Original Article Remarks on the Eco-Efficiency Use of the Direct Evaporating Heat Pump SMICAL Irina* 1 , Vasile OROS 1 , Ioan BUD 1 , Daniel DECEBAL 2 1 Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, North University Centre of Baia - Mare, Victor Babeş St., no. 62A, 430083 Baia - Mare Romania 2 IPD-TEC SRL, Independenţei St., no. 45, Postal code 437155 Fărcaşa, România Received 3 November 2013; received and revised form 18 November 2 013; accepted 25 November 2013 Available online 30 December 2013 Abstract The direct evaporating heat pumps represent an eco-sustainable alternative solution for conventional energetic systems. These heat pumps are highlighted by a high yield/costs ratio, friendly ergonomic and maintenance, and also by non-polluting functioning. The use of direct evaporating heat pump reduces the greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and saves natural non-renewable resources. The results of using the direct evaporating heat pump show a higher efficiency in comparison with other heat pump types as well as with other thermal energetic sources with conventional fuels consumption. The direct evaporating heat pumps have a very high COP (coefficient of performance), high reliability and a necessary of less terrain surface than other similar systems. Keywords: heat pump, direct evaporating, ground energy, renewable energy. 1.Introduction Heat pumps are an alternative solution to classic thermal energy systems and at the same time a means for increasing the renewable energy usage. The heat pumps also constitute means of sustaining the European directives and regulations provisions regarding the purposes for renewable energy consumption [6]. Subsoil is an important geothermal energy provider and according to Directive 2009/28/EC it represents a non-fossil energy source which may be used by the heat pumps in order to provide the eco-sustainable energy. Although the soil surface undergoes some temperature variations due to external factors (insolation, precipitations, air temperature, soil features) which may cause up to 10 m depth effects [4] the subsurface heating is maintained by the Earth inside heat which is much stronger. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +40 362401266; Fax: +40262218922 e-mail: irina.smical@yahoo.com In this way, ground energy for heat pumps is not affected [1]. The heat pump is a device able to collect the environmental energy, amplifying it and sending it to a thermal consumer. In this context, the environmental energy means the capacity of some factors as: water, air, soil, to store and send periodically or continuously during the year, their energy to some technical elements which in their turn provide the energy to the heat pump. The most used heat pumps are those with bivalent or independent functionality. The air-water pumps and air-air pumps work bivalent and soil-water pumps, water-water pumps, water-air pumps and soil-air pumps work independently. The first term refers to the energy source and the latter one to the energy receiver. From these pumps the soil-water pumps are the most used. The direct evaporating heat pump is one of these and it is distinguished by the most simply functionality and exploration and also by the most secure and cheap maintenance. Available online at http://journals.usamvcluj.ro/index.php/promediu ProEnvironment ProEnvironment 6 (2013) 531 - 538 531 brought to you by CORE View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk