| Thermal system design has important impacts on environmental quality and economy. However, a systematic methodology which can guide the design and optimization of thermal systems in a time-efficient and cost-effective way needs to be developed. An effective methodology for guiding thermal system design and optimization is developed in this dissertation. A new approach is presented by integrating the structured design methodology, the Response Surface Method (RSM), and Taguchi Methods. This integrated approach, along with DOE-2.1D simulation tools, has been successfully applied to performance analysis for HVAC thermal transport subsystems. This new approach identifies the major impacts of design parameters and their interactions in an efficient way, and demonstrates that it is an effective tool and methodology for thermal engineering practice. |
