Apparatus for conditioning a fluid temperaturewise comprising:
- a. a fluid handler and fluid path means for circulating said fluid in a path in heat exchange relationship with a refrigerant fluid;
- b. at least three refrigerant heat exchangers;
- a first of the heat exchangers having parallel-connected and alternatively operable first throttling means for throttling refrigerant flow and a first by-pass therefor, said first heat exchanger being disposed in the path of the fluid such that the fluid is passed in heat exchange relationship with said first heat exchanger when said fluid handler is operative, a second of the refrigerant heat exchangers having a liquid level controller controlling a throttling means upstream of said heat exchanger to prevent flooding thereof and being disposed in a heat exchange fluid circuit for circulating the refrigerant in heat exchange relationship with a heat exchange fluid, and a third of the heat exchangers having parallel-connected and alternatively operable second throttling means for throttling the refrigerant flow and second by-pass therefor, said third heat exchanger being disposed in a path of ambient air for circulating said refrigerant in heat exchange relationship with the ambient air;
- c. a compressor connected into a refrigerant circuit for efficiently compressing the refrigerant from its inlet pressure to its discharge pressure under conditions of operation of the refrigerant circuit;
- d. ambient air blower for circulating said ambient air in heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant in said third heat exchanger;
- e. a refrigerant circuit serially connecting said at least three heat exchangers and said compressor and defining a flow path for said refrigerant;
- f. means including a reversing valve for selecting the heat exchangers and direction of flow of refrigerant therethrough for selecting a particular mode of operation of the apparatus:
- g. refrigerant disposed in said refrigerant circuit and adapted to be circulated in a selected flow path for transferring heat at a coefficient of performance greater than one;
- h. a source of heat exchange fluid;
- i. heat exchange fluid circulating means for circulating said heat exchange fluid in a heat exchange circuit and in heat exchange relationship with said refrigerant;
- j. a heat exchange circuit serially connecting said heat exchange fluid source, circulating means and second heat exchanger;
- k. control means for controlling respective modes of operation;
- the element a-j being connected together in respective circuits and with said control means so as to be operable in at least the following modes, one operational cycle being indicated in each mode interconnection:
- l. air to fluid heating in which said elements are connected serially compressor to reversing valve to first heat exchanger, with said first by-pass operative and with said fluid handler operative, to second throttling means to third heat exchanger, with said second throttling means controlling the liquid level in said third heat exchanger and with said ambient air blower operative, to second heat exchanger back to compressor;
- m. heat exchange fluid to fluid heating in which said elements are connected serially compressor to reversing valve to first heat exchanger, with said first by-pass operative and with said fluid handler operative, to second throttling means to third heat exchanger, operating in flooded condition with said ambient air blower deenergized to second heat exchanger, with said liquid level controlling said second throttling means and with said heat exchange fluid circulating means operative to circulate said heat exchange fluid through said second heat exchanger and effect a low compression pressure ratio across said compressor, back to said compressor;
- n. air and heat exchange fluid to fluid heating in which said elements are connected serially compressor to reversing valve to first heat exchanger with said first by-pass operative and with said fluid handler operative, to second throttling means to third heat exchanger, with said second throttling means controlling the liquid level of refrigerant therein and with said ambient air blower operative, to second heat exchanger with said heat exchange fluid circulating means operative to circulate said heat exchange fluid through said second heat exchanger and effect a low compression pressure ratio across said compressor and with said liquid level control imposing safety control on said second throttling means to prevent flooding of said second heat exchanger, back to said compressor;
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- o. air to fluid cooling in which said elements are connected compressor to reversing valve to third heat exchanger, with second by-pass operative, to first throttling means to first heat exchanger, with first throttling means operative to control liquid level in said first heat exchanger and with fluid handler operative, to second heat exchanger back to compressor.