What is the process of a heat pump? How does it work?
You have to understand that this is a process of heat transfer rather than heat generation. A heat pump removes potential energy in the ground and moves it to where you want to heat the air or water in your home. The process uses the earth as a heat source or a heat sink. There are four stages: 1. Evaporation 2. Compression 3. Condensation 4. Expansion In order to heat your home, heat is removed from the soil, concentrated, and then delivered to your home. In order to cool your home, the process is reversed. The refrigerant inside the heat pump is the heat transfer medium. At the beginning of the heating cycle the liquid refrigerant is cold. The heat pump forces it through an evaporator where it then absorbs heat from the water that flows through the ground as it flows through the pipes. As the heat is absorbed, the refrigerant turns from a liquid into a gas which then goes through a compressor. This pressurizes the refrigerant. By now the temperature of the refrigerant is over 160°F.
