Experiment 1

Heat Pump

Abstract

The heat pump experiment was performed to collect temperature, pressure, flow rate, and
power data from the Hylton Air and Water Heat Pump. These data were used to calculate
heat transfer in the system and overall performance values of the heat pump system.

The experiment began by adjusting the heat pump to the correct operating
parameters. The amount of power required to operate the compressor was then recorded.
Temperature, pressure, and mass flow rate were determined for both refrigerant and water at
multiple locations on the heat pump. These values were read from either a digital display or
an analog display depending on what was to be measured.

The data recorded was then used, along with a pressure-enthalpy diagram and a
temperature table of R-134 refrigerant, to determine the enthalpy. Knowing the enthalpy at
each stage of the heat pump cycle it was possible to determine the heat transfer in the
evaporator, condenser, and compressor. The calculated enthalpies were analyzed and
determined to reasonable for the operating conditions. Slight differences can be contributed
to a small amount of heat being lost to the surroundings of the heat pump. There may also
have been minor errors in taking readings from the analog equipment.

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Objective

The purpose of the heat pump experiment was to determine the performance values of the
Hylton Air and Water Pump System. This was done by taking readings at the four basic
components of the system: the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. The
readings were taken so it could be determined where work was put in and where heat was
added or removed. These values allowed for the calculation of the heat pump efficiency and
the coefficient of performance.

Introduction

Heat pumps are devices that move heat in a direction that is opposite of spontaneous flow.
This means that a heat pump moves heat from a location with a cooler temperature to another
location with a warmer temperature. The term heat pump can be used to describe a device
that heats or cools a given location. Heat pumps can be used in a variety of applications
including refrigeration, air conditioning, and heating. The function of heating or cooling is
determined by the conditions of the environment and where the heat is released by the heat
pump.

The heat pump unit covers the following areas of heating and refrigeration engineering;

- Familiarization with the basic construction of heat pump.

Components of thermal engines, heat pumps and refrigeration system;
Familiarization with cyclic processes;
Working with p-h diagrams;
- Basics of refrigeration engineering.

Theory

The basic functions of a thermodynamic cyclic process.

In a thermodynamic cycle process a service medium (e.g. R 134a) passes through various
changes of state in a pre-set sequence. The changes of state are repeated cyclically, so the
service medium repeatedly returns to its initial state. That is why the process is termed a
cyclic process (Fig. 1).

Change of state refers to compression, expansion, heating or cooling:

- Compression means absorption of mechanical energy

- Expansion means discharge of mechanical energy
- Heating means absorption of thermal energy heat
- Cooling means discharge of thermal energy
Expansion
Compression

Heat absorption

Heat discharge
Figure 1.1 : Cyclic process for the Refrigeration

In a change of state without heat discharge is termed an isentropic change of state (the
specific entropy remains constant), a change of state is termed an adiabatic change of state.

In pure compression and expansion without heat discharge or absorption (isentropic or

adiabatic respectively), the necessary mechanical energy W1-2 for the change of state from
state 1 to state 2 is calculated as

R
W1 2 m (T1 T2 )
1 (1)
or
R
W1 2 m ( p v p2 v2 )
1 1 1 (2)

pv
R
Where, T , from the equation of state.
= the isentropic index
m = the mass of the gas.

For isochoric heating or cooling (i.e. same volume, but increasing or decreasing
temperature) the following applies for input or output heat quantity Q1-2

Q1-2 = m Cv(T2 T1) (3)

Cv is the specific heat capacity of the gas under observation at constant volume. A
distinction between two types of specific heat capacity:

- Heating from T1 and T2 causes the pressure increase, the volume remain constant:
Cv

- The heating brings about an increase in volume, the pressure remains constant: Cp

From the specific heat capacity the isentropic expansion:

Cp
= Cv (4)

In reality, ideal gases are practically never encountered. The observation of changes of
state with liquids or vapours as with common service products (e.g. refrigerant) for heat
pumps is much more complicated, and uses other state variable such as energy or enthalpy,
with the aid of caloric state equations.

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 In a heat pump the cyclic process is run through an reverse order. The direction of
heat flow is also in reversed. Refer the Temperature vs entropy diagram in Fig.2.

A compressor compresses the vapour, whereby mechanical energy Win is absorbed (1 2).
In the condenser the Qout is drawn off from the refrigerant (at the same temperature) and the
medium is liquefied (2 3).
In an expansion valve pressure is relieved from the liquid refrigerant, thereby cooling it
down (3 4).
An evaporator evaporates the refrigerant, with heat absorption (4 1).

4 1

s
s1 = s 2
Fig. 1.2: T-s diagram for the refrigeration cycle.

Defined and measured variables:

4
 t = Time in seconds
m = water quantity per water vessel
php = Pressure upstream of the condenser
plp = Pressure at the inlet into the compressor
Thp = Temperature of water being heated from thermometer
Tlp = Temperature of water delivering heat from thermometer
Thb = Temperature of refrigerant at upstream of the condenser from gauge
Tcb = Temperature of refrigerant at the inlet into the compressor from gauge

The resulting heat delivered to the water being heated between two state 1 (at the
beginning) and state 2 (at the point of measurement) is

Qout mCP Thp 2 Thp1

= (2.1)

with Cp = 4.19 kJ/kg K specific heat capacity of water.

The output heat power (useful heat flow) is thus

*
Qout
Q out = t (2.2)

The input power is composed of the input mechanical Pin (140 W to the compressor)
and the heat power drawn from the cold water in the vessel Q (in the case of a refrigerator
the cold output).

Apparatus

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- Heat pump demonstrator
-Thermometer
-Timer

Procedure

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The two vessels were filled with water with the room temperature and the mass of water and
water temperature with two laboratory thermometers in each vessel were measured.

The compressor was switched on.

The measured values were recorded and plotted on the work sheet for 1, 130, 140, 150
seconds.

- The Compressor was switched off for 10 minutes and the procedure was repeated as
above for each reading for finding the average value.

Result/Calculation
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 Water vessel content: 500 ml

Time Php Plp Thp Tlp Thb Tcb

No. (sec) (bar) (bar) (C) (C) (C) (C)
1 0 1.8 0 0 0 26.2 26.2
2 240 0.6 34 34 -16 26.3 25.8
3 480 0.6 36 36 -15 27.2 23.9
4 720 0.8 40 40 -12 29 22
5 960 0.9 42 42 -12 31.2 20.4

Table 1: Measured variables

Stage Interval php Log php plp Log plp

(Sec) (Sec) (bar) (Pa) (bar) (Pa)
0 0 2.00 5.3010 1.80 4.2553
1-240 240 7.58 5.8797 0.60 3.7782
241-480 240 8.58 5.9335 0.60 3.7782
481-720 240 9.80 5.9912 0.80 3.9031
721-960 240 18.00 6.2553 0.90 3.9542

m = 0.5 kg
Cp = 4910J/kgK
Pin = 120 Watt

Sample calculation:

Compressor,

Win=140 W Condensor
Stage Interval x tinterval Thp2-Thp1, Qout
(Sec) (Sec) (Joule) (K) (Joule)
0 0 0 0.00 0.0000
1-240 240 28800 34.00 296.7917
241-480 240 28800 2.00 17.4583
481-720 240 28800 4.00 34.9167
721-960 240 28800 2.00 17.4583

Sample calculation:
m
Qout Cp (Thp2 Thp1)
t

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 Compressor,

Win=140 W Evaporator
Stage Interval x tinterval Tlp1-Tlp2, Qin
(Sec) (Sec) (Joule) (K) (Joule)
0 0 0 0.00 0
1-240 240 28800 16.00 139.6667
241-480 240 28800 -1.00 -8.7292
481-720 240 28800 -3.00 -26.1875
721-960 240 28800 0.00 0.0000

Sample calculation :
m
Qin Cp (Tlp1 Tlp2 )
t

273 To convert temperature to K

Pressure Temp. Temp. Enthalphy

State (bar) (oC) (K) (kJ/kg)
1, before
compression 0.90 20.4 293.4
2, after
compression 18.00 31.2 304.2
3, after
condensation 18.00 - 273
4, before
evaporation 0.90 - 273
The temperatures after condensation and before evaporation are not required.
The enthalpy values and temperatures were obtained from R134a p-h graph

Sample calculation

W12=h2-h1 Q1=h1-h4 Q2=h3-h2 COPref COPhp

Sample calculation:
Q out
COP hp
W in

h3 h 2
COP hp
h 2 h1
Q in
COP ref
W in

h1 h 4
COP ref
h 2 h1 9
10
Discussion

COP or coefficient of performance is a measure of the efficiency of a heat pump. The heat
pump used in the experiment had a COP greater than 1 which is 3.26 and that means at this
condition, 3.26 kJ of heat energy could be extracted from the system with the input of 1kJ of
work. Efficiency can never be greater than 1% but here COP is above 1 because COP is not a
percentage its just a coefficient so by definition it should be greater than 1

Although the collection of data, and the calculations were performed with the utmost of care, the values
obtained from the actual refrigerator will not be equal to those of the ideal refrigerator.
The differences may be associated with the accuracy of the measuring equipment, and the methods used,
which would impact the calculated COP values. In the calculations, the data used were actual field
measurements.

However, the calculations used in the classroom are performed with the ideal refrigerator, where reasonable
assumptions are made. In an effort to make calculations easier, one of the assumptions made is that there
are no irreversibilitys, which will result in a greater COP values. Thus, discussion will also include the
evaluation of the apparatus for areas where possible sources of error may have arisen.

Measurement Equipment
The measurement equipment used in the laboratory consisted of the thermometer for measuring
temperature; Bourdon gages to measure pressure of the refrigerant, analogue voltmeter and ammeter to
measure voltage and amperage into the apparatus.

Both the condenser and the evaporator refrigerant temperature were measured with a thermometer.
Both devices had an opening from the top where the thermometer could be placed into the opening with
a diameter slightly greater than that of the thermometer and a depth of less than the thermometer length.
The thermometer is never in contact with the refrigerant, but is separated by the inner wall of the device.

Thus, the heat transfer must occur between the refrigerant, inner wall of the device, and the pocket of air
surrounding the thermometer, to have an effect on the thermometer. Thus, reduced and increased
temperatures result, with direction depending on the temperature of the
environment.

The same variation occurs in the measurement of the inlet and outlet temperatures of the flow water for
both the heat transfer devices. To countermeasure this affect, the use of thermometer that is actually in
the fluid to be measured will eliminate the above.

To ensure accurate data, the thermometer must be read correctly. The thermometer fluid must be allowed
to settle prior to taking a measurement. The reading of the measurement is also critical since the
temperature must be read from the bottom of the meniscus. It should be noted that to read the temperature
e of the condenser and the evaporator, the thermometer must be removed from the opening of the device
to read the scale. Which would have allowed the temperature to try to return to room temperature.

Since the scale was readable for the water temperature, removal of thermometer was not required for them. T
incorporating the thermometer into the fluid (without disturbing the fluid flow) and allowing the
temperature scale to readable without removing it, perhaps a digital readout of the temperature.

Pressure of the refrigerant was obtained from the analogue Bourdon gage. To ensure accurate readings,
the readings should be taken directly in front of the gage, and not from an angle. The same is true of the
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voltage and current gage.

To ensure accurate readings gages should be calibrated in accordance with the manufacturers
recommendations.

Variations in Actual and Ideal (Textbook) Results

As mentioned earlier, differences from the actual and the ideal results of a refrigeration cycle are due
to the assumptions made. Calculations with the ideal refrigeration cycle include the following,

Irreversibilitys within the evaporator, condenser, and compressor are ignored

No frictional pressure drops

Refrigerant flows at constant pressure though the two heat exchangers

Stray heat losses to the surroundings are ignored

Compression process is isentropic

On the other hand, the data used for the calculations were from actual field measurements (taking into
consideration irreversibilitys, pressure drops due to friction, non constant pressure across heat
exchangers), but the calculations were made with the above assumptions except the compression
process was not assumed to be isentropic. Thus the entropy difference across the compressor at state
points one and two reflects the entropy generated due to the irreversibilitys.

Thus the actual enthalpy and temperature at state two will always be greater than the enthalpy and
temperature at state 2 for the ideal process (isentropic). This results in a greater amount of work to be
applied to the working fluid in comparison to the isentropic case. Since COP is defined as the benefit over
the cost, increasing the work will decrease the COP. Hence the actual COP will be less than the COP
obtained for the ideal system. In the ideal system, the following equation will be true,

with the assumptions made above. However, in the actual scenario, the equality does not hold due
irreversibilitys. A method to quantitatively compare the actual and ideal cycles would be with the thermal
efficiency. Similar to the COP, thermal efficiency will also be less for the actual then the ideal cycle.
A simple comparison calculation would be the percentage decrease in thermal efficiency of the actual
versus the ideal cycle.

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Error

During the acquisition of temperatures, thermocouple errors may have influence the majority
of errors in this investigation. The zeroth law of thermodynamics allows one to relate the
energy transfer from one object to another and quantify any changes in transfer to another
body. Using this method has its limitations as temperature, which is a measure of average
kinetic energy of molecules can never be exact. For an accurate temperature measurement
one would require a sensor or thermometer which is calibrated and consistent within the
ranges of operation. Although sufficient time was allowed for the

system to reach thermal equilibrium with the sensors, electronic errors such as switch
contacts and increased resistance during longer operating times may have played a role in the
accumulation of errors. Pressure inconsistency, vibrations and minor leakages may have
influenced incorrect pressure readings at the tapping points. The pressure readings were
measured in gauge pressure; however absolute pressure is required in calculations, which
was assumed to be 1 Bar but is actually 1.01325 Bar at sea level in international standards.
The difference here is minor but this must be considered for refrigeration plants which
operate at alternating altitudes and whether conditions such as aircraft air conditioning units.

Furthermore, calculations involving the power input may be incorrect as a flashing indicator
light is used to calculate the power input; this requires circuitry to conclude unit intervals of
energy delivery. This method could also be validated with an electromagnetic disk rotating in
a magnetic field caused by the flow of current flowing into the motor.

Alternatively, by introducing a Hall Effect sensor on the power cord to later work out the
power input with current and other known electrical properties. The amount of time allocated
for the system to reach steady state was approximately 20-25 minutes which is sufficient in
order to pass through bubbles of the refrigerant.

However, a collection of liquefied refrigerant may have developed in the lower sections of
some plumbing work or bubbles within the top sections within the tanks and other areas and
thus providing a false indication of the actual flow rate. The flow rate could be observed
again towards the end of the experiment to confirm that the flow rate is steady at the
value previously recorded.

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Conclusion

Any heat pump has an ideal coefficient of performance (COP). But in reality, the coefficient
of performance is less than the ideal value, and this is because of multiple reasons that cause
inaccuracy or losses in the system, such as mechanical or electrical losses in the fan or the
compressor, or errors in measuring devices, especially when acquiring the wet bulb
temperature (WBT).

In the above experiment, the thermodynamic cycle of vapor compression heat pump and
refrigerator were studied. The heat pump worked on a vapor-compression cycle in which the
refrigerant flew through four processes:

a) Evaporation at low pressure and temperature.

b) Compression to high pressure.
c) Condensation at high pressure and temperature.
d) Expansion by throttling from high pressure to low pressure.

By knowing two variables it was possible to obtain the value of the third unknown and for
this purpose the pressure-enthalpy diagram was used.

The experiment was made upon three assumptions:

1-It was assumed that the refrigerant flowrate and the property values were steady, so SFEE
was valid.
2- Reasonably it was assumed that KE and PE were negligible and equal to zero.
3- Assumed that heat transfer in compressor was zero and negligible.

References

HTTP://WWW.ME.GATECH.EDU/ENERGY/ANDY_PHD/ONE.HTM#F11
HTTP://WWW.PERSONAL.PSU.EDU/FACULTY/D/H/DHJ1/CLASSES/THERMO/CHAP
TER7.HTML HTTP://WWW.P-A-HILTON.CO.UK/R514L.EDITION.2-GREY.PDF

Ceng,.,Chapter10 http://www.wtb.tue.nl/woc/ptc/education/4P570/HP.pdf

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