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Impact of heat loss from storage tank with phase change material on the performance of a solar-assisted heat pump system

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  • Li, Yantong
  • Nord, Natasa
  • Yin, Huibin
  • Pan, Gechuanqi

Abstract

Solar-assisted heat pump systems can address the drawbacks of traditional heat pumps, which have high operating costs, and solar collectors, which cannot provide continuous heat throughout the day. A storage tank is a common device in solar-assisted heat pumps. However, the impact of heat loss from a storage tank with phase change material on the performance of solar-assisted heat pump system is still unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of heat loss from a storage tank with phase change material on the energy, economic, environmental, and technical performance of a solar-assisted heat pump system. A case study for swimming pool application was conducted. The simulation platform was built using TRNSYS and MATLAB. Performance comparison between systems with and without heat loss from a storage tank with phase change material was conducted. Results indicated that when the heat loss coefficient varied from 2 W/(m2·K) to 12 W/(m2·K), total electricity use, operating cost, thermal uncomfortable ratio, and CO2 emission increased by up to 22.3 %, 16.8 %, 242.9 %, and 22.3 %, respectively. This study helped scholars understand the importance of considering heat loss from storage tanks with phase change material in assessing the performance of solar-assisted heat pump systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Yantong & Nord, Natasa & Yin, Huibin & Pan, Gechuanqi, 2025. "Impact of heat loss from storage tank with phase change material on the performance of a solar-assisted heat pump system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:241:y:2025:i:c:s0960148124022766
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.122208
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