Research and Process Optimization on Frostless Heat Source Tower Heat Pump System based on Compound Enthalpy Enhancement

Lei Li, Huafu Zhang, Zhentao Zhang, Fuqiang Qi, Qiu Tu, Hongwei Wu, Junliang Yang, Xuelai Zhang, Mingxin He

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Due to the problems of high pollution, strong corrosion and high regenerative energy consumption in traditional heat source tower, a compound enthalpy enhancement heat source tower heat pump system using potassium formate solution as antifreeze and integrated mechanical vapor compression solution regeneration system is propose. Using Aspen Plus simulations, this work systematically investigates the impacts of six key parameters: air inlet temperature, relative humidity, airflow velocity, solution-air temperature differential, antifreeze concentration, and spray density on heating performance and energy efficiency. The results demonstrate 15-20% efficiency improvements under elevated ambient temperatures (>15 °C) and high humidity conditions (>70% RH). Optimal operational ranges are established as 1.9-2.3 m/s airflow velocity and 14-18 m³/(m²·h) spray density with >5 °C thermal differential. The main contributions include developing an environmentally sustainable antifreeze solution implementation framework and establishing practical engineering guidelines for parameter optimization in cold climate applications. These findings provide critical insights for enhancing heat pump system efficiency while reducing corrosion risks and regeneration energy consumption by approximately 25-30% compared to conventional systems.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)320-337
Number of pages18
JournalInternational Journal of Refrigeration
Volume177
Early online date14 Jun 2025
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 14 Jun 2025

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