Simulation and Optimization Study on an Energy Efficiency Improvement Strategy of an Air Source Heat Pump Under Australian Standards

Jiangtao Xu (), Cheng Liu, Xiaojun Liu, Xiaoxiao Sun and Yongjian Li
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Jiangtao Xu: School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Jiangning District, Nanjing 211167, China
Cheng Liu: School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Jiangning District, Nanjing 211167, China
Xiaojun Liu: Jiangsu Guangmang New Energy Co., Ltd., Taizhou 214500, China
Xiaoxiao Sun: School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Jiangning District, Nanjing 211167, China
Yongjian Li: School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Jiangning District, Nanjing 211167, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 6, 1-19

Abstract: As a clean energy technology, air source heat pump (ASHP) technology has garnered increasing attention nowadays; however, the sharp decline in energy efficiency under low-temperature conditions remains a significant challenge impeding their widespread adoption. In this paper, in response to the demand under the Australian standard, mathematical modeling was carried out to explore the technical strategy for improving the performance of an ASHP; then, these strategies were evaluated by simulation calculation and experiment. The results show that, using frequency conversion, the coefficient of performance of the heat pump system (COP) reaches a maximum value of 2.48 when the frequency is 50 Hz, and the COP of the heat pump can reach a maximum value of 2.51 when the opening of the expansion valve is about 40%. Then, a new type of mixed refrigerant (R134a:R600a:R290) was proposed; the COP of the system reaches 2.502 when the mixture ratio is 1:6:3, which is an improvement of 6.61% compared to the use of only R134a. Finally, an analysis of the annual energy consumption under Australian weather conditions was conducted; the average COP is about 3.894, which is 6.3% higher than the result of using R134a. These results provide a theoretical basis for the development of a heat pump system that meets Australian standards.

Keywords: air source heat pump water heater (ASHPWH); coefficient of performance (COP); annual performance; low-temperature conditions; improvement strategy (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
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