A study on energy conservation of the AIT's air conditioning system | |
| Author | Bovonson Navaraj |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.ET-09-02 |
| Subject(s) | Energy conservation--Thailand Air conditioning--Thailand |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Engineering in Energy |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Air-conditioning is important to create pleasant environment in buildings. At AIT, nearly half of the electricity bill originates from the operations of air-conditioning system. The chiller plant alone accounts for around one-third of the power demand of the entire campus, not to mention the additional power demands for fan coil units and air handling units. Furthermore, roughly half of the cooling energy is attributable to the AIT conference center because cooling is required for 24 hours every day. This study presents the current status of operation in air-conditioning system at AIT, which has been established as baseline for improvement. The mean power demand during daytime is 1,063 kW, while that during nighttime is 365 kW. Proportion of power demands of fan coil units and air handling units in AIT indicates that the AIT conference center takes the share of 27.7% and the library takes the share of 17.2%. There is also an opportunity for energy conservation of the air handler fan powers at the library. Plans for awareness program, tests of condenser water and make up water, establishment of chiller characteristic curves were carried out in order to improve overall efficiency in air-conditioning system. Plans for awareness program are developed to include 3 targets: Faculty and Top Management, Staff, and Student. Each target, though trying to achieve the same goal, has different channels to assimilate the importance and benefits of energy conservation. The tests of condenser water and make up water point out that their overall properties are in the acceptable range. The total amount of make up water in air-conditioning system is about 90 to 100 m³/day, while the maximum amount of condensate from the biggest air handler in the library is about 2 m³/day. However, library is another location which is suitable for variable air volume retrofit due to its air handler size, existing supply air outlets, and long as well as consistent operating hours. This study recommends that energy simulation and financial analysis be performed to compare the benefits of making use of the condensate and variable air volume retrofit. Chiller characteristic curves and the operating hours of each chiller indicate that the overall efficiency of the chillers in operation is 1.00 kWee/TR. This specific energy consumption has been utilized to estimate the energy saving from chiller replacement. This study also points out that proper chiller sequencing in October 2008 could have reduced the electricity bill by 61,103 Baht. Therefore, a programmable controller as well as a data base of cooling loads are necessary for technicians to enable the operation of right chillers on the right days. Moreover, cleaning of air filters and cooling coils annually increases efficiency and leads to annual saving of 613,331 Baht, while the annual maintenance cost in case of outsourcing is 525,000 Baht. Variable air volume retrofit is both technically and economically sound for the entrance lobby of the main AIT conference center. The downtime for this energy conservation project is approximately 1 month. The initial cost for renovation is 180,000 Baht, while the, annual saving is 50,000 Baht. The simple payback period is 3.6 years and the internal rate of return is 25%. After this renovation, as much as 10.7 tons of Carbon Dioxide emission from power plants can be reduced yearly. |
| Year | 2009 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Energy Technology (ET) |
| Chairperson(s) | Kumar, Sivanappan;Mohanty, Brahmanand; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Weerakorn Ongsakul;Hoang Le Tien; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship Scheme; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2009 |