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Title: Trnsys-compatible model of ground-coupled storage. [GROCS code; GRound Coupled System]

Abstract

The use of the ground as a source of heat and as a storage element for low-grade heat in solar assisted heat pump systems is the subject of an ongoing program of research at Brookhaven National Laboratory. As part of this program, a computer model of ground-coupled storage was developed. This report describes the integration of this program into the transient simulation computer program TRNSYS to allow the hour-by-hour simulation of solar heating and cooling systems which use ground coupling. The report is intended to serve as a user's manual for the TRNSYS-compatible ground-coupling subroutines.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
OSTI Identifier:
5746647
Report Number(s):
BNL-51061
DOE Contract Number:
EY-76-C-02-0016
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; COMPUTER CODES; G CODES; GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; SOLAR-ASSISTED HEAT PUMPS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; FLOWSHEETS; HEAT SOURCES; HEAT TRANSFER; MANUALS; PROGRAMMING; SENSIBLE HEAT STORAGE; T CODES; TANKS; UNDERGROUND; AIR CONDITIONERS; APPLIANCES; CONTAINERS; DIAGRAMS; DOCUMENT TYPES; ELECTRIC APPLIANCES; ENERGY STORAGE; ENERGY TRANSFER; EQUIPMENT; HEAT PUMPS; HEAT STORAGE; HEATING SYSTEMS; LEVELS; SIMULATION; SOLAR AIR CONDITIONERS; SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS; STORAGE; 140901* - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling; 320100 - Energy Conservation, Consumption, & Utilization- Buildings

Citation Formats

Andrews, J.W. Trnsys-compatible model of ground-coupled storage. [GROCS code; GRound Coupled System]. United States: N. p., 1979. Web. doi:10.2172/5746647.
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Andrews, J.W. Trnsys-compatible model of ground-coupled storage. [GROCS code; GRound Coupled System]. United States. doi:10.2172/5746647.
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Andrews, J.W. Sat . "Trnsys-compatible model of ground-coupled storage. [GROCS code; GRound Coupled System]". United States. doi:10.2172/5746647. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5746647.
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@article{osti_5746647,
title = {Trnsys-compatible model of ground-coupled storage. [GROCS code; GRound Coupled System]},
author = {Andrews, J.W.},
abstractNote = {The use of the ground as a source of heat and as a storage element for low-grade heat in solar assisted heat pump systems is the subject of an ongoing program of research at Brookhaven National Laboratory. As part of this program, a computer model of ground-coupled storage was developed. This report describes the integration of this program into the transient simulation computer program TRNSYS to allow the hour-by-hour simulation of solar heating and cooling systems which use ground coupling. The report is intended to serve as a user's manual for the TRNSYS-compatible ground-coupling subroutines.},
doi = {10.2172/5746647},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979},
month = {Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1979}
}
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Technical Report:
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DOI:  10.2172/5746647
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  • ; - Am. Soc. Mech. Eng., (Pap.); (United States)
    The series solar assisted heat pump heating system with ground coupled storage in The University of Tennessee's TECH House I in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been modeled using TRNSYS/GROCS and was compared to the experimental performance for the 1980-1981 heating season. The simulation results were within 8% of the experimental measurements. Both simulation and experimental results showed that ground coupling of thermal storage led to the elimination of electric resistance backup heat and a large reduction in the peak heating demand of the house. Results of a parametric study showed that, in general, a ground coupled storage tank performs better thanmore » a storage tank place outdoors in the Knoxville area. Application of a next generation heat pump resulted in the most significant impact on the seasonal performance factor. As expected, higher performance collectors and larger collector areas led to higher system seasonal performance. An economic analysis showed that the series solar heat pump system cannot economically compete with the stand alone heat pump system in the Knoxville area.« less

  • ;
    The series solar-assisted heat-pump heating system with ground-coupled storage in The University of Tennessee's TECH House I in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been modeled using TRNSYS/GROCS and was compared to the experimental performance for the 1980-1981 heating season. The simulation results were within 8% of the experimental measurements. Both simulation and experimental results showed that ground coupling of thermal storage led to the elimination of electric-resistance backup heat and a large reduction in the peak heating demand of the house. Results of a parametric study showed that, in general, a ground-coupled storage tank performs better than a storage tank place outdoorsmore » in the Knoxville area. Application of a next-generation heat pump resulted in the most significant impact on the seasonal performance factor. As expected, higher-performance collectors and larger collector areas led to higher system seasonal performance. An economic analysis showed that the series solar-heat-pump system cannot economically compete with the stand-alone heat-pump system in the Knoxville area.« less

  • ; - J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States)
    The series solar-assisted heat pump heating system with ground-coupled storage in The University of Tennessee's TECH House I in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been modeled using TRNSYS/GROCS and was compared to the experimental performance for the 1980-81 heating season. The simulation results were within 8 percent of the experimental measurements. Both simulation and experimental results showed that ground coupling of thermal storage led to the elimination of electric resistance backup heat and a large reduction in the peak heating demand of the house. Results of a parametric study showed that, in general, a ground-coupled storage tank performs better than a storagemore » tank placed outdoors in the Knoxville area. Application of a next generation heat pump resulted in the most significant impact on the seasonal performance factor. As expected, higher performance collectors and larger collector areas led to higher system seasonal performance. An economic analysis showed that the series solar heat pump system cannot economically compete with the stand-alone heat pump system in the Knoxville area.« less

  • ;
    A standard load model is presented for use in residential forced air HVAC (active solar or conventional) system analysis. The model is TRNSYS-compatible and is designed for temperature level control. Three locations are selected with a typical conventional (not passive) residence defined at each through the specification of load model parameters. Use of the model with specified parameters provides a means of comparing heating and cooling systems while interfaced with an identical load forcing function. The load model is described in detail and a FORTRAN listing is provided. A validation of the load model and the interactive versus pre-calculated loadmore » issue are both described in an analytical comparison. An example problem, illustrating how to use the model in a TRNSYS simulation, is also provided.« less

  • ; ; - J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States)
    The ground-coupled heat pump system in TECH House I at the University of Tennessee has been modelled using TRNSYS/GROCS and the results have been compared with actual performance data for both the 1982-1983 heating season and the 1983 cooling season. Hourly measurements of various ground temperatures, conditioned space temperatures, power requirements and heat transferred to or from the ground and the conditioned space were made. Results indicate that the model prediction is within 5 percent of the measured seasonal performance factor for both the summer and winter season. Parametric studies were undertaken to examine the effect of ground coil length,more » soil thermal conductivity, and the heat pump performance rating on the overall seasonal performance of the system. Overall performance is shown to increase with improved performance and increased soil thermal conductivity while the coil length shows an optimum value due to the increase of pumping power with length.« less