This study investigates the replacement of electric heaters with a vapour compression heat pump system for hot water production in the cleaning process of compact heat exchangers, where a bath temperature of 60°C must be maintained. A transient computational model was developed to estimate hour-by-hour heat pump performance, accounting for variations in ambient air temperature and part-load operation. The electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of the two systems were quantified and compared. The heat pump system achieved a 67.3% reduction in electricity consumption relative to the electric heater, reducing annual electricity consumption from 51,032 kWh to 16,699 kWh. The coefficient of performance ranged between 2.99 and 3.24 under actual operating conditions in Chonburi Province, reflecting the influence of local ambient temperatures and part-load operation between 55% and 69%. GHG emissions were reduced by 20,551 kg CO₂-eq per annum, with annual electricity cost savings of THB 137,335 and a payback period of 10.2 years. These findings confirm that heat pump technology is a viable and effective approach for reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint in thermal processes within the heat exchanger manufacturing.

Keywords

Heat pump, Energy reduction, Coefficient of performance (COP), Compact heat exchanger, Cleaning