180 likes | 301 Views
New A/C System Using Refrigerants With Zero Global Warming Potential. Jomal Whiteside Najeeb Reyes Javier Garcia Dr. Yiding Cao (Advisor). Problem Statement. Coolants used in commercial AC systems such as R-12 and R-134a have adverse impacts on the environment
E N D
New A/C System Using Refrigerants With Zero Global Warming Potential Jomal Whiteside Najeeb Reyes Javier Garcia Dr. Yiding Cao (Advisor)
Problem Statement • Coolants used in commercial AC systems such as R-12 and R-134a have adverse impacts on the environment • European countries are outlawing harmful refrigerants such as R-134a for AC systems by 2011. Other countries such as U.S. are considering similar measures • There are no efficient AC systems which use natural coolants available for commercialization
Project Objectives • Design a workable A/C system which uses a natural and environmentally friendly refrigerant that serves as an alternate for halogenated refrigerants: • Without the hazards of toxicity and flammability • With comparable performance measured by Refrigeration Efficiency (RE), Coefficient of Performance (COP), and Refrigerating Capacity (RC) • Without high-costs of manufacturing or maintenance
Project Metrics • AC system with cooling capacity 5000 – 7500 Btu/hr • Use of natural coolant with zero GWP and zero ODP compared to • Achieve a COP comparable to R-134a of 3 – 4
Conceptual Design • Includes two major areas • Refrigerants • Air • CO2 • Prototype • Cooling Chamber • Valve System
Alternate Refrigerant: Air Advantages • Natural Working Gas • GWP: 0 • Abundant • Single Phase Gas Disadvantages • No relevant studies • High compression required, which causes a significant loss of energy
Alternate Refrigerant: CO2 Advantages • GWP: 1 • Prior research has been conducted • CO2 can improve efficiency by recovering the energy lost due to high operating pressures Disadvantages • High operating pressures • Low critical Temperatures
Wankel Rotary Engine • Operating pressure 15-20 Atm (220-300 psi) • Operating RPM range 750 -1200 • Powered by 1 – 5 kW electric motor
Cooling Camber • Single chamber volume 280-380cc (1.5: - 2:1) • Material considerations • Metals or plastics with low thermal conductivity
Prototype: Cooling Camber • Circular Configuration • Provides tangential velocity, allowing for effective cooling capabilities. • Pressure Ratio less than 3:1 • Improves overall coefficient of performance(COP). • Four identical chambers will be implemented • Ensures the constant flow and cooling of refrigerant
Prototype: Cooling Chamber Conceptual Design • The size of the cooling chamber is the focus of its design. • The size of the cooling chamber must be determined through the specified pressure of the system
Prototype: Valve System • Rotary Valve System • Easy modification to specific application • Simplistic design • Can be used in conjunction with the rotation of rotary shaft. • Two identical shafts will be used to implement the idea and a rotary valve.
Prototype: Rotary Valve Configuration Concepts Butterfly Configuration Valve Assembly
Schematic of Prototype • Wankel Rotary engine • Combines compressor and expander • Cooling Camber • Allows proper cooling of refrigerant • Valve System • Allows sufficient flow into and out of cooling chambers
Conclusion • Integrate a cooling chamber into rotary engine block. • Implement a valve system that ensures a consistent and efficient flow of working fluid in and out of the cooling chamber. • Implement the use of a natural gas such as air, as the working fluid for the designed air conditioning system. • Increase system efficiency by using a Wankel engine which integrates the use of a compressor and expander in one machine.