Heat recovery apparatus and methods of increasing energy efficiency of hybrid heating systems using the apparatus
AssigneeRheem Manufacturing Company
InventorPratik S. Deokar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid heating system having a heat recovery apparatus in fluid communication with a heat pump and a furnace is provided. The apparatus recovers heat from flue gas discharged from the furnace and transfers the recovered heat to a stream of refrigerant in the heat pump. The apparatus includes a shell disposed in fluid communication with the furnace and tubes disposed in fluid communication with the shell and the heat pump. The system includes valves for regulating access between the apparatus and the stream of the refrigerant in the heat pump, and a control unit in communication with the valves to regulate access between the apparatus and the heat pump during a heating mode based on operating parameters of the system.
Claims18
An apparatus for recovering heat from flue gas discharged from a furnace of a hybrid heating system, the apparatus comprising:
- a shell disposed in fluid communication with the furnace and configured to allow the flue gas to flow therethrough in a first direction;
- and
- one or more tubes disposed in fluid contact with the shell and fluidly communicated with a heat pump of the hybrid heating system, wherein the heat pump is in fluid contact with the furnace, the one or more tubes configured to allow a stream of refrigerant to flow therethrough in a second direction, wherein the second direction of the flow of the stream of refrigerant is different from the first direction of the flow of the flue gas;
- wherein the apparatus is fluidly coupled with the stream of refrigerant in parallel to an evaporator of the heat pump.
The apparatus of claim h further comprising:
- a container disposed proximate a bottom end of the shell configured to collect condensate therefrom.
A hybrid heating system comprising a heat pump and a furnace, the hybrid heating system comprising:
- a heat recovery apparatus in fluid communication with the heat pump and the furnace, the heat recovery apparatus configured to (i) recover heat from flue gas discharged from the furnace, and (ii) transfer the recovered heat to a stream of refrigerant in the heat pump, the heat recovery apparatus comprising:
- a shell disposed in fluid communication with the furnace and configured to allow the flue gas to flow therethrough in a first direction;
- and
- one or more tubes disposed in fluid communication with the shell and the heat pump, the one or more tubes configured to allow a stream of refrigerant to flow therethrough in a second direction, wherein the second direction of the flow of stream of refrigerant is different from the first direction of the flow of the flue gas;
- wherein the heat recovery apparatus is fluidly coupled with the stream of refrigerant in parallel to an evaporator of the heat pump;
- one or more valves configured to regulate access between the heat recovery apparatus and the stream of refrigerant in the heat pump;
- and
- a control unit in communication with the one or more valves and configured to regulate access between the heat recovery apparatus and the heat pump during a heating mode based on one or more operating parameters of the hybrid heating system.
A method of increasing energy efficiency of a hybrid heating system during a heating mode, the hybrid heating system comprising a heat pump and a furnace, the method comprising:
- contacting a heat recovery apparatus with a stream of flue gas discharged from the furnace and a stream of refrigerant in the heat pump, wherein the heat recovery apparatus comprises a shell and one or more tubes disposed in contact with the shell;
- fluidly coupling the heat recovery apparatus with the stream of refrigerant in parallel to an evaporator of the heat pump;
- directing the flue gas to flow through the shell in a first direction;
- directing the stream of refrigerant to flow through the one or more tubes in a second direction, wherein the one or more tubes are fluidly communicated with a stream of refrigerant in the heat pump, and wherein the second direction of the flow of the stream of refrigerant is different from the first direction of the flow of the flue gas;
- and
- introducing, via the heat recovery apparatus, a stream of refrigerant to the stream of refrigerant in the heat pump during the heating mode and a defrosting mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.