Development of a Bench-Top Air-to-Water Heat Pump Experimental Apparatus

A bench-top air-to-water heat pump experimental apparatus was designed,developed, and constructed for instructional and demonstrative purposes. Thisair-to-water heat pump experimental apparatus is capable of demonstratingthermodynamics and heat transfer concepts and principles. This heat pumpexperimental setup was designed around the vapor compression refrigerationcycle. This experimental apparatus has an intuitive user interface, reliable, safefor student use, and portable. The interface is capable of allowing dataacquisition by a computer. A PC-based control system which consists ofLabVIEW and data acquisition unit is employed to monitor and control thisexperimental laboratory apparatus. This paper provides details about thedevelopment of this unit and the integration of the electrical/electronic componentand the control system.