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Ideal airtherm - Air Source Heat Pump -
Installation
DOMESTIC
PREMISES
OUTSIDE
AIR
The EVAPORATOR collects heat from the
outside ambient air, pre-heated by the sun.
With Ideal, heat pumps high volumes of
outside air are drawn into the unit by the fan
and expelled through the evaporator fins.
The evaporator has liquid refrigerant
passing through it, which is at a
considerably lower temperature than the
ambient air, therefore the air gives up its
heat to the refrigerant, which then vaporizes.
This pre-heated vapour now travels to-
The COMPRESSOR where it is
compressed and upgraded to a
much higher temperature. The hot
vapour now enters-
The EXPANSION DEVICE and from
there, now at low pressure, it is
returned to the evaporator and the
cycle starts again.
The CONDENSER where it is surrounded
by water from the heating system. The heat
is given up to the cooler water and the now
cooler refrigerant returns to its former liquid
state but still under high pressure from the
compressor. This pressure is released by
passing the liquid through -
Coefficient of Performance
The efficiency of a Heat Pump is usually called its 'Coefficient of Performance' - (C.O.P.) which is simply a ratio of
heat output to energy input, both being expressed in kW. Thus a Heat Pump absorbing 1 kW of electricity, collecting
4 kW of energy from the air, and delivering 5 kW of heat to the pool water is said to have a C.O.P. of 5:1.
Naturally this ratio will vary according to the temperature of the water and the ambient air.
HOW THE HEAT PUMP WORKS
The Ideal airtherm Heat Pump provides thermodynamic heating by means of a vapour compression cycle
(similar to that employed in a conventional refrigerator), in addition to operating as an active solar collector.
