EarthLinked^® GeoExchange Heat Pump Systems

The EarthLinked^® system is uniquely simple. ECR Technologies' pioneering spirit, years of intense research and field demonstrations brought about the technological advances that make this simplicity possible.

The breakthrough was in ECR's refrigerant flow controls. They allow the unit to operate with the refrigeration compressor and circulating fan essentially as the only components that consume energy.

Earlier geothermal models were limited by dependency on a large plastic water loop, an intermediate heat exchanger and a circulating pump to connect the exchanger to its heat source. EarthLinked^® replaces all of these costly components with a small copper earth loop for a direct exchange with the earth. ECR developed and perfected this simplified design, which substantially reduces the cost of installation and operation while increasing reliability. Efficiency is increased, power consumption is reduced and there is no secondary heat exchanger or circulating pump to clog or fail.

Unique Refrigerant Flow Controls

Until the development of ECR's Refrigerant Flow Controls, no simple controls or metering devices existed that could deliver refrigerant in the condition appropriate to each component throughout the entire operating cycle and continually maintain stable refrigerant conditions.

Special refrigerant flow controls were necessary to manage the refrigerant in the long evaporator-condenser which is buried in direct contact with the heat source. ECR's refrigerant management system serves this need and provides multiple additional advantages.

To operate at optimum efficiency, the three major components of all heat pumps require the refrigerant to be in a particular physical state appropriate to each component (the compressor, condenser and evaporator). The compressor needs a dry refrigerant vapor from the evaporator, containing little or no superheat at the compressor inlet.

The condenser needs its refrigerant outlet pressure to be just sufficient to cause the refrigerant vapor to complete its condensing just before it reaches the condenser outlet. This provides high pressure vapor to the entire condenser for maximum condensing with no uncondensed vapor passing through the condenser and no liquid refrigerant "backed up" in the condenser (which produces subcooling).

In contrast, the evaporator needs liquid refrigerant at its inlet. The liquid should then complete its evaporation just as it reaches the evaporator outlet. This is the optimum "flooded" evaporator condition which produces maximum system efficiency when no portion of the evaporator is wasted in producing superheat. Any unevaporated refrigerant which passes through or out of the evaporator should not reach the compressor.

ECR's Refrigerant Flow Controls accomplish:

• Stable refrigerant management in long evaporator/condenser under all loading conditions.
• Continuously return lubricating oil to the compressor without any liquid refrigerant.
• Improved system efficiency, reliability and serviceability.

Earth Loop Options

ECR Earth Loops enable direct exchange of thermal energy with the earth. Standard refrigeration tubing is used because of its high thermal conductivity. The loops are designed in three different configuration (vertical, horizontal and diagonal) to meet most new and retrofit applications. This allows for the selection of the most economical loop configuration for each installation.

Fast, Easy Installations

ECR Earth Loops are factory assembled so the installer does not need the plastic fusing tools and long cumbersome pipes required for a water-based system. They are factory pressure tested to assure the highest quality standards.

Loops using vertical or diagonal bore holes are typically installed in less than two days. Horizontal loops can be installed in a single day. ECR loops are easier to install because they use a much smaller bore hole and less excavation than water-based systems.

Click here to visit the ECR website for additional technical info.