Defining heat losses of a water storage tank is crucial for assessing the efficiency of thermal systems, as it provides an insight into their thermal performance and potential improvements. This thesis presents thermal storage tanks, their key components, heat losses, and energy efficiency classes. It is focused primarily on the use of a water storage tank allowing sensible heat storage for heating and cooling applications. In addition to determining heat losses of the tank, we conducted an experiment to measure the actual capacity of the tank. Heat losses and actual capacity of two different storage tanks were measured at a specially prepared testing facility according to relevant standards. We found that the quality and thickness of insulation significantly reduce heat losses, which directly contributes to higher energy efficiency and a better energy class of the water storage tank. The findings also confirmed that the design of the water storage tank and the arrangement of internal components play important roles in determining its actual capacity.
|