Multi-mode off-peak storage heat pump

Claim 2

A multi-mode off-peak storage heat pump system for a building comprising (a) ducts for conveying air within and between the inside and outside of the building; (b) a single selectively operable blower in said ducts for circulating air therethrough; (c) damper means in said ducts having selective settings for directing the air within and between the inside and outside of the building; (d) selectively operable dual coil means in said ducts having refrigerant condensing and brine air-cooling loops; (e) a selectively operable unidirectional refrigerant circuit comprising (i) a compressor for directing gaseous refrigerant to the refrigerant loop to be air-cooled and condensed, (ii) a heat exchanger-evaporator in which the condensed refrigerant from the refrigerant loop is evaporated to gas; and (f) a selectively operable brine circuit comprising (i) a coolness and low level heat storage container through which brine is circulatable in heat exchange relation with a phase-change material, (ii) a selectively operable electric heater for warming the brine entering the storage container to melt the phase-change material, and (iii) pump means for directing the brine leaving the storage container through one of a first subcircuit to the heat exchanger-evaporator for chilling of the brine to below the freezing temperature of the phase-change material and a second subcircuit to the coil means brine loop for cooling of air; (g) whereby said system is operable in various alternative modes including operating the refrigerant and brine circuits and first brine subcircuit with an outside-to-outside damper setting to freeze the phase-change material with chilled brine and with an inside-to-inside damper setting to additionally heat inside air, and operating only the brine circuit and its second subcircuit with an inside-to-inside damper setting to cool inside air and with an outside-to-outside damper setting to melt the phase-change material by outside air heat and with no air circulation to melt the phase-change material by electric heat during offpeak loads, and operating neither circuit with an outside-to-inside damper setting to cool inside air and with an inside-to-outside damper setting to exhaust inside air.

Claim 3

A multi-mode off-peak storage heat pump system according to claim 1 wherein the coil means comprises a unitary coil device containing dual refrigerant condensing and brine air-cooling loops.

Claim 4

A multi-mode off-peak storage heat pump system according to claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger-evaporator is of a vertically mounted shell-and-tube design with flooded liquid refrigerant within vertical tubes to evaporate the refrigerant without superheat.

Claim 5

A multi-mode off-peak storage heat pump system according to claim 1 wherein a liquid-suction heat exchanger is provided in the refrigerant circuit between the refrigerant loop and the heat exchanger-evaporator for cooling the condensed refrigerant and superheating the gaseous refrigerant entering the compressor.

Claim 6

A multi-mode off-peak storage heat pump system according to claim 1 wherein an expansion valve is provided in the refrigerant circuit ahead of the heat exchanger-evaporator for controlling flow of the cooled condensed refrigerant.

Claim 7

A multi-mode off-peak storage heat pump system according to claim 5 wherein temperature sensing means are included between the heat exchanger-evaporator circuit and the compressor for operating the expansion valve to minimize entry of liquid into the compressor.

Claim 8

A multi-mode off-peak storage heat pump system for a building comprising (a) ducts for conveying air within and between the inside and outside of the building; (b) a single selectively operable blower in said ducts for circulating air therethrough; (c) damper means in said ducts having selective settings for directing the air within and between the inside and outside of the building; (d) selectively operable dual coil means in said ducts having refrigerant condensing and brine air-cooling loops; (e) a selectively operable unidirectional refrigerant circuit comprising (i) a compressor for directing gaseous refrigerant to the refrigerant loop to be air cooled and condensed, (ii) a liquid-suction heat exchanger in which the condensed refrigerant is cooled, (iii) an expansion valve for controlling flow of the cooled condensed refrigerant, (iv) a vertically mounted shell-and-tube heat exchanger-evaporator in which the condensed refrigerant floods vertical tubes and is evaporated to gas without superheat and is then superheated in the liquid-suction heat exchanger and directed back to the compressor, and (v) temperature sensing means between the heat exchanger-evaporator and the compressor for operating the expansion valve to control the superheating of the gaseous refrigerant and minimize entry of liquid into the compressor; and (f) a selectively operable brine circuit comprising (i) a coolness and low-level heat storage container through which brine is circulatable in heat exchange relation with a phase-change material, (ii) a selectively operable electric heater for warming the brine entering the storage container to melt the phase-change material, and (iii) pump means for directing the brine leaving the storage container through one of a first subcircuit to the heat exchanger-evaporator for chilling of the brine to below the freezing temperature of the phase-change material and a second subcircuit to the coil means brine loop for cooling of air; (g) whereby said system is operable in various alternative modes including operating the refrigerant and brine circuits and first brine subcircuit with an outside-to-outside damper setting to freeze the phase-change material with chilled brine and with an inside-to-inside damper setting to additionally heat inside air, and operating only the brine circuit and its second subcircuit with an inside-to-inside damper setting to cool inside air and with an outside-to-outside damper setting to melt the phase-change material by outside air heat and with no air circulation to melt the phase-change material by electric heat during offpeak loads, and operating neither circuit with an outside-to-inside damper setting to cool inside air and with an inside-to-outside damper setting to exhaust inside air.

Claim 9

A multi-mode off-peak storage heat pump system for a building comprising (a) ducts for conveying air within and between the inside and outside of the building; (b) a single selectively operable blower in said ducts for circulating air therethrough; (c) damper means in said ducts having selective settings for directing the air within and between the inside and outside of the building; (d) selectively operable dual coil means in said ducts having refrigerant condensing and brine air-cooling loops; (e) a selectively operable unidirectional refrigerant circuit comprising (i) a compressor for directing gaseous refrigerant to the refrigerant loop to be air cooled and condensed, (ii) a liquid-suction heat exchanger in which the condensed refrigerant is cooled, (iii) an expansion valve for controlling flow of the cooled condensed refrigerant, (iv) a vertically mounted shell-and-tube heat exchanger-evaporator in which the condensed refrigerant floods vertical tubes and is evaporated to gas without superheat and is then superheated in the liquid-suction heat exchanger and directed back to the compressor, and (v) temperature sensing means between the heat exchanger-evaporator and the compressor for operating the expansion valve to control the superheating of the gaseous refrigerant and minimize entry of liquid into the compressor; and (f) a selectively operable brine circuit comprising (i) a coolness and low-level heat storage container through which brine is circulatable in heat exchange relation with a phase-change material, (ii) a selectively operable electric heater for warming the brine entering the storage container to melt the phase-change material, and (iii) pump means for directing the brine leaving the storage container through one of a first subcircuit to the heat exchanger-evaporator for chilling of the brine to below the freezing temperature of the phase-change material and a second subcircuit to the coil means brine loop for cooling of air; (g) whereby said system is operable in various alternative modes including operating the refrigerant and brine circuits and first brine subcircuit with an outside-to-outside damper setting to freeze the phase-change material with chilled brine and with an inside-to-inside damper setting to additionally heat inside air, and operating only the brine circuit and its second subcircuit with an inside-to-inside damper setting to cool inside air and with an outside-to-outside damper setting to melt the phase-change material by outside air heat and with no air circulation to melt the phase-change material by electric heat during offpeak loads, and operating neither circuit with an outside-to-inside damper setting to cool inside air and with an inside-to-outside damper setting to exhaust inside air.