The guidelines for the appliance energy efficiency standards currently being implemented by the U.S. Department of Energy indicate that more extensive testing of heat pumps will be required. However, the guidelines also allow for the use of computer programs to generate rating information in some cases. A Heat Pump: Simulation Model (HPSM), currently under development, by the authors, has potential as a tool for reducing the amount of testing needed to meet the guidelines. Although the compressor simulation routine described in this paper is for this HPSM, it may be used with other heat pump models as well.

In order to generate steady-state heat pump rating information with a minimum of experimental data, the HPSM has a compressor routine that uses data available from manufacturers compressor maps and applies corrections for operation at evaporator superheatlevels that differ from those used in generating the maps. The performance of other components of the heat pump must be simulated by the model used with this compressor routine. The authors based the HPSM on the Oak Ridge, Heat Pump Model which was chosen for its availability and comprehensive component modeling characteristics. Compressor routines used in heat pump models are described in the open literature. Since these compressor routines, as well as the original compressor routine of Refs 2, 3, 4, were not suitable for the present purpose, the decision was reached to develop a new compressor model, for the HPSM.