Multi-source heat pump HVAC system

Claim 2

A multi-source heat pump air-conditioning system, comprising: a refrigerant circuit; a refrigerant compressor disposed in said circuit; a first heat exchanger of the refrigerant-to-air type connected in said circuit and disposed in heat exchange relation with air to be conditioned; a second heat exchanger of the refrigerant-to-air type disposed in heat exchange relation with ambient air; a third heat exchanger of the liquid-to-refrigerant type disposed in heat exchange relationship with a circulating liquid; and means for selectively connecting in a first mode of operation the second heat exchanger into the refrigerant circuit so that the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit serially through the compressor, the second heat exchanger and the first heat exchanger and in a second mode of operation the third heat exchanger in the refrigerant circuit so that the refrigerant circulates serially through the compressor, the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, whereby the heat pump is selectively operated in the first mode of operation as an air-to-air heat pump for cooling the air to be conditioned and discharging the heat to ambient air and in the second mode of operation as a liquid-to-air heat pump for extracting heat from the liquid and heating the air to be conditioned.

Claim 3

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 1, wherein said means additionally comprises means for connecting the heat exchanger that is not in the refrigerant circuit to a suction side of the compressor for evacuating refrigerant from said heat exchanger.

Claim 4

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 1, additionally comprising: means for circulating ambient air through said second refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger during the first mode of operation; and means for circulating a liquid through the third liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchanger during the second mode of operation

Claim 5

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 1, additionally comprising blower means for circulating air to be conditioned through the first refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger.

Claim 6

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 1, additionally comprising: a thermal expansion valve connected in series with the first refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger; and a reverse flow check valve connected in parallel with the thermal expansion valve to block refrigerant flow in one direction and to allow refrigerant to bypass the expansion valve when flowing in the opposite direction.

Claim 7

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 1, additionally comprising a source of circulating liquid connected to said third liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchanger.

Claim 8

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 6, wherein the source of circulating liquid comprises a closed liquid circulating loop including a waste heat recovery coil adapted to be positioned in path of warm air being exhausted from a building whereby said circulating liquid flows through the waste heat recovery coil extracting heat from the exhausted air and thereafter flows through the third liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchanger for providing heat thereto.

Claim 9

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 7, additionally comprising storage means for storing heat extracted by the waste heat recovery coil.

Claim 10

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 7, wherein the waste heat recovery coil is disposed in the exhaust air path of an independent air-conditioning system.

Claim 11

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 6, additionally comprising supplemental heat means for providing supplemental heat to the circulating liquid.

Claim 12

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 7, additionally comprising a plurality of waste heat recovery coils adapted to be disposed in a plurality of air exhaust paths and connected in the closed loop.

Claim 13

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 8, wherein the circulating liquid in the closed loop contains an anti-freeze solution and the storage means contains a heat storing medium from which heat may be extracted including the heat of fusion.

Claim 14

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 7, additionally comprising a solar heat collector means connecting to said closed loop for providing solar heat to the circulating liquid.

Claim 15

A multi-source het pump as described in claim 6, additionally comprising a water source heat pump connected in the closed liquid circulating loop for selectively heating and cooling a remote space.

Claim 16

A multi-source heat pump as described in claim 1, additionally comprising a thermal expansion valve connected in series with the third liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchanger.

Claim 17

A multi-source heat pump air-conditioning system, comprising: compressor means having a discharge outlet and a suction inlet; first air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means having first and second refrigerant connection means and being adapted to be subjected to air to be conditioned; second air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means having first and second refrigerant connection means and being arranged to be subjected to ambient air; a liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchange means having first and second refrigerant connection means and arranged to be connected to a liquid source; means for connecting the compressor discharge outlet to the first refrigerant connection means of said first air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means and the compressor suction inlet to the first refrigerant connection means of the second air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means in a first mode of operation and for connecting the compressor discharge outlet to the first refrigerant connection means of said second air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means and the compressor suction inlet to the first refrigerant connection means of the first air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means in a second mode of operation; means for connecting the second refrigerant connection means of the first air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means to the second refrigerant connection means of the second air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means in the first mode of operation and to the second refrigerant connection means of the liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchange means in the second mode of operation; and means for connecting the first refrigerant connection means of the liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchange means to the suction inlet of the compressor, whereby said multi-source heat pump may be selectively operated as an air-to-air heat pump for cooling the air to be conditioned or as a liquid-to-air heat pump for heating the air to be conditioned.

Claim 18

A multi-source heat pump air-conditioning system, comprising: compressor means having a discharge outlet and a suction inlet; first air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means having first and second refrigerant connection means and being adapted to be subjected to air to be conditioned; second air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means having first and second refrigerant connection means and being arranged to be subjected to ambient air; a liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchange means having first and second refrigerant connection means and arranged to be connected to a liquid source; means for connecting the compressor discharge outlet to the first refrigerant connection means of said first air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means and the compressor suction inlet to the first refrigerant connection means of the second air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means in a first mode of operation and for connecting the compressor discharge outlet to the first refrigerant connection means of said second air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means and the compressor suction inlet to the first refrigerant connection means of the first air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means in a second mode of operation; means for connecting the second refrigerant connection means of the first air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means to the second refrigerant connection means of the second air-to-refrigerant heat exchange means in the first mode of operation and to the second refrigerant connection means of the liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchange means in the second mode of operation; and means for connecting the first refrigerant connection means of the liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchange means to the suction inlet of the compressor, whereby said multi-source heat pump may be selectively operated as an air-to-air heat pump for cooling the air to be conditioned or as a liquid-to-air heat pump for heating the air to be conditioned.

Claim 19

In an air-conditioning system of the type adapted to provide fresh uncooled air to a zone to be conditioned and including means for removing warm zone air from the conditioned zone and exhausting at least a portion of the removed warm zone air to the atmosphere, the improvement comprising: a waste heat recovery means disposed in the path of the exhausted warm zone air for recovering heat therefrom; heat pump means for chilling a liquid and extracting usable heat therefrom; and liquid circulating means interconnecting said waste heat recovery means and said heat pump means for circulating a liquid through said heat recovery means and said heat pump means so that the chilled liquid from the heat pump means may absorb heat from the warm exhausted zone air passing through the waste heat recovery means and the heat pump means may extract the heat from said circulating liquid.

Claim 20

In an air-conditioning system of the type adapted to provide fresh uncooled air to a zone to be conditioned and including means for removing warm zone air from the conditioned zone and exhausting at least a portion of the removed warm zone air to the atmosphere, the improvement comprising: a waste heat recovery means disposed in the path of the exhausted warm zone air for recovering heat therefrom; heat pump means for chilling a liquid and extracting usable heat therefrom; and liquid circulating means interconnecting said waste heat recovery means and said heat pump means for circulating a liquid through said heat recovery means and said heat pump means so that the chilled liquid from the heat pump means may absorb heat from the warm exhausted zone air passing through the waste heat recovery means and the heat pump means may extract the heat from said circulating liquid.

Claim 21

A heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system adapted for use in a building of the type that has an interior zone and a peripheral zone surroundin said interior zone, said system comprising: air-conditioning means in heat transfer relation with the air to be conditioned in the interior zone, said means including means for exhausting at least a portion of the air contained in said interior zone; a waste heat recovery means disposed in the path of the exhausted air from the interior zone and being connected in a closed liquid circulating loop for extracting heat from the exhausted air; a multi-source heat pump means disposed in heat transfer relation with the air to be conditioned in the perimeter zone, said heat pump means being of the type that operates as an air-to-air heat pump when cooling is required and as a fluid-to-air heat pump when heating is required, said heat pump including a liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchange means connected to said closed liquid circulating loop so that heat may be extracted from the circulating liquid, whereby the heat extracted from the exhausted air of the interior zone may be used to provide heating for the perimeter zone.

Claim 22

A heating, ventilating and air-conditioning system adapted for use in a building of the type that has an interior zone and a peripheral zone surroundin said interior zone, said system comprising: air-conditioning means in heat transfer relation with the air to be conditioned in the interior zone, said means including means for exhausting at least a portion of the air contained in said interior zone; a waste heat recovery means disposed in the path of the exhausted air from the interior zone and being connected in a closed liquid circulating loop for extracting heat from the exhausted air; a multi-source heat pump means disposed in heat transfer relation with the air to be conditioned in the perimeter zone, said heat pump means being of the type that operates as an air-to-air heat pump when cooling is required and as a fluid-to-air heat pump when heating is required, said heat pump including a liquid-to-refrigerant heat exchange means connected to said closed liquid circulating loop so that heat may be extracted from the circulating liquid, whereby the heat extracted from the exhausted air of the interior zone may be used to provide heating for the perimeter zone.

Claim 23

A system as described in claim 18, additionally comprising a heat storage means associated with said closed liquid circulating loop for storing excess heat extracted from the exhausted air.

Claim 24

A system as described in claim 18, additionally comprising supplemental heating means for providing additional heat to the liquid circulating in the closed liquid circulating loop.

Claim 25

A system as described in claim 18, additionally comprising a solar heat collector connected in the closed liquid circulating loop.

Claim 26

A system as described in claim 18, comprising a plurality of waste heat coils disposed in paths of exhaust air from said building.

Claim 27

A system as described in claim 18, additionally comprising a water source heat pump connected in the closed liquid circulating loop for selectively cooling and heating an additional zone.

Claim 28

A system as described in claim 23, wherein the multisource heat pummp includes means responsive to the circulating liquid temperature for cooling the circulating liquid, whereby excessive liquid temperature is avoided during periods when the water source heat pump is providing cooling.

Claim 29

In an air-conditioning system of the type adapted to provide cool, fressh, outdoor air to a room when the heat content of the outdoor air is sufficiently low to provide cooling for said room without the need for cooling the outdoor air and including means for removing warm room air and exhausting at least a portion of the warm room air to the atmosphere, the improvement comprising: a waste heat recovery means disposed in the path of the warm exhausted room air for recovering heat therefrom; heat pump means for chilling a liquid and extracting usable heat therefrom; and liquid circulating means interconnecting said waste heat recovery means and said heat pump means for circulating a liquid through said heat recovery means and said heat pump means so that the chilled liquid from the heat pump means may absorb heat from the warm exhausted room air passing through the waste heat recovery means and the heat pump means may extract the heat from said circulating liquid.

Claim 30

In an air-conditioning system of the type adapted to provide cool, fressh, outdoor air to a room when the heat content of the outdoor air is sufficiently low to provide cooling for said room without the need for cooling the outdoor air and including means for removing warm room air and exhausting at least a portion of the warm room air to the atmosphere, the improvement comprising: a waste heat recovery means disposed in the path of the warm exhausted room air for recovering heat therefrom; heat pump means for chilling a liquid and extracting usable heat therefrom; and liquid circulating means interconnecting said waste heat recovery means and said heat pump means for circulating a liquid through said heat recovery means and said heat pump means so that the chilled liquid from the heat pump means may absorb heat from the warm exhausted room air passing through the waste heat recovery means and the heat pump means may extract the heat from said circulating liquid.