This paper presents an approach to

This paper presents an approach to quantify the effect of evaporator maldistribution on
operating costs of airewater heat pumps. In the proposed simulation model maldistribution
is induced by two parameters describing refrigerant phase and air flow distribution.
Annual operating costs are calculated based on heat pump performance at distinct operating
conditions. Results show that percentage increase of operating costs is similar for the
three considered climate zones, even though the effect of maldistribution on heat pump
performance varies with operating conditions. Differences in terms of absolute cost increase
for the climate zones arise mainly due to a varying number of operating hours.
Absolute cost increase is considerable in the average and especially colder climate zone
and can only partly be reduced by enlarging the evaporator.
© 2014 Elsevier Ltd and