A Review of Gas Engine Driven Heat Pumps for Residential Applications

Gas engine driven heat pumps can play an important role in energy saving, environment protection and cost reduction in both cooling and heating residential applications.. In this paper, studies conducted on gas engine driven heat pumps are reviewed and presented to the best of the authors’ knowledge. In particular, all models with rated heating capacity lower than 100 kW today commercially available and their main characteristics are listed; besides, the experimental performance of the units measured by way of field tests or lab tests are discussed in detail. Taking into account the need to accurately predict the operating characteristics and optimum design of gas engine driven heat pumps, the main features of the simulation models available in literature are reported and the results of comparison between theoretical and experimental values are highlighted