<p dir="ltr">Energy consciousness initiatives have seen a recent uptick to curb the ever growing concerns of global warming. Heat Pumps are a crucial piece of technology for these efforts, as they consume lower energy than the requirement they satisfy and are typically used for refrigeration and HVAC systems. Hybrid Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) technologies have seen increased adoption, and the improvement of these technologies could pay dividends in the long run. </p><p dir="ltr">This project explores the optimal design space of HPWHs within the context of the Department of Energy Guidelines for their performance rating and compares several up and coming refrigerants with lower GWP than the current market dominant refrigerant, R-134a, to provide consistent performance with improvements on the environmental front along with potential cost improvements on the manufacturing front. For this purpose, Dymola, a simulation software that employs the Modelica language for modeling complex dynamic systems, is employed to study the transient behavior of a market example Heat Pump Water Heater. </p><p dir="ltr">The results of these simulations were validated using experimental data gathered in the laboratory using relevant instrumentation on the physical device and manufacture specified performance ratings to compare the validity of the simulation results. The results of the study indicated the presence of a multi-dimensional design space with a defined set of possible combinations for device implementation. Within that feasible region, there exist multiple trajectories of iso-preference which alter the overall device performance, and the careful study of these parameters and their implications on the device performance can lead to a more robust design pathway for future improvements of the device. The work also contextualizes these improvements by quantifying the relative importance of different parameters upon the final performance of the device, showing how to identify which parameters to focus on when embarking upon an improvement journey. Additionally, preliminarily ideal specifications for the device operation under different refrigerants studied were also identified to provide similar or better performance to the current device. </p><p dir="ltr">The study showed that when matching mass flux rates, R-152a, R-290, and R-600a outperform R-134a in terms of expected COP. Of the 3, only R-290 uses a smaller compressor size than the baseline R-134a cycle for achieving the required heating capacity. The other refrigerants studied do not improve upon the COP of the cycle, but do have benefits over R-134a in terms of their respective GWPs. </p><p dir="ltr">The results suggest that with the considered alterations, R-290 systems within the current charge restrictions (<150g) can be developed and achieve the same heating performance with slight improvements on COP and therefore potentially UEF values. </p><p dir="ltr">The study also shows that all refrigerants considered could achieve the required heating capacity with a considerably downsized condenser and appropriately reduced subcooling. It highlighted the trends being consistent across refrigerants and implemented a final alternative refrigerant through the identified optimization steps to arrive at a new configuration without revalidating the trends, showing that newer optimal configurations could be identified with minimal time spent in the simulation environment. </p><p dir="ltr">Finally, the study explored alternative control possibilities by way of overheating the water beyond its required setpoint and enabling a control based mixing at the outlet to reduce the energized time of the device and leveraging the exceptional insulation capabilities for thermal storage.</p>

Ce rapport de thèse porte sur une étude expérimentale et théorique de l'ébullition en microgravité. Les expériences furent réalisées en condition de gravité terrestre, en vol parabolique et en fusée-sonde. Les expériences en vol parabolique ont montré l'influence de divers paramètres sur le transfert thermique et ont mis en évidence les mécanismes contrôlant le transfert thermique. De l'écriture des équations gouvernant ces mécanismes et de l'identification des échelles caractéristiques, une corrélation permettant d'estimer le transfert de chaleur lors de l'ébullition en microgravité pour une large gamme de fluide est bâtie. L'expérience en fusée-sonde a permis d'étudier l'influence des gaz incondensables et notamment de la convection Marangoni sur le comportement de l'ébullition et sur le transfert thermique. / Between the different propulsion phases, the Ariane V rocket passes through microgravity periods and solar radiation can induce boiling in its cryogenics tanks. Experiments were performed during 6 parabolic flights and in a sounding rocket to study pool boiling in microgravity. In the parabolic flight experiments, the influence of pressure, subcooling and surface roughness was studied. It is showed that subcooling has a weak effect on microgravity boiling heat transfer, and that roughness is an important factor also in microgravity. Detailed results on the behavior of bubbles and on the superheated liquid layer show that the heat transfer mechanisms can be divided in two groups : the primary mechanisms which directly take energy from the wall and the secondary mechanisms which transport the energy stored in the fluid by the primary mechanisms, from the vicinity of the wall to the bulk liquid. The secondary mechanisms appear not to limit primary mechanism heat transfer which explains the weak influence of gravity on heat transfer. From the study of equations governing primary mechanisms and the definition of new scales, a correlation is built to predict heat transfer in microgravity for a wide variety of fluids. In the sounding rocket experiment, the influence of non-condensable gases was studied. The existence of two regimes of boiling heat transfer with non-condensable gas is established. The temperature in the primary bubble is directly measured and the influences of both Marangoni convection and non-condensable gas on both heat transfer and bubble growth are also considered.

Actuellement, la plupart des fabricants de pompes à chaleur (PAC) fournissent les valeurs de coefficients de performances (COP) obtenus en laboratoire en conditions contrôlées et standardisées. Une méthode prometteuse, appelée méthode de mesure des performances dans la suite, d’évaluation des performances de PAC in situ, basée sur le bilan énergétique du compresseur, a été présentée par Tran et al. (2013). Cette méthode détermine le débit de fluide frigorigène et est compatible avec différents types de PAC, notamment air-air, et des cycles frigorifiques plus complexes.Tran et al. (2013) ont déterminé que l’incertitude sur l’évaluation de pertes thermiques du compresseur contribue à hauteur de 40% sur l’erreur d’estimation de la puissance thermique. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’établir une méthode simplifiée quant à l’instrumentation pour mesurer les pertes thermiques in situ. Pour cela, deux modèles numériques détaillés sont développés afin d’examiner la distribution de température sur l’enveloppe de deux types de compresseurs, scroll et rotary. Les mesures expérimentales fournies par un fabricant de compresseurs, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), sont utilisées pour calibrer et valider les modèles numériques. Ces derniers permettent de définir deux protocoles de mesures différents pour les deux compresseurs. Ensuite, le protocole établi pour le compresseur rotary est intégré dans la méthode de mesures des performances. Les puissances thermiques calculées sont comparées avec des valeurs de référence, obtenues à partir d’un prototype en banc d’essai à EDF Lab Les Renardières. / Currently, most heat pump(HP) manufacturers provide coefficient of performance (COP) values obtained in laboratories under standardized controlled operating conditions. These COP values are not necessarily representative of those obtained on-field. A promising method, referred to as the performance assessment method, that measures heat pump performances in-situ based on compressor energy balance, was presented by Tran et al. (2013). The method determines refrigerant mass flow rate and has the capability of measuring performances of various HP types, such as air-to-air, as well as more complex refrigeration cycles. The method abstains from intrusive measurements, and is, therefore, perfectly suitable for in-situ measurements.As shown in the work of Tran et al. (2013), compressor heat losses account for 40% in the final uncertainty of performance values obtained with the performance assessment method. The objective of this thesis is to establish a rather simplified measurement method, in terms of instrumentation, that is used to determine compressor heat losses in-situ. For this purpose two detailed numerical models for assessing the temperature fields of the scroll and rotary compressor shells were developed. Experimental measurements obtained with the help of compressor manufacturer, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), are used to validate and calibrate the numerical models. The developed numerical models allow to define two different measurement protocols for both compressors. Established compressor heat loss protocol for rotary compressor is then integrated in the performance assessment method and the obtained heating capacities are compared with reference measurements in an experimental test bench in EDF Lab Les Renardières.

The master´s thesis is about the design of heating and cooling of a multifunctional house. The building is functionally divided into parts of shops, administration and apartments. Thesis describes various cooling options and basic types and functions of air conditioning systems. Three variants of the system at the level for expanded building permits and their evaluation are developed. The selected variant is developed at the project level for the construction.

[pt] Em sistemas de refrigeração por compressão de vapor, o projeto adequado dos circuitos para o refrigerante nos trocadores de calor pode ter um impacto significativo no seu coeficiente de performance (COP). O projeto otimizado dos circuitos de refrigerante em sistemas de refrigeração com trocadores de calor do tipo tubo-aletado não é trivial, devido à complexidade de sua representação assim como o elevado número de possíveis combinações, mesmo quando metodologias inteligentes de otimização são empregadas. No presente trabalho propõe-se uma nova metodologia para a otimização simultânea (condensador e evaporador) dos circuitos do refrigerante em sistemas de refrigeração com trocadores de calor de tipo tubo-aletado. Esta metodologia, aqui denominada como GAFIS (Genetic algorithms applied in filtered spaces), mostra-se mais eficiente que as metodologias até então descritas na literatura. Foi aplicado o método GAFIS, em conjunto com um simulador completo para o sistema de refrigeração, Genesym, na otimização de unidades comerciais de condicionamento de ar de alto desempenho. Estudaram-se casos onde o sistema atingiu aumentos de até 15,3 por cento no coeficiente de performance. Em outros estudos, obtiveram-se casos onde o custo de produção foi reduzido em 3,85 por cento (do custo total da unidade), mantendo-se um similar desempenho (capacidade e COP). Testes de otimização, considerando-se diferentes diâmetros dos tubos, na construção dos trocadores de calor, e sistemas com distribuição não uniforme de velocidade de ar, também foram realizados com o GAFIS. Igualmente foram estudados condensadores de microcanais, devido ao interesse atual da indústria com estes trocadores de calor. A otimização do circuito para o refrigerante, neste caso, é relativamente simples, devido ao baixo custo computacional das simulações. Entretanto, modelos de simulação adequados para estes tipos de trocadores de calor só recentemente começaram a surgir, e não têm sido explorados de maneira adequada até a presente data. Explorou-se no presente trabalho, a influência, no desempenho térmico do condensador, dos parâmetros que definem o circuito do refrigerante. Para tal efeito, desenvolveu-se um modelo de simulação baseado em análise local, validado com dados experimentais disponíveis, de condensadores de microcanais de uso automotivo com diâmetro hidráulico (lado do refrigerante) de 0,9 e 1,0mm, para refrigerantes R-134a, Fluid-H e R-1234yf. Foram encontradas relações diretas entre os parâmetros geométricos que definem os circuitos de refrigerante no condensador e seu desempenho térmico. Tal fato pode ser utilizado como orientação expedita para o projeto do circuito ótimo do condensador. / [en] Refrigerant circuiting in condensers and evaporators has a significant effect in the performance of refrigeration systems. The optimized project of the refrigerant circuits in refrigeration systems with plate-fin heat exchangers is not trivial, due to the complexity of their representation as well as the high number of possible combinations, even when methodologies of intelligent optimization are used. The present work proposes a new methodology for the simultaneous optimization of refrigerant circuiting in air-air refrigeration systems with plate-fin heat exchangers. This new methodology, here defined as GAFIS (Genetic algorithms applied in filtered spaces), has proven to be more efficient than traditional methods. The GAFIS method was applied, in conjunction with a full refrigeration system simulator, Genesym, for the optimization of high performance commercial air-conditioning units. Typical cases were studied and a coefficient of performance improvement of up to 15.3 percent has been observed. In other studies, there were cases where the manufacturer s predicted cost was reduced in 3,85 percent (of total cost of the unit), while a similar thermal performance (capacity and COP) was maintained. Optimization tests, considering different diameters of tube, for the construction of heat exchangers, as well as systems with non-uniform air velocity distribution, were also performed with the GAFIS method. Microchannel condensers were also studied, given the current interest of industry on this kind of heat exchanger. The optimization of the refrigerant circuiting, in this case, would not be a major problem, due to the low computational cost of its simulation. However, simulation models appropriate for these types of heat exchangers have only been recently in use, and, to date, have not been adequately explored. In the present work, the influence on condenser performance of parameters that define the refrigerant circuiting has been investigated. For this purpose, a simulation model, based on local analysis, was developed. It was validated against experimental data, available from automotive microchannel condenser tests, with hydraulic diameters (refrigerantside) of 0.9 and 1.0mm for refrigerants R-134a, Fluid-H and R-1234yf. A direct relation was found between the geometric parameters that define the condenser refrigerant circuiting and its thermal performance. This fact can be appropriately used as guidance for expeditious design practices of the optimal refrigerant circuit of the condenser.

Diploma thesis focuses on effect of the bypass factor on design and geometry of the evaporator for the cooling unit of data centre. Effect of the bypass factor on individual design parameters is solved in detail. All dependendecies are captured by using graphs in which s placed a cement on that parameter. In part C, mathematical and physical solutions are demonstrated calculations and processes leading to the design of the exchanger. In the end, evaluation of the calculations is done and there is also showed possible improvements for the practise.