Heat pumps
What are heat pumps?
Heat pumps are modern devices that are used in an ecological and economical way to heat buildings and domestic water. They are very convenient solutions, as they do not require the construction of special boiler rooms. Temperature control can also be done remotely, via the internet or by sending presets on the unit’s display. Heat pumps are practically maintenance-free, efficient and very easy to operate. They can also be part of a modern, intelligent building, the so-called „smart home”.
Air-source heat pumps
Geothermal heat pumps
How do heat pumps work?
The operation of heat pumps is divided into three steps – heat extraction, heat utilisation and heating. In the heat source system, a fluid, e.g. water with antifreeze, circulates and absorbs heat from the environment – e.g. the ground – and transports it to the pump. The energy from the first circuit is then transferred to the refrigerant in a heat exchanger – the evaporator. As a result of this process, the refrigerant evaporates. The vapour is extracted by the compressor, which raises the temperature of the refrigerant. In the condenser, the hot refrigerant is condensed and gives off heat. The refrigerant then enters the expansion valve where it again changes its state of aggregation from gaseous to liquid, which happens when its pressure is reduced. The water in heat pump heaters absorbs the heat from the condenser and transfers it to the distribution system, which may contain, for example, underfloor heating.
The manufacturers of heat pumps in Ferro Wings offer
What are the different heat pumps?
There are different types of heat pumps depending on the source from which they extract heat energy, e.g:
- Air source heat pumps – ASHPs extract heat from the outside air. A distinction is made between air-to-air and air-to-water heat pumps, but both extract heat from the outside air.
- Geothermal heat pumps are available as ground-air, earth-air, rock-air and water-air heat pumps.
- Groundwater heat pumps transport the heat to the heating circuit and the hot water tank. We can list ground-water, rock-water and water-water heat pumps.
- Exhaust air heat pumps – EAHPs are divided into air-exhaust, air-air-exhaust and air-water-exhaust.
- Water source heat pumps – WSHP use running water as a heat source. We classify them according to the way they are powered. Recently, hybrid variants have also appeared.
Compressor and absorption heat pumps
Heat pumps are divided into compressor and absorption heat pumps. They are used to direct the heat flow in a direction other than the natural direction. This process requires mechanical energy – in the case of compressor heat pumps – or thermal energy – in the case of absorption heat pumps. Their main purpose is to heat rooms and domestic hot water, although individual models are also equipped with a cooling function. Technologically, compressor heat pumps operate according to the Linde cycle, i.e. a series of thermodynamic transformations of the working medium. For this reason, their mode of operation is similar to that of a refrigerator.
Highest heat pump efficiency
When installing heat pumps, they are most effective when combined with low-temperature heating (underfloor heating is recommended here). When choosing electricity, you can use the energy certificate that a new building receives. It is important that you rely on the design heat load. It is important to know that the selection of a heat pump depends on the demand of the building, which is determined by the surface of the building, the construction of the walls, the position of the windows and other relevant factors.