Energy performance evaluation and optimisation of ground source heat pump systems

The worldwide energy shortage and globally increasing energy demand have accelerated the application of Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems in residential and commercial buildings. The main challenges that prevent the widespread deployment of GSHP systems are their high installation costs, system design and control. Although a great deal of research has been carried out over the last several decades to tackle these challenges, previous studies on appropriate design of ground heat exchangers (GHEs) and optimal control of GSHP systems are still far from sufficient to facilitate optimal exploitation of this technology. The thesis therefore aims to develop optimal design strategies for vertical GHEs, which are commonly used in GSHP systems, and optimal control strategies for GSHP systems to maximise the overall system energy efficiency so as to make GSHP systems more attractive and cost effective for building heating and cooling applications.