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AssigneeElectric Power Research Institute, Inc.
InventorKevin F. Dudley
Estimating the term…
An integrated heat pump and hot water system provides heating or cooling of a comfort zone, as required, and also provides water heating. As a power management feature, the speed of a variable speed compressor is reduced to a predetermined fraction, e.g. 80%, of its normal operating speed, in response to a demand limit signal provided from the electric power utility during times of peak electrical load. A reference compressor speed is computed based on the current compressor speed, indoor temperature, outdoor temperature, and zero-load temperature difference. If the system is between operating cycles when the demand limit signal is received, a stored speed is used which corresponds to the compressor speed at a predetermined outdoor-indoor temperature difference. This system produces graceful reduction in comfort cooling during demand limit periods.
Method of operating an integrated heat pump and hot water system that is capable of providing heating or cooling to an environmental comfort zone, said heat pump and hot water system including a variable speed compressor whose operating speed is substantially linearly related to the difference between outdoor air temperature and indoor air temperature in the comfort zone, and also including means to receive a utility peak demand limit signal to initiate automatic power limiting to reduce the power demand imposed by the heat pump and hot water system, the method comprising sensing the outdoor temperature T.sub.OD ;
Method of operating a heat pump system that is capable of providing heating or cooling to an environmental comfort zone wherein said heat pump system includes a variable speed compressor whose operating speed is controlled to vary with an imposed heat transfer load on the system;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.