Testing of tri-partite CO2 gas cooler prototype for domestic hot water and space heating

Abstract

The aim of this study was to test a tri-partite gas cooler for CO2 heat pumps (5-13 kW). The proposed heat exchanger allowed the simultaneous and separate production of space heating and domestic hot water with an integrated design, simplifying the heat pump layout and piping requirements. The experimental campaign was dedicated to the performance of the gas cooler at various operation conditions. These operation modes are: i) only space heating, ii) only domestic hot water iii) simultaneous production of domestic hot water and space heating. The results of the test campaigns were analysed in order to determine potential improvements or required redesign of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger solution was integrated to novel prototype of trigeneration CO2 heat pump system. Keywords: CO2, domestic hot water, space heating, pressure drop, heat transfer