Types Of Water Source Heat Pumps
Water source heat pumps and their types
The working of water source heat pump sis quite similar to that of air source and ground source heat pumps. Just like the latter which use the consistent temperature found in air and underground, the water source heat pumps utilize the steady heat found in the bodies of water. A series of pipes are submerged into the water body. A working fluid made of water and anti-freezing solution is pumped through the pipe to absorb the heat present in the surrounding water. This fluid is then compressed by a compressor which raises its temperature. A heat exchanger is then be used to remove the heat entirely from this working fluid. This heat is used to heat homes. Once the heat has been removed from the working fluid via the heat exchanger, it is again pumped back into the loop for the next heat absorption cycle.
The Benefits
There are many benefits of water source heat pumps. The heat transfer from water bodies is higher compared to air or underground. They have higher coefficients of performance. Look for instance, 1kW of energy used to power a water source heat pump will produce 4-5kW of equivalent of heat energy to warm your home. The body of water has sufficient heat even in winter to be sourced by water source heat pump. The only issue with these heat pumps arises in case the body of water freezes. A geothermal plant needs digging boreholes to source underground heat, whereas the water source heat pumps need only insertion of pipes.
Types of ware source heat pumps:
Open Loop:In open-loop systems water from the source is extracted and pumped directly to the heat pump. Heat is then exchanged with the refrigerant and the water is returned to the source. Installing this kind of heat pumps requires permits for extraction and discharge of ground water from the environmental agency. Advancement in this type of heat pump has been achieved by heating the water body with solar energy. Energy from the sun is tapped and stored in any body of open water. The energy is replenished every time the sun shines. This water gets heated with solar energy and passes through a heat exchanger, which transfers the heat in the river water to the refrigerant present in a closed loop.
Closed loop: In closed-loop systems a mixture of water and anti-freeze solution is sent through pipes to a water source such as a lake to exchange heat with it.
The heated mixture is then piped to the heat pump and the heat is exchanged with the refrigerant.