Elaboration of the novel cooling/heating system of buildings with the application of photovoltaic cells, solar collectors and heat accumulators

Aim: Improvement of scientific cooperation between Partners from EU (WRUTPoland, UPCTSpain) and CELAC countries (PUCMMDominican Republic, UAIChile) by building of the international consortium in order to increase the level of scientific research in the area of heat transfer and thermal energy storage (TES) with the use of solar collectors as the sources of energy and novel heat accumulators designed in this project and photovoltaic cells for the supplying of the air condition system.

This Project's main objectives are as follows: Development of an innovative hybrid heat accumulator comprising cascade of phase change materials (PCM), zeolite and metallic foams characterized by a high heat capacity and low heat losses during longterm (eg. seasonal) accumulation of heat supplied from the solar collectors. Investigations of the heat transfer parameters, the charging and discharging characteristics of the system containing PCM, simultaneously the elaboration of the numerical modelling of the dynamics of charging and discharging of the heat accumulation system in order to identify the physical mechanisms of the heat transfer. Selection of the encapsulated PCM to be used as a heat storage media for buildingṀs solar heating applications, development and test of photovoltaic air conditioning systems (PVACS) solution, including design/sizing methodologies, with included small zeolite based accumulator in the system for cooling purposes, analyzing of the different configurations of the cooling system in order to determine the technical and economic feasibility and developing of the energy management strategies. Economic evaluation of the solar and PVACS - cooling application and its comparison with other cooling alternatives.

Expected results: The expected results can be considered in the technical, economical and the sociological aspects. Technical aspects are connected with the improvement of efficiency of existing TES systems, mainly by elaboration and design of the novel heat accumulator, calculation of the encapsulated PCM for heating of buildings and investigations and on the efficiency of air condition systems supplied from PV cells. The lowering of the heating and cooling costs through the introduction of proposed solutions can effect on the better economy of exploitation of such systems. The possibility of generation of heat and coolness from the solar systems will effect on the better understanding of the environment pollution problems by the society and maybe will cause the another behavior of the people in the range of the "ecological awareness", especially in the developing countries. The results and experience could be transferred by Consortium Members to Building companies, Ministry of Public Buildings, Energy Companies and in general to Solar and/or Thermal Energy Industry in particular. Another way of exploring of the results of this proposal is a spinoff generation. This spinoff development will commercialize the project result, either by transferring of technology or by creating the marketable products.