Patent Application
20250012481
The present disclosure generally relates to heat pump systems, and more particularly, to separation plates for heat pump systems that remove contaminant from condensate
Heat pump systems are widely used for their ability to deliver efficient cooling and heating. However, the collection of condensate during operation poses challenges, particularly in environments where dripping condensate may cause hazards or damage to people and/or property. Traditional approaches to condensate management often involve transporting condensate formed during a heating or cooling cycle to various downstream processes (e.g., humidification systems, misting nozzles, etc.), but these approaches often result in blockages throughout the system due to contamination in the condensate. Accordingly, a need exists for a condensate management approach that allows for condensate to be transferred to downstream processes while alleviating the risk of blockages.
In the embodiments described herein, a separation plate for a heat pump system is disclosed. The heat pump system includes a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger positioned opposite the first heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger forms a condensate, and a condensation pan is positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger and fluidly coupled to the separation plate, where the condensation pan is configured to collect the condensate formed by the first heat exchanger The separation plate includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a body extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The distal end is elevated relative to the proximal end and the body is sloped. A plurality of walls are formed across the body, and a plurality of contaminant traps are formed on each of the plurality of walls. A condensate passively flows from the distal end of the body to the proximal end of the body, such that the condensate flows over each of the plurality of contaminant traps formed on each of the plurality of walls.
In another embodiment, a heat pump system is disclosed. The heat pump system includes a first heat exchanger that forms a condensate, a second heat exchanger positioned opposite the first heat exchanger, a compressor positioned between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and a condensation pan positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger. The condensation pan is configured to collect the condensate formed by the first heat exchanger. The heat pump system further includes a filtration system fluidly coupled to the condensation pan to receive the condensate collected by the condensation pan, with the filtration system further including a separation plate. The separation plate includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a body extending from the proximal end to the distal end, the distal end being elevated relative the proximal end such that the body is sloped, a plurality of walls formed across the body, and a plurality of contaminant traps formed on each of the plurality of walls. The heat pump system further includes a distribution system fluidly coupled to the proximal end of the separation plate. The condensate transferred from the condensation pan to the filtration system passively flows from the distal end of the body to the proximal end of the body, such that the condensate flows over each of the plurality of contaminant traps formed on each of the plurality of walls.
In other embodiments still, a method of filtering contaminants from a condensate is disclosed. The method may involve initiating a heating or cooling cycle of a heat pump system including a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a condensation pan positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger, a distribution system, and a filtration system positioned between the condensation pan and the distribution system; collecting condensate formed by the first heat exchanger in the condensation pan; transferring the condensate collected by the condensation pan to the filtration system; passively passing the condensate through a plurality of contaminant traps formed on a separation plate of the filtration system; and transferring a filtered condensate to the distribution system of the heat pump system.
These and other advantages and features, which characterize the invention, are set forth in the claims annexed hereto and forming a further part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, and of the advantages and objectives attained through its use, reference should be made to the figures, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is described example embodiments of the invention. This summary is merely provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description, and is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:
The embodiments described herein are directed to separation plates, heat pump system, and methods of filtering condensate. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to separation plates for heat pump systems that are configured to passively remove contaminants from condensate formed and collected during heating and/or cooling processes. In these embodiments, the separation plate may include a distal end, a proximal end, and a body extending from the distal end to the proximal end. The distal end may be further elevated relative to the proximal end, such that the body is sloped. A plurality of walls may be positioned across the body of the separation plate, and each of the plurality of walls may include a plurality of contaminant traps. As condensate traverses the plurality of contaminant traps formed on each of the plurality of walls, contaminants may be removed from the condensate. Furthermore, the slope of the body of the separation plate may allow for the condensate to traverse the separation plate passively (e.g., via the force of gravity). By passively filtering the condensate, contaminants may be removed from the condensate via the separation plate before the condensate is transferred to other downstream components of the heat pump system.
As described herein, condensate forms on heat exchangers (e.g., evaporation/condenser coils) of heat pump systems during operation. For example, during a heating cycle, the outdoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporation coil. Accordingly, when humidity levels are sufficiently high, condensation may form and cascade down the outdoor heat exchanger. Conversely, during a cooling cycle, the indoor heat exchanger may act as an evaporation coil, such that condensation may form and cascade down the indoor heat exchanger.
In certain heat pump system applications, allowing the condensate to drip out of the system is undesirable for a number of reasons. For example, condensate can present a variety of hazards for high-rise multi-family apartments and/or condos in areas with the potential for freezing temperatures. In these temperatures, condensate formed by a heat pump system may freeze to form dangerous icicles that may cause injury to persons and/or property.
To address this issue, condensate needs to be handled in a more effective manner. In the heating cycle, some of the condensate can be used to humidify the indoor space, which may leave the remainder of the condensate to be returned to the outdoor environment. However, transporting the condensate to various downstream processes creates the opportunity for blockages that stem from the contamination of the condensate formed in these systems. Accordingly, a need exists for a heat pump system that may allow for the removal of the contaminants from the condensate in order to alleviate and/or eliminate issues with clogging that often occur in these downstream components (e.g., humidification systems, misting nozzles, etc.).
Embodiments of separation plates, heat pump systems, and methods of filtering condensate will now be described in additional detail herein. The following will now described these plates, systems, and methods with reference to the drawings and where like numbers refer to like structures.
Referring now to
As further depicted in
For example, in the embodiments described herein, the first heat exchanger 20 and the second heat exchanger 30 may be positioned on opposite sides of the heat pump system 10. As depicted in
Referring still to
As indoor air passes over the evaporator coil, the refrigerant within the evaporator coil absorbs heat from the indoor air, causing the indoor air to cool down. The absorbed heat from the indoor air is then passed via the refrigerant through the plurality of refrigerant lines 50 to other components of the heat pump system 10. For example, the plurality of refrigerant lines 50 may pass the refrigerant and absorbed heat from the indoor air to the compressor 40, which may compress the refrigerant such that the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant increase. The pressurized refrigerant may then pass to the condenser coil (e.g., the second heat exchanger 30 located on the outdoor side of the heat pump system 10).
In the condenser coil, the pressurized refrigerant releases the absorbed heat from the indoor air into an external environment. The external environment (e.g., outdoor air, etc.) may be at a lower temperature than the refrigerant, which may cause the refrigerant to condense back into a liquid state. This process may be continued throughout the heat pump system 10 until the indoor air has reached a desired temperature.
In contrast, during the heating cycle, the heat pump system 10 may reverse its operation. That is, during the heating cycle, the first heat exchanger 20 may act as the condenser coil, while the second heat exchanger 30 may act as the evaporator coil. In these embodiments, the compressor 40 acts to increase the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant, thereby allowing the refrigerant to release heat into the indoor space.
Referring still to
The condensate formed on the first heat exchanger 20 may accumulate within the first condensation pan 60, while condensate formed on the second heat exchanger 30 may accumulate within the second condensation pan 62. In these embodiments, the first and second condensation pans 60, 62 may include a plurality of drainage mechanisms that may aid in containing and managing the condensate collected in the first and second condensation pans 60, 62. In some embodiments, the first and second condensation pans 60, 62 may further include a pump that is configured to pump water towards the drainage mechanisms of the first and second condensation pans 60, 62, respectively, such that condensate may be dispensed from the first and second condensation pans 60, 62. In other embodiments, the condensation pan 60 may include a sloped and/or angled surface that may aid in facilitating condensate towards the drainage mechanisms, as will be described in additional detail herein with reference to
Referring still to
As further depicted in
Referring now to
Accordingly, the filtration system 100 depicted in
As most clearly depicted in
In these embodiments, the separation plate 110 may include a distal end 112, a proximal end 114, and a body 116 that extends between the distal end 112 and the proximal end 114 in a longitudinal direction (e.g., in the +/−x-direction as depicted in the coordinate axis of
Referring specifically to
Although the separation plate 110 depicted in
Referring now to
As further depicted in
The contaminant traps 122 of each of the plurality of walls 120 may take a variety of forms without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, in some embodiments, the plurality of contaminant traps 122 may include micro-sized perforations or pores that allow condensate to pass through while trapping larger contaminants. In these embodiments, the dimensions and/or geometry of the perforations and/or pores may be configured based on the contaminants to be captured by the contaminant traps 122. In other embodiments, the plurality of contaminant traps may include mesh screens, such as fine mesh screens made of steel, nylon, or any other similar material. In these embodiments, the mesh screen may be capable of capturing debris and other particles that have size larger than the size of the openings of the mesh screen, while allowing condensate to pass through the mesh screen.
Further still, in some embodiments, the contaminant traps 122 may include specialized filter media, such as carbon or other synthetic fibers. In these embodiments, the contaminant traps 122 may utilize fibers that have particular adsorptive properties that may allow the contaminant traps 122 to attract and/or capture contaminants including odors, organic compounds, and/or chemicals present in the condensate.
In other embodiments, the contaminant traps 122 may include baffle chambers, or other similar mechanisms capable of altering the flow direction of the condensate as the condensate traverses the separation plate 110. For example, altering the flow of the condensate across the separation plate 110 may cause larger and/or heavier contaminants to settle against the plurality of walls 120 of the separation plate 110 as the condensate flows.
In other embodiments still, the contaminant traps 122 may include magnetic traps. For example, the contaminant traps 122 may include magnetic traps that may be configured for removing metallic contaminants and/or particles from the condensate. In these embodiments, the contaminant traps 122 may magnetically attract and retain ferrous contaminants as the condensate passes through the plurality of contaminant traps 122.
It should be appreciated that the foregoing is presented for illustrative purposes only, and the contaminant traps 122 may include any type of trap capable of separating contaminants from the condensate that flows across the separation plate 110 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring still to
Referring still to
Referring again to
Referring again to
In these embodiments, the condensate stored by the separation plate 110 at the minimum condensate level may be sufficient to not produce odors (e.g., musty or other similar type odors) from the contaminants trapped in the separation plate 110, which may minimize cleaning and/or maintenance of the separation plate 110.
Turning now to
With the heating or cooling cycle initiated, the method may advance to block 420, which may involve collecting condensate formed by the first heat exchanger in a condensation pan. Once the condensate is collected, the method may advance to block 430, which may involve transferring the condensate from the condensation pan to the filtration system.
In these embodiments, the filtration system may include a separation plate having a distal end, a proximal end, and a body extending form the distal end to the proximal end. The distal end may be elevated relative to the proximal end, such that the body is sloped. Accordingly, the method step of transferring the condensate to the filtration system may further involve transferring the condensate to a distal end of the separation plate, such that the slope of the body of the separation plate causes the condensate to traverse the separation plate (e.g., from the distal end to the proximal end) via gravity (e.g., passively).
Referring still to
Once the condensate has traversed the separation plate and the contaminants have been removed, the method may move to block 450, which may involve transferring the filtered condensate from the separation plate to the distribution system. The distribution system may utilize the condensate to humidify an inside room in which the heat pump system is positioned, or may exhaust the condensate via a misting nozzle to an external (e.g., outside) environment.
As should be appreciated in view of the foregoing, a separation plate and a heat pump system are described herein. The separation plate may include a distal end, a proximal end, and a body extending from the distal end to the proximal end. The distal end may be further elevated relative to the proximal end, such that the body is sloped. A plurality of walls may be positioned across the body of the separation plate, and each of the plurality of walls may include a plurality of contaminant traps. As condensate traverses the plurality of contaminant traps formed on each of the plurality of walls, contaminants may be removed from the condensate. Furthermore, the slope of the body of the separation plate may allow for the condensate to traverse the separation plate passively (e.g., via the force of gravity). By passively filtering the condensate, contaminants may be removed from the condensate via the separation plate before the condensate is transferred to other downstream components of the heat pump system. Accordingly, removal of the contaminants may alleviate and/or eliminate issues with clogging that often occur in these downstream components (e.g., humidification systems, misting nozzles, etc.).
While several embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited.
In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively.
It is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” “in communication with,” and “mounted,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. In addition, the terms “connected” and “coupled” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
The foregoing description of several embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise steps and/or forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
