Heat pump with accumulator at boost compressor output
AssigneeElectro Industries, Inc.
InventorWilliam J. Seefeldt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heat pump system is disclosed that utilizes an accumulator fluidly connected between a boost compressor output and a primary compressor input. The accumulator is multifunctional in that it allows the refrigerant from the boost compressor to be cooled with refrigerant from other parts of the system if necessary. The accumulator also serves to receive and cool the oil separated from the refrigerant near the output of the primary compressor. A method for distributing oil among the compressors is also disclosed.
Claims18
A heat pump system in heating mode comprising:
- an accumulator;
- an outdoor heat exchanger outputting a refrigerant to the accumulator;
- an indoor condenser outputting refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger;
- an indoor heat exchanger outputting all of the refrigerant entering the indoor heat exchanger to the accumulator;
- an oil separator outputting an oil to the accumulator;
- the accumulator outputting the oil and the refrigerant to a primary compressor;
- the outdoor heat exchanger outputting refrigerant to the accumulator via a first refrigerant path;
- the indoor condenser outputting refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger via a second refrigerant path;
- the indoor heat exchanger outputting refrigerant to the accumulator via a third refrigerant path;
- the accumulator outputting the oil and the refrigerant to the primary compressor via a fourth refrigerant path;
- a first boost compressor outputting the refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger via a fifth refrigerant path, and the outdoor heat exchanger outputting refrigerant to the first boost compressor through a sixth refrigerant path, wherein the first through sixth refrigerant paths are distinct and non-overlapping.
A heat pump system in heating mode comprising:
- an accumulator;
- an outdoor heat exchanger outputting a refrigerant to the accumulator;
- an indoor condenser outputting refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger;
- an indoor heat exchanger outputting all of the refrigerant entering the indoor heat exchanger to the accumulator;
- an oil separator outputting an oil to the accumulator;
- the accumulator outputting the oil and the refrigerant to a primary compressor;
- the outdoor heat exchanger outputting refrigerant to the accumulator via a first refrigerant path;
- the indoor condenser outputting refrigerant to the outdoor heat exchanger via a second refrigerant path;
- the indoor heat exchanger outputting refrigerant to the accumulator via a third refrigerant path;
- the accumulator outputting the oil and the refrigerant to the primary compressor via a fourth refrigerant path;
- a fifth refrigerant path extending from the primary compressor to the oil separator,
- wherein the first through fifth refrigerant paths are distinct, non-intersecting, and non-overlapping.
The heat pump system of claim further comprising:
- an oil equalization path with a selectively operable one-way valve,
- a system control computer operating the selectively operable one-way valve,
- the oil equalization path connecting the primary compressor and the first boost compressor.
A heat pump system in heating mode comprising:
- a refrigerant circuit serially connecting
- an accumulator with an accumulator fluid inlet,
- an evaporator with an evaporator fluid outlet,
- a first compressor, the first compressor in a segment of the refrigerant circuit flowing from the evaporator fluid outlet to the accumulator fluid inlet;
- a fluid line in the refrigerant circuit between the evaporator and the accumulator, the fluid line directly outputs refrigerant to the evaporator,
- the accumulator having an elevated interior outlet port adapted for separating refrigerant in a liquid state from refrigerant in a gaseous state;
- and
- a bypass injection line diverts a portion of the refrigerant from the fluid line to the accumulator.
A heat pump system comprising a boost compressor, an accumulator, a primary compressor a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a refrigerant consecutively flowing in a non-repeating path from the boost compressor to the accumulator to the primary compressor to the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger;
- an oil and an oil separator;
- the refrigerant flowing from the primary compressor to the oil separator, and the oil flowing sequentially in a closed oil loop from the oil separator to the accumulator to the primary compressor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.