US 12,078,390 B2 · Reheat operation for heat pump system

Abstract

A heat pump system includes a refrigerant circuit that has a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a reheat heat exchanger, a modulating valve, and a reversing valve. The reversing valve is configured to transition between a first configuration to direct refrigerant from the compressor toward the modulating valve and a second configuration to direct the refrigerant from the compressor toward the first heat exchanger. The heat pump system also includes control circuitry configured to concurrently maintain the reversing valve in the first configuration and adjust a position of the modulating valve to direct a first portion of the refrigerant from the modulating valve to the second heat exchanger and a second portion of the refrigerant from the modulating valve to the reheat heat exchanger based on an operating mode of the heat pump system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A heat pump system, comprising:

a refrigerant circuit comprising a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a reheat heat exchanger, a modulating valve, a reversing valve, and a drain conduit,
wherein the reversing valve is configured to receive refrigerant from the compressor and to adjust between a first configuration to direct the refrigerant from the compressor toward the modulating valve and a second configuration to direct the refrigerant from the compressor toward the first heat exchanger,
wherein the modulating valve is configured to apportion the refrigerant received from the reversing valve between a first flow path extending from the modulating valve to the second heat exchanger and a reheat flow path extending from the modulating valve to the reheat heat exchanger, and
wherein the drain conduit extends from the reheat flow path toward the compressor.

1 more element

A control system for a heat pump system, wherein the control system comprises:

processing circuitry;
and
a tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, are configured to cause the processing circuitry to:
position a reversing valve of the heat pump system in a first configuration to direct refrigerant from a compressor of the heat pump system toward a modulating valve of the heat pump system in a modulating reheat mode of the heat pump system;
and
adjust a position of the modulating valve to an intermediate position of a plurality of intermediate positions in the modulating reheat mode, wherein the plurality of intermediate positions is between a first position of the modulating valve and a second position of the modulating valve, and wherein, in each intermediate position of the plurality of intermediate positions, the modulating valve is configured to direct a first portion of the refrigerant along a first flow path to a first heat exchanger of the heat pump system and to direct a second portion of the refrigerant along a reheat flow path to a reheat heat exchanger of the heat pump system, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to place the refrigerant in a first heat exchange relationship with an outdoor air flow, and the reheat heat exchanger is configured to place the refrigerant in a second heat exchange relationship with a supply air flow.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Reheat operation for heat pump system

Life of this patent

Reheat operation for heat pump system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20