A heat pump is a device that transfers heat from a lower-temperature substance or space to a higher-temperature space, and it is a device that allows the original heat to be transferred in the opposite direction. Heat can be spontaneously transferred from high-temperature objects to low-temperature objects, but not in the opposite direction, while heat pumps can first obtain low-grade heat energy from natural air, water, or soil, and work through one part of electricity, and then provide people with high-grade heat that can be utilized. The types of heat pumps can be divided into air-to-water heat pumps, water-source heat pumps, and ground-source heat pumps according to the source of heat.
The air source heat pump is the most widely used and popular heat pump. This article focuses on air-source heat pumps.
Water source heat pump
Generally, the superficial groundwater buried below 20 meters of the surface can be maintained at about the annual average temperature of the region all year round, and it is an ideal natural source of cold and heat. The water source heat pump system is an energy-saving HVAC system that uses the characteristics of groundwater(groundwater, rivers, lakes, ocean, etc.), and it can be divided into "open-loop system" and "closed-loop system".
A closed-loop system pipes a mixture of water and antifreeze to a water source, such as a lake, where it flows through coils or heat exchange plates in the water, exchanging heat with the water. The heated mixture is then piped to a heat pump and exchanged heat with the refrigerant.
In an open loop system, water is extracted from the source and piped directly to the heat pump, which then exchanges the heat with the refrigerant and returns the water to the source. As this involves extraction and discharge from water sources, an extraction permit and a discharge permit from the local environment agency may be required. Therefore, before installing ground source geothermal heat, it is necessary to know whether the conditions of the local water source and the geological structure of the site are suitable for drilling wells to extract water and use.
Ground source heat pump
Geothermal heat pump, also known as ground source heat pump. Beneath the surface of the earth, the temperature is a constant 50 to 60 F (10 to 15.56℃), a natural and everlasting source of heat, and the ground source heat pump takes advantage of this constant heat source by transferring and concentrating the heat to provide users with space heating, cooling, and domestic hot water. In short, if you want to get the heat from the surface's earth, you need to dig a well with a depth of 10 to 20m³(Depth depends on local geology and geothermal conditions).
Ground source heat pump principle
The figure shows that the air from the living space is flowing into the system and has heat added to, or taken from it. This heat is then either deposited (if the air is warmer than desired) in the ground. If the air is cooler than desired, heat is taken from the ground.
Air Source Heat Pump
The principle of the air source heat pump is opposite to the working principle of an air conditioner, it uses one part of electricity power to drive the compress, and then absorbs up to 4 parts of free heat from the outside air, the final output can be up to 4parts of heat to heat the swimming pools, radiators, underfloor heating systems, or warm air convectors and hot water in your home. It can get heat from the air even when the temperature is as low as -30℃. The heat they extract from the ground, air, or water is constantly being renewed naturally, saving you on fuel costs and reducing harmful CO2 emissions.
