Simplified heat pump models for energy performance evaluation

Heat pumps are one of the most prominent technologies in enhancing energy efficiency in air conditioning systems. As one of the best technologies to use when the source is of a low-quality energy source, which is usually the case for renewable sources, they rapidly became popular as the demand for sustainable energy sources increased. The performance of variable refrigerant flow heat pumps, however, is not an easy objective to calculate because, most of the time, the heat pump will not work in the design condition, which will result in a system with an oversized heat exchanger. Therefore, most of the approaches to do these calculations are based on numerical and empirical formulas, usually developed by the manufacturer and unavailable to the public user. This project aims to consider different methods to calculate the performance of a variable refrigerant heat pump in different working conditions. To this end, current methods developed for calculating part load performance are considered; some modifications and novel ideas were presented, and the possibility of integration into the currently available strategies for calculating heat pump performance in full load conditions was analyzed. This project aimed to explore the intricacies of calculating heat pump performance to advance energy-efficient air conditioning systems. The research findings and insights obtained have the potential to enhanc There has been a vast study on working conditions of the heat pumps, more commonly as a way to calculate the best set of temperatures at which the heat pump will be working. However, in the near past, the issue of controlling the performance of the heat pump was a trending problem to which some solutions has been given. One of the most significant and most popular control strategies for the heat pumps is using the variable refrigerant flow technology. This idea, adds a variable speed compressor to the typical heat pump cycle which can adapt to the situation so that the losses due to the on-off cycles will be avoided. The performance of variable refrigerant flow heat pumps, however is not an easy objective to calculate, because most of the time the heat pump will not work in the design condition which will result in a system with oversized heat exchanger. Therefore, most of the approaches to do this calculations are based on numerical and empirical formulas, which are usually developed by the manufacturer and they are not available to the public user. This project aims to consider different methods to calculate the performance a variable refrigerant heat pump in different working conditions. To this end, current methods that are developed for the calculation of part load performance are considered; some modifications and novel ideas were presented, and the possibility of integration to the current available strategies for calculation of heat pump performance in full load condition was analyzed. This project aimed to explore the intricacies of calculating heat pump performance, with the purpose of advancing energy-efficient air conditioning systems. The research findings and insights obtained have the potential to enhance the design, operation, and control of variable refrigerant flow heat pumps. This, in turn, can lead to more effective utilization of renewable energy sources and facilitate the transition towards sustainable energy solutions.