Gas engine driven heat pump method
AssigneeGas Research Institute
InventorRobert D. Fischer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat pump system selectively operable in cooling and heating modes of operation and having an internal combustion engine prime mover which produces refrigerant vapor compression, and which produces excess heat for rejection, is provided with a first heat exchanger that evaporates compressed refrigerant in the system heating mode of operation, with a second heat exchanger which uses prime mover rejected heat to heat a working fluid, and with a fluid distribution arrangement which is selectively operable to flow the heated working fluid in heat exchange relation to said first heat exchanger also, in the system heating mode of operation to provide a defrost capabilities and to improve heat pumping heating capacity at low ambient temperatures.
Claims6
In a method of operating a heat pump system selectively operable in cooling and heating modes of operation by reversing a refrigerant vapor compression system by means of selectively positionable and reversible valves, and having a internal combustion prime mover to drive a compressor which produces the compression of refrigerant vapor, and which prime mover produces excess heat for rejection, the combined steps of:
- a. placing the system in the heating mode of operation by selective positioning of said valves, and receiving and evaporating a flow of compressed refrigerant in an evaporator heat exchanger means immersed in an ambient atmosphere and
- b. modulating the flow of engine reject heat in intimate conductive heat exchange with the refrigerant within the evaporator heat exchanger as necessary to prevent frost on the surfaces of the evaporator heat exchanger, while simultaneously modulating the flow of the ambient atmosphere across said evaporator heat exchanger in selective proportion to that required on the surfaces of the heat exchanger to prevent the formation of frost on said surfaces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.