Vapor-to-heat pump with multistage vacuum regenerator (VAPOREG)

The vapor-to-heat pump is a new drying technology designed at UGent.  It consists of a mass heat exchanger and a regenerator. UGent has built up knowledge and expertise on both components over the past 8 years, including:

• A functioning mass heat exchanger in a greenhouse in Sint-Katelijne-Waver (TRL 6)
• The design of a pilot regenerator with a capacity of  30kW  and the availability of 80% of its components in the Technicum building. The regenerator is of the type " two-stage vacuum evaporator driven by a heat pump "  and it is cost competitive. This technique is groundbreaking compared to all other drying techniques on the market:
• The COP is twice the value as of the state of the art
• 10 to 20 times higher COP compared to current common practice for dehumidification (heating and venting)
• The system can operate with 100% renewable energy
• Due to the hygroscopic solution storage possibility, the vapor-to-heat pump has flexibility in energy use and energy storage capacity.
• Flexibility in drying temperature in function of process needs, results in improved quality
• It can contribute to the energy transformation with the highest COP and highest potential for energy storage.

Potential markets are very large. In general up to 25% of industrial energy use is for drying. The project has the following objectives:

• Construction and testing of a prototype regenerator of 30kW drying performance and COP of >=8. 
• To reach TRL of 6
• Semi-practical full scale test of the vapor-to-heat pump : To connect the mass heat exchanger available in the greenhouse and the regenerator to a functioning vapor-to-heat pump
• To protect IP
• Full scale preparation of a license package for an interested company

This project brings the vapor-to-heat pump to the commercial level.