Eficientização de um sistema de climatização aeroportuário a partir do uso da termoacumulação

Abstract

The study presents the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) used in Porto Alegre city airport, aiming cost reductions opportunities due to its cool storage tank operation, a feature that for various reasons is currently out use. To enable a comprehensive assessment of the system’s behavior, both the passenger terminal building and HVAC equipment were modeled and simulated using the EnergyPlus software, along with the weather file that contains Porto Alegre’s meteorological data. The simulations have reaffirmed the predictions that Porto Alegre’s airport HVAC system is currently working with operating costs above those that could be obtained if the cool storage system were in operation. The integrated economy over a year by reducing costs to the electricity bills from the airport reached R$ 312.206,00. It became notorious that the reduction of demand and energy consumption during the peak hours are the most representative from all economies, accounting respectively for 77% and 18% of the total energy bills savings after cool storage tank operation. It was found that, besides the reduction in the amounts paid for electricity at peak hours, the participation of cool storage also enables reduction in energy consumption for HVAC plant equipments, driven by more efficient operating strategies. Thus, considering only the summer months, the simulations showed an average reduction of 11% in HVAC plant equipment consumption. As for the same period, if it is also accounted for the savings due to electric demand and consumption reduction during peak hours, the total energy bill reduction for the airport after applying the cool storage tank stands at 30%. Another important issue related to the use of cool storage is the HVAC cooling capacity increase, very relevant if considering the terminal passenger handling increase along last years. In that sense, the simulations showed a 25% increase in cooling capacity for the current system after the cool storage has joined the HVAC plant. This effect is a noticeable contribution to the existing installations longevity, as it limits or eliminates the need for further increase in the airport cooling capacity, not until the time when the passenger terminal may suffer significant enlargements.