Supplemental heat exchanger system for heat pump
OwnerGary Phillippeinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
For use with a heat pump to increase cold weather heating efficiency, a supplemental heat exchanger and associated refrigerant flow lines for generating additional expanded refrigerant and transferring the additional expanded refrigerant to the heat pump compressor during the cold outside conditions, included isn a monitoring system for detecting and actively regulating the refrigerant pressure and temperature at a location in the supplemental heat exchanger and associated refrigerant flow lines just prior to the refrigerant entering the compressor. The monitoring system automatically connects the supplemental heat pump, to enhance the heating cycle capabilities, and disconnects the supplemental heat pump, when the enhanced heating cycle capabilities are no longer required.
Claims14
In association with a refrigerant recirculating heat pump having a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, and a flow line connecting said indoor and said outdoor heat exchangers, means for enhancing the indoor heating cycle capabilities of said heat pump, comprising:
- a) means for generating additional expanded refrigerant and transferring said additional expanded refrigerant to said compressor and
- b) means for monitoring said refrigerant's pressure and temperature at a location just prior to said refrigerant entering said compressor, wherein said monitoring means automatically connects said means for generating additional expanded refrigerant to said heat pump when selected refrigerant temperature and pressure ranges are satisfied, to enhance said heating cycle capabilities, and automatically disconnects said means for generating additional expanded refrigerant to said heat pump when said selected refrigerant temperature and pressure ranges are not satisfied.
In association with a refrigerant recirculating heat pump having a compressor with a high pressure refrigerant exit and a low pressure refrigerant entrance, a refrigerant flow reversal means connected to said high pressure refrigerant exit by a flow line and receiving high pressure refrigerant from said compressor, an indoor heat exchanger having first and second ends wherein said indoor heat exchanger is connected by said first indoor heat exchanger end via a flow line to said refrigerant flow reversal means, an outdoor heat exchanger having first and second ends wherein said outdoor heat exchanger is connected by said first outdoor heat exchanger end via a flow line to said second indoor heat exchanger end and by said second outdoor heat exchanger end via a flow line to said refrigerant flow reveral means, and a flow line between said refrigerant flow reversal means and said compressor low pressure refrigerant entrance for returning low pressure refrigerant to said compressor, means for enhancing the indoor heating cycle capabilities of said heat pump, comprising:
- a) means for generating additional expanded refrigerant and transferring said additional expanded refrigerant to said compressor and
- b) means, associated with said refrigerant flow lines, for monitoring refrigerant pressure and temperature after said refrigerant flow reversal means and prior to said refrigerant entering said compressor, wherein said monitoring means connects and disconnects said generating and transferring of said additional expanded refrigerant to said compressor.
In association with a refrigerant recirculating heat pump having a compressor with a high pressure refrigerant exit and a low pressure refrigerant entrance, a refrigerant flow reversal means connected to said high pressure refrigerant exit by a flow line and receiving high pressure refrigerant from and second ends wherein said indoor heat exchanger is connected by said first indoor heat exchanger end via a flow line to said refrigerant flow reversal means, an outdoor heat exchanger having first and second ends wherein said outdoor heat exchanger is connected by said first outdoor heat exchanger end via a flow line to said second indoor heat exchanger end and by said second outdoor heat exchanger end via a flow line to said refrigerant flow reversal means, and a flow line between said refrigerant flow reversal means and said compressor low pressure refrigerant entrance for returning low pressure refrigerant to said compressor, a method of enhancing the indoor heating cycle capabilities of a heat pump, comprising:
- a) determining that said refrigerant's temperature, within said flow line between said flow reversal means and said compressor low pressure entrance, and said refrigerant's pressure, prior to said compressor low pressure entrance, are both within selected temperature and pressure ranges, respectively;
- and
- b) passing said refrigerant, during said heating cycle, from said second indoor heat exchanger end to a supplemental heat exchanger to enhance said heating cycle capabilities when said temperature and pressure are both within said selected temperature and pressure ranges, respectively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.