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The use of heat pumps has been held back largely by skepticism about
advertisers’ claims that heat pumps can provide as many as two units of thermal
energy for each unit of electrical energy used, thus apparently contradicting
the principle of energy conservation.
Heat pumps circulate a fluid refrigerant that cycles alternatively from its
liquid phase to its vapor phase in a closed loop. The refrigerant, starting as a
low-temperature, low-pressure vapor, enters a compressor driven by an electric
motor. The refrigerant leaves the compressor as a hot, dense vapor and flows
through a heat exchanger called the condenser, which transfers heat from the
refrigerant to a body of air. Now the refrigerant, as a high-pressure, cooled
liquid, confronts a flow restriction which causes the pressure to drop. As the
pressure falls, the refrigerant expands and partially vaporizes, becoming
chilled. It then passes through a second heat exchanger, the evaporator, which
transfers heat from the air to the refrigerant, reducing the temperature of this
second body of air. Of the two heat exchangers, one is located inside, and the
other one outside the house, so each is in contact with a different body of air:
room air and outside air, respectively.
The flow direction of refrigerant through a heat pump is controlled by
valves. When the refrigerant flow is reversed, the heat exchangers switch
function. This flow-reversal capability allows heat pumps either to heat or cool
room air.
Now, if under certain conditions a heat pump puts out more thermal energy
than it consumes in electrical energy, has the law of energy conservation been
challenged? No, not even remotely: the additional input of thermal energy into
the circulating refrigerant via the evaporator accounts for the difference in
the energy equation.
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