Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Mixed and Stratified Hot Water Storage Tanks

This paper investigates the performance of a 1.1 m3 stratified hot water storage tank coupled to a vapour compression heat pump system. A comprehensive data acquisition system has been used to obtain the experimental data from a series of static and dynamic tests. In the static experiments a well-defined thermocline has been achieved and the effects of insulation and tank wall thickness on the preservation of the thermocline have been determined. The results indicate that thermal losses in stratified tanks are about 22 per cent higher than the losses in fully mixed tanks. The dynamic experiments have been conducted with an upward-moving thermocline and the major factors influencing its stability have been correlated in terms of the Archimedes number (Gr/Re2). It has been found that good stratification performance can be maintained with Archimedes numbers in the range between 35000 and 55000. A simplified one-dimensional model of the storage tank has been developed and validated against experimental results. The model will be linked to dynamic models of the heat pump and the building to simulate the performance of a heat store/heat pump energy management system.