C093 -- Comparison of Economizer Control Methods in a Campus Building According to Korean Climatic Conditions ✓ Most Recent

https://doi.org/10.63044/w23seo93

The operation of the economizer system in an air handling unit can reduce the energy consumption of buildings in the cooling season. When operating an economizer system, the introduction of outside air flow rate is determined according to the economizer set points of outside air, and the operation performance also changes. Economizer system control methods can be divided into four ways: Fixed Dry Bulb Control, Different Dry Bulb Control, Fixed Enthalpy Control, and Differential Enthalpy Control. Among these methods, it is necessary to apply the optimal method considering outside air conditions. Even in region of the same latitude, the optimal economizer system control method should be applied in consideration of outside air conditions for effective energy conservation because the coastal climate and inland climate have different humidity conditions. In this study, economizer control methods for campus buildings were compared according to Korean climate conditions. The cooling energy consumption of the building and the operating time of the system were compared and simulated using an EnergyPlus program to find the optimal economizer system control method according to climate conditions. As a result, when the introduce of outside air flow rate increased according to climate conditions, the operating time of the economizer system also increased. However, operating time and energy consumption were not proportional. In Chuncheon, the cooling energy saving effect was the greatest at 15.09% when the upper limit of the dry bulb temperature was set at 23°C. In Donghae, the cooling energy saving effect was the greatest at 11.04% when the upper limit of the dry bulb temperature was set at 22°C. The optimal upper limit of dry bulb temperature for energy conservation depends on climate conditions. The proposed approach can provide guidance for improved economizer operation to achieve better energy performance in accordance with changes in climate conditions.