Thermoeconomic Optimization of a Combined Heating and Humidification Coil for HVAC Systems

Abstract

AbstractThe total cost of ownership is calculated for a combined heating and humidification coil of an air-handling unit taking into account investment and operation costs simultaneously. This total cost represents the optimization function for which the minimum is sought. The parameters for the cost dependencies are the physical dimensions of the coil: length, width and height. The term “coil” is used generically since in this setup it generates heating as well as humidification in a single unit. The first part of the paper deals with the constructive optimization and finds the relationship between the dimensions for a minimum cost. The second part of the paper takes the results of the constructive optimization further and, based on the data derived in our previous papers, analyzes the minimum total cost for the humidification coil while balancing the amount of water used to humidify the air and modify its temperature.