New low-cost storage in air conditioning

Abstract

SYNOPSIS This paper describes the development of a new low-cost phase-change material packaging concept for air conditioning systems. The realization of the promise of storage assisted air conditioning for saving oil and money is dependent upon the successful development of a low-cost storage subsystem and the adoption of time-of-day electricity rates. Time-of-day rates are currently under consideration or have been adopted in 27 different states and consideration of these rates has been required by federal legislation. The adoption of this low-cost thermal energy storage technology for storage assisted air conditioning and other storage assisted heat pump applications has the potential of saving 100 million barrels of oil over the next ten years and 12 million barrels of oil per year by 1985. These savings would accrue from a change in the summer air conditioning peak electricity load from oil and gas-fired peak electrical generators to the base load electrical generators fired by coal, nuclear and hydroelectric. This low-cost air conditioning storage concept is based on hydrated salt phase change material, specifically a mixture based on sodium sulphate decahydrate and a new low-cost packaging technology which uses a film laminate as the phase change material mixture's package and heat exchanger. In this paper. the relative economics of various technological options for air conditioning storage are compared. It is demonstrated that this economic analysis leads to the necessity to develop a low-cost film package and heat exchanger. An analysis of savings to homeowners based on current and planned off-peak rates is included. Since this is the first product developed utilizing this new low-cost material as a packaging film, it is anticipated that major improvements in both cost and performance specifically related to individual systems will be developed and implemented over the next ten years, with significant improvements coming in the next several years.