US 12,504,210 B2Granted

Energy efficient heat pump with control system and compressor injection

AssigneeTyco Fire & Security GmbH

InventorsAndrew Leroy Hjortland, Jeremy Ryan Smith, Andrew Michael Boyd

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Abstract

An energy efficient heat pump includes a working fluid circuit configured to circulate a working fluid, where the working fluid circuit includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first expansion device, an economizer, and a reversing valve, where the reversing valve is configured to adjust a flow direction of the working fluid through the working fluid circuit. The heat pump further includes an injection conduit extending from a first conduit of the working fluid circuit to an injection port of the compressor, where the injection conduit includes a second expansion device, and the injection conduit is configured to direct a portion of the working fluid from the working fluid circuit, through the second expansion device, through the economizer, and to the injection port of the compressor to inject of the portion of the working fluid into the compressor.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An energy efficient heat pump for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a working fluid circuit;
a first conduit of the working fluid circuit, wherein the first conduit extends between a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger of the working fluid circuit, and wherein the first conduit comprises a first expansion device and a second expansion device;
a compressor disposed along the working fluid circuit, wherein the compressor is configured to direct a working fluid along the working fluid circuit, and the compressor comprises a suction port and an injection port;
an injection conduit extending from the first conduit to the injection port of the compressor, wherein the injection conduit comprises a third expansion device, and the injection conduit is configured to direct a portion of the working fluid from the working fluid circuit, through the third expansion device, and to the injection port of the compressor to inject the portion of the working fluid into the compressor;
an economizer disposed along the first conduit and disposed along the injection conduit, wherein the economizer is configured to place the portion of the working fluid directed along the injection conduit in a counterflow arrangement with the working fluid directed along the first conduit of the working fluid circuit in a heating mode of the energy efficient heat pump;
and
a controller communicatively coupled to the first expansion device, the second expansion device, and the third expansion device, wherein the controller is configured to;
determine an operating mode of the energy efficient heat pump;
based on a determination that the operating mode is the heating mode:
control the third expansion device based on a pressure ratio of the compressor, a speed of the compressor, or both;
and
control the second expansion device based on the speed of the compressor;
and
based on a determination that the operating mode is a cooling mode:
control the third expansion device based on the pressure ratio of the compressor, the speed of the compressor, or both;
and
control the first expansion device based on the speed of the compressor.

14 more elements

An energy efficient heat pump, comprising:

a working fluid circuit configured to circulate a working fluid, wherein the working fluid circuit comprises a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first expansion device, an economizer, and a reversing valve, wherein the reversing valve is configured to adjust a flow direction of the working fluid through the working fluid circuit;
a first conduit of the working fluid circuit, wherein the first conduit extends between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the first expansion device and the economizer are disposed along the first conduit, and the first conduit is configured to direct the working fluid between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and through the economizer;
an injection conduit extending from the first conduit to an injection port of the compressor, wherein the injection conduit comprises a second expansion device, and the injection conduit is configured to direct a portion of the working fluid from the working fluid circuit, through the second expansion device, through the economizer, and to the injection port of the compressor to inject the portion of the working fluid into the compressor;
and
a controller communicatively coupled to the first expansion device and the second expansion device, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive data indicative of a pressure ratio of the compressor and data indicative of a speed of the compressor;
compare the pressure ratio of the compressor to a threshold pressure ratio value;
compare the speed of the compressor to a threshold speed value;
adjust the second expansion device based on the comparison of the pressure ratio of the compressor to the threshold pressure ratio value, the comparison of the speed of the compressor to the threshold speed value, or both;
and
adjust the first expansion device based on the comparison of the speed of the compressor to the threshold speed value.

8 more elements

An energy efficient heat pump, comprising:

a working fluid circuit configured to circulate a working fluid, wherein the working fluid circuit comprises a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a first expansion device, a second expansion device, an economizer, and a reversing valve, wherein the reversing valve is configured to adjust a flow direction of the working fluid through the working fluid circuit;
a first conduit of the working fluid circuit, wherein the first conduit extends between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the economizer is disposed along the first conduit, the first expansion device is disposed along the first conduit between the first heat exchanger and the economizer, the second expansion device is disposed along the first conduit between the economizer and the second heat exchanger, and the first conduit is configured to direct the working fluid between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and through the economizer;
and
an injection conduit extending from the first conduit to an injection port of the compressor, wherein the injection conduit comprises a third expansion device, and the economizer is disposed along the injection conduit;
and
a controller configured to:
determine an operating mode of the energy efficient heat pump;
receive first data indicative of a pressure ratio of the compressor;
receive second data indicative of a speed of the compressor;
in response to a determination that the operating mode is a heating mode:
adjust the first expansion device to a fully open position;
control the second expansion device based on a comparison of the speed of the compressor to a threshold speed value;
and
control the third expansion device based on a comparison of the pressure ratio of the compressor to a pressure ratio threshold value, the comparison of the speed of the compressor to the threshold speed value, or both;
and
in response to a determination that the operating mode is a cooling mode:
adjust the second expansion device to a fully open position;
control the first expansion device based on the comparison of the speed of the compressor to the threshold speed value;
and
control the third expansion device based on the comparison of the pressure ratio of the compressor to the pressure ratio threshold value, the comparison of the speed of the compressor to the threshold speed value, or both.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/539,082Filed 13 Dec 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 14 Dec 2022
Published: US 2024/0200839 A120 Jun 2024
Granted: 23 Dec 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

F25B 41/31
Expansion means; Dispositions thereof: expansion valves
F25B 49/02
Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices: for compression type machines, plants or systems
F25B 13/00
Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle
F25B 41/39
Expansion means; Dispositions thereof: dispositions with two or more expansion means arranged in series, i.e. multi-stage expansion, on a…