Study of a Solar Powered Heat Pump for Small Spaces

The environmental problems associated with the use of refrigeration equipment - the ozone layer depletion and the global warming - are the main concerns in developed and developing countries. New approaches are being studied and solar assisted absorption seems to be a promising technology. A solar assisted, reversible absorption heat pump for small power applications, using water-ammonia, is under development at IST. This paper presents the simulation of the performance of the solar assisted absorption heat pump during a typical day in December for ambient heating. The results show that the solar collectors with an area similar to that used in the summer, can be enough to heat the ambient providing comfortable conditions.