Share

IIR document

Performance comparisons for variable-speed ductless and single-speed ducted residential heat pumps.

Author(s) : CHEUNG H., BRAUN J. E.

Type of article: Article, IJR article

Summary

Residential variable-speed ductless heat pump (DHP) systems are claimed to operate more efficiently than conventional single-speed ducted systems because of fewer on-off cycles and smaller fan power consumption. However, few methods exist for quantifying the energy-saving benefits of DHP technology because of complicated and proprietary control strategies employed in the DHP system. In this paper, a model in the literature is used to assess the energy savings relative to a baseline ducted system with the same heat exchangers and rated capacities. Process efficiencies are introduced to highlight the sources for differences in performance between systems. Analyses of process efficiencies at different building loads and ambient temperatures show that DHP systems perform better than conventional systems primarily because of lower fan power consumption associated with the use of variable-speed fans. Greater benefits exist at lower heating loads because of lower air flow requirements and the cubic dependence of fan power on flow. In contrast, conventional heat pumps typically operate with on/off fans. Heating seasonal performance factors (HSPF) were determined for different climatic regions and the DHP system was found to perform 22%–107% better than a conventional system, depending on the climate.

Available documents

Format PDF

Pages: 15-25

Available

  • Public price

    20 €

  • Member price*

    Free

* Best rate depending on membership category (see the detailed benefits of individual and corporate memberships).

Details

  • Original title: Performance comparisons for variable-speed ductless and single-speed ducted residential heat pumps.
  • Record ID : 30012490
  • Languages: English
  • Source: International Journal of Refrigeration - Revue Internationale du Froid - vol. 47
  • Publication date: 2014/11

Links


See other articles in this issue (14)
See the source

Indexing