EFFECTS OF INTERMITTENT PUMP OPERATION IN GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS WITH A BUFFER WATER TANK

This study investigated effects of intermittent pump operation in ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems with a buffer water tank between ground heat exchangers and heat pumps. Regression equations were derived based on experiments to predict hourly changes in water temperature. These equations were applied to determine the operating rate of intermittent pump control according to cooling loads in a simulation model for an office space. Simulations for a cooling season indicated that the proposed system with tank sizes of 42–83 l/kW would reliably increase the whole-system energy performance compared to conventional GSHP systems, regardless of heat load ratios.