Abstract
In order for economically viable distributed generation systems for local community to spread, it is essential to develop an efficient and low-cost heat supply system. We propose a new heat supply system called DREAMS (Distributed Residential Energy with Advanced Management System). The key technology for the system is to connect compact heat supply units installed in all the households of the local community, such as a condominium, by a single loop of hot water piping. A short time heat demand, such as hot water supply to a bath tab, can be covered by the heat storage. A prototype of heat supply unit with a practical capacity was designed based on the new conception. The unit is a hybrid heat storage unit, that is, heat can be stored in the thermal stratification of water and in a PCM (phase change material) layer on the side wall of the water tank. A paraffin wax with a melting point of 71.5℃ was used as the PCM. In this paper, experimental results on the dynamic characteristics of the heat storage unit in heat storage and release process are presented.
