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Heat Pumps FAQ's
What is a heat pump?
A heat pump is a device, which moves heat energy from one place to another and from a lower to a higher temperature. A domestic refrigerator is a heat pump. Heat is removed from the contents (the source) and discharged elsewhere (the sink). In heating applications, heat is removed from ambient air, or water, soil or bedrock and delivered to where it is needed. In cooling applications, the reverse happens and heat is removed, to be discharged to the ambient air, water, soil or rock.What is so great about heat pumps?
Heat pumps use a little energy (usually in the form of electricity) to move available energy as heat from A to B. For every unit of energy purchased as electricity, several units of heat are delivered. So, relating the energy purchased to the energy delivered, heat pumps can be from 300% to 500% efficient.What does a heat pump need to provide heating?
There are three main parts of any heat pump system:1. A heat source and the means of extracting heat.
2. The circuit of working fluid within the heat pump itself and a power source.
3. A distribution system to deliver the energy in the required form.
The heat source can be the ambient air, water, soil or rock. The outside heat exchanger (the collector) transfers energy as heat to the circuit of working fluid within the heat pump itself. It is preferable, in terms of maximising efficiency, to have constant temperature differences between (a) the source and the working fluid and (b) the working fluid and the sink, but this often not possible in some heat pump models.
The distribution system takes the heat from the heat pump (often as hot water) and delivers it to the end-use. Heat can be distributed within a building using under floor pipes, fan coil units, an air handling system, or wall-mounted radiators.
It is necessary to include a power supply to the compressor to drive the heat pump. It is usually an electric motor which drives the compressor, but a gas engine is used in some designs.
How does a heat pump work?
A heat pump works by driving a working fluid around a refrigeration circuit containing four elements; (1) evaporator, (2) compressor, (3) condenser and (4) expansion valve.The working fluid changes from liquid to gas (evaporates) as heat is absorbed from the heat source. Later in the cycle, the working fluid condenses to liquid as heat is released to where it is needed.
How could I use a heat pump?
A heat pump can be used where there is a low temperature source of heat. For example, heat can be transferred from a source at 5 degrees Celsius and delivered as heated water at 45 to 55 degrees Celsius.Applications include space heating and cooling, pre-heating domestic hot water, heat recovery and dehumidification in both domestic and industrial sectors.
Does a heat pump use renewable energy?
Yes, the source is usually renewable energy from an ambient heat source or waste energy. For example, with a 3:1 performance ratio, for every three units of heat delivered, two units can be from the renewable heat source and one from the electrical power supply.What are the different heat sources?
Ambient heat from water, air, or the ground; or waste heat from industrial processes or combined heat and power units are often used.In air-source heat pumps, external air at ambient temperature is cooled by passing over a finned heat exchanger, thus heat is extracted into the evaporator of the heat pump. In a water source heat pump, river, lake or ground water is cooled as heat is extracted.
In the case of ground source heat pumps, the collector pipe is installed in one or more trenches or boreholes. A water/anti-freeze solution is pumped around this loop of plastic pipe, extracting heat from the ground.
The heat extracted from the ground or lake or river water is replaced by heat from the atmosphere.
What are the main advantages of a heat pump system?
Energy Efficient: Heat pumps are very energy efficient as they consume a little energy (usually as electricity) in order to deliver three or four times as much energy as heat. The ratio of energy-out to energy-in depends on the operating conditions and typically varies between 2 to 1 and 5 to 1. The overall average is called the seasonal performance factor.The running costs of a heat pump can be less than those of a traditional gas boiler heating system and definitely less than some other forms of heating (LPG, oil, electricity). The initial capital cost is usually higher than other conventional heating systems. The whole-life cost, combining the capital and running costs, can be favourable for heat pumps compared to fossil fuelled systems and, especially, compared with other forms of electric heating.
What about greenhouse gas emissions?
Heat pump systems consume energy in moving heat from one place to another. The principal use of energy in a heat pump is to generate the motive power to drive the compressor. The associated emissions depend on the power source driving the compressor. In the UK the heat pump will typically create around 55% of the greenhouse gas emissions from the most energy efficient domestic gas heating system (where the heat pump is providing space and domestic hot water heating). This is a considerable improvement.Back To Top
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