Clogging caused by coupled grain migration and compaction effect during groundwater recharge for unconsolidated sandstone reservoir in groundwater-source heat pump

In unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs,presence of numerous movable grains and a complex grain size composition necessitates a clear understanding of the physical clogging process for effective groundwater recharge in groundwater-source heat pump systems.To investigate this,a series of seepage experiments was conducted under in situ stress conditions using unconsolidated sandstone samples with varying grain compositions.The clogging phenomenon arises from the combined effects of grain migration and compaction,wherein the migration of both original and secondary crushed fine-grain particles blocks the seepage channels.Notably,grain composition influences the migration and transport properties of the grains.For samples composed of smaller grains,the apparent permeability demonstrates a transition from stability to decrease.In contrast,samples with larger grains experience a skip at the stability stage and directly enter the decrease stage,with a minor exception of a slight increase observed.Furthermore,a unique failure mode characterized by diameter shrinkage in the upper part of the sample is observed due to the combined effects of grain migration and in situ stress-induced compaction.These testing results contribute to a better understanding of the clogging mechanism caused by the coupled effects of grain migration and compaction during groundwater recharge in unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs used in groundwater-source heat pump systems.

Developing Operational Model for Heat Pumps as Space Heating and Domestic Hot Water Provider

In the United Kingdom, means of meeting domestic heating is being electrified to decarbonise in effort to reduce the greenhouse gases emissions from the burning of natural gas. Therefore, the uptake of heat pumps is on the increase. The operation and working principle of heat pumps must be well understood in the investigations of their impacts on the grid and the grid assets, especially distribution transformers which could be overloaded due to higher peak load demand. This work develops an operational model of heat pumps as combined space heating and domestic hot water provider implemented in MATLAB. The developed operational model of heat pumps is adaptable and repeatable for different input parameters. The developed model is used to generate daily average demand profiles of heat pumps for a typical winter weekday and a typical summer weekday. The generated demand profiles of heat pumps by the developed model compared well with the demand profiles of heat pumps generated from actual field projects which are usually expensive and time-tasking.

Modeling and Optimization of Solar Collector Design for the Improvement of Solar-Air Source Heat Pump Building Heating System

To enhance system stability,solar collectors have been integrated with air-source heat pumps.This integration facilitates the concurrent utilization of solar and air as energy sources for the system,leading to an improvement in the system’s heat generation coefficient,overall efficiency,and stability.In this study,we focus on a residential building located in Lhasa as the target for heating purposes.Initially,we simulate and analyze a solar-air source heat pump combined heating system.Subsequently,while ensuring the system meets user requirements,we examine the influence of solar collector installation angles and collector area on the performance of the solar-air source heat pump dual heating system.Through this analysis,we determine the optimal installation angle and collector area to optimize system performance.

Investigation of energy-efficient heat pump assisted heterogeneous azeotropic distillation for separating of acetonitrile/ethyl acetate/n-hexane mixture

The conventional distillation is hard to accomplish the separation of acetonitrile/ethyl acetate/n-hexane mixture. Herein, a heterogeneous azeotropic distillation(HAD) without adding entrainer is proposed to separate ternary mixture. The proposed scheme is optimized via the simulated annealing algorithm and minimum total annual cost(TAC) is used as objective functions. To minimize energy consumption,heat pump is added on the basis of optimal heterogeneous azeotropic distillation and heat integration technology is used to further improve the energy recovery. The TAC, gas emission, energy consumption and exergy destruction are used to discuss the economy and environmental protection of processes.Among all the processes, the heat pump with higher preheating temperature(HPT) assisted HAD process by combining with heat integration(HAD-HPT-HI) has best performances on economic, environment,energy and exergy. Compared with conventional HAD process, the HAD-HPT-HI achieves the reductions of 52.17%, 68.86%, 65.87% and 65.46% on TAC, total energy consumption, gas emissions and exergy destruction, respectively.

Novel Radiation-Adjustable Heating Terminal Based on Flat Heat Pipe Combined with Air Source Heat Pump

The electrification of building heating is an effective way to meet the global carbon target. As a clean and sustainable electrified heating technology, air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) are widely used in areas lacking central heating. However, as a major component of space heating, heating terminals might not fit well with ASHP in order to achieve both intermittency and comfort. Therefore, this study proposes a novel radiation-adjustable heating terminal combined with an ASHP to achieve electrification, intermittency, and better thermal comfort. Radiant terminals currently suffer from three major problems: limited maximum heating capacity, inability to freely adapt, and difficulty with combining them with ASHPs. These problems were solved by improving the structural design of the novel terminal (Improvement A–E). Results showed that the maximum heating capacity increased by 23.6% and radiation heat transfer ratio from 10.1% to 30.9% was provided for users with the novel terminal. Further, new flat heat pipe (FHP) design improved stability (compressor oil return), intermittency (refrigerant thermal inertia), and safety (refrigerant leakage risk) by reducing the length of exposed refrigerant pipes. Furthermore, a new phased operation strategy was proposed for the novel terminal, and the adjustability of the terminal was improved. The results can be used as reference information for decarbonizing buildings by electrifying heating terminals.

Synthesis and Design of Distillation Columns for Wide-Boiling Binary Mixtures with Vapor Recompression Heat Pumps

The vapor recompression heat pump(VRHP) distillation technology offers significant improvements in energy efficiency for distillation systems with small temperature differences between the top and bottom of the column. However, the separation of wide-boiling binary mixtures leads to substantial temperature differences between the top and bottom of the column. This limits the applicability of conventional VRHP due to high capital costs and strict performance requirements of the compressor. To overcome these challenges and to accommodate compressor operating conditions, a novel synthesis and design method is introduced to integrate VRHPs with wide-boiling binary mixture distillation columns(WBMDCs). This method enables quick determination of an initial configuration for the integrated WBMDC-VRHP system and helps identify the optimum configuration with the minimum total annual cost. Two examples, namely the separation of benzene/toluene and isopropanol/chlorobenzene, are employed to derive optimum configurations of the WBMDC-VRHP and compare them with the WBMDC. A systematic comparison between the WBMDC-VRHP and WBMDC demonstrates the superior steady-state performance and economic efficiency of the WBMDC-VRHP.

Exergo-Environmental Study of a Recent Organic Solar Hybrid Heat Pump

A hybrid heat pump(compression/absorption)with an integrated thermal photovoltaic unit is studied.The considered working fluids are organic mixtures:R245fa/DMAC and R236fa/DMAC,chosen for their low Global Warming Potential.The main objective is the optimization of energy efficiency in order to minimize the environmental impact through the implementation of a sustainable strategy.It is shown that Exergy Analysis itself is a valuable tool in energy integration.Within the imposed framework of minimizing total annual costs,entropy analysis can be instrumental in determining the optimal plant concept,optimizing energy conversion and use,and improving profitability.The present results are discussed under the optimistic hope that they may help to define new energy and environmental policies.

Research on Operation Optimization of Heating System Based on Electric Storage Coupled Solar Energy and Air Source Heat Pump

For heating systems based on electricity storage coupled with solar energy and an air source heat pump(ECSA),choosing the appropriate combination of heat sources according to local conditions is the key to improving economic efficiency.In this paper,four cities in three climatic regions in China were selected,namely Nanjing in the hot summer and cold winter region,Tianjin in the cold region,Shenyang and Harbin in the severe cold winter region.The levelized cost of heat(LCOH)was used as the economic evaluation index,and the energy consumption and emissions of different pollutants were analyzed.TRNSYS software was used to simulate and analyze the system performance.The Hooke-Jeeves optimization algorithm and GenOpt software were used to optimize the system parameters.The results showed that ECSA systemhad an excellent operation effect in cold region and hot summer and cold winter region.Compared with ECS system,the systemenergy consumption,and the emission of different pollutants of ECSA system can be reduced by a maximum of 1.37 times.In cold region,the initial investment in an air source heat pump is higher due to the lower ambient temperature,resulting in an increase in the LOCH value of ECSA system.After the LOCH value of ECSA system in each region was optimized,the heating cost of the system was reduced,but also resulted in an increase in energy consumption and the emission of different pollutant gases.

Thermo-Economic Performance of Geothermal Driven High-Temperature Flash Tank Vapor Injection Heat Pump System:A Comparison Study

Process heating constitutes a significant share of final energy consumption in the industrial sector around the world.In this paper,a high-temperature heat pump(HTHP)using flash tank vapor injection technology(FTVI)is proposed to develop low-temperature geothermal source for industrial process heating with temperature above 100°C.With heat sink output temperatures between 120°C and 150°C,the thermo-economic performance of the FTVI HTHP system using R1234ze(Z)as refrigerant is analyzed and also compared to the single-stage vapor compression(SSVC)system by employing the developed mathematical model.The coefficient of performance(COP),exergy efficiency(ηexe),net present value(NPV)and payback period(PBP)are used as performance indicators.The results show that under the typical working conditions,the COP andηexe of FTVI HTHP system are 3.00 and 59.66%,respectively,and the corresponding NPV and PBP reach 8.13×106 CNY and 4.13 years,respectively.Under the high-temperature heating conditions,the thermo-economic performance of the FTVI HTHP system is significantly better than that of the SSVC system,and the larger the temperature lift,the greater the thermo-economic advantage of the FTVI HTHP system.Additionally,the FTVI HTHP system is more capable than the SSVC system in absorbing the financial risks associated with changes of electricity price and natural gas price.

Simulation Study of the Control Strategy of a DC Inverter Heat Pump Using a DC Distribution Network

Photovoltaics,energy storage,direct current and flexibility(PEDF)are important pillars of achievement on the path to manufacturing nearly zero energy buildings(NZEBs).HVAC systems,which are an important part of public buildings,play a key role in adapting to PDEF systems.This research studied the basic principles and operational control strategies of a DC inverter heat pump using a DC distribution network with the aim of contributing to the development and application of small DC distribution systems.Along with the characteristics of a DC distribution network and different operating conditions,a DC inverter heat pump has the ability to adapt to changes in the DC bus voltage and adds flexibility to the system.Theoretical models of the DC inverter heat pump integrated with an ice storage unit were developed.The control strategies of the DC inverter heat pump system considered the influence of both room temperature and varied bus voltage.A simulation study was conducted using MATLAB&Simulink software with simulation results validated by experimental data.The results showed that:(1)The bus fluctuation under the rated working voltage had little effect on the operation of the unit;(2)When the bus voltage was fluctuating from 80%-90%or 105%-107%,the heat pump could still operate normally by reducing the frequency;(3)When the bus voltage was less than 80%or more than 107%,the unit needed to be shut down for the sake of equipment safety,so that the energy storage device could adjust to the sharp decrease or rise of voltage.

Impact of the Heat Pump on the Environment

The paper deals with the impact of a mechanical compression heat pump, operated by electrical energy, on the environment. Irrespective of its origin and the history of its production, this energy pollutes the environment as waste heat. The operational energy, obtained from the so-called alternative energy sources (wind, water energy), also burdens the environment as waste heat. This is not the case with the solar energy. A direct conversion of the Sun’s rays into electricity does not additionally affect the environment, compared to their direct conversion into heat without our intervention.

Alternate operation characteristics of a solar-ground source heat pump system

In order to investigate the alternate operation characteristics of a solar-ground source heat pump system（SGSHPS）,various alternate operation modes are put forward and defined.A two-dimensional mathematical model with freezing/melting phase changes is developed for the heat transfer analysis of the soil.Based on the numerical solution of the model,the variation trends of underground soil temperature of the SGSHPS operated in various alternate operation modes are discussed.The results indicate that,for the day-night and short-time interval alternate operation modes without solar energy,the operation time fraction of a solar heat source should be confined to from 50% to 58% when operated in an alternate period of 24 h.Meanwhile,the disadvantages of a natural resumption of soil temperature can be overcome effectively by solar energy filling,and an optimal operation effect can be achieved by integrating the mode of solar energy filling with other alternate modes.In addition,the accuracy of the presented model is verified by the experimental data of borehole wall temperatures.The conclusions can provide a reference for the optimization operation of the SGSHPS.

Performance analysis of heat pump based on a new solar air-source heat pump heating system

To further improve the utilization efficiency of solar energy and the performance of solar heat pump heating systems,a new heating mode of a solar air-source heat pump（SASHP）is proposed,and the characteristics and performance of the heat pump part of this new heating system are studied.Based on a SASHP with 10 kW,the mathematical model of this system is built,and the characteristics and performance are concluded from the simulation analysis at different environmental temperatures and output water temperatures.The results show that the performance of heat pumps can be greatly improved based on the new SASHP.When the environmental temperature is 7 ℃,the coefficient of performance（COP）of the air-source heat pump（ASHP）can be increased by 26% at most.This paper sets up a base for further study on the heating system with this new SASHP in the heating season.

Feasibility analysis of urban sewage source heat pump system with freezing latent heat collection

Aiming to resolve the problem that conventional sewage source heat pump systems cannot satisfy heat peak loads of buildings,a new idea that the freezing latent heat is exacted as the auxiliary heat source at the peak heat load is proposed.First,on the basis of sewage characteristics,a freezing latent heat exchanger is developed to safely eliminate ice,continuously extract heat and remove sewage soft-dirt.A reasonable form of the urban sewage source heat pump system with freezing latent heat collection is presented.Then,the feasibility of the system is theoretically analyzed.The calculation results under typical operating conditions show that the heating ability of the new system is higher than that of the conventional one and the ratio of these two highest heating rates is between 4.5 and 8.7,which proves that the new system has great application potential in cold regions.

Development and Experimental Study of Air Source Heat Pump Water Heater

The principle and development prospect of air source heat pump water heat were introduced,as well as the designation of condenser (storage water tank),experimental study on installations was also carried out.The results showed that air source heat pump water heater was superior to conventional system.Under the operation of cooling and heating,heat pump comprehensive utilization equipment could improve heating performance,reduce energy consumption,and recycle condensing heat to provide hot water.

Performance analysis of U-vertical direct-expansion ground-source heat pump

The performance of a direct-expansion ground-source heat pump（DX GSHP）system is theoretically analyzed.Compared with the conventional ground-source heat pump（GSHP）,the DX GSHP has a lower condensing temperature in the cooling mode and a higher evaporating temperature in the heating mode,and the ground heat exchanger（GHE）in the DX GSHP has a low thermal resistance.Therefore,the coefficient of performance（COP）of the DX GSHP is higher than that of the GSHP.In addition,the system performance of the DX GSHP system is higher than that of the conventional GSHP system because there are no secondary solution loops and water circulating pumps in the DX GSHP system.The experimental energy performance of the DX GSHP system is also investigated based on the actual operational data.The tested DX GSHP system is installed in Xiangtan,China.The U-vertical GHE of the DX GSHP is buried in a water well.The length and the outside nominal diameter of the GHE are 42 m and 12.7 mm,respectively.The experimental results show that the maximum（COP）and the average COP of the DX GSHP system in the heating mode are 5.95 and 4.72,respectively.

Thermal comfort assessment and energy consumption analysis of ground-source heat pump system combined with radiant heating/cooling

A new ground source heat pump system combined with radiant heating/cooling is proposed, and the principles and the advantages of the system are analyzed. A demonstration of the system is applied to a rebuilt building： Xijindu exhibition hall, which is located in Zhenjiang city in China. Numerical studies on the thermal comfort and energy consumption of the system are carded out by using TRNSYS software. The results indicate that the system with the radiant floor method or the radiant ceiling method shows good thermal comfort without mechanical ventilation in winter. However, the system with either of the methods should add mechanical ventilation to ensure good comfort in summer. At the same level of thermal comfort, it can also be found that the annual energy consumption of the radiant ceiling system is less than that of the radiant floor system.

Experimental Performance of Moderate and High Temperature Heat Pump Charged with Refrigerant Mixture BY-3

Theoretical and experimental analysis of a new refrigerant mixture BY-3 was conducted based on a single-stage vapor compression refrigeration system. The water-water heat pump system used BY-3 to produce hot water when the low temperature was 20 ℃. The following results were obtained: the highest temperature at the condenser outlet reached about 85 ℃; when the difference between the water temperatures at the condenser outlet and the evaporator inlet was less than 40 ℃, the coefficient of performance (COP) was larger than 4; when the difference reached 55 ℃, the COP still kept 3; the discharge temperature of BY-3 was lower than 100 ℃, and the refrigerant vapor pressure kept lower than 1.8 MPa. When the water temperature at the condenser outlet reached over 85 ℃, nearly a 5 ℃ superheating temperature was maintained.

Heat balance of solar-soil source heat pump compound system

Based on the state-of-the-art studies of solar-soil source heat pump compound system, operation patterns of solar-soil compound system were analyzed, particularly the advantages of parallel operation pattern. It is found that parallel operation pattern is better for solar-soil compound system. Furthermore, the heat balance issue of solar-soil compound system was emphatically analyzed from four aspects, which were annual analysis of heating and cooling load, the heat exchange of ground heat exchanger, capacity determination of solar-assisted heat sottrce and heat balance calculation of solar-soil compound system. Moreover, annual rate of heat balance in a solar-soil source heat pump compound system was calculated with a case study. It is shown that the annual heat unbalance ratio is 19%, which is less than 20%. As a result, the practical solar-soil compound system can basically maintain the heat balance of soil.

Experimental study on characteristics of transcritical heat pump water heater using refrigerant HFC125

To evaluate the performance of heat pumps using refrigerant HFC125,an experimental rig of a DC-inverter heat pump water heater is designed and set up,and the research on the transcritical heat pump water heater is carried out experimentally.It is found that there is a top value of the coefficient of performance（COP）when the system runs at 95 Hz of frequency.The relationships between the COP and compressor frequency,condensation pressure,evaporation pressure,condensation water temperature rise,and discharge temperature are discussed and analyzed at 95 Hz.And the COP of the HFC125 transcritical cycle is also compared with that of a R410 subcritical heat pump under the same conditions.The results indicate that there exists an optimum frequency for a better COP,and the system COP shows an increasing tendency with the decrease in condensation pressure and compressor ratio while the evaporation pressure remains invariant,and the COP decreases rapidly when cooling water temperature rises over 47.5 ℃.Compared with the R410A sub-critical cycle,the COP of HFC125 transcritical cycle significantly increases by 12% on average.