20 Questions About Air Source Heat Pumps, All The Answers You Want Are Here!

What is the standard for designing the water volume of air source heat pump products? Currently, the industry standard is generally based on addressing the coldest weather conditions with the highest water consumption. When the actual hot water usage does not exceed the design standard, some machines will automatically stop operating to save energy.

Can the system still operate under severe weather conditions?

This issue was already taken into account during the design phase. When the temperature is above -5℃ and the water supply conditions meet the national tap water standards, the system can operate throughout the year without any pressurization measures. Rain, wind, and sun are the main natural forces that enable the components to operate effectively. Therefore, relatively severe weather conditions do not affect the normal operation of the machine.

Does an air source heat pump need to be recharged with refrigerant frequently?

No! The relevant components in an air source heat pump are sealed like a refrigerator, and silver soldering is used for copper connections. This is different from some other systems, such as the air conditioning system in a car, which only uses hose connections and is constantly exposed to vibration.

Is there a close relationship between the energy-saving efficiency of air source heat pumps and ambient temperature?

Air source heat pumps use air as the heat source and are not limited by sunlight. However, their energy-saving efficiency is closely related to ambient temperature. In low-temperature environments ranging from 0 to -5℃, the heat pump has an energy-saving rate of 50%; in environments ranging from 15 to 20℃, the heat pump has an energy-saving rate of over 70%. The annual average thermal efficiency of air source heat pumps in Guangdong region is 550%. During high summer temperatures, producing one ton of hot water consumes approximately 5 to 6 kWh of electricity; during cold winter weather, it consumes approximately 13 to 14 kWh of electricity, with an annual average of no more than 10 kWh.

What is the lifespan in years?

The lifespan of the coupled heat exchange part is 50 years, and the lifespan of the heat pump unit is 25 years. The entire system has no outdoor units, no wind, sun, rain, and does not require frequent cleaning. Its lifespan is much longer than that of outdoor units of air source heat pumps or cooling systems of water-cooled units.

What principle does a heat pump unit use to absorb heat?

The heat pump unit equipment is equipped with a dedicated heat absorbing medium - refrigerant, which is below minus 20 ℃ in a liquefied state and has a temperature difference with the external temperature. Therefore, the refrigerant can absorb external heat energy, evaporate and vaporize inside the evaporator, increase the temperature of the refrigerant through the operation of the compressor in the heat pump unit, and then convert the refrigerant from a vaporized state to a liquefied state through the condenser. During the conversion process, a large amount of heat is released and transferred to the reserve water in the water tank, causing the water temperature to rise and achieve the purpose of heating water. This is the unique feature of this product and the reason for its market potential.

Is it difficult to install a ground source heat pump central air conditioning system?

Most systems can easily achieve optimized design and installation, which can better reflect the true energy-saving and environmental protection effects in renovation projects. The end part of the ground source heat pump central air conditioning system is not much different from traditional central air conditioning systems. We can also choose to use fan coil units with fresh air or an all air system, or combine a small water ring layout with the ground source heat pump system.

How much room space is required for a ground source heat pump system?

There are three types of heat pump units for ground source heat pump systems: one is a small unit, which can be lifted inside the roof without occupying any indoor space when the cooling capacity of a single unit is not more than 25KW; One type is a large screw unit, with a single unit cooling capacity of generally several hundred kilowatts or more, which needs to be installed in a dedicated computer room; There is another type that falls between the two, where the units are generally installed in a dispersed manner inside the building, without occupying dedicated computer room space, but requiring a certain amount of indoor space. Overall, the land area occupied by ground source heat pump central air conditioning units is about one-third of that of traditional air conditioning.

How to understand "heat pump"? How many types of heat pumps are there?

The familiar "pump" is a mechanical device that can increase potential energy. For example, a water pump is mainly used to raise water level or increase water pressure, while a "heat pump" is a device that can obtain low-level heat from the air, water, or soil in nature, and output high-quality heat that can be used by people through electricity. It is an energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and clean heating and hot water equipment. Heat pump technology is a new energy technology that has attracted much attention worldwide in recent years. According to different heat sources, heat pumps can be divided into air source heat pumps, water source heat pumps, and ground source heat pumps.

What is air source heat pump technology?

Air source heat pump technology is an energy-saving and environmentally friendly heating technology based on the reverse Carnot cycle principle. The air source heat pump system obtains low-temperature heat source through natural energy (air heat storage), and after efficient heat collection and integration by the system, it becomes a high-temperature heat source, which is used for heating or hot water supply. The entire system has a very high heat collection efficiency.

How long is the history of air source heat pumps?

The air source heat pump technology was invented in 1924 and has not been fully recognized and applied by humans for a long time. It was not until the 1960s, after the global energy crisis, that it was given sufficient attention. The world economy continues to develop, and in order to leave energy and energy resources for future generations, attention must be paid to energy conservation and rational use. So countries around the world have increased their research and development efforts, promoted heat pump technology, and it has been widely applied in countries such as the United States, Australia, Switzerland, and Japan.

What is the principle of inverse Carnot cycle?

In 1820, French engineer Carnot constructed an ideal cycle between a heater and a condenser, consisting of two isothermal processes and two adiabatic processes, which later became known as the Carnot cycle. The reverse Carnot cycle is the inverse process of the Carnot cycle. Heat pumps use the principle of the reverse Carnot cycle to absorb a large amount of low-temperature heat energy from the air with very little electrical energy, which is then compressed into high-temperature heat energy to meet high energy consumption behaviors such as heating and providing hot water for daily life.

Why is air source heat pump not constrained by the energy conversion efficiency limit of 100%?

Air source heat pump technology is a technology that improves energy quality. It is not a process of energy conversion, so it is not limited by the energy conversion efficiency limit of 100%. Instead, it follows the inverse Carnot principle, and the ratio of the energy transported to the electrical energy driving the heat pump is called the coefficient of heating performance, also known as the coefficient of performance (COP). The higher the COP value, the more energy-efficient it is.

How to obtain a high COP value?

(1) The key player in the entire heat pump system is the heat carrier refrigerant, which is required to have not only the properties of a refrigerant, but also: ① a large unit of heat absorption and fast and abundant heat absorption and release;

② The evaporation temperature (the transition temperature point between the two states of refrigerant: liquid and gas) should be low (it can still absorb heat at -10 ℃);

③ At the same time as being able to generate hot water at 65 ℃, it is required that the critical pressure of the refrigerant be low, lower than the protection pressure of ordinary heat pump systems (2.6MPa) (compressor protection pressure 2.8MPa). Otherwise, if the pressure is too high, it will be detrimental to the compressor or cause it to enter high-pressure protection and cannot produce high-temperature hot water, and even the compressor may be damaged due to long-term operation under high pressure.

(2) Evaporators that require a larger heat exchange area, the larger the surface area in contact with air, the more heat they can transfer under the same conditions, resulting in higher energy efficiency compared to COP values and greater energy savings.

(3) The key component of the heat pump unit, the compressor, requires good performance indicators such as displacement, cooling capacity, energy efficiency ratio, and rotation rate, and must be matched with the entire system and the refrigerant used. Otherwise, the refrigerant will corrode the copper and damage the heat pump system.

(4) The refrigerant must be environmentally friendly.

What are the main criteria for distinguishing the quality of air source heat pumps?

Any product's indicators are not one, but diverse: ① Materials used ② Appearance and marketability ③ Geometric dimension perception ④ Packaging and transportation convenience ⑤ Installation reliability ⑥ Operating reliability ⑦ Economy ⑧ Operating life ⑨ Various technical indicators are evaluated based on comprehensive performance indicators. Air source heat pumps are large household durable goods that may not be replaced for over a decade once purchased at home. The material, technology, and process of air source heat pumps vary, and the length of their service life also varies. The compressor, insulation layer, inner liner, and accessories are the main factors affecting the lifespan of the heat pump.

How can an air source heat pump heat water above 45 ℃ when the air temperature is so low?

We usually think that heat always flows from high-temperature heat sources to low-temperature heat sources, and the temperature of air is only below 45 ℃, especially in the cold winter when it is impossible to directly heat water with air. However, the air source heat pump is equipped with a special device that can absorb low-temperature heat from the air and convert it into high-temperature heat, and use high-temperature heat to heat water to 55-60 ℃, with a maximum temperature of 65 ℃.

What if hundreds or more people are using it simultaneously?

The method of parallel connection of machines and adding a water storage tank can be used to solve the problem of peak water consumption. The larger the water consumption, the higher the efficiency of using an air source heat pump and the more economical it is.

Will the air source heat pump exhaust the hot water in the thermal storage tank?

Microcomputer controlled electromechanical integration, fully automatic operation for heating, water supply, and replenishment, available 24 hours a day. Air source heat pumps can continuously replenish water and provide a considerable amount of hot water. However, it should be noted that it is ultimately a water storage system, and if the hot water is drained in a short period of time, it will need to be reheated within the originally set time.

What are the advantages of heat pump units compared to other heating methods?

The heating of heat pump units is mainly reflected in high efficiency, energy conservation, environmental protection, and safety. No flammable or explosive gases, no electrical propulsion components, absolutely safe; No emissions of exhaust gas, wastewater, or waste residue, absolutely environmentally friendly. The average annual operating cost of heat pump units is only 1/4 of direct electricity heating, 1/3 to 1/2 of fuel and gas heating, and 1/1.5 of conventional solar energy heating. According to the daily requirement of 1 ton of 550C domestic hot water, the average cost of operating traditional hot water equipment for one year (based on a temperature rise of 400C)

How much does it cost to invest in a hotel with 300 rooms?

If we only consider the customer's water usage, the estimated investment for the main unit is over 300000 yuan. However, if we take into account other supporting facilities of the hotel, such as insulation for the swimming pool, sauna massage, and winter heating for the hotel or guest rooms, we need to add based on the actual heating capacity.