Application of Second-Law Analysis for the Environmental Control Unit at High Ambient Temperature
Ammar M. Bahman and
Eckhard A. Groll
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Ammar M. Bahman: Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Petroleum, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 5969, Safat 13060, Kuwait
Eckhard A. Groll: Ray W. Herrick Laboratories, School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 177 S. Russell Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2099, USA
Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-20
Abstract:
This paper assesses the application of the second-law of thermodynamics in a military Environmental Control Unit (ECU) to evaluate the exergy destruction (or irreversibility) in each component when operating at high ambient temperature. Experimental testings were conducted on three ECUs, 1.5 (5.3 kW), 3 (10.6 kW), and 5 (17.6 kW) tons of refrigeration (RT), to assess the potential contribution of each component to enhance the overall energy efficiency of the system, and to determine the feasibility of the thermodynamic model presented herein. The analysis provided for extreme high ambient conditions up to 51.7 °C (125 °F). The results yielded that the highest irreversibility was associated with compressors (32.4% to 42.5%). This is followed by the heat exchanges (19.6% to 32.9%) in the case of 1.5-RT and 3-RT units, whereas for the 5-RT unit, the highest irreversibility was associated with the evaporator followed by the one of the compressors. In the 3-RT ECU, the condenser’s second-law efficiency enhanced due to an additional fan, yet the working refrigerant increased the irreversibility in the expansion device. The second-law analysis recognized the components with the highest exergy destruction and identified the direction to enhance the exergetic efficiency of any ECU operating at high-temperature climate.
Keywords: ECU; irreversibility; exergy; energy efficiency; high ambient temperature; experimental (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:12:p:3274-:d:375987
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