Performance and cost analysis of a hydride air conditioning system

Technical Report · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5690098· OSTI ID:5690098

Gorman, R.

Results are presented of a performance and cost analysis of a metal hydride air conditioning (heat pump) system as compared to conventional absorption heat pumps. The system analyzed represents one of several possible implementations of the Hydride Conversion and Storage System (HYCSOS) concept developed by the Argonne National Laboratory. Due to the preliminary state of development of the HYCSOS concept, a major part of the effort was to develop a baseline design for a commercially-practical hydride air conditioner driven by solar energy obtained by concentrating collectors. A 100-ton design capacity was arbitrarily chosen to coincide with the size of commercially available Lithium Bromide absorption heat pumps. Typical commercial-practice heat transfer rates, water flow rates and temperature drops were used in developing the baseline design. Since minimum system capital cost was an objective, the baseline system relied to the maximum extent possible on established engineering designs for heat exchangers, pumps and valving. The following are discussed: metal hydride properties important to heat pump design; the operation of the metal hydride air conditioner; the baseline system design and performance estimates; details of the cost estimate; comparison of the baseline system performance/cost estimates with conventional systems; and technology areas where progress is needed. The resultant 100-ton baseline system was estimated to have a coefficient-of-performance (COP) of 0.46 at a total cost of $17,292. In the baseline system, the cost of the hydride represents 51% of the total cost. The above estimates may be compared to a 100-ton Lithium Bromide absorption heat pump which exhibits a COP of 0.68 and is commercially priced at $20,000.

• Research Organization: TRW, Inc., McLean, VA (USA). Energy Systems Group
• DOE Contract Number: W-31-109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5690098
• Report Number(s): ANL/EES-TM-65
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
BUILDINGS
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONING
CHEMICAL HEAT PUMPS
COST
PERFORMANCE
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONERS
ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION CYCLE
CALCIUM HYDRIDES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DESIGN
GRAPHS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
LANTHANUM HYDRIDES
NICKEL HYDRIDES
NUMERICAL DATA
OPERATION
PUMPS
SIZE
SOLAR COLLECTORS
TABLES
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
VALVES
WEIGHT
AIR CONDITIONERS
AIR CONDITIONING
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
APPLIANCES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DATA
DATA FORMS
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUIDS
HEAT PUMPS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
140901* - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling