Performance analysis of a textile based solar assisted air source heat pump with the energy and exergy methodology

Abstract

Solar air collectors are integrated into the air source heat pump in order to increase the performance of the heat pump in cold climate regions. The evaporator air is heated by solar air collectors. In this study, two different types of solar air collectors which were textile based solar air collector and flat plate solar air collector were used. The thermal energy stored in the tank during the day was used to heat the room at day and night. The thermal storage tank was heated using three heating systems, textile based solar assisted air source heat pump (TSAHP), flat plate solar assisted air source heat pump (FSAHP) and air source heat pump (ASHP). In this study, energy, exergy and economic analysis of three different heating systems were performed. COP values increased by 32% in TSAHP and 21% in FSAHP compared to ASHP. Addition of solar air collectors to the ASHP heating system has been shown to improve thermal storage tank performance. Total exergy efficiency values were calculated as 14.4%, 13.4% and 11.3%, for TSAHP, FSAHP and ASHP heating systems, respectively. Levelized cost of heating of novel type system (TSAHP) ($/kWh) was 11.8% lower than conventional ASHP