Combined cooling, heating and power system

Abstract

A heating system of a building includes: a solar heater configured to receive sunlight and at least one of absorb heat into a refrigerant and increase heat absorbed into the refrigerant; a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant evaporated by absorbing heat; a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the refrigerant to water; an expansion valve configured to reduce at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant after heat is transferred from the refrigerant to the water; a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the water output by the first heat exchanger to air passing through the second heat exchanger before flowing into the building; a pump configured to pump water from the solar heater to the second heat exchanger; and a blower configured to blow air through the second heat exchanger and into the building.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 729,582, filed on April 26, 2022. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to cooling, heating and power systems, and more particularly to systems and methods that provide combined cooling, heating and power generation. Background Art

[0004] The background description provided here is for the purpose of generally introducing the context of the present disclosure. The work of the presently named inventors within the scope described in this background section and aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing are not explicitly or implicitly admitted to be prior art against the present disclosure.

[0005] Electric motors are used in a variety of industrial and residential applications including, but not limited to, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. By way of example only, an electric motor may drive a compressor in an HVAC system. One or more additional electric motors may also be implemented in an HVAC system. By way of example only, an HVAC system may include another electric motor that drives a fan associated with a condenser. Another electric motor may be included in an HVAC system to drive a fan associated with an evaporator.

[0006] Refrigeration systems and HVAC systems face increasing regulatory pressure to reduce the global warming potential of the refrigerants they use. Refrigeration systems and HVAC systems also face consumer pressure to minimize power consumption and improve efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0007] In a feature, a heating system for a building includes: a solar heater configured to receive sunlight and configured to at least one of absorb heat into a refrigerant and increase the heat absorbed into the refrigerant; a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant evaporated by absorbing heat; a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the refrigerant to water; an expansion valve configured to reduce at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant after the heat is transferred from the refrigerant to the water; a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from water output by the first heat exchanger to air passing through the second heat exchanger before flowing into the building; a pump configured to pump water from the solar heater to the second heat exchanger; and a blower configured to blow air through the second heat exchanger and into the building.

[0008] In other features, the water vapor membrane is configured to receive water output from the first heat exchanger and selectively release water vapor into air passing through the water vapor membrane and selectively absorb water vapor from air passing through the water vapor membrane, wherein the blower is configured to blow air through the water vapor membrane.

[0009] In other features: the first valve is configured to regulate water flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger; the second valve is configured to regulate water flow from the second heat exchanger to the water vapor membrane; and the valve control module is configured to selectively actuate the first valve and the second valve.

[0010] In other features, the valve control module is configured to open the first valve when the air temperature within the building is less than a temperature set point.

[0011] In other features, the valve control module is configured to open the second valve when air humidity within the building is less than a humidity set point.

[0012] In other features: the water source is configured to output cold water to a second heat exchanger; a second water vapor membrane is disposed outside the building and is configured to selectively release water vapor to the air outside the building; and the compressor is configured to provide compressed water to the second water vapor membrane, pumping water from the second heat exchanger and the water vapor membrane.

[0013] In other features, the pump control module is configured to operate the pump when an air temperature within the building is greater than a set point temperature.

[0014] In other features, the pump control module is configured to operate the pump when air humidity within the building is greater than a set point humidity.

[0015] In other features: the water source is configured to output chilled water to the second heat exchanger; the valve is configured to regulate the flow of water from the water vapor membrane to the second heat exchanger; and the valve control module is configured to selectively open the valve when the blower is turned on based on at least one of (a) the air temperature within the building and (b) the air humidity within the building.

[0016] In other features, the valve control module is configured to open the valve when the blower is on and at least one of (a) the air temperature within the building is greater than a temperature set point and (b) the air humidity within the building is less than a humidity set point.

[0017] In other features, the hot water tank is configured to: receive warmer water output from the first heat exchanger; and output cooler water to the first heat exchanger.

[0018] In other features, the pump is configured to pump the cooler refrigerant from the first heat exchanger to the solar heater.

[0019] In other features, the first heat exchanger is a brazed plate heat exchanger.

[0020] In other features, the refrigerant is a natural refrigerant.

[0021] In other features, the pump is configured to pump the refrigerant to the solar heater, wherein: the solar heater is configured to evaporate the refrigerant; and the first heat exchanger condenses the vapor refrigerant.

[0022] In other features, the pump is configured to pump the refrigerant to the solar heater.

[0023] In other features: a water source is included; a valve is configured to regulate the flow of water from the water source to the first heat exchanger; and a turbine is fluidly connected to the output end of the first heat exchanger and is configured to: rotate based on the output of the first heat exchanger; and convert to generate electrical energy based on the rotation.

[0024] In other features, the charger is configured to charge the battery with electrical energy.

[0025] In other features, a second water vapor membrane is disposed on the exterior of the building and is configured to selectively release water vapor to air outside the building, wherein the turbine outputs water to the second water vapor membrane.

[0026] In a feature, a heating method for a building includes: receiving sunlight through a solar heater and performing at least one of absorbing heat into a refrigerant and increasing the heat absorbed into the refrigerant; compressing the refrigerant evaporated by absorbing heat through a compressor; transferring heat from the refrigerant to water through a first heat exchanger; transferring heat from the water output by the first heat exchanger to air passing through the second heat exchanger before flowing into the building through a second heat exchanger; pumping water from the solar heater to the second heat exchanger through a pump; and blowing air through the second heat exchanger and into the building through a blower.

[0027] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims and the accompanying drawings.The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0029] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary cooling, heating, and power generation system for a building;

[0030] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary implementation of a control module;

[0031] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary cooling, heating, and power generation system for a building;

[0032] Figure 4 is an exemplary illustration of operation in a heating mode and a humidification mode;

[0033] Figure 5 is an exemplary illustration of operation in a water heating mode;

[0034] Figure 6 is an exemplary illustration of operation in a cooling mode and a dehumidification mode;

[0035] Figure 7 is an exemplary illustration of operation in a cooling mode and a dehumidification mode and in a hot water heating mode;

[0036] Figure 8 is an exemplary illustration of operation in a power generation mode;

[0037] Fig. 9 is an exemplary illustration of operation in a power generation mode during both day and night;

[0038] Fig.10 is a flow chart depicting an exemplary method of controlling pumps, valves, and other actuators of a heating, cooling, and power generation system; and

[0039] Fig.11 is an exemplary illustration of operation in a cooling mode and a humidification mode;

[0040] In the drawings, reference numerals may be repeated to identify similar and / or identical elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Some buildings may include heaters (e.g., radiant heaters, forced air heaters, etc.) that heat the air within the building. Some buildings may also include air conditioners that cool the air within the building. Buildings may include hot water heaters that heat water, such as for cooking, washing, etc. Some buildings may include solar heaters that may be used to heat the building.

[0042] The present application relates to the use of unconventional ways of heating, cooling and power generation. For example, water heated by a solar heater can be used to perform heating of the air in a building. At the same time, humidification of the air in a building can be performed by water heated by the solar heater via a water vapor film that releases water vapor to the air. As another example, cooling of the air in a building can be performed using cold water from a water supply of the building. At the same time, dehumidification of the air in a building can be performed by extracting water vapor from the air using a water vapor film. As another example, the water heated by the solar heater can be provided to a hot water tank, so the hot water tank does not need to heat the water itself. The water heated by the solar water heater can also be used to generate electricity.

[0043] Figure 1 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary cooling, heating, and power generation system for a building, such as a residential building (e.g., a home) or a commercial or industrial building. Although example components are described, one or more of the components shown and described may be omitted. During operation in various modes, one or more of the components may not be used.

[0044] The heating, cooling and power generation system is configured to heat a space within a building, cool a space within a building, and generate power for one or more electrical components of the building. Water may be input to the system from a water supply 104, such as a well of the building or a municipal water line of the building. A three-way valve 108 regulates the flow of water to the indoor heat exchanger 112, the ice heat storage (TS) 116, or both.

[0045] The indoor heat exchanger 112 is disposed in the building and is configured to heat or cool the air in the building based on the temperature of water flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 112. When the temperature of the water is lower than the air temperature in the building, the indoor heat exchanger 112 cools the air in the building by evaporating the water. When the temperature of the water is higher than the air temperature in the building, the indoor heat exchanger 112 warms the air in the building. The air flowing through the indoor heat exchanger 112 may flow into a duct of the building.

[0046] Blower 120 draws air from the building and blows it through and through the indoor heat exchanger 112 to heat or cool the air in the building. Blower 120 also blows air through the indoor water vapor membrane 124. Valve 128 controls the flow of water to the water vapor membrane 124, for example, for humidification of the air in the building.

[0047] When the air humidity in the building is low, such as when the valve 128 is open and water flows into the water vapor membrane 124, the indoor water vapor membrane 124 evaporates the water into water vapor. In other cases, such as when the air humidity in the building is high, the indoor water vapor membrane 124 can be used to absorb water from the air to reduce the air humidity in the building when the valve 128 is open. The blower 120 can be turned on to increase the dehumidification rate of the air in the building.

[0048] The compressor turbine 132 pumps water from the indoor heat exchanger 112 when the three-way valve 136 is open and pumps water from the indoor water vapor membrane 124 when the valve 128 is open. The compressor turbine 132 pumps water to the outdoor water vapor membrane 140 disposed outside the building. The outdoor water vapor membrane 140 releases water vapor into the air outside the building. The compressor turbine 132 is an electric pump. A control module (discussed further below) controls the application of power from the battery 142 to the compressor turbine 132. The compressor turbine 132 can be, for example, a water vapor compressor or another suitable type of pump.

[0049] The hot water tank 144 stores hot water in the building. The hot water brazing plate 144 can have, for example, a 30-gallon capacity, a 40-gallon capacity, a 50-gallon capacity, or other suitable capacity. The heated water can be supplied to a sink, a shower, etc. A pump 148 pumps (heated) water from the hot water brazing plate 144 to the brazed plate heat exchanger 152 to heat it. The water output from the brazed plate heat exchanger 152 flows to the three-way valve 156. The three-way valve 156 regulates the water flow to the indoor heat exchanger 112 (e.g., for heating with heated water), to the hot water tank 144, or both. The pump 148 is an electric pump. A control module (discussed further below) controls the application of power to the pump 148 from the battery 142.

[0050] A refrigerant, such as propane or another suitable type of refrigerant, is also pumped through the brazed plate heat exchanger 152. The refrigerant may be a natural refrigerant. A natural refrigerant may refer to a refrigerant that occurs in nature and is not synthetic.

[0051] The compressor 158 pumps / compresses (warm) refrigerant vapor from the outdoor heat exchanger 160 to the brazed plate heat exchanger 152. The refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger 160 outside the building absorbs heat from the ambient air outside the building, thereby warming the refrigerant. The compressor 158 is electrically driven, such as a scroll, rotary, reciprocating, screw, centrifugal, or other suitable type of compressor or pump. A control module (discussed further below) controls the application of power to the compressor 158, such as from the battery 142 or the building's utility (e.g., AC) connection. The refrigerant in the brazed plate heat exchanger 152 warms the water in the brazed plate heat exchanger 152.

[0052] Refrigerant output from the brazed plate heat exchanger 152 flows to the brazed plate heat exchanger 164. A valve 168, such as an expansion valve or other suitable type of valve, regulates the flow of refrigerant from the brazed plate heat exchanger 152 to the brazed plate heat exchanger 164.

[0053] The water output from the ice heat storage 116 may also flow through the brazed plate heat exchanger 164, such as to warm the refrigerant in the brazed plate heat exchanger 164 when the outdoor ambient air temperature is less than a predetermined value (e.g., 3 degrees Fahrenheit). The three-way valve 176 regulates the flow of water through the brazed plate heat exchanger 164 and the water bypassing the brazed plate heat exchanger 164 and flowing to the three-way valve 178. The water output from the brazed plate heat exchanger 164 flows to the three-way valve 178. The three-way valve 178 regulates the flow of water to the circuit including the compressor turbine 132 and the valves 128 and 136 or to the pump 180. The pump 180 is an electric pump. The control module (discussed further below) controls the application of power to the pump 180, such as from the battery 142. The pump 180 pumps water to the ice heat storage 116.

[0054] The solar heater 184 is disposed outside the building and is heated by sunlight. The solar heater 184 warms the refrigerant, such as trans-dichloroethylene (trans-DCE) or another suitable type of refrigerant, within the solar heater. The warm refrigerant output from the solar heater 184 warms the water within the ice heat storage 116. The cooled refrigerant output from the ice heat storage 116 flows back to the solar heater 184. The refrigerant flow to and from the solar heater 184 can be natural (e.g., via a refrigerant outlet that is vertically higher than the refrigerant inlet) as well as heating and cooling of the refrigerant.

[0055] Solar heater 184 may also be used to generate electricity, as further described below. The electricity generated using solar heater 184 may be used, for example, to charge battery 142 and / or to power one or more components. Battery 142 may also be charged in one or more other ways, such as by electricity generated by the rotation of compressor turbine 132 due to pressure within the system.

[0056] As described above, various components and parts of the system can be used in various operating modes. Some components and parts of the system can be disabled and not used during various operating modes.

[0057] Figure 22 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary implementation of the control module 204. The blower control module 208 controls the operation of the blower 120. The operation may include whether the blower 120 is on or off, and if the blower 120 is on, the operation may include the speed of the blower 120. The blower control module 208 controls the operation of the blower 120 based on the mode set by the mode module 212, for example.

[0058] The pump control module (or compressor control module) 216 individually controls the operation of the devices 132, 148, 158, and 180. The operation may include whether the pump is on or off, and if the pump is on, the operation may include the speed of the pump. The pump control module 216 controls the operation of the devices 132, 148, 158, and 180 based on the mode set by the mode module 212, for example.

[0059] The valve control module 220 individually controls the operation of the valves 108, 128, 136, 156, 168, 176, and 178. The operation may include whether the valve is open, closed, or between open and closed. The valve control module 220 controls the operation of the valves 108, 128, 136, 158, 168, 176, and 178 based on the mode set by the mode module 212, for example.

[0060] The charger module 224 controls the operation of a charger 228 that charges the battery 142. The operation of the charger 228 may include whether the charger 228 is charging or is inactive, charging back to the grid, and if the charger 228 is charging, the operation of the charger 228 may include the output (e.g., voltage, current, power) of the charger 228. In various implementations, the charger 228 may convert power, such as from AC to DC, for charging the battery 142. In various implementations, the charger 228 may perform a step-down conversion and generate an output voltage that is less than the input voltage and / or perform a step-up conversion and generate an output voltage that is greater than the input voltage.

[0061] The mode module 212 can set the mode based on the air temperature within the building (indoor temperature), the indoor air temperature set point (temperature set point), and one or more other operating parameters. Examples of other operating parameters include, but are not limited to, indoor air humidity, outdoor air humidity, indoor air humidity set point, parameters of the battery 142 (e.g., voltage), and other operating parameters. The temperature set point can be set via user input, such as to a thermostat within the building.

[0062] As an example, the mode module 212 can set the mode to heating by at least a predetermined amount of heating when the indoor temperature is less than the temperature set point. The mode module 212 can set the mode to cooling by at least a predetermined amount of cooling when the indoor temperature is greater than the temperature set point. The predetermined heating amount and cooling amount can be set to a predetermined value by default and can be adjusted via user input. The mode module 212 can set the mode to power generation when the voltage of the battery 142 is less than a predetermined voltage. The mode module 212 can set the mode to humidify by at least a predetermined amount when the air humidity in the building is less than the indoor air humidity set point. The mode module 212 can set the mode to dehumidify by at least a predetermined amount when the air humidity in the building is greater than the indoor air humidity set point. Although exemplary modes and conditions are provided, the present application is also applicable to other modes and conditions, including but not limited to other modes discussed below. In addition, although an exemplary arrangement of modules is provided, one or more modules in the module can be implemented separately. In various implementations, multiple different modules can be used to control multiple components (e.g., pumps, valves) separately.

[0063] Figure 3 308 and 316. FIG. 316 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary cooling, heating, and power generation system for a building. In this example, valve 304 controls the flow of water from the brazed plate heat exchanger 308 to the indoor heat exchanger 112. Valve 312 controls the flow of water to the input of the hot water tank 144. In this example, the hot water tank 144 outputs warm water to a point between the brazed plate heat exchanger 308 and valve 316. Valve 316 controls the flow of water from the indoor heat exchanger 112 to the brazed plate heat exchanger 308.

[0064] Valve 320 controls the flow of water to the compressor turbine 132. Valve 128 controls the flow of water to and from the indoor water vapor membrane 124. Figure 3 As illustrated, the battery 142 may be used to operate the compressor-turbine 132. The compressor-turbine 132 may also be used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and charge the battery 142.

[0065] Pump 328 can pump refrigerant output from brazed plate heat exchanger 308 to the input of solar heater 184. Valve 332 can control the refrigerant flow to bypass pump 328 and flow from brazed plate heat exchanger 308 to the input of solar heater 184. Valve 332 can be an expansion valve, such as a thermal expansion valve (TXV) or an electronic expansion valve (EXV). Compressor 336, such as a scroll, rotary, reciprocating, screw, centrifugal compressor or another suitable type of pump or compressor can pump refrigerant away from solar heater 184 and pump to brazed plate heat exchanger 308. The warm refrigerant in brazed plate heat exchanger 308 can warm the water in brazed plate heat exchanger 308. Valve 340 can control the refrigerant flow from compressor 336 to brazed plate heat exchanger 308. Valve 344 can control the refrigerant flow to bypass compressor 336 and flow from solar heater 184 to brazed plate heat exchanger 308. The pump control module 216 and the valve control module 220 can control Figure 3 Examples of pumps and valves.

[0066] Figure 4 2 is an exemplary illustration of operation in heating mode and humidification mode when, for example, the indoor temperature is less than the temperature set point and the air humidity in the building is less than the humidity set point. In order to warm the air in the building and increase the air humidity in the building, the blower control module 208 turns on the blower 120. In addition, while the blower 120 is turned on, the valve control module 220 opens valves 128, 316, 304 and 340, and opens 104. The valve control module 220 closes the other valves. Opening valves 304 and 316 circulates water through the indoor heat exchanger 112 and the brazed plate heat exchanger 308. Opening valve 128 provides water to the indoor water vapor membrane 124, which releases water to the air blown into the building. At the same time, the pump control module 216 operates the compressor 336 to pump the warm refrigerant from the solar heater 184 to the brazed plate heat exchanger 308, wherein the warm refrigerant warms the water in the brazed plate heat exchanger 308 before the warm water flows into the indoor heat exchanger 112 for heating the air in the building. Heating the air in the building in this manner is more efficient than using a conventional furnace to heat the air in the building. Humidification can also be performed simultaneously using the indoor water vapor membrane 124.

[0067] Figure 5312 is an exemplary illustration of operation in a water heating mode, such as when the temperature of the water in the water tank 144 is less than the temperature set point. In order to warm the water in the hot water tank 144, the valve control module 220 can open valves 312 and 340. The valve control module 220 can close the other valves. Opening valve 312 allows water to circulate through the brazed plate heat exchanger 308. While valve 312 is open, the pump control module 216 operates the compressor 336 to pump the warm refrigerant from the solar heater 184 to the brazed plate heat exchanger 308, wherein the warm refrigerant warms the water in the brazed plate heat exchanger 308 before the warm water flows back to the hot water tank 144. Using the solar heater 184 to heat water in this manner is more efficient than using a burner and / or an electric water heater to heat water. In various implementations, the hot water tank 144 can include an electric water heater or a gas water heater.

[0068] Figure 6 2 is an exemplary illustration of operation in cooling mode and dehumidification mode when, for example, the indoor temperature is greater than the temperature set point and the air humidity in the building is greater than the humidity set point. In order to cool the air in the building and reduce the air humidity in the building, the blower control module 208 turns on the blower 120. The water control module (of the control module 204) can also turn on the water supply 104 so that cold water flows through the indoor heat exchanger 112. In addition, while the blower 120 is turned on, the valve control module 220 opens valves 128 and 320. The valve control module 220 closes other valves. The pump control module 216 operates the compressor turbine 132 to draw water from the indoor water vapor film 124 and cool the air in the building through the indoor heat exchanger 112. Drawing water from the indoor water vapor film 124 removes moisture from the air in the building. The compressor turbine 132 pumps the water vapor pressure above the outdoor water vapor pressure and pumps it to the outdoor water vapor film 140, which releases water to the air outside the building. The mode module 212 can use the dehumidification mode, for example, when the air humidity outside the building is less than the air humidity inside the building and / or less than a predetermined humidity. Cooling the building in this manner can be more efficient than using air conditioning to cool the air inside the building because the radiator becomes the outdoor dew point temperature. Dehumidification can also be performed simultaneously with cooling. However, dehumidification can be disabled by closing valve 128.

[0069] Figure 7 Yes Figure 6 2 is an exemplary diagram of the operation of the cooling mode and the dehumidification mode and the additional operation in the hot water heating mode. In various implementations, the hot water heating can be as follows Figure 5 Dehumidification can be disabled during cooling, performed during cooling, or performed during a portion of cooling and disabled during another portion of cooling. In various implementations, Figure 6 Cooling can be performed while dehumidification is disabled, dehumidification can be performed while cooling is disabled, and cooling and dehumidification can be performed simultaneously.

[0070] For example, when the temperature of the water in the hot water tank 144 is less than the set point temperature, hot water heating may be performed. Figure 7 In the example of FIG. 1 , the valve control module 220 can open the valve 312 and the valve 344. The valve control module 220 can close the valve 340 and the valve 332. While the valves 340 and 332 are closed, the pump control module 216 can operate the pump 328 to pump the refrigerant to the solar heater 184. The warm refrigerant output from the solar heater 184 warms the water in the brazed plate heat exchanger 308, and the warm water flows to the hot water tank 144. In this way, cooling, dehumidification, and hot water heating can be performed simultaneously and more efficiently than using air conditioning for cooling and hot water heating through the hot water tank 144.

[0071] Figure 8 is an exemplary illustration of operation in a power generation mode, such as when the compressor turbine 132 is not used for cooling and when water heating is not performed. To generate electricity, the valve control module 220 opens valves 304, 320 and 344. The water control module (of the control module 204) also opens the water supply 104 so that cold water flows through the brazed plate heat exchanger 308. The valve control module 220 closes the other valves. The pump control module 216 operates the pump 328 to pump the refrigerant into the solar heater 184, and the refrigerant (warmed by the solar heater 184) warms the water in the brazed heat exchanger 308. The warm water drives the rotation of the compressor turbine 132, and the compressor turbine 132 converts the rotation into electrical energy. The charger 228 uses the electricity output by the compressor turbine 132 to charge the battery 142. The compressor turbine 132 can be, for example, an axial compressor or another suitable type of pump / compressor. The outdoor water vapor membrane 140 releases water from the compressor turbine 132 to the air outside the building.

[0072] Fig. 9904 is an exemplary illustration of operation in the power generation mode during both the day and night. During the day, when the ambient temperature outside the building is greater than the ambient dew point temperature, the water control module controls the water supply 104 to input water to the solar heater 184. The solar heater 184 heats the water. The heated water drives the rotation of the compressor turbine 132, which converts the rotation into electrical energy to charge the battery 142 or power one or more other electrical components of the building. The water output from the compressor turbine 132 can be used to heat the air within the building by being supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 112 via the valve 904, and / or used to humidify the air within the building by being supplied to the indoor water vapor membrane 124 via the valve 904.

[0073] During the night, the ambient air temperature outside the building and solar device may be less than the ambient dry bulb temperature. Due to the influence of dark sky radiation, the water vapor film 124 draws water from the air inside the building. The water vapor drives the rotation of the compressor turbine 132, which converts the rotation into electrical energy to charge the battery 142 or power one or more other electrical components of the building. As used herein, heated water can refer to heated liquid water or water vapor.

[0074] Fig.11 2 is an exemplary illustration of operation in cooling mode and humidification mode when, for example, the indoor temperature is greater than the temperature set point and the air humidity in the building is less than the humidity set point. In order to cool the air in the building and increase the air humidity in the building, the blower control module 208 turns on the blower 120. The water control module (of the control module 204) can also turn on the water supply 104 so that cold water flows through the indoor heat exchanger 112. In addition, while the blower 120 is turned on, the valve control module 220 opens the valve 128 so that water flows to the indoor water vapor film 124. The valve control module 220 closes other valves. The indoor water vapor film 124 releases water vapor to the air, which cools the air and humidifies the air. The mode module 212 can use the humidification mode, for example, when the air humidity in the building is less than the humidity set point. Cooling and humidifying the air in the building in this way can be more effective than using air conditioning to cool the air in the building. Humidification can also be performed simultaneously with cooling.

[0075] Fig.10 1 is a flow chart depicting an exemplary method for controlling pumps, valves, and other actuators of a heating, cooling, and power generation system. Control begins at 1004, where the mode module 212 determines a mode based on, for example, an indoor temperature, a temperature set point, an indoor humidity, a humidity set point, and / or one or more other operating parameters.

[0076] At 1008, the blower control module 208 determines a target operating state for the blower 120, the water control module determines a target operating state for the water supply 104, the pump control module 216 determines a target operating state for the pumps, respectively, the valve control module 220 determines a target state for the valves, respectively, and the charger control module 224 determines a target operating state for the charger 228. At 1012, the control modules actuate the actuators, respectively, according to the target states. More specifically, the blower control module 208 controls the operation of the blower 120 according to the target state, the water control module controls the water supply 104 according to the target state for the water supply 104, the pump control module 216 controls the operation of the pumps, respectively, according to the target state for the pumps, the valve control module 220 actuates the valves, respectively, according to the target state for the valves, and the charger control module 224 operates the charger 228 according to the target state for the charger 228. Control returns to 1004 for the next cycle.

[0077] The foregoing description is essentially only illustrative, and is in no way intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or use. The broad teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, although the present disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the present disclosure should not be so limited, because after studying the drawings, the specification and the appended claims, other modifications will become apparent. It should be understood that, without changing the principles of the present disclosure, one or more steps in the method can be performed in different orders (or simultaneously). In addition, although each embodiment in the embodiment is described as having certain features above, any one or more of those features described in any embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented in the features of any embodiment in other embodiments and / or combined with it, even if the combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and the replacement of one or more embodiments with each other is maintained within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0078] Various terms are used to describe the spatial and functional relationships between elements (e.g., between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.), including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "near," "on top," "above," "below," and "arranged." Unless explicitly described as "direct," when describing a relationship between a first element and a second element in the above disclosure, the relationship may be a direct relationship in which no other intermediate elements exist between the first element and the second element, but may also be an indirect relationship in which one or more intermediate elements exist between the first element and the second element (spatially or functionally). As used herein, the phrase at least one of A, B, and C should be interpreted as meaning a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical "or," and should not be interpreted as meaning "at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C."

[0079] In the drawings, the direction of the arrows, as indicated by the arrows, generally indicates the flow of information (such as data or instructions) that is meaningful to the illustration. For example, when element A and element B exchange various information but the information transmitted from element A to element B is relevant to the illustration, the arrow may point from element A to element B. This unidirectional arrow does not imply that no other information is transmitted from element B to element A. In addition, for information sent from element A to element B, element B may send a request or a receipt confirmation to element A for the information.

[0080] In this application, including the following definitions, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced by the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to, be part of, or include: an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system on a chip.

[0081] The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuit may include a wired or wireless interface connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or a combination thereof. The functions of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed in multiple modules connected via interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may achieve load balancing. In another example, a server (also referred to as a remote or cloud) module may perform certain functions on behalf of a client module.

[0082] The term code as used above may include software, firmware and / or microcode, and may refer to a program, a routine, a function, a class, a data structure and / or an object. The term shared processor circuit covers a single processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuit covers a processor circuit that is combined with an additional processor circuit to execute some or all of the code from one or more modules. Reference to multiple processor circuits covers multiple processor circuits on discrete chips (die), multiple processor circuits on a single chip, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above. The term shared memory circuit covers a single memory circuit that stores some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuit covers a memory circuit that is combined with an additional memory to store some or all of the code from one or more modules.

[0083] The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium as used herein does not encompass transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagated through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); therefore, the term computer-readable medium may be considered to be tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of non-transitory, tangible computer-readable media are non-volatile memory circuits (such as flash memory circuits, erasable programmable read-only memory circuits, or mask read-only memory circuits), volatile memory circuits (such as static random access memory circuits or dynamic random access memory circuits), magnetic storage media (such as analog or digital tape or hard disk drives), and optical storage media (such as CDs, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs).

[0084] The apparatus and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in whole by a special purpose computer, which is formed by configuring a general purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in a computer program. The above-mentioned function blocks, flow chart components and other elements are used as software specifications, which can be compiled into a computer program by the routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

[0085] The computer program includes processor executable instructions stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. The computer program may also include or rely on stored data. The computer program may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

[0086] A computer program may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code generated by a compiler from source code, (iv) source code executed by an interpreter, (v) source code compiled and executed by a just-in-time compiler, etc. By way of example only, source code may be written using syntax from a language including: C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language Fifth Revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Visual Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and

Claims

1. A heating system for a building, the system comprising: a solar heater configured to receive sunlight and at least one of absorb heat into a refrigerant and increase the heat absorbed into the refrigerant; a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant evaporated by absorbing heat; a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the refrigerant to water; an expansion valve configured to reduce at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the refrigerant after heat is transferred from the refrigerant to water; a second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from water output by the first heat exchanger to air passing through the second heat exchanger before flowing into the building; a pump configured to pump the water from the solar heater to the second heat exchanger; as well as A blower is configured to blow air through the second heat exchanger and into the building.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a water vapor membrane configured to receive the water output from the first heat exchanger and selectively release water vapor into the air passing through the water vapor membrane and selectively absorb water vapor from the air passing through the water vapor membrane, in, The blower is configured to blow air through the water vapor membrane.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising: a first valve configured to regulate water flow from the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger; a second valve configured to regulate water flow from the second heat exchanger to the water vapor membrane; as well as A valve control module is configured to selectively actuate the first valve and the second valve.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein: The valve control module is configured to open the first valve when the air temperature within the building is less than a temperature set point.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein: The valve control module is configured to open the second valve when the air humidity in the building is less than a humidity set point.

6. The system according to claim 2, further comprising: a water source configured to output cold water to the second heat exchanger; a second water vapor membrane disposed on the exterior of the building and configured to selectively release water vapor to air outside the building; as well as A compressor configured to provide compressed water to the second water vapor membrane pumps water from the second heat exchanger and the water vapor membrane.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a pump control module configured to operate the pump when the air temperature within the building is greater than a set point temperature.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a pump control module configured to operate the pump when the air humidity within the building is greater than a set point humidity.

9. The system according to claim 2, further comprising: a water source configured to output cold water to the second heat exchanger; a valve configured to regulate water flow from the water vapor membrane to the second heat exchanger; as well as A valve control module is configured to selectively open the valve when the blower is turned on based on at least one of (a) air temperature within the building and (b) air humidity within the building.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein: The valve control module is configured to open the valve when the blower is turned on and at least one of (a) the air temperature within the building is greater than a temperature set point and (b) the air humidity within the building is less than a humidity set point.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a hot water tank, wherein the hot water tank is configured to: receiving the warmer water output from the first heat exchanger; and The relatively cold water is output to the first heat exchanger.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a pump configured to pump cooler refrigerant from the first heat exchanger to the solar heater.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein: The first heat exchanger is a brazed plate heat exchanger.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein: The refrigerant is a natural refrigerant.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pump configured to pump the refrigerant to the solar heater, in: The solar heater is configured to evaporate the refrigerant; and The first heat exchanger condenses vapor refrigerant.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pump configured to pump the refrigerant to the solar heater.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising: Water source; a valve configured to regulate water flow from the water source to the first heat exchanger; as well as a turbine fluidly connected to an output of the first heat exchanger and configured to: rotates based on an output of the first heat exchanger; and The rotation is converted into electrical energy.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a charger configured to charge a battery using the electrical energy.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a second water vapor membrane disposed on the exterior of the building and configured to selectively release water vapor to air outside the building, in, The turbine outputs water to the second water vapor membrane.

20. A method for heating a building, the method comprising: receiving sunlight and at least one of absorbing heat into a refrigerant and increasing the heat absorbed into the refrigerant by a solar heater; compressing the refrigerant evaporated by absorbing heat by means of a compressor; transferring heat from the refrigerant to water via a first heat exchanger; transferring heat from water output by the first heat exchanger to air passing through the second heat exchanger before flowing into the building via a second heat exchanger; pumping the water from the solar heater to the second heat exchanger by a pump; as well as Air is blown through the second heat exchanger and into the building by a blower.

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