AS-IHP System Concept Sketch. Image credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

AS-IHP system concept sketch. 

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Field Evaluation Site – Knoxville, TN.  Image credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Field evaluation site, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Lead Performer: Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Oak Ridge, TN
Partner: Lennox
DOE Total Funding: $2,874,000
FY16 DOE Funding: $150,000
Cost Share: >40% in kind from Lennox
Project Term: October 1, 2007 – September 30, 2017
Funding Type: Annual Operating Plan (AOP)

PROJECT OBJECTIVE

The ultimate goal of this project is to collaborate with Lennox under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop efficiency-doubling residential space conditioning and water heating technology based on the air-source integrated heat pump (AS-IHP) concept developed by ORNL for the Department of Energy (DOE)/Building Technologies Office (BTO). The CRADA collaboration with Lennox has resulted in a two-compressor (or two box) prototype design; a VS air-source heat pump coupled with a separate water heating-dehumidification (WH/DH) module.

Several generations of lab prototypes have been fabricated and characterized and the yearlong field prototype characterization began August 2015. Preliminary results indicate that the Lennox two box concept reduces space conditioning and water heating energy use by a percentage in the vicinity of the MYPP 2020 performance target of 49% primary energy savings compared to baseline minimum efficiency separate systems (seasonal energy efficiency ratio [SEER] 13 ASHP + electric storage WH). Owing to its two box configuration, the Lennox design is also flexible for retrofit applications and has the potential to achieve the MYPP 2020 cost target of ≤$1.5 installed cost premium per square foot.

PROJECT IMPACT

US patent #8,689,574 was issued on the WH/DH module on April 8, 2014. Field test completion is expected by August 2016 and a final CRADA report draft submission by mid-FY17. Assuming the project field test prototype successfully meets the performance and cost targets above, Lennox would be encouraged to advance the development to a production model for the U.S. residential buildings market. Successful development will assure market availability of efficiency-doubling electric space conditioning and water heating products with reduced global environmental impact.

CONTACTS

DOE Technology Manager: Tony Bouza
Lead Performer: Van Baxter, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

Rice, C.K., B. Shen, V. D. Baxter, S. S. Shrestha, and R. B. Uselton 2014b. “Development of an Air-Source Heat Pump Integrated with a Water Heating/Dehumidification Module,” Proceedings of the 11thIEA Heat Pump Conference, May 12-16 2014, Montréal (Québec) Canada.

WH/DH Module Process Diagrams; US Patent #8,689,574 B2.  Image credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

WH/DH Module Process Diagrams; US Patent #8,689,574 B2.

Image: Oak Ridge National Laboratory