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Lab to test heat pump configuration efficiency

We are designing a lab to test various configurations of Mini split heat pumps. We are trying to measure the effects of single zone vs multi zone, short run vs long run, floor mount vs wall mount. We have chosen the Mitsubishi line up for testing equipment. We have 3 modes of testing: Branched high wall mount 3@ FS06 total 18K, 1 high wall single zone FS18, and one floor mount single zone KJ18. We are going to use solenoid valves to isolate the outdoor unit and each mode of indoor units to pump the indoor units down when switching modes. The quandary we are running into are the controls. We plan on using the MXZ-3c24na outdoor unit which is a 3-port unit. We are going to plumb in two more ports to create the two single zone modes mentioned. We are aware this is atypical, but we are adamant about the use of the same outdoor unit. Any insights into the proposed set up and in particular the controls? We are thinking a set of relays might work but our concern is the addressing required when switching to and from the branched mode.

Comments

  • dko
    dko Member Posts: 668
    edited December 2023
    nm
  • GGross
    GGross Member Posts: 1,322
    Testing a single zone on a multi head outdoor unit will yield incorrect results. LG for example has all of this testing for multi/single/any combo of different IDU done already in their engineering manual.

    I can say that fooling an ODU into thinking more than one unit is attached will taint the entire experiment. If I saw that in a report I would immediately dismiss all results.