Current solutions to make heating our homes more sustainable; are often not powerful enough to fully replace traditional gas boilers. When switching to a fully electric system such as heat pumps, one has more control over the environmental impact, as green energy can be used to operate it. The downside is that most residential heat pumps have low power and low efficiency at high temperatures. Therefore, to provide energy for an entire home, extra insulation and low-temperature heating systems need to be installed. Moreover, a heat pump requires a noisy outdoor unit and uses refrigerants that are harmful when released. These adaptations are expensive and undesired, and are not viable for older homes with high heating demands.
Therefore, Tarnoc set out to be a one-on-one replacement for the classic boiler, without requiring big adaptations to someone’s home. Unlike vaper-compression heat pumps, their turbine heat pump is an open system without refrigerants. It draws in air through a centrifugal compressor, heating the air (up to 80°C) and then releasing the heat inside the home through the existing radiator system. The energy from the compression is recovered in the turbine and is converted back into mechanical energy, to power the compressor. Through these cycles it is possible to create high temperature heating with a large capacity in a relatively small installation.
Read more at the website van de TU Delft
