IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i3p1880-d1040516.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Empirical Study of the Effect of Thermal Loading on the Heating Efficiency of Variable-Speed Air Source Heat Pumps

Author

Listed:
  • Tom Marsik

    (Bristol Bay Campus, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Dillingham, AK 99576, USA
    Alaska Center for Energy and Power, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
    Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA)

  • Vanessa Stevens

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
    Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA)

  • Robbin Garber-Slaght

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
    Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA)

  • Conor Dennehy

    (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
    Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA)

  • Robby Tartuilnguq Strunk

    (Alaska Center for Energy and Power, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
    National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
    Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA)

  • Alan Mitchell

    (Analysis North, Anchorage, AK 99516, USA)

Abstract

Heating buildings with air source heat pumps (ASHPs) has the potential to save energy compared to utilizing conventional heat sources. Accurate understanding of the efficiency of ASHPs is important to maximize the energy savings. While it is well understood that, in general, ASHP efficiency decreases with decreasing outdoor temperature, it is not well understood how the ASHP efficiency changes with different levels of thermal loading, even though it is an important consideration for sizing and controlling ASHPs. The goal of this study was to create an empirical model of the ASHP efficiency as a function of two independent variables–outside temperature and level of thermal loading. Four ductless mini-split ASHPs were evaluated in a cold chamber where the temperature (representing the outdoor temperature) was varied over a wide range. For each temperature, the ASHP performance data were collected at several levels of thermal loading. The data for all four ASHPs were combined and approximated with an analytical function that can be used as a general model for the ASHP steady-state efficiency as a function of the outside temperature and level of thermal loading. To the knowledge of the authors, no such empirical model that is solely based on third-party test data has been published before. While limitations exist, the model can be used to help guide future selection and operation of ASHPs.

Suggested Citation

  • Tom Marsik & Vanessa Stevens & Robbin Garber-Slaght & Conor Dennehy & Robby Tartuilnguq Strunk & Alan Mitchell, 2023. "Empirical Study of the Effect of Thermal Loading on the Heating Efficiency of Variable-Speed Air Source Heat Pumps," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:1880-:d:1040516
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/1880/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/3/1880/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:3:p:1880-:d:1040516. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.