Direct refrigerant geothermal heat exchange or multiple source subcool/postheat/precool system therefor

A direct geothermal heat exchange refrigerant postheat and subcool system for postheating a refrigerant that had previously passed through an evaporator of a heat pump unit operating in the heating mode, while simultaneously subcooling a refrigerant that had previously passed through a condenser of that same heat pump unit, comprising in combination:

• a) a postheater/subcooler combination including a postheater tube thermally connected to a subcooler tube, said postheater connected in serial communication with an output of the evaporator enabling the refrigerant to flow through said postheater after first flowing through the evaporator, and the subcooler connected in serial communication with an output of the condenser enabling the refrigerant to flow through said subcooler;
• and
• b) said postheater/subcooler combination being buried in the ground for direct geothermal heat exchange between the refrigerant in the postheater and the refrigerant in the subcooler,
• thereby providing maximum heat available to the postheater from both the ground and the liquid refrigerant and providing the maximum subcooling possible to the liquid refrigerant.

A direct geothermal heat exchange refrigerant postheat, subcool plus at least one secondary fluid postheat, subcool system for postheating a refrigerant that has already passed through an evaporator of a heat pump unit operating in the heating mode, while simultaneously subcooling a refrigerant that had previously passed through a condenser of that same heat pump unit, comprising in combination:

• a) a postheater/subcooler combination including a postheater tube thermally connected to a subcooler tube and to at least one secondary fluid tube in which the postheater is in serial communication with an output of the evaporator enabling the refrigerant to flow through said postheater after first flowing through the evaporator, the subcooler being in serial communication with an output of the condenser, enabling the refrigerant to flow through said subcooler;
• b) said postheater/subcooler combination and secondary thermally connected tubes being buried in the ground for direct geothermal heat exchange between the refrigerant in the postheater and the refrigerant in the subcooler and the earth;
• and
• c) means for controlling the rate of flow of fluid through said secondary tubes for purposes of additional postheating and subcooling or for purposes of preventing geothermal saturation,
• thereby providing the maximum heat possible to the postheater and the maximum subcooling possible to the liquid refrigerant.

A direct geothermal heat exchange refrigerant postheat or precool system, comprising in combination:

• a) a postheater/precooler connected in serial communication between a reversing valve of the heat pump unit and an outdoor air source coil of an air source heat pump or water source coil of a water source heat pump;
• b) a secondary fluid postheat or precool system for postheating a refrigerant that had previously passed through an evaporator of a heat pump unit operating in the heating mode or for precooling the hot gas refrigerant before it passes into the condenser of a heat pump unit operating in the cooling mode including at least one secondary tube thermally connected to the tube carrying the refrigerant;
• c) said postheater/precooler combination and secondary thermally connected tubes being buried in the ground for direct geothermal heat exchange between the refrigerant and the earth;
• and
• d) means for controlling the rate of flow of fluid through said secondary tube for purposes of additional postheating or precooling or for the purposes of preventing geothermal saturation to provide the maximum amount of postheating or precooling.

A direct geothermal heat exchange refrigerant precool system, comprising in combination:

• a) a precooler connected in serial communication between an output of a compressor and an input of a condenser of an air conditioning or refrigeration system;
• b) a secondary fluid refrigerant precool system for precooling the refrigerant before passing into the condenser including at least one second tube thermally connected to a tube carrying the refrigerant;
• c) said precooler and secondary thermally connected tubes being buried in the ground for direct geothermal heat exchange between the refrigerant and the earth;
• and
• d) means for controlling the rate of flow of fluid through said secondary tube for purposes of additional precooling or for the purposes of preventing geothermal saturation, to provide the maximum amount of precooling.