Comparison of Thermoelectric and Vapor Cycle Technologies for Groundwater Heat Pump Application

Abstract

The performance of a groundwater thermoelectric (TE) heat pump system, based on today’s state-of-the-art TE materials, was calculated and compared with that of a conventional groundwater heat pump under the same water inlet temperature and flow rate. It was found that the TE system was competitive for cooling, particularly for groundwater temperatures below 18° C (64° F). The TE system performed poorly for heating mode operation. A cooling coefficient of performance (COP) of 6.4 could be realized by a properly designed TE system at a groundwater temperature of 13° C (55° F), compared with a COP of 4.35 for a conventional heat pump. For heating mode operation at the same water temperature, the TE system achieved a COP of 1.72, while the conventional heat pump performed at a COP of 3.72. Use of TE systems should be considered in areas where year-round cooling load dominates.