Experimental study on operation characteristics of a new bucket-shaped evaporator based on heat-wind coupling for frost inhibition

The air-source heat pump evaporator is prone to frost when operating in a humid winter environment, which restricts its working performance. In this paper, a new bucket-shaped evaporator based on heat-wind coupling for frost inhibition is proposed, and its frost inhibition characteristics are experimentally studied. The air-source heat pump systems with bucket-shaped evaporators offer significant advantages over traditional evaporator systems in winter operation environments. The experimental results show that the effective heating time of the air-source heat pump system with a bucket-shaped evaporator is extended by 42.5%-130.0%, the outlet air temperature of the indoor unit is increased by 0.2%-1.2%, the average COP of the effective operation time is increased by 13.0%-25.8%, and the effective heating time after the fan is raised is extended by 45%-100%. In addition, the area that is not easy to frost is found in the bottom center of the bucket-shaped evaporator, which provides a new idea for the subsequent structural design of the evaporator. This bucket-shaped evaporator has obvious advantages in space heating and energy saving, and has a broad application prospect in high-humidity environments.