A researcher’s quest to make heat pumps frost-free

Written By Peter Allan

Amirreza Mahmoudi in the lab at the University of Saskatchewan. Photo submitted

By Cloe Logan

Saskatchewan researchers are looking for ways to help heat pumps stay frost-free in the cold.

Amirreza Mahmoudi, a PhD candidate at the University of Saskatchewan, said while heat pump technology is improving, frost is proving a formidable foe because it latches onto coils and lowers performance during freezing winters. His work is part of a larger research effort at the university that is looking at ways to address frost in heat pumps.

Heat pumps, which act as heaters in the winter and air conditioners in the summer, are becoming an increasingly popular swap for homes running on natural gas or oil. Heating systems that use fossil fuels can reach up to 98 per cent efficiency, while heat pumps can be 200 to 540 per cent efficient because they transfer heat rather than generate it.

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Peter Allan
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