A comparative study on the performance of ice-source heat pumps versus other heat source heat pumps: A case study in the UK

Mehdipour, Ramin; Garvey, Seamus; Baniamerian, Zahra; Cardenas, Bruno

Abstract

Eliminating natural gas as a fuel for heating residential and industrial units is crucial for reducing environmental pollutants. The challenge lies in finding alternative heating systems and repurposing existing infrastructures, like gas pipes. This article presents a new approach to supplying energy to heat pumps in a post-natural gas era using repurposed gas pipes to transport water for ice-source heat pumps. It highlights the advantages of ice-source heat pumps and compares their thermal performance with other types. The proposed system integrates ice-source and geothermal heat pumps, offering space efficiency, compact design, cost-effective centralization, optimized subsidies, seasonal cooling, weather resilience, and eliminates the need for new piping.

This study evaluates heat pump efficiency using various low-grade heat sources: ambient air, ground, domestic wastewater, river and lake water, piped water, and latent heat. It focuses on optimizing heat pump performance under the UK's climatic conditions, addressing efficiency challenges during peak cold periods. The research demonstrates the system's robust performance in cold, densely populated areas, potentially reducing water mass for energy supply by up to 95% with a 70% ice slurry concentration. Additionally, the ice-source heat pump requires about 36.7 times less water volume than traditional systems for residential heating.

Citation

Mehdipour, R., Garvey, S., Baniamerian, Z., & Cardenas, B. (2024). A comparative study on the performance of ice-source heat pumps versus other heat source heat pumps: A case study in the UK. Renewable Energy, 237(Part C), Article 121867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2024.121867

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 9, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Nov 12, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-12
• Deposit Date: Nov 11, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 13, 2025
• Journal: Renewable Energy
• Print ISSN: 0960-1481
• Electronic ISSN: 1879-0682
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 237
• Issue: Part C
• Article Number: 121867
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2024.121867
• Keywords: Ice source heat pump; Renewable energy; Heating systems; Energy efficiency
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/41827743
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148124019359
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: A comparative study on the performance of ice-source heat pumps versus other heat source heat pumps: A case study in the UK; Journal Title: Renewable Energy; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2024.121867; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.