Webinar: Size Thermal Energy Storage for District Cooling Plants

We are in the middle of an energy crisis. After decades of unprecedented development in all corners of the globe, the energy demands are now extremely high. Economic development and population growth are the main drivers of this demand. The future of energy consumption is dependent on a number of factors, including fossil fuel price and availability of energy alternatives. Interestingly, 50% of global energy demand will go into power generation by 2030. It is statistics such as these that have compelled district cooling plant operators and owners to implement energy efficiency measures. Which is the utmost solution? We are sure: Thermal energy storage (TES) applied to district cooling plants.  We are so confident that we want to show you all about it in the upcoming webinar.

HOW IMPORTANT IS TES FOR DISTRICT COOLING PLANTS?

Thermal energy storage is crucial for district cooling as it allows average load based sizing of chillers as opposed to peak load sizing. This reduces the operating costs of chillers significantly considering that off-peak power rates are normally low. By participating in this webinar, you will learn about the thermal energy concept and how it relates to off-peak and peak periods. Also to be covered are the different types of thermal energy storage namely latent heat storage, sensible heat storage and chemical heat storage.   

SIZING THE SYSTEM

While the speakers may touch on the above benefits of thermal energy storage for district cooling, their focus will be on system selection and sizing. You will learn detailed design of the thermal energy storage tank. Remember that when sizing a thermal energy storage system, one requires a set of information:

  • Cooling loads
  • Plant details
  • Operating patterns and temperatures

The speakers will enumerate the three points.

Webinar: How to Select and Size Thermal Energy Storage for District Cooling Plants

Fig 1: Inside a District Cooling Plant

When it comes to system design, we are looking at a number of approaches. First , you could base the tank capacity on size of cooling plant. A system may also be designed using the minimum operating time for the plant. This approach is mostly applicable where equipment cycling is undesirable. In yet another option, you could design your thermal energy storage system so that it meets the cooling demand of the smallest zone within the district. This is essentially the most critical zone i.e. the zone that needs cooling the most. From the webinar, you will be able to tell the difference these methods. The speakers will help you know which method suits district cooling applications and why.  

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

A TES system for district cooling doesn’t work without issues. It is important to have these issues in mind at the design stage. As the speakers in the webinar will reiterate, the thermal energy storage system must be safe and energy efficient, but also controllable. Even more important is to avoid either over-sizing or under-sizing. An under-sized TES tank doesn’t store sufficient cooling from the plant, hence it is inefficient. Moreover, such a tank is incapable of supplementing the chiller plant output during times of peak cooling demand. Similarly, an over-sized tank will present challenges. The location of inlet and outlet points of the chilled water TES tank is crucial as it affects mixing effectiveness. The design should be such that the return water is warmer and enters the tank at the top. Sensors are essential in the system as they determine when to switch on and switch off the cooling source depending on temperature in the district. Plant modulation control is possible if these sensors are placed at intermediate levels. There are so many other issues to consider as you will discover.

WHO ARE THE SPEAKERS?

  • Lucia Molleda, Area Manager
  • Andres Ruiz, Thermal Energy Storage Expert
  • Guillermo Martinez, Commercial Manager

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND

  • Expert interview featuring Erroman Telletxea, Designer of the world Largest TES Tank
  • All attendants get an updated TES eBook
  • Attendants get TES guidelines based on ASHRAE TES guidelines

The webinar will be facilitated by ARANER, a notable provider of industrial and commercial cooling solutions across the globe. Join us for this exciting webinar. Register for FREE now!  

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