A passive night-sky radiation system

• Main Author: Joubert, Gideon Daniel
• Other Authors: Dobson, R. T.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_ZA
• Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2015
• Subjects: Passive night-sky radiation cooling system; Radiation cooling; Cooling systems; Solar air conditioning > Passive system; Renewable energy sources; UCTD
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95912

Thesis (MEng) -- Stellenbosch University, 2014. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A passive night-sky radiation cooling system consists of a radiation panel and a cold water storage tank. The stored cold water may be used to cool a room during the day time, particularly in summer. In this thesis a theoretical and mathematically sound simulation model is developed. An experimental set-up was constructed and subsequently used to show that the theoretical model effectively simulates the transient heating or cooling response of the system. It is shown that under South African conditions the typical heat emitting rate during the night is 55 W/m2. After the heat has been removed from the water, it is stored in a cold water tank from where it is circulated through a natural convector during the day time to absorb heat from the room. The experiment extracted a minimum of 102 W/m3 of heat from a 1.87 m3 galvanized steel room while a brick room with a volume of 120 m3 requires 22.7 W/m3. Additional to cooling, the system during the day, absorbed an average of 362 W of energy and heated 68 l of water from 24 °C to 62 °C within an 8-hour period. The system achieved similar results during winter conditions and the experiment confirms that the system is capable of operating without a control system. Therefore it is recommended that renewable energy-conscious designers pay more attention to the use of night-sky radiation cooling in future. === AFRIKKANSE OPSOMMING: en ’n koue water tenk. Die sisteem kan gebruik word om ’n vertrek gedurende die dag te verkoel, veral in die somer, deur gebruik te maak van die gestoorde verkoelde water. In hierdie tesis word ’n teoretiese en sinvolle wiskundige simulasie model ontwikkel. ’n Eksperimentele stelsel is gebou en vervolgens gebruik om te bewys dat die teoretiese model die veranderende verkoeling en verwarming van die stelsel effektief simuleer. Die tesis dui aan dat onder Suid Afrikaanse toestande daar ’n hitte vrystellings tempo van 55 W/m2 is gedurende die nag. Nadat die water verkoel is, word dit gestoor in die koue water tenk vanwaar dit deur ’n natuurlike konvektor sirkuleer en gedurende die dag warmte vanuit die vertrek onttrek. Die eksperiment het ’n minimum van 102 W/m3 warmte vanuit die galvaniseerde 1.87 m3 vertrek geabsorbeer, terwyl ’n baksteen vertrek van 120 m3, 22.7 W/m3 verkoeling benodig. Bykomstig tot die verkoelingstelsel verhit die sisteem 68 l water vanaf 24 °C to 62 °C gedurende ’n 8-uur periode in die dag, dus word 362Wenergie geabsorbeer. Die sisteem is ook getoets tydens winter toestande, die resultate was dieselfde as wat in die somer verkry is. Verder is daar ook bewys dat die sisteem sonder enige beheerstelsel kan funksioneer. Verder word daar aanbeveel dat hernubare energie bewuste ontwerpers in die toekoms meer aandag aan ruimte straling verkoeling skenk.