Patent Application
20250027688
The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for providing hot water and/or conditioned air heating capacity utilizing a Stirling heat pump.
Various climate control systems exist, and several of these systems are able to provide both heating and cooling. These systems typically use refrigerant circuits to transport thermal energy between components of the system using thermal gradients. Each of these designs offer various advantages, and typically provide for conditioning over a given temperature range. A common form of these systems, often referred to as a heat pump, uses a reversible refrigerant circuit that moves thermal energy between two heat exchanger coils to provide heating and/or cooling as desired.
The refrigerant circuits of each of these systems are driven by a compressor that pulls in refrigerant fluid from an evaporator coil and compresses the refrigerant fluid to discharge the refrigerant fluid to a condenser coil. The evaporator coil absorbs thermal energy into the system while the condenser coil discharges thermal energy to provide heating as desired. Operating in very low temperature environments, however, can cause the refrigerant circuit to operate less efficiently because the temperature difference between the outdoor environment and the refrigerant fluid in the evaporator coil is reduced. This makes it difficult for the refrigerant fluid to absorb sufficient thermal energy from the outdoor environment to meet the desired heating demand.
Some systems seek to improve heating performance by utilizing electrical heating elements. These electrical heating elements, however, may have poorer overall efficiency, lead to increased energy costs, and/or suffer from other problems. As a result, there exists an opportunity for an energy efficient approach to increase the operating performance of heating systems for lower temperature environments.
The present disclosure includes, without limitation, the following examples.
Some example implementations include a heating system for heating both conditioned air and water, the heating system comprising: a Stirling heat pump configured to provide heating to a heating fluid, the Stirling heat pump including a hot side chamber and a cold side chamber, the hot side chamber and the cold side chamber fluidly connected by a working fluid; and a heating fluid circuit thermally coupled to the hot side chamber and configured to circulate the heating fluid, the heating fluid circuit including: a circulation pump coupled to the heating fluid circuit and configured to circulate the heating fluid through the heating fluid circuit; an air conditioning heating coil, the air conditioning heating coil configured to heat the conditioned air circulated through an air handling unit; a hot water heating coil, the hot water heating coil configured to heat the water within a hot water heater; and a control valve coupled to the heating fluid circuit, the control valve configured to adjust a flow of the heating fluid between the air conditioning heating coil and the hot water heating coil.
Further example implementations may include an air handler unit, the air handler unit including: a primary indoor coil, the primary indoor coil configured to exchange thermal energy between a refrigerant fluid and a conditioned air; a secondary air conditioning heating coil, the secondary air conditioning heating coil configured to exchange thermal energy between a heating fluid and the conditioned air, wherein the heating fluid is routed through a heating fluid circuit that includes a control valve, wherein the heating fluid circuit is thermally coupled to a hot side chamber of a Stirling heat pump, the Stirling heat pump including the hot side chamber, a cold side chamber, and a working fluid fluidly connected between the hot side chamber and the cold side chamber; a fan configured to circulate the conditioned air over the primary indoor coil and the secondary air conditioning heating coil to condition the conditioned air; and control circuitry communicatively coupled to the control valve and configured to: direct the heating fluid through the secondary air conditioning heating coil in response to a request for heating.
Further example implementations may include a method of heating both conditioned air and water using a heating fluid, the method including: circulating the heating fluid through a heating fluid circuit; heating the heating fluid; routing the heating fluid to an air conditioning heating coil, the air conditioning heating coil configured to heat the conditioned air circulated through an air handling unit; routing the heating fluid to a hot water heating coil, the hot water heating coil configured to heat the water within a hot water heater; and adjusting a flow of the heating fluid between the air conditioning heating coil and the hot water heating coil.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described below. The disclosure includes any combination of two, three, four, or more of the above-noted embodiments, examples, or implementations as well as combinations of any two, three, four, or more features or elements set forth in this disclosure, regardless of whether such features or elements are expressly combined in a specific example description herein. This disclosure is intended to be read holistically such that any separable features or elements of the disclosed disclosure, in any of its various aspects, embodiments, examples, or implementations, should be viewed as intended to be combinable unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
In order to assist the understanding of aspects of the disclosure, reference will now be made to the appended drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale. The drawings are provided by way of example to assist in the understanding of aspects of the disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting the disclosure.
Some implementations of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying figures, in which some, but not all implementations of the disclosure are shown. Indeed, various implementations of the disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments, examples, or implementations set forth herein; rather, these embodiments, examples, or implementations are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.
For example, unless specified otherwise or clear from context, references to first, second or the like should not be construed to imply a particular order. A feature described as being above another feature (unless specified otherwise or clear from context) may instead be below, and vice versa; and similarly, features described as being to the left of another feature may instead be to the right, and vice versa. Also, while reference may be made herein to quantitative measures, values, geometric relationships or the like, unless otherwise stated, any one or more if not all of these may be absolute or approximate to account for acceptable variations that may occur, such as those due to engineering tolerances or the like.
As used herein, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, the “or” of a set of operands is the “inclusive or” and thereby true if and only if one or more of the operands is true, as opposed to the “exclusive or” which is false when all of the operands are true. Thus, for example, “[A] or [B]” is true if [A] is true, or if [B] is true, or if both [A] and [B] are true. Further, the articles “a” and “an” mean “one or more,” unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
As used herein, the terms “bottom,” “top,” “upper,” “lower,” “upward,” “downward,” “rightward,” “leftward,” “interior,” “exterior,” and/or similar terms are used for ease of explanation and refer generally to the position of certain components or portions of the components of embodiments, examples, or implementations of the described disclosure in the installed configuration (e.g., in an operational configuration). It is understood that such terms are not used in any absolute sense.
Example implementations of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods utilizing a Stirling heat pump to provide conditioning, e.g., heating, for a climate control system. These examples further include systems and methods for providing hot water for a hot water heater and/or heating capacity for a climate control system by integrating a heating fluid circuit of a Stirling heat pump system with the hot water heater and/or the climate control system. The Stirling heat pump may be integrated, at least in part, into an indoor unit of the climate control system by using an additional indoor heat exchanger coupled to the Stirling heat pump. The additional indoor heat exchanger may receive heating fluid from the Stirling heat pump to provide heating capacity in addition to, or instead of, the primary indoor heat exchanger of the climate control system. Further, the heating fluid circuit of the Stirling heat pump system may be integrated, at least in part, into a hot water heater to heat the water therein. Further example implementations of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for directing the heating fluid from the Stirling heat pump to the hot water heater and/or the climate control system based, at least in part, on a request for heating, e.g., a request for hot water or a request for heating capacity. In some examples, the Stirling heat pump system may prioritize heating hot water in the hot water heater over providing heating capacity to the climate control system, or vice versa. This priority may be based at least in part on one or more conditions, e.g., outdoor ambient temperature, time of day, or the like.
Some advantages to such systems may include, at least in part, improved climate control system heating performance at low outdoor ambient temperatures due to the high efficiency of Stirling heat pumps to remove thermal energy from low temperature medium, e.g., cold outdoor ambient air or the like. For example, in heating mode as the outdoor ambient temperature decreases, e.g., to 20° F. to −25° F. or less, a Stirling heat pump may maintain a higher heating capacity compared to refrigerant based evaporator heat pumps. Moreover, in cooling mode a Stirling heat pump may be able to reach cryogenic temperature ranges, e.g., down to −170° C.
Some other advantages may also include overall reduced heating system costs because the Stirling heat pump system may replace less efficient electrical heating elements and/or gas burners in hot water heaters and/or climate control systems. Further, in some examples, the Stirling heat pump system, as will be described in further detail below, may be configured to replace various different pieces of home heating equipment, thereby removing the need for expensive redundant costs, e.g., tankless water heaters, gas fired furnaces, electrical heating elements, or the like.
Another advantage for the Stirling heat pump system described herein is lower maintenance cost because the Stirling heat pump does not require an additional lubrication system, at least in part, because the working fluids utilized by the Stirling heat pump typically do not experience metallurgical reactions with metal components. Furthermore, the working fluids utilized by the Stirling heat pump, as described herein, have a low global warming potential (GWP). Moreover, Stirling heat pumps also generally produce lower noise levels compared to some refrigerant compressors.
Before discussing the details of the various different processes for providing hot water and/or heating capacity with the heating systems described herein, an overview of example heating systems, and components thereof, are discussed below with reference to
Further, as shown in the depicted example, a cold side chamber 104 of the Stirling heat pump 102 may be fluidly coupled, at least in part, to a heat absorption circuit 140. Moreover, as shown, a hot side chamber 106 of the Stirling heat pump 102 may be fluidly coupled, at least in part, to a heating fluid circuit 142a comprising a fluid connection to the hot water heater 116 and a heating fluid heat exchanger 118 of the indoor unit 124. Furthermore, as shown, the indoor unit 124 and, at least in part, the outdoor unit 112b may be fluidly coupled via a refrigerant fluid circuit 134 to form a heat pump of a climate control system as will be described in further detail below with respect a climate control system 500 and
The Stirling heat pump 102, as shown, may include a cold side chamber 104 and a hot side chamber 106. As shown, the Stirling heat pump 102 may be configured, at least in part, to provide thermal energy, e.g., heating, from a heat absorption circuit 140 to a heating fluid of the heating fluid circuit 142a. Further, the cold side chamber 104 and the hot side chamber 106 may be fluidly connected, at least in part, by a working fluid circuit that includes a working fluid flowing between the cold side chamber 104 and the hot side chamber 106 in order to transfer thermal energy from the cold side chamber 104 toward the hot side chamber 106.
Moreover, the Stirling heat pump 102 may be configured to pump the working fluid between the cold side chamber 104 and the hot side chamber 106 to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy between each side chamber. In some examples, the working fluid circuit within the Stirling heat pump 102 may be a closed loop circuit that does not exchange a working fluid with another fluid circuit, e.g., the heat absorption circuit 140 and/or the heating fluid circuit 142a. In some examples, the working fluid of the Stirling heat pump 102 may be one or more of water, ethylene glycol, hydrogen, nitrogen, helium, a compound thereof, a combination or mixture thereof, or the like for at least absorbing thermal energy from the cold side chamber 104 and rejecting thermal energy to the hot side chamber 106. The working fluid of the Stirling heat pump 102 may be the same, substantially similar to, or different from a working fluid of another fluid circuit, e.g., the heat absorption circuit 140, the heating fluid circuit 142a, or the like.
In order to walkthrough the general operation of a Stirling heat pump, the Stirling heat pump 102 will now be described in further detail in the context of an example Stirling heat pump system 200 illustrated in
Turning now to
As shown, the working fluid circuit 205 may further include, at least in part, a regenerator 205a for absorbing and rejecting heat during operation of the Stirling heat pump 102 as the working fluid flows between the cold side chamber 104 and the hot side chamber 106. The regenerator 205a may be an internal heat exchanger configured to temporarily store thermal energy between the cold side chamber 104 and hot side chamber 106. For example, as the working fluid passes through the working fluid circuit 205 first in one direction then in the reverse direction, a regenerator 205a may absorb, at least some, thermal energy from the working fluid moving in the first direction and then the regenerator 205a may reject, at least some, thermal energy back into the working fluid moving back in the reverse direction. In some examples, the regenerator 205a may include an involute foil regenerator that, at least in part, encircles the working fluid circuit 205. In such examples, an involute foil regenerator may comprise a plurality of layers of foil materials, e.g., different layers and lengths of metal and/or other materials to improve heat transfer between the regenerator and the working fluid. In some examples, the regenerator x205a may be located at any location along the working fluid circuit x205. In some examples, the regenerator x205a may, at least in part, be coupled to the working fluid circuit x205, the cold side chamber x104, and/or the hot side chamber x106. In some examples, the regenerator x205a may be a plurality of regenerators.
The drive mechanism 210, as shown, may include at least a motor coupled to a crankshaft that is further coupled, via linkages, to at least the hot side piston 206a and the cold side piston 204a. The drive mechanism 210 may rotate to provide motive force to at least the hot side piston 206a and/or the cold side piston 204a in order to actuate each of the hot side piston 206a and/or the cold side piston 204a. It should be understood that as the drive mechanism 210 rotates the cold side piston 204a and/or the hot side piston 206a may push and/or pull, at least in part, the working fluid from the cold side chamber 104 through at least the working fluid circuit 205 and into the hot side chamber 106. As the drive mechanism 210 continues to rotate the working fluid may be pushed from the hot side chamber 106 through at least the working fluid circuit 205 and into the cold side chamber 104.
In some examples, the system utilizes the Stirling heat pump to provide cooling capacity, in which case the above discussed system is largely reversed such that the use side fluid circuit, e.g., the circuit coupled to the climate control system is coupled to the cold side of the Stirling heat pump. In some such examples, one or more of the cold side heat sink 204b, hot side heat sink 206b, indoor heat exchanger, and/or outdoor heat exchanger fluidly and/or thermally coupled to the Stirling heat pump may be enlarged, at least in part, to improve heat transfer for low temperature gradients. It should be appreciated that in general to deliver cooling capacity the Stirling heat pump system may require more surface area for heat transfer than is required for delivering heating capacity.
Moreover, as shown, the Stirling heat pump 102 may be configured with at least a temperature sensor 222 and/or a pressure sensor 220 for monitoring one or more temperatures and/or pressures within the Stirling heat pump 102, e.g., at the hot side chamber 106, at the cold side chamber 104, along the working fluid circuit 205, or another location within the Stirling heat pump 102. The temperature sensor 222 may be communicatively coupled, at least in part, to the control circuitry 218 and may be further configured to transmit a temperature indication representative of a temperature to the control circuitry 218. Furthermore, the temperature sensor 222 may receive, from the control circuitry 218, a command indication representative of a command to transmit a temperature indication to, at least in part, the control circuitry 218. The pressure sensor 220 may be communicatively coupled, at least in part, to the control circuitry 218 and may be further configured to transmit a pressure indication representative of a pressure to the control circuitry 218. Furthermore, the pressure sensor 220 may receive, from the control circuitry 218, a command indication representative of a command to transmit a pressure indication to, at least in part, the control circuitry 218.
The control circuitry 218 may transmit, based at least in part on a temperature and/or pressure indication, a speed indication to the drive mechanism 210, or a component thereof, representative of a command to increase or decrease the speed of rotation of the drive mechanism 210. Upon receipt of the speed indication the drive mechanism 210 may increase or decrease its speed of rotation. In some examples, the control circuitry 218 may include in whole, or in part, the control circuitry 600 described below with respect to
Now that the general componentry of the Stirling heat pump 102 has been walked through above, we will now walkthrough general examples for transferring thermal energy through the Stirling heat pump system 200 during the operation of the Stirling heat pump 102.
Assuming in our example that the Stirling heat pump 102 is turned off, or in an idle mode, the control circuitry 218 may first receive an activation indication representative of a command to turn on, or activate, the Stirling heat pump 102. The control circuitry 218 may further transmit a speed indication to the drive mechanism 210, or a controller thereof, commanding the drive mechanism 210 to begin rotating, e.g., at a predefined speed. As the drive mechanism 210 rotates the working fluid may be pushed and/or pulled, at least in part, back and forth between the hot side chamber 106 and the cold side chamber 104 via the working fluid circuit 205 as described herein.
Further, as the working fluid is pushed and/or pulled into the cold side chamber 104, e.g., by at least the hot side piston 206a and/or the cold side piston 204a, the working fluid may be expanded and this expansion of the working fluid may cause it to absorb thermal energy, e.g., through the walls of the cold side chamber 104 from the cold side heat sink 204b as represented by the heat transfer arrow 216b. As shown, the cold side heat sink 204b may be fluidly coupled to the heat absorption circuit 140 and may be thermally coupled, but may not be fluidly coupled, to the walls of the cold side chamber 104 to allow for thermal energy to transfer from the heat absorption fluid of the heat absorption circuit 140 to the working fluid of the Stirling heat pump 102. In some examples, the cold side chamber 104 and/or the cold side piston 204a may be sized to define a maximum volume for expansion of the working fluid during the expansion phase described above, e.g., based at least in part on the volume of the working fluid in the Stirling heat pump 102. In some examples, the relative position of each piston, e.g., to each other, during the angular rotation of the crankshaft of the drive mechanism 210 may further define the maximum volume for expansion of the working fluid during the expansion phase described above. In some examples, a variable frequency drive (e.g., connected, at least in part, to the drive mechanism 210) may be utilized to control the timing, length of time, and/or speed of the expansion phase and/or compression phase (described further below). In such examples, the variable frequency drive may allow for a generally smaller Stirling heat pump, e.g., because faster speeds may provide for faster heat transfer. For example, a smaller Stirling heat pump may transfer less thermal energy per an expansion and compression cycle. However, the smaller Stirling heat pump may be able to complete more cycles per unit of time than a larger Stirling heat pump, resulting in more net heat transfer per unit of time.
In some examples, the cold side heat sink 204b may include a heat exchanger coil wrapped, at least in part, around the exterior surface of the cold side chamber 104. In such examples, the cold side heat sink 204b may comprise, at least in part, the heat absorption circuit 140. In some examples, the cold side heat sink 204b may include a plate heat exchanger, a fin-type heat exchanger, a monolithic heat exchanger, a tubular heat exchanger, a flat tubular heat exchanger, a vertical tubular heat exchanger, and/or the like. For example, the cold side chamber 104 may, at least in part, be wrapped in a tube bundle of tubular heat exchangers which may be further enclosed, at least in part, within another larger fluid vessel, e.g., connected to another working fluid circuit to facilitate thermal transfer therewith. In some examples, the hot side heat sink 206b (described further below) may be the same, substantially similar to, or different from the cold side chamber 104. In some examples, the cold side chamber 104 may be larger than the hot side heat sink 206b.
In the depicted examples, the thermal energy received by the Stirling heat pump 102 may be provided, at least in part, from an outdoor ambient environment. For example, the heat absorption circuit 140, as shown, may receive thermal energy from an outdoor ambient environment via at least the absorption heat exchanger 110 as represented by the heat transfer arrow 216a in order to transfer this thermal energy to the Stirling heat pump 102. For context, the thermal energy from the outdoor ambient environment may be absorbed into the heat absorption fluid in the heat absorption circuit 140, at least in part, because the temperature of the cold side chamber 104 may be lower than the outdoor ambient environment. For example, even at low outdoor ambient temperatures, e.g., of −10° F., the cold side chamber 104 may be configured to reach even lower temperatures, e.g., of −40° F., creating a larger temperature differential at low temperatures, e.g., than between the outdoor ambient environment and the refrigerant fluid circuit 134. In some examples, the heat absorption circuit 140 may receive thermal energy, e.g., represented by the heat transfer arrow 216a, from other sources, e.g., geothermal, waste heat from a machine or process, and/or the like.
Still referring to
As shown, the heating fluid circuit 142a may reject thermal energy from the heating fluid heat exchanger 118 as represented by the heat transfer arrow 216d. In such examples, the rejected thermal energy from the heating fluid heat exchanger 118 may be used to heat the conditioned air circulated through an air handling unit as described in further detail below. In some examples, the heating fluid circuit 142a may reject thermal energy via at least the hot water heating coil 116a to the water of the hot water heater 116, as described in further detail below. In some examples, the hot water heating coil 116a may be a primary heat source for heating the water of the hot water heater 116. In these examples, the hot water heating coil 116a may be the only source for actively heating the water, e.g., the hot water heater does not include any other heating sources such as a burners, electric heating element, etc. In other examples, the hot water heating coil 116a may be a secondary heat source for assisting a primary heat source, e.g., a burner, an electrical heating element, or the like, with supplemental heating of the water of the hot water heater 116. In such examples, the operation of the primary heat source (e.g., a burner, an electrical heating element, or the like) may be suppressed (e.g., removed from the hot water heater, at least temporarily deactivated, at least temporarily reduced in operation, or the like) while the hot water heating coil 116a at least partially replaces the primary heat source for heating the water of the hot water heater 116. In some examples, the hot water heating coil 116a may be any heat exchanger, e.g., tubular, tube fin, coil, or the like, for exchanging thermal energy between the water of the hot water heater 116 and the heating fluid.
Furthermore, in some examples, the Stirling heat pump 102 may continue to operate for a period of time, until a heating demand is met, and/or until another threshold condition is met. In such examples, the Stirling heat pump system 200 may continue to absorb thermal energy from the outdoor ambient environment and reject thermal energy to the heating fluid heat exchanger 118 or the like as described above.
The example Stirling heat pump 102 as depicted in
Now that some general examples for transferring thermal energy through the Stirling heat pump system 200 during the operation of the Stirling heat pump 102 have been described above, we will continue to describe the overview of example heating systems, and components thereof, below with additional reference to
Returning to
The heating fluid circuit 142a, as shown, may be thermally coupled to the hot side chamber 106 of the Stirling heat pump 102 and may include a circulation pump 108a, control valves 114a-114b, hot water heating coil 116a of the hot water heater 116, and a heating fluid heat exchanger 118 of the indoor unit 124. Further, the heating fluid circuit 142a may be configured to selectively circulate a heating fluid through, at least in part, one or more circulation pumps 108a, the control valves 114a-114b, the hot water heating coil 116a, or the heating fluid heat exchanger 118. The circulation pump 108a, coupled to the heating fluid circuit 142a, may provide the motive force to circulate the heating fluid through the heating fluid circuit 142a, potentially in response to a circulation indication provided by the control circuitry 136.
Additionally, the control valve 114a may receive the heating fluid circulated by the circulation pump 108a, as shown, and may selectively adjust the flow of the heating fluid to direct the flow, at least in part, to the hot water heating coil 116a and/or the heating fluid heat exchanger 118, potentially in response to a command indication provided by the control circuitry 136. After the heating fluid has been circulated through the hot water heating coil 116a and/or the heating fluid heat exchanger 118 it may be received by the control valve 114b as shown. The control valve 114b may direct the flow of the heating fluid toward the hot side chamber 106 as shown so that it may, at least in part, be reheated and recirculated through the heating fluid circuit 142a. In the depicted example, the hot water coil 116a and the heating. fluid heat exchanger 118 are shown in parallel, however, it is understood that the heating fluid circuit 142 may arrange these components in series. Further, in some examples, the heating fluid circuit may also include bypass circuits to selectively bypass these components, potentially using a control valve or other device. Other configurations may also be used.
The heating fluid heat exchanger 118, e.g., an air conditioning heating coil as shown, may be configured to receive a heating fluid from the control valve 114a and to further heat the conditioned air circulated through the indoor unit 124, e.g., an air handling unit as shown. In some examples, the heating fluid heat exchanger 118 may include a cased coil, an A-coil, an N-coil, a slab coil, a tube fin heat exchanger, and/or the like. In some examples, the heating fluid heat exchanger 118 may be configured with one or more temperature and/or pressure sensors configured to monitor the temperature and/or pressure of the heating fluid heat exchanger 118.
The hot water heating coil 116a, e.g., a hot water heater heat exchanger, as shown, may be configured to receive a heating fluid from the control valve 114a and to further heat the water within the hot water heater 116, e.g., within a water tank as shown. In some examples, the hot water heating coil 116a may include a spiral coil that wraps around the bottom, sides, and/or top of the interior and/or exterior of the hot water heater 116 to exchange thermal energy between the heating fluid within the hot water heating coil 116a and the water within the hot water heater 116. In some examples, the hot water heating coil 116a may include a tubular heat exchanger that at least partially defines the walls of the hot water heater 116.
The hot water heater 116, as shown, may include, at least in part, a hot water heating coil 116a (as described above). In some examples, the hot water heater 116 may include a heat source 117, e.g., in addition to the hot water heating coil 116a. The heat source 117 may include one or more of an electrical heating element, a gas burner, or the like to heat water within the hot water heater 116. In some examples, the heat source 117 may be housed within a housing of the hot water heater 116, e.g., electrical heating element in contact with the water of the hot water heater 116. In other examples, the heat source 117 may be, at least in part, external relative to a housing of the hot water heater 116, e.g., a gas burner housed below the hot water heater 116. In some examples, the heat source 117 may be a supplemental and/or secondary heat source for heating hot water, e.g., when the Stirling heat pump is providing conditioned air heating capacity for a prolonged period of time, during maintenance of the Stirling heat pump, or other such examples when the Stirling heat pump cannot supply sufficient hot water.
In some examples, the hot water heater 116 may include one or more of a water tank or a tankless water heater. In some examples, a tankless water heater may be configured to dynamically exchange thermal energy with the hot water heating coil 116a in response to a current demand for hot water, e.g., from a homeowner opening a hot water faucet or the like. In some examples, a water tank may be configured to exchange thermal energy with the hot water heating coil 116a periodically in order to maintain a predefined water temperature within the water tank, e.g., whether or not there is a current demand for hot water. In some examples, the hot water heating coil 116a and/or the hot water heater 116 may be configured with one or more temperature and/or pressure sensors configured to monitor the temperature and/or pressure within the hot water heater 116 in order to regulate at least the temperature of the water within the hot water heater 116, e.g., based on indications provided by the control circuitry 136.
The refrigerant fluid circuit 134, as shown, may include an indoor heat exchanger 122 of the indoor unit 124, a modulating valve 132 of the indoor unit 124, a compressor 138 of the outdoor unit 112b, and an outdoor heat exchanger 130 of the outdoor unit 112b. In some examples, the refrigerant fluid circuit 134 may include in whole, or in part, the refrigerant fluid circuit 534 of the climate control system 500 described below with respect to
The indoor unit 124, e.g., an air handling unit as shown, may include the heating fluid heat exchanger 118 fluidly coupled to the heating fluid circuit 142a, an indoor fan 120, and the indoor heat exchanger 122 fluidly coupled to the refrigerant fluid circuit 134. In some examples, the indoor unit 124 may include in whole, or in part, the indoor air handling unit 300 described below with respect to
Now that some general examples for the indoor unit 124 have been described above, the below will continue to describe indoor air handling units in further detail below with additional reference to
Turning now to
In some examples, the heating fluid heat exchanger 308, e.g., an air conditioning heating coil, may be the same or similar to the heating fluid heat exchanger 118 as described above. For example, the heating fluid heat exchanger 308 may be configured to receive a heating fluid such as a water glycol mixture, or the like, that has been heated by the Stirling heat pump 102. The heating fluid heat exchanger 308 may further radiate some of the heat from, e.g., the water glycol mixture to the air within the indoor air handling unit 300. In some examples, the heating fluid heat exchanger 308 may include a microchannel heat exchanger. The microchannels of the microchannel heat exchanger may have a hydraulic and/or inner diameter of approximately 1 mm or less. In some examples, the heating fluid heat exchanger 308 may include a fluid flow path including, at least in part, a non-flowing portion. The non-flowing portion may, at least in part, include the microchannel heat exchanger. It should be understood that a non-flow process in thermodynamics is a process in which at least heat transfer may occur without there being any mass transfer, e.g., the working fluid is not being pumped.
The indoor refrigerant heat exchanger 310, in some examples, may be the same or similar to the indoor heat exchanger 122 as described above. As shown, the indoor refrigerant heat exchanger 310 may be located within the housing 302 of the indoor air handling unit 300 in order to exchange, e.g., absorb and/or reject, thermal energy between a refrigerant fluid and the conditioned air of the indoor air handling unit 300.
For example, the indoor refrigerant heat exchanger 310 may be configured to receive a refrigerant fluid such as R-134a, or the like, and may operate, e.g., with the modulating valve 132 (shown in
In some other examples, the indoor refrigerant heat exchanger 310 may be configured as a primary indoor coil to provide both heating and cooling capacity, e.g., by exchanging thermal energy between a refrigerant fluid and a conditioned air. For example, the indoor refrigerant heat exchanger 310 may be configured to receive a refrigerant fluid such as R-134a, or the like, and may operate, at least in part, as a condenser coil for condensing the refrigerant fluid from a gaseous phase to a liquid phase, e.g., refrigerant fluid releases thermal energy heating the air within the indoor air handling unit 300. In such examples, the heating fluid heat exchanger 308 may provide supplemental heating capacity for a climate control system in addition to heating capacity provided by the indoor refrigerant heat exchanger 310. In some examples, the indoor refrigerant heat exchanger 310 may provide heating capacity for a climate control system when the outdoor ambient temperature is above a predefined threshold value. In such examples, the heating fluid heat exchanger 308 may be configured as a secondary air conditioning heating coil to provide supplemental heating capacity for a climate control system when the outdoor ambient temperature is below a predefined threshold value, e.g., in addition to the indoor refrigerant heat exchanger 310. In such examples, the indoor fan 314 may circulate the conditioned air over both the primary indoor coil and the secondary air conditioning heating coil to condition the air, e.g., whether one or both coils are providing the conditioning capacity.
In other examples, the heating fluid heat exchanger 308 may provide the only source of heating capacity for the climate control system when the outdoor ambient temperature is below a predefined threshold value, e.g., when the heat pump of the refrigerant fluid circuit 134 ceases operation or when the heat pump of the refrigerant fluid circuit 134 can no longer absorb thermal energy from the outdoor ambient environment to exchange with the conditioned air. It should be appreciated that refrigerant vapor compressor based heat pumps may start to lose heating capacity at approximately 20° F. to 25° F. and may continue to lose more heating capacity as temperatures reduce below approximately 20° F.
The indoor air handling unit 300, as shown, may further comprise an electric heating element 312 in addition to the heating fluid heat exchanger 308 and the indoor refrigerant heat exchanger 310. For example, the indoor air handling unit 300 may be an older air handling unit that has been retrofitted for use with the heating system 100 as described herein. In such examples, the electric heating element 312 may provide supplemental heating capacity for a climate control system in addition to any heating capacity provided by the heating fluid heat exchanger 308. In other examples, the electric heating element 312 may be deactivated, e.g., electrically disconnected, or physically removed from the indoor air handling unit 300, and the heating fluid heat exchanger 308 alone may provide supplemental heating capacity and/or the only heating capacity as described above. It should be understood that deactivating or physically removing the electric heating element 312 may be desirable because such electric heating elements may be less efficient and/or more costly to operate when compared with the heating fluid heat exchanger 308 as described above. In some examples, the indoor air handling unit 300 may be manufactured without the electric heating element 312, e.g., the indoor air handling unit 300 may be manufactured for use with the heating system 100 as described herein. In some examples, the electric heating element 312 may include a heat strip, an electrical resistor, and/or other electrical device for converting electrical energy into thermal energy.
Now that some examples of indoor air handling units have been described in detail above with additional reference to
Returning to
The outdoor unit 112a and the outdoor unit 112b, in some examples may comprise the same outdoor unit of a climate control system. For example, the absorption heat exchanger 110 may be co-located within a housing of an outdoor unit of a climate control system with the outdoor heat exchanger 130, the compressor 138 or the like as described below. Further, the outdoor heat exchanger 130 may be configured to exchange thermal energy between a refrigerant fluid and the outdoor ambient environment, e.g., as a condenser and/or evaporator coil. Moreover, the outdoor unit 112a, the outdoor unit 112b, and/or the like may further include an outdoor fan (as shown in
The control circuitry 136, as shown, may be communicatively coupled, at least in part, to the circulation pumps 108a-108b, the outdoor units 112a-112b, the control valves 114a-114b, the Stirling heat pump 102, the hot water heater 116, the indoor unit 124, and/or any components thereof. Further, as shown, the control circuitry 136 may be communicatively coupled to the one or more components of the heating system 100, or the like, via at least the communication bus 128 which may include in whole, or in part, the communication bus 528 of the climate control system 500 described below with respect to
Now that the general componentry for example heating systems for providing hot water and/or heating capacity have been described above, the below will walk through some example processes for providing hot water and/or heating capacity with the example heating systems in more detail below with reference to
Referring first to the examples provided in
To further walk through the process of controlling, at least in part, a heating system, each of steps 402-410 described above will now be discussed in more detail with further reference to
As shown at step 402, the process 400 may include circulating the heating fluid through a heating fluid circuit. This may include activating or turning on one or more components of a heating system and/or a climate control system as described herein, at step 402. The request for heating, in some examples, may be based on a temperature setpoint, potentially set by a user, e.g., a homeowner or the like, set by the manufacture, or another process. In some examples, the control circuitry may initiate a request for heating if a given condition is below the temperature setpoint. This process may be done through any process, including any convention process for initiating heating for a water heater and/or a climate control system. To walk through an example, a user may select an indoor space operate in heating, potentially at a certain setpoint temperature. A thermostat may monitor the temperature in the indoor space, and if the temperature drops below a set value then a request for heating may be initiated. In some examples, this request may be elevated to a request for supplemental heating. For example, if a given standard heating process for a heat pump is not able to satisfy the load for a given space, then a request for supplemental heating may be initiated. In another example, using a water heater, the water heater may be set to a desired temperature, potentially based on a code requirement, e.g., 120° F. up to 140° F. Still other temperatures may be used or set by a homeowner. The temperature of the water within the tank may be controlled to be within a given range of that desired temperature, e.g., +/−2° F. If the temperature drops below that level, potentially due to a flow of hot water out of the system, heat leakage, etc., then the water heater may request additional heating to raise the temperature back to the desired temperature.
In such examples, the step 402 may include receiving and/or transmitting a request indication representative of the request for heating to the heating system or a component thereof to, at least in part, circulate the heating fluid through a heating fluid circuit. In some examples, the step 402 may include transmitting an activation indication representative of a command to turn on, or activate, the Stirling heat pump, a circulation pump of the heating fluid circuit, a circulation pump of the heat absorption circuit, and/or the like, e.g., to the Stirling heat pump, a circulation pump, and/or a control circuit thereof.
In some examples, the step 402 may further include controlling a speed of one or more components of a heating system and/or a climate control system. In some examples, the step 402 may further include transmitting a speed indication representative of a speed of operation, e.g., for the Stirling heat pump, a compressor, and/or a circulation pump. In such examples, the step 402 may further include receiving a speed indication representative of a speed of operation, e.g., from a motor sensor of the Stirling heat pump, and/or the like. In some examples, the step 402 may further include circulating the heat absorption fluid through a heat absorption circuit. In some examples, the step 402 may include opening and/or adjusting one or more control valves to allow the heating fluid to circulate through at least a portion of the heating fluid circuit, e.g., through a hot water heating coil and/or an air conditioning heating coil as described above. For example, the control circuitry may transmit a command indication representative of a command to adjust the position of a control valve of the heating system, e.g., to the control valve and/or a control circuit thereof.
In some examples, the step 402 may also include circulating a refrigerant fluid through a refrigerant fluid circuit of the climate control system, e.g., before or at substantially the same time as circulating the heating fluid through a heating fluid circuit. In such examples, the step 402 may further include transmitting a request indication representative of a request for heating to the climate control system or a component thereof to, at least in part, circulate the refrigeration fluid through a refrigerant fluid circuit. For example, the control circuitry may transmit a command indication representative of a command to turn on, or activate, a compressor of the climate control system, and/or the like, e.g., to the compressor and/or a control circuit thereof. Moreover, the control circuitry may transmit a command indication representative of a command to adjust the position of a switch over valve and/or a modulating valve of the climate control system, e.g., to the switch over valve, a modulating valve, and/or a control circuit thereof. In some examples, step 402 may further include operating the climate control system in a heating mode and receiving a request indication representative of a request for a heating capacity, e.g., by a system controller of the climate control system. In some examples, step 402 may further include receiving a request signal representing a request to increase a delivered capacity of the climate control system, e.g., an increased heating demand provided by a user via a thermostat and/or one or more temperature systems monitoring a space conditioned by the climate control system. In some examples, still further processes may be performed and/or indications may be transmitted and/or received by the control circuitry and/or other components of the heating systems described herein at step 402.
Turning next to step 404, the process 400 may include heating the working fluid, e.g., at a hot side chamber of a Stirling heat pump, the Stirling heat pump including the hot side chamber, a cold side chamber, and a working fluid fluidly connected between the hot and cold side chambers. In some examples, the step 404 may further include monitoring the temperature and/or pressure of the working fluid of the Stirling heat pump, e.g., via one or more temperature and/or pressure sensors of the Stirling heat pump as described herein. For example, the Stirling heat pump may include at least a temperature and/or a pressure sensor proximate the hot side chamber and/or the cold side chamber that monitor the temperature and/or the pressure of the working fluid, at least in part, while the Stirling heat pump is operating as described herein. In some examples, step 404 may further include receiving a temperature indication representative of a temperature, e.g., of the hot side chamber, at the control circuitry from the temperature sensor. For example, the temperature indication may represent a temperature at the hot side chamber to indicate to the control circuitry that the working fluid has reached and/or is maintaining a predefined temperature to provide the requested heated conditioned air and/or hot water. In some examples, the step 404 may also include transmitting a command indication representative of a command to transmit a temperature indication, e.g., from the control circuitry to a temperature sensor, in order to further cause receiving of the temperature indication, e.g., at the control circuitry from the temperature sensor. In some examples, the step 404 may also include automatically transmitting a temperature indication on a periodic basis.
In some examples, the step 404 may further include receiving a temperature indication representative of a temperature, e.g., of the cold side chamber, at the control circuitry from the temperature sensor. In some examples, the step 404 may further include receiving a temperature indication representative of a temperature, e.g., of the outdoor ambient environment, at the control circuitry from an outdoor temperature sensor of an outdoor unit. In such examples, step 404 may further include comparing the temperature at the cold side chamber with an outdoor ambient temperature to estimate a time for the working fluid to reach a predefined temperature to provide the requested heated conditioned air and/or hot water. In such examples, the control circuitry may base the estimation on a temperature differential, e.g., between the cold side chamber and the outdoor ambient temperature, and a predefined heating capacity for the Stirling heat pump. In some examples, still further processes may be performed and/or indications may be transmitted and/or received by the control circuitry and/or other components of the heating systems described herein at step 404.
Turning next to step 406, the process 400 may include routing the heating fluid to an air conditioning heating coil. The air conditioning heating coil may be configured to heat the conditioned air circulated through an air handling unit. In some examples, the step 408 may further include heating the conditioned air circulated through an air handling unit, e.g., by exchanging thermal energy between the air and the heating fluid. In some examples, the step 406 may further include transmitting an adjustment indication representative of a command to adjust the position of a control valve, e.g., to increase and/or decrease a flow rate and/or a flow direction of fluid through the control valve. For example, the control circuitry may adjust a control valve to direct the heating fluid, at least in part, from a hot side chamber of the Stirling heat pump through an air conditioning heating coil of an indoor unit as described herein. In some examples, the control circuitry may adjust a control valve to direct the heating fluid, at least in part, from a hot water heating coil of a hot water heater through an air conditioning heating coil of an indoor unit. In some examples, the step 406 may further include directing the heating fluid through an air conditioning heating coil of an indoor unit, e.g., in response to a request indication. In some examples, the step 406 may further include monitoring a temperature and/or pressure of the heating fluid and/or conditioned air of the indoor unit, e.g., via one or more temperature and/or pressure sensors of the indoor unit. In such examples, routing the heating fluid to an air conditioning heating coil may be based, at least in part, on the monitored temperature and/or pressure of the heating fluid and/or conditioned air of the indoor unit. In some examples, still further processes may be performed and/or indications may be transmitted and/or received by the control circuitry and/or other components of the heating systems described herein at step 406.
Turning next to step 408, the process 400 may include routing the heating fluid to a hot water heating coil. The hot water heating coil may be configured to heat the water within a hot water heater, e.g., a hot water tank. In some examples, the step 408 may further include heating the water within a water tank, e.g., by exchanging thermal energy between the water and the heating fluid. In some examples, the step 408 may further include transmitting an adjustment indication representative of a command to adjust the position of a control valve, e.g., to increase and/or decrease a flow rate and/or a flow direction of fluid through the control valve. For example, the control circuitry may adjust a control valve to direct the heating fluid, at least in part, from a hot side chamber of the Stirling heat pump through a hot water heating coil of a hot water heater. In some examples, the step 408 may further include directing the heating fluid through a hot water heating coil of a hot water heater, e.g., in response to a request for hot water. In some examples, the step 408 may further include monitoring a temperature and/or pressure of the heating fluid and/or water of the hot water heater, e.g., via one or more temperature and/or pressure sensors of the hot water heater. For example, the hot water tank may be set to a temperature of 120° F. to 140° F. The temperature of the hot water tank may be monitored by the control circuitry communicatively coupled to one or more thermocouples which are further thermally coupled to the hot water tank or the water therein. Further, when the temperature of the hot water tank drops to a minimum temperature threshold, e.g., 120° F.±2° F., the Stirling heat pump may turn on and start to reheat the hot water within the hot water tank. In some examples, the temperature of the hot water tank may drop because relatively cooler water is flowing into the tank and/or hotter water is flowing out of the tank, e.g., to a faucet or shower head. In some examples, routing the heating fluid to a hot water heating coil may be based, at least in part, on the monitored temperature and/or pressure of the heating fluid and/or water of the hot water heater.
Turning next to step 410, the process 400 may include adjusting the flow of the heating fluid between the air conditioning heating coil and the hot water heating coil. In some examples, the step 410 may further include transmitting an adjustment indication representative of a command to adjust the position of a control valve, e.g., to increase and/or decrease a flow rate and/or a flow direction of fluid through the control valve. In some examples, the step 410 may further include switching the flow of the heating fluid from the air conditioning heating coil to the hot water heating coil, or vice versa. In some examples, the step 410 may further include transmitting, to one or more control valves, a direction indication representative of a command to switch the position of a control valve, e.g., from a first flow direction position to a second flow direction position.
In some examples, adjusting the flow of the heating fluid between the air conditioning heating coil and the hot water heating coil may further include directing the heating fluid from the Stirling heat pump to either the air conditioning heating coil or the hot water heating coil and then back to the Stirling heat pump. In some examples, adjusting the flow of the heating fluid between the air conditioning heating coil and the hot water heating coil may further include directing the heating fluid from the Stirling heat pump to the air conditioning heating coil and the hot water heating coil and then back to the Stirling heat pump, e.g., in proportion to one or more requests for heating. In some examples, still further processes may be performed and/or indications may be transmitted and/or received by the control circuitry and/or other components of the heating systems described herein at step 410.
To further walk through the process of adjusting the flow of the heating fluid between the air conditioning heating coil and the hot water heating coil, step 410 described above will now be discussed in more detail with further reference to
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Indoor unit 502 generally comprises an indoor air handling unit comprising an indoor heat exchanger 508, an indoor fan 510, an indoor metering device 512, and an indoor controller 524. The indoor heat exchanger 508 may generally be configured to promote heat exchange between a refrigerant fluid carried within internal tubing of the indoor heat exchanger 508 and an airflow that may contact the indoor heat exchanger 508 but that is segregated from the refrigerant fluid. Indoor unit 502 may at least partially include, or be coupled to, a duct system 532 including one or more of an air return duct, a supply duct, a register, a vent, a damper, an air filter, or the like for providing airflow.
The indoor metering device 512 may generally comprise an electronically-controlled motor-driven electronic expansion valve (EEV). In some examples, however, the indoor metering device 512 may comprise a thermostatic expansion valve, a capillary tube assembly, and/or any other suitable metering device.
Outdoor unit 504 generally comprises an outdoor heat exchanger 514, a compressor 516, an outdoor fan 518, an outdoor metering device 520, a switch over valve 522, and an outdoor controller 526. The compressor 516 may be any type of compressor, including a compressor the same or similar to compressors discussed above. The outdoor heat exchanger 514 may generally be configured to promote heat transfer between a refrigerant fluid carried within internal passages of the outdoor heat exchanger 514 and an airflow that contacts the outdoor heat exchanger 514 but is segregated from the refrigerant fluid.
In the depicted example, the outdoor unit 504 also includes a supplemental heat exchanger 540, which may be coupled to a Stirling heat pump as discussed above in connection with
The outdoor metering device 520 may generally comprise a thermostatic expansion valve. In some examples, however, the outdoor metering device 520 may comprise an electronically-controlled motor driven EEV similar to indoor metering device 512, a capillary tube assembly, and/or any other suitable metering device.
In some examples, the switch over valve 522 may generally comprise a four-way reversing valve. The switch over valve 522 may also comprise an electrical solenoid, relay, and/or other device configured to selectively move a component of the switch over valve 522 between operational positions to alter the flow path of refrigerant fluid through the switch over valve 522 and consequently the climate control system 500. Additionally, the switch over valve 522 may also be selectively controlled by the system controller 506, an outdoor controller 526, and/or the indoor controller 524.
The system controller 506 may generally be configured to selectively communicate with the indoor controller 524 of the indoor unit 502, the outdoor controller 526 of the outdoor unit 504, and/or other components of the climate control system 500. In some examples, the system controller 506 may be configured to control operation of the indoor unit 502, and/or the outdoor unit 504. In some examples, the system controller 506 may be configured to monitor and/or communicate with a plurality of temperature and pressure sensors associated with components of the indoor 502, the outdoor unit 504, and/or the outdoor ambient environment. In some examples, the indoor unit 502 includes at least partially an indoor air handling unit.
Additionally, in some examples, the system controller 506 may comprise a temperature sensor and/or may further be configured to control heating and/or cooling of conditioned spaces or zones associated with the climate control system 500. In some examples, the system controller 506 may be configured as a thermostat for controlling the supply of conditioned air to zones associated with the climate control system 500, and in some examples, the thermostat includes a temperature sensor.
The system controller 506 may also generally comprise an input/output (I/O) unit (e.g., a graphical user interface, a touchscreen interface, or the like) for displaying information and for receiving user inputs. The system controller 506 may display information related to the operation of the climate control system 500 and may receive user inputs related to operation of the climate control system 500. However, the system controller 506 may further be operable to display information and receive user inputs tangentially related and/or unrelated to operation of the climate control system 500. In some examples, the system controller 506 may not comprise a display and may derive all information from inputs that come from remote sensors and remote configuration tools.
In some examples, the system controller 506 may be configured for selective bidirectional communication over a communication bus 528, which may utilize any type of communication network. For example, the communication may be via wired or wireless data links directly or across one or more networks, such as a control network. Examples of suitable communication protocols for the control network include CAN, TCP/IP, BACnet, LonTalk, Modbus, ZigBee, Zwave, Wi-Fi, SIMPLE, Bluetooth, and the like.
The indoor controller 524 may be carried by the indoor unit 502 and may generally be configured to receive information inputs, transmit information outputs, and/or otherwise communicate with the system controller 506, the outdoor controller 526, and/or any other device 530 via the communication bus 528 and/or any other suitable medium of communication. In some examples, the device 530 may include some or all of the systems described by the present disclosure. For example, the device 530 may be a sensor, or the like, as described by the present disclosure. In some examples, the device 530 may be housed within at least a unit (e.g., 502, 504, etc.) of the climate control system 500 and/or coupled thereto. In some examples, the device 530 may be a plurality of devices, each device 530 being associated with one or more units of the climate control system 500.
The outdoor controller 526 may be carried by the outdoor unit 504 and may be configured to receive information inputs from the system controller 506, which may be a thermostat. In some examples, the outdoor controller 526 may be configured to receive information related to an ambient temperature associated with the outdoor unit 504, information related to a temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger 514, and/or information related to refrigerant temperatures and/or pressures of refrigerant entering, exiting, and/or within the outdoor heat exchanger 514 and/or the compressor 516.
The processor 602 may be configured to execute computer programs such as computer-readable program code 606, which may be stored onboard the processor or otherwise stored in the memory 604. In some examples, the processor may be embodied as, or otherwise include, one or more ASICs, FPGAs or the like. Thus, although the processor may be capable of executing a computer program to perform one or more functions, the processor of various examples may be capable of performing one or more functions without the aid of a computer program.
The memory 604 is generally any piece of computer hardware capable of storing information such as, for example, data, computer-readable program code 606 or other computer programs, and/or other suitable information either on a temporary basis and/or a permanent basis. The memory may include volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM), and/or non-volatile memory such as a hard drive, flash memory or the like. In various instances, the memory may be referred to as a computer-readable storage medium, which is a non-transitory device capable of storing information. In some examples, then, the computer-readable storage medium is non-transitory and has computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to execution by the processor 602, causes the control circuitry 600 to perform various operations as described herein, some of which may in turn cause the climate control system to perform various operations.
In addition to the memory 604, the processor 602 may also be connected to one or more peripherals such as a network adapter 608, one or more input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., input device(s) 610, output device(s) 612) or the like. The network adapter is a hardware component configured to connect the control circuitry 600 to a computer network to enable the control circuitry to transmit and/or receive information via the computer network. The I/O devices may include one or more input devices capable of receiving data or instructions for the control circuitry, and/or one or more output devices capable of providing an output from the control circuitry. Examples of suitable input devices include a keyboard, keypad or the like, and examples of suitable output devices include a display device such as a one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a LED display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), or the like.
As explained above and reiterated below, the present disclosure includes, without limitation, the following example implementations.
Clause 1. A heating system for heating both conditioned air and water, the heating system comprising: a Stirling heat pump configured to provide heating to a heating fluid, the Stirling heat pump including a hot side chamber and a cold side chamber, the hot side chamber and the cold side chamber fluidly connected by a working fluid; and a heating fluid circuit thermally coupled to the hot side chamber and configured to circulate the heating fluid, the heating fluid circuit including: a circulation pump coupled to the heating fluid circuit and configured to circulate the heating fluid through the heating fluid circuit; an air conditioning heating coil, the air conditioning heating coil configured to heat the conditioned air circulated through an air handling unit; a hot water heating coil, the hot water heating coil configured to heat the water within a hot water heater; and a control valve coupled to the heating fluid circuit, the control valve configured to adjust a flow of the heating fluid between the air conditioning heating coil and the hot water heating coil.
Clause 2. The heating system in any of the clauses, further comprising a heat absorption circuit thermally coupled to the cold side chamber and configured to circulate a heat absorption fluid, the heat absorption circuit including: an absorption fluid circulation pump coupled to the heat absorption circuit and configured to circulate the heat absorption fluid through the heat absorption circuit; and an absorption heat exchanger coil, the absorption heat exchanger coil configured to exchange thermal energy between the heat absorption fluid and an outdoor ambient environment.
Clause 3. The heating system in any of the clauses, wherein the absorption heat exchanger coil is located within a housing of an outdoor unit of a climate control system, wherein the outdoor unit includes an outdoor heat exchanger within the housing, the outdoor heat exchanger configured to exchange thermal energy between a refrigerant fluid and the outdoor ambient environment.
Clause 4. The heating system in any of the clauses, wherein the outdoor unit further includes an outdoor fan, the outdoor fan configured to circulate outdoor ambient air over both the outdoor heat exchanger and the absorption heat exchanger coil.
Clause 5. The heating system in any of the clauses, wherein the air conditioning heating coil is located within a housing of the air handling unit, wherein the air handling unit further includes an indoor heat exchanger within the housing, the indoor heat exchanger configured to simultaneously exchange thermal energy between a refrigerant fluid and the conditioned air.
Clause 6. The heating system in any of the clauses, further including control circuitry, the control circuitry communicatively coupled to the control valve and configured to: adjust the flow of the heating fluid to the air handling unit based on a request for conditioning from the air handling unit.
Clause 7. The heating system in any of the clauses, wherein the request for conditioning is a request for supplemental heating, and wherein the control circuitry configured to adjust the flow of the heating fluid further includes directing the flow of the heating fluid to the air handling unit in response to the request for supplemental heating and a determination that a flow of a refrigerant fluid is already directed to the air handling unit in response to a request for heating.
Clause 8. The heating system in any of the clauses, wherein the request for conditioning is a request for heating, and wherein the control circuitry configured to adjust the flow of heating fluid is further configured to direct the flow of the heating fluid to the air conditioning heating coil in response to receiving the request for heating.
Clause 9. The heating system in any of the clauses, wherein the request for conditioning is a request for heating, and wherein the control circuitry configured to adjust the flow of heating fluid is further configured to direct the flow of the heating fluid to the air conditioning heating coil in response to both receiving the request for heating and receiving an indication that an outdoor ambient temperature is below a threshold value.
Clause 10. The heating system in any of the clauses, further including control circuitry, the control circuitry communicatively coupled to the control valve and configured to: direct the flow of the heating fluid to the hot water heating coil in response to receiving a request for heating from the hot water heater.
Clause 11. The heating system in any of the clauses, further including control circuitry, the control circuitry communicatively coupled to the control valve and configured to: direct the flow of the heating fluid to the hot water heating coil in response to receiving a request for heating from the hot water heater, wherein the control circuitry configured to direct the flow of the heating fluid to the hot water heating coil is further configured to override a request to direct the flow of the heating fluid to the air conditioning heating coil, wherein overriding the request lasts a predetermined period of time.
Clause 12. The heating system in any of the clauses, further including control circuitry, the control circuitry communicatively coupled to the control valve and configured to: direct the flow of the heating fluid to the hot water heating coil in response to receiving a request for heating from the hot water heater, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to direct the flow of the heating fluid to the air conditioning heating coil in response to a request for supplemental heating, wherein the request for supplemental heating overrides the request for heating from the hot water heater.
Clause 13. The heating system in any of the clauses, wherein the hot water heating coil provides a primary heat source to the hot water heater, and wherein another heat source of the hot water heater is, at least in part, suppressed while the hot water heating coil provides the primary heat source to the hot water heater.
Clause 14. An air handler unit thermally coupled to a water heater, the air handler unit including: a primary indoor coil, the primary indoor coil configured to exchange thermal energy between a refrigerant fluid and a conditioned air; a secondary air conditioning heating coil, the secondary air conditioning heating coil configured to exchange thermal energy between a heating fluid and the conditioned air, wherein the heating fluid is routed through a heating fluid circuit that includes a control valve, wherein the heating fluid circuit is thermally coupled to a hot side chamber of a Stirling heat pump, the Stirling heat pump including the hot side chamber, a cold side chamber, and a working fluid fluidly connected between the hot side chamber and the cold side chamber; a fan configured to circulate the conditioned air over the primary indoor coil and the secondary air conditioning heating coil to condition the conditioned air; and control circuitry communicatively coupled to the control valve and configured to: direct the heating fluid through the secondary air conditioning heating coil in response to a request for heating.
Clause 15. The air handler unit in any of the clauses, wherein the request for heating is a request for supplemental heating.
Clause 16. The air handler unit in any of the clauses, wherein the control circuitry configured to direct a flow of the heating fluid to the secondary air conditioning heating coil is further configured to direct the flow of the heating fluid to the secondary air conditioning heating coil in response to both receiving the request for heating and receiving an indication that an outdoor ambient temperature is below a threshold value.
Clause 17. The air handler unit in any of the clauses, wherein the heating fluid circuit further includes a hot water heating coil located within a water heater, and wherein the heating fluid circuit is configured to circulate the heating fluid to transfer thermal energy from the hot water heating coil to heat the water within the hot water heater.
Clause 18. The air handler unit in any of the clauses, wherein the heating fluid circuit is further thermally coupled to a hot side chamber of the Stirling heat pump, and wherein the Stirling heat pump further includes the hot side chamber, a cold side chamber, and a working fluid fluidly connected between the hot side chamber and the cold side chamber.
Clause 19. A method of heating both conditioned air and water using a heating fluid, the method including: circulating the heating fluid through a heating fluid circuit; heating the heating fluid; routing the heating fluid to an air conditioning heating coil, the air conditioning heating coil configured to heat the conditioned air circulated through an air handling unit; routing the heating fluid to a hot water heating coil, the hot water heating coil configured to heat the water within a hot water heater; and adjusting a flow of the heating fluid between the air conditioning heating coil and the hot water heating coil.
Clause 20. The method in any of the clauses, wherein the heating fluid is heated at a hot side chamber of a Stirling heat pump, the Stirling heat pump including the hot side chamber, a cold side chamber, and a working fluid fluidly connected between the hot side chamber and the cold side chamber, and wherein adjusting the flow of the heating fluid further includes adjusting the flow of the heating fluid to the air handling unit based on a request for conditioning from the air handling unit.
Clause 21. The method in any of the clauses, wherein the request for conditioning is a request for supplemental heating, and wherein adjusting the flow of the heating fluid further includes directing the flow of heating fluid to the air handling unit in response to the request for supplemental heating.
Clause 22. The method in any of the clauses, wherein the request for conditioning is a request for heating, and wherein adjusting the flow of the heating fluid further includes directing the flow of the heating fluid to the air conditioning heating coil in response to receiving the request for heating.
Clause 23. The method in any of the clauses, wherein the request for conditioning is a request for heating, and wherein adjusting the flow of the heating fluid further includes directing the flow of the heating fluid to the air conditioning heating coil in response to both receiving the request for heating and receiving an indication that an outdoor ambient temperature is below a threshold value.
Clause 24. The method in any of the clauses, wherein adjusting the flow of the heating fluid further includes directing the flow of the heating fluid to the hot water heating coil in response to receiving a request for heating from the hot water heater.
Clause 25. The method in any of the clauses, wherein directing the flow of the heating fluid to the hot water heating coil further includes overriding a request to direct the flow of the heating fluid to the air conditioning heating coil, wherein overriding the request lasts a predetermined period of time.
Clause 26. The method in any of the clauses, wherein adjusting the flow of the heating fluid further includes: directing the flow of the heating fluid to the hot water heating coil in response to receiving a request for heating from the hot water heater, and directing the flow of the heating fluid to the air conditioning heating coil in response to a request for supplemental heating, wherein the request for supplemental heating overrides the request for heating from the hot water heater.
Many modifications, other embodiments, examples, or implementations of the disclosure set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated figures. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments, examples, or implementations disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments, examples, or implementations are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, although the foregoing description and the associated figures describe embodiments, examples, or implementations in the context of certain example combinations of elements and/or functions, it should be appreciated that different combinations of elements and/or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments, examples, or implementations without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, different combinations of elements and/or functions than those explicitly described above are also contemplated as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
