How A Heat Pump Works; Technology In And Around The Heat Pump - IVT Optima 1000 Assembly, Commissioning And Maintenance Manual

How a heat pump works

How a heat pump works
The heat pump collects heat from the outdoor air
The heat pump Optima represents a new generation of heat pumps from
IVT Industrier. The heat pump has been manufactured for easy and reliable
use as well as to provide your house with inexpensive and environment
friendly heating. The easiest way to describe how a heat pump works is to
say it works like a refrigerator, however, the other way round. In a refrigera-
tor heat is moved from the inside to the outside. In a heat pump the heat, in
the outdoor air, is moved into the house. The Optima heat pump is therefore
positioned on the outside of your house. The heat, which can always be
found in the air even when below zero, is converted by a compressor, heat
exchanger and condenser to hot water that heats your home. The heat
pump can also produce domestic hot water. However, this requires a hot
water heater to be connected to the system.

Technology in and around the heat pump

The heat pump consists of four main parts:
1. Evaporator
Evaporates the refrigerant to gas and at the same time transfers the
heat from the air to the refrigerant circuit.
2. Condenser
Condenses the gas to fluid again and transfers the heat to the heating
system.
3. Expansion valve
Lowers the pressure of the refrigerant.
4. Compressor
Increases the pressure of the refrigerant.
These four main parts are linked in two closed circuits. A refrigerant
circulates in the heat pump, which in some parts of the circuit is in a liquid
state and in other parts in a gas state. Read more about the properties of the
refrigerant in the sidebar to the right.
See the detailed description of the technologies used in the heat pump on
the next page.
Boiling point in relation to the
pressure
The boiling point of different liquids
varies with pressure, the higher the
pressure, the higher the boiling point.
For example, water boils at +100ºC at
normal pressure. Double the pressure
and water boils at +120ºC. Half the
pressure and water then boils at +80ºC.
The refrigerant in the heat pump acts in
the same way, the boiling point changes
when the pressure changes. However,
the boiling point of the refrigerant
is as low as approximately -40ºC at
atmospheric pressure. Consequently,
it is also suitable for low heat source
temperatures.
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Note