Development and evaluation of a multi-functional heat pump with embedded thermal storage

Yifeng Hu; Bo Shen

doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.125862

Development and evaluation of a multi-functional heat pump with embedded thermal storage

Yifeng Hu
, Bo Shen

Building Equipment Research Group

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

We developed and tested a novel multi-functional packaged vertical heat pump designed for multi-family buildings, capable of providing space cooling, space heating, water heating, and energy storage integration. The system employs a 3-speed scroll compressor and supports energy-efficient cooling and heating across different ambient conditions, while utilizing both indoor and outdoor air sources for water heating. Key performance metrics include an integrated energy efficiency ratio of 18.0 for cooling, a heating seasonal performance factor of 10.0, and a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.1 for heating in cold climates down to −15 ˚C. Additionally, the system delivers an annual water heating COP greater than 4.0, with outstanding performance in combined space cooling and water heating modes, achieving a total COP of 8.8 by recovering condenser waste heat. The heat pump also demonstrated thermal energy storage capabilities, integrating with phase change material systems to store heating and cooling energy. This versatile system offers a promising solution for improving energy efficiency and sustainability in multi-family buildings, providing high-performance heating, cooling, and water heating across a range of climates.

Original language	English
Article number	125862
Journal	Applied Thermal Engineering
Volume	267
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.125862
State	Published - May 15 2025

Funding

Funding was provided by the US Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office. Brian Goins, Jeff Taylor, Brent Massey, Mike Day, Charles Pierce, and Tim Dyer provided support for the experimental infrastructure. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the US Department of Energy (DOE). The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes. DOE will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public Access Plan ( https://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ).

Keywords

COP
Multi-functional heat pump
Space cooling
Space heating
Thermal storage
Water heating

Access to Document

10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.125862

Cite this

@article{6f7c8dfbbb334610b512ea2431371112,

title = "Development and evaluation of a multi-functional heat pump with embedded thermal storage",

abstract = "We developed and tested a novel multi-functional packaged vertical heat pump designed for multi-family buildings, capable of providing space cooling, space heating, water heating, and energy storage integration. The system employs a 3-speed scroll compressor and supports energy-efficient cooling and heating across different ambient conditions, while utilizing both indoor and outdoor air sources for water heating. Key performance metrics include an integrated energy efficiency ratio of 18.0 for cooling, a heating seasonal performance factor of 10.0, and a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.1 for heating in cold climates down to −15 ˚C. Additionally, the system delivers an annual water heating COP greater than 4.0, with outstanding performance in combined space cooling and water heating modes, achieving a total COP of 8.8 by recovering condenser waste heat. The heat pump also demonstrated thermal energy storage capabilities, integrating with phase change material systems to store heating and cooling energy. This versatile system offers a promising solution for improving energy efficiency and sustainability in multi-family buildings, providing high-performance heating, cooling, and water heating across a range of climates.",

keywords = "COP, Multi-functional heat pump, Space cooling, Space heating, Thermal storage, Water heating",

author = "Yifeng Hu and Bo Shen",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.125862",

language = "English",

volume = "267",

journal = "Applied Thermal Engineering",

issn = "1359-4311",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Development and evaluation of a multi-functional heat pump with embedded thermal storage

AU - Hu, Yifeng

AU - Shen, Bo

PY - 2025/5/15

Y1 - 2025/5/15

N2 - We developed and tested a novel multi-functional packaged vertical heat pump designed for multi-family buildings, capable of providing space cooling, space heating, water heating, and energy storage integration. The system employs a 3-speed scroll compressor and supports energy-efficient cooling and heating across different ambient conditions, while utilizing both indoor and outdoor air sources for water heating. Key performance metrics include an integrated energy efficiency ratio of 18.0 for cooling, a heating seasonal performance factor of 10.0, and a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.1 for heating in cold climates down to −15 ˚C. Additionally, the system delivers an annual water heating COP greater than 4.0, with outstanding performance in combined space cooling and water heating modes, achieving a total COP of 8.8 by recovering condenser waste heat. The heat pump also demonstrated thermal energy storage capabilities, integrating with phase change material systems to store heating and cooling energy. This versatile system offers a promising solution for improving energy efficiency and sustainability in multi-family buildings, providing high-performance heating, cooling, and water heating across a range of climates.

AB - We developed and tested a novel multi-functional packaged vertical heat pump designed for multi-family buildings, capable of providing space cooling, space heating, water heating, and energy storage integration. The system employs a 3-speed scroll compressor and supports energy-efficient cooling and heating across different ambient conditions, while utilizing both indoor and outdoor air sources for water heating. Key performance metrics include an integrated energy efficiency ratio of 18.0 for cooling, a heating seasonal performance factor of 10.0, and a coefficient of performance (COP) of 2.1 for heating in cold climates down to −15 ˚C. Additionally, the system delivers an annual water heating COP greater than 4.0, with outstanding performance in combined space cooling and water heating modes, achieving a total COP of 8.8 by recovering condenser waste heat. The heat pump also demonstrated thermal energy storage capabilities, integrating with phase change material systems to store heating and cooling energy. This versatile system offers a promising solution for improving energy efficiency and sustainability in multi-family buildings, providing high-performance heating, cooling, and water heating across a range of climates.

KW - COP

KW - Multi-functional heat pump

KW - Space cooling

KW - Space heating

KW - Thermal storage

KW - Water heating

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85217088204

U2 - 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.125862

DO - 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.125862

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85217088204

SN - 1359-4311

VL - 267

JO - Applied Thermal Engineering

JF - Applied Thermal Engineering

M1 - 125862

ER -

Development and evaluation of a multi-functional heat pump with embedded thermal storage

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this