Evaluation of Alternative Defrost Strategies for Residential Heat Pumps

The project will evaluate alternative defrost methods for use in residential and light commercial Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) in order to reduce the negative effects conventional defrost methods create and improve energy efficiency and overall system performance. The use of a hot gas bypass method, similar to that employed in commercial refrigeration systems, will be investigated, as well as frost-preventing coil coatings. Heat pump prototypes will be constructed in order to enable future design and optimization of heat pump products and their associated control strategies.