Abstract
Domestic hot water preparation is one of the main sources of energy consumption in households. One of the most important elements of domestic hot water (DHW) preparation installation is the storage tank. Its design can significantly affect the efficiency of the system and energy consumption for hot water preparation. This paper presents the results of an experimental study to examine seven different designs of the cold water inlet to the storage tank and the use of two types of obstacles inside this tank placed at three different heights. The number of stratification and the energy efficiency of the system for each variant were examined. Additionally, tests were carried out for different profiles of hot water consumption in order to examine the temperature changes in the DHW tank. A system with an inlet, as an elbow facing down with a single plate, turned out to be the most advantageous variant (3–8% increase in energy efficiency compared to the basic inlet variant). An analogous analysis of the use of obstacles inside the tank showed that the most optimal solution is to place the partition, which allows the water flow on the sides of the tank, in its lower parts (energy efficiency higher by up to 15% compared to the variant without a partition). These solutions showed the highest energy efficiency for DHW production and the lowest energy demand for hot water heating in the tank among all analyzed variants.
Highlights
IntroductionIn the European Union, the household sector accounts for around 40% of total energy consumption
This study was aimed at analyzing the impact of the design of the cold water inlet to the tank and the impact of two types of partitions inside the tank on the phenomenon of thermal stratification, efficiency of heat accumulation, and the amount of heat consumption needed to heat hot water to the value required by the user
The analysis took into account seven different designs of cold water inlets in order to determine the preferred solution due to the conditions they generate in the domestic hot water (DHW) tank
Summary
In the European Union, the household sector accounts for around 40% of total energy consumption. The largest source of energy consumption is heating and domestic hot water, and the energy for these purposes is still mainly obtained from nonrenewable energy sources [1,2]. The growing deficit of fossil fuels, the intention to maintain energy security, economic development, and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions contribute to the development of renewable energy sources [3,4]. The energy consumption is likely to double by 2060 compared to 2015, when the share of renewables in global energy production was 23% [5]. That is why a strong increase in the share of renewable energy, mainly solar installations, in the total electricity production is expected
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