Heat Pump Power Tracking for Surplus Solar Grid Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pump hot water supply systems generate reverse power when photovoltaic power generation fluctuates, leading to instability in the power grid and increased energy costs due to inefficient use of surplus power.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump operation method that adjusts power consumption to follow surplus power generation more closely, reducing reverse power flow and stabilizing the system by controlling power consumption based on surplus power availability and storage tank conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the heat pump operates using all available surplus power from the photovoltaic device, then the use of renewable energy is maximized and electricity costs are reduced, but reverse power is generated when photovoltaic power fluctuates, causing power grid instability
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump's power consumption is made dynamic rather than static. The operation control unit continuously adjusts the power consumption based on real-time surplus power conditions, allowing the system to adapt to fluctuating photovoltaic generation while maintaining grid stability through controlled power uptake patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by having the operation control unit monitor surplus power conditions and adjust heat pump operation accordingly. The control unit receives information about available surplus power and modifies the heat pump's power consumption to follow these conditions, creating a closed-loop system that balances renewable energy utilization with grid stability.
2Productivity
If the heat pump power consumption rapidly follows surplus power fluctuations, then the system efficiently utilizes available renewable energy, but abrupt load changes cause instability in both the heat pump operation and power grid
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic power consumption adjustment where the heat pump's power uptake continuously adapts to surplus power conditions. Rather than operating at fixed capacity, the heat pump modulates its consumption to follow the available renewable energy while maintaining operational stability through controlled dynamic response.
Solution Approach 2:
The operation control unit changes the power consumption parameter of the heat pump based on surplus power conditions. By adjusting this key operational parameter to match available renewable energy while preventing abrupt changes, the system achieves both high renewable energy utilization and stable operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach stabilizes the heat pump operation, reduces energy costs, and prevents abrupt fluctuations in power consumption, allowing for efficient use of surplus power while minimizing reverse power flow.
Implementation Method 1
A photovoltaic device generates power by transforming solar energy into electricity
Implementation Method 2
A heat pump hot water supply device heats a refrigerant by absorbing heat from the atmosphere and compressing the refrigerant using electricity
Implementation Method 3
heats a refrigerant by absorbing heat from the atmosphere
Implementation Method 4
The heat is then transferred to the water via a heat exchanger, creating hot water
Data Source
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AI summary
A heat pump operation method includes: obtaining, on a per time unit basis, an amount of the power generated by the power generation device, an amount of the power consumed by the electric load, and surplus power which is a difference between the generated power and the load power; and controlling operation of the heat pump to cause the heat pump to generate heat using power adjusted to follow a per time unit increase or decrease in the surplus power. In the controlling, when an amount of change in the surplus power remains greater than a predetermined threshold value for a given period of time extending back from a present time, an extent to which the power consumed by the heat pump follows the surplus power is reduced.