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Study on energy-saving and defrosting characteristics of gas heat pump systems under various waste heat utilization conditions.

Author(s) : HAN L., XU Z., WANG H., LI Q.

Type of article: IJR article

Summary

Air-source gas engine-driven heat pumps (GHPs) in cold regions typically suffer from performance limitations due to insufficient waste heat utilization and inefficient defrosting processes. This study evaluates three waste heat utilization modes to enhance GHP energy-saving characteristics: (A) auxiliary heating, (B) indirect hotwater defrosting, and (C) direct hot-water defrosting . A combined methodology of thermodynamic modeling and experimental testing was employed to analyze system performance. Results indicate that System A achieves the highest Primary Energy Ratio (PER) of 1.6 at moderate temperatures (10 ◦C), demonstrating the benefits of auxiliary heating in mild climates. However, under severe frost conditions, System C proved superior. By directly supplying waste heat to the evaporator, System C reduced compressor power by up to 25%, shortened defrosting time by 20%, and decreased seasonal fuel consumption by 19%–28% compared to conventional operation. Conversely, System B exhibited the lowest Coefficient of Performance (COP). The study concludes that the direct integration of recovered waste heat into the evaporator (System C) offers the best balance of energy efficiency and defrosting effectiveness for cold-climate applications.

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Pages: 10 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Study on energy-saving and defrosting characteristics of gas heat pump systems under various waste heat utilization conditions.
  • Record ID : 30034608
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: International Journal of Refrigeration - Revue Internationale du Froid - vol. 184
  • Publication date: 2026/04
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2026.01.029

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