Air-to-water heat pump system with defrosting unit and method of optimizing the operation of the air-to-water heat pump
OwnerMarek JEDRZEJCZAKinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air-to-water heat pump system is disclosed comprising a lower heat source unit and an upper heat source unit connected in a thermodynamic cycle, wherein the lower heat source unit is supplied with external air and the lower heat source has at least two alternating evaporators (1, 2) forming the lower heat source with a fan mounted axially in relation to the lower heat source unit in its upper part, provided with a defrosting unit in which it is possible to implement the defrosting and drying process of the evaporator heat exchange surface, as well as improve the energy efficiency of the heat pump system.
Claims11
An air-to-water heat pump system comprising a lower heat source unit and an upper heat source unit connected in a thermodynamic cycle, wherein the lower heat source unit is supplied with external air and the lower heat source has at least two alternately working evaporators (1, 2) forming the lower heat source of the unit with a fan mounted axially in relation to the lower heat source unit in its upper part, provided with a defrosting unit characterized in that at least two alternating evaporators (1, 2) are connected to a set of valves comprising two pairs of motor-actuated three-way valves (3, 4) and (5, 6), for each evaporator (1) and (2) of the lower heat source unit provided with a shutter (11), wherein the evaporators (1, 2) are connected in series in a closed circuit with a condenser (9);
- wherein an outlet port of the first evaporator (1) connects via the through hole of the second three-way valve (4) with a suction side of a compressor (8), connected on a discharge side to the condenser (9), the outlet port of which connects via the bypass of the third three-way valve (5) with the inlet of the second evaporator (2), wherein the outlet of the second evaporator (2) is connected via the bypass of the fourth three-way valve (6) with an expansion valve (7) and via the through hole of the first three-way valve (3) it connects with the inlet of the first evaporator (1);
- wherein the outlet port of the second evaporator (2) connects via the bypass of the second three-way valve (4) with the suction side of the compressor (8), connected on the discharge side with the condenser (9), the outlet port of which connects via the through hole of the third three-way valve (5) with the inlet of the first evaporator (1), wherein the outlet of the first evaporator (1) is connected via the through hole of the fourth three-way valve (6) with the expansion valve (7) and via the bypass of the first three-way valve (3) it connects with the inlet of the second evaporator (2);
- wherein the shutter (11) is formed on the lower heat source unit to shield the frosted evaporator (1, 2) going into defrosting mode.
A method of optimizing the operation of the air-to-water heat pump, which uses the alternating operation of at least two evaporators, characterized in that the defrosting process of the second evaporator (2) is carried out by directing the refrigerant from the first evaporator (1) via the through hole of the second three-way valve (4) to the compressor (8), then the refrigerant is directed to the condenser (9), then the liquefied refrigerant is directed via the bypass of the third three-way valve (5) to the second evaporator (2), then the subcooled refrigerant is directed via the bypass of the fourth three-way valve (6) to the expansion valve (7), then the expanded refrigerant is directed via the through hole of the first three-way valve (3) to the first evaporator (1), at the same time the shutter (11) is directed to the position of shielding the second evaporator (2);
- wherein the defrosting process of the first evaporator (1) is carried out by directing the refrigerant from the second evaporator (2) via the bypass of the second three-way valve (4) to the compressor (8), then the refrigerant is directed to the condenser (9), then the liquefied refrigerant is directed via the through hole of the third three-way valve (5) to the first evaporator (1), then the subcooled refrigerant is directed via the through hole of the fourth three-way valve (6) to the expansion valve (7), then the expanded refrigerant is directed via the bypass of the first three-way valve (3) to the second evaporator (2), at the same time the shutter (11) is directed to the position of shielding the first evaporator (1) to limit the heat exchange between the outside air and the shielded first evaporator (1);
- wherein the continuously operating fan (10) forces the external air to flow around the exposed evaporator (1) or (2);
- wherein the defrosting process of the evaporator (1) or (2) is carried out until the end of the exchanger defrosting cycle, wherein the controller (12), by switching the three-way valve operation mode, generates another change of the refrigerant circulation direction, thus changing the functions of the evaporators (1, 2) and changing the position of the shutter (11) to the position of shielding the evaporator being defrosted (1) or (2).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.