scholarly journals Comparison of Transcritical CO2 and Conventional Refrigerant Heat Pump Water Heaters for Domestic Applications

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Ignacio Paniagua ◽  
Ángel Álvaro ◽  
Javier Martín ◽  
Celina Fernández ◽  
Rafael Carlier

Although CO 2 as refrigerant is well known for having the lowest global warming potential (GWP), and commercial domestic heat pump water heater systems exist, its long expected wide spread use has not fully unfolded. Indeed, CO 2 poses some technological difficulties with respect to conventional refrigerants, but currently, these difficulties have been largely overcome. Numerous studies show that CO 2 heat pump water heaters can improve the coefficient of performance (COP) of conventional ones in the given conditions. In this study, the performances of transcritical CO 2 and R410A heat pump water heaters were compared for an integrated nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) application. The thermodynamic cycle of two commercial systems were modelled integrating experimental data, and these models were then used to analyse both heat pumps receiving and producing hot water at equal temperatures, operating at the same ambient temperature. Within the range of operation of the system, it is unclear which would achieve the better COP, as it depends critically on the conditions of operation, which in turn depend on the ambient conditions and especially on the actual use of the water. Technology changes on each side of the line of equal performance conditions of operation (EPOC), a useful design tool developed in the study. The transcritical CO 2 is more sensitive to operating conditions, and thus offers greater flexibility to the designer, as it allows improving performance by optimising the global system design.

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 739-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Loh Tangwe ◽  
Michael Simon ◽  
Edson L. Meyer

Purpose This paper aims to show that by using air source heat pump (ASHP) water heater in the residential sector, the energy consumption from sanitary hot water production can be reduced by more than 50 per cent. Hence, this study quantitatively and qualitatively confirms that domestic ASHP water heater is a renewable and energy efficient device for sanitary hot water production. Design/methodology/approach Design and building of a data acquisition system comprises a data logger, power meters, flow meters, temperature sensors, ambient and relative humidity sensor and an electronic input pulse adapter to monitor the ASHP water heater performance. All the sensors are accommodated by the U30-NRC data logger. The temperature sensors are installed on the inlet pipe containing a flow meter and the outlet pipe of the ASHP unit, the vicinity of both evaporator and expel cold air. An additional temperature sensor and a flow meter that cater for hot water drawn off measurements are incorporated into the data acquisition system (DAS). Findings The result from a specific monitoring split type ASHP water heater gives an average daily coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.36 and the total electrical energy of 4.15 kWh, and volume of hot water drawn off was 273 L. These results were influenced by ambient temperature and relative humidity. Research limitations/implications The cost involved in purchasing the entire sensors and data logger limits the number and categories of ASHP water heaters whose performance were going to be monitored. Pressure sensors were excluded in the data acquisition system. Practical implications The data acquisition system can easily be designed and the logger can also be easily programed. Hence, no high technical or computer skills are needed to install the DAS and to be able to read out the results. Social implications Hence, the data acquisition system can be installed on the entire domestic Eskom roll out air source heat pump water heaters to effectively determine the coefficient of performance and demand reductions. Originality/value This DAS is the first of its kind to be built in South Africa to be used to determine the performance of an ASHP water heater with high accuracy and precision. DAS is also robust.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1576
Author(s):  
Piotr Jadwiszczak ◽  
Jakub Jurasz ◽  
Bartosz Kaźmierczak ◽  
Elżbieta Niemierka ◽  
Wandong Zheng

Heating and cooling sectors contribute to approximately 50% of energy consumption in the European Union. Considering the fact that heating is mostly based on fossil fuels, it is then evident that its decarbonization is one of the crucial tasks for achieving climate change prevention goals. At the same time, electricity sectors across the globe are undergoing a rapid transformation in order to accommodate the growing capacities of non-dispatchable solar and wind generators. One of the proposed solutions to achieve heating sector decarbonization and non-dispatchable generators power system integration is sector coupling, where heat pumps are perceived as a perfect fit. Air source heat pumps enable a rapid improvement in local air quality by replacing conventional heating sources, but at the same time, they put additional stress on the power system. The emissions associated with heat pump operation are a combination of power system energy mix, weather conditions and heat pump technology. Taking the above into consideration, this paper presents an approach to estimate which of the mentioned factors has the highest impact on heat pump emissions. Due to low air quality during the heating season, undergoing a power system transformation (with a relatively low share of renewables) in a case study located in Poland is considered. The results of the conducted analysis revealed that for a scenario where an air-to-water (A/W) heat pump is supposed to cover space and domestic hot water load, its CO2 emissions are shaped by country-specific energy mix (55.2%), heat pump technology (coefficient of performance) (33.9%) and, to a lesser extent, by changing climate (10.9%). The outcome of this paper can be used by policy makers in designing decarbonization strategies and funding distribution.


Author(s):  
Z. Sirkо ◽  
◽  
V. Korenda ◽  
I. Vyshnyakov ◽  
O. Protasov ◽  
...  

Heat pump - a device for transferring thermal energy from a source of low potential thermal energy to a consumer with a higher temperature. The thermodynamic cycle of a heat pump is similar to a refrigerating machine. Depending on the principle of operation, heat pumps are divided into compression and absorption. The most commonly used compression heat pumps. In recent years, numerous publications on the use of heat pump technology in heating and hot water supply facilities of various spheres - from individual homes to residential neighborhoods have appeared in various media. The authors of the publication have many years of experience in joint scientific and technical cooperation with leading technical universities and industrial organizations in the field of development and practical use of heat pump technology. The authors analyze the possibilities of introducing heat pumps at enterprises and organizations of the State Reserve System of Ukraine. It has been shown that the amount of expenses in comparison with central heating or operation of gas and electric boilers of similar power is several times smaller. It is noted that the implementation of heat pumps is a promising direction in the use of alternative energy sources to meet the heating, ventilation and hot water supply needs of buildings. The payback period from the introduction of heat pumps at enterprises is 4-9 years, depending on the location of the object and the type of source of low-temperature heat. The article meets the requirements of the State Tax Code of Ukraine and can be recommended for publication.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 4313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boahen ◽  
Choi

The use of cascade heat pumps for hot water generation has gained much attention in recent times. The big question that has attracted much research interest is how to enhance the performance and energy saving potential of these cascade heat pumps. This study therefore proposed a new cycle to enhance performance of the cascade heat pump by adopting an auxiliary heat exchanger (AHX) in desuperheater, heater and parallel positions at the low stage (LS) side. The new cascade cycle with AHX in desuperheater position was found to have better performance than that with AHX at heater and parallel positions. Compared to the conventional cycle, heating capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) of the new cascade cycle with AHX in desuperheater position increased up to 7.4% and 14.9% respectively.


Author(s):  
Yahya I. Sharaf-Eldeen

This work involves measurements, analyses, and evaluation of performance of air-source heat pump water heaters (HPWHs), and their impacts on electric utility loads. Two add-on, heat pumps (HPs) rated at 7000 BTU/h (2.051 kW) and 12,000 BTU/h (3.517 kW) were utilized. The HPs were retrofitted to two 50 gal (189.3 l) electric water heaters (EWHs) with their electric heating elements removed. A third standard EWH was used for comparison. The testing setups were fully instrumented for measurements of all pertinent parameters, including inlet and outlet water temperatures, inlet and outlet air temperatures of the HPs, temperature and humidity of the surrounding air, volume of water drawn out of the storage tanks, as well as the electric energy consumptions of the systems. Performance measures evaluated included the coefficient of performance, the energy factor (EF), and the first hour rating (FHR). The HPWH systems gave EFs ranging from 1.8 to 2.5 and corresponding energy savings (and reductions in utility peak loads) ranging from 49.0% to 63.0%, approximately. The values obtained in the summer months were, as expected, somewhat higher than those obtained in the winter ones. The average values of the EFs and energy savings (and reductions in utility peak loads) were about 2.1 and 56.0%, respectively. FHR results were much lower for the HPWHs compared with those for the standard EWH. These results show that HPWHs are much more efficient compared with standard EWHs. While the average value of the EF for the EWH was about 0.92, the HPWHs yielded EFs averaging more than 2.00, resulting in annual energy savings averaging more than 50%. The results also show that HPWHs are effective at reducing utility peak loads, in addition to providing substantial cost savings to consumers.


Author(s):  
Yahya I. Sharaf-Eldeen ◽  
Craig V. Muccio ◽  
Eric Gay

This work involves measurements, analyses, and evaluations of the performance of add-on, Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) systems in residential and small commercial applications. Two air-source Heat Pump (HP) systems rated at 7,000- and 12,000-BTU (2.051- and 3.517-kWh), were utilized in this work. The two HPs were retrofitted to two 50-gallon (189.3 liters) electric-resistance storage water-heaters with their electric heating elements removed. A third, standard electric water-heater (EWH), was used for comparison. The testing set-up was fully instrumented for measurements of pertinent parameters, including inlet and outlet water temperatures, inlet and outlet air temperatures of the HPs, temperature and humidity of the air in the surrounding space, volume of water draws out of the storage heater tanks, as well as electric energy consumptions of the systems. Several performance measures were used in this work, including the Coefficient of Performance (COP), which is a measure of the instantaneous energy output in comparison with the energy input; Energy Factor (EF), which is an average measure of the COP taken over extended periods of time; and the First Hour Rating (FHR), which is a measure of the maximum volume of hot water that a storage type water-heater can supply to a residence within an hour. The results obtained clearly indicate that, HPWH systems are much more efficient as compared to standard EWHs. While the average value of the EF for a standard EWH is close to 1.0, the HPWH systems yield EFs averaging more than 2.00, resulting in annual energy savings averaging more than 50%. The results also showed that, HPWH systems are effective at reducing utility peak demand-loads, in addition to providing substantial cost savings to consumers.


2011 ◽  
Vol 347-353 ◽  
pp. 587-590
Author(s):  
Qing Hai Luo ◽  
Zheng Zuo

This paper analyzes the energy consumption of hot water supply in buildings and the insurmountable shortcoming of low energy efficiency of conventional water heaters, and investigates the progress and problems of developing heat pump water heaters. It is pointed out that developing of heat pump water heaters is one of the efficient approaches to improve the energy efficiency of hot water supply.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afarin Amirirad

Considering the large energy consumption of conventional water heaters in residential buildings, the performance of a new type of water heater has been characterized through conducting experiments and numerical modelling. The specific water heater investigated in this work benefits from heat absorption from the indoor air, denoted as the air source heat pump water heater (ASHPWH), and is located in the Archetype Sustainable Twin House B in Toronto. The experiments have been conducted under three different indoor conditions associated with temperature and humidity. The coefficient of performance (COP), which quantifies the ratio of heating capacity to the consumed power of ASHPWH, ranges between 1.5 and 5, depending on the indoor dry bulb and water inlet temperatures. A TRNSYS model of ASHPWH has been constructed based on the obtained experimental results and has subsequently been integrated with a TRNSYS model of the Archetype Sustainable House (ASH). The numerical results were verified with the experimental data. The model results suggests that after employing ASHPWH, the domestic hot water energy consumption reduces by 60.3% and 53.2% compared to the electric water heater in summer and winter respectively. Due to the energy absorption of ASHPWH from the indoor environment, the heating load of the ASH house increases while its cooling load decreases. Furthermore, the annual electricity consumption of the ASH house due to the required heating and cooling as well as the domestic hot water demand is reduced by 21.3%. Finally, as a consequence of employing ASHPWH, the energy cost and GHG emission were reduced respectively by 22% and 21.7%. By investigating the system in four other Canadian cities, it appears that Vancouver and Edmonton would have the maximum and minimum energy savings respectively.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Afarin Amirirad

Considering the large energy consumption of conventional water heaters in residential buildings, the performance of a new type of water heater has been characterized through conducting experiments and numerical modelling. The specific water heater investigated in this work benefits from heat absorption from the indoor air, denoted as the air source heat pump water heater (ASHPWH), and is located in the Archetype Sustainable Twin House B in Toronto. The experiments have been conducted under three different indoor conditions associated with temperature and humidity. The coefficient of performance (COP), which quantifies the ratio of heating capacity to the consumed power of ASHPWH, ranges between 1.5 and 5, depending on the indoor dry bulb and water inlet temperatures. A TRNSYS model of ASHPWH has been constructed based on the obtained experimental results and has subsequently been integrated with a TRNSYS model of the Archetype Sustainable House (ASH). The numerical results were verified with the experimental data. The model results suggests that after employing ASHPWH, the domestic hot water energy consumption reduces by 60.3% and 53.2% compared to the electric water heater in summer and winter respectively. Due to the energy absorption of ASHPWH from the indoor environment, the heating load of the ASH house increases while its cooling load decreases. Furthermore, the annual electricity consumption of the ASH house due to the required heating and cooling as well as the domestic hot water demand is reduced by 21.3%. Finally, as a consequence of employing ASHPWH, the energy cost and GHG emission were reduced respectively by 22% and 21.7%. By investigating the system in four other Canadian cities, it appears that Vancouver and Edmonton would have the maximum and minimum energy savings respectively.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2116 (1) ◽  
pp. 012098
Author(s):  
F Illán-Gómez ◽  
J R García-Cascales ◽  
F J Sánchez-Velasco ◽  
V Sena-Cuevas ◽  
R Otón-Martínez

Abstract This paper presents a numerical study on the influence of internal heat exchanger (IHX) exchanging surface in the performance of a transcritical CO2 heat pump water heater at different operating conditions. Five different IHX geometries and four different evaporation temperatures have been studied with water temperature ranging from 10 °C to 60 °C at the gas cooler inlet. The results show a strong influence of IHX characteristics on system’s performance.


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