For Students · Heat Pump COP
Heat Pump COP for a hydro dam
Built for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition. Simulate a hydro dam live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.
Heat Pump COPLive
more heat than the energy in
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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.
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.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is this good for students?
- Yes — this version of "Heat Pump COP for a hydro dam" is framed for students learning it for a class or exam. See the concept move instead of memorizing formulas — and check your homework intuition.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.