Performance enhancement of a heat pump system with ice storage subcooler
Abstract This article experimentally investigates the thermal performance of a heat pump system with an ice storage subcooler. The system supplies heating and cooling demands to two greenhouses with temperature ranging 308∼323 K and 273∼291 K respectively and utilizes an ice storage tank to subcool the condensed refrigerant, which can enhance the system coefficient of performance (COP). The ice storage tank charges for storing ice, when the cooling load is less than the nominal cooling capacity. While the cooling load is larger than the nominal cooling capacity, the ice storage tank discharges for subcooling. The results show that in the charge mode the heat pump COP of ice storage system is 12% higher than that without ice storage tank. Under the discharge mode, the ice storage system provides the refrigerator COP 15% higher than that without ice storage tank.