Energy Efficient Variable Refrigerant Flow Systems for Modern Buildings

Abstract

The growing demand for the primary energy and the associated environmental issues globally, have led to the progress in energy conservative approaches in the recent years. From the standpoint of confronting the energy challenges in buildings, the development of energy efficient systems and energy conservative technologies is becoming increasingly important for satisfying the end-user requirements. In the class of highly energy efficient systems, the variable refrigerant flow (VRF) or the variable refrigerant volume (VRV) system has been developed to meet out the cooling and heating requirements in buildings. VRF/VRV system, basically operate through the modulation of the refrigerant flow according to the energy demand in buildings. In recent years, the amalgamation of control systems in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) research has provided the impetus for the development of VRF systems with enhanced energy efficiency and energy savings potential for building applications. This chapter primarily aims at reviewing the potential research studies emphasizing the importance of VRF cooling and heating systems dedicated for achieving enhanced energy efficiency and energy conservation in buildings. In the spectrum of VRF systems, the technical revelations pertaining to the refrigerant flow characteristics, single-loop and multi-loop units and combined/hybrid VRF systems with advanced intelligent controllers have been reviewed from a variety of research studies reported in the literature. Furthermore, the roles of key governing aspects which greatly influences the operational performance and feasibility of the VRF/VRV systems integration for modern buildings have been addressed and signified.