A heating and cooling system comprising:
- a) a refrigerant-based, subterranean heat exchanger having a tube for each 12,000 B.T.U. of heat transfer capacity of said system;
- b) a refrigerant-based ambient-air heat exchanger, wherein said ambient-air heat exchanger is adapted to operate in concert with said subterranean heat exchanger such that both are concurrently operable either as sources of thermal energy for, or as sinks for dissipation of thermal energy from, said system;
- c) a dynamic load heat exchanger adapted to receive thermal energy from, and to transfer thermal energy to, said subterranean and ambient-air heat exchangers;
- d) a refrigerant distribution system, with refrigerant, interconnecting said subterranean and ambient-air heat exchangers, and said dynamic load heat exchanger in flow communication with each other;
- e) a compressor adapted to cycle said refrigerant through said refrigerant distribution system, said subterranean and ambient-air heat exchangers, and said dynamic load heat exchanger;
- said compressor adapted to cycle at least 21/2 pounds of said refrigerant through each said tube per minute;
- said compressor adapted to cycle said refrigerant through each said tube at a velocity of at least 25 feet per minute;
- f) a reversing valve adapted to convert said system from one of said heating and cooling modes to the other of said modes;
- g) a regulating assembly having a heating mode leg and a cooling mode leg;
- each of said heating and cooling mode legs having a check valve and a regulating device such that said refrigerant flows through said heating mode leg and is prevented from flowing through said cooling mode leg as said system operates in said heating mode, and such that said refrigerant flows through said cooling mode leg and is prevented from flowing through said heating mode leg as said system operates in said cooling mode;
- each of said regulating devices having a 20-25% bleed port;
- said regulating assembly adapted to cause said refrigerant downstream therefrom to have a pressure of approximately 30-90 psi;
- h) an accumulator adapted to store excess said refrigerant;
- said accumulator having sufficient capacity to contain approximate fifty percent of total said refrigerant in said system;
- i) a first monitoring device adapted to determine failure of said refrigerant to substantially undergo a phase change as said refrigerant transits said subterranean heat exchanger;
- j) a control center adapted to selectively activate said ambient-air heat exchanger in response to a signal from said first monitoring device;
- said control center further adapted to deactivate said ambient-air heat exchanger as the ambient temperature about said ambient-air heat exchanger is below a preset temperature;
- k) a second monitoring device adapted to monitor said refrigerant exiting from said dynamic load heat exchanger as said system operates in said heating mode;
- said second monitoring device, in conjunction with said control center, further adapted to control said regulating device of said cooling leg in response to condition of said refrigerant exiting from said dynamic load heat exchanger;
- l) a bypass mechanism adapted to alternatively conduct a plurality of start-ups and shut-downs of said compressor;
- and
- m) a lost charge device adapted to detect substantial loss of said refrigerant from said system;
- said lost charge device further adapted to override said bypass mechanism and to deactivate said system.