Heat pump systems are slowly becoming a popular alternative to air conditioning nowadays. There are two major types of systems available, namely compression and absorption heat pumps. Compression pumps work by depending on mechanical energy, usually in the form of electricity to jump-start the system. Absorption heat pumps operate by processing heat from either fuel or electricity.
Heat pump systems may differ when it comes to the source of energy used to run the system. One can choose between air-source heat pumps and ground-source or geothermal heat pumps. There are two sub-categories under air-source heat pumps, namely air to air, and air to water pumps. The air to air type works by garnering heat from air, and transferring this heat to air inside the heat pump system. On the other hand, the air to water type transfers the heated air to a tank of water..
Geothermal heat pumps are able to garner heat from a variety of sources such as ground, water, and rock. This versatility allows one to choose which geothermal heat pump is perfect for a certain kind of environment. An indoor swimming pool, for example, would be cooled or heated more easily by a geothermal water to air heat pump system. Structures with rocky exteriors, on the other hand would benefit most with geothermal rock to air heat pumps.
Air source heat pump systems are the most widely used. The popularity of air source heat pumps owes to the fact that it can be easily installed and are less expensive than their ground source counterparts. The only disadvantage of the air source type lies in its dependence on air as a heat source. Air source heat pumps are unable to operate in freezing climates, which greatly reduces the heat pumps’ efficiency. This problem has been resolved by ground source heat pump systems, which garner heat from the ground instead of the air. The ground maintains a more stable base temperature all year round, as compared to air which can easily fluctuate during climate change. However, ground source heat pumps tend to be more expensive, due to its demanding installation procedure. Installation of ground source heat pumps include digging trenches or wells in order to accommodate pipes which contain the heat exchange fluid.
A new type of heat pump system is slowly gaining acclaim. Solid state heat pump systems take advantage of the discovery made by German physicist Emil Warburg regarding magnetic fields. Warbug found out that subjecting iron to a strong magnetic environment increases the iron’s temperature. As a result, the modern concept of solid state heat pumps developed, with powdered gadolinium used instead of iron. Subjecting this material to a strong magnetic field results in the production of heat, which is processed by a circulating fluid. Once the material is removed from the magnetic field, the temperature drops, facilitating effective air conditioning. The major advantage of solid state heat pumps over the competition lies in the fact that it uses so little energy for operation, making it the most efficient among all the heat pump systems.
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