Natural Gas Engine-Driven Heat Pump Demonstration at DoD Installations: Performance and Reliability Summary
Abstract
Results of field testing natural gas engine-driven heat pumps (GHP) at six southwestern U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) installations show that the technology can provide both energy savings and resource conservation. A summary is provided of three main objectives: (1) verifying technical feasibility of GHP technology for space heating and cooling applications, (2) field operation experience from the beta version of GHP systems for final product development, and (3) analyzing energy and economic performance of GHP systems during a 1-year period. During testing from April 2007 to March 2008, the units produced an average unit coefficient of performance (COP) of 1.38 in the heating season and 1.25 in the cooling season. These efficiencies translate to annual energy cost savings in heating and cooling at each site that ranged from $680-$2,134, as compared to using high-efficiency electric heat pumps (EHP). In addition, an estimated 261,473 gallons of fresh water was saved at power plants, due to the reduced consumption of electricity. Lessons learned from this project are implemented in further development of GHP technology. Field demonstration of the follow-up model is in progress at five DoD installations for FY08, to be the topic of a future technical report.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 09, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA540435
Entities
People
- Chang W. Sohn
- D. Sondeno
- Franklin H. Holcomb
- I. Mahderekal
- T. Young
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center