U.S. patent number RE31,281 [Application Number 06/088,174] was granted by the patent office on 1983-06-21 for heat pump system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Consolidated Natural Gas Service Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to Paul B. Moore, Paul F. Swenson.
United States Patent |
RE31,281 |
Swenson , et al. |
June 21, 1983 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Heat pump system
Abstract
An air heating and cooling system for a building includes an
expansion type refrigeration circuit and a vapor power circuit. The
refrigeration circuit includes two heat exchangers, one of which is
communicated with a source of indoor air from the building and the
other of which is communicated with a source of air from outside
the building. The vapor power circuit includes two heat exchangers,
one of which is disposed in series air flow relationship with the
indoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger and the other of which
is disposed in series air flow relationship with the outdoor
refrigeration circuit heat exchanger. Fans powered by electricity
generated by a vapor power circuit alternator circulate indoor air
through the two indoor heat exchangers and circulate outside air
through the two outdoor heat exchangers. The system is assembled as
a single roof top unit, with a vapor power generator and turbine
and compressor thermally insulated from the heat exchangers, and
with the indoor heat exchangers thermally insulated from the
outdoor heat exchangers.
Inventors: |
Swenson; Paul F. (Shaker
Heights, OH), Moore; Paul B. (Fedhaven, FL) |
Assignee: |
Consolidated Natural Gas Service
Company, Inc. (Cleveland, OH)
|
Family
ID: |
26778370 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/088,174 |
Filed: |
October 25, 1979 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
737776 |
Nov 1, 1976 |
04055964 |
Nov 1, 1977 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
62/160; 62/324.6;
62/238.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02G
1/0435 (20130101); F24D 11/0257 (20130101); F25B
13/00 (20130101); F25B 27/00 (20130101); Y02B
30/13 (20180501); F25B 2313/023 (20130101); F25B
2313/025 (20130101); Y02B 10/70 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F24D
11/02 (20060101); F25B 13/00 (20060101); F02G
1/00 (20060101); F25B 27/00 (20060101); F02G
1/043 (20060101); F24D 11/00 (20060101); F25B
013/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;62/324A,501,238C,324D,160,159 ;165/26,29 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: King; Lloyd L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Pearne, Gordon, Sessions, McCoy
& Granger
Government Interests
The government of the United States of America has rights in this
invention pursuant to Contract Number EY-76-C-02-2883*0000 awarded
by the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A fluid heating and cooling system comprising:
a refrigeration circuit having a compressor with an inlet and an
outlet, an indoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger, and an
outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger,
a vapor power circuit having a vapor generator with an inlet and an
outlet, a prime mover expander having an inlet and an outlet, means
connecting said vapor generator outlet with said prime mover
expander inlet, an indoor vapor power circuit heat exchanger, an
outdoor vapor power circuit heat exchanger,
first fluid moving means for conducting a first fluid in series
across both of said indoor heat exchangers,
second fluid moving means for conducting a second fluid in series
across both of said outdoor heat exchangers,
means for drivingly interconnecting said prime mover expander with
said compressor,
first valve means movable to a cooling position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said vapor
power circuit indoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
second valve means movable to a heating position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said vapor
power circuit outdoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
third valve means movable to a cooling position for connecting said
compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit outdoor heat
exchanger when said first valve means is in said cooling
position,
fourth valve means movable to a heating position for connecting
said compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit indoor heat
exchanger when said second valve means is in said heating
position.
2. A fluid heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 1,
including fifth valve means for connecting said vapor generator
outlet side to said vapor power circuit indoor heat exchanger when
said first valve means is in said heating position.
3. A fluid heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 1, said
vapor power circuit indoor heat exchanger being disposed downstream
in the fluid flow from said refrigeration circuit indoor heat
exchanger under all conditions of heating and cooling, and said
vapor power circuit outdoor heat exchanger being disposed
downstream in the fluid flow from said refrigeration circuit
outdoor heat exchanger under all conditions of heating and
cooling.
4. A fluid heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 3,
including first duct means defining a first series fluid flow path
acroos both of said indoor heat exchangers, and second duct means
defining a second series fluid flow path across both of said
outdoor heat exchangers.
5. A fluid heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 1,
wherein said refrigeration circuit outdoor heat exchanger and said
vapor power circuit outdoor heat exchanger include at least one
bank of fins common to both of said outdoor heat exchangers.
6. In a building having an inside and an outside, an air heating
and cooling system comprising:
an expansion type refrigeration circuit having a compressor with an
inlet and an outlet, an indoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchanger, an outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger, and
conduit means connecting said compressor outlet with each of said
refrigeration circuit indoor and outdoor heat exchangers,
a vapor power circuit having a vapor generator with an inlet and an
outlet, a prime mover expander having an inlet and an outlet,
conduit means connecting said vapor generator outlet with said
prime mover expander inlet, a vapor power circuit indoor heat
exchanger, a vapor power circuit outdoor heat exchanger, conduit
means connecting said prime mover expander outlet with each of said
vapor power circuit indoor and outdoor heat exchangers,
first air moving means conducting air from inside said building in
series across both of said indoor heat exchangers,
second air moving means conducting air from outside said building
in series across both of said outdoor heat exchangers,
means drivingly interconnecting said prime mover expander with said
compressor,
first valve means movable to a cooling position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said vapor
power circuit indoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
second valve means movable to a heating position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said vapor
power circuit outdoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
third valve means movable to a cooling position for connecting said
compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit outdoor heat
exchanger when said first valve means is in said cooling
position,
fourth valve means movable to a heating position for connecting
said compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit indoor heat
exchanger when said second valve means is in said heating
position.
7. An air heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 6, said
refrigeration circuit and vapor power circuit being disposed in a
common housing, and said housing being disposed outside said
building.
8. An air heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 7, said
housing including first duct means defining a first air flow path
across said indoor heat exchangers and second duct means defining a
second air flow path across said outdoor heat exchangers, said
first fan means being disposed in said first duct means and said
second fan means being disposed in said second duct means, said
vapor power circuit indoor heat exchanger being disposed adjacent
to and downstream in said first duct means from said refrigeration
circuit indoor heat exchanger, and said vapor power circuit outdoor
heat exchanger being disposed adjacent to and downstream in said
second duct means from said refrigeration circuit outdoor heat
exchanger.
9. An air heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 8, said
vapor power circuit including electricity generating means, means
drivingly interconnecting said prime mover and said generating
means, and means electrically connecting said generating means with
said first and second air moving means.
10. An air heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 9,
third duct means defining an air flow path from said first duct
means to a location of final delivery in said building, said first
air moving means being of sufficient air moving capacity to
maintain a predetermined air flow rate across said indoor heat
exchangers and being of insufficient capacity to also maintain said
predetermined air flow rate through said third duct means, third
air moving means conducting air through said third duct means, said
third air moving means being of sufficient air moving capacity to
maintain a predetermined air flow rate through said third duct
means, and said third air moving means being electrically isolated
from said generating means.
11. An air heating and cooling system comprising:
a refrigeration circuit having a compressor with an inlet and an
outlet, an indoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger, and an
outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger,
a vapor-power circuit having a vapor generator with an inlet and an
outlet, a prime mover expander having an inlet and an outlet, means
connecting said vapor generator outlet with said prime mover
expander inlet, an indoor vapor-power circuit heat exchanger, an
outdoor vapor-power circuit heat exchanger,
first air moving means for conducting air in series across both of
said indoor heat exchangers,
second air moving means for conducting air in series across both of
said outdoor heat exchangers,
means drivingly interconnecting said prime mover expander with said
compressor,
first valve means movable to a cooling position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said
vapor-power circuit indoor heat exchanger when said prime mover
expander is drivingly connected to said compressor,
second valve means movable to a heating position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said
vapor-power circuit outdoor heat exchanger when said prime mover
expander is drivingly connected to said compressor,
third valve means movable to a cooling position for connecting said
compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit outdoor heat
exchanger when said first valve means is in said cooling
position,
fourth valve means movable to a heating position for connecting
said compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit indoor heat
exchanger when said second valve means is in said heating
position,
said refrigeration circuit and said vapor-power circuit being
disposed in a housing, said housing having a first thermal
insulation wall separating said heat exchangers from said
compressor and vapor generator and prime mover expander, and said
housing having a second thermal insulation wall separating said
indoor heat exchangers from said outdoor heat exchangers.
12. An air heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 11,
said first and second thermal insulation walls being arranged in a
T configuration, and said second thermal insulation wall forming
the stem of the T.
13. An air heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 11,
said first wall defining a first chamber in said housing, said
compressor and vapor generator and prime mover expander being
disposed in said first chamber, said first and second walls
cooperatively defining a second chamber in said housing adjacent
said first chamber, said indoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchanger and said indoor vapor power circuit heat exchanger both
being disposed in said second chamber, said first and second walls
cooperatively defining a third chamber in said housing adjacent
said first and second chambers, said outdoor refrigeration circuit
heat exchanger and said outdoor vapor power circuit heat exchanger
both being disposed in said third chamber.
14. An air heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 13,
said refrigeration circuit including conduit means extending
between said compressor in said first chamber and said
refrigeration heat exchangers in said second and third chambers,
and said vapor power circuit including conduit means extending
between said prime mover expander in said first chamber and said
vapor power circuit heat exchangers in said second and third
chambers.
15. An air heating and cooling system as set forth in claim 13,
said first and second and third and fourth valve means each being
disposed in said first chamber. .Iadd. 16. A fluid heating and
cooling system comprising:
a refrigeration circuit having a compressor with an inlet and an
outlet, an indoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger, and an
outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger,
a vapor power circuit having a vapor generator with an inlet and an
outlet, a prime mover expander having an inlet and an outlet, means
connecting said vapor generator outlet with said prime mover
expander inlet, an indoor vapor power circuit heat exchanger, and
an outdoor vapor power circuit heat exchanger,
first fluid moving means for conducting a first fluid across both
of said indoor heat exchangers,
second fluid moving means for conducting a second fluid across both
of said outdoor heat exchangers,
means for drivingly interconnecting said prime mover expander with
said compressor,
first valve means movable to a cooling position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said vapor
power circuit indoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
second valve means movable to a heating position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said vapor
power circuit outdoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
third valve means movable to a cooling position for connecting said
compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit outdoor heat
exchanger when said first valve means is in said cooling
position,
fourth valve means movable to a heating position for connecting
said compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit indoor heat
exchanger when
said second valve means is in said heating position. .Iaddend.
.Iadd. 17. A fluid heating and cooling system comprising:
a refrigeration circuit having a compressor with an inlet and an
outlet, an indoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger, and an
outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger,
a vapor power circuit having a vapor generator with an inlet and an
outlet, a prime mover expander having an inlet and an outlet, means
connecting said vapor generator outlet with said prime mover
expander inlet, an indoor vapor power circuit heat exchanger, and
an outdoor vapor power circuit heat exchanger,
first fluid moving means for conducting a first fluid in series
across both of said indoor heat exchangers,
second fluid moving means for conducting a second fluid across both
of said outdoor heat exchangers,
means for drivingly interconnecting said prime mover expander with
said compressor,
first valve means movable to a cooling position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said vapor
power circuit indoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
second valve means movable to a heating position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to sad vapor
power circuit outdoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
third valve means movable to a cooling position for connecting said
compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit outdoor heat
exchanger when said first valve means is in said cooling
position,
fourth valve means movable to a heating position for connecting
said compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit indoor heat
exchanger when
said second valve means is in said heating position. .Iaddend.
.Iadd. 18. In a building having an inside and an outside, an air
heating and cooling system comprising:
an expansion type refrigeration circuit having a compressor with an
inlet and an outlet, an indoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchanger, an outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger, and
conduit means connecting said compressor outlet with each of said
refrigeration circuit indoor and outdoor heat exchangers,
a vapor power circuit having a vapor generator with an inlet and an
outlet, a prime mover expander having an inlet and an outlet,
conduit means connecting said vapor generator outlet with said
prime mover expander inlet, a vapor power circuit indoor heat
exchanger, a vapor power circuit outdoor heat exchanger, and
conduit means connecting said prime mover expander outlet with each
of said vapor power circuit indoor and outdoor heat exchangers,
first air moving means conducting air from inside said building in
series across both of said indoor heat exchangers,
second air moving means conducting air from outside said building
across both of said outdoor heat exchangers,
means drivingly interconnecting said prime mover expander with said
compressor,
first valve means movable to a cooling position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said vapor
power circuit indoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
second valve means movable to a heating position for discontinuing
flow of vapor from said prime mover expander outlet to said vapor
power circuit outdoor heat exchanger when said prime mover expander
is drivingly connected to said compressor,
third valve means movable to a cooling position for connecting said
compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit outdoor heat
exchanger when said first valve means is in said cooling
position,
fourth valve means movable to a heating position for connecting
said compressor outlet to said refrigeration circuit indoor heat
exchanger when
said second valve means is in said heating position. .Iaddend.
.Iadd. 19. An indoor space heating and cooling system
comprising:
a refrigeration circuit having, in series relationship, a
compressor and separate indoor and outdoor refrigeration circuit
heat exchangers;
a power source for driving said compressor while rejecting
heat;
a supplemental heat distribution circuit having indoor and outdoor
rejected heat exchangers and means for conducting heat rejected
from said power source to one or the other of said rejected heat
exchangers;
first control means in said refrigeration circuit, said first
control means being selectively settable to a cooling condition for
directing refrigerant from said compressor first through said
outdoor and then through said indoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchangers and back to said compressor or to a heating condition
for directing refrigerant from said compressor first through said
indoor and then through said outdoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchangers and back to said compressor; and
second control means in said supplemental heat distribution
circuit, said second control means being selectively settable to a
cooling condition for directing rejected heat from said power
source to said outdoor rejected heat exchanger when said first
control means is in its cooling condition or to a heating condition
for directing rejected heat from said power source to said indoor
rejected heat exchanger when said first control means is in its
heating condition, said second control means being also settable to
a dehumidifying condition for directing heat from said power source
to said indoor rejected heat exchanger when said first control
means is in its cooling condition, said indoor refrigeration heat
exchanger and said indoor rejected heat exchanger being ducted for
series circulation of air from said indoor space sequentially
therethrough and thence back to said indoor space for dehumidifying
the air in said indoor space with minimal or no change in its
temperature. .Iaddend..Iadd. 20. An indoor space heating and
cooling system comprising:
a refrigeration circuit having, in series relationship, a
compressor and separate indoor and outdoor refrigeration circuit
heat exchangers;
a power source for driving said compressor while rejecting
heat;
a supplemental heat distribution circuit having indoor and outdoor
rejected heat exchangers and means for conducting heat rejected
from said power source to one or the other of said rejected heat
exchangers;
first control means in said refrigeration circuit, said first
control means being selectively settable to a cooling condition for
directing refrigerant from said compressor first through said
outdoor and then through said indoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchangers and back to said compressor or to a heating condition
for directing refrigerant from said compressor first through said
indoor and then through said outdoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchangers and back to said compressor; and
second control means in said supplemental heat distribution
circuit, said second control means being selectively settable to a
cooling condition for directing rejected heat from said power
source to said outdoor rejected heat exchanger when said first
control means is in its cooling condition or to a heating condition
for directing rejected heat from said power source to said indoor
rejected heat exchanger when said first control means is in its
heating condition, said power source including a prime mover and a
source of heat for driving said prime mover, and said rejected heat
distribution circuit including means for receiving heat directly
from said source of heat and also from said prime mover and
additionally including third control means for regulating the
relative amounts of heat received by the rejected heat distribution
circuit from both sources.
.Iaddend..Iadd. 21. An indoor space heating and cooling system
comprising:
a refrigeration circuit having, in series relationship, a
compressor and separate indoor and outdoor refrigeration circuit
heat exchangers;
a power source for driving said compressor while rejecting
heat;
a supplemental heat distribution circuit having indoor and outdoor
rejected heat exchangers and means for conducting heat rejected
from said power source to one or the other of said rejected heat
exchangers;
first control means in said refrigeration circuit, said first
control means being selectively settable to a cooling condition for
directing refrigerant from said compressor first through said
outdoor and then through said indoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchangers and back to said compressor or to a heating condition
for directing refrigerant from said compressor first through said
indoor and then through said outdoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchangers and back to said compressor; and
second control means in said supplemental heat distribution
circuit, said second control means being selectively settable to a
cooling condition for directing rejected heat from said power
source to said outdoor rejected heat exchanger when said first
control means is in its cooling condition or to a heating condition
for directing rejected heat from said power source to said indoor
rejected heat exchanger when said first control means is in its
heating condition, said power source including a vapor powered
prime mover and a vapor generator supplying vapor to said vapor
powered prime mover, said rejected heat distribution circuit
including means for receiving vapor directly from said vapor
generator and also from said prime mover and including third
control means for regulating the relative amounts of vapor received
by the rejected heat distribution circuit from said vapor generator
and from said prime mover, said third control means being connected
to a source of liquid and being regulatable to introduce liquid
into the rejected heat distribution circuit for attempering vapor
received thereby from said vapor generator. .Iaddend.
.Iadd. 22. An indoor space heating and cooling system
comprising:
a refrigeration circuit having, in series relationship, a
compressor and separate indoor and outdoor refrigeration circuit
heat exchangers;
a power source for driving said compressor while rejecting
heat;
a supplemental heat distribution circuit having indoor and outdoor
rejected heat exchangers and means for conducting heat rejected
from said power source to one or the other of said rejected heat
exchangers;
first control means in said refrigeration circuit, said first
control means being selectively settable to a cooling condition for
directing refrigerant from said compressor first through said
outdoor and then through said indoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchangers and back to said compressor or to a heating condition
for directing refrigerant from said compressor first through said
indoor and then through said outdoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchangers and back to said compressor; and
second control means in said supplemental heat distribution
circuit, said second control means being selectively settable to a
cooling condition for directing rejected heat from said power
source to said outdoor rejected heat exchanger when said first
control means is in its cooling condition or to a heating condition
for directing rejected heat from said power source to said indoor
rejected heat exchanger when said first control means is in its
heating condition, the heat exchangers of at least one set of the
indoor and outdoor heat exchanger sets being ducted for series
circulation of fluid therethrough with the fluid to flow first
through the refrigeration circuit heat exchanger and then through
the rejected heat exchanger. .Iaddend..Iadd. 23. An indoor space
heating and cooling system according to claim 27 in which said
outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger and said outdoor
rejected heat exchanger include at least one bank of fins common to
both of said outdoor heat exchangers. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to a heating and cooling
system, and more particularly to a fuel fired heating and cooling
system which is energy efficient on both the cooling mode of
operation and the heating mode of operation.
A variety of heat powered heating and cooling systems for buildings
has been provided by the prior art. Such systems typically include
a vapor power circuit such as a steam power circuit having a prime
mover expander such as a turbine. The prime mover expander drives a
compressor within a refrigeration circuit which is used as a
reversible heat pump for heating and cooling the building.
One such prior art system, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,554,
utilizes the rejected heat from the vapor power circuit prime mover
expander to supplement the heat furnished by the reversible
refrigeration circuit when the system is on the heating mode.
Another prior art system, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,655
utilizes the prime mover expander to drive an alternator which
provides electrical power for an electric motor driven compressor
and for the associated electric motor driven heat pump fans.
The present invention departs from these and other prior art air
heating and cooling systems by providing an air heating and cooling
system having series heat exchange for the refrigeration and vapor
power circuits both inside the building and outside the building.
The system includes an expansion type refrigeration circuit having
a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, and an outdoor heat
exchanger. The system also includes a closed vapor power circuit
having a vapor generator including a boiler and a superheater, a
prime mover expander such as a turbine, an indoor heat exchanger,
and an outdoor heat exchanger.
The two series indoor heat exchangers and the two series outdoor
heat exchangers are arranged with the refrigeration circuit heat
exchangers upstream in the air flow path of the vapor power circuit
heat exchangers. A first fan arrangement conducts air across the
indoor heat exchangers, and a second fan arrangement conducts air
across the outdoor heat exchangers.
When the system is in a heating mode of operation, the indoor
refrigeration circuit heat exchanger serves as a condenser to
provide one stage of heating for the indoor air, and the indoor
vapor power circuit heat exchanger receives the outlet vapor from
the prime mover expander to provide a second stage of heating for
the indoor air. The outdoor heat exchanger of the vapor power
circuit does not receive outlet vapor from the prime mover expander
during the heating mode.
When the system is on the cooling mode of operation, the indoor
refrigeration circuit heat exchanger serves as an evaporator to
cool the indoor air, and outlet vapor from the prime mover expander
is directed away from the indoor vapor power circuit heat
exchanger. The outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger
functions as a condenser, and the outlet vapor from the prime mover
expander is conveyed to the outdoor vapor power circuit heat
exchanger during the cooling mode.
The prime mover expander also drives an alternator which provides
electrical power to the first and second fan arrangements. As the
speed of the prime mover expander is increased, the electrical
power output of the alternator increases to increase the speed of
the fans and thereby increase air flow across both the indoor and
outdoor heat exchangers. During very cold weather, vapor from the
vapor generator is incrementally injected directly into the indoor
vapor power circuit heat exchanger to increase the heating capacity
of the system and avoid undesirable compressor operating
conditions.
The entire system is assembled in a common housing, and a first
insulating wall in the housing thermally insulates the vapor
generator and the prime mover expander and the refrigerant
compressor from the heat exchangers. A second insulating wall in
the housing thermally insulates the series indoor heat exchangers
from the series outdoor heat exchangers.
Although the system is described herein with reference to indoor
and outdoor air, the system can also be used with indoor and
outdoor fluids other than air such as water or brine. Additionally,
the indoor and outdoor fluids need not be the same fluid, for
example when the indoor fluid is air and the outdoor fluid is ocean
brine.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other aspects and advantages of the invention will become
apparent upon an understanding of the embodiment of the invention
shown in the drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a heating and cooling system
according to the invention, with the prime mover expander and
compressor and alternator shown in cross section;
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the source of heat for the indoor air at
various outdoor ambient temperatures, when the system shown in FIG.
1 is on the heating mode;
FIG. 3 is a graph showing the indoor and outdoor heat exchanger
temperatures at various outdoor ambient temperatures, when the
system shown in FIG. 1 is on the heating mode;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate arrangement for the
outdoor heat exchangers of the system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the system shown in FIG. 1, with
the water lines of the vapor power circuit and most liquid
refrigerant lines omitted for clarity;
FIG. 6 is an end view of the system shown in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a left side view of the system shown in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 8 is a right side view of the system shown in FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the disclosed air
heating and cooling system includes a closed loop vapor power
circuit A and an expansion type refrigeration circuit B.
The vapor power circuit A includes a gas fired vapor generator 11
having an insulated housing 12 with an evaporator section 14
connected in series with a superheater section 16. The gas fired
vapor generator 11 includes a burner 18 supplied with natural gas
by a supply line 19 which is controlled by a conventional
temperature responsive valve 20 regulated in response to the
temperature of steam leaving the superheater 16.
The steam leaving the superheater 16 is conducted by a line 22 to
an inlet nozzle or nozzles of an axial flow steam turbine 24 of a
turbo-generator unit 25. The turbine 24 may alternatively be
constructed in any other appropriate manner, such as shown in U.S.
Pat. No. 3,400,554, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by
reference. Supply of steam to the turbine 24 is controlled by a
throttling valve 26. The valve 26 is opened or closed by any
suitable means such as a device (not shown) which senses thermostat
error and compressor speed and outdoor ambient temperature to
maintain a predetermined compressor speed for any given combination
of thermostat error and outdoor ambient temperature.
A second throttling valve 27 provides a source of additional heat
when required on the heating mode as explained below. The valve 27
also serves as an attemperator, mixing water from a line 28 with
the superheated steam from the vapor generator 11 so that the
source of additional heat is at a lower temperature and a
considerably lower level of superheat than the superheated steam
from the vapor generator 11. The valve 27 is proportionally
controlled by a device (not shown) which senses thermostat error
and compressor speed. The valve 27 is arranged to supply the proper
amount of additional heat that is required when maximum desirable
compressor speed has already been reached as explained below.
The exhaust steam from the prime mover expander or turbine 24
passes through a regenerator 29 which preheats the water entering
the vapor generator 11 as explained below. Exhaust steam from the
regenerator 29 is then carried by a line 31 to a bidirectional
valve 30. The bidirectional valve 30 is arranged to direct the
exhaust steam through a line 32 to an outdoor heat exchanger 34, or
alternatively through a line 36 to an indoor heat exchanger 38. The
heat exchangers 34 and 38 are air cooled and are sized so that
either heat exchanger by itself has sufficient capacity to function
as the condenser for the maximum output of the vapor power circuit
A. The construction of the heat exchangers 34 and 38 is further
discussed below.
The condensate from the heat exchangers 34 and 38 is directed to a
standpipe 40 which in turn is connected to a feed pump 46. The feed
pump 46 is an electric motor-driven pump whose speed is matched to
the requirements of the entire system as described more fully
below. The pump 46 completes the vapor power circuit by pumping the
condensate from the standpipe 40 through the regenerator 29 to the
vapor generator 11. The pump 46 also provides condensate to the
valve 27 as needed, as discussed above. The entire vapor power
circuit A is hermetically sealed to eliminate the need for make-up
water in the system. The pressure within the vapor generator 11
acts upon the feed pump 46 to control the discharge rate of the
feed pump 46 and hence control the pressure in line 22.
The closed loop refrigeration circuit B includes a high speed
centrifugal compressor 50 which is drivingly connected to the
turbine 24 by a suitable drive shaft 51. The compressor 50 has an
outlet 52 which is connected through a line 54 to a mode valve 56.
The valve 56 selectively directs the output from the compressor 50
through a line 58 to an outdoor heat exchanger 60 or alternatively
through a line 62 to an indoor heat exchanger 64. The heat
exchangers 60 and 64 are air cooled and are sized so that either
heat exchanger has sufficient capacity to function as the
evaporator or as the condenser for the refrigeration circuit B. The
construction of the heat exchangers 60 and 64 is further discussed
below.
When the outdoor heat exchanger 60 receives the output from the
compressor 50 and functions as a condenser, the heat exchanger 60
has its outlet connected through a liquid accumulator 66 and
expansion valve 68 to the indoor heat exchanger 64 which then
serves as an evaporator. Similarly, when the output from the
compressor 50 is connected directly to the indoor heat exchanger 64
so that the indoor heat exchanger 64 functions as the condenser,
the outlet of the heat exchanger 64 is connected through the liquid
accumulator 66 and expansion valve 70 to the heat exchanger 60
which then serves as the evaporator. The outlet from the evaporator
is then connected through a line 72 and a surge tank 74 to the
inlet 76 of the compressor 50. The fluid used in the refrigeration
circuit B is preferably a relatively commonly used commercially
available fluid, such as a fluid of the halocarbon family.
The turbo-compressor unit 25 also includes an alternator 78
disposed along the drive shaft 51 between the turbine 24 and the
compressor 50. The electrical output from the alternator 78 is
electrically connected to an indoor electric motor driven fan
arrangement 80 which includes an electric motor 80a and which
provides air flow across the indoor heat exchangers 64 and 38, and
to an outdoor electric motor driven fan arrangement 82 which
includes an electric motor 82a and which provides air flow across
the outdoor heat exchangers 60 and 34, and to the electric motor
driven condensate pump 46. In this manner, the speed of the fan
arrangements 80 and 82 is matched to the speed of the turbine 24
and compressor 50. This insures that the fan arrangements 80 and 82
operate at lower speeds when the turbine 24 and compressor 50
operate at lower speeds, and that the fan arrangements 80 and 82
operate at higher speeds when the turbine 24 and compressor 50
operate at higher speeds.
The reference herein to the heat exchangers 38 and 64 as being
indoor heat exchangers means that they are disposed in a duct or
passage 84 through which fluid is circulated to and from the inside
of a building by operation of the fluid moving arrangement 80 in
the direction indicated by the arrow in the duct 84. Similarly, the
reference herein to the heat exchangers 34 and 60 as being outdoor
heat exchangers means that they are disposed in a duct or passage
86 through which fluid from outside of the building circulates by
operation of the fluid moving arrangement 82 in the direction
indicated by the arrow in the duct 86. The fan arrangements 80 and
82 are further discussed below with reference to FIGS. 5 through
8.
The air heating and cooling system shown in FIG. 1 is placed in the
cooling mode of operation by moving the valve 30 to a position
connecting the outlet of the steam turbine 24 to the line 32 and
outside heat exchanger 34, and discontinuing flow of vapor from the
outlet of the steam turbine 24 to the inside heat exchanger 38. The
valve 56 is moved to a position connecting the outlet line 54 from
the compressor outlet 52 to the line 58 leading to the outdoor heat
exchanger 60, and connecting the line 62 leading from the indoor
heat exchanger 64 to the line 72 leading to the compressor inlet
76. With the valves 30 and 56 in this position, the outdoor vapor
power circuit heat exchanger 34 condenses the rejected vapor from
the steam turbine 24. The indoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchanger 38 serves as an evaporator, and the outdoor refrigeration
circuit heat exchanger 60 serves as a condenser for the
refrigeration circuit B.
During this cooling mode of operation, the outdoor air flows in
series first through the refrigeration circuit heat exchanger 60
and then through the vapor power circuit heat exchanger 34. The
refrigeration circuit condenser 60 is arranged to operate at a
lower temperature than the vapor power circuit condenser 34, hence
outside air flowing through the outdoor heat exchangers is
progressively heated first by the refrigeration circuit heat
exchanger 60 and then by the vapor power circuit heat exchanger 34.
In this manner, the single fan arrangement 82 provides air flow
through both the refrigeration circuit condenser and the vapor
power circuit condenser when the air heating and cooling system is
on the cooling mode. On the cooling mode, this series arrangement
of the outdoor heat exchangers increases the coefficient of
performance of the system (the ratio of the heating or cooling
effect achieved to the energy consumed by the system for a given
total heat exchanger face area perpendicular to outdoor air flow
and a given heat exchanger bulk and weight and a given amount of
power for moving the outdoor air). This is because the face area of
the outdoor heat exchangers perpendicular to the outdoor air flow
is maximized by this arrangement and the operating temperature of
the upstream refrigeration circuit heat exchanger 60 is minimized
to cause a reduction in compressor work which more than compensates
for the resulting increase in backpressure imposed upon the turbine
24 and for the additional pressure drop imposed in the air flow by
the downstream heat exchanger 38.
Although in the above description of the system on the cooling mode
of operation it is assumed that the flow of vapor from the outlet
of the steam turbine 24 to the inside heat exchanger 38 is fully
discontinued, such flow may alternatively be only partially
discontinued by operation of the valve 30 so that a small amount of
vapor still flows to the inside heat exchanger 38. This could be
done when it is desired to use the system to dehumidify the air
inside the building without lowering the temperature of the air.
Under these conditions of operation, the series air flow
relationship of the inside heat exchangers advantageously permits
the air to be dehumidified by the heat exchanger 64 and then
permits the dehumidified air to be warmed to the desired
temperature by the heat exchanger 38.
When the system shown in the drawings is placed in the heating mode
of operation, the valve 30 is moved to a position directing outlet
vapor or rejected heat from the steam turbine 24 to the indoor heat
exchanger 38 and discontinuing flow of outlet vapor from the steam
turbine 24 to the outdoor heat exchanger 34. The valve 56 is moved
to a position connecting the compressor outlet 52 to the indoor
heat exchanger 64 and connecting the line 58 from the outdoor heat
exchanger 60 to the line 72 leading to the compressor inlet 76.
Under these conditions, the indoor refrigeration circuit heat
exchanger 64 functions as a condenser and the outdoor refrigeration
circuit heat exchanger 60 functions as the evaporator.
During the heating mode, the fan arrangement 80 circulates return
air from the building first across the refrigeration circuit heat
exchanger 64 and then across the vapor power circuit heat exchanger
38. The refrigeration circuit heat exchanger 64 provides a first
increase in temperature of the building air and the vapor power
circuit heat exchanger 38 provides a second increase in temperature
of the building air so that the heated air supplied to the building
is at a temperature of approximately 120.degree. Fahrenheit. This
provides a series heat exchange for the indoor air so that the
indoor air is progressively heated first by the pumped heat from
the refrigeration circuit B and then by rejected heat from the
vapor power circuit A.
This series heat exchange on the heating mode is illustrated in the
graph of FIG. 2, which shows the percentage contribution of the
pumped heat and of the vapor power circuit heat for various ambient
or outdoor temperatures. As shown in the graph of FIG. 2, the
pumped heat and the steam turbine exhaust heat are sufficient to
heat the building in which the system is used at ambient
temperatures above 20.degree. F. At ambient temperatures less than
20.degree. F., the pumped heat and the steam turbine exhaust do not
provide sufficient heat to heat the building. This condition at
which the pumped heat and the steam turbine exhaust heat are not
sufficient to provide the desired heating of the building is
determined by a proportional control thermostat (not shown) when
the building air is not maintained at the desired temperature. When
this occurs, the thermostat opens the valve 27 the necessary amount
to inject steam from the line 22 into the line 31 leading to the
indoor heat exchanger 38.
As the ambient temperature decreases further below 20.degree. F.,
the amount of pumped heat available decreases and the amount of
heat available from the steam turbine exhaust also decreases as
shown in FIG. 2. As this occurs, the amount of heat provided by the
direct steam injection from the vapor generator 11 through the
valve 27 increases until an ambient temperature of -10.degree. F.
is reached. At this temperature, the refrigeration circuit B is no
longer capable of absorbing heat from the outdoor air and
transferring it to the indoor air. Under these conditions, the
entire heating load of the building is met by direct injection of
heat from the vapor generator 11 into the heat exchanger 38.
Referring now to FIG. 3, the heat exchanger temperatures of the
three active heat exchangers on the heating mode of operation when
the heat pump is operating are illustrated. As shown in FIG. 3, the
outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger 60, which is the
evaporator on the heating mode, operates at a temperature slightly
below ambient temperature so that the refrigerant absorbs heat from
the outdoor air. The indoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger
64, which functions as the condenser on the heating mode of
operation, operates at temperatures below the operating temperature
of the vapor power circuit condenser 38. This difference in
operating temperatures of the indoor heat exchangers 64 and 38
provides the above described stepped series heat exchange for the
indoor air of the building during the heating mode of
operation.
This series arrangement of the indoor heat exchangers increases the
coefficient of performance of the system on the heating mode. This
is because the face area of the indoor heat exchangers
perpendicular to the indoor air flow is maximized by this
arrangement, and the operating temperature of the upstream
refrigeration circuit heat exchanger 64 is minimized to cause a
reduction in compressor work and to permit the heat pump to pump
heat at lower outdoor ambient temperatures. Additionally, this is
accomplished without necessitating a different indoor air flow path
on the heating mode than on the cooling mode.
In an alternate arrangement for the two outdoor heat exchangers 60
and 34, the two separate heat exchangers 60 and 34 are replaced
with a single thermally coupled unit shown in FIG. 4. This
thermally coupled unit includes a row of tubes 60a for the
refrigeration circuit outdoor heat exchanger and a separate row of
tubes 34a for the vapor power circuit outdoor heat exchanger 34.
The unit also includes a single fin bank 87 which is shared by the
two rows of outdoor heat exchanger tubes 60a and 34a.
When this alternate outdoor heat exchanger arrangement is used and
the system is on the heating mode, the outdoor vapor power circuit
heat exchanger tubes 34a do not receive rejected heat from the
turbine 24, while the outdoor refrigeration circuit heat exchanger
tubes 60a function as the evaporator to absorb heat from the
outside air. During this mode of operation, the entire area of the
single fin bank 87 for the thermally coupled unit is available to
the refrigeration circuit, and the fin area normally commited to
the vapor power circuit is available to the refrigeration circuit
heat exchanger tubes 60a. In this manner, the outdoor refrigeration
circuit heat exchanger tubes 60a of this alternate embodiment can
take advantage of an increase in effective fin area when the system
is on the heating mode of operation. This is particularly
advantageous, since the refrigeration circuit evaporator in the
heating mode has a relatively high surface area requirement in the
disclosed air heating and cooling system.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the air heating and cooling system of FIG.
1 is shown assembled as a single unit in a single housing 90. The
walls of the housing 90, including both the interior walls and the
exterior walls shown in FIG. 5, are all thermally insulating walls
of identical construction. This construction is a sandwich
construction (not shown) which includes one layer of rigid sheet
metal, a layer of fiberglass insulation, and a thin layer of metal
foil covering the fiberglass insulation. A supporting frame (not
shown) for the housing 90 is also provided.
The interior of the housing 90 is provided with a first thermal
insulation wall 92 and a second thermal insulation wall 94 arranged
in a T-shaped configuration. The walls 92 and 94 are flat and
extend from the top to the bottom of the housing 90 to divide the
housing 90 into a first chamber 96, a second chamber 98, and a
third chamber 100. The chambers 96, 98 and 100 are thus thermally
insulated from one another by the T-shaped configuration of the
insulation walls 92 and 94. The chambers 96 and 100 provide the
ducts 84 and 86, respectively, shown in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the vapor generator 11 and turbine 24
and compressor 50 are all disposed in the first chamber 96. The
mode valves 30 and 56 are also disposed in the first chamber 96.
This arrangement permits all moving parts of the system except the
fans to be readily accesible in the first chamber 96 for
maintenance purposes. Additionally, this arrangement provides
freeze protection for the water in the system, since the components
of the system which handle water (other than the hot water return
line from the heat exchanger 34) are encased within the thermally
insulated walls of the chamber 96 with the vapor generator 11.
A horizontal shelf 97 divides the first chamber 96 into upper and
lower compartments which are not thermally insulated from one
another, with the liquid accumulator 66 and expansion valves 68 and
70 arranged in the lower compartment. This arrangement is not
necessary to the system but enables the component parts of the
system in the first chamber 96 to be spaced further apart.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 8 together, the refrigeration circuit
indoor heat exchanger 64 and the vapor power circuit indoor heat
exchanger 38 are disposed in the second chamber 98. The heat
exchangers 38 and 64 and a sheet metal partition 102 divide the
second chamber 98 into compartments 98a and 98b, the bottom of each
of the compartments 98a and 98b is open so that the compartment 98a
can receive return air from the building while the compartment 98b
can supply conditioned air to a supply duct 106 leading to the
building interior.
The indoor fan 80, which is supplied with electrical power through
the lines 108 from the alternator 78, is dimensioned and arranged
to be of sufficient capacity to maintain a predetermined air flow
rate through the heat exchangers 64 and 38 for any given speed of
the turbine 24. The indoor fan 80 is not of sufficient capacity,
however, to maintain the predetermined air flow from the
compartment 98b through the supply duct 106 to the building.
Because the length of the supply duct 106 will depend upon the
particular building in which the unit is used, this permits the
alternator 78 and turbine 24 and indoor fan 80 to be designed so
that they are suitable for any building in which the unit is used.
A third fan 100 is then selected, depending upon the size and
length of the duct 106, to provide the desired air flow rate from
the compartment 98b through the duct 106 to the building. The third
fan 100 is electrically isolated from the generator 78 and is
supplied with electrical power from an alternate source of
electricity such as the externally supplied utility electricity
from the building through the electrical lines 112. By this
arrangement, in the event the turbine 24 or compressor 50 fails,
the system will still provide heat for the building since the valve
27 (FIG. 5) can be opened to provide direct steam injection into
the heat exchanger 38, and the third fan 110 will supply heated air
to the building at a reduced capacity.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 7 together, the outdoor heat
exchangers 60 and 34 are arranged in the third chamber 100 to
divide the third chamber 100 into an inlet compartment 100a and an
outlet compartment 100b. The outdoor fan 82, which is powered by
electricity through lines 114 from the alternator 78, is
dimensioned and arranged to provide a proper air flow across the
heat exchangers 60 and 34 for any given speed of the turbine 24.
The outdoor fan 82 pulls outside air through louvers 115 into the
inlet chamber 100a. The outdoor air then flows across the heat
exchangers 60 and 34 and exits through the blades of the outdoor
fan 82 in the direction of the arrows shown in FIGS. 5 and 7.
* * * * *