HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM WITH RECEABILITY

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ("HVAC") system for use with a refrigerant. The HVAC system may include a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger located downstream of the compressor, a first variable expansion device located downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger located downstream of the first variable expansion device and upstream of the compressor and including a reheat portion and a main portion, a second variable expansion device located downstream of the reheat portion of the indoor heat exchanger and upstream of the main portion of the indoor heat exchanger, a first control valve operable for selectively controlling the flow of refrigerant through the reheat portion of the indoor heat exchanger and the main portion of the indoor heat exchanger,and a control system programmed to selectively operate the HVAC system in one of a first cooling mode, a second cooling mode, and a dehumidifying mode.

Claims

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention as above, the following claims are considered novel and are therefore claimed as property. CLAIMS 1. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (“HVAC”) system for use with a refrigerant, characterized in that the HVAC system comprises: a compressor operable for compressing the refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger located downstream of the compressor and operable for condensing the refrigerant; a first variable expansion device located downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger and operable for changing the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through it; an indoor heat exchanger located downstream of the first variable expansion device and upstream of the compressor, comprising a reheating portion and a main portion, and operable for vaporizing low-pressure refrigerant;a second variable expansion device located downstream of the reheating portion of the inner heat exchanger and upstream of the main portion of the inner heat exchanger, the second variable expansion device being operable to change the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through it; a first control valve operable to selectively control the flow of the refrigerant through the reheating portion of the inner heat exchanger and the main portion of the inner heat exchanger;and a control system in electronic communication with the first variable expansion device, the second variable expansion device and the first control valve, the control system is programmed to adjust the pressure change due to the first variable expansion device, adjust the pressure change due to the second variable expansion device, and operate the first control valve to selectively operate the HVAC system in one of a first cooling mode, a second cooling mode or a dehumidifying mode.; 2. The HVAC system according to claim 1, characterized in that the reheating portion is operable to vaporize the refrigerant expanded in the first variable expansion device and the main portion is operable to vaporize the refrigerant expanded in at least one of the first variable expansion device or the second variable expansion device.

3. The HVAC system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control system is further programmed to adjust the pressure change due to the first variable expansion device, adjust the pressure change due to the second variable expansion device, and operate the first control valve based on at least one of the HVAC system modes or a load in the HVAC system.

4. The HVAC system according to claim 3, characterized in that the control system is further programmed to operate the control valve to force the refrigerant to be diverted from the reheating portion, to force the refrigerant to flow through the reheating portion, or to allow a first portion of refrigerant to flow through the reheating portion and a second portion of refrigerant to be diverted from the reheating portion.

5. The HVAC system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control system further comprises an input device and the control system is further programmed to adjust the pressure change due to the first variable expansion device, adjust the pressure change due to the second variable expansion device, and operate the first control valve based on a user input from the input device.

6. The HVAC system according to claim 5, characterized in that the control system is further programmed to operate the control valve to force the refrigerant to be diverted from the reheating portion, to force the refrigerant to flow through the reheating portion, or to allow a first portion of refrigerant to flow through the reheating portion and a second portion of refrigerant to be diverted from the reheating portion.

7. The HVAC system according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises a second control valve located downstream of the compressor and upstream of the outdoor heat exchanger, the second control valve being operable to selectively control the flow of refrigerant through the outdoor heat exchanger and the flow of refrigerant diverted from the outdoor heat exchanger.

8. The HVAC system according to claim 7, characterized in that the control system is further programmed to adjust the pressure change due to the first variable expansion device, adjust the pressure change due to the second variable expansion device, operate the first control valve, and operate the second control valve based on at least one of the HVAC system modes or a load on the HVAC system.

9. The HVAC system according to claim 8, characterized in that the control system is in electronic communication with the second control valve and is further programmed to operate the second control valve to force the refrigerant to be diverted from the outside heat exchanger, to force the refrigerant to flow through the outside heat exchanger, or to allow a first portion of refrigerant to flow through the outside heat exchanger and a second portion of refrigerant to be diverted from the outside heat exchanger.

10. The HVAC system according to claim 7, characterized in that the control system further comprises an input device and the control system is further programmed to adjust the pressure change due to the first variable expansion device, adjust the pressure change due to the second variable expansion device, operate the first control valve and operate the second control valve based on user input from the input device.

11. The HVAC system according to claim 10, characterized in that the control system is in electronic communication with the second control valve and is further programmed to operate the second control valve to force the refrigerant to be diverted from the outdoor heat exchanger, to force the refrigerant to flow through the outdoor heat exchanger, or to allow a first portion of refrigerant to flow through the outdoor heat exchanger and a second portion of refrigerant to be diverted from the outdoor heat exchanger.

12. An HVAC system for use with a refrigerant, characterized in that the HVAC system comprises: a compressor operable for compressing the refrigerant; an outdoor heat exchanger located downstream of the compressor, comprising a reheat portion and a main portion, and operable for condensing the refrigerant; an expansion device located downstream of the outdoor heat exchanger and operable for reducing the pressure of the refrigerant flowing through it; an indoor heat exchanger located downstream of the expansion device and upstream of the compressor and operable for vaporizing low-pressure refrigerant; a control valve operable for selectively controlling the flow of refrigerant through the reheat portion of the outdoor heat exchanger and the main portion of the outdoor heat exchanger;and a control system in electronic communication with the control valve, the control system is programmed to operate the control valve to selectively operate the HVAC system in one of a first heating mode and a second heating mode.

13. The HVAC system according to claim 12, characterized in that the control system is further programmed to operate the control valve based on at least one of the HVAC system modes or a load in the HVAC system.

14. The HVAC system according to claim 13, characterized in that the control system is programmed to operate the control valve between a first position frcnz Ln / zznz / E / YiAi that forces the refrigerant to be diverted from the reheating portion, a second position that forces the refrigerant to flow through the reheating portion, and a position between the first and second positions to allow a first portion of refrigerant to flow through the reheating portion and a second portion of refrigerant to be diverted from the reheating portion.

15. The HVAC system according to claim 12, characterized in that the control system further comprises an input device and the control system is further programmed to operate the control valve based on a user input from the input device.

16. The HVAC system according to claim 15, characterized in that the control system is programmed to operate the control valve between a first position that forces the refrigerant to be diverted from the reheating portion, a second position that forces the refrigerant to flow through the reheating portion, and a position between the first and second positions to allow a first portion of refrigerant to flow through the reheating portion and a second portion of refrigerant to be diverted from the reheating portion.

17. A method for operating an HVAC system, characterized in that the method comprises: compressing a low-pressure vapor refrigerant with a compressor; then condensing the high-pressure vapor refrigerant into a high-pressure liquid refrigerant with an outdoor heat exchanger; then operating a first control valve to flow a quantity of high-pressure liquid refrigerant through a reheat portion of an indoor heat exchanger; then expanding the high-pressure liquid refrigerant to a low-pressure liquid refrigerant with a first expansion device; and then vaporizing the low-pressure liquid refrigerant from the expansion device with a main portion of the indoor heat exchanger.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the air flowing through the inner heat exchanger comprises: flowing a first portion of the air through the main portion of the inner heat exchanger to cool and reduce the humidity in the first portion of the air while a second portion of the air flows over the reheating portion of the inner heat exchanger to heat the second portion of the air; and then combining the first portion of the air with the second portion of the air to reduce the humidity in the air without significantly changing the air temperature.

19. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the air flowing through the inner heat exchanger comprises: flowing the air through the main portion of the inner heat exchanger to cool the air and reduce the humidity in the air; and then flowing the air through the reheating portion of the inner heat exchanger to heat the air to reduce the humidity in the air without significantly changing the air temperature.

20. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the operation of the control valve comprises operating the control valve to flow all of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant through the reheating portion of the inner heat exchanger.

21. The method according to claim 17, further comprising expanding the high-pressure liquid refrigerant to an intermediate-pressure liquid refrigerant using a second expansion device, characterized in that: the intermediate-pressure liquid refrigerant is at a higher pressure than the low-pressure liquid refrigerant; the operation of the first control valve comprises operating the first control valve to flow at least a portion of the intermediate-pressure liquid refrigerant through the reheating portion of the inner heat exchanger; and the expansion of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant with the first expansion device comprises expanding the intermediate-pressure liquid refrigerant to the low-pressure liquid refrigerant with the expansion device.

22. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the portion of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing through the reheating portion of the indoor heat exchanger is based on a load in the HVAC system.

23. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that the portion of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant flowing through the reheating portion of the inner heat exchanger is based on a user input in an inlet device.

24. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that it further comprises: operating a second control valve to permit at least a portion of the high-pressure vapor refrigerant to be diverted from the outer heat exchanger; then condensing the portion of the high-pressure vapor refrigerant diverted from the outer heat exchanger into the high-pressure liquid refrigerant with the reheating portion of the inner heat exchanger; and wherein the operation of the first control valve comprises operating the first control valve to flow all of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant through the reheating portion of the inner heat exchanger.

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