U.S. patent application number 13/412560 was filed with the patent office on 2013-01-10 for modular chiller heater reversing/non-reversing conversion apparatus and method.
This patent application is currently assigned to MULTISTACK LLC. Invention is credited to Mark PLATT.
Application Number | 20130008193 13/412560 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47437816 |
Filed Date | 2013-01-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130008193 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PLATT; Mark |
January 10, 2013 |
MODULAR CHILLER HEATER REVERSING/NON-REVERSING CONVERSION APPARATUS
AND METHOD
Abstract
A chiller heater building air space conditioning system is set
out including a plurality of interconnected modular chiller/heater
units which can be operated variously in a chilling mode, a heating
mode, or an off mode. An arrangement for converting a system
comprising reversible modular heat pump chiller heater elements
into a system comprising non-reversible modular chiller heater
elements is set out.
Inventors: |
PLATT; Mark; (Sparta,
WI) |
Assignee: |
MULTISTACK LLC
Sparta
WI
|
Family ID: |
47437816 |
Appl. No.: |
13/412560 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61449260 |
Mar 4, 2011 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
62/79 ;
62/238.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F25B 2400/06 20130101;
F25B 29/003 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/79 ;
62/238.1 |
International
Class: |
F25B 29/00 20060101
F25B029/00 |
Claims
1. A modular heating/chilling apparatus conversion system,
comprising: at least two modular reversible heater/chiller units
connected in parallel, each of said reversible heater/chillers
having a reversible evaporation cycle working fluid loop, an
evaporator/condenser heat exchanger circuit and a separate
condenser/evaporator heat exchanger circuit, a building load
chilled fluid circuit, a building load hot fluid circuit, an
external heat sink/source and circuit, modular unit isolation
valves between each of said modular units, each of said modular
units having a chilled fluid connection circuit, a hot fluid
connection circuit, and an external heat sink/source connection
circuit, a first side building first fluid manifold, a second side
building fluid manifold, a heated bypass circuit in fluid
connection with said evaporator/condenser heat exchanger circuit,
said first side building first fluid manifold, and said second side
building fluid manifold, said second side building fluid manifold
prior to connection with said heated bypass circuit serving said
heat sink/source and after connection with said heated bypass
circuit serving said building load hot fluid circuit, at least one
of said modular reversible heater chiller units being thereby
operable in a non-reversing mode such that the evaporator/condenser
heat exchanger circuit would operate only as a condenser, and the
condenser/evaporator heat exchanger circuit would operate only as
an evaporator, wherein said at least one of said modular reversible
heater chiller units would be operated in a non-reversing mode to
achieve higher operating efficiencies.
2. A method for converting at least one modular reversible heater
chiller in a parallel modular reversible heater/chiller system from
a reversing mode to a non-reversing mode, comprising the steps of:
attaching a heated fluid bypass circuit into fluid connection from
a second side condenser/evaporator and a second side building fluid
manifold and a first side building first fluid manifold, changing
the second side building fluid manifold from serving a heat
sink/source to serving a building second side heat exchanger,
removing a reversing valve from service in said modular reversible
heater chiller, and operating said modular reversible heater
chiller in a non-reversing mode, wherein said non-reversing modular
reversible heater chiller operates at a higher overall efficiency.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates to an apparatus and method for
converting a modular reversing chiller/heater system to a modular
non-reversing chiller heater system.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In the past, various systems have been proposed for
providing an energy efficient system for building air space
conditioning, where a building may require variously simultaneous
heating and cooling. Such systems are set out, for example, in U.S.
utility patent application Ser. No. 12/562,931 and U.S. provisional
patent application number 61/447,247.
[0005] The first such system in the world to utilize a plurality of
modular reversible heat pump chiller heater units utilizing a
system of virtual moveable endcaps is described in U.S. Utility
patent application Ser. No. 12/562,931. This application disclosed
for the first time an arrangement of interconnected reversible heat
pump chiller heaters having on one side of each modular unit one or
more building conditioning fluid loop connections for alternately
chilling or heating building/conditioning fluid. The system allows
for each modular unit to be operated and interconnected in a manner
by which flexibility in providing various arrangements of heating,
cooling, and simultaneous heating and cooling to a building is
provided, as well as selective resting of particular units.
[0006] A ground or water source heat sink/source could be variously
utilized on the other side of each modular unit opposite the
building load.
[0007] This system provided many advantages but meanwhile suffered
from certain drawbacks, one of which was that by virtue of the
reversible nature of the individual modular units, significant
design compromises were inherent which led to a reduced energy
efficiency compared to non-reversing units.
[0008] An improved system was set out in U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/447,247, whereby the flexibility of
interconnected modular units could be realized, but which for the
first time disclosed an arrangement whereby each modular unit was a
non-reversing chiller heater, instead of a reversing heat pump
chiller heater. This system realized significant gains in energy
efficiency over the previously disclosed reversing system.
[0009] Meanwhile, a need existed to allow for the conversion of the
relatively inefficient modular reversing heat pump chiller heater
system to a non-reversing mode, in order to realize the inherent
efficiency advantages.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In view of the aforementioned drawbacks in certain prior art
chiller heater systems, a new system is proposed which achieves the
objects of flexibility and energy efficiency.
[0011] It is an object of the invention to set out a system of
interconnected modular chiller heater units which can variously be
operated to provide chilling, heating, and/or simultaneous chilling
and heating to a building load, as well as resting of particular
units.
[0012] Specifically, it is an object of the invention to set out a
system of interconnected reversible heat pump chiller heater units
which are originally installed in an arrangement whereby each unit
is operable in a reversible mode, and which by virtue of the
present invention are modified to operate in whole or in part as
non-reversing units.
[0013] More particularly, it is an object of the invention to set
out a system which converts a system of interconnected modular
reversible heat pump chiller heaters utilizing a ground or water
source heat sink/source to a system of non-reversing chiller
heaters capable of being selectively operated to variously provide
cooling, heating, simultaneous cooling and heating, or to be rested
as required.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEW OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a prior art arrangement of
interconnected reversible modular heat pump chiller heaters.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a modification of prior art
arrangements of interconnected reversible modular heat pump chiller
heaters.
[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a reversing system
converted to a non-reversing system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Following is a listing of elements of the invention. [0018]
1. Building to be conditioned [0019] 2. Second side building fluid
manifold [0020] 3. First side building heat exchanger [0021] 4.
Second side building heat exchanger [0022] 5. First side
evaporator/condenser [0023] 6. Second side condenser/evaporator
[0024] 7. Alternate chilled fluid/heat sink/source three way valve
[0025] 8. Ground/water heat sink/source [0026] 9. Ground/water heat
sink/source heat exchanger [0027] 10. Reversing refrigerant working
fluid loop [0028] 11. Alternate heated fluid/chilled fluid three
way valve [0029] 12. Second side reversible chiller heater
isolation valve [0030] 13. First side reversible chiller heater
isolation valve [0031] 14. Building conditioning fluid loop [0032]
15. Virtual moveable endcap building fluid isolation valves [0033]
16. Chilled fluid isolation valve [0034] 17. Heated fluid isolation
valve [0035] 18. Heated fluid bypass circuit [0036] 19. Heated
fluid bypass circuit isolation valve [0037] 20. Heated fluid
building load isolation valve [0038] 21. Alternate chilled
fluid/heat sink/source three way valve [0039] 22. Heat sink/source
isolation valve [0040] 23. Non-reversing refrigerant working fluid
loop [0041] 24. Evaporator [0042] 25. Condenser [0043] 26.
Chiller/heater module [0044] 27. Modular reversing heat pump
chiller/heater [0045] 28. First side building first fluid manifold
[0046] 29. First side building second fluid manifold
[0047] FIG. 1 sets out a prior art modular reversing virtual
moveable endcap chiller heater system, as set out in U.S. Utility
patent application Ser. No. 12/562,931.
[0048] A series of chiller/heater modules 26 are arranged to
variously be employed to provide chilled or heated building
conditioning fluid via a building conditioning fluid loop 14 to a
first side building heat exchanger 3, a second side building heat
exchanger 4, or a ground water heat sink/source heat exchanger 9. A
modular reversing heat pump chiller/heater 27 includes a reversing
refrigerant working fluid loop 10, a first side
evaporator/condenser 5, and a second side condenser/evaporator
6.
[0049] Modular reversing heat pump chiller/heater 27 can be
operated in one direction to evaporate working fluid in the first
side evaporator/condenser 5 and condense working fluid in the
second side condenser/evaporator 6, and can alternately be operated
in the opposite direction, by reversing the flow direction of
working fluid in the reversing refrigerant working fluid loop 10,
to evaporate working fluid in second side condenser/evaporator 6,
and condense working fluid in the first side evaporator/condenser
5.
[0050] Virtual moveable endcap valves 15 can be operated to
variously deliver heated or chilled building conditioning fluid to
the first side building heat exchanger 3, the second side building
heat exchanger 4, and/or the ground water heat sink/source heat
exchanger 9, depending on the requirements of the building cooling
load, heating load, ambient conditions and energy cost
considerations.
[0051] Also, first side reversible chiller heater isolation valve
13 and second side reversing chiller heater isolation valve 12 can
be operated to fully or partially add or remove the energy transfer
effect of the respective first side evaporator/condenser 5 and
second side condenser/evaporator 6 from contribution to the
building conditioning fluid.
[0052] In one embodiment, the conversion process from the reversing
system of FIG. 2 to the non-reversing system of FIG. 3 is
essentially as follows.
[0053] Heated fluid bypass circuit 18 is attached in fluid
connection with the previous connection between the second side
condenser/evaporator 6 and the second side building fluid manifold
2, and the first side building first fluid manifold 28.
[0054] Where in the pre-converted system, second side building
fluid manifold 2 served the heat sink source 8, in the
post-converted system, the second side building fluid manifold 2
serves the building 1 second side heat exchanger 4, normally to
provide heat energy to the building space.
[0055] In the pre-converted system, first side building first fluid
manifold 28 served the second side building heat exchanger 4,
normally to provide heat energy to the building space. In the
post-converted system, first side building first fluid manifold 28
serves the heat sink/source 8.
[0056] In both pre and post converted systems, first side building
second fluid manifold 29 may serve the first side building heat
exchanger 3, normally to remove heat energy from the building
space.
[0057] The non-reversing refrigerant working fluid loop 23 would
then be operated in such a manner that the previous reversing valve
of the previous reversing heat pump chiller heater apparatus would
not be required. The working fluid would be circulated such that it
would transfer heat from itself through the condenser 25 to either
the second side building fluid manifold 2 to heat the building, or
to the first side building first fluid manifold 28 to be rejected
into the heat sink source 8.
[0058] Simultaneously, the non-reversing refrigerant working fluid
loop 28 would absorb heat through the evaporator 24, to remove heat
from either the first side building second fluid manifold 29 to
remove heat from the building space, or from the first side
building first fluid manifold 28 to remove heat from the heat sink
source 8.
[0059] Via virtual moveable endcap building fluid isolation valves
15, modular units 1-n may be selected to variously add or reject
heat to either the building space or to the heat sink source 8.
Also, individual chiller/heater modules could be rested as
required.
[0060] In this manner, a modular recovery heat pump chiller heater
system may be converted into use as a modular non-reversing chiller
heater system, with the attendant energy efficiency advantages of
such a system.
* * * * *