Analysis of the impact of different operating conditions on the performance of a reversible heat pump with domestic hot water production

This paper presents the mathematical modeling of a liquid-to-water heat pump with scroll compressor, brazed plate heat exchangers, additionally built-in liquid-vapor heat exchanger (LVHX) and a desuperheater for domestic hot water (DHW) production. The refrigerant is the zeotropic mixture R407C and the liquid used in the outdoor loop is a propylene-glycol water mixture. Developed mathematical model is validated on experimental data and used as a tool for the heat pump analysis. Simulation results are obtained for the effect of the degree of superheat at the evaporator outlet, the subcooling degree at the condenser outlet, the effect of using or not the LVHX and the effect of using or not the desuperheater for DHW for typical operating conditions of liquid-to-water heat pumps (EN-14,511-2, 2011) in the cooling and heating modes (low and medium temperature applications). Results show that the effect of the degree of superheat or the decision on the suitability of using or not a LVHX may be different for heat pumps that include or not a desuperheater for DHW. In particular, if DHW is a priority, the use of a LVHX is recommended because it leads to higher COP (or EER) values as well as to higher DHW heating powers.