Heat exchangers and the performance of heat pumps - Analysis of a heat pump database

Heat pumping is a highly energy-efficient technology that could help reduce energy and environmental problems. The efficiency of a heat pump greatly depends on the individual and integral performance of the components inside. In this study, heat pump performance is investigated with a special focus on heat exchangers. Experimental data obtained from comprehensive heat pump measurements performed at the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) were analyzed with the help of thermodynamic models developed for this purpose. The analysis shows that the performance of heat exchangers varies widely resulting in substantial COP differences among the heat pumps. The models and methodology developed in this study are found capable of extracting useful information from measurement data quickly and accurately and could be useful for the industry. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.