Analysis of the Potential of Low-Temperature Heat Pump Energy Sources

• Main Authors: Pavel Neuberger, Radomír Adamovský
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2017-11-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: heat pump; linear horizontal ground heat exchangers; slinky-type horizontal ground heat exchangers; air; temperature set; quantile characteristics
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/11/1922

The paper deals with an analysis of temperatures of ground masses in the proximities of linear and slinky-type HGHE (horizontal ground heat exchanger). It evaluates and compares the potentials of HGHEs and ambient air. The reason and aim of the verification was to gain knowledge of the temperature course of the monitored low-temperature heat pump energy sources during heating periods and periods of stagnation and to analyse the knowledge in terms of the potential to use those sources for heat pumps. The study was conducted in the years 2012–2015 during three heating periods and three periods of HGHEs stagnation. The results revealed that linear HGHE had the highest temperature potential of the observed low-temperature heat pump energy sources. The average daily temperatures of the ground mass surrounding the linear HGHE were the highest ranging from 7.08 °C to 9.20 °C during the heating periods, and having the lowest temperature variation range of 12.62–15.14 K, the relative frequency of the average daily temperatures of the ground mass being the highest at 22.64% in the temperature range containing the mode of all monitored temperatures in a recorded interval of [4.10, 6.00] °C. Ambient air had lower temperature potential than the monitored HGHEs.