Oceanographic and engineering analysis of seawater air-conditioning system feasibility for the Black Sea

Abstract

Conventional air-conditioning systems constitute a large portion of the building energy consumption and operating cost. To reduce the carbon footprint of the air cooling system in buildings, cost and energy efficient technologies based on renewable energy are needed. Naturally-occurred cold seawater can serve as a working fluid in the seawater airconditioning (SWAC) system by absorbing the heat from the building and transferring it to the ocean. SWAC technology is widely used in the world, however, it still has not been applied at the Black Sea coast. The Black Sea has a unique layered water structure with year-round cold seawater available at relatively shallow depths. Low seawater temperatures in the cold intermediate layer of the Black Sea are suitable for effective use of SWAC in coastal communities. The relatively high initial cost of SWAC can be offset by large electricity savings. Cost-benefit analysis of a SWAC system based on a hybrid seawater-cooled chiller for a university campus at the Black Sea coast of Istanbul shows that SWAC is 60% more efficient than conventional air-conditioning systems.