Exergy Analysis of the Air Handling Unit at Variable Reference Temperature: Methodology and Results

Exergy analysis is a valuable tool for assessing the sustainability of buildings, but methodological bottlenecks exist. This book proposes a solution to apply the variable reference environment temperature in exergy analysis, allowing for a better reflection of energy transformation processes in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. The case analysis demonstrates the use of exergy efficiency and exergy destroyed indicators for air handling units and their components, which can be used for analyzing and improving building technical systems. This would improve the quality of decision-making process and benefit other systems where variable reference environment plays a key role.

Format: Hardback
Length: 178 pages
Publication date: 29 March 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This book delves into the significance of exergy analysis as a crucial tool for evaluating the sustainability of buildings. Buildings consume a significant portion of total energy, ranging from approximately 40 percent to varying degrees, depending on local climatic conditions. Given the inherent nature of exergy analysis, it holds immense potential as a valuable tool for assessing the sustainability of buildings, particularly in light of their vast scope and the dependence of their energy demands on the local environmental and climatic conditions.

However, despite its promising applications, exergy analysis faces methodological challenges that require attention. One significant obstacle is the absence of a thermodynamically viable method to incorporate variable reference environment temperature in exergy analysis. This limitation hinders the accurate reflection of energy transformation processes in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, which operate under varying temperature conditions.

To address this issue, this monograph presents a comprehensive approach to the directions of heat exergy flows when considering a variable reference environment temperature. By adopting a correct approach, it becomes possible to accurately depict the intricacies of energy transformation processes within heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in a thermodynamically sound manner.

Through a case analysis involving coordinated methodologies based on the Carnot factor and coenthalpies, the monograph demonstrates the application of these methods to air handling units and their components. The outcome of this analysis yields exergy analysis indicators, such as exergy efficiency and exergy destroyed, which provide valuable insights into the performance and sustainability of these systems. These methods can be employed for the purpose of analyzing and enhancing building technical systems, which typically operate in a variable environment temperature.

Furthermore, the reliability of exergy analysis in designing dynamic models of such systems and developing exergy-based control algorithms is enhanced. This improvement in the accuracy and reliability of exergy analysis enables its integration into building information modeling (BIM) technologies and the application of life cycle analysis (LCA) principles in designing buildings. By incorporating exergy analysis into these design processes, the quality of buildings can be significantly improved, ensuring a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.

Weight: 471g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030978402
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022