The refrigerant flows through a closed system of refrigeration lines between the outdoor and the indoor unit.
Heat pump refrigerant flow diagram.
The hfc refrigerant emissions from heat pumps over the lifetime are roughly 2 to 5 mg mj.
A heat pump can switch from air condition mode to heat mode by reversing the refrigeration cycle making the outside coil function as the evaporator and the indoor coil as the condenser.
For a heat pump with refrigerant r134a hfc 134a which has a 100 years global warming potential of 1300 this corresponds to ghg emissions of about 3 6 g mj co 2 equiv.
Air is blown over an evaporator coil transferring heat energy from the air to the refrigerant.
You can also view the 2 modes showing the refrigerant states with buttons 4 and 5.
Thermodynamic heat pump cycles or refrigeration cycles are the conceptual and mathematical models for heat pump air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
The diagram below shows a heat pump piping layout.
Heat pumps are designed to move thermal energy opposite to the direction of spontaneous heat flow by absorbing heat from a cold area and releasing it to a warmer one.
A heat pump is a versatile efficient cooling and heating system.
Click back and forth between buttons 2 and 3 and note how the discharge from the compressor is diverted to different coils in each mode.