Experimental investigation of air-source heat pump for cold regions

Great advancements have been made in air source heat pumps (ASHP) due to concerns for water and consciousness of sustainable development; however there is still a serious shortcoming that limits their widespread applications, especially in sub-zero regions. This article proposes a new sub-cooling system employing a scroll compressor with a supplementary inlet which can effectively solve these problems. The prototype ASHP was validated and ran a whole winter in Beijing, China. The relevant dynamic-performance functions were tested and the outcomes show that this new kind of ASHP can work very well under ambient temperatures as low as −15 °C. In addition, the efficiency of the improved ASHP under all circumstances was addressed and great energy can be saved through the improved system's increased efficiency. In this way the applications of ASHP were enlarged and a simple and feasible alternative heating service was developed for heating in north China which can also partly solve the severer and severer atmosphere pollution problems in these regions.     

Research on air-source heat pump coupled with economized vapor injection scroll compressor and ejector

The performance of the heat pump can be improved further when running under low temperature conditions when an ejector is used in a heat pump system coupled with economized vapor injection (EVI) scroll compressor. In this paper, the design method of the heat pump system with ejector (EVIe) is presented, and the process for designing the heat pump with ejector has been summarized. The optimal location of the vapor injection inlets is at the place where the vapor can inject into the working chambers when they just be closed. The reasonable value for the entrainment ratio u of the ejector is between 0.1 and 0.2. One prototype heat pump was designed under the condition of the evaporation temperature of −20 °C, and an experimental setup was established to test the prototype. The measured results demonstrated that the heating EER of the heat pump system with ejector could reach about 4% higher than that of the system without ejector when the heating capacity remained nearly constant.     

涡旋压缩机经济器系统的试验研究

以涡旋压缩机经济器系统为基础研制出适合寒冷地区使用的热泵原型机,试验结果表明,在-10℃～-15℃的低温环境中,该原型机仍具有较高的制热能力和供暖温度,能够满足寒冷地区冬季的采暖要求。通过分析实验结果,找出寒冷地区用热泵机组适宜的运行和设计参数。     

Experimental study on the performance of a vapor injection high temperature heat pump

In this study, a vapor injection technique was applied in a high temperature heat pump (HTHP) for providing hot water at temperatures up to 88 °C. A prototype HTHP system with economizer vapor injection was developed and its performance was experimentally investigated under various operating conditions. Results showed that the vapor injection pressure had a large effect on heating capacity and on refrigerant temperature at the inlet of the electronic expansion valve (EEV). As the injection pressure increased from 0.82 to 0.98 MPa, the vapor injection flow ratio increased from 7.3% to 22.61% and the heating capacity increased by 7%. The system COP did not show significant change although the COP trend showed an optimal value for the injection pressure. The refrigerant temperature at the EEV inlet showed a subcooling of more than 16 °C under all studied conditions, which improved the EEV operating reliability.     

螺杆式空气源热泵机组压缩机油位试验研究

分析压缩机吸气回液、外置油分离器油分离效率对螺杆式空气源热泵机组压缩机油位的影响,提出改进翅片换热器分液、优化气液分离器结构、改善油分离器分离方式等改进措施,并对螺杆式空气源冷（热）水机组进行试验。结果表明,所提改进措施不仅能够提高压缩机运行过程中的油位,而且能够提高机组运行稳定性。     

Dynamic analyses for the rotor-journal bearing system of a variable speed rotary compressor

In the rotary compressor, the rolling piston and the contacted rotor-journal bearing system are main moving components. They suffer very large periodically varying loads introduced by the inertia force, the contact force and the gas force. These loads change rapidly with speed variation of the compressor. They always lead to serious vibration of the system, and then result in abrasion and performance reduction. In this paper, the dynamic behavior of the rotor-journal bearing system were calculated by solving three-dimensional numerical model using finite element method, and the vibration characteristics of the system were investigated according to the calculation results. The natural frequencies and vibration modes were obtained. The stress, displacement and axis orbit of the rotor center were calculated considering the speed variation of the motor. Via the established numerical model, vibration characteristics of a newly designed compressor can be predicted, and optimization can be done to reduce the vibration.     

Thermodynamic analysis on the performance of a variable speed scroll compressor with refrigerant injection

A thermodynamic model for a variable speed scroll compressor with refrigerant injection was developed using continuity, energy conservation and real gas equation. The model included energy balance in the low-pressure shell compressor, suction gas heating, motor efficiency, and volumetric efficiency considering gas leakages as a function of compressor frequency. The developed model was verified by comparing the predicted results for the no injection condition with the experimental data. The deviations of the predicted from the measured values were within 10% for approximately 90% of the experimental data. Based on the model, mass flow rate, suction gas heating, cooling capacity and power consumption of the compressor were estimated and analyzed as a function of frequency. The effects of refrigerant injection on the performance of the compressor were also discussed as a function of frequency, injection conditions, and injection geometry.

Résumé

A thermodynamic model for a variable speed scroll compressor with refrigerant injection was developed using continuity, energy conservation and real gas equation. The model included energy balance in the low-pressure shell compressor, suction gas heating, motor efficiency, and volumetric efficiency considering gas leakages as a function of compressor frequency. The developed model was verified by comparing the predicted results for the no injection condition with the experimental data. The deviations of the predicted from the measured values were within 10% for approximately 90% of the experimental data. Based on the model, mass flow rate, suction gas heating, cooling capacity and power consumption of the compressor were estimated and analyzed as a function of frequency. The effects of refrigerant injection on the performance of the compressor were also discussed as a function of frequency, injection conditions, and injection geometry.     

Performance analysis of vapor injection heat pump system for electric vehicle in cold startup condition

In this study, a vapor-injection (VI) cycle designed for indoor heating of electric vehicle (EV) was investigated for low temperature heating purposes. The heating capacity variation was observed both in mathematical and experimental ways to verify the influence of vapor injection at different injecting positions and under different intermediate pressure. From this study, the optimal injection position of the scroll compressor and intermediate pressure ratio were evaluated that maximizes heating capacity and coefficient of performance (COP) of the cycle. To validate the numerical results, the experiment was also conducted in the prototype of a vapor-injection (VI) heating system for electric vehicle. The experiment was carried out under the steady-state condition and the same parameters as those of numerical analysis were employed. The comparison between the results of numerical analysis and that of experiments showed a good agreement. For the increase of heating capacity, the optimal injecting port position was observed in specific value which was close to 300°. As the opening of the main expansion valve was decreased, the performance of the VI system generally got better but the system had much restricted intermediate pressure ratio in which the performance was drastically decreased. As a result, the optimal intermediate pressure ratio occurred in specific value below 0.25 in startup condition.     

Experimental investigation on cold startup characteristics of a rotary compressor in the R290 air-conditioning system under cooling condition

R290 is one of the most alternative refrigerants for the air-conditionings for its negligible environmental impact and high efficiency. This experimental study investigated the cold startup characteristics of the rotary compressor in a R290 air-conditioning system under cooling condition. The characteristics include the pressures and temperatures in the system and the rotary compressor respectively, the mixture of oil and refrigerant viscosity and oil level of the oil sump. The measurements showed that the startup time for the pressures and the temperatures were much longer than that of R410A and R22 systems. A slight liquid slugging happened in the cylinder at the initial time of startup for the pressure during the later exhaust process increasing rapidly to 2.21 MPa in 1.3 seconds. After startup of the system, both the mixture of oil and refrigerant viscosity and oil level of the oil sump in the compressor were within a proper range to guarantee a steady startup of the air-conditioning system.     

Performance evaluation of a vapor injection heat pump system for electric vehicles

Battery-powered electric vehicles (EV) need an efficient electric heating system for extending the driving mileage. An air-source heat pump system offers an economical alternative for EV because it consumes less energy than a heating system using Joule heat and it can use the same components as an air conditioning system for cooling. However, its performance degradation is inevitable at very low ambient temperatures. Although vapor refrigerant injection is known as a good technology to overcome this problem in residential heat pump systems, the number of vapor injection heat pump studies for EV applications is quite limited. In this paper, considering the characteristics of EV application, the configuration of a vapor injection heat pump system for EV is introduced, and it was modeled, using a scroll compressor geometry-based thermodynamic analysis. The performance was estimated for cold ambient regions under the EV operational conditions.     

Experimental investigation on convective heat transfer mechanism in a scroll compressor

This paper describes an experimental study on the convective heat transfer inside the scroll compressor. An experimental refrigeration system is composed with extensive instrumentations in the compressor that is operated at variable speeds. The 13 thermocouples installed inside the compressor monitor the temperatures of the scroll wrap during compression process of refrigerant. The temperature and the pressure of refrigerant at suction, and the pressure at discharge ports are measured, and applied to the numerical simulation as the operating condition parameters. The temperature measured at the discharge port is used to verify the simulation result with relevant heat transfer coefficient. This paper describes the effect of motion of the orbiting scroll on the convective heat transfer in the scroll wraps. Separate experiments are performed to investigate the heat transfer in such a peculiar physical condition. With this experimental result, the effect of the oscillation of the wall on the heat transfer is quantitatively analyzed and applied to the simulation of compression process in scroll compressor. The whole consecutive compression processes in the scroll compressor is simulated in detail by solving equations of mass and energy balance for the refrigerant. The modified heat transfer coefficient correlation considering the effect of motion of the orbiting scroll predicts the discharge temperature better than other typical heat transfer coefficients.     

低温热泵用涡旋压缩机性能的试验研究

制定低温热泵用涡旋压缩机试验方案,对研制的原型机进行性能测试。试验结果表明：在冷凝温度不变的情况下,随着蒸发温度的降低,原型机的制热量有所减少,但减少的速度低于普通热泵系统用涡旋压缩机;压缩机的电功率有所增加,但增加的幅度不大,且压缩机的排气温度也有所降低,故在低温工况下采用准二级压缩热泵用涡旋压缩机比采用普通热泵用涡旋压缩机可以更有效地提高空气源热泵的低温制热性能,是寒冷地区用小型空气源热泵比较适宜采用的压缩机。     

Performance investigation of a variable speed vapor compression system for fault detection and diagnosis

An experimental study has been performed to investigate the effect of four artificial faults on the performance of a variable speed vapor compression system. Experimental setup to test several artificial faults was made by modifying the conventional vapor compression test rig. Four major faults of compressor fault, condenser fault, evaporator fault, and refrigerant leakage, were implemented by observing the variation of cooling capacity. Two different rule-based modules for constant and variable speed operations were organized for an easy diagnosis of system faults. These two modules were applied differently as the cooling capacity satisfies the necessary air conditioning load. As a result, COP degradation due to the fault in a variable speed system is severer than that in a constant speed system.     

Transient and steady-state experimental investigation of flash tank vapor injection heat pump cycle control strategy

Recent research on vapor injection technique has been mostly focused on performance improvement using different system configurations. The flash tank cycle typically shows better performance than the internal heat exchanger cycle. However, the flash tank cycle control strategy is not yet clearly defined. In this study, a novel cycle control strategy is proposed for an R-410A vapor injection flash tank heat pump system and its feasibility was experimentally investigated. The proposed novel cycle control strategy utilized an electronic expansion valve (EEV) for the upper-stage expansion and a thermostatic expansion valve for the lower-stage expansion, and applied an electric heater in the vapor injection line to introduce superheat to the injected vapor by providing a control signal to the upper-stage EEV. Both transient and steady-state system behaviors were studied. The proposed cycle control strategy was found to be able to provide reliable control to the system.     

Experimental investigation of a direct driven radial compressor for domestic heat pumps

The presence of oil in domestic heat pumps is an obstacle toward higher efficiency, particularly for enhanced surface evaporators and for advanced concepts based on two-stage cycles. Very compact direct driven radial compressors supported on oil-free bearings represent a promising alternative. This paper presents the derivation of the specifications, the choice for an appropriate refrigerant fluid and the design of a proof of concept prototype with the various tradeoffs between the impeller characteristics to follow the seasonal heat demand, the bearing and rotordynamics for a stable operation. Heat pump simulation results, the design of the impeller as well as the layout of the experimental facility and first experimental results are presented. An impeller with a tip diameter of 20 mm has been tested at rotational speeds of up to 210 krpm reaching pressure ratios in excess of 3.3 and efficiencies above 78%. The refrigerant chosen for this first experimental approach is HFC 134a.     

带闪蒸器的家用变频空气源热泵试验研究

对带闪蒸器的家用变频空气源热泵在制冷及制热工况下进行测试,结果表明,整机能力和能效在高温制冷及低温制热工况下均有较大幅度的提升,适用于气候工况较为恶劣的地区。     

Performance improvement of air source heat pump using gas-injected rotary compressor through port on blade

Gas injection has been a crucial technology to avoid the serious degradation of air source heat pumps in low ambient temperature. A novel injection structure on the blade for rotary compressors has been put forward in previous research to overcome the drawback of traditional injection structures. Based on a verified numerical model, the thermodynamic performance of an air source heat pump with the new gas-injected rotary compressor is investigated. The results indicate that, compared to the air source heat pump with the regular single-stage rotary compressor, the proposed injection structure can enhance heating capacity and COP of the air source heat pump by 23.1–28.2% and 4.5–8.1%, respectively.     

低压补气型空气源热泵（冷水）机组制热性能试验研究

为了研究低压补气型空气源热泵(冷水)机组的制热性能,搭建以R410A为制冷剂的空气源热泵(冷水)机组试验台。试验结果表明:相对于不补气模式,在低压补气模式下,当室外温度在7～-15℃范围时,机组制热量提升12.6%～33.0%,COP提升3.4%～15.1%,并且能够有效降低排气温度。     

R407C用于变浓度热泵系统的实验研究

提出将R407C用于新型变浓度容量调节热泵系统中,对三元混合物进行了标定分析,并进行了固定工况下变浓度稳态实验与变工况下定浓度与变浓度稳态性能对比实验研究.实验结果表明,固定工况下制热量、制冷系数和耗功均随着低沸点质量分数的增加而增加;定工况下蒸发器进口温度为-6.5℃时容量调节范围为12％.R407C变工况变浓度调节后可以比原混合物很好地控制制热量随着蒸发器进口温度的降低而降低,并且节省系统耗功,可避免蒸发器进口温度过高引起的压缩机耗功过大的问题.