A desiccant air-conditioning system was developed as a latent-load-processing air conditioner in a dedicated outdoor air system during the summer. This study investigated the application of this air-conditioning system to humidification during the winter without using make-up water, thereby eliminating the cause of microbial contamination in air-conditioning systems. The experiments were conducted with a system used for summer applications to determine the feasibility of adsorbing vapor from outdoor air and supplying it to an indoor space. The humidification performance, energy efficiency, and operating conditions were examined. Although the conditions were subpar because the experiments were performed with an actual dedicated outdoor air system, the results showed that it is possible to supply air with a minimum humidity ratio of 5.8 g/kg dry air (DA) when the humidity ratio of outdoor air ranges from 1.8 to 2.3 g/kg DA. The minimum humidification performance required for a dedicated outdoor air system was achieved by increasing the airflow rate of the moisture-adsorption side to 2-3 times that of the humidification side. In addition, air leaking from the moisture-adsorption side to the humidification side, improving the mechanical structure, such as by the insulation of the moisture-adsorption side, and an efficient operating method were examined for humidification during the winter.
Condensation in a building encourages microbial growth, which can have an adverse effect on the health of occupants. Furthermore, it induces the deterioration of the building. To prevent problems caused by condensation, from the design step of a building, predictions of the spatial, temporal and causation for condensation occurrences are necessary. By using TRNSYS simulation coupled with TRNFLOW, condensation assessment of an entire office building in Tokyo, Japan, was conducted throughout the year, including when the air-conditioning system was not operated, by considering the absorption-desorption properties of the building materials and papers in the office and the airflow within the entire building. It was found that most of the condensation occurred during winter and was observed mainly in the non-air-conditioned core parts, especially the topmost floor. Additional analyses, which identified the effect of variations in the thermal insulation of the external walls, roof and windows and the airtightness of the windows on condensation, showed that the lower airtightness of windows resulted in decreased condensation risks, and condensation within the building was suppressed completely when the thermal insulation material thickness of the external walls was greater than 75 mm, that of the roof was greater than 105 mm and the windows had triple float glass.
This study examines the effect of an air-based solar heating system that can be used directly for convection heating while minimizing thermal leakage. To compare the effect of reducing the heating and hot water load when using the system, a simulation model of the system is created, and annual load calculations are performed. The results of the simulation study show that the annual heating load is reduced by 5.39 GJ and the hot water load is reduced by 10.32 GJ when using the air-based solar heating system, resulting in a 48.3% annual load reduction effect. In addition, by analyzing the thermal balance of the indoor space based on the application of the air-based solar heating system, the problem of the existing system is elucidated. In order to improve the performance of the system as shown in the thermal balance, it is necessary not only to improve the performance of the collector, but also to review its thermal storage, insulation, and proper control.
The authors previously proposed integrated-facade-systems comprising different types of external louvers integrated with buckling restraint braces. The systems can be applied to both new and existing buildings, paying attention to the building's appearance, upgraded structural performance and indoor environment. The authors have studied indoor daylight conditions with louver facades and a research paper was published in this journal (Misawa, Hikone, Nakamura, Iwamoto, Iwata, 2014). This research study reports on the energy conservation performance of louver facades and proposes an External Shading Coefficient (ESC) for external louver systems. Situations with five external louver facades and no louvers, facing three facade orientations (East, South and West) are examined. The year-round ESC is simulated every hour using Radiance software for transient solar radiation calculations. Furthermore, by using the proposed ESC, case studies for typical Japanese offices are carried out to verify reduction effects on the annual thermal load and electrical energy consumption of an air source heat pump for each louver setup. Simulation results are calculated in hourly increments using TRNSYS software; the results show that both thermal loads and electrical energy consumption are reduced regardless of louver types and facade orientations when integrated external louver facades are installed.
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