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Basics - OpenEnergyMonitor 0.0.1 Documentation

The document provides information on heat transfer calculations and heat pump efficiency. It gives two examples of calculating heat output of a heat pump based on flow rate and temperature difference. It also discusses using the Carnot COP equation to estimate a heat pump's efficiency given condenser and evaporator temperatures. Two examples are given of calculating the expected COP for different flow temperatures. Finally, it discusses calculating heat output from radiators at varying water temperatures.

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h2oo2h
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34 views

Basics - OpenEnergyMonitor 0.0.1 Documentation

The document provides information on heat transfer calculations and heat pump efficiency. It gives two examples of calculating heat output of a heat pump based on flow rate and temperature difference. It also discusses using the Carnot COP equation to estimate a heat pump's efficiency given condenser and evaporator temperatures. Two examples are given of calculating the expected COP for different flow temperatures. Finally, it discusses calculating heat output from radiators at varying water temperatures.

Uploaded by

h2oo2h
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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 / Learn: Heat pumps / Basics

Basics

Mass flow rate heat transfer

heat transfer (W) = specific heat (J/kg.K) x flow rate (kg/s) x DT (K)

Where:

DT = Difference in temperature between flow and return

Example calculation 1: Heat output of a heat pump from measured flow rate and flow and
return temperature
(e.g heat metering).

The flow rate is 15 Litres/minute, the flow temperature is 35°C and return temperature 30°C.
The system fluid is plain water with a specific heat of 4200 J/kg.K. What is the heat output
from the heat pump?

1. Convert 15 Litres/minute into kg/s by dividing by 60 seconds giving 0.25 kg/s.

2. Calculate DT, the difference in temperature between flow and return, 35°C - 30°C = 5
Kelvin (K).

2. Plug the numbers into the mass flow rate heat transfer equation:

heat output (W) = specific heat (J/kg.K) x flow rate (kg/s) x DT (K)
heat output (W) = 4200 J/kg.K x 0.25 kg/s x 5K = 5250 W

The heat output from the heat pump at this particular moment in time is 5.25 kW.

Example calculation 2: Required flow rate for a given heat pump heat output and design DT

We are designing a heat pump system with a maximum output of 8.5 kW, the system fluid is
plain water with a specific heat of 4200 J/kg.K and we are targetting a DT of 5K. What is the
required flow rate to transfer this heat.
Rearranging the mass flow rate heat transfer equation to give flow rate:

flow rate (kg/s) = heat output (W) / (specific heat (J/kg.K) x DT (K))
= 8500 W / (4200 J/kg.K x 5K) = 0.4 kg/s

Multiply by 60s to get Liters/minute: 0.4 kg/s x 60s = 24 L/min.

Multiply by 3600s / 1000 L/m3 to get m3/hr: 0.4 kg/s x 3600s / 1000 kg/m3 = 1.44 m3/hr

Useful links

Calculators by John Cantor


Heating Simulator by John Cantor

Carnot COP equation


The expected efficiency of a heat pump can be estimated using the carnot COP equation. The
correlation between monitored COP with full electric and heat metering and the results from
using the carnot COP equation can be suprisingly close.

Results will be more accurate when the heatpump is nearer steady sate conditions as it does
not take into account startup and heatup times of the heatump and dhw system or heatpump
defrost cycles. Other factors are also important such as the heat pump compressors
efficiency curve.

1. Calculate the refrigerant condensing temperature (hot side) as the flow temperature plus
an 2K (approximate difference)

T_condensing = T_flow + 2K

2. Calculate the refrigerant evaporating temperature (cold side) as the external temperature
minus 6K (approximate difference)

T_evaporating = T_ambient - 6K

3. Calculate the Carnot COP

Carnot_COP = (T_condensing + 273) / ((T_condensing+273) – (T_evaporating + 273))


Where T_condensing and T_evaporating are in degrees Celsius. The +273 converts Celsius to
Kelvin.

4. Calculate the practical COP

Practical_COP = 0.5 x Carnot_COP (a real-life heat pump achieves about 50% its 'ideal'
efficiency)

The correction factor of 0.5 will vary from heat pump to heat pump depending on the
efficiency of each thermodynamic process going on inside the heatpump.

Example calculation 1: What COP might we expect from a heat pump during typical UK
January temperatures when the flow temperature is 35°C?

T_condensing = T_flow + 2K = 35°C + 2K = 37°C


T_evaporating = T_ambient - 6K = 6°C - 6K = 0°C
Carnot_COP = (T_condensing + 273) / ((T_condensing+273) – (T_evaporating + 273))
= (37°C+273K) / ((37°C+273K) - (0°C+273K)) = 8.4
Practical_COP = 0.5 x Carnot_COP = 0.5 x 8.4 = 4.2

The carnot COP equation suggests with our practical efficiency and offset assumptions that
we might expect a COP of 4.2 from our heat pump.

Example calculation 2: What COP might we expect from a heat pump during typical UK
January temperatures when the flow temperature is 45°C?

T_condensing = T_flow + 2K = 45°C + 2K = 47°C


T_evaporating = T_ambient - 6K = 6°C - 6K = 0°C
Carnot_COP = (T_condensing + 273) / ((T_condensing+273) – (T_evaporating + 273))
= (47°C+273K) / ((47°C+273K) - (0°C+273K)) = 6.8
Practical_COP = 0.5 x Carnot_COP = 0.5 x 6.8 = 3.4

We can see that by increasing the flow temperature from 35°C to 45°C we have dropped our
COP from 4.2 to 3.4. If our electricity unit price is 34 p/kWh this makes the difference
between heat delivered at 8.1 p/kWh and 10 p/kWh.

Useful links

COP Estimator by John Cantor


Radiator output
A standard 1200mm x 600mm K2 radiator has a rated heat output of 2112W at a difference
in temperature between the mean water temperature of the radiator and the room
temperature of 50 Kelvin.

The mean water temperature at this rated output is therefore 70°C. (The standard test
procedure for radiators manufactured in Europe is given by the BS EN442 standard. Under this
standard the temperature of the water going to the radiator (the flow temperature) is set to 75C,
the room is set to 20C and then the flow rate is adjusted until the return temperature is 65C)

These temperatures are much higher than those that we would target with a heat pump for
efficient low cost operation and higher than the maximum temperatures that many heat
pumps can achieve.

The carnot COP equation above suggests that a heat pump would only achieve a COP of 2.3
at a flow temperature of 75°C (If this temperature could even be achived).

The heat output of a radiator at different water temperatures can be calculated with the
following equation:

Delta_T = Mean water temperature (MWT) - Room temperature

Heat_output = Rated_Heat_Output x (Delta_T / Rated_Delta_T) ^ 1.3

Example calculation 1: We target a flow temperature of 35°C and return temperature of


30°C from our heat pump. This gives a mean water temperature (MWT) of (35°C+30°C)/2 =

32.5°C . What is the heat output at this MWT from a 1200mm x 600mm K2 radiator which
has a rated heat output of 2112W at DT50?

Delta_T = Mean water temperature (MWT) - Room temperature


= 32.5°C - 20°C = 12.5K
Heat_output = Rated_Heat_Output x (Delta_T / Rated_Delta_T) ^ 1.3
= 2112W x (12.5K / 50K) ^ 1.3 = 348W

Our radiator is now only giving 16% of the rated heat output!

Example calculation 2: When we size radiators we need to match the heat output of the
radiator/s with the heat requirement for the room it is heating at a design outside
temperature and room temperature.
Lets say our room requires 1500W at a design outside temperature of -3°C and a room
temperature of 20°C. We set the weather compensation curve for the heat pump to target a
flow temperature of 45°C at this minimum design outside temperature. The return
temperature is 40°C. How many 1200mm x 600mm K2 radiator’s do we need to meet the
heat demand of this room?

Mean water temperature (MWT) = (45°C + 40°C) / 2 = 42.5°C

Delta_T = Mean water temperature (MWT) - Room temperature


= 42.5°C - 20°C = 22.5K
Heat_output = Rated_Heat_Output x (Delta_T / Rated_Delta_T) ^ 1.3
= 2112W x (22.5K / 50K) ^ 1.3 = 748W

Each 1200mm x 600mm K2 radiator would output ~750W at these temperatures, we would
therefore require 2x of these radiators to meet the heat requirement.

The carnot COP equation above would suggest a COP of 2.9 at a flow temperature of 45°C
and outside temperature of -3°C.

Example calculation 3: The weather warms to typical UK January outside temperatures of


6°C, the heat requirement for the room has now reduced to 913W to keep the room at 20°C.
What is the flow temperature required in our two radiators to meet this lower heat
requirement with a dT of 5K between flow and return?

Delta_T = (Heat_output / Rated_Heat_Output)^(1/1.3) x Rated_Delta_T


Delta_T = (913W / (2112W x 2))^(1/1.3) x 50K = 15.4K

Mean water temperature (MWT) = Room temperature + Delta_T


MWT = 20°C + 15.4K = 35.4°C

flow temperature = MWT + 5K/2 = 37.9°C

Using the carnot COP equation we can work out that our COP would thefore increase to 3.9
at typical January temperatures.

Useful links

Calculators by John Cantor


Heating Simulator by John Cantor

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