Fault Detection Methodology for Secondary Fluid Flow Rate in a Heat Pump Unit

Samuel Boahen, Kwesi Mensah, Yujin Nam and Jong Min Choi
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Samuel Boahen: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Cape Coast Technical University, P.O. Box DL 50, Cape Coast, Ghana
Kwesi Mensah: Graduate School of Mechanical Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon 34158, Korea
Yujin Nam: Department of Architectural Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
Jong Min Choi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hanbat National University, Daejeon 34158, Korea

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) has become an important subject in heat pumps due to its potential for energy savings. However, research on multiple faults occurring at the secondary fluid side of heat pumps is rare in the open literature. This study experimentally examined single secondary fluid flow rate faults (SSFF) and multiple-simultaneous secondary fluid flow rate faults (MSSFF) and their effects on the performance of a heat pump unit, which is a core component of ground source heat pump systems, and proposed FDD methodology to detect these faults. The secondary fluid flow rate faults were simulated in cooling mode by varying the evaporator and condenser secondary fluid flow rates at 60%, 80%, 100%, 120%, and 140% of the reference value according to varying outdoor entering water temperature conditions. Condenser secondary fluid flow rate faults affected the heat pump coefficient of performance( COP ) significantly more than the evaporator secondary fluid flow rate fault in SSFF. Cooling capacity was highly dependent on the evaporator secondary fluid flow rate fault while COP was greatly affected by the condenser secondary fluid flow rate fault in MSSFF. The FDD methodology was modeled using correlations and performance trends of the heat pump and can detect SSFF and MSSFF within an error threshold of ±1.6% and ±6.4% respectively.

Keywords: fault detection and diagnosis; heat pump; COP; capacity; secondary fluid flow rate; ground source heat pump (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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