Method and means for producing improved heat pump system

In a heat pump system having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator operable to extract heat from a combined ice and cold water reservoir, the improvement comprising

• means for supporting said evaporator in a water immiscible fluid,
• means for delivering droplets of water to said fluid from said combined ice and cold water reservoir, said evaporator being operative upon operation thereof to cause said droplets to turn to beads of ice in said fluid,
• means for conveying said beads of ice from said liquid back to said reservoir, and
• means for recirculating cold water from said reservoir through a natural heat source to be warmed thereby, and to return the warmed water back to said reservoir thereby continuously to melt at least part of the ice in said reservoir,
• said combined ice and cold water reservoir comprising a first tank buried in the earth and containing cold water and beads of ice conveyed thereto from said water immiscible fluid.

A heating system for heating a structure comprising

• a water-immiscible fluid,
• an ice-water reservoir, and
• a heat pump including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator,
• said evaporator being located within said water-immiscible fluid whereby in operation of said evaporator heat is extracted thereby from said water-immiscible fluid, and is delivered to said structure via said condenser,
• said water-immiscible fluid and ice-water reservoir 10 including heating means connected to a natural heat source, whereby the heat removed from said fluid by said evaporator is replaced in said ice-water reservoir by said natural heat source.

A method of improving the efficiency of heat transfer from a low-temperature water source to the evaporator of a heat pump system of the type having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator, comprising

• positioning said evaporator in a water-immiscible fluid from which heat is extracted by the evaporator at a rate sufficient to maintain the temperature of said fluid approximately at or slightly below 0.degree. C.,
• supplying droplets of water to said fluid from a low temperature water source, and at a rate equal to or greater than the rate at which heat is extracted from said fluid, thereby to cause said droplets to form small beads of ice in said fluid,
• removing said small beads of ice from said fluid,
• melting said beads after removal thereof from said fluid, and
• recirculating the melted ice beads to said fluid in the form of said droplets of water.