Abstract

The purpose of this project was to develop a rating method for desuperheater water heaters – heat exchangers that remove superheat from the refrigerant in an air conditioner’s compressor discharge line. The project methodology was to first determine the overall heat transfer coefficient-area product (UA) of the heat exchanger for three basic types of desuperheaters. Both heat transfer analysis and the laboratory performance data indicated that the number of transfer units (NTU) for each heat exchanger was relatively independent of the operating conditions for a properly-charged air conditioner with a single-speed compressor and a desuperheater with a single-speed circulating pump. The measured heat exchanger NTU was then used in the Transient System Simulation (TRNSYS) model to account for the transient effect of changing entering water and refrigerant temperatures on daily desuperheater performance. The TRNSYS program also allowed for daily air conditioner/heat pump operation, hot water use, and the energy supplied by a storage tank’s electric resistance elements. Annual desuperheater performance was then simulated using hourly radiation and weather data for Jacksonville, Orlando, and Miami. The results of the project provide a regional rating method for desuperheaters that can be used in the residential calculation procedures of the Florida Efficiency Code for Building Construction.

Graduation Date

1995

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Beck, James K.

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Engineering

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Degree Program

Mechanical Engineering

Format

PDF

Pages

168 p.

Language

English

Rights

Written permission granted by copyright holder to the University of Central Florida Libraries to digitize and distribute for nonprofit, educational purposes.

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Identifier

DP0020216

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Engineering; Engineering -- Dissertations, Academic

Accessibility Status

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