Numerical analysis of the long-term thermal performance of a solar assisted foundation heat exchanger - ground source heat pump system for space heating and cooling in extremely cold climates

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorMwesigye, Aggrey
dc.contributor.authorDarbandi, Amirhossein
dc.contributor.committeememberLi, Simon
dc.contributor.committeememberMahinpey, Nader
dc.date2024-02
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-09T22:45:15Z
dc.date.available2024-01-09T22:45:15Z
dc.date.issued2024-01
dc.description.abstractIn the face of escalating global energy consumption and the environmental challenges posed by continued reliance on fossil fuels, addressing the substantial energy demand of buildings, which contribute 36% of the world's total energy usage and substantial greenhouse gas emissions, is imperative. Swiftly transitioning from conventional heating and cooling systems is crucial to reducing the emissions from the building sector. The heat pump technology is considered a potentially highly efficient alternative to conventional gas furnace heating systems. Owing to the high capital costs associated with the ground source heat pump systems, foundation heat exchangers offer a non-conventional solution by utilizing the building's foundation and the heat capacity of underground soil for efficient space heating and cooling. However, the performance of foundation heat exchangers when coupled with heat pumps, especially in cold climates, is not widely studied. The aim of this research was to investigate the thermal performance of a horizontal foundation heat exchanger integrated beneath the foundation of a single-family residential building coupled with a heat pump. A comprehensive transient computational fluid dynamics model, validated against experimental studies, was developed using a finite volume computational fluid dynamics tool, ANSYS® Fluent. The model incorporates actual building energy loads determined from an energy modelling study, and basement indoor temperature profiles to assess heat transfer rates, heat pump coefficient of performance, and soil temperature changes over the years of operation. This study focuses on cold climatic regions, where the performance of horizontal foundation heat exchangers coupled with heat pumps has not been extensively studied. Furthermore, a novel configuration, incorporating a secondary ground loop connected to a solar collector for thermal recovery, was introduced, and its performance was investigated. This enhanced system is evaluated for a single-family residential house in representative cities in Minnesota, USA. For this recovery system, three enhancement configurations are scrutinized: (1) integrating a secondary solar ground loop with no summer operation, (2) incorporating a secondary solar ground loop with summer operation, and (3) extending underground pipe length with a secondary solar ground loop and summer operation. Results indicate that the combined use of a secondary solar ground loop and backyard extension enhances the heat pump's coefficient of performance in heating mode by up to 40%, reduces soil freezing by up to 35%, and increases the average yearly soil temperature by up to 4.5 °C over a 5-year period.
dc.identifier.citationDarbandi, A. (2024). Numerical analysis of the long-term thermal performance of a solar assisted foundation heat exchanger - ground source heat pump system for space heating and cooling in extremely cold climates (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1880/117913
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/42756
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgary
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectHeat pumps
dc.subjectGeothermal Energy
dc.subjectBuilding energy loads
dc.subjectFoundation heat exchangers
dc.subject.classificationEngineering--Mechanical
dc.subject.classificationEngineering--Environmental
dc.subject.classificationEnergy
dc.titleNumerical analysis of the long-term thermal performance of a solar assisted foundation heat exchanger - ground source heat pump system for space heating and cooling in extremely cold climates
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineering – Mechanical & Manufacturing
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudentI do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
ucalgary_2024_darbandi_amirhossein.pdf
Size:
30.07 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Amidst the escalating global energy consumption and the environmental challenges that result from the use of fossil fuelsto meet our energy needs, addressing the significant energy demand for buildings is crucial. Buildings contribute to 36% of the world's total energy usage and substantial greenhouse gas emissions. Swiftly transitioning from conventional heating and cooling systems is vital for reducing emissions. The heat pump technology offers an efficient alternative, especially in cold climates. This research investigates the long-term thermal performance of a horizontal foundation heat exchanger beneath a single-family residential building, coupled with a heat pump. A computational fluid dynamics model, validated against an experimental study, is used to assess heat transfer rates, heat pump coefficient of performance, and soil temperature changes over five years. Besides, introducing a novel configuration with a secondary ground loop connected to a solar thermal collector enhances the heat pump's performance, increasing its coefficient of performance by up to 40%, reducing soil freezing by 35%, and raising the average yearly soil temperature by 4.5°C.
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.62 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Open Theses and Dissertations