Heating and cooling system

Claim 2

In a heating and cooling system having a plurality of zones to be heated and cooled, a hot water heat exchange unit and a cold water heat exchange unit in each of the zones, a hot water piping circuit including a water heater and a first pump for circulating hot water to and from each of the hot water heat exchange units and a separate chilled water piping circuit including a water chiller and a second pump for circulating chilled water to and from each of the cold water heat exchange units; the improvement comprising valve and conduit means for selectively and mutually exclusively: placing the water heater and the first pump in fluid communication with the chilled water circuit, whereby the chilled water circuit may be utilized to circulate hot water during periods of high heat demands along with said hot water circuit thereby allowing smaller water pipes to be used in the hot water circuit; and placing the water chiller and the second pump in fluid communication with the hot water circuit, whereby the hot water circuit may be utilized to circulate chilled water during periods of high cooling demand along with said cold water circuit thereby allowing smaller water pipes to be used in the chilled water circuit.

Claim 3

The heating and cooling system of claim 1, wherein the hot water piping circuit and the chilled water piping circuit are both sized for approximately 50% of the maximum cooling load.

Claim 4

The heating and cooling system of claim 1, wherein both the hot water piping and the chilled water piping circuits are sized for approximately 50% of the maximum heating load.

Claim 5

The heating and cooling system of claim 1, wherein the hot water piping and the chilled water piping are sized for approximately 50% of the maximum heating load and cooling load, respectively.

Claim 6

The heating and cooling system of claim 1, further comprising: first thermostatic control means connected to the first pump for initiating the circulation of hot water through the hot water piping circuit when a first predetermined low outdoor temperature is sensed and for initiating circulation of hot water through the hot water piping circuit and the chilled water piping circuit when a second predetermined low outdoor temperature, lower than first said predetermined low outdoor temperature, is sensed; and second thermostatic control means connected to the second pump for initiating the circulation of chilled water through the chilled water piping circuit when a first predetermined high outdoor temperature is sensed and for initiating the circulation of chilled water through the chilled water piping circuit and the hot water piping circuit when a second predetermined high outdoor temperature, higher than said first high predetermined outdoor temperature, is sensed.

Claim 7

The heating and cooling system of claim 5, wherein said thermostatic control means is a thermostat.

Claim 8

The heating and cooling system of claim 5, further comprising: a first bypass conduit connected between the hot water return piping and the hot water supply piping, wherein returning hot water may bypass the heater; a second bypass conduit connected between the chilled water return piping and the chilled water supply piping, wherein returning chilled water may bypass the chiller; first bypass valve means in said first bypass conduit for variably regulating the amount of retuRning hot water bypassing the heater; and second bypass valve means in said second bypass conduit for variably regulating the amount of returning chilled water bypassing the chiller.

Claim 9

The heating and cooling system of claim 7: wherein said first bypass valve means is controlled by said first thermostatic control means, and wherein said second bypass valve means is controlled by said second thermostatic control means.

Claim 10

The heating and cooling system of claim 1, wherein said valve and conduit means comprises: a first fluid conduit connected between the chilled water return piping traveling from the heat exchangers, intermediate the water chiller and the second pump, and the hot water return piping traveling from the heat exchangers, intermediate the water heater and the first pump; a second fluid conduit connected between the chilled water supply piping traveling to the heat exchangers intermediate the water chiller and the heat exchangers, and the hot water supply piping traveling to the heat exchangers, intermediate the water heater and the heat exchangers; first valve means in said first fluid conduit for permitting fluid flow therethrough when said first valve means is in a first position and for prohibiting fluid flow through said first fluid conduit when said first valve means is in a second position; second valve means in said second fluid conduit for permitting fluid flow therethrough when said second valve means is in a first position and for prohibiting fluid flow through said second fluid conduit when said second valve means is in a second position; third valve means in the chilled water return piping traveling from the heat exchangers, between the intersection of said first fluid conduit with the chilled water return piping and the water chiller, for permitting fluid flow into the water chiller when said third valve means is in a first position and for prohibiting fluid flow into the water chiller when said third valve means is in a second position; fourth valve means in the hot water return piping traveling from the heat exchangers, between the intersection of said first fluid conduit with the hot water return piping and the water heater, for permitting fluid flow into the water heater when said fourth valve is in a first position and for prohibiting fluid flow into the water heater when said fourth valve is in a second position; fifth valve means in the chilled water supply piping traveling to the heat exchangers, between the intersection of said second fluid conduit with the chilled water supply piping and the water chiller, for permitting fluid flow from the water chiller when said fifth valve means is in a first position and for prohibiting fluid flow from the water chiller when said fifth valve means is in a second position; and sixth valve means in the chilled water supply piping traveling to the heat exchangers, between the intersection of said second fluid conduit with the hot water supply piping and the water heater, for permitting fluid flow from the water heater when said sixth valve means is in a first position and for prohibiting fluid flow from the water heater when said sixth valve means is in a second position.

Claim 11

The heating and cooling system of claim 9, wherein said first, second, third and fourth valve means are stop valves and said fifth and sixth valve means are check valves.

Claim 12

In a heating and cooling system having a plurality of zones to be heated and cooled, a hot water heat exchange unit and a cold water heat exchange unit in each of the zones, a hot water piping circuit including a water heater and a first pump for circulating hot water to and from each of the hot water heat exchange units and a separate chilled water piping circuit including a water chiller and a second pump for circulating chilled water to and from each of the cold water heat exchange units; the improvement comprising valve and conduit means for selectively and mutually exclusively: pErmitting the water heater and the first pump to circulate hot water through only the hot water circuit when chilled water is not being circulated through the chilled water circuit, whereby only the hot water circuit is utilized to circulate hot water during periods of normal heating demands; permitting the water chiller and the second pump to circulate chilled water through only the chilled water circuit when hot water is not being circulated through the hot water circuit, whereby only the chilled water circuit is utilized to circulate chilled water during periods of normal cooling demands; allowing the water chiller and the second pump to circulate chilled water through the chilled water circuit simultaneously with circulation by the water heater and the first pump of hot water through the hot water circuit, whereby simultaneous heating and cooling requirements may be satisfied; placing the water heater and the first pump in fluid communication with the chilled water circuit, whereby the chilled water circuit may be utilized to circulate hot water during periods of high heat demands; and placing the water chiller and the second pump in fluid communication with the hot water circuit, whereby the hot water circuit may be utilized to circulate chilled water during periods of high cooling demands.

Claim 13

In a heating and cooling system having a plurality of zones to be heated and cooled, a hot water heat exchange unit and a cold water heat exchange unit in each of the zones, a hot water piping circuit including a water heater and a first pump for circulating hot water to and from each of the hot water heat exchange units and a separate chilled water piping circuit including a water chiller and a second pump for circulating chilled water to and from each of the cold water heat exchange units; the improvement comprising valve and conduit means for selectively and mutually exclusively: pErmitting the water heater and the first pump to circulate hot water through only the hot water circuit when chilled water is not being circulated through the chilled water circuit, whereby only the hot water circuit is utilized to circulate hot water during periods of normal heating demands; permitting the water chiller and the second pump to circulate chilled water through only the chilled water circuit when hot water is not being circulated through the hot water circuit, whereby only the chilled water circuit is utilized to circulate chilled water during periods of normal cooling demands; allowing the water chiller and the second pump to circulate chilled water through the chilled water circuit simultaneously with circulation by the water heater and the first pump of hot water through the hot water circuit, whereby simultaneous heating and cooling requirements may be satisfied; placing the water heater and the first pump in fluid communication with the chilled water circuit, whereby the chilled water circuit may be utilized to circulate hot water during periods of high heat demands; and placing the water chiller and the second pump in fluid communication with the hot water circuit, whereby the hot water circuit may be utilized to circulate chilled water during periods of high cooling demands.