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US 9,752,803 B2Granted
Heat pump system with a flow directing system
AssigneeJohnson Controls Technology Company
InventorsJerome Anthony Matter, III, Jeffrey Lee Tucker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A heat pump system is provided that includes a flow directing system that allows an outdoor heat exchanger to be switchable between a single-pass arrangement and a two-pass arrangement. The heat pump system includes an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, and a flow directing system of check valves and piping segments that enable switching of the outdoor heat exchanger between the single-pass and the two-pass arrangement. The outdoor heat exchanger is operable as a two-pass condenser in the cooling mode and as a single-pass evaporator in the heating mode.
Claims18
A heat pump system, comprising:
- a reversing valve configured to circulate a refrigerant through a closed loop in a first direction when the heat pump system is operating in a heating mode and in a second direction opposite of the first direction when the heat pump system is operating in a cooling mode;
- a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant;
- an indoor heat exchanger operable as a condenser in the heating mode and as an evaporator in the cooling mode;
- an outdoor heat exchanger operable as a two-pass condenser in the cooling mode and as a single-pass evaporator in the heating mode, the outdoor heat exchanger comprising:
- a first manifold;
- a second manifold subdivided by a baffle into a first section and a second section;
- and
- a plurality of tubes in fluid communication with the first manifold and the second manifold;
- at least one expansion device disposed in the closed loop between the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger, and configured to reduce pressure of the refrigerant;
- and
- a flow directing system configured to direct the refrigerant from the reversing valve into the first section of the second manifold and out of the second section of the second manifold to the expansion device in the cooling mode and to direct the refrigerant from the expansion device into the first section and the second section of the second manifold and subsequently out of the first manifold to the reversing valve in the heating mode, wherein the flow directing system comprises at least a first valve disposed in a first piping segment and a second piping segment to block flow of the refrigerant from the first manifold to the reversing valve in the cooling mode and to block flow of the refrigerant from the first section of the second manifold to the reversing valve in the heating mode, and a second valve disposed in a third piping segment to block the refrigerant from bypassing the second section of the second manifold in the cooling mode.
8 more elements
A heat pump system, comprising:
- a reversing valve configured to circulate a refrigerant through a closed loop in a first direction when the heat pump system is operating in a heating mode and in a second direction opposite of the first direction when the heat pump system is operating in a cooling mode;
- a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant;
- an indoor heat exchanger operable as a condenser in the heating mode and as an evaporator in the cooling mode;
- an outdoor heat exchanger operable as a two-pass condenser in the cooling mode and as a single-pass evaporator in the heating mode, the outdoor heat exchanger comprising:
- a first manifold;
- a second manifold subdivided by a baffle into a first section and a second section;
- and
- a plurality of tubes in fluid communication with the first manifold and the second manifold;
- a pair of unidirectional expansion devices disposed in the closed loop between the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger, and configured to reduce pressure of the refrigerant;
- and
- a flow directing system comprising one or more valves and piping segments of the closed loop, the flow directing system configured to direct the refrigerant from the reversing valve into the first section of the second manifold and out of the second section of the second manifold to the expansion device in the cooling mode and to direct the refrigerant from the expansion device into the first section and the second section of the second manifold and subsequently out of the first manifold to the reversing valve in the heating mode.
8 more elements
A heat pump system, comprising:
- a reversing valve configured to circulate a refrigerant through a closed loop in a first direction when the heat pump system is operating in a heating mode and in a second direction opposite of the first direction when the heat pump system is operating in a cooling mode;
- an outdoor heat exchanger, comprising:
- a first manifold;
- a second manifold subdivided by a baffle into a first section and a second section;
- and
- a plurality of tubes in fluid communication with the first manifold and the second manifold;
- an indoor heat exchanger, comprising:
- a third manifold;
- a fourth manifold subdivided by an indoor heat exchanger baffle into a first section and a second section;
- and
- a plurality of tubes in fluid communication with the third manifold and the fourth manifold;
- and
- a flow directing system comprising one or more valves and piping segments of the closed loop, the flow directing system configured to, in the cooling mode, direct the refrigerant from the reversing valve into the first section of the second manifold of the outdoor heat exchanger and out of the second section of the second manifold of the outdoor heat exchanger to an expansion device and, in the heating mode, to direct the refrigerant from the expansion device into the first and second sections of the second manifold of the outdoor heat exchanger and subsequently out of the first manifold of the outdoor heat exchanger to the reversing valve.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.