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Timonium Elementary School solar energy heating and cooling augmentation experiment. Final engineering report: executive summary (ER-8877)

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5323092· OSTI ID:5323092

This report covers a two-year and seven-month solar space heating and cooling experiment conducted at the Timonium Elementary School, Timonium, Maryland. The system was designed to provide a minimum of 50% of the energy required during the heating season and to determine the feasibility of using solar energy to power absorption-type chillers for cooling. The area to be heated or cooled totaled approximately 8500 square feet of the center wing of the school. To accomplish this a system containing 5000 square feet of collectors, 5300 square feet of reflectors, a 15,000 gallon insulated hot water storage tank, 40,000 gallons of chilled water storage, an absorption chiller, miscellaneous plumbing, and instrumentation and controls, were installed. The system utilized untreated water (except for one time deionization of initial water supply) as a working fluid. The collection system efficiency (without reflectors) reached a maximum of 56% on a clear day in April 1975. This was with an average water temperature of 161/sup 0/F. The collection system efficiency (with collector and reflector area totaling 9550 square feet) on a clear day in August amounted to 40.5%. This was with an average water temperature of 170/sup 0/F. Data on the work accomplished and on the system performance are presented.

Research Organization:
AAI Corp., Baltimore, MD (USA)
OSTI ID:
5323092
Report Number(s):
COO/2627-2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English