Attic mounted solar assist multi-source/sink residential heat pump system

A heat pump refrigeration system for conditioning a residential building space or the like, said building comprising an attic thermally isolated from the space to be conditioned, said attic including a solar window facing a solar radiation source such that said attic defines a passive solar collector and forms a solar space, said refrigeration system comprising:

• a first heat exchange coil;
• a second heat exchange coil,
• said coils functioning as evaporators or condensers to absorb heat and discharge heat, respectively;
• a compressor;
• conduit means carrying refrigerant and defining a closed refrigeration loop circuit including said coils and said compressor and further comprising means for selectively operating said first and second heat exchange coils as evaporator or condenser as required, the improvement comprising:
• a first duct positioned within said attic, said first duct housing said first coil and having an inlet and an outlet for said coil;
• a second duct thermally isolated from said first duct and positioned within said attic and thermally isolated from said first duct, said second duct housing said second coil and having an inlet and an outlet for said coil;
• blower means for forcing air flow through said ducts;
• means for selectively communicating said first duct inlet and outlet to the building exterior or to said attic solar space;
• said second duct outlet opening into the building space to be conditioned;
• an air return opening leading from said space to be conditioned and opening into said second duct upstream of said second coil;
• and
• means for selectively communicating said second duct inlet to said air return opening with said second duct shut off from said outside or said solar space, said second duct inlet and said opening to said solar space, or said second duct inlet and said air return opening to the building exterior,
• whereby direct cooling of the space to be conditioned without heat compressor operation may be achieved by directing outside air to said second duct inlet for flow into said space to be conditioned and wherein return air flow through said air return opening communicates to the building exterior;
• direct solar heating of the space to be conditioned may be achieved without compressor operation by air flow from the solar space through the second duct inlet and into said space to be conditioned and return air flow to said solar space through said air return opening;
• direct solar heating of the space to be conditioned may be achieved with thermal boost under compressor operation by operating said first coil as system evaporator with said first duct inlet and outlet open to said solar space and with said second coil functioning as system condenser, and wherein normal heat pump cooling and heating may be achieved under compressor operation with said first duct communicating either to the solar space or the outside and the second duct communicating only to the space to be conditioned.

In a heat pump refrigeration system for conditioning a residential building space or the like, and wherein said building comprises an attic separate from said space to be conditioned and includes a solar window within the attic building structure facing a source of solar radiation with said attic interior and defining a passive solar heat trap and forming a solar space, said system comprising a first heat exchange coil and a second heat exchange coil, said coils trading functions as evaporator and condenser to absorb heat and discharge heat, respectively;

• a compressor;
• a receiver;
• conduit means carrying refrigerant and defining a closed refrigeration loop circuit including said coils, said receiver, and said compressor;
• means within said circuit for subcooling condensed refrigerant from the coil functioning as a condenser;
• a third heat exchange coil functioning to supply heat to the circut or to store heat derived therefrom;
• and a fourth heat exchange coil functioning as a system high temperature condenser for supplying a high temperature heating load, the improvement comprising:
• a first duct within said attic and housing said first coil and having an inlet and an outlet on opposite sides of said first coil;
• a second duct within said attic housing said second coil and having an inlet and an outlet on opposite side of said second coil;
• said second duct outlet directly opening to said building space to be conditioned to form an air circulation path between said second coil and said building space;
• a return air opening for communicating said space to be conditioned to said second duct upstream of said second coil;
• means for selectively communicating said first duct inlet to the building exterior or said attic solar space and said first duct outlet to said building exterior or to said attic solar space;
• means for selectively communicating said second duct inlet to said solar space and for terminating direct communication between said second duct inlet and said building space to be conditioned;
• further means including said second duct for communicating said second duct inlet to the building exterior to permit cooling of the space to be conditioned by outside air in the absence of heat exchange operation of said second coil;
• said compressor comprising at least one intermediate-pressure injection port and at least one intermediate-pressure ejection port;
• said conduit means further including a manifold assembly comprising a discharge manifold, a liquid drain manifold, a liquid feed manifold, and a suction manifold;
• said conduit means further comprising means for selectively connecting said first, said second, said third and said fourth heat exchange coils across said discharge and liquid drain manifolds for permitting said coils to function as condensers within the system;
• said conduit means further comprising means for selectively connecting said first coil, said second coil and said third coil across said liquid feed and suction manifolds for permitting said first, said second and said third coils to function as evaporators within said system;
• said conduit means further comprising means for selectively connecting one of said coils functioning as a system intermediate-pressure codenser to said at least one intermediate-pressure injection port of said compressor and a coil functioning as a system intermediate-pressure evaporator to said at least one intermediate-pressure ejection port;
• and
• means for insuring refrigerant flow from the coils functioning as condensers regardless of condensing temperature to said receiver and from said receiver to the coils functioning as evaporators, regardless of evaporating temperature.