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US 9,879,881 B2Granted
Apparatus and methods for heating water with refrigerant from air conditioning system
AssigneeRheem Manufacturing Company
InventorsTimothy B. Hawkins, Jeremy L. Babb
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for heating water has a tank for storing water and an air conditioning system that defines a refrigerant flow path through which refrigerant flows. The refrigerant flow path passes through the heat exchanger so that refrigerant heat is contributed to the tank. A control system controls operation of the water heating apparatus.
Claims15
Apparatus for heating water, comprising:
- a tank for storing water;
- a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the tank and configured to receive refrigerant and transfer heat therefrom to the tank;
- an air conditioning system comprising
- an air handler actuatable to move an air flow through an air flow path into a conditioned space,
- a refrigerant path having a first portion that passes through the air flow path and a second portion that is offset from the first portion in the refrigerant path and that passes through the heat exchanger,
- a pump disposed in the refrigerant path and being actuatable to move refrigerant through the refrigerant path, and
- a valve system within the refrigerant path that controls refrigerant flow within the refrigerant path, that is selectively configurable to alternatively allow refrigerant flow through the second portion and bypass refrigerant flow across the second portion, and that is selectively configurable between a first state and a second state, wherein the refrigerant path is configured so that
- in the first state of the valve system, the refrigerant path flows from the pump, to and through the first portion, then to and through the second portion, and then to the pump, and
- in the second state of the valve system, the refrigerant path flows from the pump, to and through the second portion, then to and through the first portion, and then to the pump;
- and
- a control system comprising at least one controller in operative communication with the air handler, the valve system, the pump, and a temperature sensor disposed at the conditioned space that generates a signal corresponding to a temperature of the conditioned space and in response to which the control system is configured to actuate and deactuate the air conditioning system, and a computer-readable medium containing program instructions executable by the at least one controller to control actuation of the air handler, the valve system, and the pump,
- wherein the control system is in communication with the valve system to selectively move the valve system from one of the first state and the second state to the other of the first state and the second state, and
- wherein the program instructions are configured so that the control system,
- in a first mode of operation, actuates the air handler to move the air flow through the air flow path and actuates the pump and the valve system to move refrigerant through the first portion of the refrigerant path and the second portion of the refrigerant path, and
- in a second mode of operation, maintains the air handler in an inactive state and actuates the pump and the valve system to move refrigerant through the first portion of the refrigerant path and the second portion of the refrigerant path.
12 more elements
An apparatus for heating water, comprising:
- a tank for storing water and including a temperature sensor in thermal communication with water in the tank and operable to output a first signal corresponding to a temperature of the water in the tank;
- a heat exchanger in thermal communication with the tank and configured to receive refrigerant and transfer heat therefrom to the tank;
- an air conditioning system comprising
- an air handler actuatable to move an air flow through an air flow path into a conditioned space,
- a refrigerant path having a first portion that passes through the air flow path and a second portion that passes through the heat exchanger,
- a pump disposed in the refrigerant path and being actuatable to move refrigerant through the refrigerant path,
- a valve system within the refrigerant path that controls refrigerant flow to the first portion and the second portion, that is selectively configurable to alternatively allow refrigerant flow through the second portion and block refrigerant flow through the second portion, and that is selectively configurable between a first state and a second state, wherein the refrigerant path is configured so that
- in the first state of the valve system, the refrigerant path flows from the pump, to and through the first portion, then to and through the second portion, and then to the pump, and
- in the second state of the valve system, the refrigerant path flows from the pump, to and through the second portion, then to and through the first portion, and then to the pump, and
- a thermostat operable to measure ambient temperature in the conditioned space and to output a second signal corresponding to ambient temperature in the conditioned space;
- and
- a control system comprising at least one controller in operative communication with the tank to receive the first signal, in operative communication with the thermostat to receive the second signal, in operative communication with the air handler, in operative communication with the pump, and in operative communication with the valve system, and a computer-readable medium containing program instructions executable by the at least one controller to control actuation of the air handler, to control actuation of the pump, and to control the valve system to selectively allow refrigerant flow through the second portion and block refrigerant flow through the second portion,
- wherein the control system is in communication with the valve system to selectively move the valve system from one of the first state and the second state to the other of the first state and the second state, and
- wherein, the program instructions are configured so that the control system, in response to the first signal and the second signal,
- in a first mode of operation, actuates the air handler to move the air flow through the air flow path and actuates the pump and the valve system to move refrigerant through the first portion and allow refrigerant flow through the second portion,
- in a second mode of operation, maintains the air handler in an inactive state and actuates the pump and the valve system to move refrigerant through the first portion and allow refrigerant flow through the second portion, and
- in a third mode of operation, actuates the air handler to move the air flow through the air flow path and actuates the pump and the valve system to move refrigerant through the first portion and block refrigerant flow through the second portion.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.