GraPHsep: An integrated construction method of vapor compression cycle and heat exchanger network

An integrated system of vapor compression cycle and heat exchanger network can comprehensively use heat transfer and improve the temperature grade of thermal energy to achieve efficient heating and cooling. Con-structing an integrated system is necessary for saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions. Existing construction methods of integrated systems cannot cover a global optimal cycle structure and are unsuitable for integrated optimization with external heat exchanger networks. This study proposes an innovative integrated construction method, named the GraPHsep method, to realize one-step optimization of integrated structures of vapor compression cycles and external heat exchanger networks. The proposed method is verified by constructing an ideal cycle and efficient two-stage compression cycle under two heat reservoirs. Furthermore, the proposed method is applied to construct a combined cooling and heating system with waste-heat recovery. The results show that the three novel systems constructed using the GraPHsep method exhibit 38.6%-40.3% higher coef-ficient of performance (COP) than the existing energy-efficient system.

Automated summary

An integrated system of vapor compression cycle and heat exchanger network is proposed for efficient heating and cooling. The existing construction methods of integrated systems are not optimal and cannot be integrated with external heat exchanger networks. This study introduces the GraPHsep method, which achieves one-step optimization of the integrated structures of vapor compression cycles and external heat exchanger networks, resulting in significantly higher coefficient of performance (COP) compared to existing systems.