Modelling and performance prediction of an integrated central cooling plant for HVAC energy efficiency improvement

The aim of this paper is to explore methods to reduce the energy consumption of a central cooling plant. To achieve this, we have developed a new design for heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) efficiency improvement. A storage tank together with an immersed heat exchanger is installed in the discharge line between the compressor and condenser. The heat exchanger uses the make-up water of the cooling tower to reduce the refrigerant temperature entering the condenser. To investigate the potential of energy savings, we used a real-world commercial building with a central cooling plant, located in a hot and dry climate, for our case study. The energy consumption and relevant data of the existing central cooling plant were acquired over the course of a typical week in summer. The integrated system has been modeled and analyzed to achieve energy conservation. The performance of the proposed cooling system was simulated using a transient simulation software package. Comparison of the proposed system with existing cooling plant is included in this paper to demonstrate the advantages of our new configuration. Results show that up to 18% power saving can be obtained by using our design.