Heat pump driven air pipe network type tall space thermal management system and control method thereof

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of heat pump driven air pipe network type high and large space thermal management system and its control method, the thermal management system includes one or more sets of mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system;Mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system includes refrigerant loop and air loop;Refrigerant loop includes inner circulating refrigerant loop and outer circulating refrigerant loop, and the air loop bottom air loop and top air loop.Compared with prior art, the present application provides reliable technical solutions from structure configuration and control method two aspects by combining heat pump energy grade promotion characteristics, energy recyclable characteristics, energy cascade utilization characteristics and air density physical characteristics with temperature variation in space and time two dimensions, so that the present application can be in the best state of open source and throttling to complete the refinement layered dynamic thermal management of high and large space building.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a heat pump system, and more particularly to a heat pump driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Tall, high-span buildings with large-scale spatial functions, such as airports, train stations, large conference halls, and tall factories, are characterized by their height and large span. Personnel activity areas are often located at the bottom of the space, while the top typically does not have strict temperature requirements. However, these buildings exhibit unique thermophysical properties, namely the chimney effect. During the use of tall, high-span buildings, indoor hot air rises continuously due to its lower density, easily creating a large longitudinal temperature gradient. This results in higher temperatures at the top and lower temperatures in the bottom activity areas, further increasing the temperature and pressure difference between the top and the outdoor environment. This creates extremely adverse natural outward convection, posing a significant challenge to the energy-efficient and high-performance design of air conditioning systems for tall, high-span buildings.

[0003] In terms of indoor heating, air conditioners typically deliver hot air from the bottom of the building, allowing the air to rise naturally throughout the space for slow heating. However, in tall buildings, the chimney effect causes hot air to rapidly accumulate at the top, with a large amount of unused heat leaking out through the ceiling or skylights. This results in significant heat loss and energy waste, and the large vertical temperature gradient within the building also drastically reduces thermal comfort, creating a "hotter at the top, colder at the bottom" phenomenon, leading to excessively low temperatures in areas near the ground where people are active. In contrast, for indoor cooling, the cold air delivered by the air conditioner naturally sinks to the bottom of the building, so the focus is primarily on covering the lower areas where people are active. The chimney effect has a relatively minor impact on cooling performance, and cooling can even be enhanced by accelerating heat dissipation. Therefore, the design of air conditioning systems to address these issues in tall spaces, especially for heating in cold and frigid regions, is crucial.

[0004] Patent CN 218469179 U discloses a tiered air conditioning system for large-span, high-ceilinged spaces. This system utilizes air conditioning ducts with lifting mechanisms installed on both sides of the long side of the high-ceilinged space to allow for free adjustment of the air supply height and angle. The technology employs a position-adjustable, non-isothermal, high-speed jet airflow. In summer cooling conditions, energy savings can be achieved by dividing the entire high-ceilinged space into air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned zones. However, in winter heating conditions, this technology does not consider the significant heat accumulation and outward heat dissipation in the non-air-conditioned area at the top due to the chimney effect, resulting in substantial waste of heat transferred to the upper space.

[0005] Patent CN 211854195 U discloses an environmental system for large spaces. By installing insulated return air ducts in the upper and lower parts of the space and connecting them to an air conditioning unit, and using a fan and supply / return air louvers to switch between supply and return air modes, it can ultimately achieve summer cooling (supplying cold air from the top) and winter heating (supplying hot air from the bottom). However, due to the low density of hot air and the fact that people's activity areas in large spaces are often located at lower levels, the fixed installation of the top air vents in this technology must consider both the high ground clearance for absorbing hot air in winter and the low ground clearance for delivering cold air in summer. It cannot be adjusted in height according to usage patterns, significantly reducing the energy-saving performance of the environmental control system in large spaces.

[0006] In summary, most existing technological innovations aimed at improving energy consumption in temperature control of large spaces focus on the division between air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned areas and the optimization of circulating air composition and workflow. They have not considered starting from the structure of the heat pump air conditioning system itself, by adding an air handling unit that works in conjunction with the heat pump to promptly recover and utilize waste heat from the building's roof. This would mitigate the chimney effect and allow the heat pump system to simultaneously utilize both outdoor ambient air and indoor rooftop hot air as heat sources, significantly reducing energy consumption from external sources. Furthermore, due to the varying functions of temperature-controlled areas at different heights in large spaces during their use, the temperature requirements of each area also differ. When the function of a particular area changes, its temperature requirements (i.e., heat load requirements) also change accordingly. Therefore, the development of waste heat recovery technology for rooftop air in large spaces and thermal management technologies capable of meeting the differentiated dynamic temperature requirements of different temperature zones at different heights in large spaces are urgently needed. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system and its control method. By combining the characteristics of heat pump energy quality improvement, energy recovery, energy cascade utilization, and the physical characteristics of air density change with temperature on both spatial and temporal scales, reliable technical solutions are provided from the aspects of structural configuration and control method.

[0008] In terms of structural configuration, based on the traditional all-air heat pump air conditioning system that only uses ambient air as a heat source, this invention addresses the chimney effect characteristics of large spaces by adding an air handling unit, in addition to the conventional all-air heat pump system that exchanges heat with the air in the temperature-demand area, to exchange heat with the air at the top of the large space building. This allows the heat pump system proposed in this invention to operate simultaneously using the large amount of hot air accumulated at the top of the space and the outdoor ambient air as heat sources, thus establishing a complete air duct network system. In terms of control methods, since the actual temperature and thermal comfort requirements of different areas in a large space building vary at different stages of use, this invention proposes a full-cycle operation stage control method. By controlling the opening and closing of valves and the connection status of different interfaces of the four-way reversing valve, the switching of the operation stage of the large space under different needs is completed. Ultimately, this invention can achieve refined, layered, and dynamic thermal management of large spaces buildings in an optimal state of increasing supply and reducing costs.

[0009] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0010] This invention primarily protects a heat pump-driven air duct network-type thermal management system for tall spaces. Due to the unique chimney effect of tall buildings, a large amount of hot air rapidly accumulates at the top of the space during use, resulting in a persistently high temperature at the top and a low temperature at the bottom. This significant longitudinal temperature gradient leads to extremely poor thermal comfort. Therefore, this invention, building upon traditional all-air heat pump air conditioning systems that rely solely on ambient air as a heat source, addresses the chimney effect characteristics of tall spaces by adding an additional air handling unit to exchange heat with the air at the top of the building, in addition to the conventional all-air heat pump system's air handling unit that exchanges heat with the air in areas requiring temperature. This results in a heat pump air conditioning system that can simultaneously utilize both outdoor ambient air and hot air from the top of the building as heat sources. This allows for the recovery of waste heat from the top of the space to control the temperature of the lower, more populated areas. Furthermore, by using the hot air from the top as one of the heat sources, the longitudinal temperature gradient within the tall building can be improved, mitigating the significant heat loss caused by the chimney effect.

[0011] Furthermore, the thermal management system comprises a complete set of mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems; and in terms of spatial arrangement, the thermal management system includes both outdoor and indoor installations.

[0012] Furthermore, in terms of system composition, the complete set of mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system includes four parts: an internal circulation refrigerant loop, an external circulation refrigerant loop, a bottom air loop, and a top air loop.

[0013] The internal refrigerant loop includes a second air handling unit, a first compressor, a second shut-off valve, a second four-way reversing valve, and a first throttle valve, which are connected in sequence by copper pipes.

[0014] The external refrigerant loop includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a first four-way reversing valve, a second compressor, a third shut-off valve, a first air handling unit, a second four-way reversing valve, and a second throttle valve, all connected in sequence by copper pipes. Port A of the first four-way reversing valve is connected to one end of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger; port B is connected to the exhaust port of the second compressor; port C is connected to the third shut-off valve; and port D is connected to the suction port of the second compressor. Similarly, port A of the second four-way reversing valve is connected to the second throttle valve; port B is connected to the first throttle valve; port C is connected to one end of the refrigerant heat exchange coil of the first air handling unit; and port D is connected to one end of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0015] The bottom air loop includes a first air handling unit, a first air supply outlet, and a first air return outlet connected in sequence by air ducts; the bottom air loop and the refrigerant loop are connected by heat exchange through a refrigerant heat exchange coil in the first air handling unit.

[0016] The top air loop includes a second air handling unit, a second air supply outlet, and a second air return outlet connected in sequence by air ducts; the top air loop and the refrigerant loop are connected by heat exchange through a refrigerant heat exchange coil in the second air handling unit.

[0017] Furthermore, in terms of system composition, the internal circulation refrigerant loop and the external circulation refrigerant loop can be interconnected through the opening and closing actions of the first shut-off valve, the third shut-off valve, and the second four-way reversing valve.

[0018] Furthermore, in terms of spatial arrangement, the outdoor installation includes the installation of all equipment in the system, including the heat pump body and air handling unit, and their connecting pipes, except for the indoor air supply and return vents; all equipment can be installed in sections or centrally in a reasonable outdoor location to facilitate system control.

[0019] Furthermore, in terms of spatial arrangement, the indoor installation includes the installation of all air supply outlets, return air outlets, and their associated valves and connecting pipes; the first air supply outlet, the second return air outlet, and their associated equipment are installed at the bottom of the building to introduce air from areas with temperature requirements into the first air handling unit to achieve temperature control; the second air supply outlet, the second return air outlet, and their associated equipment are installed at the top of the building to introduce a large amount of hot air accumulated at the top into the second air handling unit to recover excess heat from areas without temperature requirements, reducing heat loss to the outside through the roof while also migrating heat accumulated at the top to the bottom;

[0020] Furthermore, in terms of the system composition of this invention, the number of sets of the complete set of mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems is unlimited; there can be only one set or more. Regarding the overall functional use of tall, spacious buildings, the functional requirements vary across different height areas, and therefore the temperature requirements also differ. Thus, this invention needs to determine the temperature control zones by dividing the space by height based on the real-time indoor temperature and the temperature requirements of each floor. For each zone, an air handling unit and its matching supply and return air vents are installed. Finally, according to the standard of minimizing heat recovery temperature and heating temperature, multiple pairs of supply and return air vents and their matching air handling units in areas with and without temperature requirements are divided into multiple sets of mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems. Each system includes only one pair of supply and return air vents and their matching air handling unit in areas without temperature requirements, and one pair of supply and return air vents and their matching air handling unit in areas with temperature requirements. Therefore, this invention can achieve refined, layered thermal management covering the entire area of ​​a tall, spacious building by having multiple sets of mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems working collaboratively at different temperatures.

[0021] Furthermore, the heat pump driven piping network in the system of the present invention is not limited to an air piping network (i.e., both the refrigerant system and the air handling system are located outdoors, the refrigerant enters the heat exchange coil in the air handling unit to exchange heat with the return air from indoors, and the air is processed before being sent indoors). In actual use, the heat pump driven refrigerant piping network (i.e., the refrigerant in the heat pump system flows directly into the heat exchange coil in the indoor unit to exchange heat with the indoor air) or the heat pump driven refrigerant piping network (i.e., the refrigerant system is independently located outdoors, and the refrigerant enters the heat exchange coil in the indoor unit to exchange heat with the indoor air) can be used to partially or completely replace the heat pump driven refrigerant piping network, and finally a heat pump driven air-refrigerant-refrigerant mixed piping network thermal management system can be formed.

[0022] The second objective of this invention is to protect a control method for a heat pump-driven air duct network-type thermal management system for large spaces. Since the internal temperature of a large space remains stable and consistent with the external environment when it is not in use for extended periods, the chimney effect has little impact. Therefore, during the initial use of the building, there is not much waste heat at the top for heat recovery. At this time, it is unnecessary to activate air handling units controlling the temperature in areas without temperature requirements for heat recovery; only heating of the bottom areas with temperature requirements is needed. However, as the air handling units controlling the bottom air temperature continue to operate, a large amount of hot air will rapidly accumulate at the top of the space. When the heat exceeds a certain threshold, it is necessary to activate the air handling units controlling the temperature in areas without temperature requirements for heat recovery and zone temperature control. Therefore, this invention designs a full-cycle operation control method to address the dynamic heat recovery needs of large spaces during heating.

[0023] Furthermore, the full-cycle operation phase control method controls the opening and closing actions and connection status of the shut-off valve and the four-way reversing valve, and completes the full-cycle efficient heating of the entire tall space building interior by periodically switching between the following four major operation phases:

[0024] 1. External circulation heating operation phase: When a tall, spacious building has not been used for a long time and is about to start indoor heating for the first time, its initial indoor temperature is in a stable state consistent with the outside ambient temperature, that is, the indoor temperature is equal to the outside ambient temperature and lower than the thermal comfort lower limit temperature set for areas with temperature requirements; at this time, in terms of valve control, the third shut-off valve is opened, and the first shut-off valve and the second shut-off valve are closed; in the first four-way reversing valve, ports A and D are kept connected, and ports B and C are kept connected; in the second four-way reversing valve, ports A and C are kept connected, and ports B and D are closed;

[0025] During this stage, the external circulation refrigerant loop and the bottom air loop in the mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system are in operation, while the internal circulation refrigerant loop and the top air loop are in a stopped state. The system has only outdoor air as a heat source, and only the first air handling unit heats the air sourced from the area with temperature requirements, thereby rapidly increasing the indoor temperature.

[0026] 2. Synchronous Operation Stage of Internal and External Circulation Heat Recovery: After the system has been operating in the external circulation heating stage for a period of time, the indoor temperature of the high-ceilinged space continues to rise. Due to the chimney effect, hot air in the space rapidly accumulates at the top, and the higher the location, the faster the temperature rises. Therefore, the temperature rise rate is fastest in the high-ceilinged areas without temperature requirements. When the temperature reaches the heat recovery set temperature, the second and third shut-off valves are opened, and the first shut-off valve is closed. In the first four-way reversing valve, ports A and D remain connected, and ports B and C remain connected. In the second four-way reversing valve, ports A and C remain connected, ports B and C remain connected, and port D is closed.

[0027] During this stage, the external circulation refrigerant loop, internal circulation refrigerant loop, bottom air loop, and top air loop of the mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system are all in operation. The system uses outdoor air and indoor top hot air as heat sources. In addition to the first air handling unit heating the space to raise the temperature of the area with temperature requirements, the refrigerant heat exchange coil in the second air handling unit can recover waste heat from a large amount of hot air from the top area without temperature requirements, which weakens the chimney effect and reduces the energy demand from the outside.

[0028] 3. Internal circulation heat recovery operation phase: Specifically, after the system has been operating in the internal and external circulation heat recovery synchronous operation phase for a period of time, the temperature of the bottom area with temperature requirements gradually rises, and the heat load demand gradually decreases accordingly; when the heat load demand of this area can be met by recovering heat from the top area without temperature requirements, in terms of valve control, the second shut-off valve is opened, and the first shut-off valve and the third shut-off valve are closed; the first four-way reversing valve is completely closed; in the second four-way reversing valve, ports B and C remain connected, and ports A and D are closed;

[0029] During this stage, the external refrigerant loop in the controllable refrigerant and air circulation system is in a stopped state, while the internal refrigerant loop, bottom air loop, and top air loop are in an operating state. The system uses only the hot air at the top of the room as the sole heat source. The heat output by the refrigerant coil in the first air handling unit is equal to the heat recovered by the second air handling unit. The heating demand of the area with temperature requirements at the bottom of the room is met in the internal heat circulation without the need for external energy input.

[0030] 4. Intermittent Operation Phase: After the system operates in the above-mentioned phase for a period of time, under the combined effect of external circulation heating and internal circulation heat recovery, the temperature of the area with temperature requirements at the bottom continuously rises. When it reaches the upper limit of thermal comfort temperature, the entire system shuts down until the temperature of the area with temperature requirements drops to the lower limit of thermal comfort temperature. At this point, the valve control switches to the same mode as the external circulation heating mode. The difference is that the initial temperature of the area with temperature requirements changes from the ambient temperature to the lower limit of thermal comfort temperature. During this phase, intermittent heating can be achieved for tall, spacious buildings, significantly reducing heating energy consumption while meeting thermal comfort requirements.

[0031] This invention system achieves flexible matching of dynamic heat recovery needs in high-ceilinged spaces under heating mode by cyclically switching between the above-mentioned working stages. Furthermore, it should be noted that during the use of a high-ceilinged space, when the function of a certain area changes, the corresponding temperature requirement of that area will also change. To meet this change, this invention can control the airflow entering and exiting the air handling unit in the system to match the real-time heat load of different areas. Finally, when the high-ceilinged space is no longer in use or there is no immediate heating demand, all valves are closed. Thus, the entire cycle of indoor heating for the high-ceilinged building is completed.

[0032] Furthermore, when the heat pump-driven air duct network type high-ceiling space thermal management system of the present invention switches to the external circulation heating operation stage, its working process is as follows:

[0033] When the external refrigerant loop is opened, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas flowing out of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger first enters the second compressor through the first four-way reversing valve; then, the compressed high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas flows from the first four-way reversing valve through the third shut-off valve into the refrigerant coil of the first air handling unit; the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas transfers heat in the refrigerant heat exchange coil to the low-temperature air drawn from the first return air vent by the fan in the first air handling unit, completing the heating effect in the area with temperature requirements; immediately afterward, the cooled low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant subcooled liquid flows through the second four-way reversing valve into the second throttling valve and is throttled and depressurized into a low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase refrigerant; then, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant enters the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger, absorbs heat from the outdoor air and evaporates into superheated refrigerant gas; finally, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas again enters the second compressor through the first four-way reversing valve to complete the external refrigerant loop;

[0034] When the bottom air loop is opened, the cold air in the temperature-required area at the bottom is drawn into the housing by the fan in the first air handling unit through the first return air vent. Then, the low-temperature air exchanges heat with the refrigerant heat exchange coil in the first air handling unit, absorbing heat from the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing inside the coil, and is thus heated into high-temperature air. The high-temperature air is then sent into the room by the fan through the first air outlet, completing the heat exchange connection between the bottom air loop and the external circulation refrigerant loop, and finally achieving the heating effect of absorbing heat from the outdoor air to complete the heating effect of the temperature-required area.

[0035] Furthermore, when the heat pump-driven air duct network type high-ceiling space thermal management system of the present invention switches to the stage of simultaneous operation of internal and external circulation heat recovery, its working process is as follows:

[0036] When the external refrigerant loop and the bottom air loop are opened, their working process is consistent with the external circulation heating operation stage, which can absorb heat from the outdoor air and transfer it to the room to complete the heating; the difference is that during this stage, the internal refrigerant loop and the top air loop are switched from closed to open.

[0037] When the internal refrigerant loop is opened, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas flowing out of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the second air handling unit first enters the first compressor. Then, the compressed high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas, along with the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas from the outlet of the second compressor in the external refrigerant loop, enters the refrigerant heat exchange coil of the first air handling unit through the second shut-off valve. All the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas transfers heat to the low-temperature indoor air driven by the fan in the first air handling unit in the refrigerant heat exchange coil, thus achieving the heating effect in the area with temperature requirements. Immediately afterwards, part of the cooled low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant subcooled liquid flows into the second throttle valve through the second four-way reversing valve to complete the external refrigerant loop, while the other part flows into the first throttle valve through the second four-way reversing valve. After being throttled and depressurized, the low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase refrigerant re-enters the refrigerant heat exchange coil of the second air handling unit, absorbing the heat from the high-temperature indoor air driven by the fan in the second air handling unit, thus completing the internal refrigerant loop.

[0038] When the top air loop is opened, a large amount of hot air accumulated in the area at the top where there is no temperature requirement is drawn into the housing through the second return air vent by the fan in the second air handling unit. Then, the hot air exchanges heat with the refrigerant heat exchange coil in the second air handling unit, releasing heat to the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant fluid flowing in the coil, and is then cooled into low-temperature air. The low-temperature air is then sent into the room by the fan through the second air outlet, completing the heat exchange connection between the top air loop and the internal refrigerant loop. Ultimately, this achieves heat recovery from the hot air accumulated at the top of the high space while reducing the chimney effect. Thus, the system can use both outdoor air and hot air from the top of the room as heat sources, significantly improving the heating efficiency of the indoor areas with temperature requirements.

[0039] Furthermore, when the heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system of the present invention switches to the internal circulation heat recovery operation stage, its working process is as follows:

[0040] When the internal refrigerant loop is opened, its working process is consistent with the synchronous operation phase of internal and external circulation heat recovery. The difference is that during this phase, the external refrigerant loop is switched from open to closed, and the system ultimately uses only the hot air at the top of the room as the sole heat source. The heat output by the refrigerant coil in the first air handling unit is equal to the heat recovered by the refrigerant coil in the second air handling unit.

[0041] Furthermore, it should be noted that the above describes the workflow and control methods for high-ceilinged spaces in heating mode. The system of this invention can achieve flexible switching between heating and cooling modes by switching the connection states of different ports of the four-way reversing valve in the refrigerant loop and controlling the opening and closing action of the shut-off valve.

[0042] Furthermore, when the system of the present invention switches to the cooling mode, it is only necessary to open the first and third shut-off valves and close the second shut-off valve; in the first four-way reversing valve, ports A and B remain connected, and ports C and D remain connected; in the second four-way reversing valve, ports A and C remain connected, and ports B and D remain connected; through the above valve operation, it is possible to achieve that while the refrigerant coils in the first and second air handling units operate as evaporators, the outdoor heat exchanger operates as a condenser, so that the refrigerant entering the air handling unit and exchanging heat with the indoor air is low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant. The refrigerant absorbs heat at both the top and bottom of the tall building and is finally discharged by the outdoor heat exchanger, which can significantly improve the indoor cooling efficiency.

[0043] This invention aims to protect a heat pump-driven air duct network-type thermal management system for large spaces and its control method. Its thermal management functions cover both spatial and temporal scales. Furthermore, under the control method of this invention, the system can also achieve both energy conservation and energy saving. To achieve the above effects, this invention has made the following designs in terms of structural configuration and control scheme, and obtained corresponding beneficial effects:

[0044] 1. In terms of structural configuration, due to the unique chimney effect of tall, open-air buildings, a large amount of hot air will rapidly accumulate at the top of the space during use, resulting in a persistently high temperature at the top and a low temperature at the bottom, creating a significant vertical temperature gradient within the building. Therefore, in addition to the air handling unit in a conventional all-air heat pump system that exchanges heat with the air in the area with temperature requirements, this invention also adds an air handling unit that exchanges heat with the air at the top of the tall, open-air building. It proposes and employs a dual-heat-source heat pump air conditioning system that can simultaneously use outdoor ambient air and hot air from the top of the building as heat sources, and establishes a complete air duct network.

[0045] On the one hand, this invention can improve the chimney effect caused by the accumulation of hot air by recovering waste heat from the top of tall spaces, reduce the ineffective loss of heat to the outside, and reduce the vertical temperature gradient inside the room, thereby improving indoor thermal comfort. At the same time, it can also transfer excess heat from the upper part of the room to the lower part of the space where temperature requirements are required, significantly reducing the energy consumption of heat pump heating and achieving the effect of increasing revenue and saving energy. On the other hand, by introducing hot air from the top of the room as a second heat source, since its temperature is higher than that of ambient air, it can significantly reduce the average compression ratio of the compressor in the entire system compared to traditional heat pump air conditioning systems that only use ambient air as the sole heat source, thereby improving the system's operating performance and achieving greater energy-saving effects.

[0046] 2. In terms of structural configuration, the functional uses of tall, open-plan buildings differ across different height zones, resulting in varying optimal temperature ranges. The bottom of the space, in particular, is often designated as a work and activity area, where heating and cooling demands are more pronounced. Therefore, this invention proposes and employs a heat pump-driven air duct network-based thermal management system for tall, open-plan buildings. This invention first determines temperature control zones by dividing the space vertically based on real-time indoor temperature and the temperature requirements of each floor. For each zone, an air handling unit and its associated supply and return air vents are installed. Finally, according to the standard of minimizing heat recovery temperature and heating temperature, multiple pairs of supply and return air vents and their matching air handling units in areas with and without temperature requirements are divided into multiple mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems. Each system includes only one pair of supply and return air vents and their matching air handling unit in the area with no temperature requirements, and one pair of supply and return air vents and their matching air handling unit in the area with temperature requirements. Thus, this invention can achieve refined, layered thermal management covering the entire area of ​​a large space by having multiple mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems working collaboratively at different temperatures.

[0047] On the one hand, the system can adjust the opening and closing of the shut-off valve and the connection status of the four-way reversing valve in the refrigerant system according to the real-time temperature of each area. While meeting the heating and cooling needs of each temperature zone, it can also flexibly match the required heat load of each area by controlling the air flow rate entering and leaving the corresponding air handling unit in different areas without changing the state parameters of the refrigerant system. Ultimately, this significantly improves the overall working efficiency of the system and reduces energy consumption. On the other hand, the invention adopts a variable air volume heat pump air conditioning system that directly controls the indoor air supply parameters. Compared with the form of introducing refrigerant or heat transfer fluid into the room for heat exchange with the air, the variable air volume heat pump air conditioning system with flexible hose connection first avoids the difficult installation of refrigerant or heat transfer fluid pipelines, and also avoids the environmental and comfort problems caused by condensate. In addition, by changing the air flow rate entering and leaving the air handling unit for thermal management, it is possible to match the load changes of each area more flexibly and energy-efficiently.

[0048] 3. Regarding the control method, since the internal temperature of a large space remains stable and consistent with the outside temperature when it is not used for a long time, the chimney effect has little impact. Therefore, in the initial stage of building use, there is not much waste heat at the top for heat recovery. At this time, it is not necessary to turn on the air handling units that control the temperature of areas without temperature requirements for heat recovery; only heating / cooling of the bottom areas with temperature requirements is needed. As the air handling units that control the air temperature at the bottom continue to operate, a large amount of hot air will quickly gather at the top of the space. When the heat exceeds a certain threshold, it is necessary to turn on the air handling units that control the temperature of areas without temperature requirements for heat recovery and zone temperature control. Therefore, this invention designs and adopts a full-cycle operation phase control method for the dynamic heat recovery needs during the use of large spaces. Under the control method of this invention, the start-up and shutdown actions of the air handling units can cycle through four operation phases according to the real-time temperature of each area of ​​the building, instantly matching the heat recovery state under different environments to maintain the balance of the indoor temperature gradient, thereby completing the dynamic and efficient thermal management of the entire large space.

[0049] 4. Regarding the control method, in tall, spacious buildings, the temperature requirements of temperature-controlled zones at different heights vary due to differences in their functions. Furthermore, when the function of a particular zone changes, its temperature requirements also change. Therefore, this invention employs a multi-mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system working in tandem. By controlling the airflow entering and exiting the air handling unit in each mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system, the heat load of different zones can be flexibly matched, ultimately achieving layered, differentiated, and dynamic thermal management for each temperature-controlled zone. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structural principle of a heat pump-driven air duct network type high-ceiling space thermal management system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the operating principle of a heat pump driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention (heating mode - external circulation heating operation stage).

[0052] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the operating principle of a heat pump driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention (heating mode - synchronous operation stage of internal and external circulation heat recovery).

[0053] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the operating principle of a heat pump driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention (heating mode - internal circulation heat recovery operation stage).

[0054] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the operating principle (cooling mode) of a heat pump driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0055] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of a heat pump driven air duct network type high-ceiling multi-temperature stratified thermal management system in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram (heating mode) of the operating principle of a heat pump driven air duct network type high-ceiling multi-temperature stratified thermal management system in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of a heat pump driven hybrid pipe network type high-space multi-temperature stratified thermal management system in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0058] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram (heating mode) of the operating principle of a heat pump driven hybrid pipe network type high-ceiling multi-temperature stratified thermal management system in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0059] Figures 1 to 5 In the diagram, 1 represents the first air handling unit; 2 represents the second air handling unit; 3 represents the outdoor heat exchanger; 4 represents the first compressor; 5 represents the second compressor; 6 represents the first throttle valve; 7 represents the second throttle valve; 8 represents the first four-way reversing valve; 9 represents the second four-way reversing valve; 10 represents the first shut-off valve; 11 represents the second shut-off valve; 12 represents the third shut-off valve; 13 represents the first air inlet; 14 represents the first return air inlet; 15 represents the second air inlet; and 16 represents the second return air inlet.

[0060] Figures 6 to 7 In the diagram, 1 represents the first mode controllable heat pump box; 2 represents the second mode controllable heat pump box; 3 represents the third mode controllable heat pump box; 4 represents the first air handling unit; 5 represents the second air handling unit; 6 represents the third air handling unit; 7 represents the fourth air handling unit; 8 represents the fifth air handling unit; 9 represents the sixth air handling unit; 10 represents the first air supply outlet; 11 represents the second air supply outlet; 12 represents the third air supply outlet; 13 represents the fourth air supply outlet; 14 represents the fifth air supply outlet; 15 represents the sixth air supply outlet; 16 represents the first return air outlet; 17 represents the second return air outlet; 18 represents the third return air outlet; 19 represents the fourth return air outlet; 20 represents the fifth return air outlet; and 21 represents the sixth return air outlet.

[0061] Figures 8 to 9In this diagram, 1 is a variable refrigerant flow heat pump box; 2 is a refrigerant pipe; 3 is a second refrigerant coil indoor unit; 4 is a refrigerant pipe; 5 is a first refrigerant coil indoor unit; 6 is a variable refrigerant flow heat pump box; 7 is a refrigerant copper pipe; 8 is a second refrigerant coil indoor unit; 9 is a refrigerant copper pipe; 10 is a first refrigerant coil indoor unit; 11 is a variable air volume heat pump box; 12 is a refrigerant copper pipe; 13 is a second air handling unit; 14 is a top air inlet duct; 15 is a top air inlet; 16 is a top return air inlet; 17 is a top return air duct; 18 is a refrigerant copper pipe; 19 is a first air handling unit; 20 is a bottom air inlet duct; 21 is a bottom air inlet; 22 is a bottom return air inlet; and 23 is a bottom return air duct. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Component models, material names, connection structures, control methods, algorithms, and other features not explicitly described in this technical solution are considered common technical features disclosed in the prior art.

[0063] Example 1

[0064] See Figure 1 This embodiment is a heat pump driven air duct network type high-space thermal management system, which includes a complete set of mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems in terms of system composition, and includes two parts in terms of spatial arrangement: outdoor installation and indoor installation.

[0065] In terms of system composition, the complete set of mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system includes four parts: internal circulation refrigerant loop, external circulation refrigerant loop, bottom air loop, and top air loop.

[0066] The internal refrigerant loop includes a second air handling unit 2, a first compressor 4, a second shut-off valve 11, a second four-way reversing valve 9, and a first throttle valve 6, which are connected in sequence by copper pipes.

[0067] The external refrigerant loop includes an outdoor heat exchanger 3, a first four-way reversing valve 8, a second compressor 5, a third shut-off valve 12, a first air handling unit 1, a second four-way reversing valve 9, and a second throttle valve 7, all connected in sequence by copper pipes. Port A of the first four-way reversing valve 8 is connected to one end of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger 3, port B is connected to the exhaust port of the second compressor 5, port C is connected to the third shut-off valve 12, and port D is connected to the suction port of the second compressor 5. Port A of the second four-way reversing valve 9 is connected to the second throttle valve 7, port B is connected to the first throttle valve 6, port C is connected to one end of the refrigerant heat exchange coil of the first air handling unit 1, and port D is connected to one end of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger 3.

[0068] The bottom air loop includes a first air handling unit 1, a first air supply outlet 13 and a first air return outlet 14 connected in sequence by air ducts; the bottom air loop and the refrigerant loop are connected by heat exchange through the refrigerant heat exchange coil in the first air handling unit 1.

[0069] The top air loop includes a second air handling unit 2, a second air supply outlet 15, and a second return air outlet 16 connected in sequence by air ducts; the top air loop and the refrigerant loop are connected by heat exchange through the refrigerant heat exchange coil in the second air handling unit 2.

[0070] In terms of system composition, the internal circulation refrigerant loop and the external circulation refrigerant loop can be interconnected through the opening and closing actions of the first shut-off valve 10, the third shut-off valve 12 and the second four-way reversing valve 9.

[0071] In terms of spatial layout, the outdoor installation includes the installation of all equipment and connecting pipes in the system, including the heat pump unit and air handling unit, except for the indoor air supply outlets 13 and 15 and return air outlets 14 and 16; all equipment can be installed in sections or centrally in a reasonable location outdoors to facilitate system control.

[0072] In terms of spatial arrangement, the indoor installation includes the installation of all supply air vents 13, 15, return air vents 14, 16 and their associated valves and connecting pipes; the first supply air vent 13, the second return air vent 14 and their associated equipment are installed at the bottom of the building to introduce air from areas with temperature requirements into the first air handling unit 1 to complete temperature control; the second supply air vent 15, the second return air vent 16 and their associated equipment are installed at the top of the building to introduce a large amount of hot air accumulated at the top into the second air handling unit 2 to recover excess heat from areas without temperature requirements, reduce heat loss to the outside through the roof and also complete the migration of heat accumulated at the top to the bottom;

[0073] Because the internal temperature of a tall, spacious space remains stable and consistent with the external environment when it is not in use for extended periods, the chimney effect has little impact. Therefore, during the initial use of the building, there is not much waste heat at the top for heat recovery. At this time, it is not necessary to turn on the air handling unit 2, which controls the temperature in areas without temperature requirements, for heat recovery; only heating of the bottom areas with temperature requirements is needed. However, as the air handling unit 1, which controls the air temperature at the bottom, continues to operate, a large amount of hot air will rapidly gather at the top of the space. When the heat exceeds a certain threshold, it is necessary to turn on the air handling unit 2, which controls the temperature in areas without temperature requirements, for heat recovery and zone temperature control. Therefore, this invention designs a full-cycle operation phase control method to address the dynamic heat recovery needs of tall, spacious spaces during heating.

[0074] See Figures 2 to 4This embodiment describes a full-cycle operation control method for a heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system. This method controls the opening and closing actions and connection status of the shut-off valve and the four-way reversing valve, and achieves efficient full-cycle heating of the entire high-rise space building interior by periodically switching between the following four major operation stages:

[0075] 1. External circulation heating operation phase: When a tall, spacious building has not been used for a long time and is about to start indoor heating for the first time, its initial indoor temperature is in a stable state that is consistent with the outside ambient temperature, that is, the indoor temperature is equal to the outside ambient temperature and lower than the thermal comfort lower limit temperature set for areas with temperature requirements; at this time, in terms of valve control, the third shut-off valve 12 is opened, and the first shut-off valve 10 and the second shut-off valve 11 are closed; in the first four-way reversing valve 8, ports A and D are kept connected, and ports B and C are kept connected; in the second four-way reversing valve 9, ports A and C are kept connected, and ports B and D are closed;

[0076] During this stage, the external refrigerant loop and bottom air loop of the mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system are in operation, while the internal refrigerant loop and top air loop are in a stopped state. The system has only outdoor air as a heat source, and only the first air handling unit 1 heats the air sourced from the area with temperature requirements, thus rapidly increasing the indoor temperature.

[0077] 2. Synchronous Operation Stage of Internal and External Circulation Heat Recovery: After the system has been operating in the external circulation heating stage for a period of time, the indoor temperature of the high space continues to rise. Due to the chimney effect, hot air in the space rapidly accumulates at the top, and the higher the location, the faster the temperature rises. Therefore, the temperature rise rate is fastest in the high-altitude areas without temperature requirements. When the temperature reaches the heat recovery set temperature, the second shut-off valve 11 and the third shut-off valve 12 are opened, and the first shut-off valve 10 is closed. In the first four-way reversing valve 8, ports A and D remain connected, and ports B and C remain connected. In the second four-way reversing valve 9, ports A and C remain connected, ports B and C remain connected, and port D is closed.

[0078] During this stage, the external circulation refrigerant loop, internal circulation refrigerant loop, bottom air loop, and top air loop of the mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system are all in operation. The system uses outdoor air and indoor top hot air as heat sources. In addition to the first air handling unit 1 heating the space to raise the temperature of the area with temperature requirements, the refrigerant heat exchange coil in the second air handling unit 2 can recover waste heat from a large amount of hot air from the top area without temperature requirements, which weakens the chimney effect and reduces the energy demand from the outside.

[0079] 3. Internal circulation heat recovery operation phase: Specifically, after the system has been operating in the internal and external circulation heat recovery synchronous operation phase for a period of time, the temperature of the bottom area with temperature requirements gradually rises, and the heat load demand gradually decreases accordingly; when the heat load demand of this area can be met by recovering heat from the top area without temperature requirements, in terms of valve control, the second shut-off valve 11 is opened, and the first shut-off valve 10 and the third shut-off valve 12 are closed; the first four-way reversing valve 8 is completely closed; in the second four-way reversing valve 9, ports B and C remain connected, and ports A and D are closed;

[0080] During this phase, the external refrigerant loop in the mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system is in a suspended state, while the internal refrigerant loop, bottom air loop, and top air loop are in operation. The system uses only the hot air at the top of the room as the sole heat source. The heat output by the refrigerant coil in the first air handling unit 1 is equal to the heat recovered by the second air handling unit 2. The heating demand of the area with temperature requirements at the bottom of the room is met in the internal heat circulation without the need for external energy input.

[0081] 4. Intermittent Operation Phase: After the system has been operating in the above phase for a period of time, under the combined effect of external circulation heating and internal circulation heat recovery, the temperature of the area with temperature requirements at the bottom will continuously rise. When it reaches the upper limit of thermal comfort temperature, the entire system will shut down until the temperature of the area with temperature requirements drops to the lower limit of thermal comfort temperature. At this point, the valve control will switch to the same mode as the external circulation heating mode. The difference is that the initial temperature of the area with temperature requirements changes from the ambient temperature to the lower limit of thermal comfort temperature. During this phase, intermittent heating can be achieved for tall, spacious buildings, which can significantly reduce heating energy consumption while meeting thermal comfort requirements.

[0082] This embodiment achieves flexible matching of dynamic heat recovery needs in high-ceilinged spaces under heating mode by cyclically switching between the above-mentioned working stages. In addition, it should be noted that during the use of high-ceilinged spaces, when the function of a certain area changes, the corresponding temperature requirement of that area will also change. To meet this change, this embodiment can control the airflow into and out of the air handling unit in the system to match the real-time heat load of different areas. Finally, when the high-ceilinged space is no longer in use or there is no heating demand, all valves are closed. Thus, the indoor heating of the entire high-ceilinged building throughout its entire cycle is completed.

[0083] See Figure 2 In this embodiment, when a heat pump-driven air duct network type high-ceiling space thermal management system switches to the external circulation heating operation stage, its workflow is as follows:

[0084] When the external refrigerant loop is opened, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas flowing out of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger 3 first enters the second compressor 5 through the first four-way reversing valve 8; then, the compressed high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas flows from the first four-way reversing valve 8 through the third shut-off valve 12 into the refrigerant coil of the first air handling unit 1; the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas transfers heat in the refrigerant heat exchange coil to the low-temperature air drawn from the first return air port 14 by the fan in the first air handling unit 1, completing the heating effect in the area with temperature requirements; immediately afterward, the cooled low-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant subcooled liquid flows through the second four-way reversing valve 9 into the second throttling valve 7 and is throttled and depressurized into a low-temperature, low-pressure two-phase refrigerant; then, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant enters the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger 3, absorbs heat from the outdoor air and evaporates into superheated refrigerant gas; finally, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas enters the second compressor 5 again through the first four-way reversing valve 8 to complete the external refrigerant loop;

[0085] When the bottom air loop is opened, the cold air in the temperature-required area at the bottom is drawn into the housing by the fan in the first air handling unit 1 through the first return air inlet 14. Then, the low-temperature air exchanges heat with the refrigerant heat exchange coil in the first air handling unit 1, absorbing heat from the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing inside the coil, and is thus heated into high-temperature air. The high-temperature air is then sent into the room by the fan through the first air outlet 13, completing the heat exchange connection between the bottom air loop and the external circulation refrigerant loop, and finally achieving the heating effect of absorbing heat from the outdoor air to complete the heating effect of the temperature-required area.

[0086] See Figure 3 In this embodiment, when a heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system switches to the stage of simultaneous operation of internal and external circulation heat recovery, its workflow is as follows:

[0087] When the external refrigerant loop and bottom air loop are open, their working process is consistent with the external circulation heating operation stage, which can absorb heat from the outdoor air and transfer it to the room to complete the heating; the difference is that during this stage, the internal refrigerant loop and top air loop are switched from closed to open.

[0088] When the internal refrigerant loop is opened, the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas flowing out of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the second air handling unit 2 first enters the first compressor 4; then, the compressed high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas, along with the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas from the outlet of the second compressor 5 in the external refrigerant loop, enters the refrigerant heat exchange coil of the first air handling unit 1 through the second shut-off valve 11; all the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas transfers heat to the low-temperature indoor air driven by the fan in the first air handling unit 1 in the refrigerant heat exchange coil. The heating effect of the area with temperature requirements is completed; then, part of the cooled low-temperature high-pressure refrigerant subcooled liquid flows into the second throttle valve 7 through the second four-way reversing valve 9 to complete the external circulation refrigerant loop, and the other part of the low-temperature high-pressure refrigerant subcooled liquid flows into the first throttle valve 6 through the second four-way reversing valve 9. After throttling and pressure reduction, the low-temperature low-pressure two-phase refrigerant re-enters the refrigerant heat exchange coil of the second air handling unit 2 to absorb the heat from the high-temperature air at the top of the room driven by the fan in the second air handling unit 2, thus completing the internal circulation refrigerant loop.

[0089] When the top air loop is opened, a large amount of hot air accumulated in the area at the top where there is no temperature requirement is drawn into the housing by the fan in the second air handling unit 2 through the second return air vent 16. Then, the hot air exchanges heat with the refrigerant heat exchange coil in the second air handling unit 2, releasing heat to the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant fluid flowing in the coil, and is then cooled into low-temperature air. The low-temperature air is then sent into the room by the fan through the second air outlet 15, completing the heat exchange connection between the top air loop and the internal refrigerant loop. Ultimately, this achieves the recovery of heat from the hot air accumulated at the top of the high space while reducing the chimney effect. Thus, this embodiment can use both outdoor air and hot air at the top of the room as heat sources, significantly improving the heating efficiency of the indoor area with temperature requirements.

[0090] See Figure 4 In this embodiment, when a heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system switches to the internal circulation heat recovery operation stage, its workflow is as follows:

[0091] When the internal refrigerant loop is turned on, its working process is consistent with the synchronous operation phase of internal and external refrigerant heat recovery. The difference is that during this phase, the external refrigerant loop is switched from open to closed. In the end, the system uses only the hot air at the top of the room as the sole heat source. The heat output by the refrigerant coil in the first air handling unit 1 is equal to the heat recovered by the refrigerant coil in the second air handling unit 2.

[0092] It should be noted that the above describes the workflow and control methods for large spaces in heating mode. In this embodiment, the thermal management system can achieve flexible switching between heating and cooling modes by switching the connection states of different ports of the four-way reversing valve in the refrigerant loop and controlling the opening and closing of the shut-off valve.

[0093] See Figure 5 When the heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system in this embodiment switches to cooling mode, it is only necessary to open the first shut-off valve 10 and the third shut-off valve 12 and close the second shut-off valve 11; in the first four-way reversing valve 8, ports A and B are kept connected, and ports C and D are kept connected; in the second four-way reversing valve 9, ports A and C are kept connected, and ports B and D are kept connected; through the above valve operation, it is possible to realize that while the refrigerant coils in the first air handling unit 1 and the second air handling unit 2 are operating as evaporators, the outdoor heat exchanger 3 is operating as a condenser. This ensures that the refrigerant entering the air handling units 1 and 2 to exchange heat with the indoor air is low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant. The refrigerant absorbs heat at both the top and bottom of the high-rise space building and is finally discharged by the outdoor heat exchanger 3, which can significantly improve the indoor cooling efficiency.

[0094] Example 2

[0095] This embodiment describes the system composition of a heat pump-driven air duct network type multi-temperature stratified thermal management system for large spaces (see [link]). Figure 6 ) and basic principles (see Figure 7 Similar to Example 1, but with some differences: Firstly, to accommodate tall, high-ceilinged buildings with more complex functions (i.e., different temperature requirements at different heights), the areas with temperature requirements need to be divided according to height. In this example, the areas with temperature requirements are divided into three zones: Zone 1 with temperature requirements, Zone 2 with temperature requirements, and Zone 3 with temperature requirements. Customized energy supply is provided to different zones to match different heat load demands. Secondly, due to the chimney effect in tall spaces, there is a large vertical temperature gradient indoors. The air temperature in areas without temperature requirements changes drastically with height. To make the temperature change more uniform when heat recovery is carried out in areas without temperature requirements and to reduce the impact on adjacent areas with temperature requirements, this example divides the areas without temperature requirements into three zones according to height: Zone 1 without temperature requirements, Zone 2 without temperature requirements, and Zone 3 without temperature requirements. This expands the location and temperature range for heat recovery to balance the temperature gradient changes.

[0096] Therefore, in order to achieve differentiated thermal management for different temperature requirements in different areas of the large space, in this embodiment of a high-temperature stratified high-efficiency thermal management system for air flow field in a large space, compared with embodiment 1, the mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system in the thermal management system is increased from one set to three sets.

[0097] This embodiment first installs one air handling unit and its associated supply and return air vents in each of the temperature-controlled zones within a tall, spacious building. Since the actual temperature in areas without temperature requirements increases with height, the optimal heat recovery temperature in the air handling units controlling these zones also increases with height. Conversely, since the actual temperature in areas with temperature requirements generally decreases with height, the minimum heating temperature and heat load in the air handling units controlling these zones increase with decreasing height. Therefore, in this embodiment, the thermal management system is structured according to the standard of minimizing heat recovery and heating temperatures, dividing the multiple air handling units controlling the air temperature in areas with and without temperature requirements, along with their associated supply and return air vents, into three sets. The mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system comprises: a first mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system consisting of a first mode-controllable heat pump box 1, a first air handling unit 4, a first air supply outlet 10, a first return air outlet 16, a fourth air handling unit 7, a sixth air supply outlet 15, and a sixth return air outlet 21; a second mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system consisting of a second mode-controllable heat pump box 2, a second air handling unit 5, a second air supply outlet 11, a second return air outlet 17, a fifth air handling unit 8, a fifth air supply outlet 14, and a fifth return air outlet 20; and a third mode-controllable heat pump box 3, a third air handling unit 6, a third air supply outlet 12, a third return air outlet 18, a sixth air handling unit 9, a fourth air supply outlet 13, and a fourth return air outlet 19.

[0098] Therefore, in this embodiment, the thermal management system can achieve detailed and layered thermal management covering the entire area of ​​a large space by having three sets of controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems work together at different operating temperatures.

[0099] The full-cycle control method of the heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise multi-temperature stratified thermal management system in this embodiment is basically the same as that in Embodiment 1. Since the internal temperature of the high-rise space is in a stable state consistent with the outside when it is not used for a long time, the chimney effect has no significant impact on it. Therefore, there is not much waste heat at the top for heat recovery in the early stage of building use. At this time, it is not necessary to turn on the air handling unit that controls the temperature of the area without temperature requirements for heat recovery. Only the heating of the area with temperature requirements at the bottom is required. However, as the air handling unit that controls the air temperature at the bottom continues to work, a large amount of hot air will quickly gather at the top of the space. When the heat exceeds a certain threshold, it is necessary to turn on the air handling unit that controls the temperature of the area without temperature requirements for heat recovery and area temperature control. Therefore, in order to meet the dynamic heat recovery needs of the high-rise space during the heating period, this embodiment also needs to adopt a full-cycle operation stage control method similar to that in Embodiment 1.

[0100] The difference lies in the fact that, under the full-cycle operation control method in this embodiment, the temperature requirements of different areas in a tall, spacious building vary due to differences in their functions during use. Furthermore, when the function of a certain area changes, its temperature requirements also change. Therefore, this embodiment further incorporates a refined, layered dynamic thermal management control method to address the randomly changing temperature requirements of different areas within a tall, spacious building. Under this control method, by controlling the airflow into and out of the air handling unit in each mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system, the heat load of different areas can be flexibly matched, ultimately achieving layered, differentiated dynamic thermal management for each temperature-controlled area.

[0101] In heating mode, for an air handling unit that acts as a condenser in a single-mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system to provide heating, with other parameters remaining unchanged, a higher airflow rate through the refrigerant heat exchange coil within the air handling unit results in more heat being transferred to the corresponding area and a higher temperature rise rate. For an air handling unit that acts as an evaporator in a single-mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system to provide heat recovery, with other parameters remaining unchanged, a higher airflow rate through the refrigerant heat exchange coil within the air handling unit results in more heat being absorbed from the corresponding area and a higher temperature drop rate. This embodiment provides the following four typical control cases to illustrate how to achieve differentiated dynamic thermal management for each temperature control zone under a refined stratified dynamic thermal management control method:

[0102] 1. Increased temperature requirement in zone 1: Under this temperature control requirement, the first mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system only needs to increase the air flow rate drawn by the fan in the first air handling unit 4 within the reasonable working range of other equipment such as the air handling unit in zone 1 with its own temperature requirement.

[0103] 2. Temperature requirement of zone 1 is reduced: Under this temperature control requirement, the first mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system only needs to reduce the air flow rate drawn by the fan in the first air handling unit 4 within the reasonable working range of other equipment such as the air handling unit.

[0104] 3. Increased heat recovery demand in Zone 1 without temperature requirements: Under this temperature control requirement, the first mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system only needs to increase the air flow rate extracted by the fan in the second air handling unit 7 within the reasonable operating range of other equipment such as the air handling unit in Zone 1 with its own temperature requirements.

[0105] 4. Reduced temperature requirement in Zone 1 without temperature requirement: Under this temperature control requirement, the first mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system only needs to reduce the air flow rate drawn by the fan in Zone 1 with its own temperature requirement within the reasonable operating range of the air handling unit and other equipment.

[0106] In summary, this embodiment demonstrates that the number of sets of the mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system in this invention is unlimited; there can be only one set or more than one set. Furthermore, by varying the number of mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems, this invention can also meet the needs of flexible matching of different temperature requirements across all areas in large spaces due to differences in functional requirements.

[0107] Example 3

[0108] The basic principle of the heat pump-driven hybrid pipe network type high-ceiling multi-temperature stratified thermal management system in this embodiment is basically similar to that in Embodiment 2 (see [link]). Figures 8 to 9 In this embodiment, the high-rise building is also divided into multiple temperature-required areas and multiple temperature-free areas to achieve differentiated thermal management for different temperature requirements in each area of ​​the high-rise building. The difference from embodiment 2 is that this embodiment not only uses a heat pump driven air pipeline network for indoor thermal management (i.e., both the refrigerant system and the air handling system are set up outdoors, the refrigerant enters the heat exchange coil in the air handling unit to exchange heat with the return air from indoors, and the air is processed before being sent into the room), but also adds a refrigerant pipeline network (i.e., the refrigerant in the heat pump system flows directly into the heat exchange coil in the indoor unit to exchange heat with the indoor air) and a refrigerant pipeline network (i.e., the refrigerant system is set up independently outdoors, and the refrigerant enters the heat exchange coil in the indoor unit to exchange heat with the indoor air) to work together to complete the thermal management of different areas of the room.

[0109] See Figure 9 In this embodiment, a heat pump-driven hybrid pipe network type high-ceiling multi-temperature stratified thermal management system can be divided into three main parts, including a heat pump-driven air pipe network, a refrigerant pipe network, and a refrigerant pipe network.

[0110] In heating mode, the thermal management loop of the heat pump driven air duct network is similar to that of the aforementioned heat pump driven refrigerant duct network; the difference is that the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant and the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant from the outlet of the variable air volume heat pump box 11 enter the second air handling unit 13 and the first air handling unit 19 respectively through refrigerant copper pipes 12 and 18, instead of directly entering the interior of the tall building to exchange heat with the air; the outdoor second air handling unit 13 can use a fan to draw hot air from the area without temperature requirements from the top return air inlet 16 and send it into the second air handling unit 13 through the top return air duct 17, where it is heated by the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant flowing in the heat exchange coil. The cooled air is then sent back to the temperature-required area 1 via the top air supply duct 14 and the top return port 15 by a fan, completing the heat recovery of the temperature-required area 1. At the same time, the outdoor first air handling unit 19 can draw the cold air from the temperature-required area 1 through the bottom return air port 22 and send it into the first air handling unit 19 via the bottom return air duct 23, where it is heated by the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flowing in the heat exchange coil. Then, the heated high-temperature air is sent back to the temperature-required area 1 via the bottom air supply duct 20 and the bottom return port 21 by a fan, completing the heating effect of the temperature-required area 1. Thus, the heat management loop of the heat pump-driven air network is completed.

[0111] In heating mode, the workflow of the heat management loop of the heat pump-driven refrigerant piping network is as follows: The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant from the outlet of the variable refrigerant flow heat pump box 6 enters the second refrigerant coil indoor unit 8 through the refrigerant copper pipe 7. The second refrigerant coil indoor unit 8 operates as an evaporator. The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant absorbs the heat from the hot air in the temperature-unrequired zone 2, which is transported by the fan in the second refrigerant coil indoor unit 8. The refrigerant absorbs heat and evaporates into superheated vapor, simultaneously recovering the waste heat of the temperature-unrequired zone 2. Then, the superheated vapor returns to the variable refrigerant flow heat pump box 6 through the refrigerant copper pipe 9 and enters the compressor. After compression, the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant... Refrigerant vapor flows out from the variable refrigerant flow rate heat pump 6 and enters the first refrigerant coil indoor unit 10 through the refrigerant copper pipe 9. The first refrigerant coil indoor unit 10 operates as a condenser, and the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant transfers heat to the cold air in the temperature-required zone two, which is transported by the fan in the first refrigerant coil indoor unit 10. The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant is condensed, and the heating effect of the temperature-required zone two is achieved at the same time. Finally, the two-phase refrigerant liquid returns to the variable refrigerant flow rate heat pump box 6 through the refrigerant copper pipe 9. After being throttled and depressurized by the internal throttling valve, it becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant again. Thus, the thermal management loop of the heat pump-driven refrigerant piping network is completed.

[0112] In heating mode, the workflow of the heat management loop in the heat pump-driven refrigerant network is as follows: the low-temperature refrigerant from the outlet of the variable refrigerant flow heat pump box 1 enters the second refrigerant coil indoor unit 3 through the refrigerant pipe 2. The low-temperature refrigerant absorbs the heat from the hot air in the temperature-unrequired zone 3, which is delivered by the fan in the second refrigerant coil indoor unit 3. While being heated, the low-temperature refrigerant also recovers the waste heat from the temperature-unrequired zone 3. Afterward, the heated refrigerant returns to the variable refrigerant flow heat pump box 1 through the refrigerant pipe 2, and the heat is transferred to the refrigerant coil indoor unit 3. The heat is transferred to the high-temperature refrigerant at the outlet of the variable refrigerant flow heat pump box 1; the high-temperature refrigerant enters the first refrigerant coil indoor unit 5 through the refrigerant pipe 4, and delivers heat to the cold air in the temperature-required zone 3, which is supplied by the fan in the first refrigerant coil indoor unit 5. The high-temperature refrigerant is cooled while the heating effect of the temperature-required zone 3 is achieved; finally, the low-temperature refrigerant, after releasing heat, returns to the variable refrigerant flow heat pump box 1 through the refrigerant pipe 4; at this point, the heat management loop of the heat pump-driven refrigerant piping network is completed;

[0113] In summary, this embodiment demonstrates that the form of heat exchange with indoor air in this invention is not limited to air duct networks. Refrigerant duct networks or refrigerant networks can be selected for partial or complete replacement based on the actual site conditions, ultimately forming a heat pump-driven air-refrigerant-refrigerant mixed duct network thermal management system.

[0114] It should be noted that relational terms such as "first" and "second" in the above embodiments are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Meanwhile, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion;

[0115] The above embodiments do not fully demonstrate all components of the refrigerant cycle. In practice, the addition of common refrigeration accessories such as high-pressure liquid receivers, gas-liquid separators, filters, and dryers to the refrigerant circuit, or the addition of heat exchangers without departing from the spirit of the technical solution of this invention, shall not be regarded as a substantial improvement to this invention and shall fall within the protection scope of this invention.

[0116] The above description of the embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand and use the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to these embodiments, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without inventive effort. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A heat pump-driven air duct network type high-ceiling space thermal management system, characterized in that, The thermal management system includes one or more mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation systems; The mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system includes a refrigerant loop and an air loop; The refrigerant loop includes an internal refrigerant loop and an external refrigerant loop, and the air loop includes a bottom air loop and a top air loop; The internal refrigerant loop includes a second air handling unit, a first compressor, a second shut-off valve, a second four-way reversing valve, and a first throttle valve, which are connected in sequence through refrigerant pipelines. The external refrigerant loop includes an outdoor heat exchanger, a first four-way reversing valve, a second compressor, a third shut-off valve, a first air handling unit, a second four-way reversing valve, and a second throttle valve connected in sequence. The bottom air loop includes a first air handling unit, a first air supply outlet, and a first air return outlet connected in sequence by air ducts; The bottom air loop and the refrigerant loop are connected by a heat exchanger coil inside the first air handling unit. The top air loop includes a second air handling unit, a second air supply outlet, and a second air return outlet connected in sequence by air ducts; The top air loop and the refrigerant loop are connected by a heat exchange coil in the second air handling unit. The aforementioned controllable refrigerant and air circulation system is provided in one or more sets to achieve refined stratified thermal management of the entire area of ​​a large space. The refined stratified thermal management is implemented as follows: Temperature control zones are determined by dividing the space vertically based on the real-time indoor temperature requirements of tall, spacious buildings. Each zone is equipped with an air handling unit and its corresponding supply and return air vents. Finally, according to the standard of minimizing heat recovery temperature and heating temperature, multiple pairs of supply and return air vents and their matching air handling units in areas with and without temperature requirements are divided into multiple mode-controlled refrigerant and air circulation systems. Each mode-controlled refrigerant and air circulation system includes only one pair of supply and return air vents and their matching air handling unit in areas without temperature requirements, and one pair of supply and return air vents and their matching air handling unit in areas with temperature requirements. By having multiple mode-controlled refrigerant and air circulation systems work together at different temperatures, refined and layered thermal management covering the entire area of ​​the tall, spacious building is ultimately achieved.

2. The heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first four-way reversing valve includes four ports: port A is connected to one end of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger, port B is connected to the exhaust port of the second compressor, port C is connected to the third shut-off valve, and port D is connected to the suction port of the second compressor.

3. A heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second four-way reversing valve includes four ports: port A is connected to the second throttle valve, port B is connected to the first throttle valve, port C is connected to one end of the refrigerant heat exchange coil of the first air handling unit, and port D is connected to one end of the refrigerant heat exchange channel of the outdoor heat exchanger.

4. A heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The internal refrigerant loop and the external refrigerant loop can be interconnected through the opening and closing actions of the first shut-off valve, the third shut-off valve, and the second four-way reversing valve.

5. A heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the internal refrigerant loop and the external refrigerant loop are installed outdoors in tall, spacious buildings. The first air supply outlet, the first air return outlet, the second air supply outlet, and the second air return outlet are all located indoors; The first air supply outlet and the second air return outlet are both installed at the bottom of the tall building to introduce air from the temperature-required area of ​​the tall building into the first air handling unit to complete the temperature control. The second air supply outlet and the second air return outlet are both installed at the top of the tall building. They are used to introduce the hot air accumulated at the top of the tall building into the second air handling unit to recover the excess heat in areas without temperature requirements, reduce the heat loss through the roof, and transfer the heat accumulated at the top to the bottom.

6. A heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The heat pump-driven piping network in the controllable refrigerant and air circulation system includes an air piping network, where both the refrigerant system and the air handling system are located outdoors. The refrigerant enters the heat exchange coil in the air handling unit to exchange heat with the return air from indoors. The air is then processed and sent indoors. Specifically, a heat pump-driven refrigerant piping network is used, where the refrigerant in the heat pump system flows directly into the heat exchange coil in the indoor unit to exchange heat with the indoor air. Alternatively, a heat pump-driven refrigerant piping network is used, where the refrigerant system is independently located outdoors, and the refrigerant partially or completely replaces the indoor air by entering the heat exchange coil in the indoor unit. Ultimately, a heat pump-driven air-refrigerant-refrigerant mixed piping network thermal management system is formed.

7. A control method for a heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system as described in any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The control method is used to address the dynamic heat recovery needs of large spaces during heating. It achieves efficient, full-cycle heating of the entire large space building by periodically switching between external circulation heating operation, synchronized internal and external circulation heat recovery operation, internal circulation heat recovery operation, and intermittent operation. The specific process includes: During the external circulation heating operation phase, when a tall, spacious building has not been used for a long time and is about to begin indoor heating for the first time, its initial indoor temperature is in a stable state consistent with the outside ambient temperature. That is, the indoor temperature is equal to the outside ambient temperature and lower than the thermal comfort lower limit temperature set for areas with temperature requirements. In terms of valve control, the third shut-off valve is opened, and the first and second shut-off valves are closed. In the first four-way reversing valve, ports A and D are kept connected, and ports B and C are kept connected. In the second four-way reversing valve, ports A and C are kept connected, and ports B and D are closed. During the external circulation heating operation phase, the external circulation refrigerant loop and the bottom air loop of the mode controllable refrigerant and air circulation system are in operation, while the internal circulation refrigerant loop and the top air loop are in a stopped state. The system has only outdoor air as a heat source, and only the first air handling unit heats the air sourced from the area with temperature requirements, thereby rapidly increasing the indoor temperature. During the synchronous operation of the internal and external circulation heat recovery, after the system has been operating for a preset time in the external circulation heating phase, the indoor temperature of the high space continues to rise. Due to the chimney effect, the hot air in the space rapidly gathers at the top, and the higher the location, the faster the temperature rises. The temperature rise rate is fastest in the high-altitude areas without temperature requirements. When the temperature reaches the heat recovery set temperature, the second and third shut-off valves are opened, and the first shut-off valve is closed. In the first four-way reversing valve, ports A and D remain connected, and ports B and C remain connected. In the second four-way reversing valve, ports A and C remain connected, ports B and C remain connected, and port D is closed. During the synchronous operation phase of internal and external circulation heat recovery, the external circulation refrigerant loop, internal circulation refrigerant loop, bottom air loop, and top air loop of the controllable refrigerant and air circulation system are all in operation. The system uses outdoor air and indoor top hot air as heat sources. In addition to the first air handling unit heating the space to raise the temperature of the area with temperature requirements, the refrigerant heat exchange coil in the second air handling unit can recover waste heat from a large amount of hot air from the top area without temperature requirements, which weakens the chimney effect and reduces the energy demand from the outside. When the internal circulation heat recovery operation phase is working, after the system is in the internal and external circulation heat recovery synchronous operation phase for a preset time, the temperature of the bottom area with temperature requirements gradually rises, and the heat load demand gradually decreases. When the heat load demand of the bottom area with temperature requirements can be met by recovering heat from the top area without temperature requirements, in terms of valve control, the second shut-off valve is opened, the first shut-off valve and the third shut-off valve are closed, the first four-way reversing valve is completely closed, and ports B and C of the second four-way reversing valve remain connected, while ports A and D are closed. During the internal circulation heat recovery operation phase, the external circulation refrigerant loop in the mode-controllable refrigerant and air circulation system is in a stopped state, while the internal circulation refrigerant loop, bottom air loop, and top air loop are in operation. The system uses only the hot air at the top of the room as the sole heat source. The heat output by the refrigerant coil in the first air handling unit is equal to the heat recovered by the second air handling unit. In the internal heat circulation without the need for external energy input, the heating demand of the area with temperature requirements at the bottom of the room is met. During the intermittent operation phase, after the system has been in other operating phases for a preset time, the temperature of the bottom area with temperature requirements will continuously rise under the combined effect of external circulation heating and internal circulation heat recovery. When it reaches the upper limit temperature for thermal comfort, the system will shut down completely until the temperature of the area with temperature requirements drops to the lower limit temperature for thermal comfort. The valve control will then switch to the same mode as the external circulation heating operation, and the initial temperature of the area with temperature requirements will change from the ambient temperature to the lower limit temperature for thermal comfort. During intermittent operation, it can achieve intermittent heating for tall, spacious buildings, meeting thermal comfort requirements while significantly reducing heating energy consumption.

8. The control method for a heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The thermal management system can flexibly match the dynamic heat recovery needs of large spaces under heating mode by cyclically switching between four operating phases. During the use of a large space, when the function of a certain area changes, the corresponding temperature requirement of that area will also change. To meet this change, the thermal management system can control the air flow into and out of the air handling unit in the system to match the real-time heat load of different areas. Finally, when the large space is no longer in use or there is no heating demand, all valves are closed. Thus, the indoor heating of the entire large space building throughout its entire life cycle is completed.

9. The control method for a heat pump-driven air duct network type high-rise space thermal management system according to claim 7, characterized in that, It can also switch the connection status of different ports of the four-way reversing valve in the refrigerant loop and control the opening and closing action of the shut-off valve, and can also realize the switching of refrigeration mode. When the thermal management system switches to cooling mode, the first and third shut-off valves are opened, and the second shut-off valve is closed. In the first four-way reversing valve, ports A and B are connected, and ports C and D are connected. In the second four-way reversing valve, ports A and C are connected, and ports B and D are connected. This allows the refrigerant coils in the first and second air handling units to operate as evaporators, while the outdoor heat exchanger operates as a condenser. This ensures that the refrigerant entering the air handling unit and exchanging heat with the indoor air is low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant. The refrigerant also absorbs heat at the top and bottom of the tall building and is finally discharged through the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby improving indoor cooling efficiency.

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