Development Status and Prospects of Industrial High-Temperature Heat Pumps

Currently, China's energy consumption is heavily reliant on coal, which is difficult to replace. The development of non-fossil fuels faces multiple constraints, and the industry is adversely affected by the issues of high energy consumption, high emissions, and low energy efficiency. Therefore, innovative low-carbon technologies urgently require further development. Heating accounts for half of all energy consumption; therefore, low-carbon heating is important for achieving carbon neutrality. To meet the capacity and temperature requirements of industrial heating, high-temperature water/steam heat pumps must be developed. This paper presents an analysis of the current status of industrial heat pump technology, including system cycles, refrigerant compression technology, and steam compression technology. Based on the development status of fourth-generation low-global warming potential refrigerants, the corresponding heat pump technologies should be well developed. Furthermore, industrial heat pump development prospects are discussed based on the development status and applications. Finally, application scenarios are predicted based on the market capacity and carbon reduction potentials.