Solar-assisted heat pumps: impact of evaporator characteristics on performance

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6476048· OSTI ID:6476048

Catan, M. A.

Five water-refrigerant heat exchangers were tested as part of a program of experimental studies of solar-assisted heat pump (SAHP) components and controls. The aim of this work is to establish ways of improving on the benchmark designs of two prototype SAHPs, one each built by Northrup Incorporated and Lennox Industries Incorporated under contract to the US Department of Energy (DOE). The performance of a water source heat pump, employing any of these evaporators, can be projected using these data, in conjunction with appropriate data pertaining to the rest of the heat pump. Thus, the impact of the evaporator's characteristics on the heat pump performance as a whole may be assessed. The necessary supplementary data may be obtained from compressor curves and condenser performance data, or from test data from a heat pump for which substitution of one of the evaporators considered in this report is contemplated. The steady state performance of the Northrup prototype SAHP employing each of the heat exchangers tested is projected using these test data. The projections of coefficient of performance (COP) versus entering water temperature performance are presented along with the original test data for comparison.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6476048
• Report Number(s): BNL-51638; ON: DE84017169
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
AIR CONDITIONERS
COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
EVAPORATORS
FLUIDS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PUMPS
HEATING SYSTEMS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
REFRIGERANTS
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONERS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR-ASSISTED HEAT PUMPS
TESTING
WATER
WATER SOURCE HEAT PUMPS
WORKING FLUIDS