadian GHG emissions. (author)

  14. Analysis of a feasible trigeneration system taking solar energy and biomass as co-feeds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Xiaofeng; Li, Hongqiang; Liu, Lifang; Zeng, Rong; Zhang, Guoqiang

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • A feasible trigeneration system is proposed to generate power, heating and cooling. • The steam for biomass gasification process is provided by solar energy. • The thermodynamic properties of the proposed system are investigated. • Effects of ER and SBR on gasification process is presented. • The sensitivity of the economic performance of trigeneration system is evaluated. - Abstract: The trigeneration systems are widely used owing to high efficiency, low greenhouse gas emission and high reliability. Especially, those trigeneration systems taking renewable energy as primary input are paid more and more attention. This paper presents a feasible trigeneration system, which realizes biomass and solar energy integrating effective utilization according to energy cascade utilization and energy level upgrading of chemical reaction principle. In the proposed system, the solar energy with mid-and-low temperature converted to the chemical energy of bio-gas through gasification process, then the bio-gas will be taken as the fuel for internal combustion engine (ICE) to generate electricity. The jacket water as a byproduct generated from ICE is utilized in a liquid desiccant unit for providing desiccant capacity. The flue gas is transported into an absorption chiller and heat exchanger consequently, supplying chilled water and domestic hot water. The thermodynamic performance of the trigeneration system was investigated by the help of Aspen plus. The results indicate that the overall energy efficiency and the electrical efficiency of the proposed system in case study are 77.4% and 17.8%, respectively. The introduction of solar energy decreases the consumption of biomass, and the solar thermal energy input fraction is 8.6%. In addition, the primary energy saving ratio and annual total cost saving ratio compared with the separated generation system are 16.7% and 25.9%, respectively.

  15. Performance analysis of a ground-assisted direct evaporative cooling air conditioner

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heidarinejad, Ghassem; Khalajzadeh, Vahid [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 14115-143, Tehran (Iran); Delfani, Shahram [Building and Housing Research Center (BHRC), P O Box 13145-1696, Tehran (Iran)

    2010-11-15

    In this paper, the results of performance analysis of a ground-assisted hybrid evaporative cooling system in Tehran have been discussed. A Ground Coupled Circuit (GCC) provides the necessary pre-cooling effects, enabling a Direct Evaporative Cooler (DEC) that cools the air even below its wet-bulb temperature. The GCC includes four vertical ground heat exchangers (GHE) which were arrayed in series configuration. In order to have an accurate prediction of the optimum performance of a GCC, a computational fluid dynamic simulation was performed. Simulation results revealed that the combination of GCC and DEC system could provide comfort condition whereas DEC alone did not. Based on the simulation results the cooling effectiveness of a hybrid system is more than 100%. Thus, this novel hybrid system could decrease the air temperature below the ambient wet-bulb temperature. This environmentally clean and energy efficient system can be considered as an alternative to the mechanical vapor compression systems. (author)

  16. Open absorption system for cooling and air conditioning using membrane contactors. 2006 annual report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Conde-Petit, M. [M. Conde Engineering, Zuerich (Switzerland); Weber, R. [Materials Science and Technology (EMPA), Abteilung Bautechnologien, Duebendorf (Switzerland)

    2006-11-15

    This illustrated annual report for 2006 for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) reports on work being done on the development of an open absorption system for cooling and air-conditioning. The report reviews the construction of a first prototype and the manufacture of its components. The conceptual design of this new type of air handling unit (AHU), operating with a liquid desiccant, is discussed. The AHU is to be autonomous and the system will not require additional mechanical refrigeration. It is to be thermally driven at temperatures below 80 {sup o}C. Waste heat sources, solar collectors, district heating plants and co-generation systems are targeted as providers of thermal energy at this temperature level. Work carried out is reported on, including that on two-stream membrane contactors.

  17. Design of a solar-assisted drying system using the double-pass solar collector

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sopian, K.; Daud, W.R.; Supranto; Othman, M.Y.; Yatim, B.

    2000-01-01

    A solar-assisted drying system that uses the double-pass solar collector with porous media in the second channel has been designed and constructed at the Solar Energy Research Park, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The drying system has a total of six double-pass solar collectors. Each collector has a length of 240 cm and a width of 120 cm. The upper channel depth is 3.5 cm and the lower channel depth is 10.5 cm. The lower channel is filled up with steel wool as the porous media. The solar collectors are arranged as 2 banks of 3 collectors each in series. Internal manifold are used to connect the collectors. An auxiliary heater source is installed to supply heat under unfavourable solar radiation conditions. An on/off controller is used to control the startup and shutdown of the auxiliary heater. An outlet temperature of 80-90 0 C can be achieved at a solar radiation range of 800-900 W/m 3 , ambient temperature of 29 degree C and flow rate of O.20 kg/s. (Author)

  18. Status report on preliminary design activities for solar heating and cooling systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1978-05-01

    Information presented provides status and progress on the development of solar heating and cooling systems. The major emphasis is placed on program organization, system size definition, site identification, system approaches, heat pump and equipment design, collector procurement, and other preliminary design activities as part of the contract requirements.

  19. Transcriptomic analysis of Salmonella desiccation resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Haiping; Bhaskara, Anuhya; Megalis, Christina; Tortorello, Mary Lou

    2012-12-01

    The survival of Salmonella in low moisture foods and processing environments remains a great challenge for the food industry and public health. To explore the mechanisms of Salmonella desiccation resistance, we studied the transcriptomic responses in Salmonella Tennessee (Tennessee), using Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 (LT2), a strain weakly resistant to desiccation, as a reference strain. In response to 2 h of air-drying at 11% equilibrated relative humidity, approximately one-fourth of the open reading frames (ORFs) in the Tennessee genome and one-fifth in LT2 were differentially expressed (>2-fold). Among all differentially expressed functional groups (>5-fold) in both strains, the expression fold change associated with fatty acid metabolism was the highest, and constituted 51% and 35% of the total expression fold change in Tennessee and LT2, respectively. Tennessee showed greater changes in expression of genes associated with stress response and envelope modification than LT2, while showing lesser changes in protein biosynthesis expression. Expression of flagella genes was significantly more inhibited in stationary phase cells of Tennessee than LT2 both before and after desiccation. The accumulation of the osmolyte trehalose was significantly induced by desiccation in Tennessee, but no increase was detectable in LT2, which is consistent with the expression patterns of the entire trehalose biosynthesis and degradation pathways in both strains. Results from this study present a global view of the dynamic desiccation responses in Salmonella, which will guide future research efforts to control Salmonella in low moisture environments.

  20. Study on direct-contact phase-change liquid immersion cooling dense-array solar cells under high concentration ratios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Xue; Wang, Yiping; Huang, Qunwu; Cui, Yong; Shi, Xusheng; Sun, Yong

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Direct-contact phase-change liquid immersion cooling for solar cells was proposed. • A self-regulating system investigated the feasibility in temperature control. • Temperature was well controlled between 87.3 °C and 88.5 °C. • Surface heat transfer coefficient was up to 23.49 kW/(m"2·K) under 398.4×. • A model illustrated the interface function was the main reason to affect light. - Abstract: A new cooling method by directly immersing the solar cells into phase-change liquid was put forward to cool dense-array solar cells in high concentrating photovoltaic system. A self-running system was built to study the feasibility of temperature control and the effect of bubbles generated by ethanol phase change under concentration ratio ranged between 219.8× and 398.4×. The results show that the cooling system is self-regulating without consuming extra energy and ethanol flow rate reaches up to 180.6 kg/(s·m"2) under 398.4×. The temperature of solar cells distributes in the range between 87.3 °C and 88.5 °C, the surface heat transfer coefficient of electric heating plate is up to 23.49 kW/(m"2·K) under 398.4×. The bubble effect on electrical performance of triple-junction solar cells is reported and the results show that I_s_c and P_m_a_x decline 10.2% and 7.3%, respectively. A model based on bubble images illustrates that light loss at the interface between ethanol and bubble is the main reason to cut down the electrical performance.

  1. Mid-South solar total energy: institutional analysis. Final report, May 1, 1978-December 31, 1979

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Powe, R.E.; Carley, C.T.; Forbes, R.E.; Johnson, L.R.; Stiffler, A.K.; Hodge, B.K.; Bouchillon, C.W.

    1979-01-01

    A comprehensive survey was undertaken to determine the current usage of energy by the Mississippi State University, considering electricity and fuel separately. A variety of individual components likely to be employed in total energy systems are then considered in detail, including: solar assisted space heating system, space cooling system design, solar electric system, flat plate solar collector system, central solar receiver, and geothermal heat pump system. Also, algorithms have been developed for the approximate prediction of building heating and cooling loads based on gross parameters such as floor area, type of wall construction, etc. System considerations and evaluation are then presented. (LEW)

  2. Unravelling desiccation tolerance in germinated Arabidopsis seeds

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maia de Oliveira, J.

    2014-01-01

    How different organisms survive in the absence or under very limited amounts of water is still an open question. The aim of the research presented in this thesis is to explore the molecular basis of desiccation tolerance in seeds. We investigated the possibilities of using germinated desiccation

  3. Desiccation tolerance of Sphagnum revisited: a puzzle resolved.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hájek, T; Vicherová, E

    2014-07-01

    As ecosystem engineers, Sphagnum mosses control their surroundings through water retention, acidification and peat accumulation. Because water retention avoids desiccation, sphagna are generally intolerant to drought; however, the literature on Sphagnum desiccation tolerance (DT) provides puzzling results, indicating the inducible nature of their DT. To test this, various Sphagnum species and other mesic bryophytes were hardened to drought by (i) slow drying; (ii) ABA application and (iii) chilling or frost. DT tolerance was assessed as recovery of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters after severe desiccation. We monitored the seasonal course of DT in bog bryophytes. Under laboratory conditions, following initial de-hardening, untreated Sphagnum shoots lacked DT; however, DT was induced by all hardening treatments except chilling, notably by slow drying, and in Sphagnum species of the section Cuspidata. In the field, sphagna in hollows and lawns developed DT several times during the growing season, responding to reduced precipitation and a lowered water table. Hummock and aquatic species developed DT only in late autumn, probably as a response to frost. Sphagnum protonemata failed to develop DT; hence, desiccation may limit Sphagnum establishment in drier habitats with suitable substrate chemistry. Desiccation avoiders among sphagna form compact hummocks or live submerged; thus, they do not develop DT in the field, lacking the initial desiccation experience, which is frequent in hollow and lawn habitats. We confirmed the morpho-physiological trade-off: in contrast to typical hollow sphagna, hummock species invest more resources in water retention (desiccation avoidance), while they have a lower ability to develop physiological DT. © 2013 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

  4. Solar heating, cooling, and domestic hot water system installed at Kaw Valley State Bank and Trust Company, Topeka, Kansas

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-01-01

    The building has approximately 5600 square feet of conditioned space. Solar energy was used for space heating, space cooling, and preheating domestic hot water (DHW). The solar energy system had an array of evacuated tube-type collectors with an area of 1068 square feet. A 50/50 solution of ethylene glycol and water was the transfer medium that delivered solar energy to a tube-in-shell heat exchanger that in turn delivered solar heated water to a 1100 gallon pressurized hot water storage tank. When solar energy was insufficient to satisfy the space heating and/or cooling demand, a natural gas-fired boiler provided auxiliary energy to the fan coil loops and/or the absorption chillers. Extracts from the site files, specification references, drawings, and installation, operation and maintenance instructions are presented.

  5. Solar heating, cooling and domestic hot water system installed at Columbia Gas System Service Corporation, Columbus, Ohio

    Science.gov (United States)

    1980-01-01

    The solar energy system installed in the building has 2,978 sq ft of single axis tracking, concentrating collectors and provides solar energy for space heating, space cooling and domestic hot water. A 1,200,000 Btu/hour water tube gas boiler provides hot water for space heating. Space cooling is provided by a 100 ton hot water fired absorption chiller. Domestic hot water heating is provided by a 50 gallon natural gas domestic storage water heater. Extracts from the site files, specification references, drawings, installation, operation and maintenance instructions are included.

  6. An analysis of solar assisted ground source heat pumps in cold climates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Emmi, Giuseppe; Zarrella, Angelo; De Carli, Michele; Galgaro, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The work focuses on solar assisted ground source heat pump in cold climates. • Multi-year simulations of SAGSHP, are carried out in six cold locations. • GSHP and SAGSHP are compared. • The effect of total borehole length on the heat pump energy efficiency is studied. • A dedicated control strategy is used to manage both solar and ground loops. - Abstract: Exploiting renewable energy sources for air-conditioning has been extensively investigated over recent years, and many countries have been working to promote the use of renewable energy to decrease energy consumption and CO_2 emissions. Electrical heat pumps currently represent the most promising technology to reduce fossil fuel usage. While ground source heat pumps, which use free heat sources, have been taking significant steps forward and despite the fact that their energy performance is better than that of air source heat pumps, their development has been limited by their high initial investment cost. An alternative solution is one that uses solar thermal collectors coupled with a ground source heat pump in a so-called solar assisted ground source heat pump. A ground source heat pump system, used to heat environments located in a cold climate, was investigated in this study. The solar assisted ground source heat pump extracted heat from the ground by means of borehole heat exchangers and it injected excess solar thermal energy into the ground. Building load profiles are usually heating dominated in cold climates, but when common ground source heat pump systems are used only for heating, their performance decreases due to an unbalanced ground load. Solar thermal collectors can help to ensure that systems installed in cold zones perform more efficiently. Computer simulations using a Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) tool were carried out in six cold locations in order to investigate solar assisted ground source heat pumps. The effect of the borehole length on the energy efficiency of

  7. Stiffness of desiccating insect wings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mengesha, T E; Vallance, R R; Mittal, R

    2011-01-01

    The stiffness of insect wings is typically determined through experimental measurements. Such experiments are performed on wings removed from insects. However, the wings are subject to desiccation which typically leads to an increase in their stiffness. Although this effect of desiccation is well known, a comprehensive study of the rate of change in stiffness of desiccating insect wings would be a significant aid in planning experiments as well as interpreting data from such experiments. This communication presents a comprehensive experimental analysis of the change in mass and stiffness of gradually desiccating forewings of Painted Lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui). Mass and stiffness of the forewings of five butterflies were simultaneously measured every 10 min over a 24 h period. The averaged results show that wing mass declined exponentially by 21.1% over this time period with a time constant of 9.8 h, while wing stiffness increased linearly by 46.2% at a rate of 23.4 μN mm -1 h -1 . For the forewings of a single butterfly, the experiment was performed over a period of 1 week, and the results show that wing mass declined exponentially by 52.2% with a time constant of 30.2 h until it reached a steady-state level of 2.00 mg, while wing stiffness increased exponentially by 90.7% until it reached a steady-state level of 1.70 mN mm -1 . (communication)

  8. Stiffness of desiccating insect wings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mengesha, T E; Vallance, R R [Department of Mechanical Engineering, The George Washington University, 738 Phillips Hall, 801 22nd St NW, Washington, DC 20052 (United States); Mittal, R, E-mail: vallance@gwu.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 126 Latrobe Hall, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

    2011-03-15

    The stiffness of insect wings is typically determined through experimental measurements. Such experiments are performed on wings removed from insects. However, the wings are subject to desiccation which typically leads to an increase in their stiffness. Although this effect of desiccation is well known, a comprehensive study of the rate of change in stiffness of desiccating insect wings would be a significant aid in planning experiments as well as interpreting data from such experiments. This communication presents a comprehensive experimental analysis of the change in mass and stiffness of gradually desiccating forewings of Painted Lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui). Mass and stiffness of the forewings of five butterflies were simultaneously measured every 10 min over a 24 h period. The averaged results show that wing mass declined exponentially by 21.1% over this time period with a time constant of 9.8 h, while wing stiffness increased linearly by 46.2% at a rate of 23.4 {mu}N mm{sup -1} h{sup -1}. For the forewings of a single butterfly, the experiment was performed over a period of 1 week, and the results show that wing mass declined exponentially by 52.2% with a time constant of 30.2 h until it reached a steady-state level of 2.00 mg, while wing stiffness increased exponentially by 90.7% until it reached a steady-state level of 1.70 mN mm{sup -1}. (communication)

  9. Performance evaluation for solar liquid desiccant air dehumidification system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Elhelw

    2016-06-01

    In addition, the maximum solar thermal energy was determined to meet the regeneration demand according to the hourly average solar radiation data. For 220 m2 evacuated tube collector area, the maximum required heat energy is obtained as 38,286 kW h on December, while using solar energy, will save energy by 30.28% annual value.

  10. Singular Strategic Project on bio climatic architecture and solar cooling (PSE-ARFRISOL); Proyecto Singular Estrategico sobre arquitectura bioclimatica y frio solar (PSE-ARFRISOL)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Heras Celemin, M. R.

    2008-07-01

    The R and D activities for the scientific-technological singular strategic Project on Bio climatic Architecture and Solar Cooling PSE-ARFRISOL are being carried out from November 2005 to December 2010. This project aims to demonstrate that bio climatic architecture and low-temperature solar energy are the appropriate basic elements for climatization of future buildings. (Author) 12 refs.

  11. Review on advanced of solar assisted chemical heat pump dryer for agriculture produce

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fadhel, M.I.; Sopian, K.; Daud, W.R.W.; Alghoul, M.A.

    2011-01-01

    Over the past three decades there has been nearly exponential growth in drying R and D on a global scale. Improving of the drying operation to save energy, improve product quality as well as reduce environmental effect remained as the main objectives of any development of drying system. A solar assisted chemical heat pump dryer is a new solar drying system, which have contributed to better cost-effectiveness and better quality dried products as well as saving energy. A solar collector is adapted to provide thermal energy in a reactor so a chemical reaction can take place. This reduces the dependency of the drying technology on fossil energy for heating. In this paper a review on advanced of solar assisted chemical heat pump dryer is presented (the system model and the results from experimental studies on the system performance are discussed). The review of heat pump dryers and solar assisted heat pump dryer is presented. Description of chemical heat pump types and the overview of chemical heat pump dryer are discussed. The combination of chemical heat pump and solar technology gives extra efficiency in utilizing energy. (author)

  12. Optimization analysis of high temperature heat pump coupling to desiccant wheel air conditioning system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sheng, Ying; Zhang, Yufeng; Fang, Lei

    2014-01-01

    The high temperature heat pump and desiccant wheel (HTHP&DW) system can make full use of heat released from the condenser of heat pump for DW regeneration without additional heat. In this study, DW operation in the HTHP&DW system was investigated experimentally, and the optimization analysis...... of HTHP&DW system was carried out. The performance of DW had influence on the dehumidification (evaluated by dehumidification and regeneration effectiveness) and cooling load (evaluated by thermal and adiabatic effectiveness). The results show that the enthalpy increase occurred in all the experiments...... of the system. When the regeneration temperature is 63°C, the maximal dehumidification effectiveness is 35.4% and the satisfied adiabatic effectiveness is 88%, which contributes to the optimal balance between dehumidification and cooling. © 2014 Tianjin University and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg....

  13. Development of an innovative polygeneration process in hybrid solar-biomass system for combined power, cooling and desalination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahoo, U.; Kumar, R.; Pant, P.C.; Chaudhary, R.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Heat utilization from solar and biomass resources are considered for hybridization. • Modeling of polygeneration process in hybrid solar-biomass power plant is considered. • Thermodynamic evaluation are performed to identify the effect of various parameters. • Primary Energy Saving of polygeneration process is determined. - Abstract: In the polygeneration process simultaneous production of power, vapor absorption refrigeration (VAR) cooling and multi-effect humidification and dehumidification (MEHD) desalination system from different heat sources in hybrid solar-biomass (HSB) system with higher energy efficiency take place. It is one of the solutions to fulfill energy requirements from renewable sources and also helps in the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The VAR cooling system operates using the extracted heat taken from turbine and condenser heat of the VAR cooling system is used in desalination system for production of drinking water as per demand requirement. Though the production of electricity decreases due to extraction of heat from turbine for VAR cooling and desalination, the complete system meets the energy requirements & increases the primary energy savings (PES). The thermodynamic evaluation and optimization of HSB system in polygeneration process for combined power, cooling and desalination is investigated to identify the effects of various operating parameters. Primary energy savings (PES) of polygeneration process in HSB system is achieved to 50.5%. The energy output is increased to 78.12% from this system as compared to simple power plant.

  14. Solar thermally driven cooling systems: Some investigation results and perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ajib, Salman; Günther, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Two types of solar thermally driven absorption refrigeration machines (ARMs) have been investigated. ► We investigated the influence of the operating conditions on the effectiveness of the ARMs. ► The influence of the flow rate of the work solution on the effectiveness of the ARMs has been tested. ► Two laboratory test plants have been built and tested under different operating conditions. - Abstract: A big increase in the number of solar thermal cooling installations and research efforts could be seen over the last years worldwide. Especially the producers of solar thermal collectors and systems have been looking for thermal chillers in the small capacity range to provide air conditioning for one or two family houses. Furthermore, many developments aim to increase the efficiency of the system and to decrease the specific costs of the produced refrigeration capacity. The growth in the use of solar thermal cooling systems amounted about 860% from 52 units in 2004 to 450 units in 2009 [1]. This tendency is expected to be continuously in the next years. The practical examinations on solar thermally driven absorption machines with refrigeration capacity of 15, 10 and 5 kW have shown that this technology has a good chance to be standardized and to replace partly the conventional one. These systems can save more primary energy at high fraction of solar thermally driving by suitable control and regulation of the system. The investing costs still higher as the conventional one, however, the operating costs are less than the conventional one. The Coefficient of Performance (COP) depends on the kind of the system, work temperatures and conditions as well as the refrigeration capacity of the systems. It lies between 0.4 and 1.2. In the framework of the research on this field, we built, tested and measured two prototypes. After measuring the first prototype, the chillers were redesigned to reduce internal heat losses and make the heat and mass transfer

  15. Solar heating and cooling of residential buildings: design of systems, 1980 edition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1980-09-01

    This manual was prepared primarily for use in conducting a practical training course on the design of solar heating and cooling systems for residential and small office buildings, but may also be useful as a general reference text. The content level is appropriate for persons with different and varied backgrounds, although it is assumed that readers possess a basic understanding of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems of conventional (non-solar) types. This edition is a revision of the manual with the same title, first printed and distributed by the US Government Printing Office in October 1977. The manual has been reorganized, new material has been added, and outdated information has been deleted. Only active solar systems are described. Liquid and air-heating solar systems for combined space and service water heating or service water heating are included. Furthermore, only systems with proven experience are discussed to any extent.

  16. In situ FTIR assessment of desiccation-tolerant tissues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wolkers, W.F.; Hoekstra, F.A.

    2003-01-01

    This essay shows how Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy can be applied to study thermodynamic parameters and conformation of endogenous biomolecules in desiccation-tolerant biological tissues. Desiccation tolerance is the remarkable ability of some organisms to survive complete

  17. Experimental study of a photovoltaic solar-assisted heat-pump/heat-pipe system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, H.D.; Pei, G.; Ji, J.; Long, H.; Zhang, T.; Chow, T.T.

    2012-01-01

    A practical design for a heat pump with heat-pipe photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collectors is presented. The hybrid system is called the photovoltaic solar-assisted heat-pump/heat-pipe (PV-SAHP/HP) system. To focus on both actual demand and energy savings, the PV-SAHP/HP system was designed to be capable of operating in three different modes, namely, the heat-pipe, solar-assisted heat pump, and air-source heat-pump modes. Based on solar radiation, the system operates in an optimal mode. A series of experiments were conducted in Hong Kong to study the performance of the system when operating in the heat-pipe and the solar-assisted heat-pump modes. Moreover, energy and exergy analyses were used to investigate the total PV/T performance of the system. - Highlights: ► A novel PV-SAHP/HP system with three different operating modes was proposed. ► Performance of the PV-SAHP/HP system was studied experimentally. ► A optimal operating mode of the PV-SAHP/HP system was suggested in this paper.

  18. Ultrathin silicon solar cells with enhanced photocurrents assisted by plasmonic nanostructures

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Xiao, Sanshui; Stassen, Erik; Mortensen, N. Asger

    2012-01-01

    Thin-film photovoltaics offers the potential for a significant cost reduction compared to traditional photovoltaics. However, the performance of thin-film solar cells is limited by poor light absorption. We have devised an ultra-thin-film silicon solar cell configuration assisted by plasmonic nan...

  19. Solar Heating/Cooling of Buildings: Current Building Community Projects. An Interim Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council, Washington, DC. Building Research Advisory Board.

    Projects being carried out by the private sector involving the use of solar energy for heating and cooling buildings are profiled in this report. A substantial portion of the data were collected from a broad cross-section of the building community. Data collection efforts also involved the canvassing of the nearly 200 trade and professional…

  20. Evaporative and sorptive cooling. Possibilities and limitations in air treatment.; Evaporativ och sorptiv kylning. Moejligheter och begraensningar vid luftbehandling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lindholm, T. [Chalmers Univ. of Techn., Goeteborg (Sweden). Dept. of Building Services Engineering

    2001-10-01

    A primary demand for a good indoor climate in a building is that temperature and humidity are maintained at comfortable levels, regardless of the prevailing outdoor climate. Some buildings often have a heat surplus for a great part of the year due to internal activities, even in climates with moderate ambient temperatures. This heat surplus has to be removed in order to fulfil the specified requirements on the indoor climate. The focus in this report is on possibilities and limitations using evaporative and desiccant cooling to satisfy the cooling demands in such buildings. Today the most common technical solution is to use a compressor refrigeration system for air-conditioning. As a result of the greenhouse effect and the ozone depletion debate, the prerequisites for compressor refrigeration systems have been changed. Evaporative cooling is an interesting alternative to conventional compressor refrigeration systems. However, the use of evaporative cooling presupposes all-air systems. The use of such a system will also, to a large extent, be limited by ambient conditions as well as the settled demands on the indoor climate. High outdoor humidity levels have great influence on the supply-air temperature achievable, i.e., cooling loads possible to meet. One way to considerably reduce the influence of these limitations is to use desiccant cooling, i.e., to dehumidify the ambient air before the evaporative stages. In this report, a general methodology to describe possibilities and limitations for evaporative and desiccant cooling, is presented. The major advantage of this methodology is that it may give rise to an increased understanding of these processes and, hence, be a guide to a proper dimensioning.

  1. Strandby Harbour on solar cooling. Demonstration of 8.000 m{sup 2} solar collectors combined with flue gas cooling with a absorption cooling system; Combined heat and power plant (CHP); Strandby havn paa solkoeling. Demonstration af 8.000 m{sup 2} solfangere kombineret med roeggaskoeling med absorptionskoeleanlaeg

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soerensen, Flemming (Strandby Varmevaerk, Strandby (Denmark)); Soerensen, Per Alex (PlanEnergi, Skoerping (Denmark)); Ulbjerg, F. (Ramboell, Odense (Denmark)); Sloth, H. (Houe and Olsen, Thisted (Denmark))

    2010-04-15

    The aim of the project was to demonstrate 1) high solar heating ratio (18% annually) at a decentralized natural gas combined heat and power plant; 2) increased efficiency (5% of the heat consumption) in a natural gas CHP by using an extra flue gas cooler and an absorption heat pump; 3) a double tank system where a new tank during winter is used for cooling/ heat storage for the absorption heat pump and during summer for solar heat storage in serial operation with the old tank. The concept of combining solar power, absorption cooling and natural gas-fired small-scale CHP in Strandby met expectations and could be replicated in other CHP plants. However, it is important to note that if major construction modifications in the flue gas condensation system in the boiler or engine are required, the operating hours must not be reduced significantly in the amortisation period for the conversion. (ln)

  2. Gas cooled solar tower power plant (GAST) KWU approach to a 20 MW hybrid system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mayer, Martin

    1980-07-01

    The gas cooled solar tower powerplant with a hybrid solar-fossil heating system in the form given here represents a significant step towards the industrial use of solar energy. The transition from fossil fuels to solar energy can be facilitated for the power plant operators if the transition is gradual and if conventional technology is used. Using solar energy and with a turbine inlet temperature of 800/sup 0/C the GAST power plant reaches an output of approximately 20 MW and a thermal efficiency of approximately 40% reference to the heat supplied by the receiver. In the absence of solar radiation the plant can be operated exclusively on fossil fuel. Increasing the turbine inlet temperature to 1000/sup 0/C enables an efficiency of about 47% to be reached in the GUD cycle.

  3. Effect of Nitrogen Starvation on Desiccation Tolerance of Arctic Microcoleus Strains (Cyanobacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daria eTashyreva

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Although desiccation tolerance of Microcoleus species is a well-known phenomenon, there is very little information about their limits of desiccation tolerance in terms of cellular water content, the survival rate of their cells, and the environmental factors inducing their resistance to drying. We have discovered that three Microcoleus strains, isolated from terrestrial habitats of the High Arctic, survived extensive dehydration (to 0.23 g water g-1 dry mass, but did not tolerate complete desiccation (to 0.03 g water g-1 dry mass regardless of pre-desiccation treatments. However, these treatments were critical for the survival of incomplete desiccation: cultures grown under optimal conditions failed to survive even incomplete desiccation; a low temperature enabled only 0 to 15% of cells to survive, while 39.8 to 65.9% of cells remained alive and intact after nitrogen starvation. Unlike Nostoc, which co-exists with Microcoleus in Arctic terrestrial habitats, Microcoleus strains are not truly anhydrobiotic and do not possess constitutive desiccation tolerance. Instead, it seems that the survival strategy of Microcoleus in periodically dry habitats involves avoidance of complete desiccation, but tolerance to milder desiccation stress, which is induced by suboptimal conditions (e.g. nitrogen starvation.

  4. Solar energy powering up aerial misting systems for cooling surroundings in Saudi Arabia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atieh, Ahmad; Al Shariff, Samir

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Demonstrate solar energy misting system for the first time to our knowledge. ► Return on investment for such a system is recovered within two and half years. ► Solar panel tilt position is 25° due south in Medina Munawarah. ► The misting system is capable of lowering ambient temperature over 10 °C. - Abstract: We demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge a misting system that is powered by solar energy. The system was used to cool down an open area in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The ambient and surrounding temperatures were measured and compared for different timing signals that were applied to the misting system. The used solar panel performance is evaluated for different loads, and tilting settings. The return on investment for the misting system is found to be about two years and half.

  5. Solar-powered single-and double-effect directly air-cooled LiBr–H2O absorption prototype built as a single unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Izquierdo, M.; González-Gil, A.; Palacios, E.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • This work presents a novel solar cooling air-cooled absorption prototype for buildings. • The solution (LiB r –H 2 O) and the refrigerant (H 2 O) are cooled directly by air. • The cooling is produced from solar energy when operates in single-effect mode. • If the demand is not met the prototype is able to operate in double-effect mode. - Abstract: This work describes an installation in Madrid, Spain, designed to test a new solar-powered air-cooled absorption refrigeration system. This installation essentially consists of a-48 m 2 field of flat-plate solar collectors, a 1500-L hot water storage tank and a single and-double effect air-cooled lithium bromide absorption prototype. Designed and built by our research group, this prototype is able to operate either as a single-effect unit (4.5 kW) or as a double-effect unit (7 kW). In operation as single-effect mode, the prototype is driven by solar energy, whereas in operation as a double effect mode, an external energy source may be used. The prototype’s evaporator is connected to a fan-coil placed inside an 80-m 2 laboratory that represent the average size of a Spanish housing unit. In August 2009, the cooling system was tested in the single-effect operation mode. The results show that the system is able to meet approximately 65% of the laboratory’s seasonal cooling demand, although 100% may be reached for a few days. The prototype can also operate in double-effect mode to meet the cooling demand. In that case, the prototype is fed by thermal oil, which is warmed until it reaches the process temperature in the high-temperature generator. The prototype can operate in either single-effect mode or in double-effect mode or can also operate simultaneously both modes using the components common to both modes, namely, the absorber, evaporator, condenser, solution pumps and control equipment. This paper reports the experimental results from the prototype operating separately in single-effect and

  6. Boost Converter Fed High Performance BLDC Drive for Solar PV Array Powered Air Cooling System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shobha Rani Depuru

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper proposes the utilization of a DC-DC boost converter as a mediator between a Solar Photovoltaic (SPV array and the Voltage Source Inverters (VSI in an SPV array powered air cooling system to attain maximum efficiency. The boost converter, over the various common DC-DC converters, offers many advantages in SPV based applications. Further, two Brushless DC (BLDC motors are employed in the proposed air cooling system: one to run the centrifugal water pump and the other to run a fan-blower. Employing a BLDC motor is found to be the best option because of its top efficiency, supreme reliability and better performance over a wide range of speeds. The air cooling system is developed and simulated using the MATLAB/Simulink environment considering the steady state variation in the solar irradiance. Further, the efficiency of BLDC drive system is compared with a conventional Permanent Magnet DC (PMDC motor drive system and from the simulated results it is found that the proposed system performs better.

  7. Study on the System Design of a Solar Assisted Ground Heat Pump System Using Dynamic Simulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Min Gyung Yu

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Recently, the use of hybrid systems using multiple heat sources in buildings to ensure a stable energy supply and improve the system performance has gained attention. Among them, a heat pump system using both solar and ground heat was developed and various system configurations have been introduced. However, establishing a suitable design method for the solar-assisted ground heat pump (SAGHP system including a thermal storage tank is complicated and there are few quantitative studies on the detailed system configurations. Therefore, this study developed three SAGHP system design methods considering the design factors focused on the thermal storage tank. Using dynamic energy simulation code (TRNSYS 17, individual performance analysis models were developed and long-term quantitative analysis was carried out to suggest optimum design and operation methods. As a result, it was found that SYSTEM 2 which is a hybrid system with heat storage tank for only a solar system showed the highest average heat source temperature of 14.81 °C, which is about 11 °C higher than minimum temperature in SYSTEM 3. Furthermore, the best coefficient of performance (COP values of heat pump and system were 5.23 and 4.32 in SYSYEM 2, using high and stable solar heat from a thermal storage tank. Moreover, this paper considered five different geographical and climatic locations and the SAGHP system worked efficiently in having high solar radiation and cool climate zones and the system COP was 4.51 in the case of Winnipeg (Canada where the highest heating demand is required.

  8. Soil desiccation cracks as a suction–contraction process

    KAUST Repository

    Cordero, J. A.; Useche, G.; Prat, P. C.; Ledesma, A.; Santamarina, Carlos

    2017-01-01

    Recent macro- and particle-scale advances in unsaturated soil behaviour have led to an enhanced understanding of the effects of moisture changes on soil response. This research examines desiccation cracks as a suction–contraction-coupled process using sand–clay mixtures. Suction–moisture measurements highlight the role of fines on suction potential even at low fines content; on the other hand, oedometer tests exhibit a marked transition from sand-controlled to clay-controlled compressibility. Time-lapse photography of desiccation tests in flat trays show the onset of crack initiation and the subsequent evolution in horizontal strains; concurrent gravimetric water content measurements relate crack nucleation to suction at air entry. Suction and compressibility increase with the soil-specific surface and have a compounded effect on desiccation-driven lateral contraction. Both layer thickness and its lateral extent affect the development of desiccation cracks. The recently proposed revised soil classification system properly anticipates the transitions in compressibility and capillary phenomena observed in this study (between 15 and 35% fines content).

  9. Soil desiccation cracks as a suction–contraction process

    KAUST Repository

    Cordero, J. A.

    2017-10-05

    Recent macro- and particle-scale advances in unsaturated soil behaviour have led to an enhanced understanding of the effects of moisture changes on soil response. This research examines desiccation cracks as a suction–contraction-coupled process using sand–clay mixtures. Suction–moisture measurements highlight the role of fines on suction potential even at low fines content; on the other hand, oedometer tests exhibit a marked transition from sand-controlled to clay-controlled compressibility. Time-lapse photography of desiccation tests in flat trays show the onset of crack initiation and the subsequent evolution in horizontal strains; concurrent gravimetric water content measurements relate crack nucleation to suction at air entry. Suction and compressibility increase with the soil-specific surface and have a compounded effect on desiccation-driven lateral contraction. Both layer thickness and its lateral extent affect the development of desiccation cracks. The recently proposed revised soil classification system properly anticipates the transitions in compressibility and capillary phenomena observed in this study (between 15 and 35% fines content).

  10. Advanced phase change materials and systems for solar passive heating and cooling of residential buildings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salyer, I.O.; Sircar, A.K.; Dantiki, S.

    1988-01-01

    During the last three years under the sponsorship of the DOE Solar Passive Division, the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) has investigated four phase change material (PCM) systems for utility in thermal energy storage for solar passive heating and cooling applications. From this research on the basis of cost, performance, containment, and environmental acceptability, we have selected as our current and most promising series of candidate phase change materials, C-15 to C-24 linear crystalline alkyl hydrocarbons. The major part of the research during this contract period was directed toward the following three objectives. Find, test, and develop low-cost effective phase change materials (PCM) that melt and freeze sharply in the comfort temperature range of 73--77{degree}F for use in solar passive heating and cooling of buildings. Define practical materials and processes for fire retarding plasterboard/PCM building products. Develop cost-effective methods for incorporating PCM into building construction materials (concrete, plasterboard, etc.) which will lead to the commercial manufacture and sale of PCM-containing products resulting in significant energy conservation.

  11. Validated TRNSYS Model for Solar Assisted Space Heating System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdalla, Nedal

    2014-01-01

    The present study involves a validated TRNSYS model for solar assisted space heating system as applied to a residential building in Jordan using new detailed radiation models of the TRNSYS 17.1 and geometric building model Trnsys3d for the Google SketchUp 3D drawing program. The annual heating load for a building (Solar House) which is located at the Royal ScientiFIc Society (RS5) in Jordan is estimated under climatological conditions of Amman. The aim of this Paper is to compare measured thermal performance of the Solar House with that modeled using TRNSYS. The results showed that the annual measured space heating load for the building was 6,188 kWh while the heati.ng load for the modeled building was 6,391 kWh. Moreover, the measured solar fraction for the solar system was 50% while the modeled solar fraction was 55%. A comparison of modeled and measured data resulted in percentage mean absolute errors for solar energy for space heating, auxiliary heating and solar fraction of 13%, 7% and 10%, respectively. The validated model will be useful for long-term performance simulation under different weather and operating conditions.(author)

  12. Pricing the urban cooling benefits of solar panel deployment in Sydney, Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, S; Goldstein, M; Pitman, A J; Haghdadi, N; MacGill, I

    2017-03-06

    Cities import energy, which in combination with their typically high solar absorption and low moisture availability generates the urban heat island effect (UHI). The UHI, combined with human-induced warming, makes our densely populated cities particularly vulnerable to climate change. We examine the utility of solar photovoltaic (PV) system deployment on urban rooftops to reduce the UHI, and we price one potential value of this impact. The installation of PV systems over Sydney, Australia reduces summer maximum temperatures by up to 1 °C because the need to import energy is offset by local generation. This offset has a direct environmental benefit, cooling local maximum temperatures, but also a direct economic value in the energy generated. The indirect benefit associated with the temperature changes is between net AUD$230,000 and $3,380,000 depending on the intensity of PV systems deployment. Therefore, even very large PV installations will not offset global warming, but could generate enough energy to negate the need to import energy, and thereby reduce air temperatures. The energy produced, and the benefits of cooling beyond local PV installation sites, would reduce the vulnerability of urban populations and infrastructure to temperature extremes.

  13. Pricing the urban cooling benefits of solar panel deployment in Sydney, Australia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, S.; Goldstein, M.; Pitman, A. J.; Haghdadi, N.; MacGill, I.

    2017-01-01

    Cities import energy, which in combination with their typically high solar absorption and low moisture availability generates the urban heat island effect (UHI). The UHI, combined with human-induced warming, makes our densely populated cities particularly vulnerable to climate change. We examine the utility of solar photovoltaic (PV) system deployment on urban rooftops to reduce the UHI, and we price one potential value of this impact. The installation of PV systems over Sydney, Australia reduces summer maximum temperatures by up to 1 °C because the need to import energy is offset by local generation. This offset has a direct environmental benefit, cooling local maximum temperatures, but also a direct economic value in the energy generated. The indirect benefit associated with the temperature changes is between net AUD$230,000 and $3,380,000 depending on the intensity of PV systems deployment. Therefore, even very large PV installations will not offset global warming, but could generate enough energy to negate the need to import energy, and thereby reduce air temperatures. The energy produced, and the benefits of cooling beyond local PV installation sites, would reduce the vulnerability of urban populations and infrastructure to temperature extremes. PMID:28262843

  14. Solar heating, cooling, and domestic hot water system installed at Kaw Valley State Bank and Trust Company, Topeka, Kansas. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1980-11-01

    The building has approximately 5600 square feet of conditioned space. Solar energy is used for space heating, space cooling, and preheating domestic hot water (DHW). The solar energy system has an array of evacuated tube-type collectors with an area of 1068 square feet. A 50/50 solution of ethylene glycol and water is the transfer medium that delivers solar energy to a tube-in-shell heat exchanger that in turn delivers solar-heated water to a 1100 gallon pressurized hot water storage tank. When solar energy is insufficient to satisfy the space heating and/or cooling demand, a natural gas-fired boiler provides auxiliary energy to the fan coil loops and/or the absorption chillers. Extracts from the site files, specification references, drawings, and installation, operation and maintenance instructions are included.

  15. Desiccants for retrospective dosimetry using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geber-Bergstrand, Therése; Bernhardsson, Christian; Christiansson, Maria; Mattsson, Sören; Rääf, Christopher L.

    2015-01-01

    Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) was used to test different kinds of desiccants for their potential use in retrospective dosimetry. Desiccants are used for the purpose of absorbing liquids and can be found in a number of items which may be found in the immediate environment of a person, including hand bags, drug packages, and the vehicles of rescue service teams. Any material exhibiting OSL properties suitable for retrospective dosimetry is a useful addition to the existing dosimetry system available in emergency preparedness. Eleven kinds of desiccants were investigated in order to obtain an overview of the fundamental OSL properties necessary for retrospective dosimetry. Measurements were made using a Risø TL/OSL reader and irradiations were achieved with the 90 Sr/ 90 Y source incorporated in the reader. Several of the desiccants exhibited promising properties as retrospective dosemeters. Some of the materials exhibited a strong as-received signal, i.e. without any laboratory irradiation, but the origin of this signal has not yet been established. The minimum detectable dose ranged from 8 to 450 mGy for ten of the materials and for one material (consisting of natural clay) the minimum detectable dose was 1.8 Gy. - Highlights: • Desiccants can be used as fortuitous dosemeters using OSL. • The minimum detectable dose for processed desiccants range from 8 to 450 mGy. • The minimum detectable dose for natural clay was 1.8 Gy

  16. Standalone cool/freeze cluster driven by solar photovoltaic energy. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Katic, I.; Pedersen, Per Henrik; Jacobsen, Emil

    2010-12-15

    The objective of the project is to develop and demonstrate a grid-independent cold storage system for perishable food, medicine or other goods, with a special focus on the need for such systems in developing countries with a sparse and unreliable supply of electricity. The project is directly based on the result from the international SolarChill project where a unique battery less solar driven vaccine refrigerator was developed by Vestfrost in cooperation with Danish Technological Institute (DTI). The project partners are Danish Technological Institute (Project manager), Danfoss, Grundfos, Fresvik (Norway) and Karise Klejnsmedie. The refrigeration system is set up at the solar energy test area of DTI, where a PV array with a nominal power of 800 W has been established. The batteries and charge controller are purchased from a Danish PV system retailer. The inverter is a trapezoid 50 Hz 230 Vac inverter is a robust type with high surge current. The two AC cabinets are standard low energy household freezers, whereas the DC cabinet is a special ice-lined refrigerator (fresh food/middle temperature) with high thermal capacity in its walls. The selection of large chest type freezers gives low specific energy consumption due to a high volume/surface ratio and low air infiltration. The commercial low energy cabinets are relatively inexpensive, and can operate with an extremely low consumption if the thermostat is set to cooling mode. As part of this quite extensive project, there have been a number of contacts with associated activities as well as direct requests from companies operating in 3rd world countries. The two most important cases have been a milk-cooling project in Uganda and a World Bank GEF project regarding improved storage methods for vaccines. The current design of the PV driven refrigeration system could be modified to milk cooling, and this is actually being investigated by the Danish company Karise Klejnsmedie who are specialist in stainless steel

  17. Design, evaluation and recommedation effort relating to the modification of a residential 3-ton absorption cycle cooling unit for operation with solar energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merrick, R. H.; Anderson, P. P.

    1973-01-01

    The possible use of solar energy powered absorption units to provide cooling and heating of residential buildings is studied. Both, the ammonia-water and the water-lithium bromide cycles, are considered. It is shown that the air cooled ammonia water unit does not meet the criteria for COP and pump power on the cooling cycle and the heat obtained from it acting as a heat pump is at too low a temperature. If the ammonia machine is water cooled it will meet the design criteria for cooling but can not supply the heating needs. The water cooled lithium bromide unit meets the specified performance for cooling with appreciably lower generator temperatures and without a mechanical solution pump. It is recommeded that in the demonstration project a direct expansion lithium bromide unit be used for cooling and an auxiliary duct coil using the solar heated water be employed for heating.

  18. Experimental evaluation of a direct air-cooled lithium bromide-water absorption prototype for solar air conditioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonzalez-Gil, A.; Izquierdo, M.; Marcos, J.D.; Palacios, E.

    2011-01-01

    A new direct air-cooled single-effect LiBr-H 2 O absorption prototype is described and proposed for use in solar cooling. As distinguishing aspects, it presents: an adiabatic absorber using flat-fan sheets; an air-cooling system that directly refrigerates both the condenser and the absorber and; the possibility of being operated also as a double-effect unit. A solar facility comprising a 48 m 2 field of flat-plate collectors was used to test the single-effect operation mode of the prototype. Results from an experimental campaign carried out in Madrid during summer 2010 are shown and operation parameters corresponding to two typical summer days are detailed. The prototype worked efficiently, with COP values around 0.6. Cooling power varied from 2 kW to 3.8 kW, which represented about 85% of the prototype's nominal capacity. Chilled water temperatures mostly ranged between 14 o C and 16 o C, although the lowest measured value was of 12.8 o C. Condensation and absorption temperatures were under 50 o C and 46 o C, respectively, even with outdoor temperatures of 40 o C. Driving water temperature ranged between 85 o C and 110 o C. As a mean, the system was able to meet 65% of the cooling demand corresponding to a room of 40 m 2 . No signs of crystallization were observed during about a hundred hours of operation. - Highlights: → A novel direct air-cooled single-effect absorption prototype is described. → Feasibility of air-cooled technology for LiBr-H 2 O absorption cooling is proved. → An adiabatic absorber using flat-fan sheets avoids crystallization of the solution. → A field of flat-plate collectors powers the chiller at temperatures from 85 to 110 o C. → The prototype works with thermal COP about 0.6.

  19. Smart Control System to Optimize Time of Use in a Solar-Assisted Air-Conditioning by Ejector for Residential Sector

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanna Avedian-González

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The present work provides a series of theoretical improvements of a control strategy in order to optimize the time of use of solar air-conditioning by an ejector distributed in multiple solar collectors of vacuum tubes for the residential sector, which will allow us to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions, costs and electrical energy consumption. In a solar ejector cooling system, the instability of the solar source of energy causes an operational conflict between the solar thermal system and ejector cooling cycle. A fuzzy control structure for the supervisory ejector cycle and multi-collector control system is developed: the first control is applied to control the mass flow of the generator and the evaporator for different cooling capacities (3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 and 5 kW and set a temperature reference according to the operating conditions; the second is applied to keep a constant temperature power source that feeds the low-grade ejector cooling cycle using R134aas refrigerant. For the present work, the temperature of the generator oscillates between 65 °C and 90 °C, a condenser temperature of 30 °C and an evaporator temperature of 10 °C. For the purpose of optimization, there are different levels of performance for time of use: the Mode 0 (economic gives a performance of 17.55 h, Mode 5 (maximum cooling power 14.86 h and variable mode (variable mode of capacities 16.25 h, on average. Simulations are done in MATLAB-Simulink applying fuzzy logic for a mathematical model of the thermal balance. They are compared with two different types of solar radiation: real radiation and disturbed radiation.

  20. Solar-assisted gas-energy water-heating feasibility for apartments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, E. S.

    1975-01-01

    Studies of residential energy use, solar-energy technology for buildings, and the requirements for implementing technology in the housing industry led to a project to develop a solar water heater for apartments. A design study for a specific apartment was used to establish a solar water-heater cost model which is based on plumbing contractor bids and manufacturer estimates. The cost model was used to size the system to minimize the annualized cost of hot water. The annualized cost of solar-assisted gas-energy water heating is found to be less expensive than electric water heating but more expensive than gas water heating. The feasibility of a natural gas utility supplying the auxiliary fuel is evaluated. It is estimated that gas-utilizing companies will find it profitable to offer solar water heating as part of a total energy service option or on a lease basis when the price of new base-load supplies of natural gas reaches $2.50-$3.00 per million Btu.

  1. Tolerance to environmental desiccation in moss sperm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shortlidge, Erin E; Rosenstiel, Todd N; Eppley, Sarah M

    2012-05-01

    • Sexual reproduction in mosses requires that sperm be released freely into the environment before finding and fertilizing a receptive female. After release from the male plant, moss sperm may experience a range of abiotic stresses; however, few data are available examining stress tolerance of moss sperm and whether there is genetic variation for stress tolerance in this important life stage. • Here, we investigated the effects of environmental desiccation and recovery on the sperm cells of three moss species (Bryum argenteum, Campylopus introflexus, and Ceratodon purpureus). • We found that a fraction of sperm cells were tolerant to environmental desiccation for extended periods (d) and that tolerance did not vary among species. We found that this tolerance occurs irrespective of ambient dehydration conditions, and that the addition of sucrose during dry-down improved cell recovery. Although we observed no interspecific variation, significant variation among individuals within species in sperm cell tolerance to environmental desiccation was observed, suggesting selection could potentially act on this basic reproductive trait. • The observation of desiccation-tolerant sperm in multiple moss species has important implications for understanding bryophyte reproduction, suggesting the presence of a significant, uncharacterized complexity in the ecology of moss mating systems. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

  2. Thermodynamic analysis of solar assisted multi-functional trigeneration system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Önder KIZILKAN

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study, modelling and thermodynamic analysis of solar assisted trigeneration system was carried out. The required thermal energy for gas and vapor cycles were supplied from solar tower which is a new concept for gas cycle applications. Additionally, an absorption refrigeration cycle, vapor production process, drying process and water heating process were integrated to the system. Energy and exergy efficiencies of the trigeneration system were determined by the application of first and second law analyses. The results showed that the gas cycle efficiency was found to be 31%, vapor cycle efficiency was found to be 28% and coefficient of performance (COP values of the refrigeration system was found to be 0.77. Also the highest exergy destruction rate was found to be 4154 kW in solar tower.Keywords: Solar tower, Trigeneration, Gas cycle, Vapor cycle, Energy, Exergy

  3. Solar heating and cooling system for an office building at Reedy Creek Utilities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1978-08-01

    This final report describes in detail the solar energy system installed in a new two-story office building at the Reedy Creek Utilities Company, which provides utility service to Walt Disney World at Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The solar components were partly funded by the Department of Energy under Contract EX-76-C-01-2401, and the technical management was by NASA/George C. Marshall Space Flight Center. The solar energy system application is 100 percent heating, 80 percent cooling, and 100 percent hot water. The collector is a modular cylindrical concentrator type with an area of 3.840 square feet. The storage medium is water with a capacity of 10,000 gallons hot and 10,000 gallons chilled. Design, construction, operation, cost, maintenance, and performance are described in depth. Detailed drawings are included.

  4. Numerical simulation of solar-assisted multi-effect distillation (SMED) desalination systems

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Youngdeuk

    2013-01-01

    We present a simulation model for the transient behavior of solar-assisted seawater desalination plant that employs the evacuated-tube collectors in conjunction with a multieffect distillation plant of nominal water production capacity of 16m3/day. This configuration has been selected due to merits in terms of environment-friendliness and energy efficiency. The solar-assisted multi-effect distillation system comprises 849 m2 of evacuated-tube collectors, 280 m3 water storage tanks, auxiliary heater, and six effects and a condenser. The present analysis employs a baseline configuration, namely; (i) the local solar insolation input (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), (ii) a coolant flow rate through the headers of collector based on ASHRAE standards, (iii) a heating water demand, and (iv) the augmentation of water temperature by auxiliary when the supply temperature from the solar tank drops below the set point. It is observed that the annual collector efficiency and solar fraction decrease from 57.3 to 54.8% and from 49.4 to 36.7%, respectively, with an increase in the heating water temperature from 80 to 90 °C. The overall water production rate and the performance ratio increase slightly from 0.18 to 0.21 kg/s and from 4.11 to 4.13, respectively. © 2013 Desalination Publications.

  5. Performance improvement of a hybrid air conditioning system using the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffles as a pre-cooling unit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.E. Kabeel

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In the present paper, the effects of the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffle on the performance of the hybrid air conditioning system are numerically investigated. The hybrid air conditioning system contains two indirect evaporative coolers with internal baffle, one is utilized to pre-cool the air inlet to the desiccant wheel and the other is utilized to pre-cool the supply air inlet to the room. The effects of the inlet conditions of the process and reactivation air and working air ratio on the thermal performance of the hybrid air conditioning system have been analyzed. The results of this study show that in the hybrid air conditioning system for using the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffle as a pre-cooling unit, the supply air temperature reduced by 21% and the coefficient of performance improved by 71% as compared to previous designs of the hybrid air conditioning system at the same inlet conditions. For increasing process air inlet temperature from 25 °C to 45 °C, supply air temperature increases from 12.7 °C to 14.2 °C, thermal COP increases from 1.87 to 2.84, and supply air relative humidity increases from 76.7% to 77.4%. Also, for increasing the reactivation air inlet temperature from 70 °C to 110 °C, supply air temperature dropped from 15.9 °C to 10.9 °C, supply air relative humidity dropped from 82.7% to 71.8%, and thermal COP dropped from 4.5 to 1.7. The recommended optimal air working ratio in the indirect evaporative cooler with internal baffle should be 0.15. Keywords: Desiccant material, Solar air collector, Evaporative cooler, Internal baffles, Air conditioning

  6. Integrated cooling-vacuum-assisted 1540-nm erbium:glass laser is effective in treating mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Politi, Y; Levi, A; Enk, C D; Lapidoth, M

    2015-12-01

    Acne treatment by a mid-infrared laser may be unsatisfactory due to deeply situated acne-affected sebaceous glands which serve as its target. Skin manipulation by vacuum and contact cooling may improve laser-skin interaction, reduce pain sensation, and increase overall safety and efficacy. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of acne treatment using an integrated cooling-vacuum-assisted 1540-nm erbium:glass laser, a prospective interventional study was conducted. It included 12 patients (seven men and five women) suffering from mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris. The device utilizes a mid-infrared 1540-nm laser (Alma Lasers Ltd. Caesarea, Israel), which is integrated with combined cooling-vacuum-assisted technology. An acne lesion is initially manipulated upon contact by a vacuum-cooling-assisted tip, followed by three to four stacked laser pulses (500-600 mJ, 4 mm spot size, and frequency of 2 Hz). Patients underwent four to six treatment sessions with a 2-week interval and were followed-up 1 and 3 months after the last treatment. Clinical photographs were taken by high-resolution digital camera before and after treatment. Clinical evaluation was performed by two independent dermatologists, and results were graded on a scale of 0 (exacerbation) to 4 (76-100 % improvement). Patients' and physicians' satisfaction was also recorded. Pain perception and adverse effects were evaluated as well. All patients demonstrated a moderate to significant improvement (average score of 3.6 and 2.0 within 1 and 3 months, respectively, following last treatment session). No side effects, besides a transient erythema, were observed. Cooling-vacuum-assisted 1540-nm laser is safe and effective for the treatment of acne vulgaris.

  7. Fiscal 1976 Sunshine Project result report. R and D on solar cooling/heating and hot water supply system; 1976 nendo taiyonetsu reidanbo kyuto system no kenkyu seika hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1977-03-01

    This report describes the fiscal 1974-76 research result on solar cooling/heating and hot water supply systems. Research was made on survey and analysis of current R and D states, system analysis, energy impact analysis, installation sites of solar collectors, diffusion policy, profitability, and performance evaluation method. Main research results obtained are as follows. The effect of solar cooling/heating and hot water supply on the Japanese energy demand in 2000 is estimated to be 13% for residences and 5% for the other buildings. Environment pollution derived from solar cooling/heating is extremely less than that from conventional energy quantitatively. The facility cost is estimated to be probably 27,000yen/m{sup 2} in collector cost, and nearly 100,000yen/t in heat storage tank cost. As design data for solar cooling/heating systems, the estimation method of heat collection for every solar radiation rank, performance comparison of honeycomb type collectors, and various data for air heat collection systems are presented. (NEDO)

  8. Solar heat collector-generator for cooling purposes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abdullah, K.

    1982-01-01

    The performance of an experimental LiBr-H2O solar collector powered absorption cooling system is described. A numerical model was developed of the energy, mass, and momentum balances across the heat-exchange loop to obtain the refrigerant vapor generation rate. The mechanism works by the thermosiphon principle, which eliminates mechanical devices from the loop. All leaks were fixed before measurements began with a test apparatus comprising a pyrex tube 1.87 m long with a 2.7 i.d. The refrigerant flow rate was monitored, along with temperature changes in the fluid and across the tube. Bubble initiation was observed from the free surface extending downward in the tube. Reynolds numbers varied from 6-43 in the liquid phase and 81-204 in the vapor phase. A formulation was made for the low-velocity two-phase flow and good agreement was demonstrated with the simulation.

  9. Modeling and Optimization of a CoolingTower-Assisted Heat Pump System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoqing Wei

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available To minimize the total energy consumption of a cooling tower-assisted heat pump (CTAHP system in cooling mode, a model-based control strategy with hybrid optimization algorithm for the system is presented in this paper. An existing experimental device, which mainly contains a closed wet cooling tower with counter flow construction, a condenser water loop and a water-to-water heat pump unit, is selected as the study object. Theoretical and empirical models of the related components and their interactions are developed. The four variables, viz. desired cooling load, ambient wet-bulb temperature, temperature and flow rate of chilled water at the inlet of evaporator, are set to independent variables. The system power consumption can be minimized by optimizing input powers of cooling tower fan, spray water pump, condenser water pump and compressor. The optimal input power of spray water pump is determined experimentally. Implemented on MATLAB, a hybrid optimization algorithm, which combines the Limited memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (L-BFGS algorithm with the greedy diffusion search (GDS algorithm, is incorporated to solve the minimization problem of energy consumption and predict the system’s optimal set-points under quasi-steady-state conditions. The integrated simulation tool is validated against experimental data. The results obtained demonstrate the proposed operation strategy is reliable, and can save energy by 20.8% as compared to an uncontrolled system under certain testing conditions.

  10. Desiccation tolerance in Anopheles coluzzii: the effects of spiracle size and cuticular hydrocarbons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arcaz, Arthur C.; Huestis, Diana L.; Dao, Adama; Yaro, Alpha S.; Diallo, Moussa; Andersen, John; Blomquist, Gary J.; Lehmann, Tovi

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT The African malaria mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii range over forests and arid areas, where they withstand dry spells and months-long dry seasons, suggesting variation in their desiccation tolerance. We subjected a laboratory colony (G3) and wild Sahelian mosquitoes during the rainy and dry seasons to desiccation assays. The thoracic spiracles and amount and composition of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) of individual mosquitoes were measured to determine the effects of these traits on desiccation tolerance. The relative humidity of the assay, body water available, rate of water loss and water content at death accounted for 88% of the variation in desiccation tolerance. Spiracle size did not affect the rate of water loss or desiccation tolerance of the colony mosquitoes, as was the case for the total CHCs. However, six CHCs accounted for 71% of the variation in desiccation tolerance and three accounted for 72% of the variation in the rate of water loss. Wild A. coluzzii exhibited elevated desiccation tolerance during the dry season. During that time, relative thorax and spiracle sizes were smaller than during the rainy season. A smaller spiracle size appeared to increase A. coluzzii's desiccation tolerance, but was not statistically significant. Seasonal changes in CHC composition were detected in Sahelian A. coluzzii. Stepwise regression models suggested the effect of particular CHCs on desiccation tolerance. In conclusion, the combination of particular CHCs along with the total amount of CHCs is a primary mechanism conferring desiccation tolerance in A. coluzzii, while variation in spiracle size might be a secondary mechanism. PMID:27207644

  11. Building Space Heating with a Solar-Assisted Heat Pump Using Roof-Integrated Solar Collectors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiyong Yang

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available A solar assisted heat pump (SAHP system was designed by using a roof-integrated solar collector as the evaporator, and then it was demonstrated to provide space heating for a villa in Tianjin, China. A building energy simulation tool was used to predict the space heating load and a three dimensional theoretical model was established to analyze the heat collection performance of the solar roof collector. A floor radiant heating unit was used to decrease the energy demand. The measurement results during the winter test period show that the system can provide a comfortable living space in winter, when the room temperature averaged 18.9 °C. The average COP of the heat pump system is 2.97 and with a maximum around 4.16.

  12. Intra-Abdominal Cooling System Limits Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury During Robot-Assisted Renal Transplantation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meier, R P H; Piller, V; Hagen, M E; Joliat, C; Buchs, J-B; Nastasi, A; Ruttimann, R; Buchs, N C; Moll, S; Vallée, J-P; Lazeyras, F; Morel, P; Bühler, L

    2018-01-01

    Robot-assisted kidney transplantation is feasible; however, concerns have been raised about possible increases in warm ischemia times. We describe a novel intra-abdominal cooling system to continuously cool the kidney during the procedure. Porcine kidneys were procured by standard open technique. Groups were as follows: Robotic renal transplantation with (n = 11) and without (n = 6) continuous intra-abdominal cooling and conventional open technique with intermittent 4°C saline cooling (n = 6). Renal cortex temperature, magnetic resonance imaging, and histology were analyzed. Robotic renal transplantation required a longer anastomosis time, either with or without the cooling system, compared to the open approach (70.4 ± 17.7 min and 74.0 ± 21.5 min vs. 48.7 ± 11.2 min, p-values system compared to the open approach group (6.5 ± 3.1°C vs. 22.5 ± 6.5°C; p = 0.001) or compared to the robotic group without the cooling system (28.7 ± 3.3°C; p system that suppresses the noncontrolled rewarming of donor kidneys during the transplant procedure and prevents ischemia-reperfusion injuries. © 2017 The Authors. American Journal of Transplantation published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

  13. Photosynthetic Performance of the Red Alga Pyropia haitanensis During Emersion, With Special Reference to Effects of Solar UV Radiation, Dehydration and Elevated CO2 Concentration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Juntian; Gao, Kunshan

    2015-11-01

    Macroalgae distributed in intertidal zones experience a series of environmental changes, such as periodical desiccation associated with tidal cycles, increasing CO2 concentration and solar UVB (280-315 nm) irradiance in the context of climate change. We investigated how the economic red macroalga, Pyropia haitanensis, perform its photosynthesis under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and in the presence of solar UV radiation (280-400 nm) during emersion. Our results showed that the elevated CO2 (800 ppmv) significantly increased the photosynthetic carbon fixation rate of P. haitanensis by about 100% when the alga was dehydrated. Solar UV radiation had insignificant effects on the net photosynthesis without desiccation stress and under low levels of sunlight, but significantly inhibited it with increased levels of desiccation and sunlight intensity, to the highest extent at the highest levels of water loss and solar radiation. Presence of UV radiation and the elevated CO2 acted synergistically to cause higher inhibition of the photosynthetic carbon fixation, which exacerbated at higher levels of desiccation and sunlight. While P. haitanensis can benefit from increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration during emersion under low and moderate levels of solar radiation, combined effects of elevated CO2 and UV radiation acted synergistically to reduce its photosynthesis under high solar radiation levels during noon periods. © 2015 The American Society of Photobiology.

  14. Optimum hot water temperature for absorption solar cooling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lecuona, A.; Ventas, R.; Venegas, M.; Salgado, R. [Dpto. Ingenieria Termica y de Fluidos, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Avda. Universidad 30, 28911 Leganes, Madrid (Spain); Zacarias, A. [ESIME UPA, IPN, Av. de las Granjas 682, Col. Santa Catarina, 02550, D.F. Mexico (Mexico)

    2009-10-15

    The hot water temperature that maximizes the overall instantaneous efficiency of a solar cooling facility is determined. A modified characteristic equation model is used and applied to single-effect lithium bromide-water absorption chillers. This model is based on the characteristic temperature difference and serves to empirically calculate the performance of real chillers. This paper provides an explicit equation for the optimum temperature of vapor generation, in terms of only the external temperatures of the chiller. The additional data required are the four performance parameters of the chiller and essentially a modified stagnation temperature from the detailed model of the thermal collector operation. This paper presents and discusses the results for small capacity machines for air conditioning of homes and small buildings. The discussion highlights the influence of the relevant parameters. (author)

  15. Solar energy as an alternate energy source to mixed oxide fuels in light-water cooled reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bertini, H.W.

    1977-01-01

    Supplemental information pertaining to the generic environmental impact statement on the Pu recycling process for mixed oxide light-water cooled reactors (GESMO) was requested from several sources. In particular, the role of alternate sources of energy was to be explored and the implications of these alternate sources to the question of Pu recycle in LWRs were to be investigated. In this vein, solar energy as an alternate source is the main subject of this report, along with other information related to solar energy. The general conclusion is that solar energy should have little effect on the decisions concerning GESMO

  16. Cooling Li-ion batteries of racing solar car by using multiple phase change materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moraga, Nelson O.; Xamán, Jesús P.; Araya, Ricardo H.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermal efficiency of Li-ion batteries improved by use of phase change materials. • Multiple layers of PCM provides good cooling capabilities for solar car batteries. • Evolution of temperature of solar car batteries described by Finite Volume Method. • Thermal control in discharge mode of lithium battery for solar car achieved by PCM. - Abstract: A numerical study of the unsteady phase change convection-conduction heat transfer of an ion-lithium battery with volumetric heat generation used in solar vehicles is presented. The cooling process is investigated for a total of seven arrays of phase change material (PCM): capric acid (PCM 1), eicosane (PCM 2), decahydrated sodium carbonate (PCM 3) and octadecane (PCM 4) located in one or three layers around the battery. The results show that heat conduction predominates in the battery with a PCM and the liquid phase fraction of the PCM indicates that the melting initiates after 7 min, reaching totally liquid state after 14.25 min. From the different configurations of PCM around the battery, the configuration “B” (multiple PCM: PCM 1 (5 mm) + PCM 3 (2.9 mm) + PCM 2 (4.3 mm)) and the configuration with a single layer of PCM 3 (14.3 mm) respectively reduce the maximum temperature of the battery about 20.9 and 23.2 K compared with the temperature reached by the battery without PCM. This result occurs because of the Decahydrated Sodium Carbonate PCM, since it has the highest latent heat and has a low melting point.

  17. Deep Vadose Zone Treatability Test for the Hanford Central Plateau: Interim Post-Desiccation Monitoring Results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Truex, Michael J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Oostrom, Martinus [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Strickland, Christopher E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Johnson, Timothy C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Johnson, Christian D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Clayton, Ray E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Chronister, Glen B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2013-09-01

    A field test of desiccation is being conducted as an element of the deep vadose zone treatability test program. Desiccation technology relies on removal of water from a portion of the subsurface such that the resultant low moisture conditions inhibit downward movement of water and dissolved contaminants. Previously, a field test report (Truex et al. 2012a) was prepared describing the active desiccation portion of the test and initial post-desiccation monitoring data. Additional monitoring data have been collected at the field test site during the post-desiccation period and is reported herein along with interpretation with respect to desiccation performance. This is an interim report including about 2 years of post-desiccation monitoring data.

  18. Review of Desiccant Dehumidification Technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pesaran, A. A.

    1994-10-01

    This paper overviews applications of desiccant technology for dehumidifying commercial and institutional buildings. Because of various market, policy, and regulatory factors, this technology is especially attractive for dehumidification applications in the I990s.

  19. Energy saving effect of desiccant ventilation system using Wakkanai siliceous shale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nabeshima, Yuki; Togawa, Jun-ya; Nagano, Katsunori; Kazuyo, Tsuzuki

    2017-10-01

    The nuclear power station accident resulting from the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster has resulted in a constrained electricity supply. However, in this Asian region there is high temperature and high humidity and consequently dehumidification process requires a huge amount of energy. This is the reason for the increasing energy consumption in the residential and commercial sectors. Accordingly, a high efficiency air-conditioning system is needed to be developed. The desiccant ventilation system is effective to reduce energy consumption for the dehumidification process. This system is capable of dehumidifying without dew condensing unlike a conventional air-conditioning system. Then we focused on Wakkanai Siliceous Shale (WSS) as a desiccant material to develop a new desiccant ventilation system. This is low priced, high performance, new type of thing. The aim of this study is to develop a desiccant ventilation unit using the WSS rotor which can be regenerated with low-temperature by numerical calculation. The results of performance prediction of the desiccant unit, indicate that it is possible to regenerate the WSS rotor at low-temperature of between 35 - 45 °C. In addition, we produced an actual measurement for the desiccant unit and air-conditioning unit. This air-conditioning system was capable to reduce roughly 40 % of input energy consumption.

  20. Design, Development and Performance Evaluation of a Small Scale Solar Assisted Paddy Dryer for on Farm Processing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sidrah Ashfaq

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available With the continued escalation in population growth and the expansion of international food trade and demand of high quality product for food security at low cost has created considerable interest in the development of new post-harvest technologies. This is particularly important for developing countries where post-harvest losses of cereals are between 10-20% and of fruits and vegetables as high as 20- 100% A new solar assisted paddy dryer with central air distribution model (along the length of drying chamber has been developed. Due to this distinct feature of the dryer high drying rate was achieved during the drying processes .Other components of the dryer are perforated drying chamber, blower and flat plat solar air collector. Dryer was evaluated using 100kg of freshly harvested paddy at 23.78% moisture content (wb. Performance evaluation results showed that the mean drying rate of the solar assisted paddy dryer was 0.87kg/hr per for every 100kg, whereas 0.46kg/hr was the sun drying rate comparatively. The faster drying rate of the dryer reveals its suability to dry the paddy for its safe storage moisture content rapidly. By using the solar assisted paddy dryer, approximately 50% saving in time was also achieved as compared with the traditional sun drying method. Solar assisted paddy dryer took 10hr for drying the 100kg paddy up to 14%, while sun drying method dried paddy up to 13.89% in 19 hours. Cost analysis also showed that, by using solar assisted paddy dryer we candry good quality paddy at low cost as compared with the open sun drying method. For development of agriculture in the rural areas, commercial size of the solar assisted paddy dryer can be amplified and produced at community level.

  1. Numerical and experimental analysis of a solid desiccant wheel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koronaki Irene P.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The rotary desiccant dehumidifier is an important component which can be used in air conditioning systems in order to reduce the electrical energy consumption and introduce renewable energy sources. In this study a one dimensional gas side resistance model is presented for predicting the performance of the desiccant wheel. Measurements from two real sorption wheels are used in order to validate the model. One wheel uses silica gel as desiccant material and the other lithium chloride. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The model is used to compare the counter flow with the co-current wheel arrangements and to explain why the counter flow one is more efficient for air dehumidification.

  2. Development of a Solar Assisted Drying System Using Double-Pass Solar Collector with Finned Absorber

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Azmi, M S M; Sopian, K; Ruslan, M H; Fudholi, A; Majid, Z A A; Yasin, J M; Othman, M Y

    2012-01-01

    The Solar Energy Research Group, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia and Yayasan FELDA has designed and constructed a solar assisted drying system at OPF FELDA Factory, Felda Bukit Sagu 2, Kuantan, Pahang. The drying system has a total of six double-pass solar collectors. Each collector has a length of 480 cm and a width of 120 cm. The first channel depth is 3.5 cm and the second channel depth is 7 cm. Longitudinal fins made of angle aluminium, 0.8 mm thickness were attached to the bottom surface of the absorber plate. The solar collectors are arranged as two banks of three collectors each in series. Internal manifold are used to connect the collectors. Air enters through the first channel and then through the second channel of the collector. An auxiliary heater source is installed to supply heat under unfavourable solar radiation condition. An on/off controller is used to control the startup and shutdown of the auxiliary heater. An outlet temperature of 70–75 °C can be achieved at solar radiation range of 800–900 W/m 2 and flow rate of 0.12 kg/s. The average thermal efficiency of a solar collector is approximately 37%.

  3. Development of a Solar Assisted Drying System Using Double-Pass Solar Collector with Finned Absorber

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azmi, M. S. M.; Othman, M. Y.; Sopian, K.; Ruslan, M. H.; Majid, Z. A. A.; Fudholi, A.; Yasin, J. M.

    2012-09-01

    The Solar Energy Research Group, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, International Islamic University Malaysia and Yayasan FELDA has designed and constructed a solar assisted drying system at OPF FELDA Factory, Felda Bukit Sagu 2, Kuantan, Pahang. The drying system has a total of six double-pass solar collectors. Each collector has a length of 480 cm and a width of 120 cm. The first channel depth is 3.5 cm and the second channel depth is 7 cm. Longitudinal fins made of angle aluminium, 0.8 mm thickness were attached to the bottom surface of the absorber plate. The solar collectors are arranged as two banks of three collectors each in series. Internal manifold are used to connect the collectors. Air enters through the first channel and then through the second channel of the collector. An auxiliary heater source is installed to supply heat under unfavourable solar radiation condition. An on/off controller is used to control the startup and shutdown of the auxiliary heater. An outlet temperature of 70-75 °C can be achieved at solar radiation range of 800-900 W/m2 and flow rate of 0.12 kg/s. The average thermal efficiency of a solar collector is approximately 37%.

  4. Effect of titanium dioxide (TiO2) on largely improving solar reflectance and cooling property of high density polyethylene (HDPE) by influencing its crystallization behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Shichao; Zhang, Jun

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • HDPE/TiO 2 composites have more perfect crystal structure. • Refractive index is the key factor affecting the final solar reflectance. • HDPE/TiO 2 composites can achieve high solar reflectance. • The real cooling property is in accordance with solar reflectance. - Abstract: In this study, the different crystal forms of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) were added into high density polyethylene (HDPE) to fabricate cool material. Crystal structure, crystallization behavior, crystal morphology were investigated by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscope (POM). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was applied to observe dispersion of TiO 2 particles in the HDPE matrix and the cross section morphology. The solar reflectance and actual cooling property were evaluated by UV–Vis–NIR spectrometer and a self-designed device. By adding TiO 2 particles into HDPE matrix, the polymer chain could crystallize into more perfect and thermal stable lamella. The presence of TiO 2 particles dramatically increased the number of nucleation site therefore decreased the crystal size. The subsequent solar reflectance was related to the degree of crystallinity, the spherulite size of HDPE, refractive index, and distribution of TiO 2 particles in HDPE matrix. It was found the rutile TiO 2 could largely improve the total solar reflectance from 28.2% to 51.1%. Finally, the temperature test showed that the composites had excellent cooling property, which was in accordance with solar reflectance result

  5. Liquid desiccant dehumidification and regeneration process to meet cooling and freshwater needs of desert greenhouses

    KAUST Repository

    Lefers, Ryan; Bettahalli Narasimha, Murthy Srivatsa; Nunes, Suzana Pereira; Fedoroff, Nina; Davies, Philip A.; Leiknes, TorOve

    2016-01-01

    practice of evaporative cooling for greenhouses consumes large amounts of fresh water. In Saudi Arabia, the most common greenhouse cooling schemes are fresh water-based evaporative cooling, often using fossil groundwater or energy-intensive desalinated

  6. Experimental analysis on performance of high temperature heat pump and desiccant wheel system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sheng, Ying; Zhang, Yufeng; Deng, Na

    2013-01-01

    In order to solve the problem of high energy consumption for regeneration of desiccant wheel in the rotary desiccant system, high temperature heat pump and desiccant wheel (HTHP&DW) system and corresponding air conditioning unit is built and tested in the extensive thermal hygrometric environment...

  7. An Experimental Evolution Test of the Relationship between Melanism and Desiccation Survival in Insects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subhash Rajpurohit

    Full Text Available We used experimental evolution to test the 'melanism-desiccation' hypothesis, which proposes that dark cuticle in several Drosophila species is an adaptation for increased desiccation tolerance. We selected for dark and light body pigmentation in replicated populations of D. melanogaster and assayed several traits related to water balance. We also scored pigmentation and desiccation tolerance in populations selected for desiccation survival. Populations in both selection regimes showed large differences in the traits directly under selection. However, after over 40 generations of pigmentation selection, dark-selected populations were not more desiccation-tolerant than light-selected and control populations, nor did we find significant changes in mass or carbohydrate amounts that could affect desiccation resistance. Body pigmentation of desiccation-selected populations did not differ from control populations after over 140 generations of selection, although selected populations lost water less rapidly. Our results do not support an important role for melanization in Drosophila water balance.

  8. Performance Evaluation of Photovoltaic Solar System with Different Cooling Methods and a Bi-Reflector PV System (BRPVS: An Experimental Study and Comparative Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Adil Khan

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Reducing the price of solar photovoltaic (PV systems has been a constant challenge. Despite recent advances, solar PV systems are still more costly than conventional energy resources. For the first time, this study examines the effectiveness of three different structures/materials: (i silvered glass plane mirror; (ii convex spherical mirrors; and (iii aluminum (Al foil as reflector. Comparative analysis of four different cooling techniques, i.e., water sprinkling system, passive heat sink method, active air fan method, and closed loop method, for enhancement of output power was performed. A novel Bi reflector solar PV system (BRPVS was suggested to control the working of the reflectors. The Al foil enhanced the power output compared to the others. In addition, the effect of using a reflector on the temperature of a solar PV system was studied. High operating temperatures resulted in a decrease in the maximum output power under the same solar radiation conditions. The combined enhancement of the output power by both Al foil BRPVS system and cooling system was almost 22.75–38.55%. An optimal control algorithm to use cooling and BRPVS in an efficient manner is described.

  9. Performance comparison between ethanol phase-change immersion and active water cooling for solar cells in high concentrating photovoltaic system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Yiping; Wen, Chen; Huang, Qunwu; Kang, Xue; Chen, Miao; Wang, Huilin

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Thermal performances of ethanol phase-change immersion and active water cooling are compared. • Effects of operation parameters on ethanol phase-change immersion are studied. • Optimum filling ratio is 30% for ethanol phase-change immersion cooling system. • Exergy efficiency of ethanol phase-change immersion method increases by 57%. - Abstract: This paper presents an optimized ethanol phase-change immersion cooling method to obtain lower temperature of dense-array solar cells in high concentrating photovoltaic system. The thermal performances of this system were compared with a conventional active water cooling system with minichannels from the perspectives of start-up characteristic, temperature uniformity, thermal resistance and heat transfer coefficient. This paper also explored the influences of liquid filling ratio, absolute pressure and water flow rate on thermal performances. Dense-array LEDs were used to simulate heat power of solar cells worked under high concentration ratios. It can be observed that the optimal filling ratio was 30% in which the thermal resistance was 0.479 °C/W and the heat transfer coefficient was 9726.21 W/(m 2 ·°C). To quantify the quality of energy output of two cooling systems, exergy analysis are conducted and maximum exergy efficiencies were 17.70% and 11.27%, respectively. The experimental results represent an improvement towards thermal performances of ethanol phase-change immersion cooling system due to the reduction in contact thermal resistance. This study improves the operation control and applications for ethanol phase-change immersion cooling technology.

  10. Review and summary of Solar Thermal Conversion Program planning assistance

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1975-06-01

    The Solar Thermal Conversion Program comprises a major part of the national solar energy program which must be continuously reviewed and modified where necessary. Modifications are typically required to reflect technical achievements and uncertainties which arise from within the program or from other technical programs, changes in budgets available for supporting the program as well as internal program funding priorities, changing goals such as through acceleration or stretch-out of the program schedule, significant organizational changes involving responsible governmental agencies, the introduction of new project management support contractors, and required budget or schedule changes occurring within individual projects that make up the Solar Thermal Conversion Program. The Aerospace Corporation has provided data to assist in planning, review, coordination, and documentation of the overall Solar Thermal Conversion Program. The Solar Thermal Conversion Program Plan is described in detail. Sections 2.0 through 5.0 cover the discussion and detail planning covering the objectives, justification, basic and alternative plans, budgets, and schedules for the Solar Thermal sub-unit portion of the Solar Electric Applications effort. Appendices B1, B2, and B3 include the March 21, March 28, and April 5, 1975, Program Plan submissions of the complete Solar Electric Applications effort. In Appendix B the Solar Thermal, Solar Photovoltaic, Wind Energy, and Ocean Thermal sub-unit texts have been condensed and formatted for integration in the overall ERDA budget package. (WHK)

  11. Heat Pumps With Direct Expansion Solar Collectors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, Sadasuke

    In this paper, the studies of heat pump systems using solar collectors as the evaporators, which have been done so far by reserchers, are reviwed. Usually, a solar collector without any cover is preferable to one with ac over because of the necessity of absorbing heat from the ambient air when the intensity of the solar energy on the collector is not enough. The performance of the collector depends on its area and the intensity of the convective heat transfer on the surface. Fins are fixed on the backside of the collector-surface or on the tube in which the refrigerant flows in order to increase the convective heat transfer. For the purpose of using a heat pump efficiently throughout year, a compressor with variable capacity is applied. The solar assisted heat pump can be used for air conditioning at night during the summer. Only a few groups of people have studied cooling by using solar assisted heat pump systems. In Japan, a kind of system for hot water supply has been produced commercially in a company and a kind of system for air conditioning has been installed in buildings commercially by another company.

  12. Identification of Novel Desiccation-Tolerant S. cerevisiae Strains for Deep Space Biosensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tieze, Sofia Massaro; Santa Maria, Sergio R.; Liddell, Lauren; Bhattacharya, Sharmila

    2017-01-01

    NASA's BioSentinel mission, a secondary payload that will fly on the Space Launch Systems first Exploration Mission (EM-1), utilizes the budding yeast S. cerevisiae to study the biological response to the deep space radiation environment. Yeast samples are desiccated prior to launch to suspend growth and metabolism while the spacecraft travels to its target heliocentric orbit beyond Low Earth Orbit. Each sample is then rehydrated at the desired time points to reactivate the cells. A major risk in this mission is the loss of cell viability that occurs in the recovery period following the desiccation and rehydration process. Cell survival is essential for the detection of the biological response to features in the deep space environment, including ionizing radiation.The aim of this study is to mitigate viable cell loss in future biosensors by identifying mutations and genes that confer tolerance to desiccation stress in rad51, a radiation-sensitive yeast strain. We initiated a screen for desiccation-tolerance after rehydrating cells that were desiccated for three years, and selected various clones exhibiting robust growth. To verify retention of radiation sensitivity in the isolated clonesa crucial feature for a successful biosensorwe exposed them to ionizing radiation. Finally, to elucidate the genetic and molecular bases for observed desiccation-tolerance, we will perform whole-genome sequencing of those rad51 clones that exhibit both robust growth and radiation sensitivity following desiccation. The identification and characterization of desiccation-tolerant strains will allow us to engineer a biological model that will be resilient in face of the challenges of the deep space environment, and will thus ensure the experimental success of future biosensor missions.

  13. Onderzoeksrapportage duurzaam koelen : EOS Renewable Cooling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Broeze, J.; Sluis, van der S.; Wissink, E.

    2010-01-01

    For reducing energy use for cooling, alternative methods (that do not rely on electricity) are needed. Renewable cooling is based on naturally available resources such as evaporative cooling, free cooling, phase change materials, ground subcooling, solar cooling, wind cooling, night radiation &

  14. Solar energy system performance evaluation: Honeywell OTS 41, Shenandoah (Newman), Georgia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathur, A. K.; Pederson, S.

    1982-08-01

    The operation and technical performance of the Solar Operational Test Site (OTS 41) located at Shenandoah, Georgia, are described, based on the analysis of the data collected between January and August 1981. The following topics are discussed: system description, performance assessment, operating energy, energy savings, system maintenance, and conclusions. The solar energy system at OTS 41 is a hydronic heating and cooling system consisting of 702 square feet of liquid-cooled flat-plate collectors; a 1000-gallon thermal storage tank; a 3-ton capacity organic Rankine-cycle-engine-assisted air conditioner; a water-to-are heat exchanger for solar space heating; a finned-tube coil immersed in the storage tank to preheat water for a gas-fired hot water heater; and associated piping, pumps, valves, and controls. The solar system has six basic modes of operation and several combination modes. The system operation is controlled automatically by a Honeywell-designed microprocessor-based control system, which also provides diagnostics.

  15. Future market solar cooling. Case study on behalf of the Federal Office for Environment Protection in the context of the research project Innovative Environmental Policy in important fields of action; Zukunftsmarkt Solares Kuehlen. Fallstudie im Auftrag des Umweltbundesamtes im Rahmen des Forschungsprojektes Innovative Umweltpolitik in wichtigen Handlungsfeldern

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clausen, Jens [Borderstep Inst. fuer Innovation und Nachhaltigkeit gGmbH, Berlin (Germany)

    2007-12-15

    The sustainable future market of Solar Cooling Technology is of utmost importance for the sustainability of buildings with air conditioning, especially in countries with intense solar radiation. The application of electrical air conditioning is growing fast and is now spreading to transition economies in East Asia. Solar Cooling is driven by solar heat gathered by solar collectors, usually situated on the roofs of buildings. This heat drives different types of complex, thermodynamic devices which transform heat into cold, using a small amount of electricity to drive pumps. Via a medium the cold is distributed in rooms. Solar Cooling Technology was developed about thirty years ago and the large scale machinery necessary to air condition office buildings is in its maturity phase. However, application experience is widely limited due to a lack of a larger number of applications and especially smaller devices will be necessary to air condition family homes. A number of European start-up companies is active to develop this smaller devices. All over, some 300 buildings use solar cooling in Europe, most of them are research and development applications. The benefit of solar cooling is threefold: - depending on the individual application, solar cooling saves up to 60% of energy compared to electrical air conditioning, - since electricity is saved when sun shines most intensively, solar cooling reduces the burden on the electrical grid at peak times, - the heat used at times, when solar collectors are suffering under high temperature non-use phases reduces the stress on the collectors and may prolong their lifetime. The economic potential of a product market in its infancy is hard to evaluate, but high growth rates of electrical air conditioning in many countries point to the development of a possibly very large market. The world market volume in 2020 was assessed between 4.5 and 18 billion Euro. Countries with highest activity are in Europe. Many start-up companies from

  16. The Solar Thermal Design Assistance Center report of its activities and accomplishments in Fiscal Year 1993

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Menicucci, D.F.

    1994-03-01

    The Solar Thermal Design Assistance Center (STDAC) at Sandia National Laboratories is a resource provided by the US Department of Energy`s Solar Thermal Program. Its major objectives are to accelerate the use of solar thermal systems through (a) direct technical assistance to users, (b) cooperative test, evaluation, and development efforts with private industry, and (c) educational outreach activities. This report outlines the major activities and accomplishments of the STDAC in Fiscal Year 1993. The report also contains a comprehensive list of persons who contacted the STDAC by telephone for information or technical consulting.

  17. Global Cooling: Policies to Cool the World and Offset Global Warming from CO2 Using Reflective Roofs and Pavements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Akbari, Hashem; Levinson, Ronnen; Rosenfeld, Arthur; Elliot, Matthew

    2009-08-28

    Increasing the solar reflectance of the urban surface reduce its solar heat gain, lowers its temperatures, and decreases its outflow of thermal infrared radiation into the atmosphere. This process of 'negative radiative forcing' can help counter the effects of global warming. In addition, cool roofs reduce cooling-energy use in air conditioned buildings and increase comfort in unconditioned buildings; and cool roofs and cool pavements mitigate summer urban heat islands, improving outdoor air quality and comfort. Installing cool roofs and cool pavements in cities worldwide is a compelling win-win-win activity that can be undertaken immediately, outside of international negotiations to cap CO{sub 2} emissions. We propose an international campaign to use solar reflective materials when roofs and pavements are built or resurfaced in temperate and tropical regions.

  18. Solar-assisted district heating systems - the SOLARIS pilot plant at Chemnitz - Status report; Solar unterstuetzte Nahwaermeversorgung - Pilotanlage SOLARIS Chemnitz Statusbericht `98

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Urbaneck, T.; Schirmer, U. [Technische Univ. Chemnitz (Germany). Projektgruppe Solarthermie 2000

    1998-12-31

    The solar-assisted district heating in the Technology and Industrial Park SOLARIS is currently being built. The seasonal heat storage is a gravel-water tank with a volume of 8,000 cubic metre and has already been completed. The expectations have been met with respect to using a simple technology for the construction of seasonal storage and reducing costs. The initial operation is scheduled for summer 1998. Afterwards a two-year measuring programme will control and evaluate the function of the solar-assisted district heating system. (orig.) [Deutsch] Das solar unterstuetzte Nahwaermesystem im Chemnitzer Technologie- und Gewerbepark solaris befindet sich im Bau. Der saisonale Waermespeicher, ein 8000 m{sup 3} Kies-Wasser-Speicher ist fertiggestellt. Die Erwartungen in bezug auf eine einfache Technologie zum Bau von saisonalen Speichern und in bezug auf die Einhaltung des Kostenrahmens wurden erfuellt. Die Inbetriebnahme ist im Sommer 1998 geplant. Ein zweijaehriges Messprogramm soll nach Inbetriebnahme die Funktion des solar unterstuetzten Nahwaermesystems ueberwachen. (orig.)

  19. Polar solar panels: Arctic and Antarctic microbiomes display similar taxonomic profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanner, Kristie; Martí, Jose Manuel; Belliure, Josabel; Fernández-Méndez, Mar; Molina-Menor, Esther; Peretó, Juli; Porcar, Manuel

    2018-02-01

    Solar panels located on high (Arctic and Antarctic) latitudes combine the harshness of the climate with that of the solar exposure. We report here that these polar solar panels are inhabited by similar microbial communities in taxonomic terms, dominated by Hymenobacter spp., Sphingomonas spp. and Ascomycota. Our results suggest that solar panels, even on high latitudes, can shape a microbial ecosystem adapted to irradiation and desiccation. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Desiccation tolerance in bryophytes: The dehydration and rehydration transcriptomes in the desiccation-tolerant bryophyte Bryum argenteum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Bei; Li, Xiaoshuang; Zhang, Daoyuan; Liang, Yuqing; Yang, Honglan; Chen, Moxian; Zhang, Yuanming; Zhang, Jianhua; Wood, Andrew J

    2017-08-08

    The desiccation tolerant bryophyte Bryum argenteum is an important component of desert biological soil crusts (BSCs) and is emerging as a model system for studying vegetative desiccation tolerance. Here we present and analyze the hydration-dehydration-rehydration transcriptomes in B. argenteum to establish a desiccation-tolerance transcriptomic atlas. B. argenteum gametophores representing five different hydration stages (hydrated (H0), dehydrated for 2 h (D2), 24 h (D24), then rehydrated for 2 h (R2) and 48 h (R48)), were sampled for transcriptome analyses. Illumina high throughput RNA-Seq technology was employed and generated more than 488.46 million reads. An in-house de novo transcriptome assembly optimization pipeline based on Trinity assembler was developed to obtain a reference Hydration-Dehydration-Rehydration (H-D-R) transcriptome comprising of 76,206 transcripts, with an N50 of 2,016 bp and average length of 1,222 bp. Comprehensive transcription factor (TF) annotation discovered 978 TFs in 62 families, among which 404 TFs within 40 families were differentially expressed upon dehydration-rehydration. Pfam term enrichment analysis revealed 172 protein families/domains were significantly associated with the H-D-R cycle and confirmed early rehydration (i.e. the R2 stage) as exhibiting the maximum stress-induced changes in gene expression.

  1. Effect of Tube Diameter on The Design of Heat Exchanger in Solar Drying system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Husham Abdulmalek, Shaymaa; Khalaji Assadi, Morteza; Al-Kayiem, Hussain H.; Gitan, Ali Ahmed

    2018-03-01

    The drying of agriculture product consumes a huge fossil fuel rates that demand to find an alternative source of sustainable environmental friendly energy such as solar energy. This work presents the difference between using solar heat source and electrical heater in terms of design aspect. A circular-finned tube bank heat exchanger is considered against an electrical heater used as a heat generator to regenerate silica gel in solar assisted desiccant drying system. The impact of tube diameter on the heat transfer area was investigated for both the heat exchanger and the electrical heater. The fin performance was investigated by determining fin effectiveness and fin efficiency. A mathematical model was developed using MATLAB to describe the forced convection heat transfer between hot water supplied by evacuated solar collector with 70 °C and ambient air flow over heat exchanger finned tubes. The results revealed that the increasing of tube diameter augments the heat transfer area of both heat exchanger and electrical heater. The highest of fin efficiency was around 0.745 and the lowest was around 0.687 while the fin effectiveness was found to be around 0.998.

  2. Desiccation-crack-induced salinization in deep clay sediment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Baram

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available A study on water infiltration and solute transport in a clayey vadose zone underlying a dairy farm waste source was conducted to assess the impact of desiccation cracks on subsurface evaporation and salinization. The study is based on five years of continuous measurements of the temporal variation in the vadose zone water content and on the chemical and isotopic composition of the sediment and pore water in it. The isotopic composition of water stable isotopes (δ18O and δ2H in water and sediment samples, from the area where desiccation crack networks prevail, indicated subsurface evaporation down to ~ 3.5 m below land surface, and vertical and lateral preferential transport of water, following erratic preferential infiltration events. Chloride (Cl− concentrations in the vadose zone pore water substantially increased with depth, evidence of deep subsurface evaporation and down flushing of concentrated solutions from the evaporation zones during preferential infiltration events. These observations led to development of a desiccation-crack-induced salinization (DCIS conceptual model. DCIS suggests that thermally driven convective air flow in the desiccation cracks induces evaporation and salinization in relatively deep sections of the subsurface. This conceptual model supports previous conceptual models on vadose zone and groundwater salinization in fractured rock in arid environments and extends its validity to clayey soils in semi-arid environments.

  3. A chemical heat pump based on the reaction of calcium chloride and methanol for solar heating, cooling and storage

    Science.gov (United States)

    Offenhartz, P. O.

    1981-03-01

    An engineering development test prototype of the CaCl2-CheOH chemical heat pump was tested. The unit, which has storage capacity in excess of 100,000 BTU, completed over 100 full charge-discharge cycles. Cycling data show that the rate of heat pumping depends strongly on the absorber-evaporator temperature difference. These rates are more than adequate for solar heating or for solar cooling using dry ambient air heat rejection. Performance degradation after 100 cycles, expressed as a contact resistance, was less than 2 C. The heat exchangers showed some warpage due to plastic flow of the salt, producing the contact resistance. The experimental COP for cooling was 0.52, close to the theoretically predicted value.

  4. Theoretical analysis of the performance of different cooling strategies with the concept of cool exergy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kazanci, Ongun Berk; Shukuya, Masanori; Olesen, Bjarne W.

    2016-01-01

    The whole chains of exergy flows for different cooling systems were compared. The effects of cooling demand (internal vs. external solar shading), space cooling method (floor cooling vs. air cooling with ventilation system), and the availability of a nearby natural heat sink (intake air for the v......The whole chains of exergy flows for different cooling systems were compared. The effects of cooling demand (internal vs. external solar shading), space cooling method (floor cooling vs. air cooling with ventilation system), and the availability of a nearby natural heat sink (intake air...... for the ventilation system being outdoor air vs. air from the crawl-space, and air-to-water heat pump vs. ground heat exchanger as cooling source) on system exergy performance were investigated. It is crucial to minimize the cooling demand because it is possible to use a wide range of heat sinks (ground, lake, sea......-water, etc.) and indoor terminal units, only with a minimized demand. The water-based floor cooling system performed better than the air-based cooling system; when an air-to-water heat pump was used as the cooling source, the required exergy input was 28% smaller for the floor cooling system. The auxiliary...

  5. Antistranspirant compounds alleviate the mild-desiccation-induced reduction of vase life in cut roses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fanourakis, D.; Gebraegziabher, Habtamu; Li, Tao; Kambourakis, Emmanouil; Ligoxigakis, Eleftherios K.; Padadimitriou, Michael; Strataridaki, Argiro; Bouranis, Dimitrios; Fiorani, F.; Heuvelink, E.; Ottosen, Carl-Otto

    2016-01-01

    The vase life sensitivity to mild desiccation (12% weight loss) was addressed in rose, together with alleviation possibilities. The postharvest longevity upon arrival or following mild desiccation was determined on eight cultivars, combined with several morpho-physiological traits. Mild desiccation

  6. A novel polygeneration system integrating photovoltaic/thermal collectors, solar assisted heat pump, adsorption chiller and electrical energy storage: Dynamic and energy-economic analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Calise, Francesco; Figaj, Rafal Damian; Vanoli, Laura

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Space heating/cooling, domestic hot water and electrical energy are provided by the system. • Two different users are investigated: fitness center and office. • The influence of the battery system on system economic performance is scarce. • Net metering contract is more profitable compared to simplified purchase/resale arrangement one. - Abstract: In this paper a dynamic simulation model and a thermo-economic analysis of a novel polygeneration system are presented. The system includes photovoltaic/thermal collectors coupled with a solar-assisted heat pump, an adsorption chiller and an electrical energy storage. The modelled plant supplies electrical energy, space heating and cooling and domestic hot water. The produced solar thermal energy is used during the winter to supply the heat pump evaporator, providing the required space heating. In summer, solar thermal energy is used to drive an adsorption chiller providing the required space cooling. All year long, solar thermal energy in excess, with respect to the space heating and cooling demand, is used to produce domestic hot water. The produced electrical energy is self-consumed by both user and system auxiliary equipment and/or supplied to the grid. The system model includes a detailed electrical energy model for user storage and exchange with the grid along with a detailed building model. This study is a continuation of previous works recently presented by the authors. In particular, the present paper focuses on the real electrical demands of several types of users and on the analysis of the comfort of building users. Differently from the works previously published by the authors, the present work bases the calculations on measured electrical demands of real users (fitness center and offices). The system performance is analyzed with two different electricity supply contracts: net metering and simplified purchase/resale arrangement. Daily, weekly and yearly results are presented. Finally, a

  7. Proof-of-Concept Testing of the Passive Cooling System (T-CLIP™) for Solar Thermal Applications at an Elevated Temperature

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Seung Jun [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Applied Engineering and Technology; Quintana, Donald L. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Applied Engineering and Technology; Vigil, Gabrielle M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Applied Engineering and Technology; Perraglio, Martin Juan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Applied Engineering and Technology; Farley, Cory Wayne [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Applied Engineering and Technology; Tafoya, Jose I. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Applied Engineering and Technology; Martinez, Adam L. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Applied Engineering and Technology

    2015-11-30

    The Applied Engineering and Technology-1 group (AET-1) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) conducted the proof-of-concept tests of SolarSPOT LLC’s solar thermal Temperature- Clipper, or T-CLIP™ under controlled thermal conditions using a thermal conditioning unit (TCU) and a custom made environmental chamber. The passive T-CLIP™ is a plumbing apparatus that attaches to a solar thermal collector to limit working fluid temperature and to prevent overheating, since overheating may lead to various accident scenarios. The goal of the current research was to evaluate the ability of the T-CLIP™ to control the working fluid temperature by using its passive cooling mechanism (i.e. thermosiphon, or natural circulation) in a small-scale solar thermal system. The assembled environmental chamber that is thermally controlled with the TCU allows one to simulate the various possible weather conditions, which the solar system will encounter. The performance of the T-CLIP™ was tested at two different target temperatures: 1) room temperature (70 °F) and 2) an elevated temperature (130 °F). The current test campaign demonstrated that the T-CLIP™ was able to prevent overheating by thermosiphon induced cooling in a small-scale solar thermal system. This is an important safety feature in situations where the pump is turned off due to malfunction or power outages.

  8. Open absorption system for cooling and air conditioning using membrane contactors - Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Conde-Petit, M. [M. Conde Engineering, Zuerich (Switzerland); Weber, R.; Dorer, V. [Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA), Duebendorf (Switzerland)

    2008-07-01

    Air conditioning systems based upon the open absorption principle, essentially an absorption device operating at atmospheric pressure, have been proposed and investigated at many instances in the past eighty years. Their potential for improving energy efficiency is clearly recognized in the earliest research reports. By the mid 1950ies, solar thermal energy was being applied to drive open absorption-based air conditioning systems. For several reasons, however, the open absorption technology was not mature enough to take place in the mainstream. In the past two decades, vigorous efforts have been undertaken to reverse this situation, but success continued to elude, despite the fact that the main problems, such as corrosion, aerosols in the supply air, etc., have been identified. This report details the work and the main results from the MemProDEC Project. In this project innovative solutions were proposed, and successfully investigated, for the corrosion problem and the improvement of efficiency of the absorption process, in particular a new method to cool a very compact absorber. The practically uniform flow distribution for all three streams in the absorber (air, water and desiccant) warrants the contact of the air to be dehumidified with the desiccant over the whole surface of exchange (across a porous membrane). This, together with the cooling with water in counter flow to the air, are the key factors for the excellent effectiveness of the absorber. As the results show, the dehydration effectiveness of the prototype absorber is up to 150 % higher than that previously obtained by others. The solutions developed for compactness and modularity represent an important step in the way to flexible manufacturing, i.e. using a single element size to assemble autonomous air handling units of various nominal capacities. And although the manufacturing methods of the individual elements require improvement, namely by avoiding adhesive bonding, the choice of materials and the

  9. Preliminary trajectory design for a solar polar observatory using SEP and multiple gravity assists

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Corpaccioli, L.; Noomen, R.; De Smet, S.; Parker, J.S.; Herman, J.F.C.

    2015-01-01

    Satellite solar observatories have always been of central importance to heliophysics; while there have been numerous such missions, the solar poles have been extremely under-observed. This paper proposes to use low-thrust as well as multiple gravity assists to reach the enormous energies required

  10. Molecular strategies of the Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larva to survive extreme desiccation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cihan Erkut

    Full Text Available Massive water loss is a serious challenge for terrestrial animals, which usually has fatal consequences. However, some organisms have developed means to survive this stress by entering an ametabolic state called anhydrobiosis. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood. We recently showed that Caenorhabditis elegans dauer larva, an arrested stage specialized for survival in adverse conditions, is resistant to severe desiccation. However, this requires a preconditioning step at a mild desiccative environment to prepare the organism for harsher desiccation conditions. A systems approach was used to identify factors that are activated during this preconditioning. Using microarray analysis, proteomics, and bioinformatics, genes, proteins, and biochemical pathways that are upregulated during this process were identified. These pathways were validated via reverse genetics by testing the desiccation tolerances of mutants. These data show that the desiccation response is activated by hygrosensation (sensing the desiccative environment via head neurons. This leads to elimination of reactive oxygen species and xenobiotics, expression of heat shock and intrinsically disordered proteins, polyamine utilization, and induction of fatty acid desaturation pathway. Remarkably, this response is specific and involves a small number of functional pathways, which represent the generic toolkit for anhydrobiosis in plants and animals.

  11. Ink jet assisted metallization for low cost flat plate solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teng, K. F.; Vest, R. W.

    1987-01-01

    Computer-controlled ink-jet-assisted metallization of the front surface of solar cells with metalorganic silver inks offers a maskless alternative method to conventional photolithography and screen printing. This method can provide low cost, fine resolution, reduced process complexity, avoidance of degradation of the p-n junction by firing at lower temperature, and uniform line film on rough surface of solar cells. The metallization process involves belt furnace firing and thermal spiking. With multilayer ink jet printing and firing, solar cells of about 5-6 percent efficiency without antireflection (AR) coating can be produced. With a titanium thin-film underlayer as an adhesion promoter, solar cells of average efficiency 8.08 percent without AR coating can be obtained. This efficiency value is approximately equal to that of thin-film solar cells of the same lot. Problems with regard to lower inorganic content of the inks and contact resistance are noted.

  12. Dry air preservation and corrosion prevention using desiccant dehumidification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tykesson, M.; Ashworth, C.

    1991-01-01

    The preservation and longevity of power station plants is a significant problem, particularly in cold shut down situations for prolonged periods of time, and also in storage of parts prior to installation. Power station protection and equipment preservation using the desiccant method is not new. For many years dehumidification machinery has been employed as a barrier to moisture related degradation. The first rotary desiccant dehumidifiers were installed within the power plant industry in the mid 1960s. Many of these first installations remain in operation today. In order to understand the functioning of a desiccant unit as compared with other air handling systems, it is essential to understand the fundamentals of a psychrometric chart. This article will attempt to give the reader an understanding of the subject. (author)

  13. Evaluation of solar thermal driven cooling system in office buildings in Saudi Arabia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linjawi, Majid T.; Talal, Qazi; Al-Sulaiman, Fahad A.

    2017-11-01

    In this study solar driven absorption chiller is used to reduce the peak cooling load in office buildings in Saudi Arabia for different selected cities. The study is conducted for six cities of Abha, Dhahran, Hail, Jeddah, Nejran and Riyadh under three operating durations of 4, 6, and 8 hours using flat plate or evacuated tube collectors. The energy analysis concluded that flat plate collectors are better than evacuated tube collectors. However, the results from economic analysis suggest that while proposing a gas fired absorption chiller will reduce running costs, further reduction by using solar collectors is not feasible because of its high initial cost. At the best case scenario the Net Present Value of a 10 Ton Absorption chiller operated by natural gas boiler and two large flat plate collectors (12m2 each) running for 8 hours/day, 5days/week has a value of 117,000 and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 12%. Solar driven absorption chiller could be more feasible if the gas prices increases or the solar collector prices decreases significantly. Finally, government economic incentives and taxes are recommended to provide a boost for the feasibility of such projects.

  14. Simulation of the compressor-assisted triple-effect H{sub 2}O/LiBr absorption cooling cycles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jin Soo; Ziegler, F. [Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research, Garching (Germany); Lee, Huen [Korea Advanced Inst. of Science and Technology, Taejon (Korea). Dept. of Chemical Engineering

    2002-03-01

    The construction of a triple-effect absorption cooling machine using the lithium bromide-based working fluid is strongly limited by the corrosion problem caused by the high generator temperature. In this study four compressor-assisted H{sub 2}O/LiBr cooling cycles were suggested to solve the problem by lowering the generator temperature of the basic theoretical triple-effect cycle. Each cycle includes one compressor at a different state point to elevate the pressure of the refrigerant vapor up to a useful condensation temperature. Cycle simulations were carried out to investigate both a basic triple-effect cycle and four compressor-assisted cycles. All types of compressor-assisted cycles were found to be operable with a significantly lowered generator temperature. The temperature decrements increase with elevated compression ratios. This means that, if a part of energy input is changed from heat to mechanical energy, the machine can be operated in a favorable region of generator temperature not to cause corrosion problems. In order to obtain 40 K of generator temperature decrement (from 475.95 K) for all cycles, 3-5% of cooling capacity equivalent mechanical energies were required for operating the compressor. A great advantage of the investigated triple-effect cycles is that the conventionally used H{sub 2}O/LiBr solution can be used as a working fluid without the danger of corrosion or without integrating multiple solution circuits.(author)

  15. Temperature distribution of a hot water storage tank in a simulated solar heating and cooling system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namkoong, D.

    1976-01-01

    A 2,300-liter hot water storage tank was studied under conditions simulating a solar heating and cooling system. The initial condition of the tank, ranging from 37 C at the bottom to 94 C at the top, represented a condition midway through the start-up period of the system. During the five-day test period, the water in the tank gradually rose in temperature but in a manner that diminished its temperature stratification. Stratification was found not to be an important factor in the operation of the particular solar system studied.

  16. Effect of titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) on largely improving solar reflectance and cooling property of high density polyethylene (HDPE) by influencing its crystallization behavior

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Shichao; Zhang, Jun, E-mail: zhangjun@njtech.edu.cn

    2014-12-25

    Highlights: • HDPE/TiO{sub 2} composites have more perfect crystal structure. • Refractive index is the key factor affecting the final solar reflectance. • HDPE/TiO{sub 2} composites can achieve high solar reflectance. • The real cooling property is in accordance with solar reflectance. - Abstract: In this study, the different crystal forms of titanium dioxide (TiO{sub 2}) were added into high density polyethylene (HDPE) to fabricate cool material. Crystal structure, crystallization behavior, crystal morphology were investigated by wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscope (POM). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was applied to observe dispersion of TiO{sub 2} particles in the HDPE matrix and the cross section morphology. The solar reflectance and actual cooling property were evaluated by UV–Vis–NIR spectrometer and a self-designed device. By adding TiO{sub 2} particles into HDPE matrix, the polymer chain could crystallize into more perfect and thermal stable lamella. The presence of TiO{sub 2} particles dramatically increased the number of nucleation site therefore decreased the crystal size. The subsequent solar reflectance was related to the degree of crystallinity, the spherulite size of HDPE, refractive index, and distribution of TiO{sub 2} particles in HDPE matrix. It was found the rutile TiO{sub 2} could largely improve the total solar reflectance from 28.2% to 51.1%. Finally, the temperature test showed that the composites had excellent cooling property, which was in accordance with solar reflectance result.

  17. Investigation of Absorption Cooling Application Powered by Solar Energy in the South Coast Region of Turkey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ozgoren M.

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available In this study, an absorption system using ammonia-water (NH3-H2O solution has been theoretically examined in order to meet the cooling need of a detached building having 150 m2 floor area for Antalya, Mersin and Mugla provinces in Turkey. Hourly dynamic cooling load capacities of the building were determined by using Radiant Time Series (RTS method in the chosen cities. For the analysis, hourly average meteorological data such as atmospheric air temperature and solar radiation belonging to the years 1998-2008 are used for performance prediction of the proposed system. Thermodynamic relations for each component of absorption cooling system is explained and coefficients of performance of the system are calculated. The maximum daily total radiation data were calculated as 7173 W/m2day on July 15, 7277 W/m2 day on July 19 and 7231 W/m2day on July 19 for Mersin, Antalya and Mugla, respectively on the 23° toward to south oriented panels from horizontal surface. The generator operating temperatures are considered between 90-130°C and the best result for 110°C is found the optimum degree for maximum coefficient of performance (COP values at the highest solar radiation occurred time during the considered days for each province. The COP values varies between 0.521 and 0.530 for the provinces. In addition, absorber and condenser capacities and thermal efficiency for the absorption cooling system were calculated. The necessary evacuated tube collector area for the different provinces were found in the range of 45 m2 to 47 m2. It is shown that although the initial investment cost is higher for the proposed absorption cooling system, it is economically feasible because of its lower annual operation costs and can successfully be operated for the considered provinces.

  18. Characteristics of evacuated tubular solar thermal collector as input energy for cooling system at Universitas Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alhamid, M. Idrus; Nasruddin, Aisyah, Nyayu; Sholahudin

    2017-03-01

    This paper discussed the use of solar thermal collector as an input energy for cooling system. The experimental investigation was undertaken to characterize solar collectors that have been integrated with an absorption chiller. About 62 modules of solar collectors connected in series and parallel are placed on the roof top of MRC building. Thermistors were used to measure the fluid temperature at inlet, inside and outlet of each collector, inside the water tank and ambient temperature. Water flow that circulated from the storage was measured by flow meter, while solar radiation was measured by a pyranometer that was mounted parallel to the collector. Experimental data for a data set was collected in March 2016, during the day time hours of 08:00 - 17:00. This data set was used to calculate solar collector efficiency. The results showed that in the maximum solar radiation, the outlet temperature that can be reached is about 78°C, the utilized energy is about 70 kW and solar collector has an efficiency of 64%. While in the minimum solar radiation, the outlet temperature that can be reached is about 53°C, the utilized energy is about 28 kW and solar collector has an efficiency of 43%.

  19. Modeling and Simulation of Thermal Performance of Solar-Assisted Air Conditioning System under Iraq Climate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Najim Abid Jassim

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available In Iraq most of the small buildings deployed a conventional air conditioning technology which typically uses electrically driven compressor systems which exhibits several clear disadvantages such as high energy consumption, high electricity at peak loads. In this work a thermal performance of air conditioning system combined with a solar collector is investigated theoretically. The hybrid air conditioner consists of a semi hermetic compressor, water cooled shell and tube condenser, thermal expansion valve and coil with tank evaporator. The theoretical analysis included a simulation for the solar assisted air-conditioning system using EES software to analyze the effect of different parameters on the power consumption of compressor and the performance of system. The results show that refrigeration capacity is increased from 2.7 kW to 4.4kW, as the evaporating temperature increased from 3 to 18 ºC. Also the power consumption is increased from 0.89 kW to 1.08 kW. So the COP of the system is increased from 3.068 to 4.117. The power consumption is increased from 0.897 kW to 1.031 kW as the condensing temperature increased from 35 ºC to 45 ºC. While the COP is decreased from 3.89 to 3.1. The power consumption is decreased from 1.05 kW to 0.7kW as the solar radiation intensity increased from 300 W/m2 to 1000 W/m2, while the COP is increased from 3.15 to 4.8. A comparison between the simulation and available experimental data showed acceptable agreement.

  20. Surviving metabolic arrest: photosynthesis during desiccation and rehydration in resurrection plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Challabathula, Dinakar; Puthur, Jos T; Bartels, Dorothea

    2016-02-01

    Photosynthesis is the key process that is affected by dehydration in plants. Desiccation-tolerant resurrection plants can survive conditions of very low relative water content. During desiccation, photosynthesis is not operational, but is recovered within a short period after rehydration. While homoiochlorophyllous resurrection plants retain their photosynthetic apparatus during desiccation, poikilochlorophyllous resurrection species dismantle chloroplasts and degrade chlorophyll but resynthesize them again during rehydration. Dismantling the chloroplasts avoids the photooxidative stress in poikilochlorophyllous resurrection plants, whereas it is minimized in homoiochlorophyllous plants through the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes and protective proteins or metabolites. Although the cellular protection mechanisms in both of these species vary, these mechanisms protect cells from desiccation-induced damage and restore photosynthesis upon rehydration. Several of the proteins synthesized during dehydration are localized in chloroplasts and are believed to play major roles in the protection of photosynthetic structures and in recovery in resurrection species. This review focuses on the strategies of resurrection plants in terms of how they protect their photosynthetic apparatus from oxidative stress during desiccation without membrane damage and with full recovery during rehydration. We review the role of the dehydration-induced protection mechanisms in chloroplasts and how photosynthesis is restored during rehydration. © 2015 New York Academy of Sciences.

  1. Parabolic Trough Reference Plant for Cost Modeling with the Solar Advisor Model (SAM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Turchi, C.

    2010-07-01

    This report describes a component-based cost model developed for parabolic trough solar power plants. The cost model was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), assisted by WorleyParsons Group Inc., for use with NREL's Solar Advisor Model (SAM). This report includes an overview and explanation of the model, two summary contract reports from WorleyParsons, and an Excel spreadsheet for use with SAM. The cost study uses a reference plant with a 100-MWe capacity and six hours of thermal energy storage. Wet-cooling and dry-cooling configurations are considered. The spreadsheet includes capital and operating cost by component to allow users to estimate the impact of changes in component costs.

  2. Numerical simulation of a heat pump assisted regenerative solar still with PCM heat storage for cold climates of Kazakhstan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shakir Yessen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A numerical model has been proposed in this work for predicting the energy performances of the heat pump assisted regenerative solar still with phase changing material heat storage under Kazakhstan climates. The numerical model is based on energy and mass balance. A new regenerative heat pump configuration with phase changing material heat storage is proposed to improve the performance. A comparison of results has been made between the conventional solar still and heat pump assisted regenerative solar still with phase changing material. The numerical simulation was performed for wide range of ambient temperatures between -30 and 30°C with wide range of solar intensities between 100 and 900 W/m2. The numerical simulation results showed that heat pump assisted regenerative solar still is more energy efficient and produce better yield when compared to the conventional simple solar still. The influences of solar intensity, ambient temperature, different phase changing materials, heat pump operating temperatures are discussed. The predicted values were found to be in good agreement with experimental results reported in literature.

  3. A comparison of fuel savings in the residential and commercial sectors generated by the installation of solar heating and cooling systems under three tax credit scenarios

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moden, R.

    An analysis of expected energy savings between 1977 and 1980 under three different solar tax credit scenarios is presented. The results were obtained through the solar heating and cooling of buildings (SHACOB) commercialization model. This simulation provides projected savings of conventional fuels through the installation of solar heating and cooling systems on buildings in the residential and commercial sectors. The three scenarios analyzed considered the tax credits contained in the Windfall Profits Tax of April 1980, the National Tax Act of November 1978, and a case where no tax credit is in effect.

  4. A systematic parametric study and feasibility assessment of solar-assisted single-effect, double-effect, and triple-effect absorption chillers for heating and cooling applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirazi, Ali; Taylor, Robert A.; White, Stephen D.; Morrison, Graham L.

    2016-01-01

    Highlights: • TRNSYS simulations of SHC single/multi-effect absorption chillers were conducted. • A detailed parametric study was conducted to find the optimal size of the tank. • The effect of tank heat loss on the performance of the configurations was analyzed. • The effect of beam and diffuse radiation on the solar field size was investigated. • Energy performance and economics of each plant were analyzed in various climates. - Abstract: The present work investigates the feasibility of solar heating and cooling (SHC) absorption systems based on combining three types of LiBr–H_2O absorption chillers (single-, double-, and triple-effect) with common solar thermal collectors available on the market. A single-effect chiller is coupled with evacuated tube collectors (ETCs) – SHC1. A double-effect chiller is integrated with parabolic trough collectors (PTCs), linear Fresnel micro-concentrating collectors (MCTs) and evacuated flat plate collectors (EFPCs) respectively – SHC2, SHC3, and SHC4. PTCs are employed to provide high-temperature heat to a triple-effect absorption chiller (SHC5). Although triple-effect chillers have been around for a while, this paper represents the first system-level analysis of these chillers coupled with high-temperature solar concentrating collectors for air-conditioning applications. A simulation model for each configuration is developed in a transient system simulation environment (TRNSYS 17). Furthermore, a unique, comprehensive perspective is given by investigating the impact of characteristic solar beam radiation to global radiation ratios on the techno-economic performance of the proposed SHC plants for a wide variety of climatic regions worldwide. The results of parametric study suggest that a storage volume of around 70 L/m"2 is a good choice for SHC1, while 40–50 L/m"2 storage capacity is sufficient for the other configurations (SHC2 to SHC5). The simulation results reveal that when the fraction of direct normal

  5. Key genes involved in desiccation tolerance and dormancy across life forms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Costa, M.C.D.; Farrant, Jill M.; Oliver, Melvin J.; Ligterink, Wilco; Buitink, Julia; Hilhorst, H.M.W.

    2016-01-01

    Desiccation tolerance (DT, the ability of certain organisms to survive severe dehydration) was a key trait in the evolution of life in terrestrial environments. Likely, the development of desiccation-tolerant life forms was accompanied by the acquisition of dormancy or a dormancy-like stage as a

  6. Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society solar energy pilot study. First follow-up report, October 1979, pilot country: United States; co-pilot countries: Denmark and France. CCMS report No. 110

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1980-01-01

    During 1973 to 1978, over twenty nations participated in the NATO/CCMS Solar Energy Pilot Study, whose objective was to promote and accelerate the use of solar heating and cooling of buildings. The activities in this information exchange included (1) the regular reporting of national solar heating and cooling programs, (2) the development of a format for reporting the performance of solar heating and cooling systems, (3) the exchange of system performance reports, (4) the establishment of two specialized working groups for solar-assisted low energy dwellings and passive solar applications. At the conclusion of the pilot study in 1978, the participants formulated recommendations for continued action at the international level, as well as for action at the national level. This report describes the progress made in implementing those recommendations. In addition to detailing the steps taken to continue collaboration in various efforts initiated within the Solar Energy Pilot Study, the report contains papers on the 1979 status of the solar heating and cooling programs in seventeen CCMS countries.

  7. Experimental study on direct-contact liquid film cooling simulated dense-array solar cells in high concentrating photovoltaic system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Yiping; Shi, Xusheng; Huang, Qunwu; Cui, Yong; Kang, Xue

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Direct-contact liquid film cooling dense-array solar cells was first proposed. • Average temperature was controlled well below 80 °C. • The maximum temperature difference was less than 10 °C. • The heat transfer coefficient reached up to 11.91 kW/(m"2·K) under 589X. - Abstract: This paper presented a new method of cooling dense-array solar cells in high concentrating photovoltaic system by direct-contact liquid film, and water was used as working fluid. An electric heating plate was designed to simulate the dense-array solar cells in high concentrating photovoltaic system. The input power of electric heating plate simulated the concentration ratios. By heat transfer experiments, the effect of water temperatures and flow rates on heat transfer performance was investigated. The results indicated that: the average temperature of simulated solar cells was controlled well below 80 °C under water temperature of 30 °C and flow rate of 300 L/h when concentration ratio ranged between 300X and 600X. The maximum temperature difference among temperature measurement points was less than 10 °C, which showed the temperature distribution was well uniform. The heat transfer coefficient reached up to 11.91 kW/(m"2·K) under concentration ratio of 589X. To improve heat transfer performance and obtain low average temperature of dense-array solar cells, lower water temperature and suitable water flow rate are preferred.

  8. Heating up the gas cooling market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Watt, G.

    2001-01-01

    Gas cooling is an exciting technology with a potentially bright future. It comprises the production of cooling (and heating) in buildings and industry, by substituting environmentally-friendlier natural gas or LPG over predominantly coal-fired electricity in air conditioning equipment. There are currently four established technologies using gas to provide cooling energy or conditioned air. These are: absorption, both direct gas-fired and utilising hot water or steam; gas engine driven vapour compression (GED); cogeneration, with absorption cooling driven by recovered heat; and desiccant systems. The emergence of gas cooling technologies has been, and remains, one of evolution rather than revolution. However, further development of the technology has had a revolutionary effect on the performance, reliability and consumer acceptability of gas cooling products. Developments from world-renowned manufacturers such as York, Hitachi, Robur and Thermax have produced a range of absorption equipment variously offering: the use of 100 percent environmentally-friendly refrigerants, with zero global warming potential; the ideal utilisation of waste heat from cogeneration systems; a reduction in electrical distribution and stand-by generation capacity; long product life expectancy; far less noise and vibration; performance efficiency maintained down to about 20 percent of load capacity; and highly automated and low-cost maintenance. It is expected that hybrid systems, that is a mixture of gas and electric cooling technologies, will dominate the future market, reflecting the uncertainty in the electricity market and the prospects of stable future gas prices

  9. Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess.) O. Berg seed desiccation: influence on vigor and nucleic acids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dresch, Daiane M; Masetto, Tathiana E; Scalon, Silvana P Q

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of Campomanesia adamantium seeds to desiccation by drying in activated silica gel (fast) and under laboratory conditions (slow). To assess the sensitivity of the seeds to desiccation, we used drying with silica gel and drying under laboratory conditions (25 °C), in order to obtain seeds with moisture content of 45, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5%. The physiological potential of the seeds after desiccation was evaluated by measuring primary root protrusion, percentage of normal seedlings, germination seed index, seedling length, total seedling dry mass, electrical conductivity and DNA and RNA integrities. The C. adamantium seeds were sensitive to desiccation and to a reduction in moisture content to 21.1% or less by desiccation using silica gel, and to 17.2% or less by desiccation under laboratory conditions; impairment of the physiological potential of the seeds was observed at these low moisture content levels. The integrity of the seed genomic DNA was not affected after drying seeds in the two methods. However, drying in silica gel to 4.5% moisture content and drying under laboratory conditions to 5.4% moisture content resulted in the loss of seed RNA integrity.

  10. Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess. O. Berg seed desiccation: influence on vigor and nucleic acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DAIANE M. DRESCH

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of Campomanesia adamantium seeds to desiccation by drying in activated silica gel (fast and under laboratory conditions (slow. To assess the sensitivity of the seeds to desiccation, we used drying with silica gel and drying under laboratory conditions (25 °C, in order to obtain seeds with moisture content of 45, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5%. The physiological potential of the seeds after desiccation was evaluated by measuring primary root protrusion, percentage of normal seedlings, germination seed index, seedling length, total seedling dry mass, electrical conductivity and DNA and RNA integrities. The C. adamantium seeds were sensitive to desiccation and to a reduction in moisture content to 21.1% or less by desiccation using silica gel, and to 17.2% or less by desiccation under laboratory conditions; impairment of the physiological potential of the seeds was observed at these low moisture content levels. The integrity of the seed genomic DNA was not affected after drying seeds in the two methods. However, drying in silica gel to 4.5% moisture content and drying under laboratory conditions to 5.4% moisture content resulted in the loss of seed RNA integrity.

  11. Molecular mechanisms of desiccation tolerance in the resurrection glacial relic Haberlea rhodopensis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gechev, Tsanko S.; Benina, Maria; Obata, Toshihiro; Tohge, Takayuki; Sujeeth, Neerakkal; Minkov, Ivan; Hille, Jacques; Temanni, Mohamed-Ramzi; Marriott, Andrew S.; Bergstrom, Ed; Thomas-Oates, Jane; Antonio, Carla; Mueller-Roeber, Bernd; Schippers, Jos H. M.; Fernie, Alisdair R.; Toneva, Valentina

    Haberlea rhodopensis is a resurrection plant with remarkable tolerance to desiccation. Haberlea exposed to drought stress, desiccation, and subsequent rehydration showed no signs of damage or severe oxidative stress compared to untreated control plants. Transcriptome analysis by next-generation

  12. Triple-bore hollow fiber membrane contactor for liquid desiccant based air dehumidification

    KAUST Repository

    Bettahalli Narasimha, Murthy Srivatsa; Lefers, Ryan; Fedoroff, Nina V.; Leiknes, TorOve; Nunes, Suzana Pereira

    2016-01-01

    the potential for desiccant carryover to the air and the potential for contamination of the liquid desiccant by dust and other airborne materials, as well as minimizing corrosion. However, the expected additional mass transport barrier of the membrane surface

  13. Desiccation resistance: effect of cuticular hydrocarbons and water content in Drosophila melanogaster adults

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Francois Ferveur

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background The insect cuticle covers the whole body and all appendages and has bi-directionnal selective permeability: it protects against environmental stress and pathogen infection and also helps to reduce water loss. The adult cuticle is often associated with a superficial layer of fatty acid-derived molecules such as waxes and long chain hydrocarbons that prevent rapid dehydration. The waterproofing properties of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHs depend on their chain length and desaturation number. Drosophila CH biosynthesis involves an enzymatic pathway including several elongase and desaturase enzymes. Methods The link between desiccation resistance and CH profile remains unclear, so we tested (1 experimentally selected desiccation-resistant lines, (2 transgenic flies with altered desaturase expression and (3 natural and laboratory-induced CH variants. We also explored the possible relationship between desiccation resistance, relative water content and fecundity in females. Results We found that increased desiccation resistance is linked with the increased proportion of desaturated CHs, but not with their total amount. Experimentally-induced desiccation resistance and CH variation both remained stable after many generations without selection. Conversely, flies with a higher water content and a lower proportion of desaturated CHs showed reduced desiccation resistance. This was also the case in flies with defective desaturase expression in the fat body. Discussion We conclude that rapidly acquired desiccation resistance, depending on both CH profile and water content, can remain stable without selection in a humid environment. These three phenotypes, which might be expected to show a simple relationship, turn out to have complex physiological and genetic links.

  14. An active cooling system for photovoltaic modules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teo, H.G.; Lee, P.S.; Hawlader, M.N.A.

    2012-01-01

    The electrical efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) cell is adversely affected by the significant increase of cell operating temperature during absorption of solar radiation. A hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar system was designed, fabricated and experimentally investigated in this work. To actively cool the PV cells, a parallel array of ducts with inlet/outlet manifold designed for uniform airflow distribution was attached to the back of the PV panel. Experiments were performed with and without active cooling. A linear trend between the efficiency and temperature was found. Without active cooling, the temperature of the module was high and solar cells can only achieve an efficiency of 8–9%. However, when the module was operated under active cooling condition, the temperature dropped significantly leading to an increase in efficiency of solar cells to between 12% and 14%. A heat transfer simulation model was developed to compare to the actual temperature profile of PV module and good agreement between the simulation and experimental results is obtained.

  15. Onderzoeksrapportage duurzaam koelen : EOS Renewable Cooling

    OpenAIRE

    Broeze, J.; Sluis, van der, S.; Wissink, E.

    2010-01-01

    For reducing energy use for cooling, alternative methods (that do not rely on electricity) are needed. Renewable cooling is based on naturally available resources such as evaporative cooling, free cooling, phase change materials, ground subcooling, solar cooling, wind cooling, night radiation & storage. The project was aimed to create innovative combinations of these renewable cooling technologies and sophisticated control systems, to design renewable climate systems for various applicati...

  16. Solar heating and cooling system with absorption chiller and low temperature latent heat storage: Energetic performance and operational experience

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Helm, M.; Keil, C.; Hiebler, S.; Mehling, H.; Schweigler, C. [Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research (ZAE Bayern) (Germany)

    2009-06-15

    Absorption cooling systems based on water/lithium bromide (LiBr) solution typically require an open wet cooling tower to transfer the reject heat to the ambient. Yet, water consumption, the need for water make-up and cleaning, formation of fog, and the risk of Legionella bacteria growth are hindering factors for the implementation of small solar cooling systems. The application of a latent heat storage supporting the heat rejection of the absorption chiller in conjunction with a dry cooling system allows eliminating the wet cooling tower. By that means heat rejection of the chiller is shifted to periods with lower ambient temperatures, i.e. night time or off-peak hours. The system concept and the hydraulic scheme together with an analysis of the energetic performance of the system are presented, followed by a report on the operation of a first pilot installation. (author)

  17. Market assessment for active solar heating and cooling products. Category B: a survey of decision-makers in the HVAC marketplace. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    None

    1980-09-01

    A comprehensive evaluation of the market for solar heating and cooling products for new and retrofit markets is reported. The emphasis is on the analysis of solar knowledge among HVAC decision makers and a comprehensive evaluation of their solar attitudes and behavior. The data from each of the following sectors are described and analyzed: residential consumers, organizational and manufacturing buildings, HVAC engineers and architects, builders/developers, and commercial/institutional segments. (MHR)

  18. Experimental and theoretical analysis of a hybrid solar thermoelectric generator with forced convection cooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sundarraj, Pradeepkumar; Taylor, Robert A.; Banerjee, Debosmita; Maity, Dipak; Sinha Roy, Susanta

    2017-01-01

    Hybrid solar thermoelectric generators (HSTEGs) have garnered significant research attention recently due to their potential ability to cogenerate heat and electricity. In this paper, theoretical and experimental investigations of the electrical and thermal performance of a HSTEG system are reported. In order to validate the theoretical model, a laboratory scale HSTEG system (based on forced convection cooling) is developed. The HSTEG consists of six thermoelectric generator modules, an electrical heater, and a stainless steel cooling block. Our experimental analysis shows that the HSTEG is capable of producing a maximum electrical power output of 4.7 W, an electrical efficiency of 1.2% and thermal efficiency of 61% for an average temperature difference of 92 °C across the TEG modules with a heater power input of 382 W. These experimental results of the HSTEG system are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical prediction. This experimental/theoretical analysis can also serve as a guide for evaluating the performance of the HSTEG system with forced convection cooling.

  19. Feasibility study of using agriculture waste as desiccant for air conditioning system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khedari, J.; Rawangkul, R.; Hirunlabh, J. [King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok (Thailand). Buidling Scientific Research Center; Chimchavee, W. [University of Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok (Thailand); Watanasungsuit, A. [South East Asia Univ., Bangkok (Thailand). Engineering Management

    2003-08-01

    This research was aimed at investigating the feasibility of using dried agricultural waste as desiccant for an open cycle air conditioning system. The natural fibers are, therefore, intended to replace chemical desiccant such as silica gel, molecular sieves etc. The investigation was limited to Coconut coir (Cocos nucifera) and Durian peels (Durio zibethinus). Experimental results confirmed that dry coconut coir and durian peel can absorb 30 g and 17 g H{sub 2}O per 100 g dry product, respectively, from air at the average condition of 32{sup o}C and 75% relative humidity. The optimum airflow rate is about 84 and 98 m{sup 3}/hr-100 g dry product, respectively. Therefore, the dry coconut coir is more suitable than the dry durian peel. Comparison between the dry coconut coir and silica gel showed that the average adsorption rate of coconut coir is less than that of silica gel by about 5 g/h-100 g dry product at an airflow rate of 84 m{sup 3}/h and 60 min operating time. However, it is still an interesting option to replace silica gel in open cycle air conditioning system, as the decrease of average adsorption rate is rather small. The other extremely interesting advantage of coconut coir is that during moisture absorption the heat generated during the process is less important. That means the air leaves the coconut coir bed at a lower temperature compared to that with a silica gel. Therefore, the saving of cooling energy is much more important. (Author)

  20. Freezing and desiccation tolerance in entomopathogenic nematodes: diversity and correlation of traits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro-Ilan, David I; Brown, Ian; Lewis, Edwin E

    2014-03-01

    The ability of entomopathogenic nematodes to tolerate environmental stress such as desiccating or freezing conditions, can contribute significantly to biocontrol efficacy. Thus, in selecting which nematode to use in a particular biocontrol program, it is important to be able to predict which strain or species to use in target areas where environmental stress is expected. Our objectives were to (i) compare inter- and intraspecific variation in freeze and desiccation tolerance among a broad array of entomopathogenic nematodes, and (ii) determine if freeze and desiccation tolerance are correlated. In laboratory studies we compared nematodes at two levels of relative humidity (RH) (97% and 85%) and exposure periods (24 and 48 h), and nematodes were exposed to freezing temperatures (-2°C) for 6 or 24 h. To assess interspecific variation, we compared ten species including seven that are of current or recent commercial interest: Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (VS), H. floridensis, H. georgiana, (Kesha), H. indica (HOM1), H. megidis (UK211), Steinernema carpocapsae (All), S. feltiae (SN), S. glaseri (VS), S. rarum (17C&E), and S. riobrave (355). To assess intraspecific variation we compared five strains of H. bacteriophora (Baine, Fl1-1, Hb, Oswego, and VS) and four strains of S. carpocapsae (All, Cxrd, DD136, and Sal), and S. riobrave (355, 38b, 7-12, and TP). S. carpocapsae exhibited the highest level of desiccation tolerance among species followed by S. feltiae and S. rarum; the heterorhabditid species exhibited the least desiccation tolerance and S. riobrave and S. glaseri were intermediate. No intraspecific variation was observed in desiccation tolerance; S. carpocapsae strains showed higher tolerance than all H. bacteriophora or S. riobrave strains yet there was no difference detected within species. In interspecies comparisons, poor freeze tolerance was observed in H. indica, and S. glaseri, S. rarum, and S. riobrave whereas H. georgiana and S. feltiae exhibited the

  1. Effect of Water Content Components on Desiccation and Recovery in Sphagnum Mosses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hájek, Tomáš; Beckett, Richard P.

    2008-01-01

    Background and Aims The basic parameters of water relations were measured in Sphagnum mosses. The relationships of these parameters to the photosynthetic response to desiccation and the ecology of these mosses were then tested. Methods The water relations parameters of six Sphagnum species (mosses typical of wet habitats) and Atrichum androgynum (a moss more typical of mesophytic conditions) were calculated from pressure–volume isotherms. Photosynthetic properties during and after moderate desiccation were monitored by chlorophyll fluorescence. Key Results When desiccated, the hummock-forming species S. fuscum and S. magellanicum lost more water before turgor started dropping than other sphagna inhabiting less exposed habitats (73 % compared with 56 % on average). Osmotic potentials at full turgor were similar in all species, with an average value of −1·1 MPa. Hummock sphagna had clearly more rigid cell walls than species of wet habitats (ε = 3·55 compared with 1·93 MPa). As a result, their chlorophyllous cells lost turgor at higher relative water contents (RWCs) than species of wet habitats (0·61 compared with 0·46) and at less negative osmotic potentials (–2·28 compared with −3·00 MPa). During drying, ΦPSII started declining earlier in hummock species (at an RWC of 0·65 compared with 0·44), and Fv/Fm behaved similarly. Compared with other species, hummock sphagna desiccated to −20 or −40 MPa recovered more completely after rehydration. Atrichum androgynum responded to desiccation similarly to hummock sphagna, suggesting that their desiccation tolerance may have a similar physiological basis. Conclusions Assuming a fixed rate of desiccation, the higher water-holding capacities of hummock sphagna will allow them to continue metabolism for longer than other species. While this could be viewed as a form of ‘desiccation avoidance’, hummock species also recover faster than other species during rehydration, suggesting that they have higher

  2. Double utilization of the roof. 'Solar green roofs' - the advantages are in the combination; Das Dach zweifach nutzen. 'SolarGruenDaecher - die Vorteile liegen in der Kombination

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mann, Gunter

    2013-06-01

    Air conditioners cooling with solar energy have already existed for a long time. The core principles are adsorption chillers, absorption chillers and DEC chillers. However, these chillers are relatively expensive compared to air conditioners in compression technology and therefore not often used in the mass market. Since January 2013, Sedna Aire Europe GmbH (Dortmund, Federal Republic of Germany) offers solar-assisted air-conditioners that cost the same as commercial non-solar comparable equipment and enable significant cost savings from the first year. In addition, these air-conditioners are designed as heat pumps, which can be heated.

  3. Biosentinel: Improving Desiccation Tolerance of Yeast Biosensors for Deep-Space Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalal, Sawan; Santa Maria, Sergio R.; Liddell, Lauren; Bhattacharya, Sharmila

    2017-01-01

    BioSentinel is one of 13 secondary payloads to be deployed on Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) in 2019. We will use the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a biosensor to determine how deep-space radiation affects living organisms and to potentially quantify radiation levels through radiation damage analysis. Radiation can damage DNA through double strand breaks (DSBs), which can normally be repaired by homologous recombination. Two yeast strains will be air-dried and stored in microfluidic cards within the payload: a wild-type control strain and a radiation sensitive rad51 mutant that is deficient in DSB repairs. Throughout the mission, the microfluidic cards will be rehydrated with growth medium and an indicator dye. Growth rates of each strain will be measured through LED detection of the reduction of the indicator dye, which correlates with DNA repair and the amount of radiation damage accumulated. Results from BioSentinel will be compared to analog experiments on the ISS and on Earth. It is well known that desiccation can damage yeast cells and decrease viability over time. We performed a screen for desiccation-tolerant rad51 strains. We selected 20 re-isolates of rad51 and ran a weekly screen for desiccation-tolerant mutants for five weeks. Our data shows that viability decreases over time, confirming previous research findings. Isolates L2, L5 and L14 indicate desiccation tolerance and are candidates for whole-genome sequencing. More time is needed to determine whether a specific strain is truly desiccation tolerant. Furthermore, we conducted an intracellular trehalose assay to test how intracellular trehalose concentrations affect or protect the mutant strains against desiccation stress. S. cerevisiae cell and reagent concentrations from a previously established intracellular trehalose protocol did not yield significant absorbance measurements, so we tested varying cell and reagent concentrations and determined proper concentrations for successful

  4. Moss antheridia are desiccation tolerant: Rehydration dynamics influence sperm release in Bryum argenteum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stark, Lloyd R; McLetchie, D Nicholas; Greenwood, Joshua L; Eppley, Sarah M

    2016-05-01

    Free-living sperm of mosses are known to be partially desiccation tolerant. We hypothesized that mature moss antheridia should also tolerate desiccation and that rehydration to partial turgor (prehydration) or rehydration to full turgor (rehydration) before immersion in water is required for full recovery from any damaging effects of prior desiccation. Bryum argenteum (silvery-thread moss) was grown in continuous culture for several months, produced mature perigonia (clusters of antheridia), and these were subjected to a slow rate of drying (∼36 h from full turgor to desiccation) and equilibration with 50% relative humidity. Perigonia were prehydrated (exposed to a saturated atmosphere) or rehydrated (planted upright in saturated media) for 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, and 1440 min, then immersed in sterile water. Time to first sperm mass release, number of antheridia releasing sperm masses, and the integrity of the first sperm mass released were assessed. Rehydration of dried antheridia for at least 3 h before immersion in water resulted in antheridia functioning similar to control undried antheridia. Compared with rehydration, prehydration was not effective in the recovery of antheridia from desiccation. For the first time, moss antheridia are shown to be fully desiccation tolerant at a functional level, capable of releasing fully functional sperm following a slow drying event provided the antheridia are allowed to rehydrate at least 3 h before immersion in water. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

  5. Improvement of embryogenesis and regeneration by air desiccation in maize (zea mays l.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morshed, S.; Siddique, B.; Islam, S.M.S.

    2016-01-01

    Calli derived from mature embryos of four maize varieties viz. Mohar, Khoi bhutta, Barnali and Shuvra were cultured in three basal media for regeneration (MS, N6 and 6N1) which individually supplemented with four hormonal combinations e.g. H1 = BAP 0.5 mg/l + IAA 0.0 mg/l, H2 = BAP 1.0 mg/l + IAA 0.5 mg/l, H3 = BAP 1.5 mg/l + IAA 1.0 mg/l and H4 = BAP 2.0 mg/l + IAA 1.5 mg/l. The highest frequency of regeneration was found with MS + H2 (41.35%) in Mohar, while the lowest was 17.37% in 6N1 + H1 for Barnali. To enhance the capability of regeneration, calli were pretreated by ten groups (6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54 and 60 h) of desiccation periods. The degrees of desiccation of pretreated calli were determined; and it was ranged as 6.23 to 40.52% where Khoi bhutta showed the maximum value at 60 h desiccation. The callus of Mohar exhibited the highest frequency of regeneration (75.24%) which desiccated for 48 h; and it was around 2 fold higher than the control. The variety Khoi bhutta showed the lowest efficiency (31.80%) when the callus was desiccated for 6 h. All the varieties performed their maximum regeneration at different periods, where 36, 30 and 42 h desiccation were optimal for Barnali (67.23%), Khoi bhutta (68.03%) and Shuvra (73.98%) accordingly. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant effect of maize genotype and periods of partial air desiccation to enhance regeneration at p<0.05 level. (author)

  6. Data acquisition and analysis of passive solar cooling effects by storage of out door air in the middle of the night; Shin'ya gaiki chikurei ni yoru shizen reibo koka no jissoku to kaiseki

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Inagaki, H.; Kasutani, A. [Komazawa Womens Junior College, Tokyo (Japan); Koizumi, H.

    1998-12-05

    Passive cooling by storing coolness of out door air in the middle of the night in rock bed is realized by air type solar system without any additional equipment. The advantage of the passive cooling is confirmed with measuring performance of the passive cooling effect of air type solar system equipped in our Komazawa Womens Junior College last year. (author)

  7. Chemical desiccation for early harvest in soybean cultivars

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamara Pereira

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The use of desiccants is an alternative to anticipate the soybean harvest and keep the physiological quality of seed. The objective of this work was to assess the production performance and germination seeds in response to differents stages and desiccation chemicals products to early harvest of soybean cultivars. The experiment was conducted in Campos Novos, in two harvests, it was used a randomized complete block design disposed in split-split-plots. Two phenological stages of application (stage R7.1 and R7.3 were tested in the main plot. Five soybean cultivars (NA 5909 RG, CD 2585 RR, BMX Turbo RR, SYN 1059 RR and BENSO 1RR were evaluated in the subplots, and three desiccants ammonium glufosinate, paraquat, carfentrazone-ethyl in the 2011/12 season and one control (without the desiccant application were evaluated in the sub-subplots. In the 2012/13 season the carfentrazone-ethyl was substituted by diquat. It were evaluated the number of the days in the early harvest, yield, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, mass of 100 seeds and germination percentage. The chemical dessecation with the use of glufosinate ammonium and paraquat applied in R7.1 stage allowed to anticipate the harvest in six days (2011/12 and provided maintenance germination percentage (90% and 92% compared to control (76%. The dessecation didn’t influence negatively on seeds productivity, but reduced the mass of seeds in the two growing seasons, and early harvest was dependent of pre-harvest rain absence, with this preamble. The use of dessicants is a possibility of early harvest in production field of soybean seeds.

  8. Desiccation: An environmental and food industry stress that bacteria commonly face.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esbelin, Julia; Santos, Tiago; Hébraud, Michel

    2018-02-01

    Water is essential for all living organisms, for animals as well as for plants and micro-organisms. For these latter, the presence of water or a humid environment with a high air relative humidity (RH) is necessary for their survival and growth. Thus, variations in the availability of water or in the air relative humidity constitute widespread environmental stresses which challenge microorganisms, and especially bacteria. Indeed, in their direct environment, bacteria are often faced with conditions that remove cell-bound water through air-drying of the atmosphere. Bacterial cells are subject to daily or seasonal environmental variations, sometimes going through periods of severe desiccation. This is also the case in the food industry, where air dehumidification treatments are applied after the daily cleaning-disinfection procedures. In plants producing low-water activity products, it is also usual to significantly reduce or eliminate water usage. Periodic desiccation exposure affects bacteria viability and so they require strategies to persist. Negative effects of desiccation are wide ranging and include direct cellular damage but also changes in the biochemical and biophysical properties of cells for which planktonic cells are more exposed than cells in biofilm. Understanding the mechanisms of desiccation adaptation and tolerance has a biological and biotechnological interest. This review gives an overview of the factors influencing desiccation tolerance and the biological mechanisms involved in this stress response. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Clay with Desiccation Cracks is an Advection Dominated Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baram, S.; Kurtzman, D.; Sher, Y.; Ronen, Z.; Dahan, O.

    2012-04-01

    Heavy clay sediments are regarded "safe" from the hydrological point of view due to their low hydraulic conductivities. However, the formation of desiccation cracks in dispersive clays may dramatically change their bulk hydraulic properties. The impact of desiccation cracks on water percolation, dissolved salts and contaminants transport and redox related reactions (microbial ammonium oxidation and denitrification) were investigated in 6 -12 m clay layer near a diary farm waste lagoon. The study implemented unique vadose-zone monitoring systems that enable in-situ measurements of the temporal variation of the sediment's water content along with frequent sampling of the sediment's pore water along the entire vadose zone (> 30 m). Results from four years of continuous measurements showed quick rises in sediment water content following rain events and temporal wastewater overflows. The percolation pattern indicated dominance of preferential flow through a desiccation-cracks network crossing the entire clay sediment layer. High water-propagation velocities (0.4 - 23.6 m h-1) were observed, indicating that the desiccation-crack network remains open and serves as a preferential flow pathway year-round, even at high sediment water content (~0.50 m3 m-3). The rapid percolation bypassed the most bio-geo-active parts of the soil, transporting even highly sorptive contaminants (testosterone and estrogen) in to the deep sections of the vadose zone, accelerating the underlying groundwater contamination. The ammonium and nitrate concentrations in the vadose zone and the high number of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria (~108 gene copies gdry-sediemt-1, each) found in the sediment indicated that the entire vadose zone is aerated even at high water content conditions (~0.55 m3 m-3). The dissolved salts concentration in the pore-water and the δ2H-H2O and δ18O-H2O values of the pore-water substantially increased with depth (becoming less depleted) in the clay sediment

  10. Cover Your Cough! A Short and Simple Activity to Demonstrate the Antimicrobial Effect of Desiccation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Cook Easterwood

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Many undergraduate microbiology laboratory manuals include exercises demonstrating the antimicrobial effects of physical agents, such as UV light and heat, and chemical agents, such as disinfectants and antibiotics (3, 4. There is, however, a lack of exercises examining the effects of desiccation on bacterial growth and survival. This particular form of antimicrobial control is especially relevant today with an increased emphasis on coughing and sneezing into one’s sleeve or a tissue, where microbes will not contaminate hands and will eventually desiccate and die (2. Desiccation can have bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects depending on the species, the material on which the organism has desiccated, and the length of time. The absence of water can damage many cellular components, including enzymes, nucleic acids, and cell membranes (1. However, many prokaryotes have some degree of resistance to desiccation, with Escherichia coli surviving around 24 hours and Bacillus species surviving upwards of 300 years, though these numbers can vary due to a number of confounding factors (5. Some of these factors include the method by which desiccation occurred, whether desiccation occurred in a natural or laboratory situation, and the species itself (5. To address the effects of desiccation on bacterial growth and survival, a short, simple exercise was developed. By inoculating various materials with bacterial cultures and allowing them to air-dry for 24 hours, students can visualize the effects of desiccation by analyzing the growth, or lack thereof, when organisms are transferred to nutrient agar plates. This exercise has been used in a health professions microbiology course as well as a microbiology course for biology and biochemistry majors. It is short enough to be conducted during a standard lecture period or during a longer laboratory period in conjunction with other experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of physical agents on microbial

  11. Theoretical energy and exergy analyses of solar assisted heat pump space heating system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atmaca Ibrahim

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to use of alternative energy sources and energy efficient operation, heat pumps come into prominence in recent years. Especially in solar-assisted heat pumps, sizing the required system is difficult and arduous task in order to provide optimum working conditions. Therefore, in this study solar assisted indirect expanded heat pump space heating system is simulated and the results of the simulation are compared with available experimental data in the literature in order to present reliability of the model. Solar radiation values in the selected region are estimated with the simulation. The case study is applied and simulation results are given for Antalya, Turkey. Collector type and storage tank capacity effects on the consumed power of the compressor, COP of the heat pump and the overall system are estimated with the simulation, depending on the radiation data, collector surface area and the heating capacity of the space. Exergy analysis is also performed with the simulation and irreversibility, improvement potentials and exergy efficiencies of the heat pump and system components are estimated.

  12. Variation of structures of ingredients of desiccated coconut during hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid at low temperature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jian XIONG

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Owing to the high content of lignocellulose, desiccated coconut become a healthy material for dietary fiber supplementation. In this study, the changes in solubility of the fibers of desiccated coconut were evaluated. The changes of the pHs and weight losses were studied. Furthermore, variations of the ingredient structures of desiccated coconut by hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, X-ray diffraction (XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM. After hydrolysis 30 s, the pHs of all systems increased, while six hours later, the pH of only system with initial pH = 1.00 decreased. The decline of pH only existed in hydrolysis systems with initial pH = 1.00, there is no relevant with the quantities of desiccated coconut. The lower initial pH of hydrolysis system was, the less the intrinsic viscosity of the desiccated coconut after hydrolysis was, the small the crystallinity was. After hydrolysis, the microstructure of the desiccated coconut become looser, and the secondary structure of the coconut protein became more stable and ordered. The results suggest that the hydrolysis of desiccated coconut mainly occurred in the branched chain and the non-crystalline region of lignocellulose, which transforms some insoluble dietary fiber into soluble dietary fiber. This improves the nutritional value of desiccated coconut.

  13. Performance evaluation on cool roofs for green remodeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Yosun; Cho, Dongwoo; Cho, Kyungjoo

    2018-06-01

    Cool roofs refer that maximize heat emission, and minimize the absorption of solar radiation energy, by applying high solar reflectance paints, or materials to roofs or rooftops. The application of cool roofs to existing buildings does not need to take structural issues into consideration, as rooftop greening, is an alternative that can be applied to existing buildings easily. This study installed a cool roofs on existing buildings, and evaluated the performances, using the results to propose certification standards for green remodeling, considering the cool roof-related standards.

  14. Mushroom drying with solar assisted heat pump system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Şevik, Seyfi; Aktaş, Mustafa; Doğan, Hikmet; Koçak, Saim

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: • Experimental investigation of a simple and cost effective solar assisted heat pump system. • Developing of a computer program for a drying system with different scenarios by using PLC. • Obtained less energy input with high coefficients of performance of system and more quality products. • Determination of mushroom drying properties such as moisture content, moisture ratio and drying ratio. - Abstract: In this study, a simple and cost effective solar assisted heat pump system (SAHP) with flat plate collectors and a water source heat pump has been proposed. Mushroom drying was examined experimentally in the drying system. Solar energy (SE) system and heat pump (HP) system can be used separately or together. A computer program has been developed for the system. Drying air temperature, relative humidity, weight of product values, etc. were monitored and controlled with different scenarios by using PLC. This system is cheap, good quality and sustainable and it is modeled for good quality product and increased efficiency. Thus, products could be dried with less energy input and more controlled conditions. Mushrooms were dried at 45 °C and 55 °C drying air temperature and 310 kg/h mass flow rate. Mushrooms were dried from initial moisture content 13.24 g water/g dry matter (dry basis) to final moisture content 0.07 g water/g dry matter (dry basis). Mushrooms were dried by using HP system, SE system and SAHP system respectively at 250–220 min, at 270–165 min and at 230–190 min. The coefficients of performance of system (COP) are calculated in a range from 2.1 to 3.1 with respect to the results of experiments. The energy utilization ratios (EURs) were found to vary between 0.42 and 0.66. Specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) values were found to vary between 0.26 and 0.92 kg/kW h

  15. Deep Vadose Zone Treatability Test for the Hanford Central Plateau. Interim Post-Desiccation Monitoring Results, Fiscal Year 2015

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Truex, Michael J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Strickland, Christopher E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Oostrom, Martinus [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Johnson, Christian D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Tartakovsky, Guzel D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Johnson, Timothy C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Clayton, Ray E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Chronister, Glen B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2015-09-01

    A field test of desiccation is being conducted as an element of the Deep Vadose Zone Treatability Test Program. The active desiccation portion of the test has been completed. Monitoring data have been collected at the field test site during the post-desiccation period and are reported herein. This is an interim data summary report that includes about 4 years of post-desiccation monitoring data. The DOE field test plan proscribes a total of 5 years of post-desiccation monitoring.

  16. Desiccation tolerance in seeds and plants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dias Costa, M.C.

    2016-01-01

    The interest of research groups in desiccation tolerance (DT) has increased substantially over the last decades. The emergence of germinated orthodox seeds and resurrection plants as main research models has pushed the limits of our knowledge beyond boundaries. At the same time, new questions and

  17. Plasmon-Assisted Efficiency Enhancement of Eu3+-Doped Tellurite Glass-Covered Solar Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lima, Bismarck C.; Gómez-Malagón, L. A.; Gomes, A. S. L.; Garcia, J. A. M.; Kassab, L. R. P.

    2017-12-01

    Rare-earth-doped tellurite glass containing metallic nanoparticles can be exploited to manage the solar spectrum in order to increase solar cell efficiency. It is therefore possible to modify the incident solar spectrum profile to the spectrum that optimizes the solar cell recombination process by covering the solar cell with plasmonic luminescent downshifting layers. With this approach, the losses due to thermalization are minimized and the efficiency is increased. Due to the down-conversion process that couples the plasmon resonance of the metallic nanoparticles and the rare-earth electronic energy levels, it is possible to convert photons from the ultraviolet region to the visible and near-band-gap region of the semiconductor. It is demonstrated here that plasmon-assisted efficiency enhancements of 14.0% and 34.5% can be obtained for commercial Si and GaP solar cells, respectively, covered with Eu3+-doped TeO2-ZnO glass containing silver nanoparticles.

  18. Shrinkage-reducing admixtures and early-age desiccation in cement pastes and mortars

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bentz, D. P.; Geiker, Mette Rica; Hansen, Kurt Kielsgaard

    2001-01-01

    Fundamental studies of the early-age desiccation of cement-based materials with and without a shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA) have been performed. Studies have been conducted under both sealed and drying conditions. Physical measurements include mass loss, surface tension, X-ray absorption to ...... to low w/c ratio concretes undergoing self-desiccation, in addition to their normal usage to reduce drying shrinkage.......Fundamental studies of the early-age desiccation of cement-based materials with and without a shrinkage-reducing admixture (SRA) have been performed. Studies have been conducted under both sealed and drying conditions. Physical measurements include mass loss, surface tension, X-ray absorption...

  19. Solar cells for Bolivia. Two project supported by the Dutch Ministry of Development Assistance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hassing, P.; Rijssenbeek, W.; De Winter, J.

    1998-01-01

    Since 1992 the Netherlands Development Assistance (NEDA) supports the energy sector in Bolivia, South-America. Next to support on the policy level demonstration projects in the field of renewable energy are financed successfully. Two solar energy projects form the start of a broad introduction of Solar Home Systems in rural areas of Bolivia. The main obstacle is the financing of the plans. 3 refs

  20. Radiative Cooling: Principles, Progress, and Potentials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hossain, Md. Muntasir

    2016-01-01

    The recent progress on radiative cooling reveals its potential for applications in highly efficient passive cooling. This approach utilizes the maximized emission of infrared thermal radiation through the atmospheric window for releasing heat and minimized absorption of incoming atmospheric radiation. These simultaneous processes can lead to a device temperature substantially below the ambient temperature. Although the application of radiative cooling for nighttime cooling was demonstrated a few decades ago, significant cooling under direct sunlight has been achieved only recently, indicating its potential as a practical passive cooler during the day. In this article, the basic principles of radiative cooling and its performance characteristics for nonradiative contributions, solar radiation, and atmospheric conditions are discussed. The recent advancements over the traditional approaches and their material and structural characteristics are outlined. The key characteristics of the thermal radiators and solar reflectors of the current state‐of‐the‐art radiative coolers are evaluated and their benchmarks are remarked for the peak cooling ability. The scopes for further improvements on radiative cooling efficiency for optimized device characteristics are also theoretically estimated. PMID:27812478

  1. Enhancing the solar still using immersion type water heater productivity and the effect of external cooling fan in winter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Garni, Ahmed Z.

    2012-01-01

    In the present work an attempt is made to enhance the of double slope solar still productivity by an immersion type water heater using. The effect of using an external fan to cool the glass surface is also examined. Experiments were carried out for winter season in Saudi Arabian climatic conditions at latitude 26 degree N. A solar still with 35 degree glass slope angle is chosen in our study. Since the yield of a solar still is more for low water depths, the water level in the base tank was maintained at 1 cm. The experimental results showed that the productivity increased by a significant 370% when two water heaters each having 500 W capacities was used. When external cooling fan was used the productivity was found to decrease by 4 % and 8% for wind speeds of 7 m/s and 9 m/s respectively. Thermal modeling was also done by the heat and mass transfer relations using, and then numerical simulations were carried out to validate with the experimental results. A good agreement between experimental and numerical results was found. The present study is partial implementation of two patents submitted in this field. (authors)

  2. [Desiccation tolerance in seeds of Prosopisferox and Pterogyne nitens (Fabaceae)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morandini, Marcelo Nahuel; Giamminola, Eugenia Mabel; de Viana, Marta Leonor

    2013-03-01

    The high number of endemisms and species diversity together with the accelerated biodiversity loss by deforestation, especially in North Western Argentina, points out the need to work on species conservation combining ex situ and in situ strategies. The aim of this work was to study the desiccation tolerance in seeds of P ferox and P nitens for long term ex situ conservation at the Germplasm Bank of Native Species (BGEN) of the National University of Salta (Argentina). The fruits were collected from ten individuals in P ferox at the National Park Los Cardones and from two sites (Orán and Rivadavia) for P nitens. Desiccation tolerance was assessed following previous established methodologies. The moisture content (MC) of the seeds was determined by keeping them in oven at 103 degreeC and weighting the samples at different intervals till constant weight. Germination essays were carried out with two treatments (control and scarification), with different seed MC (fresh, 10-12%, 3-5%) and in desiccated seeds (3-5% MC) stored six months at -20 degreeC. The MC in P ferox seeds was 14.2% and 10% in P nitens, for both populations studied. Percentage germination in P ferox was higher in the scarification treatments (<82%). The difference between treatments increased with the reduction in MC and the storage for six months at -20 degreeC. Fresh seeds of P nitens do not need scarification treatment, but it is required with the reduction in MC and storage. Mean germination percentage of desiccated seeds stored six months at -20 degreeC was similar in both populations and greater than 82%.We concluded that both species are probably orthodox because seeds tolerated desiccation to 3-5% and storage for six months at -20 degree C.

  3. Simulation of an active cooling system for photovoltaic modules

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdelhakim, Lotfi

    2016-01-01

    Photovoltaic cells are devices that convert solar radiation directly into electricity. However, solar radiation increases the photovoltaic cells temperature [1] [2]. The temperature has an influence on the degradation of the cell efficiency and the lifetime of a PV cell. This work reports on a water cooling technique for photovoltaic panel, whereby the cooling system was placed at the front surface of the cells to dissipate excess heat away and to block unwanted radiation. By using water as a cooling medium for the photovoltaic solar cells, the overheating of closed panel is greatly reduced without prejudicing luminosity. The water also acts as a filter to remove a portion of solar spectrum in the infrared band but allows transmission of the visible spectrum most useful for the PV operation. To improve the cooling system efficiency and electrical efficiency, uniform flow rate among the cooling system is required to ensure uniform distribution of the operating temperature of the PV cells. The aims of this study are to develop a 3D thermal model to simulate the cooling and heat transfer in Photovoltaic panel and to recommend a cooling technique for the PV panel. The velocity, pressure and temperature distribution of the three-dimensional flow across the cooling block were determined using the commercial package, Fluent. The second objective of this work is to study the influence of the geometrical dimensions of the panel, water mass flow rate and water inlet temperature on the flow distribution and the solar panel temperature. The results obtained by the model are compared with experimental results from testing the prototype of the cooling device.

  4. Simulation of an active cooling system for photovoltaic modules

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abdelhakim, Lotfi [Széchenyi István University of Applied Sciences, Department of Mathematics, P.O.Box 701, H-9007 Győr (Hungary)

    2016-06-08

    Photovoltaic cells are devices that convert solar radiation directly into electricity. However, solar radiation increases the photovoltaic cells temperature [1] [2]. The temperature has an influence on the degradation of the cell efficiency and the lifetime of a PV cell. This work reports on a water cooling technique for photovoltaic panel, whereby the cooling system was placed at the front surface of the cells to dissipate excess heat away and to block unwanted radiation. By using water as a cooling medium for the photovoltaic solar cells, the overheating of closed panel is greatly reduced without prejudicing luminosity. The water also acts as a filter to remove a portion of solar spectrum in the infrared band but allows transmission of the visible spectrum most useful for the PV operation. To improve the cooling system efficiency and electrical efficiency, uniform flow rate among the cooling system is required to ensure uniform distribution of the operating temperature of the PV cells. The aims of this study are to develop a 3D thermal model to simulate the cooling and heat transfer in Photovoltaic panel and to recommend a cooling technique for the PV panel. The velocity, pressure and temperature distribution of the three-dimensional flow across the cooling block were determined using the commercial package, Fluent. The second objective of this work is to study the influence of the geometrical dimensions of the panel, water mass flow rate and water inlet temperature on the flow distribution and the solar panel temperature. The results obtained by the model are compared with experimental results from testing the prototype of the cooling device.

  5. Formulation and validation of a two-dimensional steady-state model of desiccant wheels

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bellemo, Lorenzo; Elmegaard, Brian; Kærn, Martin R.

    2015-01-01

    Desiccant wheels are rotary desiccant dehumidifiers used in air-conditioning and drying applications. The modeling of simultaneous heat and mass transfer in these components is crucial for estimating their performances, as well as for simulating and optimizing their implementation in complete...

  6. Compatible bacterial mixture, tolerant to desiccation, improves maize plant growth.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molina-Romero, Dalia; Baez, Antonino; Quintero-Hernández, Verónica; Castañeda-Lucio, Miguel; Fuentes-Ramírez, Luis Ernesto; Bustillos-Cristales, María Del Rocío; Rodríguez-Andrade, Osvaldo; Morales-García, Yolanda Elizabeth; Munive, Antonio; Muñoz-Rojas, Jesús

    2017-01-01

    Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) increase plant growth and crop productivity. The inoculation of plants with a bacterial mixture (consortium) apparently provides greater benefits to plant growth than inoculation with a single bacterial strain. In the present work, a bacterial consortium was formulated containing four compatible and desiccation-tolerant strains with potential as PGPR. The formulation had one moderately (Pseudomonas putida KT2440) and three highly desiccation-tolerant (Sphingomonas sp. OF178, Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 and Acinetobacter sp. EMM02) strains. The four bacterial strains were able to adhere to seeds and colonize the rhizosphere of plants when applied in both mono-inoculation and multi-inoculation treatments, showing that they can also coexist without antagonistic effects in association with plants. The effects of the bacterial consortium on the growth of blue maize were evaluated. Seeds inoculated with either individual bacterial strains or the bacterial consortium were subjected to two experimental conditions before sowing: normal hydration or desiccation. In general, inoculation with the bacterial consortium increased the shoot and root dry weight, plant height and plant diameter compared to the non-inoculated control or mono-inoculation treatments. The bacterial consortium formulated in this work had greater benefits for blue maize plants even when the inoculated seeds underwent desiccation stress before germination, making this formulation attractive for future field applications.

  7. Compatible bacterial mixture, tolerant to desiccation, improves maize plant growth.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dalia Molina-Romero

    Full Text Available Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR increase plant growth and crop productivity. The inoculation of plants with a bacterial mixture (consortium apparently provides greater benefits to plant growth than inoculation with a single bacterial strain. In the present work, a bacterial consortium was formulated containing four compatible and desiccation-tolerant strains with potential as PGPR. The formulation had one moderately (Pseudomonas putida KT2440 and three highly desiccation-tolerant (Sphingomonas sp. OF178, Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 and Acinetobacter sp. EMM02 strains. The four bacterial strains were able to adhere to seeds and colonize the rhizosphere of plants when applied in both mono-inoculation and multi-inoculation treatments, showing that they can also coexist without antagonistic effects in association with plants. The effects of the bacterial consortium on the growth of blue maize were evaluated. Seeds inoculated with either individual bacterial strains or the bacterial consortium were subjected to two experimental conditions before sowing: normal hydration or desiccation. In general, inoculation with the bacterial consortium increased the shoot and root dry weight, plant height and plant diameter compared to the non-inoculated control or mono-inoculation treatments. The bacterial consortium formulated in this work had greater benefits for blue maize plants even when the inoculated seeds underwent desiccation stress before germination, making this formulation attractive for future field applications.

  8. Survival of methanogens during desiccation: implications for life on Mars.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendrick, Michael G; Kral, Timothy A

    2006-08-01

    The relatively recent discoveries that liquid water likely existed on the surface of past Mars and that methane currently exists in the martian atmosphere have fueled the possibility of extant or extinct life on Mars. One possible explanation for the existence of the methane would be the presence of methanogens in the subsurface. Methanogens are microorganisms in the domain Archaea that can metabolize molecular hydrogen as an energy source and carbon dioxide as a carbon source and produce methane. One factor of importance is the arid nature of Mars, at least at the surface. If one is to assume that life exists below the surface, then based on the only example of life that we know, liquid water must be present. Realistically, however, that liquid water may be seasonal just as it is at some locations on our home planet. Here we report on research designed to determine how long certain species of methanogens can survive desiccation on a Mars soil simulant, JSC Mars-1. Methanogenic cells were grown on JSC Mars-1, transferred to a desiccator within a Coy anaerobic environmental chamber, and maintained there for varying time periods. Following removal from the desiccator and rehydration, gas chromatographic measurements of methane indicated survival for varying time periods. Methanosarcina barkeri survived desiccation for 10 days, while Methanobacterium formicicum and Methanothermobacter wolfeii were able to survive for 25 days.

  9. Preliminary design package for solar collector and solar pump

    Science.gov (United States)

    1978-01-01

    A solar-operated pump using an existing solar collector, for use on solar heating and cooling and hot water systems is described. Preliminary design criteria of the collector and solar-powered pump is given including: design drawings, verification plans, and hazard analysis.

  10. Energy savings potential of a hybrid desiccant dehumidification air conditioning system in Beirut

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghali, Kamel

    2008-01-01

    In this work, the transient performance of a hybrid desiccant vapor compression air conditioning system is numerically simulated for the ambient conditions of Beirut. The main feature of this hybrid system is that the regenerative heat needed by the desiccant wheel is partly supplied by the condenser dissipated heat while the rest is supplied by an auxiliary gas heater. The hybrid air conditioning system of the present study replaces a 23 kW vapor compression unit for a typical office in Beirut characterized by a high latent load. The vapor compression subsystem size in the hybrid air conditioning system is reduced to 15 kW at the peak load when the regeneration temperature was fixed at 75 deg. C. Also the sensible heat ratio of the combined hybrid system increased from 0.47 to 0.73. Based on hour by hour simulation studies for a wide range of recorded ambient conditions of Beirut city, this paper predicts the annual energy consumption of the hybrid system in comparison with the conventional vapor compression system for the entire cooling season. The annual running costs savings for the hybrid system is 418.39 USD for a gas cost price of 0.141 USD/kg. The pay back period of the hybrid system is less than five years when the initial cost of the hybrid air conditioning system priced an additional 1712.00 USD. Hence, for a 20-year life cycle, the life cycle savings of the hybrid air conditioning system are 4295.19 USD

  11. Differential gene expression in Pyropia columbina (Bangiales, Rhodophyta under natural hydration and desiccation conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loretto Contreras-Porcia

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available In rocky shores, desiccation is triggered by daily tide changes, and experimental evidence suggests that local distribution of algal species across the intertidal rocky zone is related to their capacity to tolerate desiccation. In this context, the permanence of Pyropia columbina in the high intertidal rocky zone is explained by its exceptional physiological tolerance to desiccation. This study explored the metabolic pathways involved in tolerance to desiccation in the Chilean P. columbina, by characterizing its transcriptome under contrasting conditions of hydration. We obtained 1,410 ESTs from two subtracted cDNA libraries in naturally hydrated and desiccated fronds. Results indicate that transcriptome from both libraries contain transcripts from diverse metabolic pathways related to tolerance. Among the transcripts differentially expressed, 15% appears involved in protein synthesis, processing and degradation, 14.4% are related to photosynthesis and chloroplast, 13.1% to respiration and mitochondrial function (NADH dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase proteins, 10.6% to cell wall metabolism, and 7.5% are involved in antioxidant activity, chaperone and defense factors (catalase, thioredoxin, heat shock proteins, cytochrome P450. Both libraries highlight the presence of genes/proteins never described before in algae. This information provides the first molecular work regarding desiccation tolerance in P. columbina, and helps, to some extent, explaining the classical patterns of ecological distribution described for algae across the intertidal zone.

  12. Multi-criteria decision analysis of concentrated solar power with thermal energy storage and dry cooling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klein, Sharon J W

    2013-12-17

    Decisions about energy backup and cooling options for parabolic trough (PT) concentrated solar power have technical, economic, and environmental implications. Although PT development has increased rapidly in recent years, energy policies do not address backup or cooling option requirements, and very few studies directly compare the diverse implications of these options. This is the first study to compare the annual capacity factor, levelized cost of energy (LCOE), water consumption, land use, and life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of PT with different backup options (minimal backup (MB), thermal energy storage (TES), and fossil fuel backup (FF)) and different cooling options (wet (WC) and dry (DC). Multicriteria decision analysis was used with five preference scenarios to identify the highest-scoring energy backup-cooling combination for each preference scenario. MB-WC had the highest score in the Economic and Climate Change-Economy scenarios, while FF-DC and FF-WC had the highest scores in the Equal and Availability scenarios, respectively. TES-DC had the highest score for the Environmental scenario. DC was ranked 1-3 in all preference scenarios. Direct comparisons between GHG emissions and LCOE and between GHG emissions and land use suggest a preference for TES if backup is require for PT plants to compete with baseload generators.

  13. Cool roofs with high solar reflectance for the welfare of dairy farming animals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santunione, G.; Libbra, A.; Muscio, A.

    2017-01-01

    Ensuring livestock welfare in dairy farming promotes the production capacity of the animals in terms of both quantity and quality. In welfare conditions, the animals can produce at their full potential. For the dairy cattle the most debilitating period of the year is summer, when the stress arising from overheating induces physiological alterations that compromise the animals’ productivity. In this study, the summer discomfort of dairy animals is primarily quantified and the production loss is quantified versus the Temperature Humidity Index (THI), which correlates the values of temperature and relative humidity to the thermal stress. In order to reduce or eliminate such thermal stress, it is then proposed to coat the roof of the stables with a paint having high solar reflectance and thermal emittance, that is a cool roof product. This type of roofing solution can considerably limit the overheating of stables caused by solar radiation, thus providing a positive impact on the animals’ welfare and improving significantly their productivity in summer.

  14. Cool roofs with high solar reflectance for the welfare of dairy farming animals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santunione, G; Libbra, A; Muscio, A

    2017-01-01

    Ensuring livestock welfare in dairy farming promotes the production capacity of the animals in terms of both quantity and quality. In welfare conditions, the animals can produce at their full potential. For the dairy cattle the most debilitating period of the year is summer, when the stress arising from overheating induces physiological alterations that compromise the animals’ productivity. In this study, the summer discomfort of dairy animals is primarily quantified and the production loss is quantified versus the Temperature Humidity Index (THI), which correlates the values of temperature and relative humidity to the thermal stress. In order to reduce or eliminate such thermal stress, it is then proposed to coat the roof of the stables with a paint having high solar reflectance and thermal emittance, that is a cool roof product. This type of roofing solution can considerably limit the overheating of stables caused by solar radiation, thus providing a positive impact on the animals’ welfare and improving significantly their productivity in summer. (paper)

  15. Identification of proteins involved in desiccation tolerance in the red seaweed Pyropia orbicularis (Rhodophyta, Bangiales).

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Cristoffanini, Camilo; Zapata, Javier; Gaillard, Fanny; Potin, Philippe; Correa, Juan A; Contreras-Porcia, Loretto

    2015-12-01

    Extreme reduction in cellular water content leads to desiccation, which, if persistent, affects the physiology of organisms, mainly through oxidative stress. Some organisms are highly tolerant to desiccation, including resurrection plants and certain intertidal seaweeds. One such species is Pyropia orbicularis, a rhodophycean that colonizes upper intertidal zones along the Chilean coast. Despite long, daily periods of air exposure due to tides, this alga is highly tolerant to desiccation. The present study examined the proteome of P. orbicularis by 2DE and LC-MS/MS analyses to determine the proteins associated with desiccation tolerance (DT). The results showed that, under natural conditions, there were significant changes in the protein profile during low tide as compared to naturally hydrated plants at high tide. These changes were mainly in newly appeared proteins spots such as chaperones, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and manganese superoxide dismutase, among others. Previously undescribed proteins under desiccation conditions included phycobiliproteins, glyoxalase I, and phosphomannomutase. These changes evidenced that several physiological responses involved in DT are activated during low tide, including decreased photosynthetic activity, increased antioxidant capacity, and the preservation of cell physiology by regulating water content, cell wall structure, and cell volume. Similar responses have been observed in resurrection plants and bryophytes exposed to desiccation. Therefore, the coordinated activation of different desiccation tolerance pathways in P. orbicularis could explain the successful biological performance of this seaweed in the upper intertidal rocky zones. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Heat of Fusion Storage with High Solar Fraction for Solar Low Energy Buildings

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schultz, Jørgen Munthe; Furbo, Simon

    The paper presents the results of a theoretical investigation of use of phase change materials (PCM’s) with active use of super cooling as a measure for obtaining partly heat loss free seasonal storages for solar combi-systems with 100% coverage of the energy demand of both space heating and dome......The paper presents the results of a theoretical investigation of use of phase change materials (PCM’s) with active use of super cooling as a measure for obtaining partly heat loss free seasonal storages for solar combi-systems with 100% coverage of the energy demand of both space heating...... and domestic hot water. The work is part of the IEA Solar Heating & Cooling Programme Task 32 “Advanced Storage Concepts for Solar Buildings”. The investigations are based on a newly developed TRNSYS type for simulation of a PCM-storage with controlled super-cooling. The super-cooling makes it possible to let...... storage parts already melted to cool down to surrounding temperature without solidification in which state that part of the storage will be heat loss free but still will hold the latent heat in form of the heat of fusion. At the time of energy demand the solidification of the super-cooled storage part...

  17. Efficient Solar-Thermal Energy Harvest Driven by Interfacial Plasmonic Heating-Assisted Evaporation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Chao; Yang, Chao; Liu, Yanming; Tao, Peng; Song, Chengyi; Shang, Wen; Wu, Jianbo; Deng, Tao

    2016-09-07

    The plasmonic heating effect of noble nanoparticles has recently received tremendous attention for various important applications. Herein, we report the utilization of interfacial plasmonic heating-assisted evaporation for efficient and facile solar-thermal energy harvest. An airlaid paper-supported gold nanoparticle thin film was placed at the thermal energy conversion region within a sealed chamber to convert solar energy into thermal energy. The generated thermal energy instantly vaporizes the water underneath into hot vapors that quickly diffuse to the thermal energy release region of the chamber to condense into liquids and release the collected thermal energy. The condensed water automatically flows back to the thermal energy conversion region under the capillary force from the hydrophilic copper mesh. Such an approach simultaneously realizes efficient solar-to-thermal energy conversion and rapid transportation of converted thermal energy to target application terminals. Compared to conventional external photothermal conversion design, the solar-thermal harvesting device driven by the internal plasmonic heating effect has reduced the overall thermal resistance by more than 50% and has demonstrated more than 25% improvement of solar water heating efficiency.

  18. Influence of cooling rate in planar thermally assisted magnetic random access memory: Improved writeability due to spin-transfer-torque influence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chavent, A.; Ducruet, C.; Portemont, C.; Creuzet, C.; Alvarez-Hérault, J.; Vila, L.; Sousa, R. C.; Prejbeanu, I. L.; Dieny, B.

    2015-01-01

    This paper investigates the effect of a controlled cooling rate on magnetic field reversal assisted by spin transfer torque (STT) in thermally assisted magnetic random access memory. By using a gradual linear decrease of the voltage at the end of the write pulse, the STT decays more slowly or at least at the same rate as the temperature. This condition is necessary to make sure that the storage layer magnetization remains in the desired written direction during cooling of the cell. The influence of the write current pulse decay rate was investigated on two exchange biased synthetic ferrimagnet (SyF) electrodes. For a NiFe based electrode, a significant improvement in writing reproducibility was observed using a gradual linear voltage transition. The write error rate decreases by a factor of 10 when increasing the write pulse fall-time from ∼3 ns to 70 ns. For comparison, a second CoFe/NiFe based electrode was also reversed by magnetic field assisted by STT. In this case, no difference between sharp and linear write pulse fall shape was observed. We attribute this observation to the higher thermal stability of the CoFe/NiFe electrode during cooling. In real-time measurements of the magnetization reversal, it was found that Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) coupling in the SyF electrode vanishes for the highest pulse voltages that were used due to the high temperature reached during write. As a result, during the cooling phase, the final state is reached through a spin-flop transition of the SyF storage layer

  19. Performance investigation of a solar-assisted direct contact membrane distillation system

    KAUST Repository

    Kim, Youngdeuk

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a solar-assisted direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) system with novel energy recovery concepts for a continuous 24-h-a-day operation. A temperature modulating scheme is introduced to the solar-thermal system that supplies feed seawater to the DCMD modules. This scheme attenuates extreme temperature fluctuations of the feed water by storing the collected energy during solar-peak hours and reutilizing it throughout the day. Thus, the energy savings is realized yet the feed seawater temperature is maintained within the desired range. Additionally, the system employs heat recovery from the permeate and brine streams to the feed seawater. The simulations for such a system with a shell-and-tube type DCMD modules are carried out to examine the spatial property variations and the sensitivity of system performance (i.e., transmembrane pressure, permeate flux and performance ratio) to the operating conditions (inlet temperature and flow rate) and the fiber dimensions (fiber length and packing density). It is found that there are trade-offs between mean permeate flux and performance ratio with respect to permeate inlet temperature and flow rate and between total distillate production and performance ratio with respect to packing density. For the solar-assisted DCMD system having evacuated-tube collectors of 3360m2 with 160m3 seawater storage tanks and 50 DCMD modules, the annual solar fraction and the collector efficiency are found to be 77% and 53%, respectively, whilst the overall permeate production capacity is 31m3/day. The overall specific thermal energy consumption of the DCMD system with heat recovery is found to be 436kWh/m3 and it is about 43% lower as compared to the system without heat recovery. It is observed that the specific thermal energy consumption decreases significantly by 55% with increased collector area from 1983m2 to 3360m2 whereas the specific electrical energy consumption increases slightly by 16%. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

  20. Mass transfer performance comparison of two commonly used liquid desiccants: LiBr and LiCl aqueous solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, X.H.; Yi, X.Q.; Jiang, Y.

    2011-01-01

    Mass transfer performance of two commonly used liquid desiccants, LiBr aqueous solution and LiCl aqueous solution, is compared in this paper on the basis of the same solution temperature and surface vapor pressure. According to the analysis of the analytical solutions of heat and mass transfer processes, the key performance influencing factors are heat capacity ratio of air to desiccant m * and mass transfer unit NTU m . The heat capacities of the two liquid desiccants are about the same at same volumetric flow rate, and LiBr solution has higher density and smaller specific heat capacity. The variance of mass transfer unit with different operating conditions and liquid desiccants are derived based on the experimental results. In the condition of the same desiccant mass flow rate, the dehumidification performance of LiCl solution is better, and the regeneration performance of LiBr solution is a little better or almost the same as that of LiCl solution. In the condition of the same desiccant volumetric flow rate, the dehumidification performance of LiCl solution is a little better or about the same compared with LiBr solution, and the regeneration performance of LiBr solution is better. The COPs of the liquid desiccant systems using these two desiccants are similar; while LiCl solution costs 18% lower than LiBr solution at current Chinese price.

  1. Experimental study on mass transfer performances of cross flow dehumidifier using liquid desiccant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, X.H.; Zhang, Y.; Qu, K.Y.; Jiang, Y.

    2006-01-01

    The liquid desiccant air conditioning system is drawing more and more attention due to its advantages in energy saving and environmental friendliness. The dehumidifier is one of the essential parts of the system, which affects the whole system performance severely. This paper experimentally studies the performance of the cross flow dehumidifier, which has been less studied than the counter flow dehumidifier, although it is more applicable in practice. Celdek structured packings were used in the dehumidifier, and a LiBr aqueous solution was used as the liquid desiccant. The moisture removal rate and dehumidifier effectiveness were adopted as the dehumidifier performance indices. The effects of the dehumidifier inlet parameters, including air and desiccant flow rates, air inlet temperature and humidity ratio and desiccant inlet temperature and concentration, on the two indices were investigated. Correlations are proposed to predict the cross flow dehumidifier performance, which give results in good agreement with the present experimental findings

  2. What distinguishes cyanobacteria able to revive after desiccation from those that cannot: the genome aspect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murik, Omer; Oren, Nadav; Shotland, Yoram; Raanan, Hagai; Treves, Haim; Kedem, Isaac; Keren, Nir; Hagemann, Martin; Pade, Nadin; Kaplan, Aaron

    2017-02-01

    Filamentous cyanobacteria are the main founders and primary producers in biological desert soil crusts (BSCs) and are likely equipped to cope with one of the harshest environmental conditions on earth including daily hydration/dehydration cycles, high irradiance and extreme temperatures. Here, we resolved and report on the genome sequence of Leptolyngbya ohadii, an important constituent of the BSC. Comparative genomics identified a set of genes present in desiccation-tolerant but not in dehydration-sensitive cyanobacteria. RT qPCR analyses showed that the transcript abundance of many of them is upregulated during desiccation in L. ohadii. In addition, we identified genes where the orthologs detected in desiccation-tolerant cyanobacteria differs substantially from that found in desiccation-sensitive cells. We present two examples, treS and fbpA (encoding trehalose synthase and fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase respectively) where, in addition to the orthologs present in the desiccation-sensitive strains, the resistant cyanobacteria also possess genes with different predicted structures. We show that in both cases the two orthologs are transcribed during controlled dehydration of L. ohadii and discuss the genetic basis for the acclimation of cyanobacteria to the desiccation conditions in desert BSC. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Standard Practice for Laboratory Screening of Metallic Containment Materials for Use With Liquids in Solar Heating and Cooling Systems

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    1980-01-01

    1.1 This practice covers several laboratory test procedures for evaluating corrosion performance of metallic containment materials under conditions similar to those that may occur in solar heating and cooling systems. All test results relate to the performance of the metallic containment material only as a part of a metal/fluid pair. Performance in these laboratory test procedures, taken by itself, does not necessarily constitute an adequate basis for acceptance or rejection of a particular metal/fluid pair in solar heating and cooling systems, either in general or in a particular design. This practice is not intended to preclude the use of other screening tests, particularly when those tests are designed to more closely simulate field service conditions. 1.2 This practice describes apparatus and procedures for several tests, any one or more of which may be used to evaluate the deterioration of the metallic containment material in a metal/fluid pair. The procedures are designed to permit simulation, heating...

  4. Magnetic reconnection in the low solar chromosphere with a more realistic radiative cooling model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ni, Lei; Lukin, Vyacheslav S.; Murphy, Nicholas A.; Lin, Jun

    2018-04-01

    Magnetic reconnection is the most likely mechanism responsible for the high temperature events that are observed in strongly magnetized locations around the temperature minimum in the low solar chromosphere. This work improves upon our previous work [Ni et al., Astrophys. J. 852, 95 (2018)] by using a more realistic radiative cooling model computed from the OPACITY project and the CHIANTI database. We find that the rate of ionization of the neutral component of the plasma is still faster than recombination within the current sheet region. For low β plasmas, the ionized and neutral fluid flows are well-coupled throughout the reconnection region resembling the single-fluid Sweet-Parker model dynamics. Decoupling of the ion and neutral inflows appears in the higher β case with β0=1.46 , which leads to a reconnection rate about three times faster than the rate predicted by the Sweet-Parker model. In all cases, the plasma temperature increases with time inside the current sheet, and the maximum value is above 2 ×104 K when the reconnection magnetic field strength is greater than 500 G. While the more realistic radiative cooling model does not result in qualitative changes of the characteristics of magnetic reconnection, it is necessary for studying the variations of the plasma temperature and ionization fraction inside current sheets in strongly magnetized regions of the low solar atmosphere. It is also important for studying energy conversion during the magnetic reconnection process when the hydrogen-dominated plasma approaches full ionization.

  5. Desiccation stress and tolerance in green algae: consequences for ultrastructure, physiological and molecular mechanisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzinger, Andreas; Karsten, Ulf

    2013-01-01

    Although most green algae typically occur in aquatic ecosystems, many species also live partly or permanently under aeroterrestrial conditions, where the cells are exposed to the atmosphere and hence regularly experience dehydration. The ability of algal cells to survive in an air-dried state is termed desiccation tolerance. The mechanisms involved in desiccation tolerance of green algae are still poorly understood, and hence the aim of this review is to summarize recent findings on the effects of desiccation and osmotic water loss. Starting from structural changes, physiological, and biochemical consequences of desiccation will be addressed in different green-algal lineages. The available data clearly indicate a range of strategies, which are rather different in streptophycean and non-streptophycean green algae. While members of the Trebouxiophyceae exhibit effective water loss-prevention mechanisms based on the biosynthesis and accumulation of particular organic osmolytes such as polyols, these compounds are so far not reported in representatives of the Streptophyta. In members of the Streptophyta such as Klebsormidium, the most striking observation is the appearance of cross-walls in desiccated samples, which are strongly undulating, suggesting a high degree of mechanical flexibility. This aids in maintaining structural integrity in the dried state and allows the cell to maintain turgor pressure for a prolonged period of time during the dehydration process. Physiological strategies in aeroterrestrial green algae generally include a rapid reduction of photosynthesis during desiccation, but also a rather quick recovery after rewetting, whereas aquatic species are sensitive to drying. The underlying mechanisms such as the affected molecular components of the photosynthetic machinery are poorly understood in green algae. Therefore, modern approaches based on transcriptomics, proteomics, and/or metabolomics are urgently needed to better understand the molecular

  6. Efficacy of Metarhizium anisopliae isolate MAX-2 from Shangri-la, China under desiccation stress

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background Metarhizium anisopliae, a soil-borne entomopathogen found worldwide, is an interesting fungus for biological control. However, its efficacy in the fields is significantly affected by environmental conditions, particularly moisture. To overcome the weakness of Metarhizium and determine its isolates with antistress capacity, the efficacies of four M. anisopliae isolates, which were collected from arid regions of Yunnan Province in China during the dry season, were determined at different moisture levels, and the efficacy of the isolate MAX-2 from Shangri-la under desiccation stress was evaluated at low moisture level. Results M. anisopliae isolates MAX-2, MAC-6, MAL-1, and MAQ-28 showed gradient descent efficacies against sterile Tenebrio molitor larvae, and gradient descent capacities against desiccation with the decrease in moisture levels. The efficacy of MAX-2 showed no significant differences at 35% moisture level than those of the other isolates. However, significant differences were found at 8% to 30% moisture levels. The efficacies of all isolates decreased with the decrease in moisture levels. MAX-2 was relatively less affected by desiccation stress. Its efficacy was almost unaffected by the decrease at moisture levels > 25%, but slowly decreased at moisture levels molitor larvae under desiccation stress and in wet microhabitat. Local black patches were found on the cuticles of the insects, and the cadavers dried without fungal growth under desiccation stress. However, dark black internodes and fungal growth were found after death of the insects in the wet microhabitat. Conclusions MAX-2 showed significantly higher efficacy and superior antistress capacity than the other isolates under desiccation stress. The infection of sterile T. molitor larvae at low moisture level constituted a valid laboratory bioassay system in evaluating M. anisopliae efficacy under desiccation stress. PMID:24383424

  7. Efficacy of Metarhizium anisopliae isolate MAX-2 from Shangri-la, China under desiccation stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zi-Hong; Xu, Ling; Yang, Feng-lian; Ji, Guang-Hai; Yang, Jing; Wang, Jian-Yun

    2014-01-03

    Metarhizium anisopliae, a soil-borne entomopathogen found worldwide, is an interesting fungus for biological control. However, its efficacy in the fields is significantly affected by environmental conditions, particularly moisture. To overcome the weakness of Metarhizium and determine its isolates with antistress capacity, the efficacies of four M. anisopliae isolates, which were collected from arid regions of Yunnan Province in China during the dry season, were determined at different moisture levels, and the efficacy of the isolate MAX-2 from Shangri-la under desiccation stress was evaluated at low moisture level. M. anisopliae isolates MAX-2, MAC-6, MAL-1, and MAQ-28 showed gradient descent efficacies against sterile Tenebrio molitor larvae, and gradient descent capacities against desiccation with the decrease in moisture levels. The efficacy of MAX-2 showed no significant differences at 35% moisture level than those of the other isolates. However, significant differences were found at 8% to 30% moisture levels. The efficacies of all isolates decreased with the decrease in moisture levels. MAX-2 was relatively less affected by desiccation stress. Its efficacy was almost unaffected by the decrease at moisture levels > 25%, but slowly decreased at moisture levels molitor larvae under desiccation stress and in wet microhabitat. Local black patches were found on the cuticles of the insects, and the cadavers dried without fungal growth under desiccation stress. However, dark black internodes and fungal growth were found after death of the insects in the wet microhabitat. MAX-2 showed significantly higher efficacy and superior antistress capacity than the other isolates under desiccation stress. The infection of sterile T. molitor larvae at low moisture level constituted a valid laboratory bioassay system in evaluating M. anisopliae efficacy under desiccation stress.

  8. Desiccation stress and tolerance in green algae: Consequences for ultrastructure, physiological and molecular mechanisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas eHolzinger

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Although most green algae typically occur in aquatic ecosystems, many species also live partly or permanently under aeroterrestrial conditions, where the cells are exposed to the atmosphere and hence regularly experience dehydration. The ability of algal cells to survive in an air-dried state is termed desiccation tolerance. The mechanisms involved in desiccation tolerance of green algae are still poorly understood, and hence the aim of this review is to summarize recent findings on the effects of desiccation and osmotic water loss. Starting from structural changes, physiological and biochemical consequences of desiccation will be addressed in different green-algal lineages. The available data clearly indicate a range of strategies, which are rather different in streptophycean and non-streptophycean green algae. For example, Trebouxiophyceae exhibit effective water loss-prevention mechanisms based on the biosynthesis and accumulation of particular organic osmolytes such as polyols, these compounds are so far not reported in representatives of the Streptophyta. In members of the Streptophyta such as Klebsormidium, the most striking observation is the appearance of cross-walls in desiccated samples, which are strongly undulating, suggesting a high degree of mechanical flexibility. This allows the cell to maintain turgor pressure for a prolonged period of time during the dehydration process. Physiological strategies in aeroterrestrial green algae generally include a rapid reduction of photosynthesis during desiccation, but also a rather quick recovery after rewetting, whereas aquatic species are sensitive to drying. The underlying mechanisms such as the affected molecular components of the photosynthetic machinery are poorly understood in green algae. Therefore, modern approaches based on transcriptomics, proteomics and/or metabolomics are urgently needed to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in desiccation-stress physiology of

  9. Experimental analysis and regression prediction of desiccant wheel behavior in high temperature heat pump and desiccant wheel air-conditioning system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sheng, Ying; Zhang, Yufeng; Sun, Yuexia

    2014-01-01

    The objectives of this study are to evaluate the performance of desiccant wheel (DW) in the running system and obtain the useful data for practical application. The combined influences of multiple variables on the performance of desiccant wheel are investigated based on evaluating the indexes...... of moisture removal capacity, dehumidification effectiveness, dehumidification coefficient of performance and sensible energy ratio. The results show that higher effect on the dehumidification is due to the regeneration temperature and outdoor air humidity ratio rather than the outdoor air temperature...... and the ratio between regeneration and process air flow rates. A simple method based on multiple linear regression theory for predicting the performance of the wheel has been proposed. The predicted values and the experimental data are compared and good agreements are obtained. Regression models are established...

  10. Desiccant wheels for air humidification: An experimental and numerical analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    De Antonellis, Stefano; Intini, Manuel; Joppolo, Cesare Maria; Molinaroli, Luca; Romano, Francesco

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • The use of desiccant wheel to humidify an air stream is investigated. • Air humidification is obtained by extracting water vapour from outdoor air. • Experimental tests in winter humidification conditions are performed. • The design of the proposed humidification system is numerically analyzed. • Effects of boundary conditions on humidification capacity are investigated. - Abstract: In this work the use of a desiccant wheel for air humidification is investigated through a numerical and experimental approach. In the proposed humidification system, water vapour is adsorbed from outdoor environment and it is released directly to the air stream supplied to the building. Such a system can be an interesting alternative to steam humidifiers in hospitals or, more generally, in applications where air contamination is a critical issue and therefore adiabatic humidifiers are not allowed. Performance of the proposed system is deeply investigated and optimal values of desiccant wheel configuration parameters are discussed. It is shown that in the investigated conditions, which are representative of Southern Europe winter climate, the system can properly match the latent load of the building. Finally, power consumption referred to the primary source of the proposed humidification system is compared to the one of steam humidifiers. The present analysis is carried out through experimental tests of a desiccant wheel in winter humidification conditions and through a phenomenological model of the device, based on heat and mass transfer equations.

  11. An anus of operation of a refrigeration system and installed solar heating in the CIESOL Building: Arfrisol project; Un ano de operacion de un sistema de refrigeracion y calefaccion solar instalado en el Edificio Ciesol: Proyecto Arfrisol

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosiek, S.; Batlles, F. J.

    2008-07-01

    In this paper we will analyse the thermodynamic behaviour of the solar-assisted air-conditioning system installed in the CIESOL building, operating in both heating and cooling mode. This system consists mainly of flat-plate solar collectors and the simple effect LiBr-H{sub 2}O absorption chiller and has been operating since October 2006. We will analyze the behaviour of the flat-plate collectors array during whole year of operation. The average values of coefficient of performance and the cooling capacity were calculated for summer months, obtaining values of order of 60% and 40 kW respectively. Finally, the energy and CO{sub 2} saving were estimated, obtaining values of order of 17000 kWh/year and 13 tons/year respectively. (Author)

  12. Rapid reactivation of cyanobacterial photosynthesis and migration upon rehydration of desiccated marine microbial mats

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chennu, Arjun; Grinham, Alistair; Polerecky, Lubos; de Beer, Dirk; Al-Najjar, Mohammad A.A.

    2015-01-01

    Desiccated cyanobacterial mats are the dominant biological feature in the Earth's arid zones. While the response of desiccated cyanobacteria to rehydration is well-documented for terrestrial systems, information about the response in marine systems is lacking. We used high temporal resolution

  13. Feasibility and Basic Design of Solar Integrated Absorption Refrigeration for an Industry

    KAUST Repository

    Akhtar, Saad

    2015-08-28

    This paper presents a review of existing solar cooling technologies and a feasibility study of a solar absorption cooling system for a packaging facility at Tetrapak Lahore, Pakistan. The review includes brief description of existing chiller technologies and solar collectors. The case study includes analysis of the solar potential and design of the cooling system at considered site. The design calculations upon which the feasibility analysis is carried out are solar collector area and type, cooling capacity, cooling area. A comparison is made between solar cooling potential of Pakistan and existing sites all across the globe. Finally an economic analysis is carried out to demonstrate the financial viability of the new cooling system.

  14. Cool colored coating and phase change materials as complementary cooling strategies for building cooling load reduction in tropics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lei, Jiawei; Kumarasamy, Karthikeyan; Zingre, Kishor T.; Yang, Jinglei; Wan, Man Pun; Yang, En-Hua

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Cool colored coating and PCM are two complementary passive cooling strategies. • A PCM cool colored coating system is developed. • The coating reduces cooling energy by 8.5% and is effective yearly in tropical Singapore. - Abstract: Cool colored coating and phase change materials (PCM) are two passive cooling strategies often used separately in many studies and applications. This paper investigated the integration of cool colored coating and PCM for building cooling through experimental and numerical studies. Results showed that cool colored coating and PCM are two complementary passive cooling strategies that could be used concurrently in tropical climate where cool colored coating in the form of paint serves as the “first protection” to reflect solar radiation and a thin layer of PCM forms the “second protection” to absorb the conductive heat that cannot be handled by cool paint. Unlike other climate zones where PCM is only seasonally effective and cool paint is only beneficial during summer, the application of the proposed PCM cool colored coating in building envelope could be effective throughout the entire year with a monthly cooling energy saving ranging from 5 to 12% due to the uniform climatic condition all year round in tropical Singapore.

  15. Parametric sensitivity study for solar-assisted heat-pump systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    White, N. M.; Morehouse, J. H.

    1981-07-01

    The engineering and economic parameters affecting life-cycle costs for solar-assisted heat pump systems are investigted. The change in energy usage resulting from each engineering parameter varied was developed from computer simulations, and is compared with results from a stand-alone heat pump system. Three geographical locations are considered: Washington, DC, Fort Worth, TX, and Madison, WI. Results indicate that most engineering changes to the systems studied do not provide significant energy savings. The most promising parameters to ary are the solar collector parameters tau (-) and U/sub L/ the heat pump capacity at design point, and the minimum utilizable evaporator temperature. Costs associated with each change are estimated, and life-cycle costs computed for both engineering parameters and economic variations in interest rate, discount rate, tax credits, fuel unit costs and fuel inflation rates. Results indicate that none of the feasibile engineering changes for the system configuration studied will make these systems economically competitive with the stand-alone heat pump without a considerable tax credit.

  16. Physiological, cellular and molecular aspects of the desiccation tolerance in Anadenanthera colubrina seeds during germination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. E. Castro

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract During germination, orthodox seeds become gradually intolerant to desiccation, and for this reason, they are a good model for recalcitrance studies. In the present work, physiological, biochemical, and ultrastructural aspects of the desiccation tolerance were characterized during the germination process of Anadenanthera colubrina seeds. The seeds were imbibed during zero (control, 2, 8, 12 (no germinated seeds, and 18 hours (germinated seeds with 1 mm protruded radicle; then they were dried for 72 hours, rehydrated and evaluated for survivorship. Along the imbibition, cytometric and ultrastructural analysis were performed, besides the extraction of the heat-stable proteins. Posteriorly to imbibition and drying, the evaluation of ultrastructural damages was performed. Desiccation tolerance was fully lost after root protrusion. There was no increase in 4C DNA content after the loss of desiccation tolerance. Ultrastructural characteristics of cells from 1mm roots resembled those found in the recalcitrant seeds, in both hydrated and dehydrated states. The loss of desiccation tolerance coincided with the reduction of heat-stable proteins.

  17. Changes in some thylakoid membrane proteins and pigments upon desiccation of the resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Georgieva, Katya; Röding, Anja; Büchel, Claudia

    2009-09-15

    The changes in some proteins involved in the light reactions of photosynthesis of the resurrection plant Haberlea rhodopensis were examined in connection with desiccation. Fully hydrated (control) and completely desiccated plants (relative water content (RWC) 6.5%) were used for thylakoid preparations. The chlorophyll (Chl) a to Chl b ratios of thylakoids isolated from control and desiccated leaves were very similar, which was also confirmed by measuring their absorption spectra. HPLC analysis revealed that beta-carotene content was only slightly enhanced in desiccated leaves compared with the control, but the zeaxanthin level was strongly increased. Desiccation of H. rhodopensis to an air-dried state at very low light irradiance led to a little decrease in the level of D1, D2, PsbS and PsaA/B proteins in thylakoids, but a relative increase in LHC polypeptides. To further elucidate whether the composition of the protein complexes of the thylakoid membranes had changed, we performed a separation of solubilized thylakoids on sucrose density gradients. In contrast to spinach, Haberlea thylakoids appeared to be much more resistant to the same solubilization procedure, i.e. complexes were not separated completely and complexes of higher density were found. However, the fractions analyzed provided clear evidence for a move of part of the antenna complexes from PSII to PSI when plants became desiccated. This move was also confirmed by low temperature emission spectra of thylakoids. Overall, the photosynthetic proteins remained comparatively stable in dried Haberlea leaves when plants were desiccated under conditions similar to their natural habitat. Low light during desiccation was enough to induce a rise in the xanthophyll zeaxanthin and beta-carotene. Together with the extensive leaf shrinkage and some leaf folding, increased zeaxanthin content and the observed shift in antenna proteins from PSII to PSI during desiccation of Haberlea contributed to the integrity of the

  18. Experimental analysis of a direct expansion solar assisted heat pump with integral storage tank for domestic water heating under zero solar radiation conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernández-Seara, José; Piñeiro, Carolina; Alberto Dopazo, J.; Fernandes, F.; Sousa, Paulo X.B.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We analyze a direct expansion solar assisted heat pump under zero solar radiation. ► We determine the COP and equivalent seasonal performance factors (SPFe). ► We determine the main components’ performance under transient operating conditions. ► The Huang and Lee performance evaluation method provides a characteristic COP of 3.23. - Abstract: This paper deals with the experimental evaluation of the performance of a direct expansion solar assisted heat pump water heating (DX-SAHPWH) system working under zero solar radiation conditions at static heating operation mode of the storage tank. The DX-SAHPWH system includes two bare solar collectors as evaporator, a R134a rotary-type hermetic compressor, a thermostatic expansion valve and a helical coil condenser immersed in a 300 L water storage tank. The zero solar radiation and stable ambient air temperature working conditions were established by placing the solar collectors into a climate chamber. The analysis is based on experimental data taken from the DX-SAHPWH provided by the manufacturer and equipped with an appropriate data acquisition system. In the paper, the experimental facility, the data acquisition system and the experimental methodology are described. Performance parameters to evaluate the energy efficiency, such as COP and equivalent seasonal performance factors (SPFe) for the heating period, and the water thermal stratification in the storage tank are defined and obtained from the experimental data. Results from the experimental analysis under transient operating working conditions of the DX-SAHPWH system and its main components are shown and discussed. Lastly, the Huang and Lee DX-SAHPWH performance evaluation method was applied resulting in a characteristic COP of 3.23 for the DX-SAHPWH system evaluated under zero solar radiation condition.

  19. Solar Spots - Activities to Introduce Solar Energy into the K-8 Curricula.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longe, Karen M.; McClelland, Michael J.

    Following an introduction to solar technology which reviews solar heating and cooling, passive solar systems (direct gain systems, thermal storage walls, sun spaces, roof ponds, and convection loops), active solar systems, solar electricity (photovoltaic and solar thermal conversion systems), wind energy, and biomass, activities to introduce solar…

  20. Feasibility and economic analysis of solid desiccant wheel used for dehumidification and preheating in blast furnace: A case study of steel plant, Nanjing, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guan, Yipeng; Zhang, Yufeng; Sheng, Ying; Kong, Xiangrui; Du, Song

    2015-01-01

    To overcome the shortcomings of huge energy consumption from conventional dehumidification using lithium bromide adsorption refrigerating (LBARD) system, a novel desiccant wheel dehumidification and preheating (DWDP) system using two-stage desiccant wheel for blast furnace is brought forward. The DWDP system was designed for dehumidification and preheating in blast furnace of steel plant. It takes waste heat in the slag flushing water as desiccant regeneration and preheating energy. To validate the feasibility of the new DWDP system, experimental studies were conducted based on a steel plant in Nanjing, China. The experiment was designed to use DWDP system in humid outdoor climates e.g. summer seasons. The experimental results indicate that the moisture removal capacity of DWDP system can reach 8.7 g/kg which will lead to the improvement of steel production by 0.9% and the coal is saved of about 2100 tons per year. With the DWDP system, the energy consumed by cooling tower of slag flushing water can decrease 7.3%. All of these energy saved equates to 10.3 million CNY annually. A comparison of initial investment and operating cost between DWDP system and LBRAD system was then carried out. The results show that the initial investment and operating cost of DWDP system is 37% and 57% of present LBARD system, and the payback period is shortened 66%. - Highlights: • A novel two-stage desiccant wheel dehumidification system for blast furnace is proposed. • Average moisture removal of 8.7 g/kg is achieved and dehumidification efficiency is 47%. • Outlet humidity ratio is less than 10 g/kg that satisfies the requirement of blast air. • Waste heat in slag flushing water is utilized and 61.4 million kJ is saved annually. • The investment and operating cost is 37% and 57% of former dehumidification system