WER-7: The use of water source heat pumps in south central Kansas
Citation
Jay A. Fulton and Gary C. Thomann. The use of water source heat pumps in south central Kansas. Wind Energy Report no.7. Wichita State University. Center for Energy Studies, 1979, 86 p.
Abstract
A water source heat pump (WSHP) operates similarly to a conventional
air-to-air heat pump except that instead of using the air as a heat source
or sink, a water reservoir, such as ground water, is used. The conventional heat
pump system must exhaust heat in the summer into the hot air and draw heat from
the cold air in the winter. In contrast, the WSHP,using ground water at a
temperature of about 60° F, has a relatively cool heat sink. in the surmmer and
warm heat source in the winter. As a result, the water source system uses
less energy than the conventional system for the same amount of heat transfer.
With t he WSHP 1 ground water is supplied to the heat pump using a well and injected
back into the reservoir using a second well. Hence. no net change
in the water table results.
The use of WSHp's for South Central Kansas was investigated in this
study for use in single family dwellings and apartments. The particular
topi cs addressed were
1. System manufacturers and system costs
2. Water availability and well costs
3. The economi cs of water source systems compared to gas furnace/
electric air, electric resistance heat/ electric air, and air-to-air
heat pumps for heating and cooling.
The cost of various types of systems for heating and cooling houses is
shown below. These figures are typical costs for three ton units in a new
residence.
Description
Sponsored by the City of Wichita Energy Office, Wichita State University, and the State of Kansas