US 4,301,662 AGranted

Vapor-jet heat pump

AssigneeEnviron Electronic Laboratories, Inc.

InventorGordon R. Whitnah

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A heat pump for use in heating residential, commercial or industrial buildings, industrial and agricultural processes and heating of water to moderate temperatures such as may be required in swimming pools or as a water pre-heater for any other use. The system includes a fuel consuming refrigerant boiler for producing a refrigerant in vaporized form at relatively high pressure, the output of the boiler being connected to a superheater and then to the primary jet of an ejector-type compressor. An evaporator unit exposed to ambient temperatures has its output line connected to an inlet of the ejector such that as the high pressure gaseous refrigerant flows through the nozzle of the ejector, a low pressure is created and the refrigerant from the evaporator is also caused to flow through the ejector compressor to a condenser where the refrigerant is allowed to give up its heat. The condenser is coupled in circuit with a receiver which holds liquid refrigerant and delivers same to the boiler and evaporator, all under control of fluid level or pressure sensitive switches governing the operation of a liquid refrigerant pumping means.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A heat pump system comprising in combination:

(a) a first heat exchanger disposed in an enclosed zone to be heated;
(b) a second heat exchanger disposed in a heat transfer relationship to the ambient outside of said enclosed zone;
(c) fuel fired boiler means for producing vaporized refrigerant at a relatively high pressure;
(d) a refrigerant superheater for receiving hot combustion gases from the burning of said fuel and coupled in a heat exchange relationship with said vaporized refrigerant to thereby superheat the vaporized refrigerant leaving said boiler;
(e) an ejector pump having a primary jet nozzle coupled to said refrigerant superheater, a secondary inlet adapted to be coupled to said second heat exchanger and an outlet, the flow of high pressure refrigerant vapor through said primary jet creating a negative pressure proximate said secondary inlet;
(f) means coupling said outlet of said ejector pump to said first heat exchanger for condensing the high pressure vaporized refrigerant to a liquid phase;
(g) reservoir means for collecting the liquefied refrigerant produced by said first heat exchanger;
and
(h) means coupling said reservoir means to said first heat exchanger means and to said boiler means for maintaining a predetermined level of liquid refrigerant in each.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.