Patent Grant
12018866
The present invention relates to a central air conditioning and heat pump system which is capable of saving a substantial amount of energy when the central air conditioning and heat pump system is being operated in a heat pump mode.
Conventional air conditioning and heat pump systems may be broadly divided into two main types. The first type is air conditioning and heat pump systems which are arranged to directly heat up or cool down the air of an indoor space. An example of the first type is window-type air conditioning and/or heat pump units, which controllably suck air from the indoor space and directly heat up or cool down the air. After the air has been heated or cooled, it is delivered back to the indoor space.
The second type is central air conditioning heat pump systems in which a heat exchange medium (usually water) may be used to heat up or cool down the air in the indoor space. Referring to
On the other hand, the heat delivery system 20P comprises a water pump 21P and a water pipeline system 22P connected to the water pump 21P. The water pipeline system 22P is configured to transport water to different designated indoor spaces in the building. The water circulating in the heat delivery system 20P is arranged to perform heat exchange with the refrigerant in the gas-liquid heat exchanging device 14P of the main heat exchange system 10P. Furthermore, the heat delivery system 20P may further comprise a fresh air supplying device 23P connected to the water pipeline system 22P. As shown in
The refrigerant circulating in the main heat exchange system 10 is arranged to absorb heat from ambient air and release heat to the water circulating through the gas-liquid heat exchanging device 14P. The water having absorbed heat from the refrigerant is then pumped to various terminal devices such as the fresh air supplying device 23P. The purpose of the terminal devices is to regulate and ventilate air to and from a designated indoor space. Within a heat delivery system 20P, there may exist a number of terminal devices which may include the above-mentioned fresh air supplying device 23P, or other air handlers.
The water delivered to the fresh air supplying device 23P is arranged to carry out heat exchange with the ambient air in the fresh air heat exchanger 233P. The water is arranged to release heat to the air. The heated air may be transported to the designated indoor space for supplying fresh air to the indoor environment. The heating of the ambient air is essential because the temperature of the ambient air is usually very low and that is the very reason why the central air conditioning heat pump system is used to generate heat in the indoor space.
Although the above-mentioned air conditioning and heat pump systems have widely been utilized around the world for many years, these systems suffer a common deficiency of a relatively low Coefficient of Performance (COP), which may be defined as a ratio of heat supplied to or removed from a reservoir to the work required.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop an air conditioning and heat pump system which has substantially improved COP.
Certain variations of the present invention provide an air conditioning and heat pump system which is capable of saving a substantial amount of energy when the air conditioning and heat pump system is being operated.
Certain variations of the present invention provide an air conditioning and heat pump system which may selectively utilize cooling water in a cooling tower to cool down the temperature of the refrigerant when the air conditioning and heat pump system is being operated in a comprehensive air conditioning mode.
Certain variations of the present invention provide an air conditioning and heat pump system which may allow refrigerant to be cooled by either heat exchangers (air-cooled) or a cooling tower (water-cooled), or both.
Certain variations of the present invention provide an air conditioning and heat pump system which is capable of producing more heat to designated indoor space for a given work done by the system as compared with conventional air conditioning and heat pump system as described above.
In one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a central air conditioning and heat pump system for a heat distribution system, comprising:
The following detailed description of the preferred embodiment is the preferred mode of carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in any limiting sense. It is presented for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the present invention.
It should be appreciated that the terms “install”, “connect”, “couple”, and “mount” in the following description refer to the connecting relationship in the accompanying drawings for easy understanding of the present invention. For example, the connection can refer to permanent connection or detachable connection. Furthermore, “connected” may also mean direct connection or indirect connection, or connection through other auxiliary components. Therefore, the above terms should not be an actual connection limitation of the elements of the present invention.
It should be appreciated that the terms “length”, “width”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear”, “left”, “right”, vertical“, “horizontal”, “upper”, “lower”, “exterior”, and “interior” in the following description refer to the orientation or positioning relationship in the accompanying drawings for easy understanding of the present invention without limiting the actual location or orientation of the present invention. Therefore, the above terms should not be an actual location limitation of the elements of the present invention.
It should be appreciated that the terms “first”, “second”, “one”, “a”, and “an” in the following description refer to “at least one” or “one or more” in the embodiment.
In particular, the term “a” in one embodiment may refer to “one” while in another embodiment may refer to “more than one”. Therefore, the above terms should not be an actual numerical limitation of the elements of the present invention.
Referring to
The main heat exchange system 2 may comprise a main casing 201, a compressor 202, a first heat exchanger 203, a second heat exchanger 204. The cooling arrangement 3 may comprise a cooling tower 31, a cooling heat exchanger 32 supported in the cooling tower 31, and a pump 33 connected to the cooling tower 31.
The compressor 202 is supported in the main casing 201, and may have a compressor outlet 207 and a compressor inlet 208. The first heat exchanger 203 may be supported in the main casing 201 and connected to the compressor 202 through at least one of the connecting pipes 1. The second heat exchanger 204 may be supported in the main casing 201 and connected to the compressor 202 and the first heat exchanger 203 through at least one of the connecting pipes 1.
The cooling tower 31 of the cooling arrangement 3 may comprise a tower casing 311 having a cooling tower air inlet 3111 and a cooling tower air outlet 3112, a water storage tank 312 provided at a bottom portion of the tower casing 311 for storing a predetermined amount of cooling water, a water distributor 313, and a fan 314.
The water distributor 313 may be provided at an upper portion of the tower casing 311, and at a position underneath the fan 314. The water distributor 313 may comprise at least one water spraying head 3131 which may be arranged to spray water at a predetermined direction. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the water distributor 313 may be configured to spray water on the cooling heat exchanger 32. Accordingly, the cooling heat exchanger 32 may be provided in the tower casing 311 at a position underneath the water distributor 313.
The fan 314 may be provided in the tower casing 311 for drawing air to flow from the cooling tower air inlet 3111 to the cooling tower air outlet 3112. The cooling water collected in the water storage tank 312 may be arranged to be pumped back to the water distributor 313 for being reused. At the same time, a predetermined amount of air may be drawn from the cooling tower air inlet 3111 for performing heat exchange with the cooling water flowing through the cooling heat exchanger 32 for lowering a temperature of the cooling water so that the cooling water may be reused for another cooling cycle. The air having absorbed the heat from the cooling water may be discharged out of the tower casing 311 through the cooling tower air outlet 3112.
The central air conditioning and heat pump system may be selectively operated between a comprehensive air conditioning mode and a heat pump mode. In the comprehensive air conditioning mode, a predetermined amount of vaporous refrigerant is arranged to leave the compressor 202 and guided to enter the second heat exchanger 204 for releasing heat thereto. The refrigerant leaving the second heat exchanger 204 may be guided to flow into the cooling heat exchanger 32 for further releasing a predetermined amount of heat to the cooling water circulating in the cooling tower 31. The refrigerant leaving the cooling heat exchanger 32 may be guided to flow through the first heat exchanger 203 for absorbing heat from a heat distribution system connected to a designated indoor space. The refrigerant leaving the first heat exchanger 203 may be guided to flow back to the compressor 202 to complete an air conditioning cycle.
When the central air conditioning and heat pump system is in the heat pump mode, a predetermined amount of vaporous refrigerant may be arranged to leave the compressor 202 and guided to flow into the first heat exchanger 203 for releasing heat to the heat distribution system connected to a designated indoor space. The refrigerant leaving the first heat exchanger 203 may be guided to flow into the second heat exchanger 204 for absorbing heat from the ambient air. The refrigerant leaving the second heat exchanger 204 may be guided to flow back to the compressor 202 to complete a heat pump cycle.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the main casing 201 of the main heat exchange system 2 may be installed on the roof of a building. The central air conditioning and heat pump system of the present invention may be arranged to selectively provide air conditioning and heating to designated indoor spaces in the building. The main casing 201 may have an air cooling compartment 223. The tower casing 311 of the cooling tower 31 may be connected to the main casing 201. The main casing 201 and the tower casing 311 may be separated by a partition 225. As shown in
The compressor 202 may be configured to pressurize the refrigerant flowing therethrough. It forms a starting point of refrigerant circulation for a typical air conditioning cycle or a heat pump cycle.
The first heat exchanger 203 may have a first communicating port 226 and a second communicating port 227, and may be configured to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and another working fluid such as water. The first heat exchanger 203 may be configured to act as an evaporator (i.e. converting the refrigerant into gaseous or vaporous state) when the central air conditioning and heat pump system is operated in the comprehensive air conditioning mode. In the preferred embodiment, the first heat exchanger 203 may be configured to allow heat exchange between the refrigerant and a heat distribution system so as to extract heat from a designated space. The heat so extracted is to be absorbed by the refrigerant which will be heated and turned into vaporous or gaseous state. The first communicating port 226 and the second communicating port 227 may form as an inlet or outlet for the refrigerant passing through the first heat exchanger 203.
Moreover, the first heat exchanger 203 may further have a third communicating port 228 and a fourth communicating port 229. The third communicating port 228 and the fourth communicating port 229 may be connected to the heat distribution system and serve as an inlet and an outlet for the refrigerant or water circulating through the heat distribution system respectively.
The first heat exchanger 203 may be configured to act as a condenser (i.e. converting the refrigerant into liquid state) when the air conditioning and heat pump system is operated in the heat pump mode. Thus, the first heat exchanger 203 may be configured to allow heat exchange between the refrigerant and the water or refrigerant flowing through the heat distribution system so as to extract heat from the refrigerant. The heat so extracted is to be absorbed and distributed by the heat distribution system.
The central air conditioning and heat pump system may comprise two second heat exchangers 204 connected in parallel. Each of the second heat exchanger 204 may have a first passage port 230 and a second passage port 231, and may be configured to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and another working fluid such as air. The second heat exchangers 204 may be configured to act as a condenser (i.e. converting the refrigerant into liquid state) when the air conditioning and heat pump system is operated in the comprehensive air conditioning mode. In the preferred embodiment, the second heat exchangers 204 may be configured to allow heat exchange between the refrigerant and the ambient air drawn by a fan 24 so as to extract heat from the refrigerant. Each of the first passage ports 230 and the second passage ports 231 may form as an inlet or an outlet for the refrigerant passing through the corresponding second heat exchanger 204. The two second heat exchangers 204 may be structurally identical. The fan 24 may be supported by the main casing 201, as shown in
The second heat exchanger 204 may be configured to act as an evaporator (i.e. converting the refrigerant into vaporous or gaseous state) when the air conditioning and heat pump system is operated in the heat pump mode. Thus, the second heat exchanger 204 may be configured to allow heat exchange between the refrigerant and the ambient air so as to absorb heat from the ambient air.
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a refrigerant storage tank 25 having a liquid inlet 251 and a liquid outlet 252, wherein the refrigerant storage tank 25 may be connected to the first heat exchanger 203, the second heat exchangers 204, and the cooling arrangement 3. The refrigerant storage tank 25 may be configured to temporarily store refrigerant at a predetermined pressure.
It is important to note that the compressor 202, the first heat exchanger 203 and the second heat exchangers 204 of the main heat exchange system 2 and the cooling arrangement 3 may be arranged and connected through a plurality of connecting pipes 1 in certain configurations. An exemplary configuration is shown in
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a switching device 232 connecting between the first heat exchanger 203 and the second heat exchanger 204 for altering a flowing path of the refrigerant. Specifically, the switching device 232 may comprise a communicative valve 233 having first through fourth connecting port 2331, 2332, 2333, 2334. The communicative valve 233 may be switched between an air conditioning switching mode and a heat pump switching mode, wherein in the air conditioning switching mode, the communicative valve 233 is switched such that the first connecting port 2331 may be connected to the second connecting port 2332 so that refrigerant may flow from the first connecting port 2331 to the second connecting port 2332, while the third connecting port 2333 may be connected to the fourth connecting port 2334 so that refrigerant may flow from the third first connecting port 2333 to the fourth connecting port 2334.
In the heat pump switching mode, the communicative valve 233 may be switched so that the first connecting port 2331 may be connected to the fourth connecting port 2334 so that refrigerant may flow from the first connecting port 2331 to the fourth connecting port 2334, while the second connecting port 2332 may be connected to the third connecting port 2333, so that refrigerant may flow from the second connecting port 2332 to the third connecting port 2333.
As shown in
The cooling heat exchanger 32 may have a cooling inlet 321 and a cooling outlet 322. Refrigerant may be guided to flow into the cooling heat exchanger 32 through the cooling inlet 321, and flow out of the cooling heat exchanger 32 through the cooling outlet 322. The second heat exchangers 204 may be connected to the cooling heat exchanger 32, the first heat exchanger 203, and the refrigerant storage tank 25 through several other components. For the sake of clarity, the refrigerant passing through the first passage ports 230 may either flow through or come from Path 1, or flow to Path 2 as shown in
Path 1 may be bifurcated into Path 3 and Path 4. The refrigerant flowing from the first passage ports 230 may enter Path 1 and may be directed to Path 3 shown in
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a first unidirectional valve 236 connected between the first passage ports 230 of the second heat exchangers 204 and the first communicating port 226 of the first heat exchanger 203. Specifically, the first unidirectional valve 236 may be connected in Path 4 and may be configured to restrict the flow of refrigerant in one predetermined direction. In this preferred embodiment, the first unidirectional valve 236 may be configured to allow refrigerant to flow only in a direction from the liquid outlet 252 of the refrigerant storage tank 25 toward the first passage ports 230 of the second heat exchangers 204 through Path 4 and Path 1.
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a filter 238 connected to the liquid outlet 252 of the refrigerant storage tank 25 in Path 4. The filter 238 may be configured to filter unwanted substances from the refrigerant which pass through them. The refrigerant coming out from the liquid outlet 252 may sequentially pass through the filter 238 in Path 4 and Path 1 and eventually reach the first passage ports 230 of the second heat exchangers 204.
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise an expansion valve 239 connected to the filter 238 in Path 4. The expansion valve 239 may be configured to control and regulate the flow of the refrigerant passing through them. Thus, the refrigerant passing through Path 4 may be guided to flow through the filter 238 and the expansion valve 239.
On the other hand, refrigerant coming out from the cooling outlet 322 of the cooling heat exchanger 32 may enter either Path 5 or Path 6. This may be illustrated in
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a first electrically-operated two-way valve 27 connected to the cooling outlet 322 and the third connecting port 2333 in Path 6. The first electrically-operated two-way valve 27 may be selectively opened or closed to selectively allow refrigerant to pass therethrough. Refrigerant from the cooling outlet 322 may be selectively guided to flow through the first electrically-operated two-way valve 27 in Path 6.
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a second electrically- operated two-way valve 28 connected to the first passage ports 230 of the second heat exchangers 204 and the liquid inlet 251 of the refrigerant storage tank 25 in Path 3. The second electrically-operated two-way valve 28 may be selectively opened or closed to selectively allow refrigerant to pass therethrough. Refrigerant from the first passage ports 230 may be selectively guided to flow through second electrically-operated two-way valve 28 and enter the liquid inlet 251 of the refrigerant storage tank 25 through Path 3.
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a third electrically-operated two-way valve 290 connected between the first passage ports 230 and the cooling inlet 321 of the cooling heat exchanger 32 in Path 2. The third electrically-operated two-way valve 290 may be selectively opened or closed to selectively allow refrigerant to pass therethrough.
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a third unidirectional valve 240 connected to the expansion valve 239, the first unidirectional valve 236 and the first communicating port 226 of the first heat exchanger 203 through Path 7 as indicated in
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a fourth unidirectional valve 264 connected to the first communicating port 226 of the first heat exchanger 203, and the liquid inlet 251 of the refrigerant storage tank 25 through Path 8 indicated in
The heat distribution system may be arranged to retrieve the heat generated by the main heat exchange system 2 and distribute the heat to designated indoor spaces through at least one terminal device. One of such terminal devices may be a ventilating device. The ventilating device may be utilized for delivering ambient air to the indoor space when the central air conditioning and heat pump system is operated in the heat pump mode.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cooling tower 31 may be installed to lower the temperature of refrigerant circulating in the cooling heat exchanger 32.
The tower casing 311 may have a rectangular cross section having a top side 3113, a bottom side and a plurality of peripheral sides 3114. Obviously, the tower casing 311 may be embodied as having a wide variety of cross sections for suiting different operational environments.
The pump 33 may be connected between the water storage tank 312 and the water distributor 313 for circulating cooling water between the water storage tank 312 and the water distributor 313.
As shown in
The main heat exchange system 2 may further comprise a temperature sensor 280 provided at the liquid outlet 252 of the refrigerant storage tank 25 for detecting a temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the liquid outlet 252. The operation mode of the present invention may depend on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 280.
The operation of the present invention is as follows: the central air conditioning and heat pump system described above involves a refrigerant flowing cycle and a water flowing cycle. The refrigerant may flow through the various components of the main heat exchange system 2 while the water may flow through the various components of the cooling arrangement 3.
When the central air conditioning and heat pump system is in the comprehensive air conditioning mode, it is configured to generate cool air to designated indoor spaces. A refrigerant cycle starts from the compressor 202. Superheated or vaporous refrigerant may be arranged to leave the compressor 202 through the compressor outlet 207. The communicative valve 233 may be switched to the air conditioning switching mode. Moreover, the third electrically-operated two-way valve 290 may be opened, while the first electrically-operated two-way valve 27 and the second electrically-operated two-way valve 28 may be closed. The refrigerant leaving the compressor 202 may pass through the first connecting port 2331 of the communicative valve 233, the second connecting port 2332, and enter the second heat exchangers 204 through the second passage ports 231. The refrigerant may then perform heat exchange with a coolant such as ambient air so as to release heat to ambient air (air-cooled).
The refrigerant may then be guided to exit the second heat exchangers 204 through the first passage ports 230. The refrigerant leaving the second heat exchangers 204 may then be guided to flow through the third electrically-operated two-way valve 290 in Path 2 and enter the cooling heat exchanger 32 through the cooling inlet 321. The refrigerant may be prevented from entering path 1 by the second electrically-operated two-way valve 28 and the first unidirectional valve 236 at this time. The refrigerant may be arranged to further release heat to the cooling water circulating in the cooling tower 31. The heat released to the cooling water may be carried away by the ambient air drawn from the cooling tower air inlet 3111.
The refrigerant leaving the cooling heat exchanger 32 through the cooling outlet 322 may then be guided to pass the second unidirectional valve 237 in Path 5 and pass through the liquid inlet 251 and enter the refrigerant storage tank 25. The refrigerant may then leave the refrigerant storage tank 25 through the liquid outlet 252 and pass through the filter 238, the expansion valve 239 in Path 4 and the third unidirectional valve 240 in Path 7 and eventually enter the first heat exchanger 203 through the first communicating port 226. The refrigerant entering the first heat exchanger 203 may then be arranged to perform heat exchange with another heat exchange medium circulating in the heat distribution system so as to absorb heat from therefrom. The refrigerant may then be guided to leave the first heat exchanger 203 through the second communicating port 227. The refrigerant may then be guided to flow through the fourth connecting port 2334 and the third connecting port 2333 of the communicative valve 233 and eventually flow back to the compressor 202 through the compressor inlet 208. This completes one refrigerant cycle for the comprehensive air conditioning mode.
It is worth mentioning that the cooling heat exchanger 32 may be utilized for further cooling the temperature of the refrigerant through heat exchange with the cooling water coming from the water distributor 313. The pump 33 may pump cooling water to circulate between the water distributor 313 and the water storage tank 312. Specifically, cooling water in the water storage tank 312 may be pumped to the water distributor 313 for spraying on the cooling heat exchanger 32. The cooing water may then perform heat exchange with the refrigerant circulating in the cooling heat exchanger 32. After that, the cooling water having absorbed heat from the refrigerant may enter a cooling zone 316 as a space formed between the cooling heat exchanger 32 and the water storage tank 312 so that ambient air drawn from the cooling tower air inlet 3111 may be able to perform heat exchange with the cooling water. The cooling water will then be cooled down and collected in the water storage tank 312 for performing another cooling cycle.
From the above descriptions, one skilled in the art may appreciate that the refrigerant circulating in the main heat exchange system 2 of the present invention may be cooled by either the second heat exchangers 204, the cooling heat exchanger 32, or both. In the event that water supply is interrupted, the fan 314 and the pump 33 may be turned off so that the refrigerant will only be cooled by the second heat exchangers 204.
Note that the comprehensive air conditioning mode implies that the refrigerant circulating in the main heat exchange system 2 may be cooled by water (cooling tower 31) as well as air (second heat exchangers 204).
When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 280 falls below a predetermined threshold, the refrigerant may only be cooled by the second heat exchangers 204. This mode of operation may be referred to as air-cooled air conditioning mode. When the central air conditioning and heat pump system is in the air-cooled air conditioning mode, it is also configured to generate cool air to designated indoor spaces. A refrigerant cycle starts from the compressor 202. Superheated or vaporous refrigerant may be arranged to leave the compressor 202 through the compressor outlet 207. The communicative valve 233 may be switched to the air conditioning switching mode. Moreover, the third electrically-operated two-way valve 290 may be closed, the first electrically-operated two-way valve 27 may be closed and the second electrically-operated two-way valve 28 may be opened. The refrigerant leaving the compressor 202 may pass through the first connecting port 2331 of the communicative valve 233, the second connecting port 2332, and enter the second heat exchangers 204 through the second passage ports 231. The refrigerant may then perform heat exchange with a coolant such as ambient air so as to release heat to ambient air.
The refrigerant may then be guided to exit the second heat exchangers 204 through the first passage ports 230. The refrigerant leaving the second heat exchangers 204 may then be guided to flow through Path 1 and enter Path 3 and flow through the first electrically-operated two-way valve 28. The refrigerant may be prevented from entering the cooling heat exchanger 32 at this time because the third electrically-operated two-way valve 290 is closed.
The refrigerant pass through the second electrically-operated two-way valve 28 may be arranged to pass through the liquid inlet 251 and enter the refrigerant storage tank 25. The refrigerant may then leave the refrigerant storage tank 25 through the liquid outlet 252 and pass through the filter 238, the expansion valve 239 in Path 4 and the third unidirectional valve 240 in Path 7 and eventually enter the first heat exchanger 203 through the first communicating port 226. The refrigerant entering the first heat exchanger 203 may then be arranged to perform heat exchange with another heat exchange medium circulating in the heat distribution system so as to absorb heat from therefrom. The refrigerant may then be guided to leave the first heat exchanger 203 through the second communicating port 227. The refrigerant may then be guided to flow through the fourth connecting port 2334 and the third connecting port 2333 of the communicative valve 233 and eventually flow back to the compressor 202 through the compressor inlet 208. This completes one refrigerant cycle for the air-cooled air conditioning mode. In this refrigerant cycle, the refrigerant may be solely cooled by the ambient air passing through the second heat exchangers 204.
When the central air conditioning and heat pump system is in the heat pump mode, it is configured to generate heat to designated indoor spaces. The corresponding refrigerant cycle also starts from the compressor 202. Superheated or vaporous refrigerant may be arranged to leave the compressor 202 through the compressor outlet 207. The communicative valve 233 may be switched to heat pump switching mode. Moreover, the first through third electrically-operated two-way valve 27, 28, 290 may all be closed.
The refrigerant leaving the compressor 202 may pass through the first connecting port 2331, the fourth connecting port 2334, and enter the first heat exchanger 203 through the second communicating port 227. The refrigerant may then perform heat exchange with the heat distribution system so as to release heat to the heat exchange medium circulating in the first heat exchanger 203. The refrigerant may be converted into liquid state after releasing heat. The refrigerant may then be guided to exit the first heat exchanger 203 through the first communicating port 226. The refrigerant leaving the first heat exchanger 203 may then be guided to flow through the fourth unidirectional valve 240 in Path 8 and pass through the liquid inlet 251 and enter the refrigerant storage tank 25. Refrigerant may be prevented from reaching the cooling heat exchanger 32 because of the second unidirectional valve 237.
When the central air conditioning and heat pump system is in the heat pump mode, the fan 314 and the pump 33 may be turned off. In addition, the cooling water may be discharged out of the cooling tower 31. The refrigerant will then be guided to leave the refrigerant storage tank 25 through the liquid outlet 252 and pass through the filter 238, the expansion valve 239 connected in Path 4, and may be guided to pass through the first unidirectional valve 236. The refrigerant may then be guided to reach the second heat exchangers 204 through the corresponding first passage ports 230 for absorbing heat from the ambient air. The refrigerant may then exit the second heat exchangers 204 through the second passage ports 231 and may be guided to flow through the second connecting port 2332 of the communicative valve 233, the third connecting port 2333, and eventually go back to the compressor 202 through the compressor inlet 208. This completes one refrigerant cycle in the heat pump mode.
The central air conditioning and heat pump system may further operate in a defrosting mode. The defrosting mode may be utilized to remove frost which may be formed on the second heat exchanger 204 when the central air conditioning and heat pump system is operated in the heat pump mode. In the defrosting mode, the corresponding refrigerant cycle also starts from the compressor 202. Superheated or vaporous refrigerant may be arranged to leave the compressor 202 through the compressor outlet 207. The communicative valve 233 may be switched to the air conditioning switching mode. Moreover, the first and the third electrically-operated two-way valve 27, 290 may be closed, while the second electrically-operated two-way valve 28 may be opened.
The refrigerant leaving the compressor 202 may pass through the first connecting port 2331, the second connecting port 2332, and enter the second heat exchangers 204 through the second passage ports 231 for releasing heat to defrost the second heat exchangers 204. The refrigerant may exit the second heat exchangers 204 through the first passage ports 230 and may be guided to pass through the second electrically-operated two-way valve 28 in Path 3 and enter the refrigerant storage tank 25 through the liquid inlet 251. The refrigerant may then leave the refrigerant storage tank 25 through the liquid outlet 252 and pass through the filter 238 and the expansion valve 239 connected in Path 4. The refrigerant may then be guided to pass through the third unidirectional valve 240 in Path 7 and enter the first heat exchanger 203 through the first communicating port 226. The refrigerant leaving the first heat exchanger 203 through the second communicating port 227 may then be guided to flow through the fourth connecting port 2334 of the communicative valve 233, the third connecting port 2333, and eventually go back to the compressor 202 through the compressor inlet 208. This completes one refrigerant cycle in the defrosting mode.
The present invention, while illustrated and described in terms of the preferred embodiments and several alternatives, is not limited to the particular description contained in this specification. Additional alternative or equivalent components could also be used to practice the present invention.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2021/016684 | 2/4/2021 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2022/169454 | 8/11/2022 | WO | A |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3938352 | Schmidt | Feb 1976 | A |
| 6041613 | Morse et al. | Mar 2000 | A |
| 20160091215 | Wong | Mar 2016 | A1 |
| 20180128506 | Taras et al. | May 2018 | A1 |
| 20210095872 | Taras | Apr 2021 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20240035716 A1 | Feb 2024 | US |
