Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “refrigerators”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,045 records · Page 58
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Idaho National Laboratory’s FY 2021 Greenhouse Gas Report

A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is a systematic approach to account for the production and release of certain gases generated by an institution from various emission sources. The gases of interest are those that climate science has identified as related to anthropogenic global climate change. This document presents an inventory of GHGs generated during Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 by Idaho National Laboratory (INL)—a Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored entity located in southeastern Idaho. In recent years, concern has grown about the environmental impact of GHGs. This, together with a desire to decrease harmful environmental impacts, would be enough to encourage the calculation of an inventory of the total GHGs generated at INL. Additionally, INL has a desire to see how its emissions compare with similar institutions, including other DOE national laboratories. Executive Order 13834 requires that federal agencies and institutions track and report GHG emissions where required. INL’s GHG inventory was calculated according to methodologies identified in federal GHG guidance documents using operational control boundaries. It measures emissions generated in three scopes: (1) INL emissions produced directly by stationary or mobile combustion and by fugitive emissions, (2) the share of emissions generated by entities from which INL purchased electrical power, and (3) indirect or shared emissions generated by outsourced activities that benefit INL (occurring outside INL’s organizational boundaries but are a consequence of INL’s activities). This inventory found that INL generated 81,185.05 metric tons (MT) of CO 2 equivalent (CO 2 e) emissions during FY 2021. The following conclusions were made from looking at the results of the individual contributors to INL’s FY 2021 GHG inventory: Electricity (including the associated transmission and distribution losses) is the largest contributor to INL’s GHG inventory, with over 50% of the CO 2 e emissions; Other sources with high emissions were mobile combustion (fleet fuels), employee commuting, stationary combustion (facility fuels), and waste disposal (fugitive emissions from the onsite landfill); Sources with low emissions were waste disposal (contracted disposal), fugitive emissions from refrigerants, wastewater treatment (onsite and contracted), and business ground travel (in personal and rental vehicles). This report details the methods behind quantifying INL’s GHG inventory and discusses lessons learned on better practices by which information important to tracking GHGs can be tracked and recorded. It is important to note that because this report differentiates between those portions of INL that are managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA) and those managed by other contractors, it includes only INL’s activities overseen by BEA. It is assumed that other contractors will provide similar reporting for those activities they manage, where appropriate.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Idaho National Laboratory’s FY 22 Greenhouse Gas Report

A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is a systematic approach to account for the production and release of certain gases generated by an institution from various emission sources. The gases of interest are those that climate science has identified as related to anthropogenic global climate change. This document presents an inventory of GHGs generated during fiscal year (FY) 2022 by Idaho National Laboratory (INL)—a Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored entity located in southeastern Idaho. In recent years, concern has grown about the environmental impact of GHGs. This, together with a desire to decrease harmful environmental impacts, would be enough to encourage the calculation of an inventory of the total GHGs generated at INL. Additionally, INL has a desire to see how its emissions compare with similar institutions, including other DOE national laboratories. Executive Order 14057 requires that federal agencies and institutions track and report GHG emissions where required. INL’s GHG inventory was calculated according to methodologies identified in federal GHG guidance documents using operational control boundaries. It measures emissions generated in three scopes: (1) INL emissions produced directly by stationary or mobile combustion and by fugitive emissions, (2) the share of emissions generated by entities from which INL purchased electrical power, and (3) indirect or shared emissions generated by outsourced activities that benefit INL (occurring outside INL’s organizational boundaries, but are a consequence of INL’s activities). This inventory found that INL generated 75,572.42 metric tons (MT) of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions during FY 2022. The following conclusions were made from looking at the results of the individual contributors to INL’s FY 2022 GHG inventory: • Electricity (including the associated transmission and distribution losses) is the largest contributor to INL’s GHG inventory, with over 50% of the CO2e emissions. • Other sources with high emissions were mobile combustion (fleet fuels), employee commuting, stationary combustion (facility fuels), and waste disposal (fugitive emissions from the onsite landfill). • Sources with low emissions were waste disposal (contracted disposal), fugitive emissions from refrigerants, wastewater treatment (onsite and contracted), and business ground travel (in personal and rental vehicles). This report details the methods behind quantifying INL’s GHG inventory and discusses lessons learned on better practices by which information important to tracking GHGs can be tracked and recorded. It is important to note that because this report differentiates between those portions of INL that are managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA) and those managed by other contractors, it includes only INL’s activities overseen by BEA. It is assumed that other contractors will provide similar reporting for those activities they manage, where appropriate.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ultra-high Q cavity-based search for the Dark Photon: new exclusion limit from Dark SRF phase 1 and step forward for phase 2

We present here the first results of Dark SRF, a light-shining-through-wall (LSW) experiment that leverages ultra-high quality factor superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities to search for dark photons. The use of Nb SRF cavities combined with a strict calibration and measurement protocol increased sensitivity to dark photons by several orders of magnitude compared to other LSW experiments, as demonstrated by our new limit that excluded a broad range of previously unstudied dark photon mass and mixing angle.In addition to the results of the search conducted in liquid helium using 1.3GHz SRF cavities, we also present the first steps of the second phase of the experiment, which will take place in a dilution refrigerator using 2.6GHz SRF cavities. These experiments are part of a wider effort of the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems (SQMS) Center to employ ultra-high Q SRF cavities to search for Beyond the SM particles and wavelike dark matter.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Dark SRF, a cavity-based search for the Dark Photon: new exclusion limit and path forward

The dark photon is a hypothesized particle in extension to the Standard Model (SM) that would weakly interact with ordinary SM photons. An effective way to search for hidden sector photons in a laboratory set up is through light-shining-through-wall (LSW) schemes.We present here the first results of Dark SRF, a LSW experiment that leverages ultra-high quality factor superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities to search for dark photons. The use of Nb SRF cavities combined with a strict calibration and measurement protocol increased sensitivity to dark photons by several orders of magnitude compared to other LSW experiments, as demonstrated by our new exclusion limit on the dark photon mixing angle.In addition to the results of the search conducted in liquid helium using 1.3GHz SRF cavities, we also present the first steps of the second phase of the experiment, which will take place in a dilution refrigerator using 2.6GHz SRF cavities.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Assessments of advanced reactor heat supply to high temperature industrial unit operations: Heat Engines and Heat Pumps

In this report, the feasibility of employing Advanced Nuclear Reactors to supply the necessary high-quality heat to Industrial Processes is investigated. As a first step, the most relevant industrial applications that could benefit from this coupling were identified. Four industries including petroleum refining (distillation, catalyst regeneration, hydro-steam cracking), chemical polymers, steel manufacturing (metals annealing/soaking) and cement manufacturing (calcination of limestone and dolomite industries) were considered. An overview of the heat duties, i.e., the temperatures and thermal powers required by representative plants of the different processes, was provided. Secondly, the thermodynamic conditions of the steam produced by representative designs of Advanced Reactor concepts (Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors, Molten Salt Reactors, and High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors) were summarized. The comparison between the requirements of the industrial processes and the capabilities of the candidate nuclear power plants showed that only a few processes could benefit from the coupling. Although Advanced Reactors operate at higher temperatures than Light Water Reactors, the thermodynamic conditions of the generated steam flow rates are generally not suitable for the selected applications. At the same time, data indicate that most of the processes can be suitably supplied if the temperature of steam is elevated to 900 °C. One possible solution to boost the quality of the steam from the nuclear island involves the use of a heat pump. Based on a technology similar to that found in refrigerators and air conditioners, heat pumps extract heat from a source, elevate its temperature and transfer it to where it is needed. A simple numerical example illustrating the viability of this method is described. Specifically, the energy conversion cycle of a conventional Pressurized Water Reactor was extended to incorporate a compressor to raise the heating value of the steam produced by the reactor. Two reference configurations, i.e., one where the industrial process coupled to the nuclear power plant exhausts saturated liquid and the other where it exhausts saturated steam, were considered. The thermal efficiencies achievable by increasing the heating value of the reactor steam in this way are significantly greater than by direct electric heating.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
DOE OSTI2024

ORNL Campus Sustainability and Decarbonization using Waste Heat Recovery from the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility’s High-Performance Computing Data Center

Heat pumps are a clean and efficient technology that can be powered by renewable electricity to transfer heat using a refrigerant from one place to another by different heat sources, making buildings clean and environmentally friendly. With the support of the ORNL Laboratory Modernization Division, this project explored and evaluated an innovative solution that uses water-water cost-effective midtemperature heat pump (MTHP) technology to leverage the low-grade waste heat from ORNL Frontier and the data center to deliver 85°C hot water, which replaces hot steam generated using natural gas combustion boilers for water heating or space heating in the buildings of ORNL campus. Two scenarios were studied. In the first scenario, which considered the 5600-5700-5800 complex only, Carrier’s commercial 1,000 kW MTHP technology achieves more than 6,640 MWh/year energy savings, an emission reduction of 858 TCO2e/year CO2, and a payback time of 4.85 years. In the second scenario, which considered the 5600-5700-5800 complex and Buildings 5100, 5200, and 5300, the CO2 emission reduction is 1,483 TCO2e/year, the operating cost savings are $0.21 million annually, and the payback time is 3.74 years. Additionally, a comprehensive HP ShowCase Tool was developed for evaluating the optimal solution to improve sustainability and decarbonization of the buildings on the ORNL campus. The tool is an Excel-based tool integrated with VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) coding. The tool includes collected ORNL campus building information and an MTHP library, which comprises collected commercial and ORNL-defined MTHPs. The tool was used to evaluate the sustainability and decarbonization of the ORNL campus. The tool can be widely used or referenced for heat pump solutions and building decarbonization renovation strategies to modernize ORNL facilities and energy use–intensive equipment to enable efficient, sustainable, and resilient operations in the future.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Development and Validation of Home Comfort System for Total Performance Deficiency/Fault Detection and Optimal Comfort Control

In this project, we developed and tested a learning-based home thermal model that facilitates the operation of a model predictive control (MPC)-based optimization agent and an automated fault detection and diagnosis (AFDD) agent. The home thermal model was constructed using a two-node resistor-capacitor model. Moreover, two accompanying parameter identification methods were introduced, least-squares and optimization. Based on the home thermal model, the MPC-based optimization agent was developed to optimize residential HVAC operation. Using two FDD methods, the AFDD agent was constructed to detect and diagnose two prevalent residential AC faults, airflow reduction and refrigerant undercharge. The home thermal model, along with the MPC-based optimization agent and AFDD agent, were tested at the Norman Test House, Miami Test House, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Test House A, and PNNL Test House B. Finally, they were also field tested in nine demonstration homes with real occupants.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2022

An Innovative Zero-Liquid Discharge Intermediate-Cold-Liquid Eutectic-Freeze Desalination System

A novel freeze desalination technology is presented for purification of water produced from various industrial processes, including oil and gas extraction. The main innovative idea is introducing a water-immiscible intermediate-cold-liquid (ICL) medium which absorbs the cold from a refrigeration cycle and transfers it to a freezing chamber where it is mixed with brine. The cold ICL enters the freezing chamber at temperatures between -10°C to -30°C. Precooled brine in injected into the freezing chamber and pure water freezes out of the brine upon mixing with the ICL. The rate of freezing inside the chamber is controlled by adjusting the flow rate of the cold ICL relative to the inlet brine. Both eutectic freeze and non-eutectic freezing are possible by controlling the temperature of the freezing chamber. The solid-liquid slurry created in the freezing chamber flows to a filter separation unit after passing through a separation column. The ice crystals are separated from the liquid by a rotary filter device. The collected ice is rinsed by a centrifugal unit. The rinsed ice is melted to produce fresh water. The developed technology resolves the issues common to current freeze-desalination systems while offering superior heat transfer performance ascribed to direct-contact between the cooling medium and the brine in addition to producing solid salt and pure water. The system operates under atmospheric pressure. The low operation temperature minimizes the corrosion issues common in systems exposed to brine. Also, due to the low operating temperature, there are no concerns about evaporation of volatile organics from the produced water during the treatment. The developed technology effectively eliminates the use of chemicals for pretreatment of brine. The system can be constructed from commercially available components. Extensive testing using a lab-scale prototype by using synthetic brine and actual produced water with TDS values from 50,000 ppm to 300,000 ppm showed that freshwater could be achieved with relatively small dependency on the quality of the input brine. The quality of the treated water was found to be mainly a function of the duration of the centrifugal process. Treated water with TDS as low as 200 ppm could be achieved in the tests. Thermo-economic modeling coupled with system level thermochemical process model were developed for prediction of the LCOW. The LCOW was predicted to be $\$$0.50 to $\$$0.90 per barrel of produced water. The potential markets for deployment of the technology are the oil and gas, in-land thermoelectric powerplants, RO desalination plants, and mining industry.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Hydrogen/Metal Hydride Based Heat Pump System for Large HVAC Applications Utilizing an Ionic Liquid Desiccant Subsystem [Slides]

A multi-stage electrochemical hydrogen compressor incorporates membrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAs) separated by proton exchange membranes (PEMs) in series to reach higher pressures, when a current is passed through the MEA protons and electrons are generated at the anode. The protons are electrochemically driven across the membrane to the cathode, after which they combine with the rerouted electrons to form hydrogen, which is fed to the hydrogen compressor to be oxidized at the anode of each cell to form protons and electrons. This type of compressor has no moving parts and can be applied to refrigeration systems technologies. This project investigated the viability of commercialization of heat pumps based on electrochemical compressor technology.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2023

Idaho National Laboratory’s FY 2020 Greenhouse Gas Report

A greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is a systematic approach to account for the production and release of certain gases generated by an institution from various emission sources. The gases of interest are those that climate science has identified as related to anthropogenic global climate change. This document presents an inventory of GHGs generated during fiscal year (FY) 2020 by Idaho National Laboratory (INL)—a Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored entity located in southeastern Idaho. In recent years, concern has grown about the environmental impact of GHGs. This, together with a desire to decrease harmful environmental impacts, would be enough to encourage the calculation of an inventory of the total GHGs generated at INL. Additionally, INL has a desire to see how its emissions compare with similar institutions, including other DOE national laboratories. Executive Order 13834 requires that federal agencies and institutions track and report GHG emissions where required. INL’s GHG inventory was calculated according to methodologies identified in federal GHG Guidance documents using operational control boundaries. It measures emissions generated in three scopes: (1) INL emissions produced directly by stationary or mobile combustion and by fugitive emissions, (2) the share of emissions generated by entities from which INL purchased electrical power, and (3) indirect or shared emissions generated by outsourced activities that benefit INL (occurring outside INL’s organizational boundaries, but are a consequence of INL’s activities). This inventory found that INL generated 76,494.12 metric tons (MT) of CO2 equivalent (CO 2 e) emissions during FY 2020. The following conclusions were made from looking at the results of the individual contributors to INL’s FY 2020 GHG inventory: (1) Electricity (including the associated transmission and distribution losses) is the largest contributor to INL’s GHG inventory, with over 50% of the CO 2 e emissions; (2) Other sources with high emissions were employee commuting, mobile combustion (fleet fuels), stationary combustion (facility fuels), and waste disposal (fugitive emissions from the onsite landfill); and (3) Sources with low emissions were waste disposal (contracted disposal), fugitive emissions from refrigerants, wastewater treatment (onsite and contracted), and business ground travel (in personal and rental vehicles). This report details the methods behind quantifying INL’s GHG inventory and discusses lessons learned on better practices by which information important to tracking GHGs can be tracked and recorded. It is important to note that because this report differentiates between those portions of INL that are managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA) and those managed by other contractors, it includes only INL’s activities overseen by BEA. It is assumed that other contractors will provide similar reporting for those activities they manage, where appropriate.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Progressive Hedging Decomposition for Solutions of Large-Scale Process Family Design Problems

In previous work, we have introduced a mathematical model for solving a discretized version of the process family design problem. This involves two sets of decision variables. One set selects which unit module designs are included in the process platform out of a candidate set of options; the other set determines which of these unit module designs are assigned to each variant. In this work, we exploit a parallelized Progressive Hedging (PH) algorithm to solve even larger scale design problems. PH is a well-known algorithm traditionally used to solve stochastic programming problems. While our problem is not a two-stage stochastic programming problem, the structure is similar, and it can be directly mapped to the PH approach, which we employ here to solve this deterministic optimization problem. We decompose our problem by process variant. We treat the platform unit module design variables as first-stage and the assignment of unit module designs to variants as second-stage, solving the problem using mpi-sppy. We demonstrate this approach on case studies of CC, water desalination, and refrigeration.

Stinchfield, Georgia↗
DOE OSTI2023

Techno-economic Analysis of the Cryogenic Flux Capacitor Compared to Other forms of Hydrogen Production and Storage

The Cryogenic Flux Capacitor (CFC) is a cold, dense energy storage core that is being studied in the cryo-compressed, about 300 bar and 80K, region of gaseous hydrogen (GH2) storage and liquid hydrogen (LH2) region near the normal boiling point. The hydrogens storage is improved by physically bonding the molecules within the nanoscale pores of the aerogel composite blanket material. The process of bonding or debonding is governed by principles of physical adsorption (physisorption) and thermodynamics. The large surface area afforded by the nanoporous aerogel (~1,000 m2/g) allows its storage performance to easily exceed capacities of high-pressure GH2 storage for an equivalent volume. With the integrated aerogel, subscale tests have shown that storage is increased by about 49% over a simple tank filled with GH2 at the same operating temperature and pressure. For LH2 conditions, the CFC is shown to operate at equivalent densities. For the techno-economic analysis (TEA), the source of hydrogen is compared between onsite steam methane reforming (SMR) and onsite solar photovoltaic (PV) panels providing power to electrolyzers to produce GH2. The TEA compares pure hydrogen burning in a combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) to hydrogen fuel cells with an overall net power output of 650 MW. The SMR system uses natural gas as an input and includes a carbon capture and storage (CCS) system. The levelized cost of electricity is developed based on the capital cost and operating cost of the systems. Sensitivities are discussed around the cost of natural gas, ranging from 1.93 USD per MMBTU to 6.75 USD per MMBTU, and carbon dioxide disposal, ranging from 7 USD per tonne to 10 USD per tonne. For comparison to the conventional CCGT baseline, a baseload scenario is adopted with 85% capacity factor. The results of the study show that onsite hydrogen generation from SMR is about 1 to 3 USD per kg over the life of the plant and the PV hydrogen production produces at 4 to 5 USD per kg. The cost of storage for CFC is compared to other systems, including high-pressure GH2 and atmospheric LH2. The system is shown to provide the lowest costs for all these options at the grid scale, due to its higher capacity than high-pressure GH2 and ability to operate at 80K, receiving refrigeration from liquid nitrogen systems reducing capital and operating costs when compared LH2 storage systems. SMR is competitive with CCGT at the gas prices, both of which have lower LCOE than the PV system. When accounting for variability in gas prices, the PV and electrolyzer system is less sensitive to these changes and provides the lowest LCOE across the whole range.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Room Air Conditioners in Malaysia: Opportunities and Impact Analysis

The global room air conditioner (AC) market is rapidly transitioning toward variable-speed units, offering significant opportunities for energy-efficient designs and the adoption of low-global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants. Emerging economies, particularly in regions such as Malaysia, are expected to drive consumer demand for ACs. This report reviews key trends in the Malaysian AC market, including the availability of high-efficient ACs. Currently, variable-speed units account for 30–65% of the market, achieving cooling seasonal performance factor (CSPF) levels of between 5.0 and 6.0. Cost comparisons show that CSPF 5–6-rated, inverter-driven room ACs are competitively priced against lower-efficiency, fixed-speed units.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Integrated Coulomb Blockade Thermometry for Quantum Computing

In our work we present on-chip thermometry concept aimed at improving temperature control during quantum measurements. The key issue addressed is lack of precise temperature monitoring, especially considering the unavoidable thermal resistance between the qubits’ chip and mixing plate of dilution refrigerator. The suggested solution includes a Coulomb Blockade Thermometer (CBT) based on an array of intrinsically normal-conducting tunnel junctions, currently developed at Aalto University. This is a practical solution for superconducting qubit systems.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Helium recovery system at IB3a

The increasing need for optimal and sustainable use of cryogenic resources to support Fermilab’s scientific mission has highlighted the necessity of improving the Laboratory’s helium management practices. An assessment of cryogenic test facilities identified the Technical Division’s Industrial Building 3a (IB3A) as a key site requiring upgrades to integrate a helium recovery system. The IB3A facility is essential for characterizing and testing superconductors, cables, and coils for various R&D projects, including the US High-Luminosity LHC Accelerator Upgrade Project (AUP), Mu2e, and other external collaborations. Currently, the facility relies on 500 L helium Dewars and vents the vaporized helium directly into the atmosphere, leading to significant helium loss. Given the non-renewable nature of helium, recovering and reusing this resource is critical for the sustainability of Fermilab’s operations. To address this challenge, a project has been initiated to connect IB3A to an existing helium purification station and refrigeration system located in another building via a dedicated pipeline pass over the roof of several buildings. This solution will enable the efficient capture of vented helium, its transfer to the purification station, and subsequent liquefaction for reuse in future operations. The project includes a detailed design phase, specifying the pipeline route, flow control mechanisms, and integration with the existing cryogenic infrastructure, followed by phased implementation and commissioning. By implementing this pipeline connection and upgrading IB3A, Fermilab aims to significantly reduce helium waste, lower operational costs, and align with its commitment to sustainability. This initiative provides a model for resource-efficient cryogenic operations and reinforces the Laboratory’s capacity to support its science mission for the long term.

Porwisiak, D. [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2023

Autonomous Intelligence Measurements and Sensor Systems (AIMS): Gaussian Processes in Remote Sensing: Literature Review

Power grid resilience and reliability is crucial to supporting critical infrastructure. Service interruptions can have devastating consequences to communication, emergency, and transportation services, just to name a few. In addition to infrastructure, power services are crucial to everyday life. Nearly every element of modern-day living relies on a stable and functioning power grid - heating and cooling systems to lighting, refrigeration, telecommunications, and internet access. Interruptions in the power supply can range from minor inconveniences, such as the temporary loss of internet or television services, to more significant problems, like the inability to access medical equipment or emergency services during critical situations. As climate conditions worsen, the reliability of the power grid becomes even more significant. Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, wildfires, or severe storms, can cause serious damage to power infrastructure, leading to prolonged power outages. Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns can strain the grid, resulting in increased demand for electricity, stressing transmission and distribution systems.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Scoping Study of Integrated Geothermal CO 2 Heat Pump and Water Well System in Cold Climate Region

This study evaluates the feasibility of using ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) integrated with water wells for residential heating demands in cold regions of the United States. Four different heat pump systems were evaluated and compared: a CO 2 air-source heat pump (ASHP), a R-410A ASHP, a CO 2 GSHP integrated with well water, and a R-410A GSHP integrated with well water. Simulations were conducted at both equipment and building integration levels, followed by a nationwide analysis across 10 selected cities. Results indicate that integrating GSHP technology with existing water wells (e.g., artesian, bedrock, drilled, and collector wells) is a feasible heating solution because of their high flow rates, good water quality, stable temperatures, and low environmental impact. Although R-410A systems demonstrate higher efficiency, CO 2 systems are more suitable for heating from contamination-free and energy security perspective. The CO 2 GSHPs maintain better performance in colder climates compared with that of ASHPs, providing higher coefficient of performance and environmental benefits because CO 2 refrigerant leakage would not contaminate well water. A national analysis confirms that CO 2 GSHPs outperform furnaces, especially in cold climates, making them a promising solution for residential heating.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗