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When optimizing systems for wood pellet and solar heating, there is a need for realistic computer models of stoves and boilers in order to perform simulation studies. The objective of this work was to develop and verify a mathematical model for wood pellet stoves and boilers for use in system simulations with TRNSYS calculating both the energy balance and CO-emissions (carbon monoxide). Laboratory measurements have been carried out on three pellet stoves, one traditional and two with gas-liquid heat exchangers, and four pellet boilers. A mathematical two-node model of a stove was developed and implemented as a TRNSYS component. Parameters were identified for two stoves and three boilers. This new model makes it possible to perform detailed simulations with time steps less than a minute of complete wood pellet heating systems and to derive long term values, such as annual values, of efficiency and emissions for the boiler or stove in a system context under realistic conditions. In addition, parametric studies can be used in order to investigate how different operation principles and system design affect these values. The simulated energy balance of a water jacketed stove investigated in this work agreed well with measured data during both stationary and dynamic conditions.

This study investigates how electrically heated single-family houses can be converted to wood pellets- and solar heating using pellet stoves and solar heating systems. Four different system concepts are presented and system simulations in TRNSYS evaluate the thermal performance and the electrical savings possible for two different electrically heated single-family houses. Simulations show that the electricity savings using a wood pellet stove are greatly affected by the level of comfort, the house plan, the system choice and if the internal doors are open or closed. Installing a stove with a water-jacket connected to a radiator system and a hot water store has the advantage that heat can be transferred to domestic hot water and be distributed to other rooms. Such systems leads to that more electricity can be replaced, especially in houses having a traditional plan. Though it is unnecessary to have too many radiators connected to a stove with a low fraction of energy heating the water jacket. Today’s most common control strategy for stoves, (the on/off-control) results in unnecessarily high emissions. A more advanced control varying the heating rate from maximum to minimum to keep a constant room temperature reduces the number of starts and stops and thereby the emissions.

Various pellet heating systems are marketed in Sweden, some of them in combination with a solar heating system. Several types of pellet heating units are available and can be used for a combined system. This article compares four typical combined solar and pellet heating systems: System 1 and 2 with a pellet stove, system 3 with a store integrated pellet burner and system 4 with a pellet boiler. The often lower efficiency of pellet heaters compared to oil or gas heaters increases the final energy demand. Consequently heat losses of the various systems have been studied. The systems have been modeled in TRNSYS and simulated with parameters identified from measurements. For almost all systems the flue gas losses are the main heat losses except for system 3 where store heat losses prevail. Relevant are also the heat losses of the burner and the boiler to the ambient. Significant leakage losses are noticed for system 3 and 4. For buildings with an open internal design system 1 is the most efficient solution. Other buildings should preferably apply system 2 or 3. The right choice of the system depends also on whether the heater is placed inside or outside of the heated area. Unlike the expectations and results from other studies, the operation of the pellet heaters with modulating combustion power is not necessarily improving the performance. A large potential for system optimization exists for all studied systems, which when applied could alter the relative merits of the different system types.

This study focus on how wood pellets and solar heating systems for single-family houses should be designed and controlled to reach high efficiency and to reduce the CO-emissions. A recently developed TRNSYS model was used to simulate the wood pellet boiler. Parameters for the model were identified from laboratory measurements on a boiler. A detailed simulation model of a complete solar combisystem was created and annual simulations were performed. Assuming that all heat losses to the room are waist heat, the results show that the most important factors to achieve high system efficiency are that the boiler and the buffer store should be well insulated. The sensor controlling the boiler should be placed in the store; the pump between the boiler and the store should only be in operation together with the burner and for some time after the burner have stopped to take care of the after burning heat. For boilers with relatively large start and stop CO-emissions modulating power may be an efficient measure to reduce CO-emissions. Especially for boilers using an ON-OFF control, the dominating contribution of CO-emissions may be during the start and stop phases, thus reducing emissions during operation may have little influence on the annual CO-emissions.

This article compares seven different external DHW units, comprising flat plate heat exchanger and flow control, with a reference method for preparing hot water. These DHW units use different control methods. The objective of the study was to determine which methods are most effective in solar combisystems and to identify other factors that strongly influence the energy savings of the system. Five of the DHW units were judged to be of interest for the study because of their measured performance or the simplicity of their design. Of these, measurement data showed that two had the same control function although of different physical construction. Thus four DHW units were modelled in the simulation environment PRESIM/ TRNSYS, parameters were identified from measured data, and annual simulations were performed with a number of parametric variations. Three of the DHW units performed significantly better than the reference system provided that they were sized correctly: microprocessor control with variable-speed pump; proportional controller with regulating valve; and a turbine pump. The most important design factors identified by the study were: the maximum possible primary flow, which needs to be suitable for the design hot water load profile; and ensuring a low temperature is returned to the store. The hot water load profile was also shown to strongly influence the energy savings, assuming that auxiliary heater’s thermostat is set so that the system just meets the worst-case discharge.

Electric energy (70-90%) used by electrically heated dishwashers and washing machines is used for heating the water, the crockery, the laundry and the machine and could as well be replaced by heat from other sources than electricity. This article evaluates prototypes of a dishwasher and a washing machine, where the machines are heated by a hot water circulation loop and the heat is transferred to the machines via a heat exchanger. The machine therefore uses water from the cold water pipe. Measurements and simulations have been performed showing that all energy for heating can be replaced if the supply water temperature is 65-70 degrees C. An alternative and common way to save electricity is to connect the machines to the domestic hot water pipe, but the electrical savings with this measure are much smaller, especially for the dishwasher. Computer modelling has been performed and the model has proved to have a high agreement with measured data. However comparison with manufacturers' data indicates that the computer models overestimate the energy demand by about 10 %.

70 to 90% of the electric energy used by dishwashers and washing machines heats the water, the crockery, the laundry and the machine and could just as well be replaced by heating energy from solar collectors, district heating or a boiler. A dishwasher and a washing machine equipped with a heat exchanger and heated by a hot water circulation circuit instead of electricity (heat-fed machines) have been simulated together with solar heating systems for single-family houses in two different climates (Stockholm, Sweden and Miami, USA). The simulations show that a major part of the increased heat load due to heat-fed machines can be covered by solar heat both in hot and cold climates if the collector area is compensated for the larger heat load to give the same marginal contribution. Using ordinary machines connected to the hot water pipe (hot water-fed machines) and using only cold water for the rinses in the washing machine gives almost the same solar contribution; however considerably lower electrical energy savings are achieved. The simulations also indicate that improvements in the system design of a combisystem (increased stratification in the store) are more advantageous if heat-fed machines are connected to the store. Thus, using heat-fed machines also encourages the use of more advanced solar combisystems.