Thermal performance of solar-biomass energy heating system coupled with thermal storage floor and radiators in northeast China

Solar-biomass heating system can effectively reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and achieve clean heating. However, there are some limitations, as ignoring the features of dynamic thermal demand and living habits of Chinese rural households. In the present study, a novel solar-biomass energy heating system is proposed that integrates a variety of heating terminals with a thermal storage floor and radiators. Experimental study and theoretical analysis were carried out to explore the thermal performance of the proposed heating system and investigated its impact on reducing energy consumption and emissions in a typical rural residence. The results demonstrate that during the operation of biomass stove, which corresponds to high heat demands, the surface temperature rising rate of radiators is 100 times than that of thermal storage floor, which allows the increase of indoor air temperature around 20℃. When heat input was stopped during the night, the thermal storage floor can maintain the indoor air temperature at 17℃. The average primary energy efficiency of the novel system is 0.57, which outperforms the traditional heating system. The energy consumption and average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are both reduced significantly throughout the heating season. This study has well considered the features of the dynamic thermal environment required by rural households, and the novel system has better adaptability and adjustability for heat demand to provide a potential technical solution for clean heating in rural China.