Enhancing the Energy Efficiency—COP of the Heat Pump Heating System by Energy Optimization and a Case Study

This article deals with the degrees of freedom and possible optimums, specifically with the energy optimums of the heat pump heating system. The authors developed an multi objective optimization procedure that allows for the determination of the optimal motor power for the circulation and well pumps in order to achieve the maximum COP. Upon selecting the type and size of the water-to-water heat pump, based on the heating demand of the buildings, the proper power of the circulation and well pumps must be determined. There are several procedures used for determining the pump’s power. However, none of those methods ensures the optimum power, i.e., the maximum coefficient of performance, COP of the heating system. In this study, a multi objective analytical-numerical dimensioning procedure was developed for the determination of the optimal mass flow rate of warm and well water. Based on the flow rate values, the optimum power of the circulation and well pumps can be calculated. Due to the wide scope of the topic, the application of the optimization procedure is presented in a case study, but only for determining the optimum power of the circulation pump. The validity of the procedure was confirmed by measurements. The results obtained with the optimization showed that through the energy optimization of the circulation pump power, the COP of the system increased by 5.34%.