Three-dimensional model construction of a frost-free air source heat pump evaporator and its performance analysis

Abstract

This study aims to design an efficient frost-free air source heat pump evaporator for use in cold regions. The challenges of low performance, slow heat transfer, and poor energy supply efficiency associated with air source heat pump evaporators are addressed. This study analyzed the benefits of combining solar energy and air source heat pumps for heat supply. A three-dimensional model of the evaporator was constructed in ANSYS software, and optimal operating parameters were determined through variable experiments. The experimental results showed that when other factors were controlled constant, the glass cover size increased from 1.7 m to 2.9 m, and the maximum value of heat absorption of the evaporator increased from 2155 W to 2418 W and then decreased to 2340 W. When the wind speed and wind pressure increased from 150Pa to 300Pa, the maximum value of heat absorption of the evaporator increased from 1620 W to 2110 W. In summary, the maximum value of heat absorption of the evaporator was increased from 1,620 W to 2,110 W when the size of the glass cover was 2.5 m*2.5 m*2.5 m. When the wind speed and pressure were 300Pa, the heat absorption efficiency of the evaporator was the highest. This finding not only provides a new idea for the performance optimization of air source heat pump evaporator, but also opens up new possibilities for energy efficiency improvement in cold regions, reflecting the innovative and application value of this study.