Water to water heat pump with minimum charge of propane
2018 (English) In: Refrigeration Science and Technology, International Institute of Refrigeration, 2018, p. 725-732Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
This paper describes the technology for an environmentally friendly ground source heat pump for a single family home, characterized by using pure water as coolant and propane as refrigerant. The objective was to build a test system, operating under realistic conditions, using less than 150 g of propane, providing at least 5 kW heating capacity with reasonable efficiency and without freezing the coolant water. The borehole heat exchanger was of coaxial type, providing about half the thermal resistance compared to a standard U-tube collector (Acuña 2010). The evaporator and condenser where asymmetrical plate heat exchangers with small channel height (< 1 mm) on the refrigerant side. They were developed and manufactured exclusively for this project with a new type of press pattern, including a special, small volume sub-cooling section at the end of the condenser. A DC-motor scroll compressor for AC in electric vehicles was used, characterized by small internal volumes, small oil charge and wide capacity range (800-9000 rpm). A PAG-type oil was used, which however seemed to cause some problems with heat transfer and pressure drop in the evaporator. The system also included a specially built mini channel liquid/suction line heat exchanger and a standard thermostatic expansion valve. The paper presents test results for a heating capacity range of 2-10 kW. The performance was reasonable in this range with a charge of 100 g of propane (-1<T2<5°C, 30<T1<55°C). The charge that is required is determined at the lowest capacities, at low compressor speed and high evaporating pressures. A lower charge is beneficial at higher capacities.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages International Institute of Refrigeration, 2018. p. 725-732
Keywords [en]
Heat exchangers, Heat pump, Minimum charge, Propane, Automobile manufacture, DC motors, Evaporators, Heat resistance, Heat transfer, IIR filters, Pumps, Refrigerants, Scroll compressors, Borehole heat exchangers, Evaporator and condensers, Heat pumps, Heat transfer and pressure drop, Plate heat exchangers, Realistic conditions, Thermostatic expansion valves, Geothermal heat pumps
National Category
Energy Engineering
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-236368 DOI: 10.18462/iir.gl.2018.1264 ISI: 000538678300087 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85049847360 ISBN: 9782362150265 (print) OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-236368 DiVA, id: diva2:1260892
Conference 13th IIR Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants: Natural Refrigerant Solutions for Warm Climate Countries, 18 June 2018 through 20 June 2018
Funder Swedish Energy Agency
Note QC 20181105
2018-11-052018-11-052022-06-26 Bibliographically approved