An Enhanced Vertical Ground Heat Exchanger Model for Whole-Building Energy Simulation

Matt S. Mitchell and Jeffrey D. Spitler
Additional contact information
Matt S. Mitchell: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Jeffrey D. Spitler: School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-27

Abstract: This paper presents an enhanced vertical ground heat exchanger (GHE) model for whole-building energy simulation (WBES). WBES programs generally have computational constraints that affect the development and implementation of component simulation sub-models. WBES programs require models that execute quickly and efficiently due to how the programs are utilized by design engineers. WBES programs also require models to be formulated so their performance can be determined from boundary conditions set by upstream components and environmental conditions. The GHE model developed during this work utilizes an existing response factor model and extends its capabilities to accurately and robustly simulate at timesteps that are shorter than the GHE transit time. This was accomplished by developing a simplified dynamic borehole model and then exercising that model to generate exiting fluid temperature response factors. This approach blends numerical and analytical modeling methods. The existing response factor models are then extended to incorporate the exiting fluid temperature response factor to provide a better estimate of the GHE exiting fluid temperature at short simulation timesteps.

Keywords: ground heat exchanger; whole-building energy simulation; ground source heat pump; g-Function (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/16/4058/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/16/4058/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:16:p:4058-:d:394992

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().