Analysis of ground source heat pumps in sub-Arctic conditions

Abstract

The Purpose of this project is to investigate the factors involved in the application of a ground source heat pump in subarctic conditions. This project originated with the construction of a ground source heat pump (GSHP) built at Cold Climate Housing Research Center's (CCHRC) Research Testing Facility. The GSHP built by CCHRC is an experiment to test the viability of a GSHP with different surface coverings. Specifically, this project will focus on different soil and atmospheric properties to gauge their effect on a GSHP in sub-arctic conditions. The project is primarily broken into 3 main sections which test in simulation: the effects of soil and atmospheric properties on heat flow into soil, the effects of these properties on a hypothetical GSHP and applying this to a simulation of CCHRC's GSHP. Additionally, some mitigation efforts were attem pted in simulation to improve the viability of the GSHP built by CCHRC.