Thermally activated heat pumps

Technical Report · Mon May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/72952· OSTI ID:72952

This article describes research to develop efficient gas-fired heat pumps heat and cool buildings without CFCs. Space heating and cooling use 46% of all energy consumed in US buildings. Air-conditioning is the single leading cause of peak demand for electricity and is a major user of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Advanced energy conversion technology can save 50% of this energy and eliminate CFCs completely. Besides saving energy, advanced systems substantially reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas), sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog and acid rain. These emissions result from the burning of fossil fuels used to generate electricity. The Office of Building Technologies (OBT) of the US Department of Energy supports private industry`s efforts to improve energy efficiency and increase the use of renewable energy in buildings. To help industry, OBT, through the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is currently working on thermally activated heat pumps. OBT has selected the following absorption heat pump systems to develop: generator-absorber heat-exchange (GAX) cycle for heating-dominated applications in residential and light commercial buildings; double-condenser-coupled (DCC) cycle for commercial buildings. In addition, OBT is developing computer-aided design software for investigating the absorption cycle.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 72952
• Report Number(s): DOE/GO--10095-087; ON: DE95004009
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
ABSORPTION REFRIGERATION CYCLE
GAS HEAT PUMPS
HEAT PUMPS
ORNL
RESEARCH PROGRAMS