IZMIR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Heat Pump Experiment
2012 2013 Fall
Thermodynamics & Heat Transfer Laboratory

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Aims of Heat Pump Apparatus:
a) To demonstrate the performance of a heat pump in both heating and cooling modes.
b) To demonstrate the process of air conditioning.
1.2. Objectives:
To achieve an understanding of the Second Law of Thermodynamics as applied to a heat
pump in both heating and cooling modes.
1.3. Experiments:
a) Production of heat balance for a heat pump;
In this experiment, it will be shown that the total energy transferring into and out of the
system is zero.
b) Verification of the Second Law of Thermodynamics;
The actual and ideal system calculations will be compared.
c) Study of the performance of a heat pump Apparatus;
Performance of ideal and actual systems will be calculated.

2. THEORETICAL OPERATION
This apparatus uses water as a source and air as a sink in heating mode, and water as a sink
and air as a source in cooling mode. In cooling mode, heat pump can be named as air cooler.
Figure 1 shows the theoretical circuit of apparatus in heating mode, drawing energy from the
circulating water and delivering it to the air. The compressor delivers refrigerant under
pressure and at high temperature to the refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger, where heat is
transferred to the air and the refrigerant condenses in the process. The refrigerant then passes
through a restriction tube to the low pressure side of the circuit and to the refrigerant-to-water
heat exchanger where it evaporates, taking up heat from the circulating water. It then returns
to the compressor.

Figure 1: Flow diagram in heating mode

Note: Energy flows in watts.

Figure 2 shows the theoretical circuit in cooling mode. The direction of flow is now reversed.
The refrigerant passes from the compressor to the refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger, where
it gives up heat to the cooling water, subsequently passing through the reducing valve to the
refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger, where it evaporates, and extracting heat from the air. When
the apparatus acts in cooling mode, the air is sometimes cooled to below the dew point and
condensate is deposited.

Figure 2: Flow diagram in cooling mode

3. CALCULATION
Notation

TERM
Diameter of Discharge Duct
Flow Rate of Discharge Air
Flow Rate of Circulating water
Density of Air at Discharge
Pitot tube Velocity Heat
Maximum Velocity in Discharge Duct
Mean Velocity in Discharge Duct
Pressures
Barometric Pressure
Mass Flow Rates
Dry Air
Condensate at Discharge
Circulating Water
Temperatures
Air at Inlet
Air at Discharge
Circulating Water at Inlet
Circulating Water at Discharge
Compressor-Heat Pump Discharge/Cooler Inlet
Compressor-Heat Pump Inlet/Cooler Discharge
Refrigerant to Water Heat Exchanger-Heat Pump Discharge
Refrigerant to Water Heat Exchanger-Heat Pump Inlet
Refrigerant to Air Heat Exchanger-Heat Pump Inlet
Refrigerant to Air Heat Exchanger-Heat Pump Discharge
Power Input
Refrigerator Compressor
Fan
Heat Quantities
Specific Heat of Water
Specific Heat of Air at Constant Pressure
Specific Enthalpy of Water Vapor
Specific Enthalpy of Condensate
Enthalpy Flow Rates
Dry Air Entering Conditioner
Water Vapor Entering Conditioner
Dry Air Leaving Conditioner
Water Vapor Leaving Conditioner
Condensate
Circulating Water at Inlet
Circulating Water at Outlet
Radiation and Stray Losses
Psychometric Data
Relative Humidity at Inlet
Density of Saturated Water Vapor at Inlet
Density of Dry Air at Inlet
Specific Humidity at Inlet
Ideal Heat Pump
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Power Input
Input From Cold Source
Output to Hot Sink

SYMBOL UNITS
m
D
V
m3 / s
L/h
L
a

kg / m 3

Hl
U

mmH 2 O
m/s
m/s

Pa

N / m2

ml

kg .s 1

m2

kg .s 1

m3

kg .s 1

T1
T2

K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K
K

T3

T4
T5
T6

T7
T8

T9
T10

EF

Watts
Watts

CW

J / kg 0C

CP
hv

J / kg 0C
J / kg

hW

J / kg

Q1
Q2

J /s
J /s
J /s
J /s
J /s
J /s
J /s
J /s

EC

Q3

Q4
Q5
Q6

Q7
Q8

w
a

W
q2
ql

kg / m 3
kg / m 3

J /s
J /s
J /s

In both heating and cooling modes, apparatus is operating as a reversed heat engine or heat
pump, since the ultimate effect is to transfer heat from one reservoir to another, normally at
higher temperature, using mechanical energy (work).
To evaluate the efficiency of the reversed heat engine, it is compared with the theoretical
reversible or Carnot engine, which is shown together with its temperature enthalpy diagram in
figure 3. This engine takes in heat isothermally at temperature Q 1, and rejects it isothermally
at a higher temperature Q2. The intervening processes are termed adiabatic and isentropic.

Figure 3: The ideal reversible engine.

The coefficient of performance of the machine, when operating as a heat pump, is defined
as:
CPH

q2
W

(1)

q1
W

(2)

And when operating as a refrigerator:

CPR

These equations also apply to a real machine operating between the same temperature limits,
but the numerical values will be less than those corresponding to the ideal reversible engine
for which:

CPH MAX

2
2 1

(3)

 CPR MAX

1
2 1

(4)

Note that in all cases:

CPH CPR 1

(5)

These equations indicate that, as the temperature difference between the cold source and the
hot sink is reduced, the coefficient of performance should increase; a given expenditure of
work permits the transfer of an increasing quantity of heat from the lower to the higher
temperature.
In a real machine, such as the unit fitted in this apparatus, the efficiency is less than ideal for
several reasons, of which the most important are:
a) Electrical and mechanical losses in the refrigerator motor and compressor.
b) The imperfection (irreversibility) of the refrigeration cycle itself.
c) The necessity for temperature differences between refrigerant and air, and between
refrigerant and water, as a result of which the refrigerant cycle operates between
substantially wider temperature limits than those applicable to the water and air
forming the source and sink.
d) Electrical and mechanical losses in the circulating fan.

Figure 4: The energy diagram of the apparatus.

The machine is shown diagrammatically in figure 4, which shows the various energy flows
through the system boundary. They are defined as below:
Enthalpy of dry air entering conditioner
Q1 m1C P T1

(6)

Enthalpy of water vapor entering conditioner

Q2 m1 hv

(7)

Enthalpy of dry air leaving conditioner

Q3 m1C P T2

(8)

Enthalpy of water vapor leaving conditioner

Q4 m1 m2 hv

(9)

Enthalpy of condensate
Q5 m 2 hw

(10)

Enthalpy of circulating water at inlet

Q6 m3T3 CW

(11)

Enthalpy of circulating water at outlet

Q7 m3T4 CW

(12)

Radiation and stray losses

Q8

Electrical input to fun

EF

The steady flow energy equation for the system may then be written:

Q6 Q7 EC E F Q3 Q4 Q5 Q1 Q2 Q8

(13)

The first term represents the heat supplied to the system from the circulating water. The
second term represents the electrical power input. The algebraic sum of these terms is equated
with the increase in enthalpy of the air and water vapor passing through the system, together
with the stray losses to the surroundings. The steady flow equation applies equally, with
appropriate changes of sign, when the machine is operating as a cooler.
When operating in heating mode, the coefficient of performance may be defined in two
different ways.

1. The overall of external coefficient is:

CPH E Q3 Q4 Q5 Q1 Q2
EC E F

(14)

The value for an ideal machine operating between the same mean temperatures is:
1
T1 T2
2

1
T1 T2 1 T3 T4
2
2

CPH MAX

(15)

The performance of the basic heat pump is not identical with the overall performance since
the energy supplied to the circulating fan is not chargeable to the heat pump proper and
appears in the discharge air in which the fan and motor are reversed.
2. This leads to an internal coefficient:

CPH 1

Q3 Q4 Q5 E F Q1 Q2
EC

(16)

This may be compared with an ideal performance based upon the temperature difference
across the heat pump circuit:

CPH 1

T10
T10 T8

(17)

Similarly, two different criteria may be recognized when the machine is operating as a cooler:

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5
EC E F

(18)

1
T1 T2
2

1
1
T1 T2 T3 T4
2
2

(19)

CPR E
Compared with the ideal:

CPR MAX

and;

CPR 1

Q3 Q4 Q5 E F Q1 Q2
EC

Compared with the ideal:

10

(20)

 CPR MAX

T10
T8 T10

(21)

In this case the thermal equivalent of the power supplied to the fan reduces the overall cooling
effect, since it is transferred to the cooled air on its way to the discharge duct.
The air flow through the conditioner is measured by means of a pitot tube mounted in the
centre of the discharge duct. The pressure of the air at this point is effectively equal to that of
the atmosphere, Pa , and its density a is given by the gas equation:
Pa
RT1
a

(22)

The velocity U , corresponding to a velocity head H 1 (in mmH 2 O ), as measured by the

pitot tube is given by:

aU 2
9.81H 1
2

(23)

H 1T2
Pa

(24)

Combining these two equations:

U 75.04

The mean velocity in the duct may be calculated by traversing the pitot tube across a
horizontal and vertical diameter and integrating to obtain the total flow.
Such a calibration for the present apparatus gives a value:
U 0.96U

(25)

The volumetric rate of flow in the duct, diameter D, is given by:

V

H 1T2
D 2
0.96 75.04
4
Pa

(26)

or, for D 0.073 m:

V 0.3014

H 1T2
Pa

11

(27)

The corresponding mass rate of flow is:

m1 0.00105

H 1 Pa
T2

(28)

The specific humidity of the air entering the conditioner is related to the relative humidity
as measured by the whirling hygrometer by the equation:

W
a

(29)

where W and a are the densities respectively of saturated water vapor and of air at inlet
conditions. The value of the former, together with the enthalpies of steam and water, may be
read from steam tables.

4. REPORT FORMAT
A brief description of what should be included in each of these sections is included below.

Introduction: Your introductory paragraphs must include:

- Objective: A single, concise statement of the major objective of the lab,
- Procedure: Include the information necessary to allow someone to repeat
what we did.

Observations and Results:

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Calculations will be made for heat pump and air cooler modes.
1.

Calculate mass flow rates of air and water in kg/s.

2.

Calculate enthalpy flow rates (Q1, Q2, ., Q8)

3.

Calculate the following coefficient of performance:

o The overall of external coefficient for real and ideal cases.
o The overall of internal coefficient for real and ideal cases.
o Write your comments on the results.

4.

Show the energy balance of the system:

o

Electrical energy to compressor motor

Electrical energy to fan motor

Heat from circulating water

Heat to/from air

Heat from condensed water vapour

Heat to/from surroundings.

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