EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF A SMALL CAPACITY H2O–LiBr ABSORPTION HEAT PUMP IN COOLING AND HEATING MODES

This study describes the experimental analysis of a small-scale H2O–LiBr absorption heat pump of 4.5 kW cooling and 8 kW heating capacity. The water-cooled heat pump is activated by hot water which can be supplied by solar collectors or a gas boiler. For the purpose of the performance analysis, the absorption heat pump was tested in a multifunctional test bench built up at the University Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. The absorption heat pump was tested by varying the main operating parameters of the external water circuits, such as temperature and flow rate. Finally, this work resulted in complete performance evaluation of absorption heat pump, including heat losses and experimental uncertainties.