Seawater Air Conditioning

Hezi Gildor
The Institute of Earth Sciences
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Acknowledgement:
Yakov Nazichovski, Yossi Ashkenazy, Hezi Yizhak, Rafael Aharoni
 Motivation
• Conventional air conditioning in Eilat consumes up to 40% of
the total electricity use during the summer.

IRENA report, 2014

 Motivation
• Conventional air conditioning in Eilat consumes up to 40% of
the total electricity use during the summer.
• Using seawater to chill a conventional AC system condenser
can save up to 30% of the electricity used for AC in public
buildings, depending on the seawater temperature.
• SWAC is restricted due to the concerns from thermal and
chemical pollution.
• We aim to conduct an analysis of the economic viability of
SWAC systems and estimate the thermal pollution.
 Outline
• Introduction to SWAC; variants of SWAC.
• Environmental benefits and challenges.
• Design of SWAC systems.
• Preliminary analysis of feasibility for Eilat.
• Conclusions.
The technology goes by many different names–
basically same principle
• SWAC - Seawater Air Conditioning
• Deep Lake Water Cooling
• Lake Source Cooling
• Seawater District Cooling
• Water source heat pump
• ….

Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc

 Conventional air-conditioning system
A simple diagram of a heat pump's vapor-compression refrigeration cycle:
1) condenser, 2) expansion valve, 3) evaporator, 4) compressor

Wikipedia

A/C condensers use large amounts of electricity to compress refrigerant (~80%)

 Conventional air-conditioning system

Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc

 Direct water cooling system
• Cold water is pumped to a heat exchanger, and used to chill fresh
water. Without the use of heat pump.
• Water temperature up to 13OC (some claims 18OC).
• The main components of this basic seawater air conditioning
system: (1) seawater supply pipe; (2) the pump station; (3) the heat
exchanger (cooling station); (4) the chilled water distribution
system; and (5) the effluent pipe.

Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc

 Seawater heat pump systems
• When it is too costly or impractical to supply seawater at the
necessary low temperatures.
• Use auxiliary chillers to supplement the cooling provided by the
seawater exposure.
• Can be used for both cooling and heating.
• Water provides a good heat exchange medium, as it is generally
cooler than ambient air when cooling is needed, and warmer than
ambient air when heating is needed.
 Environmental benefits and impacts
• Reductions in electricity consumption –> it reduces air
pollution and greenhouse gas emission.
• Secondary applications for the used seawater:
• Aquaculture
• Desalination
• Spa
• In direct systems, no hazardous refrigerants.
• Solution available 24/7.
• Thermal pollution; thermal shock.
• Nutrient load – if we use deep and relatively cold (and
nutrient-rich) seawater.
• Suction of marine organisms into the pipes.
 Systems around the world
• Toronto: 3,200,000 m2 (46 buildings), pipe length – 5000 m,
4.4 m3/s, Tin=4Oc, Tout=12OC.

• Cornel: pipe length – 3200 m, 2.2 m3/s, Tin=4OC, Tout=14OC.

• Hawaii: pipe length – 7600 m, 2.02 m3/s, Tin=11.7OC,

Tout=18OC.
 Design of a SWAC system
• Data collection:
• Meteorological data (temperature, relative humidity, daily range, wind speed).
• Ocean data: bathymetry, temperature depth profile, current, tides, nutrients.
• Economical analysis:
• Distance to cold water.
• Local cost of electricity.
• Access to fuel.
• Total A/C demands.
• Optimizing the flow rate of sea water and chilled water.
• Pipes and pump station planning.
• Distribution system.
 Eilat - characteristics
• Bathymetry
 Eilat - characteristics
• Bathymetry
• Hydrographic characteristics: surface water vs. 200 m water

St. A

Biton and Gildor, 2011

Black – observations (taken from NMP)

Red – Model
 Eilat - characteristics
• Bathymetry
• Hydrographic characteristics: surface water vs. 200 m water
 Eilat - characteristics
• Bathymetry
• Hydrographic characteristics
• Meteorological characteristics
 Eilat - characteristics
• Bathymetry
• Hydrographic characteristics
• Meteorological characteristics
• Hotels and other consumers

48 hotels, additional 2000 rooms are planned

Close to the sea
Sea is relatively calm
 U-Suits (formerly Meridian)
• Use ground water from 135 m, at temperature of 27-31OC
• Pumping flux is about 170 m3/h (permit allows a maximum of
200 m3/h)
• Reduces ~15% of the total electricity consumption compared
to conventional AC systems
 Conclusions
• SWAC is not technically complex. Systems exist around the
world (Toronto, Halifax, Cornel, Bora Bora, Hawaii, …).
• Has the potential to save a significant amount of electricity in
Eilat. Electricity is required only to run the pumps (~20%).
• The costs are primarily related to the initial capital
expenditure. This, in turn, is related to the distance to cold
water, to air and sea temperature, required A/C load, etc…
• Auxiliary chillers will be needed.
• The effect of thermal pollution has yet to be studied.
• Various scenarios should be explored.

Thank you!