Technical and Economic Feasibility Study of the Use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in the Combination of Compression Refrigeration and Free Cooling Systems, Case Stusy: A Residential Building in Kerman

Author

Department of Energy, Institute of Science and High Technology and Environmental Sciences, Graduate University of Advanced Technology

Abstract

Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is a high potential technology for different thermal energy applications. TES technology can be an appropriate approach to fill in the gap between electrical energy supply and demand. One efficient and modern method to store thermal energy is the use of phase-change materials (PCMs). The aim of this research is to study the feasibility of the use of PCM materials in the combination of free cooling and compression refrigeration systems. The combined system should be analyzed from energy and exergy viewpoints, in order to evaluate the amount of saved energy and the system performance upgrade. The medium temperature PCM coupled with the free cooling system, can be charged during the cool night time. During the hot day time, discharging this PCM would lower the temperature of the air entering the condenser and consequently; lower the HVAC system energy consumption. On the other hand, PCM discharge happens during the peak-hours in which the electrical energy price is high. Therefore, using PCM would reduce the building energy bills. Technical and economic results show that the proposed combined system would reduce the total electrical energy consumption up to 4.85%, energy consumption in peak-hours up to 14.76% and the electrical energy bill up to 6.71%.

Keywords

References

[1] توکلی ار (1395) تهویه مطبوع 30 درصد انرژی را مصرف می‌کند. درگاه اینترنتی مجله اقتصاد آنلاین (https://www.eghtesadonline.com).
[2] طحانی م، شمس‌الدینی س، فراهت س، ربانی ع (1394) شبیه‌سازی ترمودینامیکی کولرهای اجکتوری – تراکمی. نشریه علمی مکانیک سازه‌ها و شاره‌ها 187-179 :(2)5.
[3] Zalba B, Marin JM, Cabeza LF, Mehling H (2004) Free-cooling of buildings with phase change materials. Int J Refrig 27: 839-849.
[4] Kamali S (2014) Review of free cooling system using phase change material for building. Eng Build 80:131-136.
[5] Mosaffa AH, Garousi Farshi L, Infante Ferreira CA, Rosen MA (2014) Energy and exergy evaluation of a multiple-PCM thermal storage unit for free cooling applications. Renew Eng 68: 452-458.
[6] Waqas A, Ud-Din Z (2013) Phase change material (PCM) storage for free cooling of buildings - A review. Renew Sustain Eng Review 18: 607-625.
[7] Thambidurai M, Panchabikesan K, Mohan K, Ramalingam V (2015) Review on phase change material based free cooling of buildings – The way toward sustainability. J Eng Store 4: 74-88.
[8] Souayfane F, Fardoun F, Biwole PH (2016) Phase Change Materials (PCM) for cooling applications in buildings: A review. Eng Build 129: 396-431.
[9] Hoseini Rahdara M, Emamzadeh A, Ataei A (2016) A comparative study on PCM and ice thermal energy storage tank for air-conditioning systems in office buildings. App Therm Engineer 96: 391-399.
[10] De Falco M, Capocelli M, Giannattasio A (2016) Performance analysis of an innovative PCM-based device for cold storage in the civil air conditioning. Eng Build 122: 1-10.
[11] Alam M, Sanjayan J, Zou PXW, Ramakrishnan S, Wilson J (2017) Evaluating the passive and free cooling application methods of phase change materials in residential buildings: A comparative study. Eng Build 148: 238-256.
[12] Bakhshipour S, Valipour MS, Pahamli Y (2017) Parametric analysis of domestic refrigerators using PCM heat exchanger. Int J Refrig 83: 1-3.
[13] Said MA, Hassan H (2018) Parametric study on the effect of using cold thermal storage energy of phase change material on the performance of air-conditioning unit. App Eng 230:1380-1402.
[14] Morosuk T, Tsatsaronis G (2009) Advanced exergetic evaluation of refrigeration machines using different working fluids. Energy 34: 2248-2258.
[15] گودرزی ع، حقیقی‌پشتیری ا (1394) بررسی استفاده از مواد تغییر فاز دهنده در دیواره هواکش خورشیدی به منظور تهویه طبیعی فضای یک اتاق. نشریه علمی مکانیک سازه‌ها و شاره‌ها 269-257 :(3)5.
[16] Mosaffa AH, Garousi Farshi L, Infante Ferreira CA, Rosen MA (2014) Energy and exergy evaluation of a multiple-PCM thermal storage unit for free cooling applications. Renew Eng, 68: 452-458.
[17] Judge J, Hwang Y, Radermacher R (1995) Results of two drop-in replacement refrigerants for HCFC-22. The Hague, The Netherlands. Proc 19th Int Cong Refrig IVb 1168-1175.
[18] Hwang Y (2004) Potential energy benefits of integrated refrigeration system with microturbine and absorption chiller. Int J Refrig 27: 816-829.
[19] Harris NC (1983) Modern Air Conditioning Practice. 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, Chapter 8.
[20] Bejan A, Tsatsaronis G, Moran M (1996) Thermal Design and Optimization. 1st edn. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 121-131.
[21] Dincer I, Rosen MA (2013) Exergy, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development. 2nd edn. Elsevier, Chaps 1 and 2.
[22] Kaushik SC, Arora A (2009) Energy and exergy analysis of single effect and series flow double effect water-LiBr absorption refrigeration system. Int J Refrign 32: 1247-1258.
[23] تعرفه‌های برق و شرایط عمومی آنها از ابتدای اردبیشهت سال 1398 (1398) وزارت نیرو، شرکت نیروی توزیع برق شمال کرمان.
[24] Dastmalchi M, Ahmadi Boyaghchi F (2020) Exergy and economic analyses of nanoparticle-enriched phase change material in an air heat exchanger for cooling of residential buildings. Energ Store 32: 101705.
[25] Duffie JA, Beckman WA (2013) Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes. 4th edn. John Wiley & Sons, New York, Chap 11.
[26] US Energy Information Administrator (2020) Average price of electricity to ultimate customers by end-use sector (https://www.eia.gov.com).
Journal of Solid and Fluid Mechanics
Volume 12, Issue 1
March and April 2022
Pages 51-66

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics