Optimal performance characteristics of a solar-driven heat pump at maximum COP

The effect of the irreversibility of finite-rate heat transfer on the performance of a solar-driven heat pump is investigated by using the theory of finite time thermodynamics. Maximizing the COP of the system leads to some novel rules for the optimum choices of primary performance parameters, such as the operating temperatures of the solar collector and the working fluid in the heat exchangers and the heat transfer areas of the heat exchangers. These rules can guide the evaluation of existing real solar-driven heat pumps or influence the design of future solar-driven heat pumps.