The design of solar power thermoelectric radiant panel as cooling system in small buildings under tropical climate

Authors

  • Muhammad 'Amir Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), University of Technology Malaysia (UTM)
  • Farah Liana Binti Mohd Redzuan Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, 54000 Malaysia
  • Jasrul Jamani Jamian cFaculty of Electrical Engineering University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, 54000 Malaysia
  • Sheikh Ahmad Zaki University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, 54000 Malaysia
  • Ahmad Faiz Mohammad University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, 54000 Malaysia
  • Fitri Yakub University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, 54000 Malaysia
  • Nurshafinaz Mohd Maruai University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, 54000 Malaysia
  • Mohamed Sukri University of Technology Malaysia (UTM), Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, 54000 Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55674/cs.v15i3.251508

Keywords:

Thermoelectric, Radiant panel, Solar energy, Cooling system, Renewable energy

Abstract

The usage of an air–conditioning (AC) system in any building is necessary to maintain its indoor thermal comfort and health. However, this system consumes a lot of energy, while the usage of refrigerant causes irreversible damage to the ozone layer. To solve this problem, a solar thermoelectric radiant panel (PV-TERP) system has a high potential in replacing conventional AC system because it requires no refrigerant and easier to be controlled due to the absence of moving and mechanical parts such as water pumps, compressors, including auxiliary and hydronic pipes. Meanwhile, the usage of solar energy in the PV-TERP system can also help reduce fossil energy consumption and carbon emissions. The main objective of this work is to design a new PV-TERP system for replacing conventional AC systems in buildings located in tropical climate countries, like Malaysia. It is found that the designed PV-TERP system can provide up to 4.84 kW of cooling power, which is about 0.6% higher than the cooling load of targeted rooms. Here, the targeted rooms operate under indoor parameters within the acceptable range of ASHRAE standard-55. The obtained results clearly show that the new design is applicable to be used as a cooling system for the targeted building. In the future, it is then essential to understand the thermal properties and mechanism of the design via simulation process, followed by experimental validation to support the design feasibility. In conclusion, this new design of PV-TERP will lead the path toward expanding renewable energy applications for cooling purposes in sustaining and preserving the environment.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Alternative cooling system in replacing air-conditioning (AC) system for maintaining indoor thermal comfort without harming the environment.
  • Designation of the PV-TERP system as a cooling system for building in a tropical country (Malaysia) under indoor parameters within the acceptable range of ASHRAE Standard-55.
  • The designed PV-TERP is refrigerant-free and operates using renewable energy, which can sustain and preserve the environment for a better future.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

submission_251508_20961_coverImage_en_US.png

References

M.M.S. Dezfouli, K. Sopian, K. Kadir, Energy and performance analysis of solar solid desiccant cooling systems for energy efficient buildings in tropical regions, Energy Conversion and Management: X, 14 (2022) 100186.

H. Lim, Y.K. Kang, J.W. Jeong, Thermoelectric radiant cooling panel design: numerical simulation and experimental validation, Appl. Therm. Eng. 144 (2018) 248 – 261.

M. Seyednezhad, H. Najafi, B. Kubwimana, Numerical and experimental investigation of a thermoelectric-based radiant ceiling panel with phase change material for building cooling applications, Sustainability. 13(21) (2021) 11936.

H. Lim, Y.K. Kang, J.W. Jeong, Development of empirical models to predict cooling performance of a thermoelectric radiant panel, Energy Build. 202 (2019) 109387.

K. Irshad, S. Algarni, Study of thermoelectric air duct cooling/heating system for building energy efficient, 7th International Conference on Energy Research and Development, ASHRAE: Kuwait. (2019) 195 – 201.

H. Lim, J.W. Jeong, Numerical and experimental study on the performance of thermoelectric radiant panel for space heating, Materials. 13(3) (2020) 550.

L. Shen, Z. Tu, Q. Hu, C. Tao, H. Chen, The optimization design and parametric study of thermoelectric radiant cooling and heating panel, Appl. Therm. Eng. 112 (2017) 688 – 697.

Y. Luo, T. Yan, N. Zhang, Study on dynamic thermal characteristics of thermoelectric radiant cooling panel system through a hybrid method, Energy. 208 (2020) 118413.

H. Lim, Y.K. Kang, J.W. Jeong, Application of a phase change material to a thermoelectric ceiling radiant cooling panel as a heat storage layer, J. Build. Eng. 32 (2020) 101787.

A.T. Baheta, K.K. Looi, A.N. Oumer, K. Habib, Thermoelectric air-conditioning system: building applications and enhancement techniques, Int. J. Air-Cond. Refrig. 27(02) (2019) 1930002.

Z. Liu, L. Zhang, G. Gong, H. Li, G. Tang, Review of solar thermoelectric cooling technologies for use in zero energy buildings, Energy Build. 102 (2015) 207 – 216.

Y. Luo, L. Zhang, Z. Liu, Y. Wang, F. Meng, L. Xie, Modeling of the surface temperature field of a thermoelectric radiant ceiling panel system, Appl. Energy. 162 (2016) 675 – 686.

L. Shen, F. Xiao, H. Chen, S. Wang, Investigation of a novel thermoelectric radiant air-conditioning system, Energy Build. 59 (2013) 123 – 132.

B. Bakthavatchalam, K. Habib, R. Saidur, B.B. Saha, Cooling performance analysis of nanofluid assisted novel photovoltaic thermoelectric air conditioner for energy efficient buildings, Appl. Therm. Eng. 213 (2022) 118691.

A.A. Adeyanju, K. Manohar, Design and analysis of a thermoelectric air-conditioning system, Sci. Rep. (2020) 1 – 11.

P. Aranguren, D. Sánchez, A. Casi, R. Cabello, D. Astrain, Experimental assessment of a thermoelectric subcooler included in a transcritical CO2 refrigeration plant, Appl. Therm. Eng. 190 (2021) 116826.

T. Jiang, S. You, Z. Wu, H. Zhang, Y. Wang, S. Wei, Multi-objective optimization of the refrigerant-direct convective-radiant cooling system considering the thermal and economic performances, Energy Build. 254 (2022) 111609.

R. Buchalik, G. Nowak, I. Nowak, Mathematical model of a thermoelectric system based on steady-and rapid-state measurements, Appl. Energy. 293 (2021) 116943.

N. Koohi, S. Nasirifar, M. Behzad, J.M. Cardemil, Experimental investigation and performance assessment of a solar-driven thermoelectric unit for localized heating and cooling applications, Energy Build. 253 (2021) 111517.

Y.K. Kang, H. Lim, S.Y. Cheon, J.W. Jeong, Phase-change material-integrated thermoelectric radiant panel: Experimental performance analysis and system design, Appl. Therm. Eng. 194 (2021) 117082.

H. Lim, J.W. Jeong, Applicability and energy saving potential of thermoelectric radiant panels in high-speed train cabins, Int J Refrig. 104 (2019) 229 – 245.

H. Lim, J.Y. Park, Y.S. Byon, Y.K. Kang, J.W. Jeong, Numerical and experimental study on thermoelectric radiant panel heating operation, BS 2019. 3 (2019) 1641 – 1646.

S. Ahmad, P.S. Chandra, O.R. Srinivasa, M. Bhaskar, S.K. Kiran, Design and investigation on portable thermoelectric air chiller, Int. J. Eng. Technol. 67 (2) (2019) 18 – 22.

W. Jahn, Performance assessment of thermoelectric self-cooling systems for electronic devices, Appl. Therm. Eng. 193 (2021) 117020.

K. Irshad, Performance improvement of thermoelectric air cooler system by using variable-pulse current for building applications, Sustainability. 13(17) (2021) 9682.

K. Anwar, A. Muis, B. Basri, M. Ilhamsyah, Effect of thermoelectric placement on the commercial waterblock to the liquid cooling system performance, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 1763 (1) (2021) 012039.

M. Hissouf, M. Najim, A. Charef, Numerical study of a covered Photovoltaic-Thermal Collector (PVT) enhancement using nanofluids, Sol Energy. 199 (2020) 115 – 127.

S.T. Mohammad, H.H. Al-Kayiem, M.A. Aurybi, A.K. Khlief, Measurement of global and direct normal solar energy radiation in Seri Iskandar and comparison with other cities of Malaysia, Case Stud. Therm. Eng. 18 (2020) 100591.

ASHRAE, ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals I-P Edition, in Chapter 14: Climatic Design Information., ASHRAE: Atlanta, GA, USA, 2021

ASHRAE, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 - 2020, in Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy: Section 5: Conditions That Provide Thermal Comfort, ANSI/ASHRAE: Atlanta, GA, USA, 2021.

TE Technology Inc., Technical Specification for HP-199-1.4-0.8, 2018.

Custom Thermoelectric, Thermal Resistance Data Sheet for HSB6-4.0-4.0-2.28, 2017.

Downloads

Published

2023-09-01

How to Cite

’Amir, M., Mohd Redzuan, F. L. B., Jamani Jamian, J., Ahmad Zaki, S. ., Faiz Mohammad, A. ., Yakub, F. ., Mohd Maruai, N., & Sukri, M. (2023). The design of solar power thermoelectric radiant panel as cooling system in small buildings under tropical climate . Creative Science, 15(3), 251508. https://doi.org/10.55674/cs.v15i3.251508

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 3 (2023): Creative Science (September - December 2023)

Section

Research Article

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Creative Science

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.