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Two-stage turbo-compressor for heat pumps. Stage 1: Feasibility study; Compresseur radial pour pompe a chaleur bietagee. Phase 1: etude de faisabilite

Abstract

This report describes the work performed by Ofttech SA, in collaboration with the Industrial Energy Laboratory (LENI) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, investigating the feasibility of designing an oil-free turbo-compressor for domestic retrofit heat pump applications. The primary objective for a retrofit heat pump is that it produces heating water at 60 {sup o}C (with at least 10 {sup o}C temperature rise) with an external air temperature of -12 {sup o}C and can supply at least 10 kW. This would enable the air-water heat pump to directly replace oil or gas boilers. To enable a heat pump to produce the required hot water with a sufficient Coefficient of Performance (COP) a two-stage compressor is the most sensible technical solution currently available. This report shows how a turbo-compressor consisting of a single rotor with two centrifugal compressor wheels, running at variable speeds up to 240,000 rpm, can provide a unique solution with better predicted performance than existing solutions. This is possible by the use of bearings lubricated with gaseous refrigerant - excluding completely the need for oil in the system with its associated heat transfer, system, environmental and cost disadvantages. These bearings need radial clearances between  More>>
Authors:
Shiffmann, J; Molyneaux, A; [1]  Favrat, D; Marechal, F; Zehnder, M; Godat, J [2] 
  1. Ofttech SA, Parc Scientifique de l'EPFL-C, Lausanne (Switzerland)
  2. Swiss Federal Institue of Technology (EPFL), Laboratoire d'energetique industrielle, Lausanne (Switzerland)
Publication Date:
Jul 01, 2002
Product Type:
Technical Report
Report Number:
ENET-220195
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 2002
Subject:
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; HEAT PUMPS; AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS; HOT WATER; SPACE HEATING; COEFFICIENT OF PERFORMANCE; COMPRESSORS; TURBOMACHINERY; BEARINGS; BALL BEARINGS; REFRIGERANTS; ENERGY CONSUMPTION; FEASIBILITY STUDIES; COMPILED DATA
Sponsoring Organizations:
Swiss Federal Office of Energy, Berne (Switzerland); Funds for projects and studies of the Swiss economy of electricity (PSEL), Zuerich (Switzerland)
OSTI ID:
20376699
Research Organizations:
Ofttech SA, Parc Scientifique de l'EPFL-C, Lausanne (Switzerland); Swiss Federal Institue of Technology (EPFL), Laboratoire d'energetique industrielle, Lausanne (Switzerland)
Country of Origin:
Switzerland
Language:
French
Other Identifying Numbers:
TRN: CH03E1233
Availability:
Available to ETDE participating countries only(see www.etde.org); commercial reproduction prohibited; OSTI as DE20376699
Submitting Site:
CH
Size:
47 pages
Announcement Date:
Oct 13, 2003

Citation Formats

Shiffmann, J, Molyneaux, A, Favrat, D, Marechal, F, Zehnder, M, and Godat, J. Two-stage turbo-compressor for heat pumps. Stage 1: Feasibility study; Compresseur radial pour pompe a chaleur bietagee. Phase 1: etude de faisabilite. Switzerland: N. p., 2002. Web.
Shiffmann, J, Molyneaux, A, Favrat, D, Marechal, F, Zehnder, M, & Godat, J. Two-stage turbo-compressor for heat pumps. Stage 1: Feasibility study; Compresseur radial pour pompe a chaleur bietagee. Phase 1: etude de faisabilite. Switzerland.
Shiffmann, J, Molyneaux, A, Favrat, D, Marechal, F, Zehnder, M, and Godat, J. 2002. "Two-stage turbo-compressor for heat pumps. Stage 1: Feasibility study; Compresseur radial pour pompe a chaleur bietagee. Phase 1: etude de faisabilite." Switzerland.
@misc{etde_20376699,
title = {Two-stage turbo-compressor for heat pumps. Stage 1: Feasibility study; Compresseur radial pour pompe a chaleur bietagee. Phase 1: etude de faisabilite}
author = {Shiffmann, J, Molyneaux, A, Favrat, D, Marechal, F, Zehnder, M, and Godat, J}
abstractNote = {This report describes the work performed by Ofttech SA, in collaboration with the Industrial Energy Laboratory (LENI) of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) in Lausanne, investigating the feasibility of designing an oil-free turbo-compressor for domestic retrofit heat pump applications. The primary objective for a retrofit heat pump is that it produces heating water at 60 {sup o}C (with at least 10 {sup o}C temperature rise) with an external air temperature of -12 {sup o}C and can supply at least 10 kW. This would enable the air-water heat pump to directly replace oil or gas boilers. To enable a heat pump to produce the required hot water with a sufficient Coefficient of Performance (COP) a two-stage compressor is the most sensible technical solution currently available. This report shows how a turbo-compressor consisting of a single rotor with two centrifugal compressor wheels, running at variable speeds up to 240,000 rpm, can provide a unique solution with better predicted performance than existing solutions. This is possible by the use of bearings lubricated with gaseous refrigerant - excluding completely the need for oil in the system with its associated heat transfer, system, environmental and cost disadvantages. These bearings need radial clearances between 5 and 10 micrometers, leading to manufacturing tolerances in the order of magnitude of one micrometer. Various possible refrigerants are discussed with R134a being chosen for this study. Investigations performed by the company Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) are reported showing the possible design of the two small turbo-compressors resulting in wheels of less than 20 mm. The electric motor for this directly driven compressor together with the wheels and gas bearings will result in a complete rotor of less than 100 mm long - making it smaller, lighter and cheaper than existing compressors. The main conclusion is that the overall performance of this novel turbo-compressor when compared with the existing products of the manufacturers Satag and KWT results in a 20% energy saving over the year, and that such a turbo-compressor is certainly feasible. (author)}
place = {Switzerland}
year = {2002}
month = {Jul}
}