Cooling performance improvements of a horizontal ground coupled heat pump

Conference · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:6313231

McGraw, B A; Baugh, R N; Johnson, W S; Griffith, W

Performance of the horizontal-coil ground-coupled heat pump system in TECH House I at the Tennessee Energy Conservation in Housing Facility is reported for the summers of 1983 and 1984. The overall coefficients of performance (COP) were 1.80 (1983 and 2.41 (1984) while the overall cooling seasonal performance factor (SPF) was 1.11 (1983) and 1.43 (1984) with the system located within the conditioned space. If the system had been outside the conditioned space, an SPF of 1.31 (1983) and 1.76 (1984) would have been realized. In both years, the systems were identical with the exception that prior to the 1984 cooling season, the ground coil was excavated and a new one of identical length was installed using sand as a backfill material. Although the 1984 SPF was 29% higher than that measured in 1983, the improvement cannot be totally attributed to the backfill material. During the summer of 1983, 30% more cooling degree days were incurred than in 1984. A decrease in runtime (as a result of lower ambient temperatures) would also increase the performance factor.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Univ., Knoxville (USA). Energy, Environment and Resources Center
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6313231
• Report Number(s): CONF-8410153-5; ON: DE85002470
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320101* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Residential Buildings-- (-1987)
BUILDINGS
COOLING
COOLING LOAD
DEGREE DAYS
GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
HEAT PUMPS
HOUSES
PERFORMANCE
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS