AIR WATER HEAT PUMP

PRACTICAL REPORT

Introduction

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The heat and air pump comprises of the vapour compression cycle unit which uses a small
amount of work to transfer heat from either the air or water source evaporator to a water
cooled condenser. This cycle is widely used for a variety of cooling processes, such as air
conditioners and household refrigerators and freezers.

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The diagram below illustrates the vapour compression cycle:

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Aim of the experiment

 To determine the power input, heat output and coefficient of performance of the
heat pump.
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 The production of heat pump performance curves over a range of source and
delivery temperature.
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 1. Apparatus used

Compressor Hermetically sealed and fitted with oil

cooling coil, Swept volume 15cm^3
rev^-1. Rotational speed 2800
rev.min^-1
Condenser Externally insulated coiled concentric

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tube. Water flows through the annulus.

Expansion Valve Thermostatically controlled internally

equalised. Controls refrigerant, flow
rate to the evaporator
Evaporator
(i) Air as heat source Continuous tube; externally finned;

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(ii) Water as heat source copper/aluminium galvanised steel
construction. Provided with
condensation drip tray and air fan.

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The set up consists of a compressor where the pressure and the temperature of the
refrigerant vapour (HFC134a). In the condenser the gas is then superheated at constant
temperature. The expansion valve reduces the pressure of the fluid and finally in the
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evaporator the two phases mixture of liquid and gas begin to evaporate within the selected
evaporator. (water or air)
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Theory

4.1 Refrigerator
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A refrigerator (often called a "fridge" for short) is a cooling appliance comprising a thermally
insulated compartment and a heat pump—chemical or mechanical means—to transfer heat
from it to the external environment, cooling the contents to a temperature below ambient.
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Coefficient of Performance of a refrigerator (CoPR) is the ratio

Refrigerator Rate or Duty

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Power Input

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4.2 Heat Pump

A heat pump is a device which applies external work to extract an amount of heat QC from a

cold reservoir and delivers heat QH to a hot reservoir. A heat pump is subject to the same

limitations from the second law of thermodynamics as any other heat engine and therefore

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a maximum efficiency can be calculated from the Carnot cycle. Heat Pumps are usually
characterized by a coefficient of performance which is the number of units of energy
delivered to the hot reservoir per unit work input.

Coefficient of Performance of a heat pump (CoPHP) is the ratio

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Rate at which heat is delivered

Power Input

4.3 Reversed Carnot cycle

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The Carnot cycle is an idealized thermodynamic cycle that describes a perfect heat engine.
All real heat engines are imperfect approximations of the theoretical perfection embodied
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by the Carnot cycle. In the Carnot cycle, not all heat energy is converted into mechanical
work, but a large portion is the largest portion allowed by physical law.
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The ideal refrigerator is represented by the reversed Carnot Cycle in which heat is taken in
from a constant low temperature source at TL and is rejected to a constant higher
temperature sink at TH.
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Thus for a reversed Carnot Cycle:

CoPHP = TH/(TH - TL)

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CoPref = Qe/ Wnet = TL/ (TL - TH)

4.4 The idealised simple vapour compression cycle

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In this compression cycle, a trottling process is substituted for the isentropic expansion
process in the Carnot Cycle. The Coefficient of Performance suffers due to the introduction
of this highly irreversible process. However the reliability and simplicity gained far outweigh
the small increase of work input required.

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CoPHP = Qc/ W

CoPref = Qe/W

Procedure

Part 1- Determination of power input, heat output and coefficient of performance

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(a) The water supply and then the main switch of the unit is turned on.
(b) The air evaporator is selected by pressing the evaporator change over switch down.
(c) The gauge pressure is set between 700 and 1100 kN/m^-2 by adjusting the
condenser cooling water flow rate. (30g/s)

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(d) The system’s parameters are allowed to stabilize.

temperature
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Part 2- Production of Heat Pump Performance Curves over a range of source and delivery

(a) The water supply is turned on from the main switch.

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(b) The air evaporator is selected by pressing the evaporator change over switch down.
(c) The condenser cooling water flow rate is set to maximum and the unit is allowed for
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all the system parameters to reach a stable condition.

(d) The observations are noted.
(e) The cooling water flow is reduced so that the condenser pressure increases by
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approximately 100kN/m^-2 gauge pressure. The different readings for 6 different

values of condenser pressure readings is tabulated.
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Part 3- The whole experiment is repeated by selecting the water evaporator instead of the
air evaporator.
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 Table of results

6.1. (Air evaporator)

Condens Condens Evaporator T1/ T2/ T3/ T4/ T5/ T6/ T7/ Refrigerant
er er pressure ˚C ˚C ˚C ˚C ˚C ˚C ˚C flowrate

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Flowrate pressure kN/m^-2 g/s
g/s kN/m^-2
50 800 150 22.3 69.1 27.6 -2.20 22.4 22.6 29.1 6.0
45 850 175 22.4 72.7 28.5 -1.60 22.4 22.8 30.1 6.5

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40 900 175 22.3 75.1 29.9 -1.00 22.4 23.0 31.2 6.5
35 900 200 22.1 77.1 31.5 -0.05 22.4 23.0 32.6 6.5
30 1000 200 22.0 78.6 33.4 0.20 22.4 23.2 37.7 6.0
25 1000 200 22.2
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79.6 34.2 1.50 22.4 23.4 36.9
Power/W= 400 (constant)
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Experiment Number 1 2 3 4 5 6
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Compressor electrical
power input/W 400 400 400 400 400 400
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Cooling water inlet

temperature, T5/˚C 22.4 22.4 22.4 22.4 22.4 22.4

Compressor cooling
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water outlet 22.6 22.8 23.0 23.0 23.2 23.4

temperature T6/˚C

Condenser water outlet

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800 850 900 900 1000 1000

temperature, T7/˚C

Condenser water mass

50 45 40 35 30 25
flow rate, mc g s^-1

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 6.2 (Water Evaporator)

Conde Condenser Power T1/ T2/ T3/ T4/ T5/ T6/ T7/ T8/ Refrigera
nser pressure /W ˚C ˚C ˚C ˚C ˚C ˚C ˚C ˚C nt
Flowr kN/m^-2 flowrate

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ate g/s
g/s
50 800 175 22.5 78.1 30.0 -5.0 22.5 23.1 31.0 18.5 6.0

45 850 175 22.3 78.2 29.1 -4.7 22.3 23.0 30.8 17.6 6.5

40 850 175 22.3 78.5 29.5 -3.8 22.3 23.0 31.8 17.6 6.5

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35 950 200 22.2 79.2 31.7 -3.5 22.3 23.1 33.0 17.6 6.5

30 950 200 22.2 79.8 32.2 -2.2 22.3 23.2 35.0 17.4 6.0

25 1050 200 22.2 80.5

C34.5 -1.2 22.3 23.4 35.7 7.0

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Experiment Number 1 2 3 4 5 6

Compressor electrical
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power input/W 175 175 175 200 200 200

Cooling water inlet

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temperature, T5/˚C 22.5 22.3 22.3 22.3 22.3 22.3

Compressor cooling
water outlet 23.1 23.0 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.4
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temperature T6/˚C

Condenser water outlet

31.0 30.8 31.8 33.0 35.0 35.7
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temperature, T7/˚C

Condenser water mass

flow rate, 50 45 40 35 30 25
mc g s^-1

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Calculations

 The heat delivered to cooling water from the compressor (Q = mCp▲T)

 The heat delivered to condenser cooling water
 The heat pump coefficient of performance (the heat delivered to condenser only
and then the total heat delivered to the water including the waste heat from the

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compressor cooling coil)

 Air Evaporator

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(i) Q1-Heat delivered to cooling water from compressor:

Using the formula [Q1 = m Cp ▲T]

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Where Q1: Heat delivered to cooling water from compressor/W

m: mass flow rate in kg/s

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Cp : specific heat capacity for air (1000 J/KgK)
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▲T : (T6-T5)/˚C

(Compressor cooling outlet temperature – cooling water inlet temperature)

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Exp No m/(g/s) T6/˚C T5/˚C ▲T/˚C Q1/W

1 50 22.6 22.4 0.2 10.00

2 45 22.8 22.4 0.4 18.00

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3 40 23.0 22.4 0.6 24.00

4 35 23.0 22.4 0.6 21.00

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5 30 23.2 22.4 0.8 24.00

6 25 23.4 22.4 1.0 25.00

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 (ii) Q2- Heat delivered to condenser cooling water:

Using the formula [Q2 = m Cp ▲T]

Where Q2: Heat delivered to condenser cooling water/W

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m: mass flow rate in kg/s

Cp : specific heat capacity for air (1000 J/KgK)

▲T : (T7-T6)/˚C

(Condenser water outlet temperature – compressor cooling outlet temperature)

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Exp No m/(g/s) T7/˚C T6/˚C ▲T/˚C Q2/W

2
3
50

45
40
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29.1

30.1
31.2
22.6

22.8
23.0
6.5

7.3
8.2
325.00

328.50
328.00
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4 35 32.6 23.0 9.6 336.00

5 30 37.7 23.2 14.5 435.00

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6 25 36.4 23.4 13.0 325.00

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(iii) Coefficient of performance for heat delivered to conductor only:

CoPHP = desired output/ required input

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In this case, desired output= Q2/W (heat delivered to condenser cooling water)

Required output= P/W (power supplied to the unit)

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Therefore, [CoPHP = Q2/P]

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 Exp No Q2/W P/W CoPHP

1 325.00 400 0.81250

2 328.50 400 0.82125

3 328.00 400 0.82000

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4 336.00 400 0.84000

5 435.00 400 1.08750

6 325.00 400 0.81250

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(iv) Coefficient of performance due to total heat delivered to water, including waste
heat from compressor cooling coil:

CoPHP = desired output/ required input

In this case, desired output= QT

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Required input = P/W (power input of the system)
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Therefore, [CoPHP = QT/ W]
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Note : QT is the total heat delivered to the water i.e. (Q1+Q2)

Exp No Q1/W Q2/W QT/W P/W CoPHP

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1 10.00 325.00 335.00 400 0.83750

2 18.00 328.50 346.50 400 0.86625

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3 24.00 328.00 352.00 400 0.88000

4 21.00 336.00 357.00 400 0.89250

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5 24.00 435.00 459.00 400 1.14750

6 25.00 325.00 350.00 400 0.87500

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  Water evaporator

(i) Q1-Heat delivered to cooling water from compressor:

Using the formula [Q1 = m Cp ▲T]

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Where Q1: Heat delivered to cooling water from compressor/W

m: mass flow rate in kg/s

Cp : specific heat capacity for water(4200 J/KgK)

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▲T : (T6-T5)/˚C

(Compressor cooling outlet temperature – cooling water inlet temperature)

Exp No

2
m/(g/s)

50

45
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T6/˚C

23.1

23.0
T5/˚C

22.5

22.3
▲T/˚C

0.6

0.7
Q1/W

126.00

132.30
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3 40 23.0 22.3 0.7 117.60

4 35 23.1 22.3 0.8 117.60

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5 30 23.2 22.3 0.7 88.20

6 25 23.4 22.3 1.1 115.50

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(ii) Q2- Heat delivered to condenser cooling water:

Using the formula [Q2 = m Cp ▲T]

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Where Q2: Heat delivered to condenser cooling water/W

m: mass flow rate in kg/s

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Cp : specific heat capacity for water (4200 J/KgK)

▲T : (T7-T6)/˚C

(Condenser water outlet temperature – compressor cooling outlet temperature)

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 Exp No m/(g/s) T7/˚C T6/˚C ▲T/˚C Q2/W

1 50 31.0 23.1 7.9 1659.00

2 45 30.8 23.0 7.8 1474.20

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3 40 31.8 23.0 8.8 1478.40

4 35 33.0 23.1 9.9 1455.30

5 30 35.0 23.2 11.8 1486.80

6 25 35.7 23.4 12.3 1291.50

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(iii) Coefficient of performance for heat delivered to conductor only:

CoPHP
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= desired output/ required input

In this case, desired output= Q2/W (heat delivered to condenser cooling water)
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Required output= P/W (power supplied to the unit)

Therefore, [CoPHP = Q2/P]

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Exp No Q2/W P/W CoPHP

1 1659.00 175 9.48000

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2 1474.20 175 8.42400

3 1478.40 175 8.44800

4 1455.30 200 7.27650

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5 1486.80 200 7.43400

6 1291.50 200 6.45750

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 (iv) Coefficient of performance due to total heat delivered to water, including waste
heat from compressor cooling coil:

CoPHP = desired output/ required input

In this case, desired output= QT

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Required input = P/W (power input of the system)

Therefore, [CoPHP = QT/ W]

Note : QT is the total heat delivered to the water i.e. (Q1+Q2)

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Exp No Q1/W Q2/W QT/W P/W CoPHP

3
126.00

132.30

117.60
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1659.00

1474.20

1478.40
1785.00

1606.50

1596.00
175

175

175
10.20000

9.18000

9.12000
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4 117.60 1455.30 1572.90 200 7.86450
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5 88.20 1486.80 1575.00 200 7.87500

6 115.50 1291.50 1407.00 200 7.03500

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Graphs plotted

Graph of compressor load (P/W) and heat delivered (QT/W) against water delivery
temperature (T7/˚C)
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8.1

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8.2
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Comments and conclusions

 The amount of heat delivered increases when the water evaporator is used despite
that in both cases the compressor uses the same amount of power.
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From the graph plotted for the water evaporator, it can be deduced that when mass
flow rate decreases the power used increases slightly.
 The use of a water cooling coil is not necessary since the highest temperature
achieved by the compressor does not differ too much from the room temperature
(T6 varies from 22 to 24˚C). Thus the air cooled system is more cost effective.

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Safety precautions:
 The pressure gauge should not be allowed to exceed 1400kN/m 2. (The

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apparatus will switch off automatically)
An adequate copper wiring and circuit breaker should be used.
The electrical panel linked with the heat pump should be grounded. Any error
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in installation may cause a fire, electric shock or injury.
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