LAPSE:2023.26098
Published Article
LAPSE:2023.26098
Evaluation of the Environmental Sustainability of a Stirling Cycle-Based Heat Pump Using LCA
Umara Khan, Ron Zevenhoven, Tor-Martin Tveit
March 31, 2023
Heat pumps are increasingly seen as efficient and cost-effective heating systems also in industrial applications. They can drastically reduce the carbon footprint of heating by utilizing waste heat and renewable electricity. Recent research on Stirling cycle-based very high temperature heat pumps is motivated by their promising role in addressing global environmental and energy-related challenges. Evaluating the environmental footprint of a heat pump is not easy, and the impacts of Stirling cycle-based heat pumps, with a relatively high temperature lift have received little attention. In this work, the environmental footprint of a Stirling cycle-based very high temperature heat pump is evaluated using a “cradle to grave” LCA approach. The results for 15 years of use (including manufacturing phase, operation phase, and decommissioning) of a 500-kW heat output rate system are compared with those of natural gas- and oil-fired boilers. It is found that, for the Stirling cycle-based HP, the global warming potential after of 15 years of use is nearly −5000 kg CO2 equivalent. The Stirling cycle-based HP offers an environmental impact reduction of at least 10% up to over 40% in the categories climate change, photochemical ozone formation, and ozone depletion when compared to gas- and oil-fired boilers, respectively.
Keywords
eco-indicator 99, gas/oil-fired boilers, life cycle assessment, SimaPro, stirling cycle-based heat pump
Suggested Citation
Khan U, Zevenhoven R, Tveit TM. Evaluation of the Environmental Sustainability of a Stirling Cycle-Based Heat Pump Using LCA. (2023). LAPSE:2023.26098
Author Affiliations
Khan U: Process and Systems Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500 Turku, Finland [ORCID]
Zevenhoven R: Process and Systems Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500 Turku, Finland [ORCID]
Tveit TM: Olvondo Technology, NO-3080 Holmestrand, Norway
Journal Name
Energies
Volume
13
Issue
17
Article Number
E4469
Year
2020
Publication Date
2020-08-31
Published Version
ISSN
1996-1073
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PII: en13174469, Publication Type: Journal Article
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doi:10.3390/en13174469
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