Heat Pump Application and Heat Pump Technology Analysis
April 15, 2024
The heat pump is widely utilized in various fields due to its environmentally friendly and energy-saving features. This paper provides an overview of the history, types, characteristics, usage conditions, and issues related to several main heat pumps. Additionally, it discusses research progress and new technologies in the field of heat pumps and refrigerators.
A heat pump is a type of refrigeration system that utilizes the released condenser heat to provide heating for regulated environments [1]. From a thermophysical perspective, it can be considered as a specialized form of refrigerator based on its working principle or thermodynamic viewpoint [2]. The primary difference between a general refrigerator and a heat pump lies in their respective purposes: ① The purpose of a heat pump is heating, focusing on the exchange of working fluid's thermal energy between the high-pressure side through the exchanger with the external environment; whereas a refrigerator aims at cooling or achieving cryogenic temperatures by studying the thermal exchange between low-pressure side exchangers within the system and outside world; ② The temperature range for system operation differs. A heat pump employs ambient temperature as its low-temperature source while adjusting objects as high-temperature sources; conversely, a refrigerator uses ambient temperature as its high-temperature source while adjusting objects as low-temperature sources. Consequently, under equivalent environmental conditions, operating temperatures for heat pumps are higher than those for refrigeration systems.
2 Origin and Main Applications of Heat Pumps
2.1 Origin
During the early 19th century industrial revolution era when people gained access to lower