Abstract
To promote decarbonization and all electrification at residential sectors, it is necessary to use air source heat pumps (ASHPs) to replace natural gas for space heating and water heating. ASHPs are widely utilized for residential space cooling, heating, and water heating due to their simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, their performance can be compromised in cold climates, where they may experience reduced heating capacity. A multi-functional heat pump, using a single compressor, to meet all home space conditioning and water heating demands, is an emerging technology. To address this limitation, we have developed and demonstrated an air source integrated heat pump to fulfill comprehensive home comfort requirements. This system employs a three-stage compressor and a single set of heat exchangers and valves, optimizing functionality while minimizing costs. The performance of the developed system was rigorously evaluated in both laboratory and field settings. In laboratory conditions, the system achieved a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio of 17.0 (average COP of 4.98) and a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor of 11.0 (3.22). Additionally, in its most efficient operational mode—combining space cooling and water heating—the unit attained a total energy efficiency exceeding 7.0 seasonal COP in the field and could heat a 189-liter tank of water in just 25 min. The field study corroborated the laboratory findings, validating the system's performance in real-world conditions. This integrated heat pump represents an ideal solution for decarbonizing homes in northern climates by providing efficient space heating and water heating, thereby replacing the need for natural gas.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 115202 |
| Journal | Energy and Buildings |
| Volume | 328 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 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 and field installation. Appreciate Brian Butler and Brian Knapke from Copeland LP to provide the 3-stage compressor. Thanks to Jie Chen from Nortek Global HVAC to provide the baseline, residential split heat pump using all microchannel heat exchangers. 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 ( http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan ).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Building Technologies Office | |
| U.S. Department of Energy |
Keywords
- Integrated heat pump
- Multi-stage compressor
- Space cooling
- Space heating
- Water heating
