Small Smart Sustainable Systems for future Domestic Hot Water (4S-DHW)

这项拟议的研究计划的目的是解决使用低碳热泵技术提供家庭热水的挑战，因为家庭中的传统热水箱已成为压倒性的趋势，而且目前的热泵无法提供即时热水。我们打算开发一套热泵/储存/控制技术，使用电力或天然气，在未来很长一段时间内，可以向广泛的家庭提供节能、负担得起的热水。Ulster将使用工业合作伙伴艾默生正在开发的一种新型压缩机，该压缩机具有特殊的运行速度范围。使相同的设备能够提供例如25kW的瞬时热水或10kW或更少的空间供暖。这将与小型缓冲存储器结合使用，以克服热水可用之前启动的延迟。目前的燃气热泵(包括商业热泵和华威正在开发的热泵)更易于调节，但如果提供20或30千瓦的热泵，则体积较大，而且启动时间较长(5分钟)。Warwick的目标是使用新型复合吸附换热器，将启动时间缩短到一分钟，即使在满足25kW负载的情况下也是如此，并减少关键部件的尺寸，以实现紧凑型系统。可能需要一个小的缓冲存储器来克服启动瞬变，或者可能需要一个大容量的存储器来快速提供充满水的浴缸。中等容量的商店可能会与热泵一起工作，以满足高峰负荷。我们的研究将包括缓冲器、紧凑型PCM商店，这些商店可以位于厨房的角落等未使用的空间，以及使用真空或气凝胶绝缘的“扁平”商店，可以安装在厨房橱柜或其他可用的未使用空间下。要将所有这些整合到一系列适合不同住房类型的集成系统中，需要了解消费者的需求和偏好，以及智能自适应控制系统。除了文献中的数据外，我们还可以获得拉夫堡以前进行的详细监测研究的数据。消费者的喜好将通过使用拉夫堡设计学院以用户为中心的设计研究小组进行的调查进行调查。阿尔斯特将全面负责传感器的选择、控制硬件和软件。他们将设计一种以最佳方式适应和满足消费者需求的系统控制器。从长远来看，这将是全屋无线连接系统的一部分，该系统包括洗碗机和洗衣机等“湿”电器，以及与DHW系统通信的“智能水龙头”，以便它对所需负载的大小和类型做出最佳反应。

The purpose of the proposed research programme is to address the challenge of providing domestic hot water (DHW) using low carbon heat pump technology given the overwhelming trend away from conventional hot water tanks in homes and the inability of present heat pumps to provide instant hot water.We intend to develop a suite of heat pump / storage / control technologies, using either electricity or gas that function without conventional storage cylinders and can deliver energy efficient affordable hot water to a wide range of dwellings well into the future.Ulster will use a novel compressor being developed by industrial partner Emerson that has an exceptional range of running speeds, enabling the same device to either deliver e.g. 25 kW for instantaneous hot water or 10 kW or less for space heating. This would be used in conjunction with a small buffer store to overcome the delay in start-up before hot water is available. Present gas fired heat pumps (both commercial and under development at Warwick) are easier to modulate but are physically large if delivering 20 or 30 kW and also have a long start up time (5 minutes). The Warwick goal is to use new composite adsorbent heat exchangers to reduce start up time to one minute, even when meeting a 25 kW load and to reduce key component sizes to achieve a compact system.Thermal storage is a vital part of DHW provision by heat pumps. A small buffer store may be needed to overcome starting transients, or a large capacity store might be needed to provide a bath-full of water quickly. An intermediate capacity store might work together with a heat pump to meet peak loads. Our research will encompass buffers, compact PCM stores that could be sited in unused spaces such as corners in kitchens and 'flat' stores using vacuum or aerogel insulation that could fit under kitchen cabinets or other available unused spaces.To bring this all together into a range of integrated systems suited to different housing types etc there needs to be both an understanding of the consumer's needs and preferences plus a smart adaptive control system. In addition to data in the literature we have access to data from detailed monitoring studies previously carried out by Loughborough. Consumer preferences will be investigated by the use of surveys carried out by the User Centred Design Research Group at Loughborough Design School. Ulster will assume overall responsibility for sensor choice, control hardware and software. They will devise a system controller that adapts to and meets consumer needs in an optimal way. In the long term this will be part of a house-wide wirelessly linked system including 'wet' appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines and 'smart taps' that communicate with the DHW system so that it responds optimally to the size and type of load demanded.