Simulation and Experimental Analysis of a Solar Driven Absorption Chiller With Partially Wetted Evaporator

The efficient operation of a solar cooling system strongly depends on the chiller behaviour under part-load conditions since driving energy and cooling load are never constant. For this reason the performance of a single stage, hot water driven 30 kW H2O/LiBr-absorption chiller employed in a solar cooling system with a field of 350 m2 evacuated tube collectors has been analysed under part-load conditions with both simulations and experiments. A simulation model has been developed for the whole absorption chiller (Type Yazaki WFC-10), where all internal mass and energy balances are solved. The connection to the external heat reservoirs of hot, chilled and cooling water is done by lumped and distributed UA-values for the main heat exchangers. In addition to an analytical evaporator model — which is described in detail — experimental correlations for UA-values have been used for condenser, generator and solution heat exchanger. For the absorber a basic model based on Nusselt theory has been employed. The evaporator model was developed taking into account the distribution of refrigerant on the tube bundle as well as the change in operation from a partially dry to an overflowing evaporator. A linear model is derived to calculate the wetted area. The influence of these effects on cooling capacity and COP is calculated for three different combinations of hot and cooling water temperature. The comparison to experimental data shows a good agreement in the various operational modes of the evaporator. The model is able to predict the transition from partially dry to an overflowing evaporator quite well. The present deviations in the domain with high refrigerant overflow can be attributed to the simple absorber model and the linear wetted area model. Nevertheless the results of this investigation can be used to improve control strategies for new and existing solar cooling systems.

A Domestic Solar/Heat Pump Heating System Incorporating Latent and Stratified Thermal Storage

Both solar and heat pump heating systems are innovative technologies for sustaining ecological heat generation. They are gaining more and more importance due to the accelerating pace of climate change and the rising cost of limited fossil resources. Against this background, a heating system combining solar thermal collectors, heat pump, stratified thermal storage and water/ice latent heat storage has been investigated. The major advantages of the proposed solar/heat pump heating system are considered to be its flexible application (suitable for new and existing buildings because of acceptable space demand) as well as the improvement of solar fraction (extended solar collector utilisation time, enhanced collector efficiency), i.e. the reduction of electric energy demand for the heat pump. In order to investigate and optimise the heating system, a dynamic system simulation model was developed. On this basis, a fundamental control strategy was derived for the overall coordination of the heating system with particular regard to the performance of the two storage tanks. In a simulation study, a fundamental investigation of the heating system configuration was carried out and optimisation derived for the system control as well as the selection of components and their dimensioning. The influence of different parameters on the system performance was identified, where the collector area and the latent heat storage volume were found to be the predominant parameters for system dimensioning. For a modern one-family house, a solar collector area of 30m2 and a latent heat store volume of 12.5m3 are proposed. In this configuration, the heating system reaches a seasonal performance factor of 4.6, meaning that 78% of the building’s and users’ heat demand are delivered by solar energy. The results show that the solar/heat pump heating system can give an acceptable performance using up-to-date components in a state-of-the-art building.

Combined Solar Heating and Cooling Systems: Simulation and Design Optimization

The deployment of solar driven air conditioning is a feasible target in all countries where high solar irradiation matches high cooling loads in buildings: the goal is to gradually replace compression chillers and reduce peak electricity demand during summer. Moreover, as solar thermal collectors are installed, solar cooling systems can be profitably employed during winter. In the present work a code has been implemented for the simulation and the design optimization of combined solar heating and cooling systems. The following system layout has been considered: in warm months the cooling demand is satisfied by means of an absorption chiller — driven by a solar collector field — and a reversible heat pump operating in series. A hot storage matches the variability of solar radiation, while a cold storage smoothes the non-stationarity of cooling demand. During winter, the reversible compression heat pump operates for space heating. Solar collectors are used as thermal source at the evaporator of the heat pump, increasing its coefficient of performance. The code, based on TRNSYS platform, is able to simulate the system throughout a year. Besides TRNSYS standard components a detailed model of the absorption chiller has been included, in order to accurately simulate its off-design operation. Using an optimization tool the size of each component is identified for a given space heating and cooling demand. The minimization of life cycle costs of the system has been chosen as the objective of the optimization. Results of a case study are presented and discussed for a solar heating and cooling plant in an office building. The optimization procedure has been carried out with simulations for a typical Northern Italy town (Alpine climate) and a typical Southern Italy town (Mediterranean climate).

Experimental Investigation of a Packed-Bed Solar Reactor for the Steam-Gasification of Biomass Charcoal

Gasification of coal, biomass, and other carbonaceous materials for high-quality syngas production is considered using concentrated solar energy as the source of high-temperature process heat. The solar reactor consists of two cavities separated by a SiC-coated graphite plate, with the upper one serving as the radiative absorber and the lower one containing the reacting packed bed that shrinks as the reaction progresses. A 5-kW prototype reactor with an 8 cm-depth, 14.3 cm-diameter cylindrical bed was fabricated and tested in the High-Flux Solar Simulator at PSI, subjected to solar flux concentrations up to 2300 suns. Beech charcoal was used as a model feedstock and converted into high-quality syngas (predominantly H2 and CO) with packed-bed temperatures up to 1500 K, an upgrade factor of the calorific value of 1.33, and an energy conversion efficiency of 29%. Pyrolysis was evident through the evolution of higher gaseous hydrocarbons during heating of the packed bed. The engineering design, fabrication, and testing of the solar reactor are described.

Performance Modeling of Desiccant Wheels: 1 — Model Development

This paper presents the development of an equation based model to simulate the combined heat and mass transfer in the desiccant wheels. The performance model is one dimensional in the axial direction. It applies a lumped formulation in the thickness direction of the desiccant and the substrate. The boundary conditions of this problem represent the inlet outside/process and building exhaust/regeneration air conditions as well as the adiabatic condition of the two ends of the desiccant composite. The solutions of this model are iterated until the wheel reaches periodic steady state operation. The modeling results are obtained as the changes of the outside/process and building exhaust/regeneration air conditions along the wheel depth and the wheel rotation. This performance model relates the wheel’s design parameters, such as the wheel dimension, the channel size and the desiccant properties, and the wheel’s operating variables, such as the rotary speed and the regeneration air flowrate, to its operating performance. The impact of some practical issues, such as wheel purge, residual water in the desiccant and the wheel supporting structure, on the wheel performance has also been investigated.

Thermodynamic Performance of a Gas Turbine Plant Combined With a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

This paper undertakes a thermodynamic analysis of a high-temperature solid oxide fuel cell, combined with a conventional recuperative gas turbine. In the analysis the balance equations for mass, energy and exergy for the system as a whole and its components are written, and both energy and exergy efficiencies are studied for comparison purposes. These results are also verified with data available in the literature for typical operating conditions, the predictive model of the system is validated. The energy efficiency of the integrated cycle is obtained to be as high as 60.55% at the optimum compression ratio. These model findings indicate the influence of different parameters on the performance of the cycle and irreversibilities therein, with respect to the exergy destruction rate and/or entropy generation rate. The results show that a higher ambient temperature would lead to lower energy and exergy efficiencies, and lower net specific power. Furthermore, the results indicate that increasing the turbine inlet temperature results in decreasing both the energy and exergy efficiencies of the cycle, whereas it improves the total specific power output. However, an increase in either the turbine inlet temperature or compression ratio leads to a higher rate of irreversibility within the plant. It is shown that the combustor and SOFC contribute predominantly to the total irreversibility of the system; about 60 percent of which takes place in these components at a typical operating condition, with 31.4% for the combustor and 27.9% for the SOFC.

Design, Simulation and Preliminary Results of an All Electric Net-Zero Energy Solar Home

This paper describes the mechanical systems, the DC-coupled electrical system, the simulation approach and the preliminary results of the University of Illinois entry in the 2007 Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition. The competition showcased twenty net-zero energy solar powered houses. The University of Illinois entry was the only one that featured an all-electric design. No solar thermal collectors were used; space and water heating was accomplished primarily through heat pumps. Each of three house modules is sensibly conditioned with autonomous, custom mini-split heat pumps using all radiant and natural convection heat exchange for the interior side. Simulation methods are described and assumptions of wall and window properties, mechanical system performance and electrical system performance are disclosed. Details are provided on the theoretical analysis of internal heat transfer and the basic design of the custom mechanical system. The electrical system topology and equipment choices are presented and initial performance results are shown. Additionally, preliminary analysis is carried out on the data taken during the Solar Decathlon competition and on the observations of post-competition winter performance. The success in being awarded comfort conditioning points during the competition is discussed along with drawbacks not represented in the competition results.

Reactive Pellets for Improved Solar Hydrogen Production Based on Sodium Manganese Ferrite Thermochemical Cycle

Hydrogen production by water-splitting thermochemical cycle based on manganese ferrite /sodium carbonate reactive system is reported. Two different preparation procedures for manganese ferrite/sodium carbonate mixture were adopted and compared in terms of materials capability to cyclical hydrogen production. According to the first procedure conventionally synthesized manganese ferrite, i. e. high temperature (1250 °C) heating in Ar of carbonate/oxide precursors, was mixed with sodium carbonate. The blend was tested inside a TPD reactor using a cyclical hydrogen production/material regeneration scheme. After few cycles the mixture resulted rapidly passivated and unable to further produce hydrogen. An innovative method that avoids the high temperature synthesis of manganese ferrite is presented. This procedure consists in a set of consecutive thermal treatments of a manganese carbonate/sodium carbonate/iron oxide mixture in different environments (inert, oxidative, reducing) at temperatures not exceeding 750 °C. Such material, whose observed chemical composition consists in manganese ferrite and sodium carbonate in stoichiometric amount, is able to evolve hydrogen during 25 consecutive water-splitting cycles, with a small decrease in cyclical production efficiency.

Performance Value Index of the Solar Air-Conditioning System-PVI

Presently, the performance of the air-conditioner or the air-conditioning system is usually valued based on some performance indices. However, it is deficient to evaluate the performance of the air-conditioning system which uses the new energy or renewable energy only based on the indices mentioned above. According to the defects and based on the works of the solar application, a new index defined PVI is put forward to evaluate the performance of the solar air-conditioning system rationally, which is significant to the new energy or renewable energy application.

Solar Energy Resource Assessment for Chile

The Chilean government’s energy policy and the power generation sector plans include wind, geothermal, hydro and biomass powerplants in order to introduce renewable energy systems to the country, but they do not mention solar energy to be a part of the plan. This apparent lack of interest in solar energy is partly due to the absence of a valid solar energy database, adequate for energy system planning activities. The only available solar radiation database is relatively old, with measurements taken in 89 stations from the 60’s onwards, obtained with high-uncertainty sensors such as Campbell-Stokes devices and pyranographs. Moreover, not all stations have measured incoming solar radiation for an adequate time span. Here, we compare the existing database of solar radiation in Chile with estimations made with satellite measurements, obtained from the GOES program through collaboration with the Brazilian space institution, INPE. Monthly mean solar energy maps are created from both data sources and compared, using Krigging methods for spatial interpolation. It is found that a maximum 30 percent deviation exist, with snow covers in the Andes Mountains adding additional uncertainty levels. The solar energy levels throughout the country can be considered as high, and it is thought that they are adequate for energy planning given proper diffusion and support by editing a Chilean Solar Atlas.