Heat pump and heat storage device for hvacr system

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACamp; r) system (10) comprising: a distillation system (102) configured to distill a mixture; a heat pump system (100) fluidly coupled to the distillation system (102), where the heat pump system (100) is configured to transfer heat between a working fluid circulating through the heat pump system (100) and a fluid flow received from the distillation system (102); and a heat storage system (150) comprising a heat storage vessel (174), where the heat storage system (150) is configured to capture heat from the working fluid and store the heat in the heat storage vessel (174) as a heated fluid.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications This application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 525,084, filed July 5, 2023, entitled “HEAT PUMP AND HEAT STORAGE FOR HVAC&R SYSTEM,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. Background Technology

[0002] This section aims to introduce the reader to various aspects of the technology that may relate to the various aspects of this disclosure described below. It is believed that this discussion will help provide the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of this disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that these statements should be read in this light, rather than as an endorsement of prior art.

[0003] Heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems can utilize a working fluid (e.g., a refrigerant) that changes the phase between vapor, liquid, and their combination in response to varying temperatures and pressures within components of the HVAC&R system (e.g., a vapor compression system). The HVAC&R system can place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a conditioning fluid (e.g., water) to heat and / or cool the conditioning fluid, and then deliver the conditioning fluid to various destinations for use. For example, an HVAC&R system may include a heat pump system (e.g., a heat pump vapor compression system) comprising one or more heat exchangers, each configured to receive a corresponding flow of working fluid and a corresponding flow of additional fluid and place the working fluid and additional fluid in a heat exchange relationship.

[0004] Typically, the energy transferred by the first heat exchanger of a heat pump system (e.g., heat transferred from the working fluid to the first additional fluid) can be approximately equal to the energy transferred by the second heat exchanger of the heat pump system (e.g., heat transferred from the second additional fluid to the working fluid) and the energy consumed by the compressor of the heat pump system. However, heat pump systems can be used in applications with variable cooling and / or heating loads. Therefore, existing heat pump systems may operate inefficiently under various operating conditions. Thus, improved heat pump systems that are more efficient and / or effectively meet different heating and / or cooling loads are desired. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following provides an overview of certain embodiments disclosed herein. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief overview of these particular embodiments, and these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In fact, this disclosure may cover various aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0006] In one embodiment, the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC&R) system includes a distillation system configured to distill a mixture and a heat pump system fluidly coupled to the distillation system. The heat pump system is configured to transfer heat between a working fluid circulating through the heat pump system and a fluid flow received from the distillation system. The HVAC&R system further includes a heat storage system comprising a heat storage container, wherein the heat storage system is configured to capture heat from the working fluid and store the heat in the heat storage container.

[0007] In one embodiment, the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC&R) system includes a heat exchanger configured to receive a working fluid flow from a heat pump system and a heat storage fluid. The heat exchanger is configured to place the working fluid flow and the heat storage fluid in a heat exchange relationship and to transfer heat from the working fluid flow to the heat storage fluid. The HVAC&R system further includes: a heat storage container configured to receive the heat storage fluid from the heat exchanger; and a valve that couples the heat exchanger fluid to the vapor compression loop of the heat pump system. Furthermore, the HVAC&R system includes a control system communicatively coupled to the valve and configured to regulate the valve's position to control the amount of working fluid flow directed from the vapor compression loop toward the heat exchanger.

[0008] In one embodiment, the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC&R) system includes a heat pump system coupled to a distillation system configured to distill a mixture. The heat pump system is configured to transfer heat between a working fluid circulating through the heat pump system and one or more portions of the mixture received from the distillation system. The HVAC&R system further includes a heat storage system fluidly coupled to the heat pump system. The heat storage system includes a first heat exchanger configured to receive a first working fluid flow from the heat pump system and a heat storage fluid flow. The first heat exchanger is also configured to receive a first working fluid flow from the heat pump system and a second fluid flow. Additionally, the first heat exchanger is configured to place the first working fluid flow and the second fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship and transfer heat from the first working fluid flow to the second fluid flow to generate a heated fluid flow. The heat storage system further includes a heat storage container configured to receive the heated fluid flow from the first heat exchanger, wherein the heat storage system is configured to generate and store the heated fluid flow based on a heating load associated with the distillation system. Attached Figure Description

[0009] A better understanding of the various aspects of this disclosure can be achieved by reading the following detailed description and referring to the figures, in which: Figure 1This is a perspective view of a building according to an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and cooling (HVAC&R) system in a commercial environment, based on one aspect of this disclosure; Figure 2 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system including a distillation system and a heat pump system according to one aspect of this disclosure; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system including a distillation system and a heat pump system according to one aspect of this disclosure; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system including a thermal storage system, a heat pump system, and a distillation system according to one aspect of this disclosure; and Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system including a thermal storage system, a heat pump system, and a distillation system, according to one aspect of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0010] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. To provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of the actual implementations are described in the specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific objectives, such as complying with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, it should be understood that such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but is merely a routine task of design, manufacture, and production for those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure.

[0011] In describing the elements of various embodiments of this disclosure, the articles “a” and “the” are intended to mean the presence of one or more of the element. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that additional elements may be present in addition to those listed. Furthermore, it should be understood that references to “an embodiment” or “an embodiment” in this disclosure are not intended to exclude the existence of additional embodiments incorporated into the described features.

[0012] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC&R) system. The HVAC&R system may include a vapor compression system (e.g., a vapor compression loop) configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., a refrigerant, water) to cool and / or heat a conditioning fluid (e.g., water, a mixture of water and alcohol). In particular, the vapor compression system may be a heat pump system comprising one or more heat exchangers, each configured to receive a working fluid and a corresponding additional fluid and to place the working fluid and the additional fluid in a heat exchange relationship. The heat pump system may be a generally thermally balanced system. For example, the energy transferred by a first heat exchanger of the heat pump system (e.g., heat transferred from the working fluid to a first additional fluid) may be approximately equal to the energy transferred by a second heat exchanger of the heat pump system (e.g., heat transferred from a second additional fluid to the working fluid) and the energy consumed by the compressor of the heat pump system. It is now recognized that heat pump systems can be implemented more efficiently with processes and / or applications having both heating and cooling loads. For example, according to this technology, a heat pump system can be implemented in conjunction with a distillation system to provide heating and / or cooling, thereby enabling the distillation of fluids (e.g., liquids). In this way, the distillation operation can be carried out more efficiently with reduced costs and energy consumption.

[0013] As described herein, heat pump systems can be used in conjunction with various distillation systems to perform distillation operations (e.g., distillation processes, processes for distilling and / or concentrating mixtures or liquids, evaporation concentration, seawater desalination, water distillation). In such applications, heat pump systems can operate to supply heat and / or steam (e.g., vaporized water, a mixture of vaporized water and alcohol) to a distillation vessel (e.g., a distillation column) and to cool and / or condense vaporized fluids (e.g., alcohol vapor). Unfortunately, the heating loads (e.g., target temperature, desired heating load, and / or temperature) may vary for some stages of a distillation operation (e.g., steps, operations, batch stages). Therefore, existing heat pump systems may result in inefficiencies at certain stages of the distillation operation. In particular, the heating load of a heat pump system may be higher or lower than the target heating load (e.g., target temperature, 70 degrees Celsius (°C), 70°C to 80°C, etc.) for one or more distillation stages of the distillation operation. For example, excess heat may be generated because the heat load of the heat pump system exceeds the target heat load for one or more distillation stages. Therefore, there is a need for improved heat pump systems that can more efficiently and / or effectively meet (e.g., match, correlate) the different heating and / or cooling loads of distillation operations.

[0014] Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure relate to an HVAC&R system that may include a heat pump system and a thermal storage system configured to operate in conjunction with a distillation process. The thermal storage system is configured to remove and store excess heat (e.g., exhaust heat from the heated fluid) from the heat pump system, enabling the heat pump system to more efficiently and / or effectively meet (e.g., match) different target heating and / or cooling loads of one or more stages of the distillation operation. Thus, the thermal storage system improves the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost-effectiveness of the heat pump system using the distillation process. Additionally, the thermal storage system may be configured to utilize the stored heat in various stages or operations associated with the distillation process, such as sterilizing (e.g., cleaning) and / or preheating components of the distillation operation (e.g., distillation vessel) between batch processes (e.g., during the start-up of a new batch process). In some embodiments, the thermal storage system may be configured to utilize the stored heat in other processes and / or operations of the HVAC&R system. In this way, a heat storage system with a heat pump system can further improve the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) of the distillation operation by using the stored heat (e.g., excess heat) at various distillation stages (such as stages where the target heating demand is higher than the heating output of the heat pump system (e.g., the current heating output)).

[0015] For illustrative purposes, the following discussion relates to heat pump systems and thermal storage systems integrated with or configured to operate with distillation systems or processes. However, it should be understood that the disclosed features and techniques can also be used with other systems and processes. In particular, heat pump systems and thermal storage systems can be implemented with other types of processes that include different heating and / or cooling loads. Additionally, heat pump systems and thermal storage systems can be integrated with or configured to operate with systems and / or processes that apply heat to a mixture (e.g., by the heat pump system and / or thermal storage system) to separate the mixture into its components and produce a purer and / or more concentrated end product. For example, heat pump systems and thermal storage systems can be integrated with or configured to operate with: evaporation concentration systems or processes, seawater desalination systems or processes, water distillation systems or processes, water purification systems or processes, systems or processes for distilling and / or concentrating mixtures or liquids, etc. Similar to distillation systems or processes, the disclosed features and techniques can improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of these processes by enabling heat pump systems and thermal storage systems to meet (e.g., correlate, match) different heating and / or cooling loads more efficiently and effectively. Additionally, the heat stored by the thermal storage system can be used at various stages or operations associated with these processes, such as stages where the target heating demand is higher than the heating output of the heat pump system (e.g., the current heating output) (e.g., sterilization processes, batch-to-batch transitions, starting a new batch, and / or preheating of components used in these processes).

[0016] Now turn to the attached diagram. Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVAC&R) system 10 in a building 12 for a typical commercial environment. The HVAC&R system 10 may include a vapor compression system 14 (e.g., a heat pump system) that supplies a chilled liquid that can be used to cool the building 12. The HVAC&R system 10 may also include a boiler 16 for supplying warm liquid to heat the building 12 (e.g., a main location) and an air distribution system for circulating air through the building 12. The air distribution system may also include an air return duct 18, an air supply duct 20, and / or an air handler 22. In some embodiments, the air handler 22 may include a heat exchanger (e.g., a plate heat exchanger) connected to the boiler 16 and the vapor compression system 14 via a conduit 24. Depending on the operating mode of the HVAC&R system 10, the heat exchanger in the air handler 22 may receive heated liquid from the boiler 16 and / or cooled liquid from the vapor compression system 14. HVAC&R system 10 is shown as having a separate air processor on each floor of building 12, but in other embodiments, HVAC&R system 10 may include air processor 22 and / or other components that may be shared between floors.

[0017] Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 14 that can be used in an HVAC&R system 10. The vapor compression system 14 circulates a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant, water) through a loop beginning with a compressor 32. This loop may also include a condenser 34, an expansion valve or device 36, and a liquid cooler or evaporator 38. The vapor compression system 14 may further include a control panel 40 having an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter 42, a microprocessor 44, non-volatile memory 46, and / or an interface board 48.

[0018] Some examples of fluids that can be used as working fluids in vapor compression system 14 include hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants such as R-410A, R-407, R-134a, R-1234ze, R1233zd, hydrofluoroolefins (HFO), “natural” refrigerants such as ammonia (NH3), R-717, carbon dioxide (CO2), R-744, or hydrocarbon-based refrigerants, water (e.g., water vapor), water mixtures (e.g., water and alcohol mixtures), or any other suitable working fluid. In some embodiments, vapor compression system 14 may be configured to efficiently utilize a working fluid with a standard boiling point of about 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) at one atmosphere, also referred to as a low-pressure working fluid relative to medium-pressure working fluids such as R-134a. As used herein, “standard boiling point” can refer to the boiling point temperature measured at one atmosphere.

[0019] In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may use one or more of a variable speed drive (VSD) 52, a motor 50, a compressor 32, a condenser 34, an expansion valve or device 36, and / or an evaporator 38. The motor 50 may drive the compressor 32 and may be powered by the VSD 52. The VSD 52 receives AC power with a specific fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an alternating current (AC) power source and supplies power with a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 50. In other embodiments, the motor 50 may be directly powered by an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor 50 may include any type of motor that can be powered by a VSD or directly by an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically rectified permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

[0020] Compressor 32 compresses the working fluid vapor and delivers it to condenser 34 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, compressor 32 may be a centrifugal compressor. The working fluid vapor delivered by compressor 32 to condenser 34 can transfer heat to the cooling fluid (e.g., water or air) in condenser 34. Due to heat transfer with the cooling fluid, the working fluid vapor can condense into working fluid liquid in condenser 34. The liquid working fluid from condenser 34 can flow to evaporator 38 through expansion device 36. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the condenser 34 is water-cooled and includes a tube bundle 54 connected to a cooling tower 56 that supplies cooling fluid to the condenser 34.

[0021] The liquid working fluid delivered to evaporator 38 can absorb heat from another cooling fluid, which may or may not be the same cooling fluid used in condenser 34. The liquid working fluid in evaporator 38 can undergo a phase change from liquid working fluid to working fluid vapor. For example... Figure 3As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the evaporator 38 may include a tube bundle 58 having a supply line 60S and a return line 60R connected to the cooling load 62. Cooling fluid (e.g., water, ethylene glycol, calcium chloride brine, sodium chloride brine, or any other suitable fluid) enters the evaporator 38 via the return line 60R and exits the evaporator 38 via the supply line 60S. The evaporator 38 may reduce the temperature of the cooling fluid in the tube bundle 58 via heat transfer with the working fluid. The tube bundle 58 in the evaporator 38 may include multiple tubes and / or multiple tube bundles. In any case, the vapor working fluid exits the evaporator 38 and returns to the compressor 32 via the suction line to complete the cycle.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a vapor compression system 14, in which an intermediate loop 64 is coupled between the condenser 34 and the expansion device 36. The intermediate loop 64 may have an inlet line 68 directly fluidly connected to the condenser 34. In other embodiments, the inlet line 68 may be indirectly fluidly coupled to the condenser 34. Figure 4 As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the inlet line 68 includes a first expansion device 66 positioned upstream of the intermediate container 70. In some embodiments, the intermediate container 70 may be a flash tank (e.g., a flash intercooler, an energy saver, etc.). In other embodiments, the intermediate container 70 may be configured as a heat exchanger or a "surface energy saver". Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate container 70 serves as a flash tank, and the first expansion device 66 is configured to reduce the pressure of the liquid working fluid received from the condenser 34 (e.g., to expand the liquid working fluid). During the expansion process, a portion of the liquid may vaporize, and thus the intermediate container 70 can be used to separate the vapor from the liquid received from the first expansion device 66.

[0023] Additionally, the intermediate container 70 provides further expansion of the liquid working fluid due to the pressure drop it experiences upon entering the intermediate container 70 (e.g., due to the rapid increase in volume experienced upon entering the intermediate container 70). The compressor 32 can draw vapor from the intermediate container 70 via its suction line 74. In other embodiments, the vapor in the intermediate container can be drawn into an intermediate stage of the compressor 32 (e.g., a non-suction stage). Due to the expansion in the expansion device 66 and / or the intermediate container 70, the liquid collected in the intermediate container 70 can have a lower enthalpy than the liquid working fluid leaving the condenser 34. The liquid from the intermediate container 70 can then flow in line 72 through the second expansion device 36 to the evaporator 38.

[0024] It should be understood that any of the HVAC&R systems described above can be utilized according to this technology. For example, this technology can be combined with embodiments of the HVAC&R system 10, vapor compression system 14, boiler 16, cooler, heat pump, and / or other HVAC&R equipment described above. As briefly discussed above, this embodiment relates to an embodiment of HVAC&R system 10, which may include a heat pump configured to be combined with a distillation system (e.g., distillation operation). In particular, as discussed herein, the heat pump may include a thermal storage system configured to extract and store excess heat (e.g., exhaust heat of the heated fluid) to enable the heat pump to more efficiently and / or effectively meet (e.g., match) different target heating and / or cooling loads of stages or operations of the distillation process. Additionally, the thermal storage system may be configured to utilize the stored heat at desired stages of the distillation process, such as sterilizing (e.g., cleaning) and / or preheating components of the distillation system (e.g., distillation vessel) between batch processes (e.g., during the start-up of a new batch process). In this way, the heat storage system of the heat pump system can further improve the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost-effectiveness of the distillation process by capturing and storing excess heat when the target heating load of the distillation process is lower than the heating load of the heat pump system (e.g., heating output, heating capacity) and by using the stored heat (e.g., excess heat, exhaust heat) during the distillation stage when the target heating demand of the distillation process is higher than the heating output of the heat pump system (e.g., working fluid loop).

[0025] It should be understood that the system and technology applied to the distillation process can be combined with or configured to operate together with other processes, including but not limited to evaporation concentration systems or processes, vacuum and / or rotary evaporation concentration systems or processes, seawater desalination systems or processes, water distillation systems or processes, water purification systems or processes, systems or processes for distilling and / or concentrating mixtures or liquids, etc. For example, heat pump systems and / or thermal storage systems can be configured to efficiently and effectively meet (e.g., associate, match) the heating and / or cooling loads associated with the evaporation concentration system or process. Evaporation concentration systems can be used to separate contaminants (e.g., impurities, pollutants, debris, solvents) from liquid substances or mixtures. In such processes, heat (e.g., under vacuum) can be used or applied to the mixture containing contaminants to vaporize the liquid and separate the contaminants from the mixture. The contaminants can be removed, resulting in a purer (e.g., more concentrated) liquid substance. For seawater desalination and / or water distillation systems or processes, heat pump systems and / or thermal storage systems can be combined with or configured to operate together with the aforementioned systems or processes to provide heat to vaporize or distill water mixtures, thereby removing any impurities (e.g., contaminants, debris, impurities, salts, etc.) from the water mixture to obtain purer or more concentrated water products. Therefore, this system and technology can improve the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost-effectiveness of various industrial processes, such as evaporation concentration systems or processes, vacuum and / or rotary evaporation concentration systems or processes, seawater desalination systems or processes, water distillation systems or processes, water purification systems or processes, systems or processes for distilling and / or concentrating mixtures or liquids, etc.

[0026] Considering the above, Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system 10 including a heat pump system 100 integrated with a distillation system 102 (e.g., distillation operation, distillation process). Specifically, Figure 5A heat pump system 100 is shown, configured to receive (as indicated by arrow 104) a first fluid flow (e.g., a mixture of water and alcohol, conditioning fluid) from a distillation vessel 106 (e.g., a distillation column, container, evaporation concentration vessel, storage tank, seawater desalination vessel, water distillation vessel) of a distillation system 102. The heat pump system 100 is also configured to heat the first fluid flow and supply (as indicated by arrow 108) a heated and / or vaporized first fluid flow (e.g., steam, heated mixture of water and alcohol) to the distillation vessel 106. Furthermore, the heat pump system 100 is configured to receive (as indicated by arrow 110) a second fluid flow (e.g., alcohol vapor, conditioning fluid) from the distillation vessel 106 of an HVAC&R system 10 and cool (e.g., condense) the second fluid flow. The heat pump system 100 can then supply (as indicated by arrow 114) a cooled second fluid flow to the distillation vessel 106. The distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102 can receive (as indicated by arrow 122) a first process fluid flow (e.g., a mixture of water and alcohol) and supply (as indicated by arrow 124) a second process fluid flow (e.g., product, higher concentration alcohol) through the distillation process within the distillation vessel 106 (e.g., using the heat pump system 100).

[0027] The illustrated embodiment of heat pump system 100 is a closed-loop (e.g., closed-circuit) heat pump system 120 combined with distillation system 102. The closed-loop heat pump system 120 may include at least a vapor compression loop 126 having a first heat exchanger 128 (e.g., an evaporator, operating as an evaporator), a second heat exchanger 130 (e.g., a condenser, operating as a condenser), a compressor 132, and an expansion valve 134. The closed-loop heat pump system 120 (e.g., vapor compression loop 126) is configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant, water) to cool and / or heat one or more fluids (e.g., a first fluid flow, a second fluid flow, water, a water and alcohol mixture, alcohol vapor), such as fluids and / or fluid mixtures received from distillation vessel 106. Specifically, the first heat exchanger 128 and the second heat exchanger 130 may each be configured to receive a working fluid and a corresponding fluid flow and to place the working fluid and the corresponding fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship. For example, a first heat exchanger 128 (e.g., an evaporator) can receive (as indicated by arrow 110) a second fluid flow (e.g., a fluid flow, an alcohol vapor flow, or partially condensed alcohol vapor) from the distillation vessel 106 of the HVAC&R system 10, and can place this second fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with the working fluid. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) can be transferred from the second fluid flow to the working fluid to condense the second fluid flow (e.g., condensed alcohol vapor). The first heat exchanger 128 can then supply and / or return (as indicated by arrow 114) the condensed second fluid flow to the distillation vessel 106. Additionally, a second heat exchanger 130 (e.g., a condenser) can receive (as indicated by arrow 104) a first fluid flow (e.g., a fluid flow, a water flow, or a water and alcohol mixture) from the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102. The second heat exchanger 130 can place the first fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with the working fluid. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) can be transferred from the working fluid to the first fluid flow to generate a vaporized first fluid flow (e.g., vaporized water and / or vaporized alcohol) and / or a heated first fluid flow (e.g., a heated mixture of water and alcohol). The second heat exchanger 130 can then supply the heated and / or vaporized first fluid flow (as indicated by arrow 108) to the distillation vessel 106.

[0028] The closed-loop heat pump system 120 can operate in a closed-loop (e.g., closed-circuit, closed-flow) configuration, allowing the closed-loop heat pump system 120 to circulate a fixed or constant volume of working fluid (e.g., water). Additionally, the working fluid of the closed-loop heat pump system 120 may not mix with and / or come into contact with the fluid (e.g., fluid mixture) within the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102. Thus, the working fluid of the closed-loop heat pump system 120 can be a different fluid, or it can be the same fluid as the fluid within the distillation vessel 106. For example, in some embodiments, the working fluid of the closed-loop heat pump system 120 can be water. In other embodiments, the working fluid (e.g., refrigerant) can be a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based working fluid, such as R-410A, R-407, R-134a; a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) based refrigerant, such as R-1234ze, R1233zd; a "natural" working fluid, such as ammonia (NH3), R-717, or carbon dioxide (CO2), R-744; or any other suitable working fluid. The fluid within the distillation vessel 106 and circulating through the first heat exchanger 128 and the second heat exchanger 130 can be any suitable fluid, such as water, a mixture of water and alcohol, a fluid to be distilled or concentrated via a distillation process (e.g., an evaporation-concentration process, a seawater desalination process, a water distillation process), or any combination thereof.

[0029] Figure 6 An embodiment of a heat pump system 100 configured as an open (e.g., open-loop) heat pump system 140 according to the present technology is illustrated. The open heat pump system 140 may include at least a portion of a vapor compression loop 142 having a heat exchanger 144 (e.g., an evaporator), a compressor 146, and an expansion valve 148. The open heat pump system 140 (e.g., vapor compression loop 142) is configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., a mixture of water, water, and alcohol) to cool and / or heat one or more fluids (e.g., a distillation process fluid, water, a mixture of water, and alcohol), such as fluids and / or fluid mixtures received from a distillation vessel 106. Specifically, the heat exchanger 144 may be configured to receive a working fluid flow and a first fluid flow from the distillation vessel 106 and to place the working fluid and the first fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship. For example, heat exchanger 144 (e.g., evaporator) can receive (as indicated by arrow 110) a first fluid flow (e.g., alcohol vapor, vaporized alcohol and water mixture) from distillation vessel 106 of HVAC&R system 10 and place this first fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with the working fluid. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) can be transferred from the first fluid flow to the working fluid to cool (e.g., condense) the first fluid flow. Heat exchanger 144 can then supply and / or return (as indicated by arrow 114) the condensed first fluid flow to distillation vessel 106.

[0030] Additionally, the open-loop heat pump system 140 can receive (as indicated by arrow 104) a second fluid flow (e.g., water, a water and alcohol mixture, or a working fluid) from the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102. The open-loop heat pump system 140 can circulate the second fluid flow through the expansion valve 148, heat exchanger 144, and compressor 146 to heat (e.g., increase thermal energy) the second fluid flow, thereby generating a vaporized second fluid flow (e.g., steam and / or a vaporized water and alcohol mixture). The open-loop heat pump system 140 can circulate the second fluid flow through the heat exchanger 144 as the aforementioned working fluid. In other words, the open-loop heat pump system 140 can circulate the second fluid flow through the heat exchanger 144 (e.g., an evaporator) to transfer heat from the first fluid (e.g., alcohol vapor) to the second fluid flow (e.g., water or a water and alcohol mixture). Then, compressor 146 can supply distillation vessel 106 with a second fluid stream (e.g., heated and / or vaporized water or a mixture of water and alcohol, steam) as indicated by arrow 108.

[0031] The open-loop heat pump system 140 can operate in an open-loop (e.g., open-circuit, open-flow) configuration. That is, the open-loop heat pump system 140 can circulate (e.g., as a working fluid) a second fluid flow (e.g., a mixture of water and alcohol) received from the distillation vessel 106, and can place the second fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with a first fluid flow (e.g., alcohol vapor) to condense the first fluid flow, thereby allowing both the first and second fluid flows from the distillation vessel 106 to the open-loop heat pump system 140. Specifically, the working fluid (e.g., the second fluid flow) and the distillation fluid (e.g., the first fluid flow) can both originate from the same fluid (e.g., the distillation process fluid, i.e., the received first process fluid (arrow 122)). The configuration of the open-loop heat pump system 140 can be advantageous, for example, by simplifying the circulation of the different fluid flows from the distillation vessel 106 and facilitating heat exchange between them to promote the distillation process.

[0032] As discussed herein, the loads (e.g., heating load, cooling load, heating demand, cooling demand) of certain stages (e.g., steps, operations, batch stages) of the distillation process in a distillation system may vary. Additionally, the outputs (e.g., heating output, cooling output) of existing heat pump systems may vary, and / or the different loads associated with the distillation process may be unrelated (e.g., mismatched, unmet). Therefore, existing heat pump systems integrated or combined with a distillation system may result in inefficiencies during the operation of the distillation system. Specifically, the heating output or capacity of a heat pump system may be higher or lower than the target heating load (e.g., heating demand) of one or more distillation stages. For example, if the heating output or capacity of the heat pump system is lower than the heating demand of a distillation stage (e.g., the initial start-up stage) (e.g., between distillation batches), the pressure of the fluid circulating through the heat pump system from the distillation system (e.g., water, a water and alcohol mixture, a second fluid stream) may decrease, potentially causing the vaporization temperature of the fluid to fall below the target vaporization temperature. Additionally, in some cases, if the heating output or capacity of the heat pump system exceeds the heating requirements of the distillation stage (as may happen during routine distillation operations), the pressure of the circulating fluid from the distillation system may increase, potentially causing the fluid's vaporization temperature to exceed the target vaporization temperature. In other words, excess heat may be generated because the heat pump system's heating output exceeds the heating requirements of the distillation stage. Therefore, improved heat pump systems are desired that can more efficiently and / or effectively meet (e.g., match, correlate) the different heating and / or cooling loads of the distillation system.

[0033] Considering the above, Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system 10 including a heat pump system 100 integrated with a distillation system 102. The heat pump system 100 also includes a heat storage system 150. In particular, the heat storage system 150 is integrated with an embodiment of the heat pump system 100 configured to be integrated with a closed-loop heat pump system 160 (e.g., a closed-loop heat pump system 120) in conjunction with the distillation system 102. The heat storage system 150 is configured to collect and store excess heat (e.g., as exhaust heat from the heated fluid) to enable the heat pump system 100 (e.g., the closed-loop heat pump system 160) to more efficiently and / or effectively meet (e.g., match, correlate) the different target heating and / or cooling needs of various stages of the distillation system 102. Additionally, the heat storage system 150 can be configured to allow the stored heat to be used at various stages, operations, and / or processes of the distillation system 102, such as sterilizing (e.g., cleaning) components of the distillation system 102 (e.g., distillation vessel 106) and / or preheating components of the distillation system 102 (e.g., distillation vessel 106, piping / conduit / water supply and drainage systems, heat exchangers 154, 156, and / or 174, compressor 158, e.g., during the start-up of a new distillation batch). For this purpose, the heat storage system 150 can store heated fluid generated via the operation of the heat pump system 100. In some embodiments, the stored heat (e.g., the stored heated fluid) can be used in other processes and / or another process or operation of the HVAC&R system 10. Thus, when the target heating load or heating demand of the distillation system 102 is lower than the heating output or capacity of the heat pump system 100, the heat storage system 150 of the heat pump system 100 can improve the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost-effectiveness of the distillation system 102 by capturing and storing excess heat (e.g., venting heat). The heat storage system 150 also enables the use of the stored heat (e.g., excess heat) during various stages, operations, and / or processes (e.g., distillation stages) when the heating demand of the distillation system 102 exceeds the heating output of the heat pump system 100. Therefore, this embodiment achieves improved efficiency and reduced energy consumption while also meeting different loads on the heat pump system 100 and various processes associated with the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102.

[0034] Continue using Figure 7The closed-loop heat pump system 160 may include a vapor compression circuit 152, which includes at least a first heat exchanger 154 (e.g., evaporator 154), a second heat exchanger 156 (e.g., condenser 156), a compressor 158, and an expansion valve 162. The closed-loop heat pump system 160 (e.g., vapor compression circuit 152) is configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., water) to cool and / or heat one or more fluids (e.g., a first fluid flow, a second fluid flow, water, a water and alcohol mixture, alcohol vapor), such as fluids and / or fluid mixtures received from the distillation vessel 106. Specifically, the first heat exchanger 154 and the second heat exchanger 156 may each be configured to receive a corresponding working fluid flow and a corresponding fluid flow from the distillation vessel 106 and to place the working fluid and the corresponding fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship. For example, the first heat exchanger 154 may receive (as indicated by arrow 164) alcohol vapor from the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102 and place the alcohol vapor in a heat exchange relationship with the working fluid. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) can be transferred from the alcohol vapor to the working fluid to further cool and / or condense the alcohol vapor. The first heat exchanger 154 (e.g., evaporator) can then supply and / or return (as indicated by arrow 166) the condensed alcohol to the distillation vessel 106.

[0035] Additionally, the second heat exchanger 156 (e.g., a condenser) can receive (as indicated by arrow 168) a flow of water or a water-and-alcohol mixture from the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102, and place the water or water-and-alcohol mixture in a heat exchange relationship with the working fluid. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) can be transferred from the working fluid to the water or water-and-alcohol mixture to generate steam and / or vaporize the water-and-alcohol mixture. The second heat exchanger 156 can then supply (as indicated by arrow 170) heated and / or vaporized water or the water-and-alcohol mixture (e.g., steam) to the distillation vessel 106.

[0036] The closed-loop heat pump system 160 can operate in a closed-loop configuration (e.g., closed circuit, closed flow). That is, the closed-loop heat pump system 160 can circulate a fixed or constant volume of working fluid. Additionally, the working fluid of the closed-loop heat pump system 160 may not mix with and / or come into contact with the fluid (e.g., fluid mixture) in the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102. Thus, the working fluid of the closed-loop heat pump system 160 can be a different fluid, or it can be the same fluid or fluid mixture as that within the distillation vessel 106. For example, in some embodiments, the working fluid of the closed-loop heat pump system 160 can be water. In other embodiments, the working fluid can be a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based working fluid, such as R-410A, R-407, R-134a; a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) based working fluid, such as R-1234ze, R1233zd; a “natural” working fluid, such as ammonia (NH3), R-717, carbon dioxide (CO2), R-744; or any other suitable working fluid. The fluid within the distillation vessel 106 and circulating through the first heat exchanger 154 and the second heat exchanger 156 can be any suitable fluid, such as water, a mixture of water and alcohol, a fluid to be distilled or concentrated via a distillation process (e.g., an evaporation concentration process, a seawater desalination process, a water distillation process), or any combination thereof.

[0037] Additionally, the HVAC&R system 10 includes a heat storage system 150 coupled (e.g., thermally coupled, fluidly coupled) to a closed-loop heat pump system 160, which is combined with a distillation system 102. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the heat storage system 150 may also be fluidly coupled to the distillation system 102. The heat storage system 150 includes a heat exchanger 172 (e.g., a plate heat exchanger) and a heat storage container 174 (e.g., a tank, container). Specifically, the heat storage container 174 may contain (e.g., store) a heat storage fluid (e.g., water, heated fluid, storage fluid) that enables the heat storage system 150 to receive and store excess heat from the closed-loop heat pump system 160. For example, the heat exchanger 172 may receive at least a portion of the working fluid flow from the compressor 158 (e.g., discharged from the compressor before the working fluid flow reaches a second heat exchanger 156 downstream of the compressor 158's discharge port). Heat exchanger 172 can also receive a heat storage fluid flow (e.g., water, storage fluid) from an external source 178 (e.g., a utility water source, groundwater source), and can place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the heat storage fluid received via the external source 178. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) can be transferred from the working fluid of the closed-loop heat pump system 160 to the heat storage fluid in the heat storage container 174. In some embodiments, heat exchanger 172 can receive a heat storage fluid flow from the heat storage system 150 (e.g., from the heat storage container 174). In this way, the thermal energy (e.g., heat) of the heat storage fluid can gradually increase during the operation of the closed-loop heat pump system 160 and the heat storage system 150. In some embodiments, the heat storage fluid flow received by heat exchanger 172 can be a combination of a fluid flow from the heat storage container 174 and a fluid flow from the external source 178.

[0038] The flow rate (e.g., amount) of the working fluid flowing to the heat exchanger 172 of the heat storage system 150 (e.g., from the compressor 158, downstream of the compressor 158) can be controlled (e.g., regulated) via valve 176. In some embodiments, the amount of working fluid directed toward the heat exchanger 172 can be controlled (e.g., via a controller, control system 250) based on the temperature and / or pressure (e.g., detected by a sensor 252 communicatively coupled to the controller) of one or more fluids (e.g., water, alcohol, a mixture of water and alcohol) in the distillation system 102 (e.g., within the distillation vessel 106, circulated from the distillation vessel 106 to the heat pump system 100), the stage of the distillation process in the distillation system 102, the temperature and / or pressure of the working fluid in the closed heat pump system 160, other suitable operating parameters, or any combination thereof.

[0039] Furthermore, the flow rate (e.g., quantity) of the thermal storage fluid received via external source 178 and directed to heat exchanger 172 of thermal storage system 150 can be controlled (e.g., regulated) via valve 180. Specifically, the position of valve 180 can be controllably regulated (e.g., via controller, control system 250) to regulate the quantity of thermal storage fluid received by and / or flowing to heat exchanger 172. The quantity of thermal storage fluid received via external source 178 (e.g., by heat exchanger 172) and / or the position of valve 180 can be controlled (e.g., via controller, control system 250) based on one or more operating parameters of heat pump system 100 and / or distillation system 102 (such as superheat (e.g., 2 Kelvin [K], 4 K, 3 K, 2 K to 4 K)) and / or the temperature of the fluid output from heat exchanger 172 (e.g., received by thermal storage container 174) (e.g., thermal storage fluid detected by sensor (sensor 252)). Specifically, increasing the valve opening of valve 180 (e.g., increasing the flow rate of the heat storage fluid received from external source 178) may result in a decrease in the superheat of the vaporized fluid output from heat exchanger 172. In such a case, the amount of vaporized fluid (e.g., the mass of vaporized fluid) may decrease, and the amount of liquid fluid flow (e.g., the mass of liquid fluid) may increase. On the other hand, in response to a decrease in the valve opening of valve 180 (e.g., a decrease in the flow rate of the heat storage fluid received from external source 178), the amount of vaporized fluid flow may increase, and the amount of liquid fluid flow may decrease.

[0040] To controllably actuate valves 176 and / or 180, the HVAC&R system 10 may include a control system 250 (e.g., a controller, automation controller, electronic controller, programmable controller, valve controller, cloud computing device, control circuitry system) communicatively coupled to and configured to operate valves 176, 180, or both to adjust or regulate the respective opening degree (e.g., position) of valves 176, 180, or both. Thus, the control system 250 may be configured to regulate the amount (e.g., flow rate, volume) of fluid passing through the respective valve (e.g., valve opening). Specifically, as discussed herein, the control system 250 is configured to control or regulate the amount of working fluid flowing from the vapor compression circuit 152 to the heat exchanger 172 (e.g., downstream of compressor 158) by controllably adjusting the opening or position of valve 176. For this purpose, the control system 250 may be communicatively coupled to one or more sensors 252. The one or more sensors 252 may be configured to detect the temperature and / or pressure of the fluid within the HVAC&R system 10.

[0041] Specifically, sensor 252 can detect the temperature and / or pressure of a fluid (e.g., the working fluid) within the closed-loop heat pump system 160, and control system 250 can receive the detected fluid temperature and / or pressure from sensor 252 as sensor data. Furthermore, control system 250 can compare the detected fluid temperature and / or pressure with one or more thresholds, the heating or cooling demand of distillation system 102, or the load, etc. Additionally, control system 250 can controllably adjust valve 176 based on the comparison result. For example, control system 250 can determine that the detected temperature and / or pressure of the working fluid in the closed-loop heat pump system 160 is greater than a threshold or greater than the heating demand of distillation system 102. Control system 250 can adjust valve 176 based on or in response to the fluid temperature and / or pressure being greater than the threshold or greater than the heating demand to increase the amount of working fluid directed toward heat exchanger 172. In this way, the control system 250 enables the HVAC&R system 10 to unload, reduce, and / or store excess heat from the closed-loop heat pump system 160, and to transfer (e.g., collect) excess heat from the working fluid to the storage fluid (e.g., via heat exchanger 172). Therefore, the HVAC&R system 10 enables the closed-loop heat pump system 160 to efficiently and effectively match (e.g., associate) the heating and / or cooling needs or loads of the distillation system 102.

[0042] Similarly, the control system 250 is configured to control or regulate the amount of heat storage fluid flowing from the external source 178 to the heat exchanger 172 by controllably adjusting the opening or position of the valve 180. For this purpose, the sensor 252 can detect the temperature and / or pressure (e.g., superheat of the heat storage fluid) of the fluid output from the heat exchanger 172 (e.g., received by the heat storage container 174), and the control system 250 can receive the detected fluid temperature and / or pressure from the sensor 252 as sensor data. Furthermore, the control system 250 can compare the detected fluid temperature and / or pressure with one or more threshold values. Additionally, the control system 250 can controllably adjust the valve 180 based on the comparison result. For example, the control system 250 can determine that the detected temperature and / or pressure of the heat storage fluid output from the heat exchanger 172 is greater than a threshold temperature and / or pressure. The control system 250 can adjust valve 180 based on or in response to determining that the temperature and / or pressure of the fluid is greater than a threshold, to increase the amount of thermal storage fluid (e.g., from an external source 178) directed toward the heat exchanger 172. In this way, the control system 250 enables the HVAC&R system 10 to maintain a stable or desired ratio of the amount of vaporized thermal storage fluid (e.g., mass of vaporized fluid) to the amount of liquid thermal storage fluid (e.g., mass of liquid fluid) stored in the thermal storage container 174. Therefore, the HVAC&R system 10 enables the thermal storage system 150 to efficiently and effectively maintain the desired ratio of vaporized to liquid states of the thermal storage fluid flow.

[0043] The control system 250 may include a memory 254 and a processing circuitry system 256 (e.g., a microprocessor, one or more processors, or a processor). The memory 254 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), an optical drive, a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, or any other non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, control the operation of valve 176, valve 180, or both. The processing circuitry system 256 may be configured to execute such instructions. As an example, the processing circuitry 256 may include one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general-purpose processors, or any combination thereof.

[0044] One or more sensors 252 may be configured to transmit indications of fluid parameters (such as temperature, volume, pressure, and / or flow rate) of the fluid within the HVAC&R system 10 to the control system 250. In some embodiments, one or more sensors 252 may be configured to transmit indications when a detected fluid parameter value exceeds a desired range, is above a threshold, is below a threshold, or any combination thereof. For example, when one or more sensors 250 detect a fluid parameter value below a threshold (e.g., the lower limit of a desired range) and / or detect an operating condition value above a threshold (e.g., the upper limit of a desired range), one or more sensors 250 may be configured to transmit a fluid parameter valve, an indication that the fluid parameter value exceeds the desired range, or both, to the control system 250. In either case, the control system 250 may be configured to transmit control signals to valve 176, valve 180, or both to regulate the amount of fluid flowing through the respective valve based on received data and / or indications.

[0045] In some embodiments, one or more sensors 252 may be temperature sensors configured to detect temperatures associated with the HVAC&R system 10, such as the temperature of the working fluid at a specific point within the vapor compression loop 152, distillation system 102, and / or heat storage system 150. For example, one or more sensors 252 may detect compressor discharge temperature, evaporator discharge temperature, heat exchanger discharge temperature, heat storage container temperature, intermediate container discharge temperature, and / or suction inlet temperature. Alternatively or additionally, one or more sensors 252 may be pressure sensors configured to detect pressures of the working fluid at specific points within the vapor compression loop 152, distillation system 102, and / or heat storage system 150. For example, one or more sensors 252 may detect compressor discharge pressure, evaporator discharge pressure, heat exchanger discharge pressure, heat storage container pressure, intermediate container discharge pressure, and / or suction inlet pressure.

[0046] Furthermore, the thermal storage container 174 may be fluidly coupled to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or the closed-loop heat pump system 160. For example, in some embodiments, the thermal storage container 174 may be fluidly coupled to the distillation container 106 and configured to direct a portion of heated thermal storage fluid (e.g., heated water) to the distillation container 106. For example, the HVAC&R system 10 may include one or more additional valves 258 configured to regulate or control the amount of thermal storage fluid directed to one or more components. In particular, the control system 250 may be communicatively coupled to one or more additional valves 258 and configured to regulate the corresponding position or opening of one or more additional valves 258. Thus, the control system 250 may be configured to control the amount of thermal storage fluid flowing to one or more components. In some embodiments, the control system 250 may adjust one or more additional valves 258 based on data or feedback from sensors (e.g., one or more sensors 252, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, volume or flow rate sensors), based on indications of a new batch and / or start-up (e.g., start-up operation) of the distillation process, based on indications of cleaning, sterilization or preparation operations, based on received user input (e.g., from the operator of distillation system 102), or any combination thereof.

[0047] Thus, as discussed herein, the stored heat (e.g., captured and stored via the heat storage system 150) can be used to provide additional heat (e.g., as a heated fluid) to the distillation vessel 106 (e.g., to preheat the distillation vessel 106 and / or conduits of the HVAC&R system 10) before the start-up of a new distillation batch, during the start-up process of a new distillation batch, between distillation batches, for cleaning and / or sterilizing the distillation vessel 106, or any combination thereof. Similarly, in some embodiments, a portion of the heated stored fluid (e.g., heated water) can be directed toward the first heat exchanger 154, the second heat exchanger 156, the compressor 158, or any combination thereof to provide additional heat to heat and / or preheat the first heat exchanger 154, the second heat exchanger 156, and / or the compressor 158 (e.g., for cleaning and / or sterilizing the first heat exchanger 154, the second heat exchanger 156, and / or the compressor 158, or any combination thereof), such as before the start-up of a new distillation batch, between distillation batches, for cleaning and / or sterilizing the first heat exchanger 154, the second heat exchanger 156, and / or the compressor 158, or any combination thereof. For example, the heated storage fluid can be used to provide heat to the distillation process fluid (e.g., a mixture of water and / or alcohol in distillation system 102) and / or to the working fluid of the first heat exchanger 154 and / or the second heat exchanger 156 (e.g., the working fluid of heat pump system 160). In some embodiments, one or more additional heat exchangers can be used in parallel with the first heat exchanger 154 and / or the second heat exchanger 156 to transfer heat from the heated storage fluid to the process fluid and / or the working fluid of the respective first heat exchanger 154 and / or the second heat exchanger 156.

[0048] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system 10 including a heat pump system 100 integrated with a distillation system 102. The HVAC&R system 10 also includes a heat storage system 181. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat storage system 181 is integrated with an embodiment of the heat pump system 100 configured to be integrated with an open heat pump system 190 (e.g., an open heat pump system 140) integrated with the distillation system 102. The heat storage system 181 is configured to store excess heat (e.g., dissipate heat) so that the heat pump system 100 (e.g., the open heat pump system 190) can more efficiently and / or effectively meet (e.g., match, correlate) the different target heating and / or cooling needs of various stages of the distillation system 102. Additionally, the heat storage system 181 can be configured to enable the stored heat (e.g., stored heating fluid) to be used in various stages of the distillation system 102, such as between distillation batches, during the start-up process of a new distillation batch, for sterilizing (e.g., cleaning) components of the distillation system 102 (e.g., distillation vessel 106), and / or for preheating components of the distillation system 102 (e.g., distillation vessel 106, piping / ducting / water supply and drainage systems, heat exchanger 184, compressor 186, during the start-up of a new batch). Thus, when the target heating load or heating demand of the distillation system 102 is lower than the heating output of the heat pump system 100, the heat storage system 181 of the heat pump system 100 can improve the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost-effectiveness of the distillation system 102 by capturing and storing excess heat. The heat storage system 181 also enables the use of stored heat (e.g., excess heat) during various stages, operations, and / or processes (e.g., distillation stages) when the heating demand of the distillation system 102 is higher than the heating output of the heat pump system 100.

[0049] Continue using Figure 8The open heat pump system 190 may include a portion of a vapor compression circuit 182 having a heat exchanger 184 (e.g., an evaporator 184), a compressor 186, and an expansion valve 188. The open heat pump system 190 (e.g., the vapor compression circuit 182) is configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., a mixture of water, water, and alcohol) to cool and / or heat one or more fluids (e.g., a mixture of water, water, and alcohol), such as fluids and / or fluid mixtures received from distillation vessel 106. Specifically, the heat exchanger 184 may be configured to receive a first fluid flow and a second fluid flow from distillation vessel 106 and to place the first fluid flow and the second fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship. For example, heat exchanger 184 (e.g., evaporator) can receive (as indicated by arrow 192) a first fluid flow (e.g., alcohol vapor flow) from distillation vessel 106 of HVAC&R system 10 and place the first fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with a second fluid flow (e.g., working fluid, water, or a water and alcohol mixture) received from distillation vessel 106 (e.g., via this portion of vapor compression loop 182). In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) can be transferred from the first fluid flow to the second fluid flow to cool and condense the first fluid flow. Heat exchanger 184 can then supply and / or return (as indicated by arrow 194) the condensed first fluid flow to distillation vessel 106. Alternatively, open-loop heat pump system 190 can receive (as indicated by arrow 196) a second fluid flow (e.g., water or a water and alcohol mixture) from distillation vessel 106 of distillation system 102. Specifically, the open-loop heat pump system 190 can circulate a second fluid flow (e.g., water or a mixture of water and alcohol) through an expansion valve 188, a heat exchanger 184, and a compressor 186 to heat (e.g., increase thermal energy) the second fluid flow and generate a vaporized second fluid flow (e.g., steam and / or vaporized water and alcohol mixture). The compressor 186 can then supply the heated and / or vaporized second fluid flow (as indicated by arrow 198) to the distillation vessel 106.

[0050] The open-loop heat pump system 190 can operate in an open-loop (e.g., open-circuit, open-flow) configuration. That is, the open-loop heat pump system 190 can circulate a second fluid flow (e.g., a mixture of water, water, and alcohol) received from the distillation vessel 106 (e.g., distillation system 102) and place the second fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with a first fluid flow (e.g., vaporized alcohol) received from the distillation vessel 106. Thus, the first and second fluid flows circulating through the open-loop heat pump system 190 (e.g., through at least one component of the open-loop heat pump system 190) can both be received from the distillation vessel 106. Specifically, the working fluid (e.g., the second fluid flow) and the distillation fluid (e.g., the first fluid flow) can both originate from the same fluid (e.g., the distillation process fluid, i.e., the received first process fluid (as indicated by arrow 122)). The configuration of the open-loop heat pump system 190 can be advantageous, for example, by simplifying the circulation of the different fluid flows from the distillation vessel 106 and facilitating heat exchange between them to promote the distillation process.

[0051] Additionally, HVAC&R system 10 includes a thermal storage system 181 coupled (e.g., thermally coupled, fluidly coupled) to an open heat pump system 190, which is combined with distillation system 102. Furthermore, thermal storage system 181 may also be fluidly coupled to distillation system 102. Thermal storage system 181 includes a heat exchanger 200 (e.g., a plate heat exchanger) and a thermal storage container 202 (e.g., a container, tank). Specifically, thermal storage container 202 may contain (e.g., store) a thermal storage fluid, such as water, which enables thermal storage system 181 to receive and store excess heat from open heat pump system 190. For example, heat exchanger 200 may receive a portion of a second fluid flow from compressor 186 (e.g., discharged from compressor 186 before the fluid flows downstream of the discharge port of compressor 186 to distillation container 106). The heat exchanger 200 can also receive a thermal storage fluid flow from an external source 206 (e.g., a utility water source and / or a groundwater source) and can place a second fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with the thermal storage fluid received via the external source 206. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) can be transferred from the second fluid flow (e.g., the working fluid of the open heat pump system 190) to the thermal storage fluid directed toward the thermal storage container 202. In some embodiments, the heat exchanger 200 can receive a thermal storage fluid flow from the thermal storage system 181 (e.g., from the thermal storage container 202). In this way, the thermal energy (e.g., heat) of the thermal storage fluid can gradually increase during the operation of the open heat pump system 190 and the thermal storage system 181. In some embodiments, the thermal storage fluid flow received by the heat exchanger 200 can be a combination of a fluid flow from the thermal storage container 202 and a fluid flow from the external source 206.

[0052] The flow rate (e.g., amount) of the second fluid flow to the heat exchanger 200 of the heat storage system 181 (e.g., from the compressor 186, downstream of the compressor 186) can be controlled (e.g., regulated) via valve 204. Furthermore, the amount of the second fluid flow directed toward the heat exchanger 200 can be controlled (e.g., via a controller, control system 250) based on the temperature and / or pressure (e.g., detected by sensors (one or more sensors 252) communicatively coupled to the controller) of one or more fluids (e.g., water, alcohol, a mixture of water and alcohol) in the distillation system 102 (e.g., within the distillation vessel 106, circulated from the distillation vessel 106 to the heat pump system 100), the stage of the distillation process in the distillation system 102, the temperature and / or pressure of the second fluid flow within the open heat pump system 190, or any combination thereof.

[0053] Furthermore, the flow rate (e.g., quantity) of the thermal storage fluid received via external source 206 and directed to heat exchanger 200 of thermal storage system 181 can be controlled (e.g., regulated) via valve 208. Specifically, the position of valve 208 can be controllably adjusted (e.g., via controller, control system 250) to regulate the quantity of thermal storage fluid received by and / or flowing to heat exchanger 200. The quantity of thermal storage fluid received via external source 206 (e.g., by heat exchanger 200) can be controlled (via controller) based on one or more operating parameters of heat pump system 100 and / or distillation system 102 (such as superheat (e.g., 2 Kelvin [K], 4 K, 3 K, 2 K to 4 K)) and / or the temperature of the fluid (e.g., thermal storage fluid) output by heat exchanger 200 (e.g., received by thermal storage container 202). Specifically, increasing the valve opening of valve 208 (e.g., increasing the flow rate of the heat storage fluid received from external source 206) may result in a decrease in the superheat of the vaporized fluid output from heat exchanger 200. In such a case, the amount of vaporized fluid (e.g., the mass of vaporized fluid) may decrease, and the amount of liquid fluid flow (e.g., the mass of liquid fluid) may increase. On the other hand, in response to a decrease in the valve opening of valve 208 (e.g., a decrease in the flow rate of the heat storage fluid received from external source 206), the amount of vaporized fluid flow may increase, and the amount of liquid fluid flow may decrease.

[0054] Regarding Figure 7Similarly, for controllable actuation of valves 204 and / or 208, the HVAC&R system 10 may include a control system 250 (e.g., a controller, automation controller, electronic controller, programmable controller, valve controller, cloud computing device, control circuitry system) communicatively coupled to and configured to operate valves 204, 208, or both to adjust or regulate the respective opening degree (e.g., position) of valves 204, 208, or both. Thus, the control system 250 may be configured to regulate the amount (e.g., flow rate, volume) of fluid passing through the respective valve (e.g., valve opening). Specifically, as discussed herein, the control system 250 is configured to control or regulate the amount of working fluid flowing from a portion of the vapor compression circuit 182 to the heat exchanger 200 (e.g., downstream of compressor 186) by controllably adjusting the opening or position of valve 204. For this purpose, the control system 250 may be communicatively coupled to one or more sensors 252.

[0055] Specifically, sensor 252 can detect the temperature and / or pressure of a fluid (e.g., a working fluid) within the open heat pump system 190, and control system 250 can receive the detected fluid temperature and / or pressure from sensor 252 as sensor data. Furthermore, control system 250 can compare the detected fluid temperature and / or pressure with one or more thresholds, the heating or cooling demand of distillation system 102, or the load, etc. Additionally, control system 250 can controllably adjust valve 204 based on the comparison result. For example, control system 250 can determine that the detected temperature and / or pressure of the working fluid in the open heat pump system 190 is greater than a threshold or greater than the heating demand of distillation system 102. Control system 250 can adjust valve 204 based on or in response to the fluid temperature and / or pressure being greater than the threshold or greater than the heating demand to increase the amount of working fluid directed toward heat exchanger 200. In this way, the control system 250 enables the HVAC&R system 10 to unload, reduce, and / or store excess heat from the open heat pump system 190, and to transfer (e.g., collect) excess heat from the working fluid to the heat storage fluid (e.g., via heat exchanger 200). Therefore, the HVAC&R system 10 enables the open heat pump system 190 to efficiently and effectively match (e.g., associate) the heating and / or cooling needs or loads of the distillation system 102.

[0056] Similarly, the control system 250 is configured to control or regulate the amount of heat storage fluid flowing from the external source 206 to the heat exchanger 200 by controllably adjusting the opening or position of the valve 208. For this purpose, the sensor 252 can detect the temperature and / or pressure (e.g., superheat of the heat storage fluid) of the fluid output from the heat exchanger 200 (e.g., received by the heat storage container 202), and the control system 250 can receive the detected fluid temperature and / or pressure from the sensor 252 as sensor data. Furthermore, the control system 250 can compare the detected fluid temperature and / or pressure with one or more threshold values. Additionally, the control system 250 can controllably adjust the valve 208 based on the comparison result. For example, the control system 250 can determine that the detected temperature and / or pressure of the heat storage fluid output from the heat exchanger 200 is greater than a threshold temperature and / or pressure. The control system 250 can adjust valve 208 based on or in response to determining that the temperature and / or pressure of the fluid is greater than a threshold, to increase the amount of thermal storage fluid (e.g., from external source 206) directed toward heat exchanger 200. In this way, the control system 250 enables the HVAC&R system 10 to maintain a stable or desired ratio of the amount of vaporized thermal storage fluid (e.g., mass of vaporized fluid) to the amount of liquid thermal storage fluid (e.g., mass of liquid fluid) stored in the thermal storage container 202. Therefore, the HVAC&R system 10 enables the thermal storage system 181 to efficiently and effectively maintain the desired ratio of vaporized to liquid thermal storage fluid flow.

[0057] One or more sensors 252 may be configured to transmit indications of fluid parameters (such as temperature, volume, pressure, and / or flow rate) of the fluid within the HVAC&R system 10 to the control system 250. In some embodiments, one or more sensors 252 may be configured to transmit indications when a detected fluid parameter value exceeds a desired range, is above a threshold, is below a threshold, or any combination thereof. For example, when one or more sensors 250 detect a fluid parameter value below a threshold (e.g., the lower limit of a desired range) and / or detect an operating condition value above a threshold (e.g., the upper limit of a desired range), one or more sensors 250 may be configured to transmit a fluid parameter valve, an indication that the fluid parameter value exceeds the desired range, or both, to the control system 250. In either case, the control system 250 may be configured to transmit control signals to valve 204, valve 208, or both to regulate the amount of fluid flowing through the respective valve based on received data and / or indications.

[0058] In some embodiments, one or more sensors 252 may be temperature sensors configured to detect temperatures associated with the HVAC&R system 10, such as the temperature of the working fluid at a specific point within the vapor compression loop 182, distillation system 102, and / or heat storage system 181. For example, one or more sensors 252 may detect compressor discharge temperature, evaporator discharge temperature, heat exchanger discharge temperature, heat storage container temperature, intermediate container discharge temperature, and / or suction inlet temperature. Alternatively or additionally, one or more sensors 252 may be pressure sensors configured to detect pressures of the working fluid at specific points within the vapor compression loop 182, distillation system 102, and / or heat storage system 181. For example, one or more sensors 252 may detect compressor discharge pressure, evaporator discharge pressure, heat exchanger discharge pressure, heat storage container pressure, intermediate container discharge pressure, and / or suction inlet pressure.

[0059] Furthermore, the thermal storage container 202 may be fluidly coupled to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or the open heat pump system 190. For example, in some embodiments, the thermal storage container 202 may be fluidly coupled to the distillation container 106 and may be configured to direct a portion of heated thermal storage fluid (e.g., heated water) to the distillation container 106. For example, the HVAC&R system 10 may include one or more additional valves 258 configured to regulate or control the amount of thermal storage fluid directed to one or more components. In particular, the control system 250 may be communicatively coupled to one or more additional valves 258 and configured to regulate the corresponding position or opening of one or more additional valves 258. In this way, the control system 250 may be configured to control the amount of thermal storage fluid flowing to one or more components. In some embodiments, the control system 250 may adjust one or more additional valves 258 based on data or feedback from sensors (e.g., one or more sensors 252, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, volume or flow rate sensors), based on indications of a new batch and / or start-up (e.g., start-up operation) of the distillation process, based on indications of cleaning, sterilization or preparation operations, based on received user input (e.g., from the operator of distillation system 102), or any combination thereof.

[0060] Thus, as discussed herein, the stored heat (e.g., captured and stored via the heat storage system 181) can be used to provide heat (e.g., as a heated fluid) to the distillation vessel 106 (e.g., to preheat the distillation vessel 106 and / or conduits of the HVAC&R system 10) before the start-up of a new distillation batch, during the start-up process of a new distillation batch, between distillation batches, for cleaning and / or sterilizing the distillation vessel 106, or any combination thereof. Similarly, in some embodiments, a portion of the heated heat storage fluid (e.g., heated water) can be directed toward the heat exchanger 184 and / or compressor 186 to provide additional heat to heat and / or preheat the heat exchanger 184 and / or compressor 186, such as before the start-up of a new distillation batch, between distillation batches, for cleaning and / or sterilizing the heat exchanger 184 and / or compressor 186. For example, the heated storage fluid can be used to provide heat to the distillation process fluid (e.g., the water and / or alcohol mixture of distillation system 102) and / or to the working fluid of heat exchanger 184 (e.g., the working fluid of heat pump system 190). In some embodiments, one or more additional heat exchangers can be used in parallel with heat exchanger 184 to transfer heat from the heated storage fluid to the process fluid and / or the working fluid of heat exchanger 184.

[0061] Heat exchanger 172 and / or heat exchanger 200 may be plate heat exchangers (e.g., including plate assemblies). Specifically, a plate heat exchanger includes a series of plates (e.g., metal plates) arranged such that they form channels (e.g., gaps or spaces) between every two consecutive plates. Additionally, the plate heat exchanger includes ports (e.g., with gaskets, openings, in or through the plates) arranged to allow fluid flow through the channels. For example, a working fluid flow received from heat pump system 100 (e.g., closed-loop heat pump system 160, open-loop heat pump system 190) may flow in a first direction through a first set of channels (e.g., through every other channel) and along the plates; and an additional heat storage fluid flow received may flow in a second direction (e.g., opposite to the first direction) through a second set of channels (e.g., every other channel opposite to the first set of channels) and along the plates. Thus, the plate arrangement of the plate heat exchanger allows for efficient and effective heat transfer in a counter-current arrangement. Additionally, in some embodiments, the plates may be corrugated plates (e.g., including ridges, grooves, channels, or slots), which increase turbulence in the fluid as it flows through the plate heat exchanger (e.g., through channels and along the plates). This increased turbulence can improve the heat transfer coefficient of the plate heat exchanger, thereby improving the efficiency of transferring heat from the working fluid to the storage fluid. The plate arrangement of the plate heat exchanger can also be more compact and less costly to implement compared to other types or arrangements. Furthermore, the plate arrangement of the plate heat exchanger can achieve sufficient separation of the fluids received by the plate heat exchanger, thereby reducing fluid mixing and / or cross-contamination. It should be understood that heat exchanger 172 can be a suitable heat exchanger for transferring heat from the working fluid of the heat pump system 100 to the storage fluid, such as a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, a plate-fin heat exchanger, a regenerative heat exchanger, a twin-tube heat exchanger, etc.

[0062] In this embodiment, the thermal storage system enables the heat pump system to more efficiently and / or effectively meet (e.g., match) the varying heating and / or cooling demands during different stages of the distillation operation of the distillation system. Specifically, the thermal storage system is configured to capture and store excess heat (e.g., when the target heating load or heating demand of the distillation system is lower than the heating output of the heat pump system). The thermal storage system also enables the use of the stored heat (e.g., excess heat) captured (e.g., received) via the thermal storage system to achieve various purposes of the distillation system (e.g., during distillation stages, when the target heating load or heating demand of the distillation system is higher than the heating output of the heat pump system). Additionally, the thermal storage system allows the stored heat to be used in other ways associated with the distillation process, such as sterilizing (e.g., cleaning) components of the distillation system (e.g., distillation vessel) between distillation batches and / or for preheating components of the distillation system (e.g., during the start-up of a new distillation batch). Thus, the thermal storage system can improve the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost-effectiveness of the distillation process (and therefore the distillation system).

[0063] Although only certain features and embodiments of this disclosure have been shown and described, many modifications and variations (e.g., variations in the size, dimensions, structure, shape and proportion of various elements, parameter values ​​(e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.), installation arrangements, material use, color, orientation, etc.) will occur to those skilled in the art without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter set forth in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or reordered according to alternative embodiments. Therefore, it should be noted that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and variations falling within the true spirit of this disclosure.

[0064] Furthermore, in order to provide a concise description of exemplary embodiments, not all features of actual implementations (i.e., those features irrelevant to the best mode of implementing this disclosure, or those features irrelevant to implementing the claimed embodiments) may be described. It should be understood that, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions may be made in the development of any such actual implementation. Such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but these are routine tasks of design, manufacture, and production for those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure, without requiring excessive experimentation.

[0065] The technical references presented and claimed herein apply to tangible objects and specific examples of practical nature that arguably improve the technical field of the invention and are therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Furthermore, if any claim appended to this specification contains one or more elements expressed as "means for [performing] [function]..." or "steps for [performing] [function]...", such elements are contemplated under 35 USC 112(f). However, for any claim containing elements specified in any other manner, it is intended that such elements not be interpreted under 35 USC 112(f).

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system comprising: a distillation system configured to distill a mixture; a heat pump system fluidly coupled to the distillation system, wherein the heat pump system is configured to transfer heat between a working fluid circulating through the heat pump system and a fluid stream received from the distillation system; and a thermal storage system comprising a thermal storage vessel, wherein the thermal storage system is configured to capture heat from the working fluid and store the heat as a heated fluid in the thermal storage vessel.

2. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, wherein the thermal storage system is fluidly coupled to one or more components of the distillation system, and wherein the thermal storage system is configured to supply the heated fluid to the one or more components.

3. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, wherein the heat pump system is a closed heat pump system, and the closed heat pump system comprises: a compressor configured to circulate the working fluid through the closed heat pump system; a first heat exchanger configured to receive the working fluid and to receive the fluid stream from the distillation system, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to place the working fluid in heat exchange relationship with the fluid stream to transfer heat from the fluid stream to the working fluid; and a second heat exchanger configured to receive the working fluid from the compressor and to receive an additional fluid stream from the distillation system, wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to place the working fluid in heat exchange relationship with the additional fluid stream to transfer heat from the working fluid to the additional fluid stream, wherein the thermal storage system is fluidly coupled to the closed heat pump system between the compressor and the second heat exchanger.

4. The HVAC&R system of claim 3, wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to discharge the additional fluid stream toward the distillation system.

5. The HVAC&R system of claim 3, wherein the thermal storage system comprises: a third heat exchanger configured to receive a working fluid stream from the closed heat pump system and to receive a thermal storage fluid, wherein the third heat exchanger is configured to place the working fluid stream in heat exchange relationship with the thermal storage fluid to transfer heat from the working fluid stream to the thermal storage fluid; and a thermal storage vessel configured to receive the thermal storage fluid from the third heat exchanger.

6. The HVAC&R system of claim 5, wherein the thermal storage fluid is received from an external source, the thermal storage vessel, or a combination thereof, and wherein the thermal storage system comprises: a first valve fluidly coupling the external source to the third heat exchanger, wherein the first valve is configured to regulate an amount of thermal storage fluid received from the external source and directed toward the third heat exchanger; and a second valve fluidly coupling the thermal storage vessel to the third heat exchanger, wherein the second valve is configured to regulate an amount of thermal storage fluid received from the thermal storage vessel and directed toward the third heat exchanger. a second valve fluidly coupling a discharge of the compressor to the second heat exchanger, wherein the second valve is configured to regulate an amount of the working fluid stream received from the discharge of the compressor and directed toward the second heat exchanger.

7. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, wherein the heat pump system is an open heat pump system, and the open heat pump system comprises: a compressor configured to circulate a mixture stream received from the distillation system as the working fluid; and a heat exchanger configured to receive the fluid stream from the distillation system, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to place the mixture stream in a heat exchange relationship with the fluid stream and transfer heat from the fluid stream to the mixture stream, and wherein the thermal storage system is fluidly coupled to the open heat pump system between the compressor and the distillation system.

8. The HVAC&R system of claim 7, wherein the compressor is configured to discharge the mixture stream to the distillation system.

9. The HVAC&R system of claim 7, wherein the heat exchanger is a first heat exchanger, and the thermal storage system comprises: a second heat exchanger configured to receive a portion of the mixture stream and receive a thermal storage fluid, wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to place the portion of the mixture stream in a heat exchange relationship with the thermal storage fluid to transfer heat from the portion of the mixture stream to the thermal storage fluid; and a thermal storage reservoir configured to receive the thermal storage fluid from the second heat exchanger.

10. The HVAC&R of claim 9, wherein the thermal storage fluid is received from an external source, the thermal storage reservoir, or a combination thereof, and wherein the thermal storage system comprises: a first valve fluidly coupling the external source to the second heat exchanger, wherein the first valve is configured to regulate an amount of the thermal storage fluid received from the external source and directed toward the second heat exchanger; and a second valve fluidly coupling a discharge of the compressor to the second heat exchanger, wherein the second valve is configured to regulate an amount of the portion of the mixture stream received from the discharge of the compressor and directed toward the second heat exchanger.

11. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system comprising: a heat exchanger configured to receive a working fluid stream from a heat pump system and receive a thermal storage fluid, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to place the working fluid stream in a heat exchange relationship with the thermal storage fluid and transfer heat from the working fluid stream to the thermal storage fluid; a thermal storage reservoir configured to receive the thermal storage fluid from the heat exchanger; a valve fluidly coupling the heat exchanger to a vapor compression circuit of the heat pump system; and a control system communicatively coupled to the valve and configured to regulate a position of the valve to control an amount of the working fluid stream directed from the vapor compression circuit toward the heat exchanger.

12. The HVAC&R system of claim 11, wherein the thermal storage vessel is fluidly coupled to one or more components of a distillation system, and wherein the thermal storage system is configured to supply at least a portion of the thermal storage fluid to the one or more components.

13. The HVAC&R system of claim 11, comprising a sensor configured to detect a fluid parameter associated with the working fluid, wherein the control system is communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to receive the fluid parameter from the sensor as sensor data and control the position of the valve based on the sensor data.

14. The HVAC&R system of claim 13, wherein the control system is configured to control the position of the valve to increase an amount of working fluid flow directed toward the heat exchanger in response to determining that the fluid parameter is above a threshold value.

15. The HVAC&R system of claim 11, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to receive a thermal storage fluid flow from an external fluid source, from the thermal storage vessel, or a combination thereof.

16. The HVAC&R system of claim 15, comprising a second valve fluidly coupling the heat exchanger to the external fluid source, wherein the control system is configured to adjust a position of the second valve to control an amount of thermal storage fluid flow directed toward the heat exchanger.

17. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising: a heat pump system coupled to a distillation system configured to distill a mixture, wherein the heat pump system is configured to transfer heat between a working fluid circulating through the heat pump system and one or more portions of the mixture received from the distillation system; and a thermal storage system fluidly coupled to the heat pump system, wherein the thermal storage system comprises: a first heat exchanger configured to receive a first working fluid flow from the heat pump system and to receive a second fluid flow, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to place the first working fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with the second fluid flow and to transfer heat from the first working fluid flow to the second fluid flow to generate a heated fluid flow; and a thermal storage vessel configured to receive the heated fluid flow from the first heat exchanger, wherein the thermal storage system is configured to generate the heated fluid flow based on a heating load associated with the distillation system and to store it in the thermal storage vessel.

18. The HVAC&R system of claim 17, wherein the thermal storage system is fluidly coupled to one or more components of the distillation system, and wherein the thermal storage system is configured to supply the heated fluid flow to the one or more components.

19. The HVAC&R system of claim 17, wherein the heat pump system comprises: a second heat exchanger configured to receive a third mixture stream from the distillation system and to receive a fourth working fluid stream, wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to place the third mixture stream in a heat exchange relationship with the fourth working fluid stream and to transfer heat from the third mixture stream to the fourth working fluid stream; and a compressor configured to circulate the working fluid, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to receive the first working fluid stream discharged from the compressor.

20. The HVAC&R system of claim 19, wherein the thermal storage system includes a valve fluidly coupling the compressor to the first heat exchanger and configured to adjust an amount of first working fluid stream directed toward the first heat exchanger, and wherein the valve is configured to increase the amount of first working fluid stream based on a heating output of the heat pump system being greater than the heating load associated with the distillation system.

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