PRELIMINARY STUDY OF A GAS BURNER-DRIVEN AND GROUND-COUPLED HEAT PUMP SYSTEM

摘要

To address the concerns for higher energy efficiency and the immediate phase out of the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a new gas burner-driven, ground-coupled heat pump (GBGCHP) system is proposed for study. The new system is energy efficient and pose no environmental problem. There are three unique features in the proposed system: (1) a patented gas burner-driven compressor with a floating diaphragm piston-cylinder for energy efficiency and accommodating variable load, (2) the ground-coupled water-to-air heat exchangers for high coefficient of performance (COPs), and (3) the new refrigerants based on fluoroiodocarbons (FICs) with very little ozone depletion and global warming potential. A preliminary analysis of a prototype heat pump with 3 ton (10.55 kW) heating capacity is presented. The thermodynamics analysis of the system shows that the steady state COP rating higher than 7 is possible with the system operating in heating mode. Additional research work for the GBGCHP system, especially the FICs' thermodynamic properties in the superheated region, is also described.