# US 2024/0200839 A1 · Energy efficient heat pump with control system and compressor injection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0200839 A1 - Document ID: US20240200839A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/539,082 - Filed: 2023-12-13 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-14 - Assignees: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP - Applicants: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP - Inventors: Andrew Leroy Hjortland; Jeremy Ryan Smith; Andrew Michael Boyd - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240200839A1 ## CPC - F25B 41/31: Expansion valves - F25B 49/02: for compression type machines, plants or systems - F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) - F25B 41/39: Dispositions with two or more expansion means arranged in series, i.e. multi-stage expansion, on a refrigerant line leading to the same evaporator - F25B 2400/13: Economisers - F25B 2600/2509: Economiser valves - F25B 2600/2513: Expansion valves - F25B 2700/1931: Discharge pressures - F25B 2700/1933: Suction pressures - F25B 2700/198: Intermediate pressures - F25B 2700/21151: at the suction side of the compressor - F25B 2700/21152: at the discharge side of the compressor - F25B 2700/2118: at an intermediate pressure position - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## 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 energy efficient heat pump also includes a first conduit of the working fluid circuit, where the first conduit extends between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the economizer is 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. The energy efficient heat pump further includes an injection conduit extending from the first conduit 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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 of the portion of the working fluid into the compressor; 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 control the first expansion device, the second expansion device, and the third expansion device based on an operating mode of the energy efficient heat pump, an operating parameter of the compressor, or both. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the first expansion device, the second expansion device, and the third expansion device based on the operating mode of the energy efficient heat pump and based on the operating parameter of the compressor, wherein the operating parameter comprises a pressure ratio of the compressor, a speed of the compressor, or both. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 1, comprising an economizer disposed along the first conduit and disposed along the injection conduit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 3, wherein the third expansion device is disposed along the injection conduit upstream of the economizer relative to a flow direction of the portion of the working fluid circuit through the injection conduit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 3, wherein the first expansion device is disposed along the first conduit between the first heat exchanger and the economizer, and the second expansion device is disposed along the first conduit between the second heat exchanger and the economizer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 5, wherein, in a heating mode of the energy efficient heat pump, the controller is configured to: adjust the first expansion device to a fully open position; and in response to a determination that a pressure ratio of the compressor is equal to or less than a threshold value, adjust the third expansion device to a fully closed position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 6, wherein, in response to the determination that the pressure ratio of the compressor is equal to or less than the threshold value, the controller is configured to compare a speed of the compressor to a threshold speed and: in response to a determination that the speed of the compressor is equal to or less than the threshold speed, adjust the second expansion device based on a suction superheat of the compressor; and in response to a determination that the speed of the compressor is greater than the threshold speed, adjust the second expansion device based on a discharge superheat of the compressor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 5, wherein, in a heating mode of the energy efficient heat pump, the controller is configured to: adjust the first expansion device to a fully open position; and in response to a determination that a pressure ratio of the compressor is greater than a threshold value, compare a speed of the compressor to a threshold speed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 8, wherein, in response to a determination that the speed of the compressor is equal to or less than the threshold speed, the controller is configured to: adjust the third expansion device to a fully closed position; and adjust the second expansion device based on a suction superheat of the compressor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 8, wherein, in response to a determination that the speed of the compressor is greater than the threshold speed, the controller is configured to: adjust the third expansion device based on a discharge superheat of the compressor; and adjust the second expansion device based on a suction superheat of the compressor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 5, wherein, in a cooling mode of the energy efficient heat pump, the controller is configured to: adjust the second expansion device to a fully open position; and in response to a determination that a pressure ratio of the compressor is equal to or less than a threshold value, adjust the third expansion device to a fully closed position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 11, wherein, in response to the determination that the pressure ratio of the compressor is equal to or less than the threshold value, the controller is configured to compare a speed of the compressor to a threshold speed and: in response to a determination that the speed of the compressor is equal to or less than the threshold speed, adjust the first expansion device based on a suction superheat of the compressor; and in response to a determination that the speed of the compressor is greater than the threshold speed, adjust the first expansion device based on a discharge superheat of the compressor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 5, wherein, in a cooling mode of the energy efficient heat pump, the controller is configured to: adjust the second expansion device to a fully open position; and in response to a determination that a pressure ratio of the compressor is greater than a threshold value, compare a speed of the compressor to a threshold speed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to: in response to a determination that the speed of the compressor is equal to or less than the threshold speed: adjust the third expansion device to a fully closed position; and adjust the first expansion device based on a suction superheat of the compressor; and in response to a determination that the speed of the compressor is greater than the threshold speed: adjust the third expansion device based on a discharge superheat of the compressor; and adjust the second expansion device based on a suction superheat of the compressor. ### Claim 15 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 economizer is 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; and 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 of the portion of the working fluid into the compressor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 15, comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the second expansion device, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a position of the second expansion device based on a pressure ratio of the compressor, based on a speed of the compressor, or both. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the position of the second expansion device to a fully closed position in response to a determination that the pressure ratio of the compressor is less than or equal to a threshold value, in response to a determination that the speed of the compressor is less than or equal to a threshold speed, or both. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to control the first expansion device based on a suction superheat of the compressor in response to the determination that the speed of the compressor is less than or equal to the threshold speed, in response to a determination that the pressure ratio of the compressor is greater than the threshold value, or both. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The energy efficient heat pump of claim 15, comprising a third expansion device, wherein the first expansion device is disposed along the first conduit between the first heat exchanger and the economizer, and the third expansion device is disposed along the first conduit between the second heat exchanger and the economizer. ### Claim 20 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, 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 control the first expansion device, the second expansion device, and the third expansion device based on an operating mode of the energy efficient heat pump, a pressure ratio of the compressor, and a speed of the compressor.