Abstract
This study constructed a parameter analysis for improving the energy performance of air-cooled water chillers by altering the angle configuration of the condenser coils. The mathematical models for energy and exergy analyses of the individual components and overall system of air-cooled water chillers are presented. This study investigated the potential enhancement of performance efficiency in air-cooled chillers and the energy conversion efficiency of each component, in order to determine how the angle configuration of condenser coils influences chiller performance. This study found that the overall performance of an air-cooled chiller could be improved by approximately 3.4%, and the total irreversibility could be reduced by approximately 2.7%. With each 1% increase in average wind speed over the condenser coils, the overall performance of an air‑cooled chiller was found to be enhanced by approximately 0.43%, and its total irreversibility was reduced by approximately 0.35%. The results of this study can be effectively applied to air-cooled condenser units, and can provide an important basis of reference for developing and enhancing the energy efficiency of air-cooled chillers.
Highlights
Large air-cooled chillers are frequently used in air-conditioning and refrigeration units
Lee et al [1] conducted a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation and analysed the angle configuration of condenser coils in order to investigate its influence on airflow distribution and heat transfer
The objective of this study was to construct a parameter analysis model in which the angle configuration of condenser coils could be altered, and to develop mathematical models of the overall system and individual components of an air-cooled water chiller. These models were used to simulate overall unit performance, and used to develop irreversibility and exergy equations for each system component. This was done in order to investigate the potential enhancement of performance efficiency in air-cooled chillers, including the energy conversion efficiency of each system component
Summary
Large air-cooled chillers are frequently used in air-conditioning and refrigeration units. V-V-type fin-tube condenser coils are normally configured with the upper fan, often resulting in unevenly distributed flow and varying wind speed, which adversely influences the mechanical performance of air-cooled chillers. Lee et al [1] conducted a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation and analysed the angle configuration of condenser coils in order to investigate its influence on airflow distribution and heat transfer. Results showed that changing the angle configuration increased the average wind speed and heat transfer by 7.85% and. These results indicate that adjusting the configuration of the condenser can be effective in enhancing the heat transfer capacity of condensers in air-cooled chillers. Exploring the influence of increased wind speed on system performance and energy conversion efficiency is an important topic for researchers seeking to improve the performance of air-cooled chillers
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