Performance evaluation of the hydronic heat pump system: Volume 2, Cooling season. Final report
- GEOMET Technologies, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
A hydronic heat pump system has been developed under EPRI sponsorship as a potential substitute for conventional residential forced-air heat pumps. The use of a hydronic thermal distribution system of circulating water to distribute the output of a residential heat pump compares favorably with other methods of distribution. To evaluate the performance of a hydronic heat pump compared to a conventional forced-air system, EPRI retained GEOMET Technologies, Inc., to test a prototype hydronic system in the controlled environment of an unoccupied research house. A prototype multizone hydronic system, developed and assembled by the Tecogen Division of Thermal Power Corporation, was tested in one of GEOMET`s two research houses during the 1992--1993 heating season and in the 1993 cooling season. This report describes the cooling-season tests of the hydronic heat pump system. The prototype hydronic system was tested to examine its efficiency and reliability. It was tested under several scenarios having different combinations of setpoints while the internal doors were either open or closed. The test data were analyzed to compare the hydronic system`s energy consumption, comfort, and efficiency to those of a conventional forced-air heat pump system. The hydronic system ran smoothly, and there were no operational problems in the cooling mode, though the hydronic system required more energy than the conventional system under comparable test conditions. However, the hydronic system provided a level of thermal comfort equivalent to that of the conventional system. Overall energy efficiency of the hydronic system might be improved with minor modifications in the operating/control scheme to increase low speed compressor operation, reduce compressor cycling and by circulating the water through the system only when heating or cooling is required in any of the zones.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst. (EPRI), Palo Alto, CA (United States); GEOMET Technologies, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 104795
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR-104891-Vol.2
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Apr 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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