US 12,181,187 B2Granted

Ejector heat pump operation

AssigneeCarrier Corporation

InventorsAhmad M. Mahmoud, Jinliang Wang, Frederick J. Cogswell, Parmesh Verma

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Abstract

A method for operating a heat pump (20; 300) includes operating in a cooling mode wherein heat is absorbed by refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger (26) and rejected by refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger (24). The heat pump switches to operation in a heating mode wherein heat is rejected by refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, heat is absorbed by refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger, and there is an ejector (60) motive flow and ejector secondary flow. In the heating mode a refrigerant pressure (PH) or temperature (TL) is measured and, responsive to the measured refrigerant pressure or temperature, at least one of a fan speed is changed and a needle (132) of the ejector is actuated.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method for operating a heat pump, the heat pump comprising:

a compressor (22);
an indoor heat exchanger (26);
an outdoor heat exchanger (24);
an ejector (60) having a primary flow inlet (66), a secondary flow inlet (70), and an outlet (68);
a vessel (80) having:
an inlet port (81), a first outlet port (82), and a second outlet port (83);
a four-way valve (50);
and
an expansion device (98),
the method comprising:
operating in a cooling mode wherein:
heat is absorbed by refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger and rejected by refrigerant in the outdoor heat and exchanger;
flow passes sequentially from the vessel second outlet port through the expansion device to the indoor heat exchanger, from the indoor heat exchanger through the four-way valve to the elector secondary flow inlet as an elector motive flow, and
flow passes sequentially from the compressor, through the four-way valve, through the outdoor heat exchanger, and to the elector primary flow inlet as an ejector secondary flow;
switching to operation in a heating mode wherein:
heat is rejected by refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger;
heat is absorbed by refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger;
flow passes sequentially from the vessel second outlet port through the expansion device to the outdoor heat exchanger, from the outdoor heat exchanger through the four-way valve to the secondary flow inlet as an ejector secondary flow;
and
flow passes sequentially from the compressor, through the four-way valve, through the indoor heat exchanger, and to the ejector primary port as an ejector motive flow;
and
in the heating mode:
measuring a refrigerant pressure or temperature;
and
responsive to the measured refrigerant pressure or temperature, at least one of changing a fan speed and actuating a needle, of the ejector.

22 more elements

A heat pump comprising:

a compressor (22);
an indoor heat exchanger (26);
a fan (38) positioned to drive an air flow (34) across the indoor heat exchanger;
an outdoor heat exchanger (24);
an ejector (60) having a primary flow inlet (66), a secondary flow inlet (70), and an outlet (68);
a vessel (80) having:
an inlet port (81), a first outlet port (82), and a second outlet port (83);
an expansion device (98);
a controller (200), at least one of the ejector being a controllable ejector and the fan being a variable speed fan controlled by the controller;
and
means for switching between:
a cooling mode wherein heat is absorbed by refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger and rejected by refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger and flow passes from the vessel second outlet port through the expansion device to the indoor heat exchanger;
and
a heating mode wherein heat is rejected by refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger, flow passes from the vessel second outlet port through the expansion device to the outdoor heat exchanger in an opposite direction to the cooling mode, heat is absorbed by refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger, and there is an ejector motive flow and ejector secondary flow, wherein the controller (200) is configured to in the heating mode:
measure a refrigerant pressure or temperature;
and
responsive to the measured refrigerant pressure or temperature, at least one of change the fan speed and actuate a needle, of the ejector.

14 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/238,185Filed 25 Aug 2023 · continuation
Priority: 10 Sep 2018
Published: US 2023/0400230 A114 Dec 2023
Granted: 31 Dec 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

F25B 13/00
Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle
F25B 49/02
Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices: for compression type machines, plants or systems
F25B 41/42
Fluid line arrangements: arrangements for diverging or converging flows, e.g. branch lines or junctions
F25B 2313/0293
Control issues: related to the indoor fan, e.g. controlling speed

Family

Application62/729,226Us provisional application · filed 10 Sep 2018
PCT/US2019/033735Parent of this continuation · filed 23 May 2019
US 2023/0400230 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Dec 2023
Application17/253,855Parent of this continuation
US 11,781,791 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2021/0270509 A1Published application
US 12,181,187 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.