Earth-coupled heat pump (ECHP) systems are a type of HVAC system that utilizes the earth with its relatively stable temperatures as a heat source or sink to provide heating and air conditioning. The two main components of any ECHP system are the liquid-source heat pump and the earth heat exchanger, or more commonly, the earth loop. Since the early 1970s, there has been a renewed interest in ECHP technology in academic, government, utility, and industry circles. Efforts have been made to improve the design of heat pumps specifically for ECHP applications, as well as to determine optimal earth loop configurations and sizes. During the early and mid-1980s, two New York State public utilities and the state’s energy research and development authority cosponsored a multi-phase field demonstration of ECHP technology for residential applications.
One of the primary objectives of the demonstration project was to minimize the major impediment to commercialization, i.e., installed costs, by developing practical methods for determining the optimal system design and transferring those techniques to equipment manufacturers, utility personnel, and installing contractors.
This paper describes the design development methodology that produced the aforementioned technology transfer materials for the design and installation of residential ECHP systems in northern climates.
Units: Dual
Citation: Symposium, ASHRAE Transactions, 1987, vol. 93, pt. 2, Nashville, TN
Product Details
- Published:
- 1987
- Number of Pages:
- 17
- File Size:
- 1 file , 1.1 MB
- Product Code(s):
- D-NT-87-19-3
