Vertical ground coupled steam ejector heat pump; thermal-economic modeling and optimization

Abstract A vertical ground coupled steam ejector heat pump is a Ground Coupled Heat Pump (GCHP) with closed Vertical Ground Heat eXchanger (VGHX) which utilizes the steam ejector type of refrigeration cycle instead of the vapor-compression type. This paper presents the modeling and optimizing a Ground-Coupled Steam Ejector Heat Pump (GC-SEHP) with closed VGHX. The system included two main sections of VGHX and steam ejector heat pump (SEHP), and was optimized by minimizing its total annual cost (TAC) as the objective function. Two optimization techniques (Nelder–Mead and Genetic Algorithm) were applied to guarantee the validity of optimization results. For the given heating/cooling loads as well as for various climatic conditions, the optimum design parameters of GC-SEHP with closed VGHX were predicted. Furthermore, the changes in TAC and optimum design parameters with the climatic conditions, cooling/heating capacity, soil type, and number of boreholes were discussed.

[1]  G. K. Alexis,et al.  A verification study of steam-ejector refrigeration model , 2003 .

[2]  Ruzhu Wang,et al.  Progress of mathematical modeling on ejectors , 2009 .

[3]  John A. Nelder,et al.  A Simplex Method for Function Minimization , 1965, Comput. J..

[4]  R. P. Singh,et al.  PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE-STAGE STEAM JET EJECTORS USING TWO SIMPLE MODELS , 1988 .

[5]  David E. Goldberg,et al.  Genetic Algorithms in Search Optimization and Machine Learning , 1988 .

[6]  Akio Miyara,et al.  Condensation of hydrocarbons – A review , 2008 .

[7]  C. Kelley.  Solving Nonlinear Equations with Newton's Method , 1987 .

[8]  Abdeen Mustafa Omer,et al.  Ground-source heat pumps systems and applications , 2008 .

[9]  Sepehr Sanaye,et al.  Thermal-economic modeling and optimization of vertical ground-coupled heat pump , 2009 .

[10]  Irving H. Shames.  Mechanics of Fluids , 1962 .

[11]  David Jenkins,et al.  Modelling the carbon-saving performance of domestic ground-source heat pumps , 2009 .

[12]  Giuseppe Grazzini,et al.  Influence of the objective function on the optimisation of a steam ejector cycle , 2008 .

[13]  David F. Bagster,et al.  A New Ejector Theory Applied to Steam Jet Refrigeration , 1977 .

[14]  Masud Behnia,et al.  Investigation and improvement of ejector refrigeration system using computational fluid dynamics technique , 2007 .

[15]  G. K. Alexis,et al.  Estimation of ejector's main cross sections in steam-ejector refrigeration system , 2004 .

[16]  Costante Mario Invernizzi,et al.  Thermodynamic optimization of ejector actuated refrigerating cycles , 2008 .

[17]  Giuseppe Grazzini,et al.  Numerical optimisation of a two-stage ejector refrigeration plant , 2002 .

[18]  Klaus D. Timmerhaus,et al.  Plant design and economics for chemical engineers , 1958 .

[19]  J. Keenan,et al.  An Investigation of Ejector Design by Analysis and Experiment , 1950 .

[20]  I. Alatiqi,et al.  Evaluation of steam jet ejectors , 2002 .

[21]  T. Kusuda,et al.  EARTH TEMPERATURE AND THERMAL DIFFUSIVITY AT SELECTED STATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES , 1965 .

[22]  Satha Aphornratana,et al.  A theoretical and experimental study of a small-scale steam jet refrigerator , 1995 .

[23]  P. E. Liley,et al.  Steam and Gas Tables with Computer Equations , 1984 .