Irreversibility analysis of a water to water mechanical compression heat pump

This paper analyzes the thermodynamic irreversibility sources of a steady flow vapor compression water to water heat pump. The three main components in the system, condenser, evaporator and reciprocating compressor, are considered in detail. The heat transfer and mass flow in the three components are analyzed on the basis of energy and mass balance theories. By using a finite difference method, the bulk fluid temperature and pressure distributions within the heat exchangers are estimated. The irreversibility due to heat transfer across a finite temperature difference and mass flow across a finite pressure drop in the heat exchangers are calculated according to the second law of thermodynamics.