Real-time outdoor experiment and performance analysis of dual-coil heat exchanger integrated thermal energy storage
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-15-2024
Abstract
Integrating a thermal energy storage system into a solar water heater enables a continuous heat supply to ensure hot water is available for household uses throughout the day. This research emphasizes integrating TES units into solar water heating systems. The overall performance of flat plate solar water heaters for a regular (conventional) solar water heating system and a solar water heating system integrated with TES using phase change material (PCM) are analyzed. This innovative design ensures efficient heat capture from the sun, storing it in the phase change material for later use, guaranteeing a sustainable and cost-effective solution for hot water needs. A split PCM tank is integrated within the solar water heating network for the second scenario and is made of a 25 L filled with a phase change material that acts as the thermal storage medium. The PCM tank has a dual-coiled heat exchanger to aid the heat transfer process with paraffin wax as the phase change material. The parameters that are looked into from the conventional and TES-integrated solar water heating systems include the water temperature profiles throughout the entire solar water heating networks and the PCM's temperature distribution throughout the day. A customized water draw schedule is adapted to represent the average hot water usage of a typical household in Kuala Lumpur. Findings reveal that the TES-integrated solar water heating system can be 21 more efficient than the conventional system due to the lesser heat losses and prolonged hot water supply. The maximum efficiency obtained is about 82 , and energy can be saved about 50 from the electric heater. The maximum energy storage is at the 50 °C temperature controller's setting and is feasible for the existing conventional solar water heaters. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords
Cost effectiveness, Heat exchangers, Heat storage, Hot water distribution systems, Phase change materials, Solar heating, Solar thermal energy, Storage (materials), Tanks (containers), Thermal energy, Water supply, Energy model, Heating network, Hot water, Real- time, Solar thermal, Solar thermal distribution and storage, Solar water heating, Solar water heating systems, Thermal distributions, Thermal storage, Solar water heaters
Divisions
advanced,umpedac
Publication Title
Journal of Energy Storage
Volume
81
Publisher
Elsevier