Design and performance evaluation of a dual-circuit thermal energy storage module for air conditioners

Goyal, Anurag; Kozubal, Eric; Woods, Jason; Nofal, Malek; Al-Hallaj, Said

doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116843

Design and performance evaluation of a dual-circuit thermal energy storage module for air conditioners

Journal Article · Fri Apr 02 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Applied Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.116843· OSTI ID:1778699

^[1]; ^[1]; ^[1]; Nofal, Malek ^[2]; Al-Hallaj, Said ^[2]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Univ. of Illinois, Chicago, IL (United States)

We present experimental results and a validated numerical model of a dual-circuit phase-change thermal energy storage module for air conditioners. The module incorporates a phase-change material encapsulated in compressed expanded natural graphite foam. We used n-tetradecane as the PCM with a transition temperature (~4.5 °C) suitable for air-conditioning applications. Heat exchange to and from the module is accomplished through two fluid loops operating as a heat source and sink embedded inside multiple slabs of the composite material. This dual-circuit design enables easier integration with air-conditioning equipment and provides enhanced flexibility in system operation as compared to the state-of-the-art thermal storage systems. When integrated with an air-conditioner, this design will enable peak-load shaving and enhances operational efficiency. The thermal storage device was designed for a nominal storage capacity of ~ 3.5 kWh. We evaluated the heat transfer and energy storage performance of this device using standalone heat transfer experiments to estimate key thermal resistances and identify design improvements before integration with an air conditioner. The numerical model of the heat exchanger uses a combination of discretized and lumped parameter approaches to maintain a balance between accuracy and computational expense. Our analyses show that the geometric features and integration of fluid tubes are key contributors to the thermal contact resistance between the fluid and the thermal storage material, and consequently, to the overall performance of the thermal storage module. Our standalone experiments also identified important operating scenarios in which this thermal storage module can be used for air-conditioning in buildings.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Building Technologies Office (EE-5B)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1778699

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1782409
OSTI ID: 23187176

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA--5500-75641; MainId:5909; UUID:03cd6ff3-141d-ea11-9c2a-ac162d87dfe5; MainAdminID:21113

Journal Information:: Applied Energy, Journal Name: Applied Energy Vol. 292; ISSN 0306-2619

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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