The purpose of a heat pump is to control the temperature of an enclosed space. This is done by using heat exchange with a heat source, for example water, air, or ground. In the air source heat pump that has been studied during this project, a refrigerant exchanges heat with the outdoor air and with a water distribution system.
The heat pump is controlled through the circuit containing the refrigerant and it is therefore crucial that this circuit is functional. To ensure this, a diagnosis system has been created, to be able to detect and isolate sensor errors. The diagnosis system is based on mathematical models of the refrigerant circuit with its main components: a compressor, an expansion valve, a plate heat exchanger, an air heat exchanger, and a four-way valve.
Data has been collected from temperature- and pressure sensors on an air source heat pump. The data has then been divided into data for model estimation and data for model validation. The models are used to create test quantities, which in turn are used by a diagnosis algorithm to determine whether an error has occurred or not.
There are nine temperature sensors and two pressure sensors on the studied air source heat pump. Four fault modes have been investigated for each sensor: Stuck, Offset, Short circuit and Open circuit. The designed diagnosis system is able to detect all of the investigated error modes and isolate 40 out of 44 single errors. To further develop the diagnosis system, the existing models can be improved and new models can be created.
Source: Linköping University
Author: Alfredsson, Sandra