Installation function
An air/water-heat pump installation exploits outdoor air to heat up accom-
modation. The conversion of the outdoor air's energy to accommodation
heating occurs in three different circuits. *From the outdoor air, (1) , free
heat energy is retrieved and transported to the heat pump. In the refriger-
ant circuit, (2) the heat pump increases the retrieved heat's low temper-
ature to a high temperature. In the heating medium circuit, (3) the heat
is distributed around the house.
Outdoor air
The outdoor air is sucked into the heat pump.
A
The f an then routes the air to the heat pump’s evaporator. Here, the air releases
the heating energy to the refrigerant and the air's temperature drops. The
cold air is then blown out of the heat pump.
B
Refrigerant circuit
A gas circulates in a closed system in the heat pump, a refrigerant, which also
passes the evaporator. The refrigerant has a very low boiling point. In the
evaporator the refrigerant receives the heat energy from the outdoor air and
starts to boil.
C
The gas that is produced during boiling is routed into an electrically powered
compressor. When the gas is compressed, the pressure increases and the gas's
temperature increases considerably, from 0 °C to approx 80 °C.
D
From the compressor, gas is forced into a heat exchanger, condenser, where
it releases heat energy to the indoor module, whereupon the gas is cooled
and condenses to a liquid form again.
E
As the pressure is still high, the refrigerant can pass an expansion valve, where
the pressure drops so that the refrigerant returns to its original temperature.
The refrigerant has now completed a full cycle. It is routed to the evaporator
again and the process is repeated.
F
Heat medium circuit
The heat energy that the refrigerant produces in the condenser is retrieved
by the indoor module's water, the heating medium, which is heated to 55 °C
(supply temperature).
G
The heating medium circulates in a closed system and transports the heated
water's heat energy to the house radiators/heating coils.
H
The indoor module's integrated hot water heater is in the boiler section. The
hot boiler water heats the hot water.
I
The temperatures are only examples and may vary between different installations and
time of year.
NIBE™ VVM 310Chapter 2 | The heating installation – the heart of the house10