Study on the hydrocarbon mixtures in high-temperature heat pump systems for industrial waste heat recovery

Jialiang Hua, Guogeng He, Zhihao Zhang, Yu Lei, Chihao Zhang, Dehua Cai and Liubao Shi

Energy, 2025, vol. 334, issue C

Abstract: High-temperature heat pumps (HTHPs) offer a promising solution for industrial waste heat recovery, but their development is constrained by the need for environmentally friendly and high-performance refrigerants. This paper investigates hydrocarbon mixtures in a 150 °C intermediate vapor-injection HTHP based on detailed thermodynamic modeling. Optimal binary and ternary mixtures of R601/R601a/R600/R600a are identified, with a focus on temperature matching behavior and system efficiency. A comprehensive energy and exergy analysis is conducted to assess performance under various operational conditions, including heat source/sink temperatures, heat transfer fluid glide, and intermediate pressure. The results demonstrate that the mixtures of R601/R600/R600a can outperform conventional synthetic refrigerants in both volumetric capacity and COP. The vapor-injection architecture enhances the system efficiency through refrigerant subcooling and compressor intercooling. Zeotropic mixture significantly reduces total exergy destruction and heat exchanger irreversibility through temperature glide optimization. This research highlights the critical synergy between energy efficiency and temperature matching in HTHP systems, providing theoretical guidance for selecting zeotropic refrigerants in practical applications.

Keywords: High-temperature heat pump; Hydrocarbon refrigerant; Zeotropic mixtures; Economized vapor-injection; Thermodynamic analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:334:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225035285

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.137886

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