Thermoeconomic and environmental impacts of vortex generator-equipped multi-drain heat recovery systems under various renewable sources

Abstract

In response to escalating energy demands, intensifying climate change concerns, and growing environmental degradation, the incorporation of renewable energy sources has gained traction across diverse sectors and regions. Concomitantly, scientists and engineers have recognized the potential of heat recovery systems in mitigating energy consumption, fostering further investigations into their practical applications. This study introduces an innovative design, integrating vortex generators into a concentric tube heat exchanger for heat recovery from a multi-drain water system that serves 48 accommodations. The design's sustainability is assessed by evaluating its economic, and environmental implications when paired with various renewable energy sources. Specifically, the aim is to quantify both cost and environmental savings engendered by implementing this design in a multi-drain application for a building with 48 accommodations.A numerical investigation elucidates the effects of flow rate variations on heat transfer, overall heat transfer, and thermal enhancement factors. Four types of renewable energy input - solar, wind, biomass, and hydropower - along with one storage system (pumped storage) are analyzed. The study reveals that the design implementation results in an elevation of cold water temperature between 3.5 and 7.5 °C. Furthermore, daily environmental savings for solar, wind, biomass, hydropower, and pumped storage are estimated to be 0.783 €, 0.339 €, 0.141 €, 0.027 €, and 1.356 €, respectively. Conversely, daily economic savings are calculated to be 3.62 €, 2.49 €, 5.05 €, 3.62 €, and 6.70 € for each corresponding energy source. This research underscores the viability of the proposed design in fostering sustainability through both environmental preservation and economic efficiency.