Flexible Operation of High-Temperature Heat Pumps Through Sizing and Control of Energy Stored in Integrated Steam Accumulators

Andrea Vecchi (), Jose Hector Bastida Hernandez and Adriano Sciacovelli ()
Additional contact information
Andrea Vecchi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
Jose Hector Bastida Hernandez: School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 3AA, UK
Adriano Sciacovelli: Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-20

Abstract: Steam networks are widely used for industrial heat supply. High-temperature heat pumps (HTHPs) are an increasingly attractive low-emission solution to traditional steam generation, which could also improve the operational efficiency and energy demand flexibility of industrial processes. This work characterises 4-bar steam supply via HTHPs and aims to assess how variations in power input that result from flexible HTHP operation may affect steam flow and temperature, both with and without a downstream steam accumulator (SA). First, steady-state modelling is used for system design. Then, dynamic component models are developed and used to simulate the system response to HTHP power input variations. The performance of different SA integration layouts and sizes is evaluated. Results demonstrate that steam supply fluctuations closely follow changes in HTHP operation. A downstream SA is shown to mitigate these variations to an extent that depends on its capacity. Practical SA sizing recommendations are derived, which allow for the containment of steam supply fluctuations within acceptability. By providing a basis for evaluating the financial viability of flexible HTHP operation for steam provision, the results support clean technology’s development and uptake in industrial steam and district heating networks.

Keywords: high-temperature heat pump; steam accumulator; flexibility; industrial decarbonisation; dynamic modelling; thermal energy storage (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: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/14/3806/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/14/3806/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:14:p:3806-:d:1703928

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().