Working Principle
Air source heat pumps work based on the “reverse Carnot” principle, which involves the absorption of heat from the air to produce hot water through a compressor system. The specific process is as follows:
Low-pressure gaseous refrigerant enters the compressor and becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure gas after compression.
The high-boiling refrigerant enters the condenser and begins to liquefy, releasing heat in the process and turning into a liquid.
Before entering the evaporator, the refrigerant passes through an expansion valve (throttle valve), which reduces the pressure of the refrigerant.
The pressure-reduced refrigerant begins to evaporate in the evaporator, absorbing heat and turning back into a low-pressure gas.
It then re-enters the compressor, forming a complete refrigerant cycle system.
Technical Parameters
Coefficient of Performance (COP): Air source heat pumps can produce 3-4 times the heat of traditional heating devices like gas boilers for each unit of electricity consumed, demonstrating outstanding energy-saving and emission reduction effects.
Environmental Friendliness: During the operation of the unit, no exhaust gases, wastewater, or other pollutants are produced, and no toxic substances are emitted.
Safety: Since there are no electrical components in direct contact with water, there is no risk of electric shock.
Application Scenarios
Air source heat pumps have a wide range of applications, including:
Residential Heating: Air source heat pumps can provide cooling, heating, and hot water simultaneously, making them a preferred choice for residential heating.
Distributed Central Heating Projects for Companies, Hotels, and Schools: With the rise of environmental awareness, air source heat pumps have been widely applied in schools, hotels, and other fields that require centralized heating and hot water for multiple terminals.
Livestock and Aquaculture: Air source heat pumps not only provide hot water and heating functions but have also gained recognition from many customers in the livestock and aquaculture industries.
Drying Field: Air source heat pumps can be used for drying agricultural products and Chinese medicinal materials such as grains, mushrooms, tea, sea cucumbers, Sichuan pepper, and ginseng, as well as for drying in industrial fields such as furniture and helmets.
Industry Status
Market Size: In 2023, the air source heat pump market sales or scale showed significant growth, reaching 30.3 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.2%.
Policy Support: Driven by the “dual carbon” policy, air source heat pump technology has become more mature, and the market is showing a steady development trend.
Industry Chain: The air source heat pump industry chain mainly includes upstream parts, midstream heat pump manufacturing, and downstream application segments.