Prospective increase in the heat pump’s efficiency through arrangement in a three-temperature system

Abstract

Analysis of three-temperature heating system has revealed the apparent advantages and disadvantages that the combination of thermodynamic systems has in future development with respect to environmental and economic issues. Three-temperature heating systems consist of a heat engine and a heat pump, thus enabling maximum use of the primary thermal source for heating buildings. It seems that the combination of a Stirling engine, or a similar heat drive, with a heat pump is suitable. In order to analyse the effectiveness of such a system, a comprehensive calculation procedure is used as follows: its basis lies in accounting for all types of energy and their relationship to the original natural resource. The present study aims to point out that the combination of a Stirling engine and a heat pump is a useful solution due to the fact that it has the most favourable resultant economic impact in comparison to the use of a diesel, four-stroke gas or the most commonly used electric drive.