A system for conditioning air in a living space
AssigneeZinniatek Limited
InventorsAndrew Leo HAYNES, Daniel Fernandez GONZALEZ
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for providing air conditioning to a living space and heating potable water. The system comprising a heat pump circuit comprising a compressor for circulating a refrigerant around the heat pump circuit, a first condenser, a second condenser and an evaporator. The evaporator being adapted to receive a first flow of air from an air inlet to transfer heat from the first flow of air to the refrigerant. The first condenser being adapted to receive a flow of water to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the water. The second condenser being adapted to receive a second flow of air to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the second flow of air. The first flow being provided from the evaporator to a living space by an air outlet.
Claims53
A system for providing air conditioning to a living space and heating potable water comprising:
- a heat pump circuit comprising a compressor for circulating a refrigerant around the heat pump circuit, a first condenser, a second condenser and an evaporator,
- the evaporator adapted to receive a first flow of air from an air inlet to transfer heat from the first flow of air to the refrigerant, and
- the first condenser adapted to receive a flow of water to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the water, and
- the second condenser adapted to receive a second flow of air to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the second flow of air, and
- an air outlet to provide the first flow of air from the evaporator to the living space.
The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a valve for selectively providing as the first flow of air:
- i) heated air from a solar thermal collection system from the thermal collection unit, and ii) a flow of air from the living space such that the first flow of air recirculates through the system and the living space.
The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a vent path to bypass the evaporator and vent the first flow of air to the ambient environment.
The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising a fan for driving first flow of air through the evaporator and to the living space.
The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second flow of air is an ambient flow of air.
The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a valve for selectively providing the first flow of air from the evaporator to i) the living space, and ii) a vent to ambient.
The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a water circuit adapted to be connected to a (house hold) water tank and a pump for pumping water from the tank and through the first condenser to be returned to the tank.
The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the heat pump circuit comprises:
- a first heat exchanger configurable as the evaporator or the second condenser, a second heat exchanger configurable as the second condenser or the evaporator, and a valve for selecting the direction of flow of refrigerant in the heat pump circuit through the first and second heat exchangers, and wherein the first condenser is located within the heat pump circuit between the compressor and the valve, and
- with the valve in a first position:
- the first heat exchanger configured as the evaporator to receive the first flow of air and transfer heat from the air to the refrigerant, and
- the second heat exchanger configured as the second condenser to receive the second flow of air to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the air, and
- with the valve in a second position:
- the first heat exchanger configured as the second condenser to receive the first flow of air and transfer heat from the refrigerant to the first flow of air, and
- the second heat exchanger configured as the evaporator to receive the second flow of air to transfer heat from the air to the refrigerant,
- the system adapted to provide the first flow of air from the first heat exchanger to the living space to condition the air in the living space, and
- the first condenser adapted to receive a flow of water to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the water when the valve is in the first and second positions.
The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a heat exchanger (the passive heat exchanger) for receiving the water from the water circuit and the first flow of air to transfer heat between the water and the first flow of air.
The system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system comprises modular units.
A system for providing air conditioning to a living space and heating potable water comprising:
- a heat pump cycle comprising:
- an evaporator for transferring heat from the heat pump cycle to a first flow of air to be provided to the living space, and
- two condensers, a first condenser for transferring heat from the heat pump cycle to potable water, and a second condenser for transferring heat from the heat pump cycle to a second flow of air.
A system for providing heated air to a living space comprising:
- a heat exchanger adapted to receive a flow of air from an air inlet,
- a water circuit adapted to be connected to a house hold heated water tank,
- a pump for pumping water around the water circuit from the tank through the heat exchanger to be returned to the tank, the heat exchanger transferring heat from the water to the flow of air,
- an air outlet to provide the flow of air heated by passing through the heat exchanger to the living space.
A system for providing air conditioning to a living space and heating potable water comprising:
- a heat pump circuit comprising a compressor for circulating a refrigerant around the heat pump circuit, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger and a first condenser,
- a first heat exchanger configurable as an evaporator or a second condenser,
- a second heat exchanger configurable as a second condenser or an evaporator, and
- a valve for selecting the direction of flow of refrigerant in the heat pump circuit through the first and second heat exchangers, and wherein the first condenser is located within the heat pump circuit between the compressor and the valve, and
- with the valve in a first position:
- the first heat exchanger configured as the evaporator to receive the first flow of air and transfer heat from the air to the refrigerant, and
- the second heat exchanger configured as a second condenser to receive the second flow of air to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the air, and
- with the valve in a second position:
- the first heat exchanger configured as a second condenser to receive the first flow of air and transfer heat from the refrigerant to the first flow of air, and
- the second heat exchanger configured as an evaporator to receive the second flow of air to transfer heat from the air to the refrigerant,
- the system adapted to provide the first flow of air from the first heat exchanger to the living space to condition the air in the living space, and
- a first condenser adapted to receive a flow of water to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the water when the valve is in the first and second positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.