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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Performance Assessment of a Photonic Radiative Cooling System for Office Buildings

Spectrally selective materials show high technical potential for use as radiative cooling heat exchangers for buildings. Recent work by Stanford University has applied a photonic approach to tailor the optical properties of a coating material. In a prototype test, a radiative cooler based on that photonic material has demonstrated the ability to maintain radiator surfaces at below-ambient temperatures in the presence of intense, direct sunlight. This paper presents the simulation and parametric analysis of photonic radiative cooling system that integrates the use of the photonic radiative cooler and radiant floor cooling via the whole energy simulation program EnergyPlus. The simulation was made for a medium office building with three floors and a total floor area of 5,000 m2. Three key design parameters including the storage tank size, the radiator area, and the number of floors are expected to have a large impact on system performance were investigated in this paper. The results show that the percentage of cooling electricity savings from the photonic radiative cooling system relative to a reference variable-air-volume system has a linear relationship with the radiator area, and a quadratic correlation with both tank size and the number of floors. The findings from this parametric analysis are valuable to understand how component sizing affects system performance.

Wang, Weimin↗
DOE OSTI2012

Feasibility Study: Ductless Hydronic Distribution Systems with Fan Coil Delivery

Hydronic distribution systems have a long history, and are widely used in commercial buildings. As with mini-split heat pumps, hydronic systems using small terminal fan coils have the potential to provide high-quality comfort to homes that have small heating and cooling loads, but at a lower cost and with greater flexibility. These “ductless hydronic” distribution systems eliminate space requirements needed for ducting, eliminate duct thermal losses, and are easy to zone. Since heat pump chiller-heaters can be charged with refrigerant at the factory, hydronic systems also avoid refrigerant system faults such as incorrect charge and inadequate evacuation of lines that can lead to sub-standard performance. Other advantages include: reduction in the amount of energy required to deliver heating and cooling, reduced equipment cycling, and the potential for incorporating energy storage for peak load avoidance and demand response. Ductless hydronic systems are best suited for new homes, but with the relative ease of installing piping in attic spaces (for example under attic insulation), they are also suitable for existing homes that have old, leaky, and poorly insulated ducts. With a broader and more affordable product offering from manufacturers, installation guidelines, and contractor training, this method of distribution has significant potential to meet the space conditioning needs of high performance homes. The primary objectives of this study are to estimate potential energy savings relative to conventional ducted air distribution, and to identify equipment requirements, costs, and barriers. The analysis focuses on ductless hydronic delivery systems that use water-to-air terminal units in each zone. This system type is applicable in all climate regions and can provide sensible and latent cooling and/or heating using a single hot and chilled water source such as a heat pump, or a separate water heater and chiller. Results of TRNSYS modeling indicate that annual heating and cooling energy use (site and source) can be reduced by up to 22% when substituting pipes, pump, small distributed fan coils, and a water-to-air heat pump for the ducts, air handler, indoor coil, and conventional air-to-air heat pump unit of similar rating as the air-to-water unit. Of the 22% savings, on average 36% is attributable to the lower energy required by pumps and small fans vs. air handler blowers, and 64% to the reduced losses from pipes as compared to ducts. Using the modeled energy savings and estimated costs, hydronic distribution appears to be economically viable in three of the four climates evaluated. Other current field studies of air-to-water heat pumps coupled to radiant floor systems are demonstrating heat pump performance that exceeds seasonal performance calculated using a standard heat pump performance map (German, 2011a, German, 2011b). Hydronic distribution systems can meet sensible and latent cooling needs in all climates. Major barriers to widespread application include the lack of low-cost, small, ceiling-mounted fan coils, and the limited availability and higher cost of air-to-water heat pumps. The latter could be overcome by the production of an add-on refrigerant-to-water conversion kit that could be used to adapt any heat pump to serve as a water chiller-heater. Development of accurate performance maps and additional data on field performance are areas that should be targeted by future research.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2014

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Montlake Modern - Seattle, Washington

This case study describes a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home in Seattle, WA, that scored HERS 42 without PV and a -1 with PV. This 3,192 ft2 custom home has 6-inch SIP walls, a 12-inch SIP roof, an R-28 ICF-insulated foundation slab edge with R-20 rigid foam under the slab; an air-to-water heat pump plus radiant floor heat; 100% LED lighting; filtered-fan-powered fresh air intake; triple-pane windows, 9.7 kWh PV for electric car charging station.

air-to-water heat pump↗
DOE OSTI2014

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Leganza Residence - Greenbank, Washington

This case study describes a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home in Greenbank, Washington that scored HERS 37 without PV and a -5 with PV. This 1,955 ft2 custom home has 6.5-inch structural insulated panel (SIPs) walls, a 10.25-inch SIPS roof, an R-20 insulated slab, a 2-ton ground source heat pump, radiant floor heat, 7.1 kWh PV, and triple-pane windows.

builder↗
DOE OSTI2015

DOE ZERH Case Study: Clifton View Homes, Marine Drive and Port Hadlcok, Coupeville and Port Hadlock WA

Case study of two DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning custom homes in the marine climate that got HERS 39 and 38 without PV or HERS 2-12 and -9 with PV, with 6.5” SIP walls and 10.25” SIP roof; 11.75 ICF around slab, R-20 rigid foam under slab; radiant floor heat and passive design; air-to-water heatpump, fresh air intake with fan, triple-pane windows, 100% LED.

Building America↗
DOE OSTI2015

DOE ZERH Case Study: TC Legend Homes, Bellingham Power House, Bellingham, WA

Case study of a DOE 2015 Housing Innovation Award winning custom home in the marine climate that got HERS 34 without PV or HERS -12 with PV, with 6” SIP walls and 10” SIP roof; R-28 ICF around slab, R-20 rigid foam under slab; radiant floor heat and passive design; air-to-water heat pump COP 4.4; HRV; earth tube ventilation; triple-pane windows, 100% LED.

Building America↗
DOE OSTI2017

DOE Zero Energy Ready Home Case Study: Amaris Homes, Afton Model

Amaris Homes built this 3,734-ft2 home in Afton, Minnesota, to the performance criteria of the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program. A high-efficiency gas boiler provides hot water for the zoned radiant floor system as well as for faucets and showers. A high-efficiency heat pump provides zoned cooling.

2017 Housing Innovation Award↗
DOE OSTI2012

Super Energy Efficiency Design (S.E.E.D.) Home Evaluation

This report describes the results of evaluation by the Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) Building America team of the 'Super Energy Efficient Design' (S.E.E.D) home, a 1,935 sq. ft., single-story spec home located in Tucson, AZ. This prototype design was developed with the goal of providing an exceptionally energy efficient yet affordable home and includes numerous aggressiveenergy features intended to significantly reduce heating and cooling loads such as structural insulated panel (SIP) walls and roof, high performance windows, an ERV, an air-to-water heat pump with mixed-mode radiant and forced air delivery, solar water heating, and rooftop PV. Source energy savings are estimated at 45% over the Building America B10 Benchmark. System commissioning, short termtesting, long term monitoring and detailed analysis of results was conducted to identify the performance attributes and cost effectiveness of the whole house measure package.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2012

Super Energy Efficient Design (S.E.E.D.) Home Evaluation

This report describes the results of evaluation by the Alliance for Residential Building Innovation (ARBI) Building America team of the “Super Energy Efficient Design” (S.E.E.D) home, a 1,935 sq. ft., single-story spec home located in Tucson, AZ. This prototype design was developed with the goal of providing an exceptionally energy efficient yet affordable home and includes numerous aggressive energy features intended to significantly reduce heating and cooling loads such as structural insulated panel (SIP) walls and roof, high performance windows, an ERV, an air-to-water heat pump with mixed-mode radiant and forced air delivery, solar water heating, and rooftop PV. Source energy savings are estimated at 45% over the Building America B10 Benchmark. System commissioning, short term testing, long term monitoring and detailed analysis of results was conducted to identify the performance attributes and cost effectiveness of the whole house measure package.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2021

Performance Considerations for Ground Source Heat Pumps in Cold Climates: Preprint

Remote, cold climates present challenges to finding safe and affordable options to heat homes. In Alaska, residential ground source heat pumps (GSHPs) have been gaining in popularity to fill this gap. However, there is little research on their long-term performance or effect on soil temperatures. The extended heating season and cold soils of Alaska provide a harsh testing ground for GSHPs, even those designed and marketed for colder climates. The large and unbalanced heating load of cold climates creates a challenging environment for GSHPs. In 2013 the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC) installed a GSHP at its Research and Testing Facility (RTF) in Fairbanks, Alaska. The heat pump replaced an oil-fired condensing boiler heating a 464 m2 office space via an in-floor hydronic radiant heating system. The ground heat exchanger (GHE) was installed in moisture-rich silty soils underlain with permafrost near 0°C. The intent of the installation was to observe and monitor the system over a 10-year period in order to develop a better understanding of the performance of GSHPs in sites with permafrost and to help inform future design. As of this writing, the heat pump system has been running for seven heating seasons. The efficiency in those seven heating seasons has been variable with ups and downs that have been difficult to explain. This paper seeks to understand the variability in performance as well as make recommendations for GSHP use in other cold climates.

cold climate↗
NASA NTRS1986

Reflective Shields for Artificial Satellites

Report proposes reflective shield that protects spacecraft from radiant energy. Also gives some protection against particle beams and cosmic rays. Conceptual shield essentially advanced version of decorative multifaceted mirror balls often hung over dance floors. Mirror facets disperse radiant energy in many directions.

Bouquet, F. L.↗
DOE OSTI2013

Roof and Attic Design Guidelines for new and retrofit Construction of Homes in Hot and Coild Climates

Some guidelines for improving the energy efficiency of roofs and attics are presented and are based on the research of the DOE Building Technology. The results of combined analytical and experimental studies were used to benchmark computer tools, which in turn, were used to simulate homes in hot and cold climates. Adding floor and roof insulation, above deck ventilation, radiant barriers, cool color shingle, metal or tile roofs, sealing the attic floor, sealing the duct system and sealing the attic were simulated to compute the cost of energy savings. Results are prioritized to help building owners make an informed economic decision when contemplating roof and attic retrofits. Sealing the attic floor is a top retrofit option. The sealed attic approach and a new prototype roof assembly an insulated and ventilated roof are good options for retrofit work but have paybacks ranging from 15 to 25 years. A new sealed attic concept was simulated and computations show its simple payback is about 10 to 12 years in hot and cold climates; its first cost is significantly reduced from that of a spray foam approach. For new construction the best option is to keep the ducts out of the attic, make sure the attic floor is sealed and add at least code level of insulation to the ceiling.

attic↗