PPolySim OS
Fluids & Energy Pack · Multi-Solver

Refrigeration Cycle

COP & sizing. This multi-solver chains 2 solvers into a single guided workflow — run each step in order and carry the result forward.

Workflow steps
  1. heat-pump
  2. carnot-cycle
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Heat Pump COPLive

Controls

Presets

A heat pump does not make heat — it moves it, so it can deliver several kilowatts of warmth per kilowatt of electricity. The coefficient of performance is that ratio, capped by the Carnot limit T_hot/(T_hot − T_cold). The colder it gets outside, the harder the pump works and the lower the COP — but even at freezing it beats a resistance heater several times over.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

COP7.74
Carnot max COP15.5
Heat per kW power7.7 kW
vs resistance heater7.7× better

Governing equation

Reading this result: At 2°C the pump delivers about 7.7 kW of heat per kW of electricity — roughly 7.7× a resistance heater — because it moves heat rather than making it.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

Carnot CycleLive

Controls

Presets

The Carnot cycle — two isothermal and two adiabatic steps — is the most efficient possible heat engine between two temperatures. Its efficiency depends only on the reservoir temperatures: η = 1 − Tc/Th. No real engine can beat it, which is why raising the hot temperature or lowering the cold one is the only path to higher efficiency.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Efficiency50.0%
Tₕ / Tc2.00
Carnot limit50.0%

Governing equation

Reading this result: Efficiency here is 50.0% and is fixed by the temperature ratio alone — widening the expansion ratio enlarges the enclosed work loop but can never push past the 50.0% Carnot ceiling, and each kelvin removed from the cold side buys a bit more than each kelvin added to the hot side.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Refrigeration Cycle multi-solver?
Refrigeration Cycle is a guided workflow that chains 2 individual PolySim solvers into one end-to-end analysis, piping each result into the next step.
Is it free to use?
Yes. Every step runs entirely in your browser using real numerics — no install, no account, no cloud cost. Custom or private solver packs are available as a paid service.