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Chapter 11: Problem 143

It is proposed to use a solar-powered thermoelectric system installed on the roof to cool residential buildings. The system consists of a thermoelectric refrigerator that is powered by a thermoelectric power generator whose top surface is a solar collector. Discuss the feasibility and the cost of such a system, and determine if the proposed system installed on one side of the roof can meet a significant portion of the cooling requirements of a typical house in your area.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Question: Explain the process of determining the feasibility and cost of installing a solar-powered thermoelectric cooling system on the roof of a residential building. Answer: The process to determine the feasibility and cost of installing a solar-powered thermoelectric cooling system involves understanding the working principles of the thermoelectric refrigerator and power generator, estimating the house's cooling requirements, calculating the total power generated by the solar-powered thermoelectric generator, determining the cooling capacity of the thermoelectric refrigerator, comparing the system's cooling capacity with the house's cooling needs, analyzing the costs involved for installation and maintenance, and discussing the feasibility and potential limitations of the proposed system.

Step by step solution

01

Understand thermoelectric systems and how they work.

Thermoelectric systems work on the basis of the Peltier effect, which causes heat transfer between two electrical junctions due to the movement of charge carriers when a voltage is applied. In this scenario, the thermoelectric power generator is responsible for converting sunlight to electrical energy, which powers the thermoelectric refrigerator to cool the house.
02

Estimate the cooling requirements of a typical house in the area.

To determine if the proposed system can meet a significant portion of the cooling requirements for a typical house, it's important to estimate the cooling load required in the area. This involves considering factors like the size and insulation levels of the house, solar radiation reaching the surface, the climate and outdoor temperature, and the internal heat generation rates.
03

Calculate the total power generated by the solar-powered thermoelectric generator.

The amount of power generated by the thermoelectric generator depends on factors like the solar radiation, the efficiency of the solar collector, the size of the generator's top surface, and the efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion process. Once these parameters are known, you can calculate the total power generated by the system.
04

Determine the cooling capacity of the thermoelectric refrigerator

The cooling capacity of the thermoelectric refrigerator is directly linked to the power generated by the thermoelectric generator. Based on the power generation and the efficiency of the refrigerator, you can estimate how much cooling capacity the proposed system can provide.
05

Compare the cooling capacity of the system with the cooling requirements of the house

Once the cooling capacity of the proposed system and the cooling requirements of the typical house are estimated, you can compare the two values to determine if the system can meet a significant portion of the house's cooling needs. If the system's cooling capacity is sufficient, it can be considered feasible for use in the area.
06

Analyze the costs of the proposed system

Assess the costs involved in the installation and maintenance of the proposed solar-powered thermoelectric system, including the costs of the solar collector, thermoelectric generator, refrigerator, and other necessary components. Comparing the initial investment and long-term costs of the proposed system with other available cooling options could help make an informed decision on its feasibility.
07

Discuss the feasibility and cost of the proposed system

Based on the comparison of the cooling capacity and the costs involved in the proposed solar-powered thermoelectric cooling system, discuss its feasibility as a viable cooling solution for residential buildings in the area. Consider any potential limitations or challenges, such as the availability of sunlight and the efficiency of the thermoelectric generator, and provide suggestions for how to improve or optimize the system for better performance and cost-efficiency.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

An ice-making machine operates on the ideal vapor-compression cycle, using refrigerant-134a. The refrigerant enters the compressor as saturated vapor at 20 psia and leaves the condenser as saturated liquid at 80 psia. Water enters the ice machine at \(55^{\circ} \mathrm{F}\) and leaves as ice at \(25^{\circ} \mathrm{F}\). For an ice production rate of \(15 \mathrm{lbm} / \mathrm{h}\), determine the power input to the ice machine \((169 \mathrm{Btu}\) of heat needs to be removed from each \(1 \mathrm{bm}\) of water at \(55^{\circ} \mathrm{F}\) to turn it into ice at \(25^{\circ} \mathrm{F}\) ).

Consider a two-stage compression refrigeration system operating between the pressure limits of 1.4 and \(0.12 \mathrm{MPa}\) The working fluid is refrigerant-134a. The refrigerant leaves the condenser as a saturated liquid and is throttled to a flash chamber operating at 0.5 MPa. Part of the refrigerant evaporates during this flashing process, and this vapor is mixed with the refrigerant leaving the low-pressure compressor. The mixture is then compressed to the condenser pressure by the high-pressure compressor. The liquid in the flash chamber is throttled to the evaporator pressure, and it cools the refrigerated space as it vaporizes in the evaporator. Assuming the refrigerant leaves the evaporator as saturated vapor and both compressors are isentropic, determine ( \(a\) ) the fraction of the refrigerant that evaporates as it is throttled to the flash chamber, ( \(b\) ) the amount of heat removed from the refrigerated space and the compressor work per unit mass of refrigerant flowing through the condenser, and ( \(c\) ) the coefficient of performance.

A gas refrigeration system using air as the working fluid has a pressure ratio of \(5 .\) Air enters the compressor at \(0^{\circ} \mathrm{C} .\) The high- pressure air is cooled to \(35^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) by rejecting heat to the surroundings. The refrigerant leaves the turbine at \(-80^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and enters the refrigerated space where it absorbs heat before entering the regenerator. The mass flow rate of air is \(0.4 \mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{s}\). Assuming isentropic efficiencies of 80 percent for the compressor and 85 percent for the turbine and using variable specific heats, determine ( \(a\) ) the effectiveness of the regenerator, \((b)\) the rate of heat removal from the refrigerated space, and \((c)\) the \(\mathrm{COP}\) of the cycle. Also, determine \((d)\) the refrigeration load and the COP if this system operated on the simple gas refrigeration cycle. Use the same compressor inlet temperature as given, the same turbine inlet temperature as calculated, and the same compressor and turbine efficiencies.

A room is kept at \(-5^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) by a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle with \(\mathrm{R}-134 \mathrm{a}\) as the refrigerant. Heat is rejected to cooling water that enters the condenser at \(20^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) at a rate of \(0.13 \mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{s}\) and leaves at \(28^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\). The refrigerant enters the condenser at \(1.2 \mathrm{MPa}\) and \(50^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and leave as a saturated liquid. If the compressor consumes \(1.9 \mathrm{kW}\) of power, determine (a) the refrigeration load, in \(\mathrm{Btu} / \mathrm{h}\) and the \(\mathrm{COP}\), (b) the second-law efficiency of the refrigerator and the total exergy destruction in the cycle, and \((c)\) the exergy destruction in the condenser. Take \(T_{0}=20^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and \(c_{p \text { ,water }}=4.18 \mathrm{kJ} / \mathrm{kg} \cdot^{\circ} \mathrm{C} .\)

A heat pump with refrigerant-134a as the working fluid is used to keep a space at \(25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) by absorbing heat from geothermal water that enters the evaporator at \(50^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) at a rate of \(0.065 \mathrm{kg} / \mathrm{s}\) and leaves at \(40^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\). The refrigerant enters the evaporator at \(20^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) with a quality of 23 percent and leaves at the inlet pressure as saturated vapor. The refrigerant loses \(300 \mathrm{W}\) of heat to the surroundings as it flows through the compressor and the refrigerant leaves the compressor at \(1.4 \mathrm{MPa}\) at the same entropy as the inlet. Determine ( \(a\) ) the degrees of subcooling of the refrigerant in the condenser, (b) the mass flow rate of the refrigerant, \((c)\) the heating load and the COP of the heat pump, and (d) the theoretical minimum power input to the compressor for the same heating load.
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