China-based Micronewton has supplied a university laboratory system featuring a water-to-air heat exchanger test bench capable of comparing air-, water- and ground-source heat pump operation. The experimental platform integrates solar generation and thermal energy storage.
Chinese educational and research laboratory equipment manufacturer Micronewton Technology Development has delivered a multi-source energy laboratory system to an undisclosed research institution in China. The system is designed for university-level teaching and research into heat pumps, solar energy and thermal storage.
At the center of the installation is the company’s R306 Water-to-Air Heat Exchangers Apparatus, an experimental heat pump platform that allows users to switch between air-source, water-source and simulated ground-source operating conditions on a single test bench.
The system operates on a vapor-compression refrigeration cycle and uses 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (R134a) as the refrigerant. Its compressor has a rated power of 276 W, while the system has a stated cooling capacity of 304.8 W.
The test bench incorporates a fin-and-tube evaporator for air-source operation, a plate heat exchanger for water-source operation and a soil-source simulation unit with adjustable electric heating.
