Optimistic News: The Coefficient of Performance of an Ideal Reversible Heat Pump
What is the coefficient of performance of an ideal reversible heat pump taking heat from the outside air at -14.0°C and discharging it into the house at 20.0°C?
The coefficient of performance of this heat pump is 8.61.
What is a Heat Pump?
The air source heat pump converts heat from the ambient air into a low-temperature liquid refrigerant. The pump compresses the liquid to raise its temperature using power. To release the heat it had been holding, it then condenses back into a liquid. Your underfloor heating system or radiators get heat.
What is meant by coefficient of performance?
The usable heating or cooling delivered to work (energy) needed ratio, also known as the coefficient of performance, or COP, of a heat pump, refrigerator, or air conditioning system. Higher efficiency, less energy (power) usage, and thus reduced operational costs are all related to higher COPs.
Answers:
The coefficient of performance of an ideal reversible heat pump taking heat from the outside air at -14.0°C and discharging it into the house at 20.0°C is 8.61.
The air source heat pump converts heat from the ambient air into a low-temperature liquid refrigerant. The pump compresses the liquid to raise its temperature using power. To release the heat it had been holding, it then condenses back into a liquid. Your underfloor heating system or radiators get heat.
The coefficient of performance, or COP, is a measure of the efficiency of a heat pump, refrigerator, or air conditioning system. Higher COP values indicate higher efficiency and lower energy usage, resulting in reduced operational costs.
Detailed Explanation:
In this scenario, we have an ideal reversible heat pump that is effectively transferring heat from the outside air at -14.0°C and releasing it into the house at 20.0°C. The coefficient of performance (COP) of this heat pump is calculated to be 8.61.
The COP is a crucial metric in evaluating the efficiency of a heat pump. It represents the ratio of the usable heating or cooling delivered to the work (energy) needed. In simpler terms, a higher COP value signifies that the heat pump can provide more heating or cooling output for a given amount of energy input, making it more efficient.
By converting the temperatures of the cold reservoir (-14.0°C) and hot reservoir (20.0°C) to Kelvin scale and applying the formula for COP, we arrive at a COP value of 8.61. This indicates that for every unit of energy consumed, the heat pump is capable of delivering 8.61 units of heating or cooling output.
Overall, the high COP value of 8.61 for this ideal reversible heat pump is a promising sign of its efficiency and effectiveness in heating the house while minimizing energy consumption. Understanding the concept of COP and its significance can help in choosing the most efficient heating and cooling systems for residential or commercial spaces.