| Scope and method of study. This study focused first on the simulation and validation of hybrid ground source heat pump (HGSHP) systems. Validation of such systems is previously unreported in literature. The simulation was done using HVACSim+. Validation was done using seven months (March to September 2005) of five-minutely experimental data from an HGSHP research facility located on the campus of Oklahoma State University (OSU). The validation results were considered from the perspective of both researchers and designers with regards to accuracy of HVAC energy consumption prediction.; The second part of this study focused on the simulation, validation, and control optimization of water-loop heat pump (WLHP) systems. The WLHP simulation was also done using HVACSim+. Four days (September 22-25, 2006) of five-minutely data from the OSU HGSHP research facility were used for experimental validation purposes. Intermodel validation was done between HVACSim+ and EnergyPlus to further validate the model. Control optimization was done on two building types in 13 U.S. cities. Single setpoint controls, dynamic controls, controls based on outdoor wet-bulb temperature, and controls utilizing forecasting with thermal mass augmentation were considered.; Findings and conclusions. The predicted HGSHP system simulation matched very well to experimental results when each component was calibrated. From the designers' perspective, the performance of the system simulation with all models relying only on manufacturers' data was quite good and should be acceptable for design purposes.; Likewise, the WLHP system predicted HVAC energy consumption very well compared to experimental data when the components were calibrated. A common control strategy was developed that was based on the individually optimized setpoint profiles of the dynamic controller. Results were reasonably good for each building in every location and can be recommended for use. An exploratory investigation of the control strategy that used forecasting with augmented thermal mass showed excellent savings potential and should be investigated further. |
