Analysis of the Life Cycle Cost of a Heat Recovery System from Greywater Using a Vertical “Tube-in-Tube” Heat Exchanger: Case Study of Poland

Abstract

Significant amounts of waste heat are deposited in greywater, which can be utilized, among other things, for heating domestic hot water in residential buildings. The manuscript presents an economic analysis of a greywater heat recovery system using a vertical heat exchanger of the “tube-in-tube” type in a single-family building. The analysis is based on the results of experimental research on the energy efficiency of three domestic hot water preparation systems equipped with a vertical heat exchange unit. The analyzed systems had different concepts for the flow of preheated water and cold water. The research showed that the implementation of a vertical “tube-in-tube” heat exchanger can reduce the energy consumption for domestic hot water preparation by approximately 45.7% to 60.8%, depending on the system variant. Furthermore, it was determined that the energy savings associated with reducing domestic hot water consumption can cover the investment costs related to the purchase and system of the heat exchanger within a period of 2 to 5 years of system operation, depending on the design variant and the unit price of electricity.

Evaluation of the Suitability of Using Artificial Neural Networks in Assessing the Effectiveness of Greywater Heat Exchangers

“…Similar conclusions with regard to horizontal heat exchangers were reached by Piotrowska and Słyś [41]. This trend is also maintained for vertical GHEs [21] and plate heat exchangers [19]. In the case of the tested heat exchanger, a reduction in flow rate from q = 10 L/min to q = 3 L/min resulted in an increase in effectiveness values of between 2.71 and 10.43 percentage points.…”

“…This technology has significant potential to reduce energy consumption for domestic hot water (DHW) preparation [19], but is often met with reluctance by potential users [20]. It can find application in both residential [21] and commercial buildings [22]. Less conventional solutions are also increasingly being considered.…”