{rfName}
A

Indexed in

License and use

Citations

109

Altmetrics

Grant support

Ivan Bellanco acknowledges the Universities and Research Secretariat of the Catalan Government and the European Social Fund for the financial support of the predoctoral contract 2019FI_B 00928.

Analysis of institutional authors

Bellanco, ICorresponding AuthorValles, MAuthor

Share

June 21, 2021
Publications
>
Review
No

A review of the fault behavior of heat pumps and measurements, detection and diagnosis methods including virtual sensors

Publicated to:Journal Of Building Engineering. 39 (102254): 102254- - 2021-07-01 39(102254), DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2021.102254

Authors: Bellanco, I; Fuentes, E; Valles, M; Salom, J

Affiliations

‎ Catalonia Inst Energy Res IREC, Jardins Dones Negre 1, Sant Adria De Besos 08930, Barcelona, Spain - Author
‎ Univ Rovira & Virgili, Dept Mech Engn, Av Paisos Catalans 26, Tarragona 43007, Spain - Author

Abstract

Heat pumps are increasingly being installed in domestic buildings, which is an opportunity to reduce the energy needed to heat and cool buildings. However, this reduction will only be possible if the equipment is maintained correctly. Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) systems can improve the cost of operating and maintaining heating and air conditioning systems, specifically heat pump, while keeping their performance. This article first briefly introduces the methodologies used in FDD systems for heat pumps and compare their performance. Then, an accurate description of the common faults and their effects on field vapor compression systems is made. After that, a compilation of which faults and how are emulated in both laboratory conditions and virtual environments are extensively described. The measurements needed to perform the diagnosis are analyzed along with instrumentation needed for FDD systems. Finally, the virtual sensors applied to heat pumps to reduce the cost associated with FDD implementation are described. This article aims to establish a criterion for selecting which faults can be tested under laboratory conditions or by simulation with a virtual model and to determine the features that identify those faults. Finally, several areas of improvement for the aspects reviewed have been identified: increase the use of performance indicators for FDD, new and updated studies about the health status of field heat pumps, testing methods that take into account the gradual and probabilistic nature of heat pump faults and further research in the use of virtual sensors in FDD systems.

Keywords

Air conditioningBuilding systemsCommon faultsCompression refrigeration systemDetection and diagnosisDomestic buildingsFault detectionFault detection and diagnosisFault detection and diagnosis systemsFddHeat pump systemsHeat pumpsHeating-and-air conditioning systemImpactLaboratory conditionsPerformancePerformance indicatorsPumpsQuantitative modelTestingVapor compression cycleVapor-compression systemsVirtual modelingVirtual sensors

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Journal Of Building Engineering due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2021, it was in position 9/138, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Engineering, Civil. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

From a relative perspective, and based on the normalized impact indicator calculated from World Citations provided by WoS (ESI, Clarivate), it yields a value for the citation normalization relative to the expected citation rate of: 2.2. This indicates that, compared to works in the same discipline and in the same year of publication, it ranks as a work cited above average. (source consulted: ESI Nov 14, 2024)

This information is reinforced by other indicators of the same type, which, although dynamic over time and dependent on the set of average global citations at the time of their calculation, consistently position the work at some point among the top 50% most cited in its field:

  • Weighted Average of Normalized Impact by the Scopus agency: 6.26 (source consulted: FECYT Feb 2024)
  • Field Citation Ratio (FCR) from Dimensions: 21.73 (source consulted: Dimensions Aug 2025)

Specifically, and according to different indexing agencies, this work has accumulated citations as of 2025-08-06, the following number of citations:

  • WoS: 43
  • Scopus: 62

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-08-06:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 92.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 95 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 2.85.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 3 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Bellanco Bellanco, Ivan) .

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Bellanco Bellanco, Ivan.