Air heat pumps operate by using outside air as a heat sink or heat source. A condenser, compressor as well as refrigerant system are used at a particular place to absorb the heat and release it at another place.
The essential components that you must know of an air heat pump are:
1. A heat exchanger, where the extraction of heat from the air is being done
2. A compressor that operates similarly as to a refrigerator but in a reverse manner. It raises the outside air’s temperature
3. A way to shift the heat into a heating system. For instance radiators and heating tubes.
Heating and cooling can be done by having the refrigerant to move through the heat pump’s coils and components. In order to change the states of the refrigerant (liquid to gas and the other way round), a condenser, compressor, evaporator and also expansion valve are used. Refrigerant functions as heater or cooler for coils in a room or building where as the fans pull the room air.
The outside air’s temperature will cause the liquid to start boiling when the liquid refrigerant with a low temperature goes through the outdoor evaporator coils. A considerable amount of energy is needed for the liquid to change into vapour. The energy can be obtained when the outside air passes over the coils. The vapour will then be drawn into the compressor. At this point, the vapour’s temperature will be increased to 100 degrees Celsius or more. The liquid refrigerant will be changed to gas by using outside air’s heat. By adding an amount of compression, the vapour’s temperature could be increased.
After further processes have been gone through, a very cold liquid refrigerant which is compressed can be obtained. Then, the refrigerant will pass through the expansion valve that will turn it back to its initial state to perform the same cycle again.
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