The design and operation of a heating-only heat pump has been investigated for residential use in the western Pacific Northwest where winter temperatures are mild and there is little need for summer air conditioning in residences. A unit optimized for these climatic characteristics can have a substantial energy conservation potential. This study had two main parts: (1) design, and (2) thermodynamic evaluation.

The design work optimized the energy performance of an air-to-air heating-only heat pump while satisfying cost constraints. This was performed by coupling an optimization algorithm to a detailed heat pump model. The resulting design has a COPH of 3.79 at 47 F (8.3°C) and is predicted to use much less energy than a typical commercial heat pump. All evaluations reported in the paper are based on models.

There has been no experimental evaluation of the unit. A thermodynamic availability analysis of the optimized unit was performed for the heat pump operating in a specified residence during a heating season. Irreversibilities evaluated from an hour-by-hour simulation are presented.

Units: Dual