Experimental transient performance of a heat pump equipped with a distillation column

A series of experiments were conducted on a heat pump equipped with a distillation column. The system was operated with R32 and with a 30/70% by mass mixture of R32/134a to examine the difference between the transient performance trends with a pure fluid (R32), and those with a zeotropic mixture (R32/134a). Additionally, the effects of varying heat transfer fluid mass flow, compressor speed, and accumulator sump heat input were examined. Each test was 1 h in duration. The heat pump capacities did not generally achieve steady state during the R32/134a tests. Steady state was generally achieved during the R32 tests. As a percentage of the final (end-of-test) capacity, the rate of capacity increase was greater during the R32/134a tests than during those conducted with the pure fluid. The R32/134a tests exhibited capacity oscillations early in each transient that were not present during the R32 tests. The results show that circulating refrigerant mass and composition are the primary controlling factors with regard to transient capacity.     

Downward two-phase flow applications for a non-conventional heat pump

A non-conventional heat pump working by a difference in density between two branches of a hydraulic vertical loop has been described. This system called thermogravimetric heat pump, TGHP, operates with a non-conventional regenerative thermodynamic cycle which remarkably improves COP values. The lower density in the ‘downward branch’ is obtained by a liquid–vapour two-phase flow. Performances and main geometrical characteristic trends, such as plant height Z and two-phase column diameter D_T–PD have been drawn, varying the minimum cycle temperature between 15 and 25 °C and the user temperature, T_max, in the range 60–70 °C. The carrier fluid is demineralized water; according to the peculiar working fluid—PP 50, HFC 134a and HFC 338cca—different solutions can be obtained, such as for 10–12 storey buildings or for skyscrapers. Yet, the results obtained with HFC 338cca must be accepted with some cautions while waiting for a better characterisation of such fluid. Chemical compatibility, thermal stability, environmental impact have been also taken into account in the choice of the operating couple, carrier fluid—working fluid. While the thermodynamic conversion process is non-conventional, the TGHP can be assembled by standardised technology. The compressor of a conventional plant is here replaced by a feeding pump and COP values obtained through a regenerative TGHP are globally larger than those of a common heat pump.     

Thermoeconomic optimisation of the condenser in a vapour compression heat pump

In the paper, the design optimisation of a heat exchanger is discussed, using a thermoeconomic approach. The investigation is referred to the tube-in-tube condenser of a conventional vapour-compression heat pump, with a two-phase refrigerant flowing in the inner tube and a single-phase fluid flowing in the annulus. A cost function to be minimised is introduced, defined as the sum of two contributions: (i) the amortisation cost of the condenser, related to the heat exchange area; (ii) the operating cost of the electric-driven heat pump in which the heat exchanger will work, depending on the overall exergy destruction rate in the system. In the paper, this latter contribution is related to the local irreversibility rate in the condenser, using the so-called structural approach. The optimal trade-off between amortisation and operating cost is therefore investigated, by minimising the above-mentioned cost function. A numerical example is discussed, in which, for a commercial heat exchanger, the design improvements needed to obtain a cost-optimal configuration are investigated. The analysis is carried out for three different refrigerants: R22, R134a and R410A.     

Condensation heat transfer of a pure fluid and binary mixture outside a bundle of smooth horizontal tubes. Comparison of experimental results and a classical model

The condensation of pure HFC134a and different zeotropic mixtures with pure HFC134a and HFC23 on the outside of a bundle of smooth tubes was studied. The local heat transfer coefficient for each row was experimentally determined using a test section composed by a 13×3 staggered bundle of smooth copper tubes, measuring cooling water temperature in the inlet and the outlet of each tube, and measuring the vapour temperature along the bundle. All data were taken at the inlet vapour temperature of 40°C with a wall subcooling ranging from 4 to 26 K. The heat flux was varied from 5 to 30 kW/m² and the cooling water flow rate from 120 to 300 l/h for each tube. The visualisation of the HFC134a condensate flow by means of transparent glass tubes reveals specific flow patterns and explains the difference between the measured values of the heat transfer coefficient and the calculated values from Nusselt's theory. On the other hand, the experimental heat transfer data with the binary mixtures HFC23-HFC134a show the important effects of temperature glide and the strong decrease of the heat transfer coefficient in comparison with the pure HFC134a data. The measured values with the different zeotropic mixtures were compared with the data calculated with the classical condensation model based on the equilibrium model. An improvement of this model is proposed.     

Effects of fan-starting methods on the reverse-cycle defrost performance of an air-to-water heat pump

The effects of fan starting methods on the defrost performance in an air-source heat pump were investigated experimentally. Experiments were conducted on a 50 kW unitary air-to-water heat pump. The dynamic characteristics of both the coil fan pre-start and normal-start tests during the defrost cycle were discussed. The peak of discharge pressure for the fan normal-start test was up to 2595.6 kPa during defrost termination and recovery time, which was close to the discharge protection value (2650 kPa). The discharge pressure for the fan pre-start test was 742.3 kPa lower at the end of the drain time, so the peak of the discharge pressure was 687 kPa lower during the defrost termination and recovery time than that for the fan normal-start test. We found the phenomenon seemed to be related to both the small inner volume of the plate heat exchanger and larger refrigerant flow rate during the defrost termination and recovery time. Pertinent performance data (pressure, temperature, superheat, sub-cooling, etc) was plotted and discussed to determine the effects of the coil fan pre-start.     

Experimental study and modelling of heat transfer during condensation of pure fluid and binary mixture on a bundle of horizontal finned tubes

An experimental investigation was conducted to measure the local heat transfer coefficient for each row in a trapezoidal finned horizontal tube bundle during condensation of both pure fluid (HFC 134a) and several compositions of the non-azeotropic binary mixture HFC 23/HFC 134a. The test section is a 13×3 (rows × columns) tube bundle and the heat transfer coefficient is measured using the modified Wilson plot method. The inlet vapour temperature is fixed at 40 °C and the water flow rate in each active row ranges from 170 to 600 l/h. The test series cover five different finned tubes all commercially available, K11 (11 fins/inch), K19 (19 fins/inch), K26 (26 fins/inch), K32 (32 fins/inch), K40 (40 fins/inch) and their performances were compared. The experimental results were checked against available models predicting the heat transfer coefficient during condensation of pure fluids on banks of finned tubes. Modelling of heat exchange during condensation of binary mixtures on bundles of finned tubes based on the curve condensation model is presented.     

Flow fields in shell-and-tube condensers: comparison of a pure refrigerant and a binary mixture

Detailed 2D CFD calculations for vapour flow field and rate of condensation are carried out for a geometry similar to a real shell-and-tube condenser with 100 tubes, with condensation on the shell-side. The differences in vapour flow behaviour are investigated for pure R22 and for a binary mixture of R32 and R134a, which has a gliding temperature difference of 5.5 K. It is shown that, the flow field for a zeotropic mixture is significantly different from that for a pure fluid. The nature of the mixture flow causes the vapour and condensate to flow counter-currently in part of the condenser. Adjustments of the inlet design turn out to influence the rate of heat transfer by up to 24% for the conditions tested, with greater influence on heat transfer for lower driving forces.     

Thermal conductivity of R32 and its mixture with R134a

The liquid thermal conductivity of R32 (CH₂F₂) and R134a (CF₃CH₂F) was measured in the range from 223 to 323 K and from 2 to 20 MPa by the transient hot-wire method. The thermal conductivity of the R32+R134a mixture was also measured in the same range by varying the mass fraction of R32. The measured data are analyzed to obtain a correlation in terms of temperature, pressure and composition of the mixture. The uncertainty of our measurements is estimated to be within ±2%.Paper presented at the Twelfth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 19–24, 1994, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.     

Vapor-liquid equilibrium,coexistence curve,and critical locus for binary HFC-32/HFC-134a mixture

Two kinds of equilibrium measurements of binary R-32/134a mixtures were carried out. The vapor-liquid equilibria were measured by the static method in the temperature range between 283 and 313 K. On the basis of the present experimental data, the temperature dependence of the binary interaction parameterk ₁₂ for two equations of state, namely, the Soave-Redlich-Kwong equation and Carnahan-Starling-De Santis equation, was discussed. The vapor-liquid coexistence curve near the critical point was also measured by the observation of meniscus disappearance. The critical temperatures and critical densities of 30 and 70 wt% R-32 mixtures were determined on the basis of the saturation densities along the coexistence curve in the critical region. In addition, a correlation of the critical locus for this mixture is proposed as a function of composition.Paper presented at the Twelfth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 19–24, 1994, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.     

Convective boiling pressure drop of refrigerant R-134a in horizontal smooth and microfin tubes

Present study deals with the pressure drop of refrigerant R-134a under convective boiling conditions in horizontal smooth and microfinned (‘grooved’) copper tubes. Experiments have been carried out in an experimental set up developed for change of phase studies with a test section made out of 7.0, 7.93, and 9.52 mm external diameter, 1.5 m long copper tubes, electrically heated by tape resistors wrapped on the external surface. Mass velocities and refrigerant qualities varied in the following ranges: 70–1100 kg s⁻¹ m⁻² and 5–95%. The annular flow pattern has been observed to occur over most of the operational conditions. For smooth tubes, the Jung and Radermacher correlation for the liquid two phase flow multiplier fits with reasonable precision the experimental data. As for grooved tubes, a correlation of the two phase flow multiplier in terms of the Martinelli's parameter has been developed which fits the data with an average absolute deviation of the order of 6.3%. The proposed correlation fits with good precision data obtained elsewhere for grooved tubes of different diameter and microfin geometry.     

Defrost cycle performance for an air-source heat pump with a scroll and a reciprocating compressor

A 10.6 kW nominal cooling capacity air-source heat pump was tested according to ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 116-1983 for the frost acumulation and defrost cycle. These tests required indoor conditions of 21.1°C (70°F) dry-bulb, 15°C (60°F) maximum wet-bulb, with outdoor conditions of 1.7°C (35°F) dry-bulb, 0.5°C (30°F) wet-bulb. The unit was tested with the original scroll compressor and a reciprocating compressor that yielded similar heating performance. Heating capacity for the scroll system peaked at 8.4 kW (2.38 tons), while the reciprocating system heating capacity peaked at 8.5 kW (2.42 tons) during the frosting period. Heating capacities for the two system configurations differed by less than 1% during the frosting period. Power demand for the scroll system peaked at 2.9 kW, and the reciprocating system power demand peaked at 3.1 kW. During the frosting period, the reciprocating system power demand averaged 7% higher than the scroll system power demand. The reciprocating system completed a defrost 5% faster than the scroll system. Scroll system defrost time was 6.8 min while reciprocating system defrost time was 6.5 min. The volume of condensate produced differed by less than 3% with 1680 ml (102.5 in³) and 1640 ml (100 in³) produced by the scroll and reciprocating systems, respectively. Discharge pressures during defrost were within 3% with peak values of 1315 kPa (191 psia) and 1351 kPa (196 psia) for the scroll and reciprocating systems respectively. The reciprocating compressor produced higher levels of discharge superheat, peaking at 53°C (95°F) compared to the scroll system peak discharge superheat of 47°C (85°F). Overall, discharge superheat for the reciprocating system averaged 18% higher than the scroll system. The reciprocating system produced defrost refrigerant flowrates that averaged 3% higher than the scroll system. Refrigerant flowrates for the scroll and reciprocating systems peaked at 3.7 kg min⁻¹ (8.2 lbm min⁻¹) and 4.0 kg min⁻¹) (8.8 lbm min⁻¹) respectively.     

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.     

Experimental study of sensible heat recovery of heat pump during heating and ventilation

Indoor space requires heating, cooling and ventilating for maintaining human occupant space to a comfortable level. Heat pump system is now widely used since it has the capabilities of providing both cooling and heating with a single unit. Ventilation, which exhausts the contaminated indoor air and brings in the fresh outdoor air is essential for maintaining pleasant indoor air quality. Ventilation, however, causes energy loss since air-conditioning is necessary to change the state of outdoor air to that of indoor. When outdoor air is introduced into the interior space, it must be cooled or heated to bring it to the indoor space condition. In this work, three methods of recovering sensible heat during heating and ventilation process of heat pump have been studied experimentally. Those methods are by a separate sensible heat exchanger, introduction of indoor air to the evaporator (single heat recovery), and finally a combination of fore-mentioned two methods (double heat recovery). An air-source heat pump system with none, single and double heat recovery capabilities has been built and tested in two constant-temperature and constant-humidity thermal chambers that simulate the indoor and outdoor environments. From the experiment performed under standard heating condition with a ventilation ratio of 23.1%, coefficient of performance for none, sensible heat exchanger, single and double heat recoveries were 2.88, 3.20, 3.18 and 3.28, respectively. Double heat recovery heat pump that has the ventilation and double heat recovery functions integrated into a single unit showed the best COP performance.     

Performance comparison between a single-stage and a cascade multi-functional heat pump for both air heating and hot water supply

Multi heat pumps have been widely used in buildings due to their higher energy efficiency. Recently, demands for multi-functional heat pumps, which can provide heating, cooling, and water heating in a building, have been increased. In this study, a cascade multi-functional heat pump, combining a multi heat pump using R410A for air heating with a water heating unit using R134a for hot water supply, was investigated experimentally. The performance of the cascade multi-functional heat pump was measured by varying the refrigerant charge amount, EEV opening, water flow rate, and water inlet temperature. Test results were compared with those of a single-stage multi-functional heat pump using R410A for air and water heating. The cascade multi-functional heat pump adopting the water heating unit showed more stable air and water heating operations and higher water outlet temperatures than the single-stage multi-functional heat pump.     

Condensation of R-134a vapour over single horizontal integral-fin tubes: effect of fin height

An experimental investigation has been carried out to study the condensation of R-134 vapour over five single horizontal circular integral-fin tubes of 472 fpm fin density, 417 mm length and different fin heights of 0.45, 1.14, 1.47, 1.92 and 2.40 mm. The circular fins are rectangular in shape and the fin thickness of all tubes is 0.70 mm. The tube with the fin height of 0.45 mm has given the highest enhancement in heat transfer coefficient, h, of the order of 3.18 in comparison to that predicted by the Nusselt model for a plain tube.     

R32/R134a和R407C用于变浓度热泵系统的实验

为了解决R32/R134a应用于变浓度热泵系统存在的排气温度过高问题,提出使用三元混合工质R407C用于该系统中.以R32/R134a和R407C作为工质在变浓度容量调节热泵系统中进行了吸气压力不变时的变浓度实验.实验结果表明,R407C在本系统中变浓度范围低于R32/R134a,但R407C的排气温度和耗功均低于R32/R134a,具有良好的变浓度调节潜力.     

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.     

Experimental and theoretical study on flow condensation with non-azeotropic refrigerant mixtures of R32/R134a

Experiments on flow condensation have been conducted with both pure R32, R134a and their mixtures inside a tube (10 m long, 6 mm ID), with a mass flux of 131–369 kg m⁻²s⁻¹ and average condensation temperature of 23–40°C. The experimental heat transfer coefficients are compared with those predicted from correlations. The maximum mean heat transfer coefficient reduction (from a linear interpolation of the single component values) occurs at a concentration of roughly 30% R32 for the same mass flux basis, and is approximately 20% at Gr = 190 kg m⁻²s⁻¹, 16% at Gr = 300 kg m⁻²s⁻¹. Non-ideal properties of the mixture have a certain, but relatively small, influence on the degradation. Among others, temperature and concentration gradients, slip, etc. are also causes of heat transfer degradation.     

Hybrid absorption heat pump with ammonia/water mixture – Some design guidelines and district heating application

An ammonia/water mixture can be used as an efficient working fluid in industrial-type heat recovery heat pumps and heat transformers. Several configurations of such systems are possible depending on the availability of the waste (thermal) and primary (thermal or electrical) energy sources. This article presents the configurations, the main thermodynamic and hydraulic parameters, and some design guidelines and operating experiences of a medium-temperature, ammonia/water-based compression/re-sorption heat recovery system for district domestic hot water production. In-field experiments have proven the advantages of the concept and its applicability limits in a particular economical environment, while hot water was produced at 55 °C with industrial cooling water at 36 °C as a waste heat source.     

Numerical analysis of evaporation performance in a finned-tube heat exchanger

This study discusses the effects of the heat exchanger type, refrigerant, inner tube configuration, and fin geometry on evaporator performance by adopting updated correlations of EVSIM, a numerical analysis model based on the tube-by-tube method developed by Domanski. The heat exchanger types considered are the cross-counter flow type and cross-parallel flow type. The refrigerants considered for the numerical test as a working fluid are R-134a, R-410A and R-22. For inner tube configuration, enhanced tube and smooth tube cases are considered. For the air side evaporation performance, heat exchangers using plate fins, wavy fins and slit fins are analyzed. Results show that the heat transfer rate of the cross-counter flow type heat exchanger is 3% higher than that of the cross-parallel flow type with R-22. The total heat transfer rate of the evaporator using R-410A is higher than those using R-22 and R-134a, while the total pressure drop of R-410A is lower than those of R-22 and R-134a. The heat transfer rate of the evaporator using enhanced tubes is two times higher than that using smooth tubes, but the pressure drop of the enhanced tube is 45–50% higher than that of the smooth tubes. The evaporation performance of slit fins is superior to that of plate fins by 54%.