Heat Pumps Today

Info www.vertrotors.com/vert-technologies CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai www.acrjournal.uk/heat-pumps P O L L U T I V E R E F R I G E R A N T S The role of the compressor is to pressurise and circulate the refrigerant used within the system. For a truly scalable rollout, the heat pump compressor must be adaptable to di erent mediums and maintain consistent performance levels, regardless of whether the pump is scaled up or down to suit specific applications and environments. Specifically, if they are to truly play a role in decarbonising the country’s national heating infrastructure, the pumps must perform eciently no matter their size and the type of refrigerant they are using. This has become an even greater priority as the sector has moved toward lower global warming potential (GWP) mediums as part of its decarbonisation e orts, including ammonia and carbon dioxide. High pressure ratios Low-GWP refrigerants pose challenges for some other compressor designs as there is less technical challenge in using these high-GWP hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which need less pressure to make them operate. However, with the Kigali Amendment tightening restrictions around the use of HFCs, and the UK and EU-wide F-Gas initiative aiming to reduce HFC usage by 79 per cent by 2030, these models have become increasingly outmoded. Specifically, these plans involve the phasing out of high-GWP refrigerants that are easier to compress, such as R404A, R410A and R134A. Problematically for legacy compressors, the remaining, more sustainable media require high pressure ratios and absolute pressures to ensure best performance. Yet these older models may struggle to reach the required levels of compression without daisy-chaining multiple units together. In turn, this could lead to spatial concerns, as well as larger up-front CapEx purchasing costs and rising ongoing OpEx costs to keep all the compressors running. Put more bluntly, heat pump manufacturers using traditional components may have to choose between sustainability and eciency, and such a choice does not bode well for a nation-wide rollout. Conical Rotary Compressor Technology By contrast, the emergence of disruptive compressor technologies such as the conical rotary compressor (CRC) may remove the need for heat pump OEMs to choose, resulting in a compressor that can be scaled down without performance loss. Developed by Vert Technologies, the CRC di ers from traditional models in that instead of using rotating screws placed side-by-side, it uses rotors turning in the same direction to compress the refrigerant as it travels down the conical screw. As a result, it can achieve pressure ratios in excess of 25:1, making it well-suited to low- GWP refrigerants. Additionally, the CRC uses software that allows the rotor geometry to be optimised to suit specific media, heating demand throughout the day and other factors such as flow rate, pressure and power requirements. This adaptability will be key for the Government’s ambitious heat pump rollout, where heat pumps of varying size will be required. Such new technology will also allow manufacturers to futureproof new and existing projects as the country transitions towards a low-carbon future and environmental legislation becomes tighter. In conclusion, the vital role heat pump manufacturers are set to play in fighting climate change necessitates a forensic look the components they are made of and the legislation they are governed by. It is therefore vital that technologies that can eciently compress low-GWP refrigerants are used in heat pumps, to ensure units used in the planned national rollout are as ecient and sustainable as possible. By doing so, these manufacturers will be well- placed to help reduce emissions levels in line with the Government’s ambitious net zero targets. 11