Design of a High-Temperature Regenerated Brayton Heat Pump Test Rig

Abstract This paper aims to dimension a test rig of a high-temperature regenerated Brayton heat pump, which provides heat at more than 130°C, using small-size and off-the-shelf components. This facility will enable the testing of several models concerning the Brayton heat pump systems and components, with the final goal of highlighting the technology’s key features and overcoming the challenges that may hinder its wide deployment in the industry. Eventually, the designed test rig will be able to operate in four different operative conditions: regenerated closed cycle, non-regenerated closed cycle, regenerated open cycle, non-regenerated open cycle. An analysis was carried out to identify the range of parameters that can be tested with this rig.