Advanced exergetic analysis of a heat pump providing space heating in built environment

Abstract

In addition to conventional exergy-based methods, advanced exergetic analyses consider the interactions among components of the energy-conversion system and the real potential for improving each system component. The paper demonstrates the results of application of a detailed advanced exergetic analysis to a wastewater source heat pump providing space heating in the built environment. In order to determine thermodynamic parameters of the refrigeration vapour compression cycle in different operating modes, the simulation model has been used. The analysis includes splitting the exergy destruction within each component of a heat pump into unavoidable, avoidable, endogenous and exogenous parts as well as detailed splitting of the avoidable exogenous exergy destruction. Besides, variabilities of heating demands of a building within both the chosen heating season and also from year to year are taken into account. Distribution of the split exergy destructions during different periods of time is also presented for the analysed cases of the heat pump and built environment. It is shown that in the investigated system only about 50% of the total annual destruction in components of the heat pump can be avoided. About 30…40% of this avoidable thermodynamic inefficiency is caused by interactions among components. Based on the applied advanced exergetic analysis it is possible to receive more precise and useful information for better understanding and improving the design and operation of the analysed energy-conversion system.