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Renewable Energy and Climate Change, 2nd Edition, 2nd Edition
book

Renewable Energy and Climate Change, 2nd Edition, 2nd Edition

by Volker V. Quaschning
April 2019
Intermediate to advanced content levelIntermediate to advanced
352 pages
11h 34m
English
Wiley
Content preview from Renewable Energy and Climate Change, 2nd Edition, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 11Heat Pumps – From Cold to Hot

Due to the rise in oil and petrol prices during recent years and increasing public awareness of climate and pollution problems, alternatives such as wood pellet heating, solar thermal systems, and heat pumps are becoming more popular. Manufacturers of heat pump systems have recorded strong growth since 2000.

Yet, the whole principle behind the heat pump is far from modern. Lord Kelvin, a British physics professor, already proved this principle in 1852. He also established that a heat pump uses less primary energy to provide heat than a system that produces heat directly. A heat pump uses a heat source with low temperatures and increases it to a higher temperature (Figure 11.1). This process requires an electric, mechanical, or thermal drive.

The illustration shows the energy flow of the operating energy and low temperature heat across the heat pump to the thermal heat.

Figure 11.1 Energy flow with a heat pump process.

11.1 Heat Sources for Low-Temperature Heat

A heat pump is basically a machine in which a mechanically or electrically driven pump generates heat from a low-temperature source. This heat is then used to provide space heating or to produce hot water. Before a heat pump can even function, a low-temperature source must be available. The higher the temperature level of the heat source, the more efficiently the heat pump can work.

The following heat sources are available for homes (Figure 11.2):

  • Groundwater (water/water);
  • Ground, ground heat exchanger/collector ...
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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9781119514862Purchase book