A Combined Water Heater, Dehumidifier, and Evaporative Cooler (WHDC) Award Number: DE-EE0006718 CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6 Buildings Technologies Office Date: 08/05/2014 Location(s): FL Office(s): Golden Field Office
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
February 29, 2016
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A Combined Water Heater, Dehumidifier, and Evaporative Cooler (WHDC)
Award Number: DE-EE0006718
CX(s) Applied: A9, B3.6
Buildings Technologies Office
Date: 08/05/2014
Location(s): FL
Office(s): Golden Field Office
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is proposing to provide federal funding to the University of Florida to develop a technology for combined water heating, dehumidification, and space cooling (WHDC) with a technical primary energy saving potential of 652 trillion British thermal units per year.
The University of Florida proposes to study the absorption/desorption rates of three ionic liquids in a membrane-based system; fabricate the absorption cycle of a WHDC system in the plate-and-frame heat exchanger configuration, an evaporative cooler, a custom-made gas burner, airflow arrangements and system packaging in an environmental chamber; and analyze the performance and assess the energy saving capabilities of the WHDC system. Fabrication and testing of the WHDC system would take place at the University of Florida’s Nanostructured Energy Systems Labs located at 355 Tigert Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611. Additional testing of the WHDC system would be conducted at Oak Ridge National Lab located at 1 Bethel Valley Rd, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. All research and development activities would take place in existing facilities designed for this type of research; therefore, no modifications or new permits, additional licenses and/or authorizations would be necessary. For all work conducted at DOE laboratories, project activities may be subject to additional NEPA review by the cognizant NEPA Compliance Officer for the lab and will be required to meet the labs health and safety requirements.