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.     

Experimental pure fluid and binary mixture performance in a heat pump equipped with a distillation column

An experimental heat pump system that included a distillation column, accumulator/sump, and heater was experimentally investigated using two different working fluids, R32 and a mixture of R32/134a. Performance variations with changes in sump heater power, condenser and evaporator heat transfer fluid flow, and compressor speed were examined. Heating capacity generally increased with increases in the factors tested. Heating capacity increases were generally smaller with the R32/134a tests than with the R32 tests, except with variations in sump heater power. An increase in sump heater power caused a pronounced increase in the circulating R32 concentration during the mixture tests, and the heating capacity increased markedly. The increase in heating capacity with sump heater power during the R32/134a tests was on par with the increase with compressor power during these same tests. The increase in capacity with sump heater power during the R32/134a tests also was substantial even when compared with the capacity increase with compressor speed during the R32 tests.     

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.     

Heat transfer and flow pattern during two-phase flow boiling of R-134a in horizontal smooth and microfin tubes

Flow pattern and heat transfer during evaporation in a 10.7 mm diameter smooth tube and a micro-fin tube are presented. The tubes were tested in the ranges of mass flux between 163 and 408 kg m⁻² s⁻¹, and heat flux between 2200 and 56 000 W m⁻². The evaporation temperature was 6 °C. Flow maps for both the tubes are plotted in the coordinates of mass flux and vapor quality. The relations of flow pattern and local heat transfer coefficient are discussed. The heat transfer coefficients for intermittent and annular flows in both the smooth tube and the micro-fin tube are shown to agree well with Gungor and Winterton's correlation with modified constants.     

R134a/R600a混合制冷剂应用于大型空气源热泵的性能研究

R134a作为当前主要的R22替代制冷剂,在应用于空气源冷水(热泵)机组,尤其是在热泵运行时会出现能效降低、容易结霜等问题。本研究尝试在R134a的大型螺杆式空气源热泵机组中混合少量R600a来改善机组性能。通过对混合制冷剂物性计算、理论循环性能计算和机组试验,表明添加R600a后的混合制冷剂能显著改善热泵机组的运行性能,并有效提高机组运行可靠性。同时,虽然R600a具有可燃性,但是对于运行时置于室外,介质为水且添加比例不高的空气源热泵机组,这是一个简单、安全、可行的改进方案。     

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 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.     

Effects of intermediate pressure on the heating performance of a heat pump system using R410A vapor-injection technique

Recent heat pumps are actively equipped with a refrigerant vapor-injection technique to acquire better performance in severe operating conditions. In this study, the target system which has an additional expansion valve at the outlet of condenser was presented. The concept of intermediate pressure was generated in the target system. Effects of the intermediate pressure on the heating performance with various injection ratios were measured and analyzed according to the compressor frequencies ranging from 60 to 100 Hz. Unlike conventional vapor-injection cycle, the maximum injection ratio was highly affected by the intermediate pressure. The high intermediate pressure provided high initial heating capacity and COP; but it restricted the available range of vapor-injection within narrow limits. The result indicates that a proper operating strategy is needed for the vapor-injection cycle.     

二甲醚作为中高温热泵工质的性能分析

对二甲醚（DME）作为中高温热泵工质的热工性能进行计算与分析,与传统热泵工质R22,R134a及自然工质R600a进行对比,并对变工况（冷凝温度75～95℃,固定循环温升45℃）进行理论计算。计算结果表明,DME制热性能参数与R134a接近,但COP值高于R134a,单位容积制热量在高温工况下具有更出色的性能。而且DME的GWP与ODP值均接近零,可作为绿色环保替代工质直接充注至R134a热泵系统,并可应用于中高温环境。     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

An approximate method for transient behavior of finned-tube cross-flow heat exchangers

A closed, approximate, analytical approach is obtained for transient behavior of finned-tube, liquid/gas cross flow heat exchangers for the step change in the inlet temperature of the hot fluid. In this two-solid heat capacity approach, the heat capacities of the hot and cold fluids and the heat capacity of the wall and the fins are lumped separately. The temperature variation of both fluids between inlet and outlet is assumed to be linear. It is also assumed that flow rates and inlet conditions remain fixed for both fluids, except for the step change imposed on the inlet temperature of the hot fluid. Energy equations for the hot and cold fluids, fins and walls for both approaches are derived and solved analytically. The variation of the exit temperatures of both fluids with time are obtained for a step change in the inlet temperature of the hot fluid. The dynamic behavior of the heat exchanger is characterized by time constant, delay time and gain. This approach is easier to apply and can easily be modified for other heat exchanger types. Results are compared with the experimental and numerical results given in the literature.     

Prediction of two-phase pressure gradients of refrigerants in horizontal tubes

Two-phase pressure drop data were obtained for evaporation in two horizontal test sections of 10.92 and 12.00 mm diameter for five refrigerants (R-134a, R-123, R-402A, R-404A and R-502) over mass velocities from 100 to 500 kg/m² s and vapor qualities from 0.04 to 1.0. These data have then been compared against seven two-phase frictional pressure drop prediction methods. Overall, the method by Müller-Steinhagen and Heck (Müller-Steinhagen H, Heck K. A simple friction pressure drop correlation for two-phase flow in pipes. Chem. Eng. Process 1986;20:297–308) and that by Grönnerud (Grönnerud R. Investigation of liquid hold-up, flow-resistance and heat transfer in circulation type evaporators, part IV: two-phase flow resistance in boiling refrigerants. Annexe 1972-1, Bull. de l'Inst. du Froid, 1979) were found to provide the most accurate predictions while the widely quoted method of Friedel (Friedel L. Improved friction drop correlations for horizontal and vertical two-phase pipe flow. European Two-phase Flow Group Meeting, paper E2; June 1979; Ispra, Italy) gave the third best results. The data were also classified by two-phase flow pattern using the Kattan-Thome-Favrat (Kattan N, Thome JR, Favrat D. Flow boiling in horizontal tubes. Part 1: development of a diabatic two-phase flow pattern map. J. Heat Transfer 1998;120:140–7; Kattan N, Thome JR, Favrat D. Flow boiling in horizontal tubes. Part 2; new heat transfer data for five refrigerants. J Heat Transfer 1998;120:148–55; Kattan N, Thome JR, Favrat D. Flow boiling in horizontal tubes. Part 3: development of a new heat transfer model based on flow patterns. J. Heat Transfer 1998;120:156–65) flow pattern map. The best available method for annular flow was that of Müller-Steinhagen and Heck. For intermittent flow and stratified-wavy flow, the best method in both cases was that of Grönnerud. It was observed that the peak in the two-phase frictional pressure gradient at high vapor qualities coincided with the onset of dryout in the annular flow regime.     

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.     

Internal energy flow analysis within a single effect sorption heat pump

The knowledge of the characteristics of unused, excess and untapped exergy allows a thorough analysis of internal energy flows distribution within a sorption heat pump. It can be applied to any system based on gas–liquid absorption, adsorption or solid–gas reaction as well as to any process based on the internal recycling of the energy flux. It can also be applied for the case of a simple effect ideal machine, in particular in the definition of processes where the COP is larger than 2: the levels at which the initial exergy is downgraded on the one hand, as well as, the upgraded excess exergy produced on the other allows the designer to make a judicious choice of a system.     

In-tube cooling heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide. Part 2. Comparison of numerical calculation with different turbulence models

Heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide cooled in circular tubes was investigated experimentally. The effect of mass flux, pressure, and heat flux on the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop was measured for four horizontal cooling tubes with different inner diameters ranging from 1 to 6 mm. The radial distribution of the thermophysical properties (i.e. specific heat, density, thermal conductivity and viscosity) in the tube cross-section was critical for interpreting the experimental results. A modified Gnielinski equation by selecting the reference temperature properly was then developed to predict the heat transfer coefficient of supercritical carbon dioxide under cooling conditions. This proposed correlation was accurate to within 20% of the experimental data.     

Evaluating the possible configurations of incorporating the loop heat pipe into the air-conditioning systems

The possible configurations of incorporating the loop heat pipe into the air-conditioning system to perform the reheat process are introduced and evaluated. The results show that the coefficient of performance of the system can be improved and the energy required by the compressor can be reduced when LHP is used instead of the heating element. For low room sensible heat factor, using loop heat pipe can improve the COP by approximately 2.1-fold over that when heating element is used. The results also show that the possible configurations of incorporating the loop heat pipe considered for small air-conditioning unit have the same COP, and among the possible configurations used in air-handling unit. The configuration where the loop heat pipe evaporator is placed in the supply air passage gives the highest COP followed by that where the loop heat pipe evaporator is placed in the return air passage then that where the loop heat pipe evaporator is placed in the passage of the outside air.