Comparison of energy performance of heat pumps using a photovoltaic–thermal evaporator with circular and triangular tube configurations
In this work, the energy performance parameters of heat pumps using a photovoltaic–thermal evaporator (PV–TE) with circular and triangular tube evaporator configurations are compared. The experimental observations were made in a heat pump under the meteorological conditions of Coimbatore city in India. The standard energy performance parameters of a heat pump (using PV–TE) such as, condenser heating capacity, coefficient of performance (COP), evaporator heat gain, solar energy input ratio and photovoltaic panel efficiency were calculated using experimental observations. The energy performance parameters of the heat pump were simulated using artificial neural networks to have a realistic energy performance comparison. The results show that triangular tube PV–TE configuration has enhanced the major energy performance parameters of the heat pump such as, condenser heating capacity, COP and panel efficiency by 3%–7%, 3%–5% and 4%–13%, respectively when compared to the circular tube PV–TE configuration.