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US 10,473,368 B2Granted
Heat pump, small power station and method of pumping heat
AssigneeEfficient Energy GmbH
InventorsHolger Sedlak, Oliver Kniffler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat pump includes a first portion for evaporating a working fluid at a first pressure, for compressing the evaporated working fluid to a second, higher pressure, and for liquefying the compressed working fluid within a liquefier, and a second portion for compressing liquid working fluid to a third pressure, which is higher than the second pressure, for evaporating the working fluid compressed to the third pressure, for relaxing the evaporated working fluid to a pressure, which is lower than the third pressure, so as to generate electrical current, and for liquefying relaxed evaporated working fluid within the liquefier.
Claims15
A heat pump comprising:
- a first portion configured for
- evaporating water at a first pressure smaller than 20 hPa to obtain first water steam at the first pressure,
- compressing the first water steam at the first pressure to a second, higher pressure to obtain second water steam at the second pressure, the second pressure being more than 5 hPa higher than the first pressure, and
- liquefying the second water steam at the second pressure within a liquefier to obtain liquefied water;
- and
- a second portion configured for
- compressing the liquefied water originating from the liquefier to a third pressure, the third pressure being higher than the second pressure and being higher than 0.2 MPa,
- evaporating the liquefied water compressed to the third pressure to obtain third water steam at the third pressure,
- relaxing the third water steam at the third pressure so as to generate electrical current, wherein fourth water steam is obtained, and
- liquefying the fourth water steam within the liquefier,
- wherein the liquefier comprises
- a heating advance flow for feeding the liquefied water to a heat exchanger being coupled to a heating system of a building or for feeding the liquefied water to the heating system of the building directly;
- and
- a heating backflow for feeding the liquefied water back from the heat exchanger or directly back from the heating system of the building into the liquefier.
11 more elements
A method of pumping heat, comprising:
- evaporating water at a first pressure smaller than 20 hPa to obtain first water steam at the first pressure,
- compressing the first water steam at the first pressure to a second, higher pressure to obtain second water steam at the second pressure, the second pressure being more than 5 hPa higher than the first pressure, and
- liquefying the second water steam at the second pressure within a liquefier to obtain liquefied water;
- and
- compressing the liquefied water originating from the liquefier to a third pressure, the third pressure being higher than the second pressure and being higher than 0.2 MPa,
- evaporating the liquefied water compressed to the third pressure to obtain third water steam at the third pressure,
- relaxing the third water steam at the third pressure so as to generate electrical current, wherein fourth water steam is obtained, and
- liquefying the fourth water steam within the liquefier
- wherein the liquefier comprises a heating advance flow and a heating backflow
- feeding, via the heating advance flow, the liquefied water to a heat exchanger being coupled to a heating system of the building or feeding, via the heating advance flow, the liquefied water to the heating system of the building directly;
- and
- feeding, via the heating backflow, the liquefied water back from the heat exchanger or feeding, via the heating backflow, the liquefied water directly back from the heating system of the building into the liquefier water volume.
9 more elements
A power station for heating a buildings, comprising:
- a water pump for compressing water to a first pressure above 0.1 MPa to obtain compressed water;
- an evaporator configured for evaporating the compressed water using primary energy from a combustion process or from a solar collector so as to provide first water steam at the first pressure;
- a turbine configured for generating electrical current, the turbine being configured to relax the first water steam to a second water steam at a second pressure while outputting the electrical current, the second pressure being smaller than 50 kPa;
- and
- a liquefier comprising a liquefier volume and a heating advance flow and a heating backflow,
- wherein the liquefier is configured for liquefying the second water steam at the second pressure within the liquefier water volume to obtain liquefied water,
- wherein the liquefier water volume is coupled to,
- wherein the heating advance flow is configured for feeding the liquefied water to a heat exchanger being coupled to a heating system of the building or for feeding the liquefied water to the heating system of the building directly;
- and
- wherein the heating backflow is configured for feeding the liquefied water back from the heat exchanger or directly back from the heating system of the building into the liquefier water volume.
7 more elements
A method of heating a building, comprising:
- compressing water to a first pressure above 0.1 MPa to obtain compressed water;
- evaporating the compressed water while using primary energy from a combustion process or from a solar collector, so as to provide first water steam at the first pressure;
- generating electrical current by relaxing the first water steam at the first pressure to a second water steam at a second pressure, the second pressure being smaller than 50 kPa;
- and
- liquefying, within a liquefier, the second water steam, within a liquefier water volume of the liquefier,
- wherein the liquefier water volume is coupled to a heating advance flow and a heating backflow of the liquefier,
- feeding, via the heating advance flow, the liquefied water to a heat exchanger being coupled to a heating system of the building or feeding, via the heating advance flow, the liquefied water to the heating system of the building directly;
- and
- feeding, via the heating backflow, the liquefied water back from the heat exchanger or feeding, via the heating backflow, the liquefied water directly back from the heating system of the building into the liquefier water volume.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.