The Steinway & Sons Solar 2E

Absorption Cooling and Low Pressure

Steam System

ASES Solar Cooling Forum

Denver, CO

May 16, 2012

Thomas Henkel, Ph.D

Henkel Solar Corporation

Project Team

Owner: Steinway & Sons. Bill Rigos, Project Manager

Administration of NYSERDA Grant: ERS, Inc.

Solar Energy Consultant & System Design: Henkel Solar

Corporation

Solar Collector Field Vendor: Abengoa-IST

Absorption Chiller Vendor: Broad USA

Solar Collector Field Installation: Sunshine Plus Solar

Mechanical Contractor: Schuyler Engineering Controls Contractor: GCF, Inc.

2E Absorption Cooling and Low Pressure Steam Solar Project

Steinway & Sons 2010

Primary System Equipment

Broad 83/99-ton multi-energy source (hot water and natural gas) 2E

absorption chiller

Abengoa-IST 38 PT-1 tracking trough receivers, roof mounted

Dean, high temperature, air-cooled, hot water pump for collector field

circulator pump

182-ton cooling tower

AERCO Steam generator – condensate flashed into 50 psi steam

Full instrumentation, including weather station, data acquisition and

system performance monitoring

Solar Cooling and Steam System Diagram

Collector Field Site Plan

Roof Mounted Trough Receivers

Multi-Energy Source, Double Effect Absorption Chiller

Multi-Energy Source Absorption Chiller-Heater

Absorption chiller can be fired by natural gas, LPG, fuel

oil, hot water, steam, or hot thermal oil

Steinway & Sons unit can run on hot water only, natural

gas only, or hot water and natural gas simultaneously

Newest units provide 1800F hot water for heating.

Eliminates the need for separate backup energy source

for solar absorption HVAC system

Lower capital costs and higher system efficiency

Concept fully tested in 50-ton Yazaki 2E chiller in 2002

Patent issued in 2006.

Broad Air Conditioning Co. and Thermax are now

manufacturing multi-energy source 2E absorption chillers.

Steam Generator

Predicted Annual Performance of the Steinway System

Total Useful Solar Thermal Production

38 Panels (5,735 Sq. Ft.) NW-SE Orientation, NYC

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Us

efu

l H

eat

Ca

ptu

re (

MM

Btu

)

Cooling (330F min)

Heating (250F min)

Longitudinal data being collected

Projected Building Thermal Loads

Hourly Cooling Load, May-Sep Weekdays

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Hour of Day

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ad

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Data Acquisition System Display

Comments on System Operations and Performance

The trough collector field commissioning was delayed until August, 2010 due to unforeseen difficulties.

The Broad dual energy source chiller was delivered without the capability to run on solar energy and its gas burner simultaneously. Therefore, field repairs delayed partial commissioning until late September, 2010. Full commissioning was delayed until April, 2011. The chiller produced solar cooling throughout 2011.

The steam generator is working as designed, and the system has been producing low pressure steam since September, 2010.

All system controls are working properly. The data acquisition system has been partially commissioned.

Data Summary for Selected Dates

Pump On Solar Solar to Solar Average Total Solar Solar to Solar Other

Date Insolation Collected Chiller Cooling Solar Cooling Fraction Steam Warm-up Losses

kWh kWh kWh kWh COP kWh % kWh kWh kWh

7/1/11 3716 1438 793 884 1.10 1122 78.8% 243 116 287

7/9/11 3902 2006 423 508 1.14 539 94.2% 1142 128 313

1/20/12 1336 916 0 0 NA NA NA 483 253 180

2/4/12 1241 346 0 0 NA NA NA 113 206 27

4/7/12 3246 1504 0 0 NA NA NA 1269 118 117

Collector Field Operating Data

July 9, 2011: Maximum Temperature: 3300F

Pump-on Insolation: 3902 kWh

Solar Energy Collected: 2006 kWh

Mean chilled water temperature: 460F

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ture

(0F

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(W

/m2)

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Solar Insolation and HTF Temperatures vs Time

Collector Field Operating Data

April 7,2012: Maximum Temperature: 3200F

Pump-on Insolation: 3246 kWh

Solar Energy Collected: 1504 kWh

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Solar Insolation and HTF Temperatures vs Time

Comparison of Solar-Driven Absorption Chillers

SINGLE-EFFECT

0.7 DESIGN COP* * Cooling Output/ Heat Input

1900F-2100F HOT WATER OR LP STEAM FIRED

COLLECTOR ARRAY NEEDS 185 FT2 HORIZONTAL AREA PER TON

SEPARATE BACKUP FUEL- FIRED HEATER

INSTALLED COST 40-ton: ~$22,000 PER TON

INSTALLED COST 500-ton: ~$14,000 PER TON

DOUBLE-EFFECT

1.38 DESIGN COP

3300F-3500F HEATED FLUID OR FUEL-FIRED (HOT WATER, STEAM, THERMAL OIL, NATURAL GAS, FUEL OIL, BIOFUEL, EXHAUST GAS)

COLLECTOR ARRAY NEEDS 100 FT2 HORIZONTAL AREA PER TON

DUAL-FUEL OPTION W/O SEPARATE BACKUP HEATER

INSTALLED COST 1320-TON, UTILITY-GRADE TROUGH SYSTEM: ~$4600 PER TON.

INSTALLED COST 83-TON, SMALL TROUGH SYSTEM: ~$7500 PER TON.

Solar 2E Absorption vs. Electric Chillers

Accounting for the electrical grid energy losses, the adjusted full fuel cycle (FFC) COP for electric A/C units varies from 0.83 to 1.93, with an average of 0.98.

A hybrid solar/fuel 2E absorption chiller system can produce an average cooling season solar fraction of at least 60%, so that the net FFC COP is 3.0. (NG COP 1.2/0.4 = 3.0)

Solar/fuel 2E absorption chiller systems will consume one-third the average primary source energy used for electric A/C in the US.

Solar to cooling conversion efficiency: collector efficiency x design COP. Latest large system design: 72% x 1.35 = 97%

Solar PV and centrifugal chiller conversion efficiency: PV AC efficiency x design COP: 12% x 5.6 = 67%

Solar thermal ORC engine-generator and centrifugal chiller conversion efficiency: collector efficiency (3000F) x engine-generator cycle efficiency x chiller design COP: 73% x 14% x 5.6 = 57%

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank NYSERDA for the

funding to implement the project. It could not have

happened otherwise. Thanks in particular go to

Greg Pedrick for his positive support throughout

the process. Credit is also due to ASES and to the

citizens and political leaders that have advocated

for renewable energy tax and other incentives.

Henkel Solar Corporation

Thomas Henkel

thenkel1@nc.rr.com

Field Operation of a Solar Driven Liquid-

Desiccant Air Conditioner

Jeffrey Miller

Andrew Lowenstein

World Renewable Energy Forum

Denver, CO

May 16, 2012

www.ailr.com

AIL Research

Acknowledgments.

The work presented here was funded out of the U.S. Department of Defense’s ESTCP Program and performed under contract to National Renewable

Energy Laboratory (NREL).

3

Low-flow Liquid Desiccant Technology

Desiccants have a high affinity for water

vapor

Can dry air without first cooling below dew-

point

Thermally activated. Sustainable sources of

thermal energy are available from solar and

cogeneration

New generation of liquid-desiccant

conditioners and regenerators can meet the

needs of HVAC applications

4

New generation of liquid-desiccant components

meet the needs of HVAC applications

Contact surfaces are no longer adiabatic

Desiccant flooding rates have been reduced by a factor of 20

Low-flow Liquid Desiccant Air Conditioner (LDAC) advantages Much lower pressure drops

More compact

Greater cooling effect (e.g. cfm/ton)

More deeply dry process air

Higher regeneration COP

Zero desiccant carryover

5

Conditioner

Regenerator

Economizer

hot, humid outdoor air

humidity exhausted

to atmosphere

Simple Process

Three Main Components

All Plastic

Construction

cool, dry ventilation delivered to building

Low-Flow LDAC

6

Advanced liquid desiccant technology will

accelerate solar cooling

Better COP at lower heat-source temperatures

Lower cost for energy storage

concentrated desiccant

uninsulated plastic storage tank

Solves humidity problems (wet climates)

Augments evaporative cooling (dry climates)

Easier installation than adsorption or

absorption chillers

7

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0.026

0.028

0.030

30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150

Temperature (F)

Hu

mid

ity (

lb/l

bd

a)

ambient

supply

45 tons @ 6,000 cfm

A solar LDAC will require a significantly smaller

array than a solar absorption chiller

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0.000

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.010

0.012

0.014

0.016

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0.022

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0.026

0.028

0.030

30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150

Temperature (F)

Hu

mid

ity (

lb/l

bd

a)

ambient

supply

45 tons

13 tons

A chiller must overcool and reheat if it is to

supply air at less than 100% rh

9

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0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

0.010

0.012

0.014

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0.028

0.030

30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150

Temperature (F)

Hu

mid

ity (

lb/l

bd

a)

ambient

supply

31 tons

A LDAC can simultaneously cool and dry the air

10

3,000 cfm Solar LDAC, Tyndall AFB, FL

11

3,000 cfm Solar LDAC, Tyndall AFB, FL

Regenerator Unit

Solar Array

12

3,000 cfm Solar LDAC, Tyndall AFB, FL

Tyndall AFB

Panama City, FL

Conditioner Unit

Ductwork from LDAC

Desiccant Storage

13

3,000 cfm Solar LDAC, Tyndall AFB, FL

16

LDAC Outlet Conditions

20% 20% 20%20%

20%20%

20%20%

20%

20%

20%

20%

20%

20%

20%

40%40%

40%40%

40%

40%

40%

40%

40%

40%

40%

40%

40%

40%

40%

0

0.002

0.004

0.006

0.008

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0.012

0.014

0.016

0.018

0.02

0.022

0.024

30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Hu

mid

ity R

atio

(lb

Wa

ter/

lb D

ry A

ir)

Dry-Bulb Temperature (ºF)

Tyndall Lab - Summer 2011 (April 16 - Sept. 30)

ASHRAE Winter Comfort Zone

ASHRAE Summer Comfort Zone

Weather Outdoor

Measured Outlet Conditioner

70ºF

60ºF

50ºF

40ºF

70ºF

60ºF

50ºF

40ºF

Re

lative

Hu

mid

ity

17

Advanced liquid desiccant technology will

accelerate solar cooling

An integrated absorption/LDAC requires

smaller array than absorption only

Lower cost for energy storage

concentrated desiccant

uninsulated plastic storage tank

Smaller cooling tower than absorption or

adsorption chiller

Solves humidity problems

18

Recent Progress

6 LDACs installed and operating

5 LDACs on supermarkets in CA and HI

Solar LDAC at Tyndall AFB FL

3 additional LDACs running this spring

Solar driven LDAC on a supermarket in HI

LDAC for pool dehumidification in NJ

LDAC with advanced wicking-fin regenerator in NJ

Direct-fired, double effect regenerator testing

this summer

Munters Corp. has acquired thermally-driven,

low-flow, liquid desiccant technology