Samsung Electronics said on the 9th it will work with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop next-generation heating technology.
The research project is titled "Development of vapor-compression heating and multi-solution for cold regions," aiming to implement vapor-compression technology that delivers efficient and stable heating performance even in ultra-low temperatures below minus 30 degrees. Vapor-compression technology compresses and circulates refrigerant to transfer external heat indoors. This enables climate-control equipment with high energy efficiency that can provide heating, cooling, and hot water.
The refrigerant that absorbs heat from outside is compressed into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas as it passes through the compressor, and the heat generated at this time is transferred to indoor air or water through a heat exchanger. After releasing heat, the refrigerant returns to a liquid state and absorbs external heat again. Repeating this cycle supplies heating, cooling, and hot water.
However, vapor-compression technology has the drawback of declining performance as the outdoor temperature drops. In particular, cold regions such as North America and Northern Europe often experience prolonged ultra-low temperatures below minus 30 degrees, requiring next-generation vapor-compression technology with higher levels of heating performance and reliability.
To address this, Samsung Electronics plans to further boost performance by applying a rotary scroll method to the compressor, which reduces energy loss and improves stability. It will also apply "flash injection," a refrigerant mass flow control technology that prevents compressor overheating and optimizes performance.
Samsung Electronics will conduct this research through the first half of next year, then verify the technology's performance and reliability in the extreme environment of Alaska, United States, and apply it to various heat pump heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) products. In Fairbanks, the average monthly minimum temperature is around minus 40 degrees, and the all-time minimum drops below minus 50 degrees.
The research team plans to comprehensively verify heating performance and energy efficiency, long-duration operational stability, and hot water supply performance during severe cold to determine whether the system can be used reliably in actual residential settings.
Im Sung-taek, vice president of the DA Division at Samsung Electronics, said, "Based on the research data, we will introduce heat pump products to the global market that minimize carbon emissions while maximizing performance and energy efficiency."