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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/S15556/01
Title: Faraday FastTrack Proposal : A Solar-Driven Cooling System Using Innovative Ground Heat Exchangers
Principal Investigator: Riffat, Professor S
Other Investigators:
Shehata, Dr H
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Carrier Holdings Ltd Clima-Gas Ltd Powersun Solar Ltd
Department: Sch of the Built Environment
Organisation: University of Nottingham
Scheme: Faraday (PreFEC)
Starts: 01 April 2003 Ends: 31 March 2006 Value (£): 174,790
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Building Ops & Management Energy Efficiency
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Construction No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
Buildings account for approximately 50% of the UK's total energy consumption and it would be feasible to meet a major part of this demand using renewable energy sources such as solar energy. Solar-driven cooling systems could be used to provide air conditioning for buildings and therefore could play a significant role in reducing C02 emissions. These systems could enhance their performance by utilising the ground as a heat sink instead of using cooling towers.This research will investigate a solar-powered absorption air conditioning system using the ground as heat sink in order to reduce the effect of the environmental temperature and improve the performance of the system. The proposed system comprises a solar collector/generator, a condenser, an absorber and an evaporator. The system is designed to reject heat to the ground via a composite block/heat exchanger unit. The solar collector (generator) unit, installed on the roof of the building, absorbs solar heat and transfers it the absorber unit buried below the earth's surface. The evaporator, situated in the building, could be either integrated within a fan coil unit or form a chilled ceiling coil. The composite concrete block (condenser) contains an embedded circuit of pipes carrying the working fluid and would normally be buried in the ground about 1.5-2m below the earth's surface, in close proximity to the building to be cooled.
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Further Information:  
Organisation Website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk