About heat pumps

Heat pumps are devices with the help of which heat energy is transferred from one environment to another. Heat pumps enable the transfer of heat energy from a lower temperature level system (earth, water, air) to a higher heat level system (central heating or hot water preparation) using additional operating energy (electricity for the compressor) by means of a suitable working medium (freon) .(Heat Pumps: Operation, Installation, Service)

Unlike other renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy, ambient heat (earth, water, air) is available for continuous use throughout the year. With a heat pump, without an additional energy source, it is possible to cover all the thermal energy needs of a house for heating and hot water preparation.

HOW THE HEAT PUMP WORKS

The principle of operation of the heat pump is simple, you could compare it with a household refrigerator only in the reverse function: it heats instead of cooling.

Ambient energy (earth, water, air) is transferred by the working medium to the compressor which compresses the working medium, which increases its temperature, which receives heat through condensers and exchangers inside the condenser and sends hot heating water to the central heating system. The working medium is then returned to the evaporator via the expansion valve. In the expansion valve, the working medium expands from the higher condenser pressure to the lower evaporator pressure and cools. This closes the continuous evaporation-compression-condensation-expansion cycle.

In the compressor circuit, the working medium is freon. Electric heat pumps get approx. 3/4 of the heat for heating from the environment and the remaining 1/4 is the electricity needed to start the compressor. From the ratio of DELIVERED heating heat and CONSUMED electricity, the efficiency coefficient (3 + 1 = 4) is obtained, which describes the EFFICIENCY of the heat pump.

For standardization, a unique COP coefficient (coefficient of performance or heat multiplier) has been adopted, which describes the ratio of heat change to labor input.

In simple terms, if a heat pump has a COP of 4 then it gives 4 kW of energy for every 1 kW of energy invested. 

TYPES OF HEAT PUMPS

WATER-WATER HEAT PUMP works on the principle of taking heat energy from groundwater that is at a temperature between 12 ° C and 15 ° C throughout the year. Deep wells (approx. 100 m) are dug, then heat is taken from the water and transferred to the water inside the home heating pipe, while it is cooled and returned to the groundwater channels. It is important to note that this type of heating is the most efficient, but also the most demanding in terms of installation, because it is necessary to dig deep enough channels, and conduct physical and chemical tests of water correctness.

EARTH-WATER HEAT PUMP extracts heat energy from the ground and transfers it to the water in the pipes inside the home. The installation is similar to a water-water system, although there is also a system with horizontal laying of pipes below the surface of the earth, which is both simpler and less efficient. It is only important that there is no huge load on the surface through which the pipes are conducted, so that they are not damaged.

AIR-WATER HEAT PUMP draws heat from the outside air and transfers it to the water contained in the pipes that heat the house. It is important to note that the installation of this pump requires the least investment.

AIR-AIR HEAT PUMP is a pump that works on the principle as all the previous ones, but instead of transferring heat to water, it transfers the heat it extracted from the outside air to the air inside the room. This means that devices that blow air into the rooms (fan convectors) should be installed.

 

CAN IT BE COOLED WITH HEAT PUMPS?

 

Of course it can. There are pumps called heating / cooling. This does not mean that they work on a special principle, but in a way to switch the mode from heating to cooling so that there is a change in flow, so now the heat pump takes heat from the room and transfers it to an external energy source.

 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF HEAT PUMPS

 

The annual costs of heat pump heating systems save up to 75% of funds compared to conventional electric heating systems such as electric boilers and thermal storage furnaces, because they take 75% of free energy from the environment. Those 25% are left to the use of electricity, which is necessary in order to transfer energy from one environment to another. Also, it is not necessary to allocate additional money for the construction of chimneys, tanks, it does not emit CO2 into the air and the like.

 

ADVANTAGES OF HEAT PUMPS

 

1. Lower labor costs

Heat pumps are cheaper to operate than combustion-based systems. Moreover, they are classified as energy efficient solutions, which in the long run means reduced energy consumption, reduced emissions of harmful gases in the environment and reduced giving of money to bills.

2. Easy maintenance

Heat pumps are easy to maintain. All that is needed is to check certain details twice a year, preventively. If any discrepancy is noticed, it is necessary for an expert to detect and eliminate any deficiencies.

3. Security

There are no worries about injuries caused by burns, no worries about children, pets ...

4. CO2 emissions

Heat pump systems reduce CO2 emissions in the air and easily and quickly extract energy from one environment and transfer it to another.

CONCLUSION

All indications are that heat pumps are a smart investment. Although they require high initial investments, in the long run they can bring huge savings. In addition, combining heat pumps with solar collectors can lead to extremely low energy consumption, which ultimately leads to minimal heating and cooling costs.