Using heat pump to make a house heater

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the theoretical power requirements for a heat pump used to heat a home from a lake at 4 °C to a comfortable 22 °C. The calculated minimum power supply needed for 4000 watts of heating is approximately 244 watts, based on the efficiency formula η = (Useful energy/Supply energy). The efficiency η was determined to be around 16.4, indicating that the heat pump operates under principles distinct from traditional heat engines, where η can exceed 1 due to the nature of heat pumps as reversible processes.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of thermodynamic principles, specifically the Carnot efficiency.
  • Familiarity with heat pump operation and its distinction from heat engines.
  • Knowledge of basic thermodynamic equations and efficiency calculations.
  • Experience with energy transfer concepts in heating systems.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the Carnot efficiency and its implications for heat pumps.
  • Explore different types of heat pumps and their operational efficiencies.
  • Learn about the thermodynamic cycles involved in heat pump systems.
  • Investigate real-world applications and performance metrics of heat pumps in residential heating.
USEFUL FOR

Engineers, HVAC professionals, and homeowners interested in energy-efficient heating solutions will benefit from this discussion, particularly those looking to understand the mechanics and efficiency of heat pumps.

Pouyan
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A heat pump in winter heat energy from the bottom of a lake, where temperature is 4 ° C and delivers thermal energy in a home where the temperature is 22 C. What is the theoretical minimum power the heat pump must be supplied to you at home must be able to take out 4000 watts heating power ?! Relevant equations
What I learned is this :

for heat pump:
When we will use heat pump to make a place heater:
(ΔQ/ΔW) ≤ T(hot) / T(hot) - T(cold)

And η = (Useful energy/Supply energy)
The attempt at a solution
I see in my solution that the answer is near 244 W
My attempt is :

η=T(hot) / T(hot) - T(cold) = 295 / 22-4 ≈ 16.4

η = P useful/ P Supply

P useful = 4000W and η= 16.4 then P supply = 243.9 W

But is this right ?! Can "η" be more than 1 ?! If the answer is positive is this because of heat pump which is inverse of heat engine and actually is a reversible process ?!
 
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##{T_{hot}}## will always be greater than ##{T_{hot}-T_{cold}}##.

Therefore the ratio ##\displaystyle \frac{T_{hot}}{T_{hot}-T_{cold}}## will always be greater than one.
 
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Pouyan said:
If the answer is positive is this because of heat pump which is inverse of heat engine and actually is a reversible process ?!

The heat pump is the reverse of the heat engine, but anyone specific heat pump cannot be reversed and turned into a heat engine unless it's a reversible engine.

Note that the efficiency of an engine is always less than one, even in the case of the reversible engine.
 
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