Outdoor components of a residential air-source heat pump
A heat pump is a device that provides heat energy from a source of heat or "heat sink" to a destination. Heat pumps are designed to move thermal energy opposite to the direction of spontaneous heat flow by absorbing heat from a cold space and releasing it to a warmer one. A heat pump uses some amount of external power to accomplish the work of transferring energy from the heat source to the heat sink.
While air conditioners and freezers are familiar examples of heat pumps, the term "heat pump" is more general and applies to many HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) devices used for space heating or space cooling.
Contents [hide]
1 Overview
2 Operating principles
3 Applications
4 Refrigerants
5 Efficiency
6 Types
7 Heat sources and sinks
8 Heat distribution
9 Solid state heat pumps
10 Historical development
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
2 Operating principles
3 Applications
4 Refrigerants
5 Efficiency
6 Types
7 Heat sources and sinks
8 Heat distribution
9 Solid state heat pumps
10 Historical development
11 See also
12 References
13 External links
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