Heat pumps are the most sustainable heating and cooling devices. They extract heat from a source, such us the air or the ground, and release it into the house. They do it very efficiently, as with one unit of electricity they can deliver five units of heat.

The standard technique used in heat pumps to transfer the heat is the vapor-compression cycle. It uses the evaporation and condensation of a refrigerant to transport energy and increase temperature. The condensation point of a refrigerant is fixed and only adjustable by the filling pressure. The technique works very efficiently for temperatures around that condensation point but, the further away the temperature input and required output are from this condensation point, the lower the efficiency. The vapor-compression cycle was used commercially for the first time more than 150 years ago, to produce ice making machines.

Thermo acoustics represents a totally different approach to generate heat and cold. It does it by compressing and expanding Helium, that always remains as a gas. Because there is no change in phase, the system is not attached to any (condensation) temperature, and it can efficiently work with every temperature input and output. This flexibility facilitates the standardization of heat pumps, what will reduce the manufacturing and installation costs. Additionally, it enables the use of heat pumps as a direct replacement of gas boilers in retrofit, as the high temperatures it can provide are sufficient to heat the radiators of existing houses that are typically not so well insulated as the newly built ones.

BlueHeart Energy is today a worldwide leader in the field of thermo acoustics. Not only leverages the deep expertise from TNO, but has also developed a unique knowledge in the field. Several of the world’s top experts work for BlueHeart. They all share our vision to make the planet a better place by making thermo acoustics the standard heating and cooling technique. Every day we are closer to making our dream come true.