1. How does the American
Geothermal modular heat pump system work?
There are two heat pump methods for transferring heat:
water to water and air to water. With a water to water system, usually, the
American Geothermal heat pump attaches via a pipe to the storage tank from
which your batch plant will draw its processing water. The tank usually has
a capacity in the 8,000 to 20,000 gallon range. This water in the tank,
referred to as secondary loop water, is circulated through the heat pump to
be heated or cooled. The primary loop circulates groundwater through the
heat pump system and returns it to the ground. Primary and secondary loop
water are totally isolated. When in the cooling mode, heat is absorbed from
the storage tank water and transferred to the ground water.
When in the heating mode, heat is absorbed from the
ground water and transferred into the storage tank. Typically, ground water
is cooler than the air in the cooling season and warmer than the air in the
heating season. The use of the relatively stable temperature of ground water
allows batch water to be heated and cooled very economically. Water to water
is the most economical method of heating and cooling.
2. What do I do if I don't have groundwater?
No groundwater? No problem. We also manufacture air to
water heat pumps that exchange heat with the air. They are not as economical
as our water to water units but they are still more economical than ice or
fossil fuels.
3. How big a system do I need for my business?
This depends on several factors, including the number
of yards of concrete you need to cool and heat each day, the water
temperature in your area, aggregate, ambient and cement temperatures, etc.
Generally speaking, each module is capable of producing enough cold or hot
water for approximately 100 yards of concrete in 12 hours. If you need 500
yards per day, you need a five module system, assuming that you use 100%
chilled or heated water and have a 12,500 gallon storage tank. Each system
is sized according to your specific requirements. Complete and email the MIX
DESIGN QUESTIONNAIRE here on the web site and we will call you back to
discuss the details.
4. How fast does the system recover?
To keep hardware cost to a minimum, each system is
sized to recover during the evening hours. Suppose you need a 500 yard
system. The system would be designed to produce 12,500 gallons of heated or
chilled water in a 12 hour period, or 1200 gallons per hour. In 24 hours,
the system would produce 25,000 gallons and so on. You can increase capacity
by adding more water storage, adding more modules or allowing more time for
recovery.
5. What is the cooling effect of 35 water?
208 pounds of 35