IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v13y2020i17p4469-d406313.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evaluation of the Environmental Sustainability of a Stirling Cycle-Based Heat Pump Using LCA

Author

Listed:
  • Umara Khan

    (Process and Systems Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500 Turku, Finland)

  • Ron Zevenhoven

    (Process and Systems Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, FI-20500 Turku, Finland)

  • Tor-Martin Tveit

    (Olvondo Technology, NO-3080 Holmestrand, Norway)

Abstract

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 CO 2 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Umara Khan & Ron Zevenhoven & Tor-Martin Tveit, 2020. "Evaluation of the Environmental Sustainability of a Stirling Cycle-Based Heat Pump Using LCA," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:17:p:4469-:d:406313
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/17/4469/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/17/4469/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zerrin Günkaya & Alp Özdemir & Aysun Özkan & Müfide Banar, 2016. "Environmental Performance of Electricity Generation Based on Resources: A Life Cycle Assessment Case Study in Turkey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-14, October.
    2. Peacock, A.D. & Newborough, M., 2008. "Effect of heat-saving measures on the CO2 savings attributable to micro-combined heat and power (μCHP) systems in UK dwellings," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 601-612.
    3. Arpagaus, Cordin & Bless, Frédéric & Uhlmann, Michael & Schiffmann, Jürg & Bertsch, Stefan S., 2018. "High temperature heat pumps: Market overview, state of the art, research status, refrigerants, and application potentials," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 985-1010.
    4. Balcombe, Paul & Rigby, Dan & Azapagic, Adisa, 2015. "Environmental impacts of microgeneration: Integrating solar PV, Stirling engine CHP and battery storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 245-259.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Agnieszka Jachura & Robert Sekret, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of the Use of Phase Change Material in an Evacuated Solar Tube Collector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-18, July.
    2. Werner, Sven, 2022. "Network configurations for implemented low-temperature district heating," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(PB).
    3. Zevenhoven, Ron, 2021. "Engineering thermodynamics and sustainability," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 236(C).
    4. Xiaoming Zhou & Maosheng Sang & Minglei Bao & Yi Ding, 2022. "Tracing and Evaluating Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions of Urban Multi-Energy Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-19, April.
    5. Högnabba, Kim & Tveit, Tor-Martin & Vittor, Stefano & Zevenhoven, Ron, 2024. "Economic and environmental considerations for the deployment of industrial very high temperature heat pumps in European markets," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 309(C).
    6. Yajuan Wang & Jun’an Zhang & Zhiwei Lu & Jiayu Liu & Bo Liu & Hao Dong, 2022. "Analytical Solution of Heat Transfer Performance of Grid Regenerator in Inverse Stirling Cycle," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-25, September.
    7. Umara Khan & Ron Zevenhoven & Lydia Stougie & Tor-Martin Tveit, 2021. "Prediction of Stirling-Cycle-Based Heat Pump Performance and Environmental Footprint with Exergy Analysis and LCA," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-12, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chen, Yue & Wei, Wei & Liu, Feng & Shafie-khah, Miadreza & Mei, Shengwei & Catalão, João P.S., 2018. "Optimal contracts of energy mix in a retail market under asymmetric information," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(PB), pages 634-650.
    2. Nadia Belmonte & Carlo Luetto & Stefano Staulo & Paola Rizzi & Marcello Baricco, 2017. "Case Studies of Energy Storage with Fuel Cells and Batteries for Stationary and Mobile Applications," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-15, March.
    3. Lan, Hai & Wen, Shuli & Hong, Ying-Yi & Yu, David C. & Zhang, Lijun, 2015. "Optimal sizing of hybrid PV/diesel/battery in ship power system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 26-34.
    4. Ozcan, Mustafa, 2018. "The role of renewables in increasing Turkey's self-sufficiency in electrical energy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2629-2639.
    5. Els van der Roest & Stijn Beernink & Niels Hartog & Jan Peter van der Hoek & Martin Bloemendal, 2021. "Towards Sustainable Heat Supply with Decentralized Multi-Energy Systems by Integration of Subsurface Seasonal Heat Storage," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-31, November.
    6. Dong, Yixiu & Yan, Hongzhi & Wang, Ruzhu, 2024. "Significant thermal upgrade via cascade high temperature heat pump with low GWP working fluids," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 190(PA).
    7. Marina, A. & Spoelstra, S. & Zondag, H.A. & Wemmers, A.K., 2021. "An estimation of the European industrial heat pump market potential," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    8. Luthander, Rasmus & Nilsson, Annica M. & Widén, Joakim & Åberg, Magnus, 2019. "Graphical analysis of photovoltaic generation and load matching in buildings: A novel way of studying self-consumption and self-sufficiency," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 250(C), pages 748-759.
    9. Els van der Roest & Theo Fens & Martin Bloemendal & Stijn Beernink & Jan Peter van der Hoek & Ad J. M. van Wijk, 2021. "The Impact of System Integration on System Costs of a Neighborhood Energy and Water System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-33, May.
    10. Giovani Almeida Dávi & José López de Asiain & Juan Solano & Estefanía Caamaño-Martín & César Bedoya, 2017. "Energy Refurbishment of an Office Building with Hybrid Photovoltaic System and Demand-Side Management," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-24, August.
    11. Pablo Jimenez Zabalaga & Evelyn Cardozo & Luis A. Choque Campero & Joseph Adhemar Araoz Ramos, 2020. "Performance Analysis of a Stirling Engine Hybrid Power System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-38, February.
    12. Sergio Bobbo & Giulia Lombardo & Davide Menegazzo & Laura Vallese & Laura Fedele, 2024. "A Technological Update on Heat Pumps for Industrial Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-55, October.
    13. Peters, Pedro & da Costa, Vinicius Braga Ferreira & Dias, Bruno Henriques & Bonatto, Benedito Donizeti, 2025. "A holistic analysis of environmental impacts and improvement pathways for the Brazilian electric sector based on long-term planning and life cycle assessment," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 377(PB).
    14. Li, Xiaoqiong & Wang, Xiaoyan & Zhang, Yufeng & Fang, Lei & Deng, Na & Zhang, Yan & Jin, Zhendong & Yu, Xiaohui & Yao, Sheng, 2020. "Experimental and economic analysis with a novel ejector-based detection system for thermodynamic measurement of compressors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    15. Alizadeh, Sadegh & Avami, Akram, 2021. "Development of a framework for the sustainability evaluation of renewable and fossil fuel power plants using integrated LCA-emergy analysis: A case study in Iran," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 1548-1564.
    16. Lincoln, Benjamin James & Kong, Lana & Pineda, Alyssa Mae & Walmsley, Timothy Gordon, 2022. "Process integration and electrification for efficient milk evaporation systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    17. Maghanki, Maryam Mohammadi & Ghobadian, Barat & Najafi, Gholamhassan & Galogah, Reza Janzadeh, 2013. "Micro combined heat and power (MCHP) technologies and applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 510-524.
    18. Hawkes, A.D. & Leach, M.A., 2008. "On policy instruments for support of micro combined heat and power," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 2963-2972, August.
    19. Albà, C.G. & Alkhatib, I.I.I. & Llovell, F. & Vega, L.F., 2023. "Hunting sustainable refrigerants fulfilling technical, environmental, safety and economic requirements," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    20. Guido Francesco Frate & Lorenzo Ferrari & Umberto Desideri, 2020. "Rankine Carnot Batteries with the Integration of Thermal Energy Sources: A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-28, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:13:y:2020:i:17:p:4469-:d:406313. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.