Dutch building code regulates noise limits for outside placed heat pumps

2021 ◽  
Vol 263 (5) ◽  
pp. 1703-1711
Author(s):  
Wim Beentjes ◽  
Theo Campmans

To reduce CO-emission, Air/Water and Air/Air heat pumps are increasingly used in the Netherlands. Due to several noise complaints, the Dutch government decided that legal regulations were necessary to restrict outside noise. The legislation process consisted of three phases. Determination of noise limits on neighbouring plot boundaries, based on a comparison with existing noise regulations for small companies in a defined quiet living environment. Creation of rules for ground-bound dwellings and for apartments. Determination of the legal noise measurement procedure of installed heat pumps, such as defining working conditions and how to deal with tonality. Developing a design tool for simple situations. This tool calculates the sound attenuations between the heat pump and all relevant receiver positions. The smallest attenuation determines the allowed sound power level of the heat pump. This is key information for appropriate selection of heat pumps. For complex situations, special calculation is still needed.

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8199
Author(s):  
Bo Shen ◽  
Moonis R. Ally

Heat pumps are currently being developed to reduce the energy footprint for residential and commercial building space conditioning and water heating loads in cold climates. To mitigate the nocuous impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment, and to create a carbon-neutral building stock, alternate lower-GWP refrigerants must also replace the predominant use of R-410A, without re-engineering the mechanical hardware. In this paper, we analyze the performance of lower-GWP alternative refrigerants (R-32, R-452B, R-454B, and R-466A) relative to the conventional R-410A and draw conclusions on the relative performances to meet cooling loads. The simulations are accomplished using the heat pump design model, a well-known, public-domain design tool with a free web interface and downloadable desktop version to support public use and the HVAC R&D community. The contributions contain detailed, hardware-based heat exchanger and system analyses to provide a comprehensive assessment. The results of the simulation are scrutinized from the first (capacity and energy efficiency) and second laws (exergy analysis) to identify sources of systemic inefficiency, the root cause of lost work. This rigorous approach provides an exhaustive analysis of alternate lower-GWP refrigerants to replace R-410A using the same hardware. The results have practical value in engineering heat pumps in an economy that is compelled to alter by the consequences and uncertainties of climate change, to reduce its anthropogenic carbon footprint.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document