Skip to main content
Log in

Progress of entransy analysis on the air-conditioning system in buildings

  • Review
  • Published:
Science China Technological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is of great importance to improve the energy performance of the air-conditioning system for building energy conversation. Entransy provides a novel perspective to investigate the losses existing in the air-conditioning system. The progress of entransy analysis in the air-conditioning system is comprehensively investigated in the present study. Firstly missions and characteristics of the air-conditioning system are analyzed with emphasis on heat or mass transfer process. It is found that reducing the temperature difference, i.e. reducing the entransy dissipation helps to improve the performance. Entransy dissipations and thermal resistances of typical transfer processes in the air-conditioning system are presented. Characteristics of sensible heat transfer process and coupled heat and mass transfer processes are researched in terms of entransy dissipation analysis. Reasons leading to entransy dissipation are also clarified with the help of unmatched coefficient ξ. Principles for reducing the entransy dissipation and constructing a high temperature cooling system are summarized on basis of case studies in typical handling processes. It’s recommended that reducing mixing process, improving match properties are main approaches to reduce the entransy dissipation. The present analysis is beneficial to cast light on the essence of the air-conditioning system and propose novel approaches for performance optimization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Building Energy Research Center of Tsinghua University. 2015 Annual Report on China Building Energy Efficiency. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2015. 2–10

    Google Scholar 

  2. Pérez-Lombard L, Ortiz J, Pout C. A review on buildings energy consumption information. Energ Buildings, 2008, 40: 394–398

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Chua K J, Chou S K, Yang W M, et al. Achieving better energy- efficient air conditioning–A review of technologies and strategies. Appl Energ, 2013, 104: 87–104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Yu F W, Chan K T. Improved energy performance of air cooled centrifugal chillers with variable chilled water flow. Energ Convers Manage, 2008, 49: 1595–1611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Saidur R, Hasanuzzaman M, Mahlia T M I, et al. Chillers energy consumption, energy savings and emission analysis in an institutional buildings. Energy, 2011, 36: 5233–5238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Perez-Lombard L, Ortiz J, Maestre I R. The map of energy flow in HVAC systems. Appl Energ, 2011, 88: 5020–5031

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Xiao F, Wang S W. Progress and methodologies of lifecycle commissioning of HVAC systems to enhance building sustainability. Renew Sust Energ Rev, 2009, 13: 1144–1149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Yadav Y K. Vapour-compression and liquid-desiccant hybrid solar space conditioning system for energy conservation. Renew Energ, 1995, 6: 719–723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Kusiak A, Xu G L, Tang F. Optimization of an HVAC system with a strength multi-objective particle-swarm algorithm. Energy, 2011, 36: 5935–5943

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Wang B X. Engineering Thermodynamics. Beijing: Higher Education Press, 2011. 65–69

    Google Scholar 

  11. Shukuya M. Exergy concept and its application to the built environment. Build Environ, 2009, 44: 1545–1550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Hurdogan E, Buyukalaca O, Hepbasli A. Exergetic modeling and experimental performance assessment of a novel desiccant cooling system. Energ Buildings, 2011, 43: 1489–1498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Jain N, Alleyne A. Exergy-based optimal control of a vapor compression system. Energ Convers Manage, 2015, 92: 353—365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gong S Y, Boulama K G. Advanced exergy analysis of an absorption cooling machine: Effects of the difference between the condensation and absorption temperatures. Int J Refrig, 2015, 59: 224–234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Yucer C T, Hepbasli A. Thermodynamic analysis of a building using exergy analysis method. Energ Buildings, 2011, 43: 536–542

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Wei Z T, Zmeureanu R. Exergy analysis of variable air volume systems for an office building. Energ Convers Manage, 2009, 50: 387–392

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Manjunath K, Kaushik S C. Second law thermodynamic study of heat exchangers: A review. Renew Sust Energ Rev, 2014, 40: 348–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. IEA-EBC Annex 37. Guidebook to IEA ECBCS Annex 37-Low Exergy Systems for Heating and Cooling of Buildings. Finland: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, 2004. 8–12

    Google Scholar 

  19. Schmidt D. Low exergy systems for high-performance buildings and communities. Energ Buildings, 2009, 331–336

    Google Scholar 

  20. Fan B, Jin X Q, Fang X, et al. The method of evaluating operation performance of HVAC system based on exergy analysis. Energ Buildings, 2014, 77: 332–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Sakulpipatsin P, Itard L C M, Van der Kooi H J. An exergy application for analysis of buildings and HVAC systems. Energ Buildings, 2009, 41: 90–99

    Google Scholar 

  22. Li R L, Ooka R, Shukuya M. Theoretical analysis on ground source heat pump and air source heat pump systems by the concepts of cool and warm exergy. Energ Buildings, 2014, 75: 447–455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Guo Z Y, Zhu H Y, Liang X G. Entransy—A physical quantity describing heat transfer ability. Int J Heat Mass Tran, 2007, 50: 2545–2556

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  24. Xia S J, Chen L G, Sun F R. Optimal paths for minimizing entransy dissipation during heat transfer processes with generalized radiative heat transfer law. Appl Math Model, 2010, 34: 2242–2255

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  25. Chen Q, Ren J X. Generalized thermal resistance for convective heat transfer and its relation to entransy dissipation. Chin Sci Bull, 2008, 53: 3753–3761

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Xia S J, Chen L G, Sun F R. Optimal paths for minimizing entransy dissipation during heat transfer processes with generalized radiative heat transfer law. Appl Math Model, 2010, 34: 2242–2255

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  27. Cheng X T, Liang X G. Entransy flux of thermal radiation and its application to enclosures with opaque surfaces. Int J Heat Mass Tran, 2011, 54: 269–278

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  28. Chen Q, Liang X G, Guo Z Y. Entransy theory for the optimization of heat transfer-A review and update. Int J Heat Mass Transfer, 2013, 63: 65–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Sun J, Yuan K, Yang L J, et al. Distribution optimization of circulating water in air-cooled heat exchangers for a typical indirect dry cooling system on the basis of entransy dissipation. Sci China Tech Sci, 2015, 58: 617–629

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Wang W H, Cheng X T, Liang X G. Entransy dissipation, entransy- dissipation-based thermal resistance and optimization of one-stream hybrid thermal network. Sci China Tech Sci, 2013, 56: 529–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Wang W H, Cheng X T, Liang X G. T-Q diagram analyses and entransy optimization of the organic flash cycle (OFC). Sci China Tech Sci, 2015, 58: 630–637

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Cheng X T, Liang X G. T-q diagram of heat transfer and heat-work conversion. Int Commun Heat Mass Transfer, 2014, 53: 9–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Yang W W, Cao X Q, Zhou F, et al. Performance analysis of waste heat recovery methods by T-Q diagram. J Eng Thermophys, 2015, 36: 2107–2110

    Google Scholar 

  34. Qian X D, Li Z, Li Z X. Entransy and exergy analyses of airflow organization in data centers. Int J Heat Mass Tran, 2015, 81: 252–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Cheng X T, Liang X G. Analyses and optimizations of thermodynamic performance of an air conditioning system for room heating. Energy Buildings, 2013, 67: 387–391

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Cheng X T, Liang X G. Entransy and entropy analyses of heat pump systems. Chin Sci Bull, 2013, 58: 4696–4702

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Zhang L, Liu X H, Jiang Y. Application of entransy in the analysis of HVAC systems in buildings. Energy, 2013, 53: 332–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Çarpinlioğlu M Ö. A comment on the concept of entransy (versus exergy) for the performance assessment of a desiccant cooling system. Energ Buildings, 2015, 101: 163–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Zhang T, Liu X H, Zhang L, et al. Match properties of heat transfer and coupled heat and mass transfer processes in air-conditioning system. Energ Convers Manage, 2012, 59: 103–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Jiang Y, Liu X H, Zhang L, et al. High temperature cooling and low temperature heating in buildings of EBC Annex 59. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Building Physics Conference, Torino, Italy, 2015

    Google Scholar 

  41. Zhang L, Liu X H, Zhao K, et al. Entransy analysis and application of a novel indoor cooling system in a large space building. Int J Heat Mass Tran, 2015, 85: 228–238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Zhang T, Liu X H, Jiang Y. Performance comparison of liquid desiccant air handling processes from the perspective of matched properties. Energ Convers Manage, 2013, 75: 51–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Zhang L, Liu X H, Jiang Y. Application of entransy in match property of liquid desiccant dehumidification. In: Proceedings of the 15th International Heat Transfer Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 2014

    Google Scholar 

  44. Liu X H, Xie X Y, Zhang T, et al. Thermal Principle of Indoor Built Environment. Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press, 2016

    Google Scholar 

  45. Li Z, Liu X H, Zhang L, et al. Analysis on the ideal energy efficiency of dehumidification process from buildings. Energ Buildings, 2010, 42: 2014–2020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Liu X H, Jiang Y, Zhang T. Temperature and Humidity Independent Control (THIC) of Air-conditioning System. Berlin: Springer Press, 2013. 200–212

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to XiaoHua Liu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, T., Liu, X., Tang, H. et al. Progress of entransy analysis on the air-conditioning system in buildings. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 59, 1463–1474 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-016-6087-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-016-6087-1

Keywords

Navigation