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.

The Application of the Ground Source and Air-to-Water Heat Pumps in Cold Climate Areas

This article gives an overview of using the ground source heat pump (GSHP) and air-to-water heat pump (A&WHP) in cold climate areas for heating and for domestic hot water production of buildings. Computer simulation and analysis were carried out for a typical detached house, with 200 m2 of living area, the heat demand of 9 kW and the average heat demand for DHW production of 1 kW. In heating period the average Coefficient of Performance (COP) of the A&WHP is considerably lower than COP of the GSHP.

Energy savings and CO_2 emission reduction by using geothermal heat pumps

The renewable energy will play significant role in the world primary energy consumption in the future. Geothermal energy is immense with 5 000 EJ/a of technical potential, and geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) are one of the fastest growing applications of renewable energy in the world with annual increases of 10 % and much faster in China. With high coefficient of performance (COP) up to 6, GHPs make efficiency of primary energy more than 240 % with assumed a 40 % of electricity generation efficiency, which means energy savings and CO2 emission reduction. In this paper,the geothermal resources and its utilization are talked about, and GHPs technology was introduced. Due to its high efficiency, there will be energy savings by using GHPs. There is also CO2 emission reduction because of using geothermal heat pumps, which is analyzed in the end.

Lean and interpretable digital twins for building energy monitoring - A case study with smart thermostatic radiator valves and gas absorption heat pumps

The transition to low carbon energy systems poses challenges in terms of energy efficiency.In building refur-bishment projects,efficient technologies such as smart controls and heat pumps are increasingly being used as a substitute for conventional technologies with the aim of reducing carbon emissions and determining operational energy and cost savings,together with other benefits.Measured building performance,however,often reveals a significant gap between the predicted energy use(design stage)and actual energy use(operation stage).For this reason,lean and interpretable digital twins are needed for building energy monitoring aimed at persistence of savings and continuous performance improvement.In this research,interpretable regression models are built with data at multiple temporal resolutions(monthly,daily and hourly)and seamlessly integrated with the goal of verifying the performance improvements due to Smart thermostatic radiator valves(TRVs)and gas absorption heat pumps(GAHPs)as well as giving insights on the performance of the building as a whole.Further,as part of modelling research,time of week and temperature(TOWT)approach is reformulated and benchmarked against its original implementation.The case study chosen is Hale Court sheltered housing,located in the city of Portsmouth(UK).This building has been used for the field-testing of innovative technologies such as TRVs and GAHPs within the EU Horizon 2020 project THERMOSS.The results obtained are used to illustrate possible extensions of the use of energy signature modelling,highlighting implications for energy management and innovative building technologies development.

Prediction and parametric analysis of 3D borehole and total internal thermal resistance of single U-tube borehole heat exchanger for ground source heat pumps

The borehole and total internal thermal resistance are both significant parameters in evaluating the thermal performance of the ground source heat pump.This study aimed to obtain the accurate correlation of the 3D borehole and total internal thermal resistance(R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D))and analyze the impacts of parameters on the R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D).Firstly,eight parameters affecting the R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D),including the borehole diameter,pipe diameter,pipe-pipe distance,borehole depth,soil thermal conductivity,grout thermal conductivity,pipe thermal conductivity,and fluid velocity inside the pipe,were considered and an L-54 design matrix was generated.Then,the 3D numerical model,coupling with the four-resistance model,was proposed to calculate R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D)for each case.After that,the response surface methodology was employed to obtain and verify the correlation of R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D),which were compared with the existing resistance calculation methods.Lastly,analysis of variance was carried out to reveal parameters that have statistically significant impacts on the R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D).Results show that the rationality and accuracy of the correlation of R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D)can be verified by the determination coefficient and P value of regression model,as well as the P value of lack-of-fit.The existing resistance calculation methods are more or less inaccurate and the discrepancies in some cases can be up to 86.74%and 111.35%for the borehole and total internal thermal resistance.The pipe and grout thermal conductivity,pipe and borehole diameter,and the pipe-pipe distance can be seen as the significant contributory factors to the variation of R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D).

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.

Performance analysis of deep borehole heat exchangers for decarbonization of heating systems

Meeting the climate change mitigation targets will require a substantial shift from fossil to clean fuels in the heating sector.Heat pumps with deep borehole exchangers are a promising solution to reduce emissions.Here the thermal behavior of deep borehole exchangers(DBHEs)ranging from 1 to 2 km was analyzed for various heat flow profiles.A strong correlation between thermal energy extraction and power output from DBHEs was found,also influenced by the heating profile employed.Longer operating time over the year typically resulted in higher energy production,while shorter one yielded higher average thermal power output,highlighting the importance of the choice of heating strategy and system design for optimal performance of DBHEs.Short breaks in operation for regenerating the borehole,for example,with waste heat,proved to be favorable for the performance yielding an overall heat output close to the same as with continuous extraction of heat.The results demonstrate the usefulness of deep boreholes for dense urban areas with less available space.As the heat production from a single DBHE in Finnish conditions ranges from half up to even a few GWh a year,the technology is best suitable for larger heat loads.

Heat Pumps in Denmark:Current Situation in Providing Frequency Control Ancillary Services

-The Danish government set an ambitious goal to achieve a fully renewable-based energy system by 2050.In this context,the integrated electricity and heating system is undergoing rapid development in Denmark as a promising way to accommodate the ever-growing renewable energy sources(RESs).The electric heat pumps(HPs),coupled with the power and heat sectors,can propagate the flexibility on the heat consumer side to the power system operations,playing an important role of improving system flexibility and balancing the variability of the RES.In this paper,the current development situation of HPs in Denmark is analyzed,including both the large-scale HPs in the district heating system and individual HPs on the residential side.The possibility of using HPs to provide frequency control ancillary service(FCAS)is analyzed according to the market and technical requirements of the FCAS in the Danish transmission system and experimental results of representative demonstration projects of HPs.A comprehensive analysis of the advantages,barriers,future prospects,and challenges for using HPs to provide the FCAS are carried out from the perspectives of different entities.

Collaborative Planning of Distributed Wind Power Generation and Distribution Network with Large-scale Heat Pumps

With the advancement of clean heating projects and the integration of large-scale distributed heat pumps into rural distribution networks in northern China,power grid companies face tremendous pressure to invest in power grid upgrades,which bring opportunities for renewable power generation integration.The combination of heating by distributed renewable energy with the flexible operation of heat pumps is a feasible alternative for dealing with grid reinforcement challenges resulting from heating electrification.In this paper,a mathematical model of the collaborative planning of distributed wind power generation(DWPG)and distribution network with large-scale heat pumps is developed.In this model,the operational flexibility of the heat pump load is fully considered and the requirements of a comfortable indoor temperature are met.By applying this model,the goals of not only increasing the profit of DWPG but also reducing the cost of the power grid upgrade can be achieved.

Optimal investment analysis for heat pumps and nuclear heat in decarbonised Helsinki metropolitan district heating system

Decarbonisation of district heating and cooling(DHC)system in Helsinki metropolitan area requires investments in new energy technologies and approaches to replace fossil fuel fired district heating(DH)production.Invest-ment paths involving(a)DH heat pumps(HPs)from low quality heat sources and(b)small modular nuclear reactors(SMR)are compared by utilising investment analysis based on optimisation model depicting the as-sumed 2030 situation.Several scenarios,with varying assumptions concerning existing DHC system,investment costs and electricity prices,are analysed in terms of new capacity and total annualised costs.The results indicate that the SMR option is more cost-efficient than the HP option with 4-8€/MWh difference in operation costs including annualised investments.Biomass fired boiler investments,enabled in both options,are preferred to HP investments in most scenarios.The cost-efficiency of HP investments is sensitive to investment cost,whereas SMR investments are relatively stable to investment cost variations.Varying electricity market prices affect cost-efficiency of large-scale HPs,and investments in SMR cogeneration units take place only with high electricity prices.

Research trend of cascade heat pumps

Most commercial and industrial facilities require very low temperatures for refrigeration and high temperatures for space heating and hot water purposes. Single stage heat pumps have not been able to meet these temperature demands and have been characterized by low capacities and coefficient of performance(COP). Cascade heat pump has been developed to overcome the weaknesses of single stage heat pumps. This study reviews recent works done by researchers on cascade heat pumps for refrigeration, heating and hot water generation. Selection of suitable refrigerants to meet the pressure and temperature demands of each stage of the cascade heat pump has been discussed. Optimization of design parameters such as intermediate temperature(low stage condensing and high stage evaporating temperatures), and temperature difference in the cascade heat exchanger for optimum performance of the cascade heat pump has been reviewed. It was found that optimising each design parameter of the cascade heat pump is necessary for maximum system performance and this may improve the exergetic efficiency, especially of cascade refrigeration systems, by about 30.88%. Cascade heat pumps have wider range of application especially for artificial snow production, in the supermarkets,for natural gas liquefaction, in drying clothes and food and as heat recovery system. The performance of cascade heat pumps can be improved by 19% when coupled with other renewable energy sources for various real time applications. Also, there is the need for much research on refrigerant charge amount of cascade heat pumps, refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchangers to be used as cascade heat exchanger, cascade heat pumps for simultaneous cooling, heating and hot water generation and on the use of variable speed compressors and their control strategies in matching system capacity especially at part load conditions.

Performance Optimization of Irreversible Air Heat Pumps Considering Size Effect

Considering the size of an irreversible air heat pump （AHP）, heating load density （HLD） is taken as thermodynamic opt/mization objective by using finite-time thermodynamics. Based on an irreversible AHP with infinite reservoir thermal-capacitance rate model, the expression of HLD of AHP is put forward. The HLD opti-mization processes are studied analytically and numerically, which consist of two aspects： （1） to choose pressure ratio; （2） to distribute heat-exchanger inventory. Heat reservoir temperatures, heat transfer performance of heat exchangers as well as irreversibility during compression and expansion processes are important factors influenc-ing on the performance of an irreversible AHP, which are characterized with temperature ratio, heat exchanger inventory as well as isentropic efficiencies, respectively. Those impacts of parameters on the maximum HLD are thoroughly studied. The research results show that HLD optimization can make the size of the AHP system smaller and improve the compactness of system.

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.

Mass and Heat Transfer Enhancement of Chemical Heat Pumps

An inert additive, expanded graphite (EG), has been prepared and used to enhance the heat and mass transfer process of chemical heat pumps. The effects of mixing ratio and mixing method on the chemical reaction time are investigated.

Modelling of the Absorption and Desorption Process of Chemical Heat Pumps

A simple model for the desorption and absorption process of the chemical heat pump is presented in this paper, It is based on the assumption of a definite reaction front. The results from m this model are compared with those obtained by finite difference method and it is observed that there is almost no difference between them.

Synthesis of SAPO-34/graphite composites for low temperature heat adsorption pumps

Low temperature heat adsorption pumps represent the innovative cooling systems, where cold is generated through adsorption/desorption cycle of water by a suitable adsorbent with good adsorption and high thermal conductive properties. In this work, the hydrothermal synthesis of zeolite SAPO-34 on thermal conductive grapbitic supports, aiming at the development of highly pertbrming adsorbent materials, is reported. The synthesis was carried out using as-received and oxidized commercial carbon papers, and graphite plate. Composites were characterized by XRD, SEM and also by a thermogravimetric method, using a Cahn microbalance. The water adsorbing capacity showed typical S-shape trend and the maximum water loading was around 25 wt%, a value close to water adsorption capability of pure SAPO-34. These results are very promising for their application in heat adsorption pumps.

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.

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.

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.