Selectively operable heating and cooling system and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A heating and cooling system includes a first heat transfer loop, a second heat transfer loop, a coolant loop, and a controller, the first heat transfer loop including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger; the second heat transfer loop includes a third heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger. The controller selectively operates the heating and cooling system in a heating mode in which the heating and cooling system is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a cascade operation to heat the first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, and a cooling mode in which the heating and cooling system is configured to heat the second process fluid via heat transfer with the second heat exchanger. Wherein the heating and cooling system is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a parallel operation such that both provide cooling to the second process fluid via heat transfer with the fourth heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to heating and cooling systems that can be selectively operated in a cascaded or parallel manner. More specifically, this disclosure relates to heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVACR) systems for regulating spaces, and methods for operating heat transfer loops in a cascaded or parallel manner. Background Technology

[0002] Heating and cooling systems can be used to heat and cool one or more process fluids for a variety of applications. For example, such systems can be used to heat loads and / or cool loads for industrial processes, such as heating and / or cooling gas or liquid flows to maintain reaction temperatures or temperature setpoints, cooling industrial waste, providing heat to replace gas boilers, providing refrigeration, etc. Heating and cooling systems can also be used to regulate spaces; for example, HVACR systems can be used to provide heating and / or cooling to regulated spaces. In some cases, the HVACR system can be a hydronic circulation system that includes a heat transfer loop to provide a liquid process fluid (e.g., water, brine solution, or glycol solution) as a heat transfer medium to regulate spaces in a building or occupied space. HVACR systems typically include a heat transfer loop system that may include one or more compressors, expanders, condensers, evaporators, fans, filters, dampers, circulation pumps, and various other devices, wherein the compressor(s), condenser(s), expander(s), and evaporator(s) are fluidly connected. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to heating and cooling systems that can be selectively operated in a cascaded or parallel manner. More specifically, this disclosure relates to heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVACR) systems for regulating spaces, and methods for operating heat transfer loops in a cascaded or parallel manner.

[0004] The HVACR system can be a water-based circulation system in which heat energy in a heat transfer loop is exchanged with (various) process fluids (e.g., ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, brine solution, etc.) used to regulate the space. For example, when heating is supplied to the regulated space, the heat generated by the compression of the working fluid in the heat transfer loop can be used to transfer heat energy to the process fluid circulating in the heating water loop of the water-based circulation system, thereby regulating the space. Similarly, to provide cooling to the regulated space, the HVACR system can extract heat from a second process fluid circulating in the cooling water loop of the water-based circulation system to cool the process fluid and regulate the space.

[0005] In one embodiment, a heating and cooling system is provided. The heating and cooling system includes a first heat transfer circuit, a second heat transfer circuit, a coolant loop including a coolant, and a controller. The first heat transfer circuit includes a first compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger; the second heat transfer circuit includes a second compressor, a third heat exchanger, and a fourth heat exchanger; the coolant loop is configured to allow thermal communication between the second heat exchanger in the first heat transfer circuit and the third heat exchanger in the second heat transfer circuit. The controller is configured to selectively operate the heating and cooling system in the following modes: a heating mode, wherein the heating and cooling system is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a cascaded manner to heat the first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, wherein the coolant loop is configured to allow thermal communication between the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop and the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop; and a cooling mode, wherein the heating and cooling system is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a parallel manner to provide cooling to the second process fluid via heat transfer with the fourth heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

[0006] In another embodiment, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVACR) system is provided. The HVACR system includes: a water-cooled circulation system comprising a first process fluid and a second process fluid for regulating one or more spaces; a first heat transfer loop, wherein the first heat transfer loop includes a first compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a first cooler, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to selectively exchange heat with the first process fluid, wherein the first process fluid also exchanges heat with a heating load in the one or more spaces, or with a cooling fluid; a second heat transfer loop, wherein the second heat transfer loop includes a second compressor, a cascaded heat exchanger, and a second cooler; wherein the second cooler is configured to exchange heat between the second process fluids, wherein the second process fluid also exchanges heat with a cooling load; a coolant loop, the coolant loop including a coolant, the coolant loop being configured to allow thermal communication between the first cooler in the first heat transfer loop and the cascaded heat exchanger in the second heat transfer loop; and a controller. The controller is configured to selectively operate the HVACR system in the following modes: a heating mode, wherein the HVACR system is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a cascaded manner to heat the first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, wherein the coolant loop is configured to allow thermal communication between the cascaded heat exchanger in the second heat transfer loop and the first refrigerator in the first heat transfer loop; and a cooling mode, wherein the HVACR system is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a parallel manner to provide cooling to the second process fluid via heat transfer with the first refrigerator and the second refrigerator, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat with the cooling fluid.

[0007] In another embodiment, a method for heating and / or cooling a system is provided. The system includes: a first heat transfer loop, a second heat transfer loop, a coolant loop, and a controller, wherein the first heat transfer loop includes a first compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger; wherein the second heat transfer loop includes a second compressor, a third heat exchanger, and a fourth heat exchanger; and the coolant loop includes a coolant. The method includes selectively operating the system in any of the following modes: in a heating mode, operating the system by cascading the first and second heat transfer loops to heat a first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, wherein operating the system in the heating mode includes thermally connecting the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop and the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop via the coolant loop; or in a cooling mode, operating the system by paralleling the first and second heat transfer loops to provide cooling to a second process fluid, wherein operating the system in the cooling mode includes providing the second process fluid to the fourth heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure, and which illustrate embodiments in which the systems and methods described herein may be practiced.

[0009] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a heating and / or cooling system according to an embodiment is shown.

[0010] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an HVACR system according to another embodiment is shown.

[0011] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an HVACR system operating in heating mode according to an embodiment is shown.

[0012] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an HVACR system operating in cooling mode according to an embodiment is shown.

[0013] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an HVACR system according to yet another embodiment is shown.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of a control method for a heating and / or cooling system according to an embodiment.

[0015] Similar reference numerals always indicate similar parts. Detailed Implementation

[0016] In the following “Detailed Description”, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification. In these drawings, similar reference numerals generally identify similar parts unless the context otherwise indicates. Furthermore, unless otherwise stated, the description in each successive drawing may refer to features from one or more preceding drawings to provide a clearer context and a more substantial explanation of the present exemplary embodiment. Moreover, the exemplary embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that, as generally described herein and shown in the drawings, aspects of this disclosure can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a variety of different configurations, all of which are expressly contemplated herein.

[0017] Specific embodiments of this disclosure have been described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of this disclosure, which may be embodied in various forms. Well-known functions or constructions have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring this disclosure with unnecessary detail. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but rather serve as the basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to employ this disclosure differently with virtually any suitable detailed construction. In this specification and the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals denote elements that may perform the same, similar, or equivalent functions.

[0018] Furthermore, this disclosure can be described in terms of functional block components and various processing steps. It should be understood that such functional blocks can be implemented by any number of hardware and / or software components configured to perform the specified functions.

[0019] The scope of this disclosure should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given herein. For example, the steps recited in any method claim may be performed in any order, and are not limited to the order presented in the claims. Furthermore, unless specifically described herein as “critical” or “essential,” no element is necessary for the practice of this disclosure.

[0020] For various applications, heating and cooling systems can be used to heat a heating load and / or cool a cooling load. In some embodiments, the heating and cooling system can be used to heat a heating load and / or cool a cooling load for industrial processes, such as heating and / or cooling gas or liquid flows to maintain reaction temperatures or temperature setpoints, cooling industrial waste, providing heat to replace gas boilers, providing refrigeration, etc. In some embodiments, the heating and cooling system can be an HVACR system, which can be used to provide comfortable heating (e.g., during colder months or winter) and comfortable cooling (e.g., during hotter months or summer). In some embodiments, the HVACR system can include a hydrothermal circulation system in which heat energy in a heat transfer loop is exchanged with (various) process fluids (e.g., ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, brine solutions, etc.) used to regulate the space. Hydrothermal circulation systems are generally applicable to various systems used to control environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, air quality, etc.) in regulated spaces. These regulated spaces can be spaces within office buildings, commercial buildings, factories, laboratories, data centers, residential buildings, etc. For example, when heating is supplied to a conditioned space, the heat generated by the compression of the working fluid in the heat transfer loop can be used to release or reject the heat to the process fluid circulating in the heating water loop to conditioned the space. Similarly, to provide cooling to a conditioned space, the HVACR system can extract heat from a second process fluid circulating in the cooling water loop of the water heating system to cool the process fluid and conditioned the space.

[0021] In existing heating and cooling systems, the system may include a low-temperature loop and a high-temperature loop, which can operate in a cascaded manner to achieve the heating temperature, for example, to provide comfortable heating. In other existing heating and cooling systems, the system may include compressors arranged in series (to provide two stages of lift in the refrigerant circuit) to achieve the heating temperature. However, once the heating season ends, the high-temperature loop (or the series compressor used to provide additional lift) is idle, while the low-temperature loop (or a single compressor) may be used to provide the cooling temperature, for example, to provide comfortable cooling, but at a lower capacity or level; for example, only the mass flow rate from a single compressor may be used to provide cooling.

[0022] To overcome these deficiencies, this disclosure relates to systems and methods for improving the utilization and operability of heating and cooling systems. These systems and methods enable heat transfer loops to selectively operate in a heating mode to achieve heating temperatures or in a cooling mode to provide cooling temperatures, such that the heat transfer loops are configured to be operable during both heating and cooling seasons. Thus, in some embodiments, such as when the heating and cooling system is an HVACR system, the heat transfer loops can be configured to provide cooling temperatures to cooling loads during warmer months or summer, for example, by transferring heat to the atmosphere using cooling fluid from a cooling tower, and to provide heating temperatures to heating loads during colder months or winter, for example, by providing heat to regulate a space or building using heated air processors. In some embodiments, the HVACR system can be configured to provide heating temperatures via a first heat transfer loop and a second heat transfer loop arranged in a cascaded manner, such that fluid heated by the second heat transfer loop (e.g., hot water) is transferred to the first heat transfer loop to raise the temperature in the first heat transfer loop. HVACR systems can also be configured to provide cooling temperatures by having a first heat transfer loop and a second heat transfer loop arranged in parallel operation. That is, the HVACR system is configured to be reconfigured from a series arrangement of the water heating circulation to a parallel arrangement, which can provide additional cooling capacity, for example, by using mass flow rates from at least two compressors to cool the cooling load. Therefore, when there is no heating demand in the summer, the heat transfer loop can be configured to operate as a conventional chiller; however, when there is a significant heating load in the winter, the heat transfer loop can be configured to operate as a high-temperature chiller heater to provide heating temperatures.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a heating and cooling system 100 is shown, which uses a compressed cycle of a working fluid to heat and / or cool (multiple) process fluids. The (multiple) process fluids can be part of an industrial process, such as process fluids used for reactions, industrial waste, refrigeration lines, heating lines, etc., or process fluids used to regulate the water heating circulation system of a space or building. The working fluid can be any suitable working fluid, such as a refrigerant or a mixture thereof. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the heating and cooling system 100 is configured to provide cooling in the refrigeration system; however, it should be understood that the heating and cooling system including the compressor according to the embodiment may also be arranged as a heat pump, a reversible system, or any other suitable system that provides heating and / or cooling by compression circulation of the working fluid.

[0024] The heating and cooling system 100 includes a first heat transfer loop 110, a second heat transfer loop 120, a coolant loop 130, and a controller 170. The first heat transfer loop 110 includes a working fluid loop comprising a compressor 112, a first heat exchanger 114 (e.g., a condenser), an expansion device 116, and a second heat exchanger 118 (e.g., an evaporator). The second heat transfer loop 120 includes a working fluid loop comprising a compressor 122, a third heat exchanger 124 (e.g., a condenser), an expansion device 126, and a fourth heat exchanger 128 (e.g., an evaporator). In embodiments, the first heat transfer loop 110 and / or the second heat transfer loop 120 may be modified to include additional components. For example, in embodiments, the first heat transfer loop 110 and / or the second heat transfer loop 120 may include an economizer heat exchanger, one or more flow control devices, a receiver tank, a dryer, a suction-type liquid heat exchanger, etc. Although the first heat transfer circuit 110 and the second heat transfer circuit 120 may have different functions and / or components, the operation of the working fluid circuit of the first heat transfer circuit 110 is discussed below, while the second heat transfer circuit 120 may have the same or different operation.

[0025] Compressor 112 is configured to compress the working fluid. Compressor 112 can be any suitable compressor, such as a screw compressor, scroll compressor, centrifugal compressor, etc. The working fluid from compressor 112 can be transferred to condenser 114. Condenser 114 is a heat exchanger that allows the working fluid to transfer heat to the process fluid, thereby heating the process fluid to, for example, heat the heating load 140. The heat transferred to the heating load 140 can be transferred to, for example, the ambient environment, the heating process fluid, the heating load, or any other suitable radiator for transferring heat from the working fluid at condenser 114. The working fluid can be transferred from condenser 114 to expander 116. At expander 116, the working fluid expands. Expander 116 can be any suitable expander, such as at least one expansion valve, expansion orifice, orifice plate, expansion nozzle, controllable expander (such as an electronic expansion valve), combinations thereof, etc. The working fluid can be transferred from the expander 116 to the evaporator 118, where it can extract heat from a source (such as a source for cooling a cooling load) or a refrigerant to evaporate the working fluid before it returns to the compressor 112. For example, the source could be the process fluid to be cooled, the conditioning space, or the surrounding environment, etc., to cause the working fluid to evaporate. Non-limiting examples of the evaporator 118 may include an evaporator of a refrigerator configured to cool the process fluid, a coil for cooling air to be distributed to the conditioning space, etc. The working fluid leaving the evaporator 118 can return to the suction port of the compressor 112, and can continue to circulate in the first heat transfer loop 110.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first heat exchanger 114 (e.g., a condenser) of the first heat transfer loop 110 and / or the third heat exchanger 124 (e.g., a condenser) of the second heat transfer loop 120 may be dual-bundled heat exchangers, such as dual-bundle shell-and-tube heat exchangers or dual-bundle plate heat exchangers. It should be understood that while the first heat exchanger 114 and the third heat exchanger 124 are discussed as a single unit, such disclosure is not intended to be limiting. On the contrary, the first heat exchanger 114 and / or the third heat exchanger 124 may have different configurations, such as heat exchangers comprising several units, including but not limited to single-bundle condensers and externally isolated heat exchangers on one, the other, or both of these units, wherein one of the condensers or externally isolated heat exchangers receives cooling fluid from a cooling source 160, while the other unit receives coolant from a coolant loop 130. Thus, the first heat exchanger 114 can be selectively configured to transfer heat to the process fluid used to heat the heating load 140, or to transfer heat to the cooling fluid from the cooling device 160 (e.g., cooling water in a cooling fluid loop from a cooling tower or other cooling source, or air from a cooling fan), while the third heat exchanger 124 can be selectively configured to transfer heat to the coolant from the coolant loop 130, or to transfer heat to the cooling fluid from the cooling device 160 (e.g., cooling water from a cooling tower or other cooling source, or air from a cooling fan), as will be discussed further below.

[0027] Coolant loop 130 may include coolant and one or more of valves, pumps, filters, dyes, etc., for controlling the flow rate of fluid between the second heat exchanger 118 (e.g., evaporator) of the first heat transfer loop 110 and the third heat exchanger 124 (e.g., condenser) of the second heat transfer loop 120. The coolant may be, but is not limited to, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, brine solutions, etc. One or more valves may include three-way feed valves (e.g., two-position valves) or four-way feed valves (e.g., three-position valves) to allow selective fluid connections to be cooled by evaporator 118, such as coolant connected to coolant loop 130 or a second process fluid used to cool cooling load 150, as will be further discussed below.

[0028] Controller 170 may be a controller programmed, designed, or otherwise configured to control one or more components of heating and cooling system 100, and / or a building automation system (BAS) controller for a computerized network of electronic devices that may be configured to control one or more systems (e.g., mechanical, electrical, lighting, security, HVACR, etc.). Controller 170 may include one or more processors and one or more non-volatile memories having instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform control operations as discussed herein. In some embodiments, controller 170 may include programmability to receive, for example, signals for heating or cooling from a BAS controller. For example, building load can be determined based on seasonality (e.g., winter or summer), such that when there is no heating demand (e.g., in summer), the first heat transfer loop can be selectively operated in cooling mode, while when there is heating demand (e.g., in winter), the first heat transfer loop can be selectively operated in heating mode, wherein controller 170 is configured to selectively supply one or more of the following to one or more heat exchangers(s): coolant, a second process fluid from the coolant load, or cooling fluid from the cooling unit 160. Thus, heating and cooling system 100 can be optimized for heating or cooling throughout the year.

[0029] For example, in an embodiment, when heating is required (such as during winter), controller 170 may receive a control request, for example, from a BAS controller, to operate heating and cooling system 100 in heating mode. Thus, controller 170 can be configured to operate heating and cooling system 100 in a cascaded manner, as described below. Controller 170 instructs coolant loop 130 to supply coolant in thermal communication with second heat exchanger 118 and third heat exchanger 124, for example, by sending commands to open one or more valves and / or operate one or more pumps located between second heat exchanger 118 and third heat exchanger 124, and to heat process fluid from heating load 140, for example, by sending commands to open one or more valves and / or operate one or more pumps located between first heat exchanger 114 and heating load 140. In some embodiments, controller 170 may instruct coolant loop 130 to close valves (and / or stop pumps) to isolate or stop the supply of any process fluid flow from cooling load 150 to second heat exchanger 118. In some embodiments, controller 170 may also instruct cooling device 160 to stop any flow of cooling fluid to third heat exchanger 124 and first heat exchanger 114, for example, by sending commands to close one or more valves and / or stop the operation of one or more pumps supplying cooling fluid.

[0030] Thus, in cascaded operation, the compressor 122 of the second heat transfer loop 120 compresses the working fluid, such that the heat generated during the compression of the working fluid can be transferred in a third heat exchanger 124 (e.g., the condenser of the second heat transfer loop 120) to the coolant flowing in the coolant loop 130. The coolant in the coolant loop 130 then provides thermal lift to the second heat exchanger 118 in the first heat transfer loop 110, through the third heat exchanger 124, to heat the working fluid in the first heat transfer loop 110. Therefore, the working fluid compressed by the compressor 112 in the first heat transfer loop 110 is at a higher (e.g., elevated) temperature to provide heating or thermal energy (e.g., heat transfer) to the process fluid of the heating load 140 via the first heat exchanger 114, which can be used for heating operations, such as heating the process flow and / or heating to regulate a space or building.

[0031] In another embodiment, when the building's heating demand is below a threshold (e.g., during the summer), controller 170 may receive a control request (e.g., from a BAS controller) to operate the heating and cooling system 100 in a cooling mode. Thus, controller 170 can be configured to operate the heating and cooling system 100 in parallel operation, as described below. Controller 170 instructs coolant loop 130 to supply a second process fluid from cooling load 150 to second heat exchanger 118, for example by sending commands to open one or more of valves and / or operate one or more pumps located between second heat exchanger 118 and cooling load 150, and to supply cooling fluid from cooling unit 160 to third heat exchanger 124 and first heat exchanger 114 to provide cooling of the working fluid, for example by sending commands to open one or more of valves and / or operate one or more pumps between cooling unit 160 and first heat exchanger 114 and / or third heat exchanger 124. In some embodiments, controller 170 may instruct coolant loop 130 to close valves (and / or stop pumps) to isolate or stop any coolant flow from coolant loop 130 between second heat exchanger 118 and third heat exchanger 124. In some embodiments, controller 170 may also instruct heating load 140 to stop any process fluid flow to first heat exchanger 114, for example by sending instructions to close one or more valves and / or stop operation of one or more pumps supplying process fluid from heating load 140.

[0032] Thus, in parallel operation, compressor 112 of the first heat transfer loop 110 and compressor 122 of the second heat transfer loop 120 compress the working fluid, such that the heat generated during the compression of the working fluid can be transferred, respectively, in the first heat exchanger 114 and the third heat exchanger 124, by cooling fluid from the cooling device 160. After the working fluid is expanded by expanders 116 and 126, both the second heat exchanger 118 and the fourth heat exchanger 128 are configured to extract heat from the process fluid from the cooling load 150, thereby evaporating the working fluid before it returns to the respective compressors 112 and 122.

[0033] It should be understood that the first heat transfer loop 110 and the second heat transfer loop 120 may have the same or matched capacity (e.g., the same cooling and / or heating capacity), or they may have mismatched capacities, which can further improve efficiency and / or operational stability. For example, in embodiments, the first heat transfer loop 110 may have a smaller capacity than the larger-capacity second heat transfer loop 120, such as 500-ton to 2000-ton units and 1000-ton to 2000-ton units. Thus, the heating and cooling system 100 can be designed or otherwise configured to be appropriately sized for the heating load (e.g., the coolant in the heating coolant loop 130 provides lift to the first heat transfer loop 110) while providing auxiliary cooling for the cooling load during different seasons. In some embodiments where the first heat transfer loop 110 has a smaller capacity, it should be understood that one or more first heat transfer loops 110 can be used to heat the heating load 140, such that multiple first heat transfer loops 110 can provide better efficiency and operational stability for lower heating loads. Furthermore, it should be understood that the first heat exchanger 114 and / or the third heat exchanger 124 may have a smaller capacity to match the capacity of the smaller unit(s) of the first heat transfer loop(s) 110, or to provide more efficient heating, which may also reduce system costs. That is, in the embodiments, the third heat exchanger 124 may have a capacity matched to the heating load.

[0034] Therefore, the heating and cooling system 100 is configured to improve the utilization and operability of the heating and cooling system 100 by using both the first heat transfer loop 110 and the second heat transfer loop 120 in a heating mode for heating the process fluid of the heating load and in a cooling mode for cooling the process fluid of the cooling load in parallel operation, which is not previously available in existing heating and cooling systems. Thus, the heating and cooling system 100 can be used to provide high lift to heat the process fluid for the heating load and to provide additional cooling capacity (e.g., cooling capacity by (multiple) compressors) during periods of high cooling demand that existing heating and cooling systems cannot previously achieve, where existing heating and cooling systems have one or more stages or loops that are idle at different times (e.g., different seasons).

[0035] Figure 2A schematic diagram of an HVACR system 200 for heating and / or cooling (multiple) process fluids using a compressed circulation of a working fluid is shown. The HVACR system 200 may have the same or similar features as heating and cooling system 100 (as discussed above). The HVACR system 200 may include a water-cooled circulation system comprising a first process fluid loop 202 and a second process fluid loop 205 for conditioning a space or building. The working fluid may be any suitable working fluid, such as a refrigerant or a mixture thereof. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the HVACR system 200 is configured to provide cooling in the refrigeration system; however, it should be understood that the heating and cooling system, including the compressor according to the embodiment, may also be arranged as a heat pump, a reversible system, or any other suitable system that provides heating and / or cooling by compression of the working fluid.

[0036] The HVACR system 200 includes a first heat transfer loop 210, a second heat transfer loop 220, a coolant loop 230, and a controller, which may be... Figure 1 The controller 170 is located in the first heat transfer circuit 210, which includes a working fluid circuit including a compressor (e.g., Figure 1 The compressor 112), the first heat exchanger 214 (e.g., condenser), and the expander (e.g., Figure 1 The expander 116), and the first cooler 218 (e.g., evaporator), and the second heat transfer circuit 220 includes a working fluid circuit including a compressor (e.g., Figure 1 The compressor 122), cascaded heat exchanger 224 (e.g., condenser), and expander (e.g., Figure 1 The expander 126 and the second cooler 228 (e.g., evaporator).

[0037] In the first heat transfer loop 210, a compressor is configured to compress the working fluid. The compressor can be any suitable compressor, such as a screw compressor, scroll compressor, centrifugal compressor, etc. The working fluid from the compressor can be transferred to a first heat exchanger 214. The first heat exchanger 214 is a heat exchanger configured to selectively exchange heat with a first process fluid to allow the working fluid to transfer heat to the process fluid, thereby heating the first process fluid in the first process fluid loop 202, allowing the first process fluid to exchange heat to heat the heating load 240. The heat transferred to the heating load 240 can be transferred to, for example, the ambient environment, the heating load, or any other suitable radiator used to transfer heat to the working fluid at the first heat exchanger 214, for example, to regulate one or more spaces or buildings. The working fluid can be transferred from the first heat exchanger 214 to an expander configured to expand the working fluid. The working fluid can be transferred from the expander to the first cooler 218, where it can extract heat from a source (such as a source for cooling a cooling load) or refrigerant to evaporate before returning to the compressor. This source could be, for example, the process fluid to be cooled, the conditioning space, or the surrounding environment, to cause evaporation. The working fluid leaving the first cooler 218 can return to the compressor's suction inlet and continue circulating in the first heat transfer loop 210.

[0038] In the second heat transfer loop 220, the compressor is configured to compress the working fluid. The working fluid from the compressor can be transferred to a cascaded heat exchanger 224. The cascaded heat exchanger 224 is a heat exchanger configured to selectively exchange heat with the coolant in the coolant loop 230 to allow the working fluid to transfer heat to the coolant, thereby heating the coolant in the coolant loop 230 to, for example, provide lift to the refrigerant in the first heat transfer loop 210, or to exchange heat with cooling fluid from a cooling device 260 (such as a cooling tower) to allow the working fluid to transfer heat to the cooling fluid. The working fluid can be transferred from the cascaded heat exchanger 224 to an expander configured to expand the working fluid. The working fluid can be transferred from the expander to a second cooler 228, where the working fluid can extract heat from the second process fluid in the second process fluid loop 205 to cool the cooling load 250, thereby evaporating the working fluid before it returns to the compressor. The working fluid leaving the second cooler 228 can return to the compressor's suction port, and the working fluid can continue to circulate in the second heat transfer circuit 220.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first heat exchanger 214 of the first heat transfer loop 210 and / or the cascaded heat exchanger 224 of the second heat transfer loop 220 may be dual-bundle heat exchangers, such as dual-bundle shell-and-tube heat exchangers or dual-bundle plate heat exchangers. Thus, the first heat exchanger 214 may be selectively configured to transfer heat to the process fluid used to heat the heating load 240, or to transfer heat to the cooling fluid from the cooling device 260 (e.g., cooling water in a cooling fluid loop from a cooling tower or other cooling source, or air from a cooling fan), while the cascaded heat exchanger 224 may be selectively configured to transfer heat to the coolant from the coolant loop 230, or to transfer heat to the cooling fluid from the cooling device 260.

[0040] Coolant loop 230 may include coolant and one or more of valves, pumps, filters, dyers, etc., for controlling the fluid flow rate between the first cooler 218 of the first heat transfer loop 210 and the cascaded heat exchanger 224 of the second heat transfer loop 220. The coolant may be, but is not limited to, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, brine solution, etc. One or more valves may include three-way feed valves (e.g., two-position valves) or four-way feed valves (e.g., three-position valves) to allow selective fluid connections to be cooled by the first cooler 218, such as to the coolant in coolant loop 130 or a second process fluid for cooling the cooling load 150, as will be further discussed below.

[0041] The controller may be a controller programmed, designed, or otherwise configured to control one or more components of the HVACR system 200, and / or a building automation system (BAS) controller for a computerized network of electronic devices that may be configured to control one or more systems (e.g., mechanical, electrical, lighting, security, HVACR, etc.). The controller may include one or more processors and one or more non-volatile memories having instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform control operations as discussed herein. In some embodiments, the controller may include programmability to enable, for example, receiving and / or receiving signals for heating or cooling from a BAS controller. For example, the building load may be determined based on seasonality (e.g., winter or summer) such that when there is no heating demand (e.g., in summer), the first heat transfer loop may be selectively operated in a cooling mode, while when there is a heating demand (e.g., in winter), the first heat transfer loop may be selectively operated in a heating mode, wherein the controller is configured to selectively supply one or more of a coolant, a second process fluid from a coolant load, or a cooling fluid from a cooling device 260 to one or more heat exchangers.

[0042] Therefore, the HVACR system 200 can be optimized for heating or cooling, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown. Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, when heating is required (such as during winter), the controller may receive a control request from, for example, the BAS controller to operate the HVACR system 200 in heating mode. Thus, the controller can be configured to operate the HVACR system 200 in a cascaded operation manner, as described below, where dashed lines represent fluid lines not in operation. The controller instructs the coolant loop 230 to supply coolant in thermal communication with the first chiller 218 and the cascaded heat exchanger 224, for example by sending commands to open one or more of valves 232, 234 and / or to operate one or more pumps 236 disposed between the first chiller 218 and the cascaded heat exchanger 224, and to heat the process fluid from the heating load 240, for example by sending commands to open one or more of valves 203 and / or to operate one or more pumps 204 disposed between the first heat exchanger 214 and the heating load 240. In some embodiments, the controller may instruct the coolant loop 230 to close valves (and / or stop pumps) to isolate or stop any process fluid flow from the cooling load 250 to the first cooler 218. In some embodiments, the controller may also instruct the cooling unit 260 to stop any cooling fluid flow to the cascade heat exchanger 224 and the first heat exchanger 214, for example by sending commands to close one or more valves and / or stop the operation of one or more pumps supplying cooling fluid.

[0043] Thus, in cascade operation, the compressor of the second heat transfer loop 220 compresses the working fluid, such that the heat generated during the compression of the working fluid can be transferred in the cascade heat exchanger 224 to the coolant flowing in the coolant loop 230, for example, to raise the temperature of the coolant from 85°F to 95°F, for example, Q=mCpΔT, wherein the working fluid is then cooled by the second cooler 228, for example, by extracting heat from the second process fluid in the second process fluid loop 205, for example, to lower the temperature of the second process fluid from 52°F to 42°F. Then, the coolant in coolant loop 230 is used to thermally connect heat energy from cascaded heat exchanger 224 to the first refrigerator 218 in first heat transfer loop 210 to provide thermal lift to heat the working fluid in first heat transfer loop 210. For example, because the coolant from coolant loop 230 has increased heat, the working fluid in first heat transfer loop 210 has higher lift, so that when the working fluid in first heat transfer loop 210 is compressed, the compressed working fluid has a higher temperature (e.g., increased heat). This can raise the temperature of the first process fluid in first process fluid loop 202 from 140°F to 160°F to heat the heating load 240 (e.g., heat the water supply). Therefore, the working fluid compressed by the compressor in first heat transfer loop 210 is at a higher (e.g., elevated) temperature to provide heating or thermal energy to the process fluid in first process fluid loop 202 via first heat exchanger 214, thereby heating the heating load 240, which can be used for heating operations, such as heating to regulate a space or building.

[0044] like Figure 4As shown, in another embodiment, when the building's heating demand is below a threshold (e.g., during the summer), the controller can receive a control request, for example, from the BAS controller, to operate the HVACR system 200 in cooling mode. Thus, the controller can be configured to operate the HVACR system 200 in parallel operation, as described below, where dashed lines represent fluid lines not in operation. The controller instructs the coolant loop 230 to supply a second process fluid from the cooling load 250 to the first chiller 218, for example by sending commands to open one or more of valves 232, 234 and / or to operate one or more pumps located between the first chiller 218 and the cooling load 250, and to supply cooling fluid from the cooling unit 260 to the cascaded exchanger 224 and the first heat exchanger 214 to provide cooling of the working fluid, for example by sending commands to open one or more of valves 232, 234 and / or to operate one or more pumps between the cooling unit 260 and the first heat exchanger 214 and / or the cascaded heat exchanger 224. In some embodiments, the controller may instruct coolant loop 230 to close valves 232, 234 (and / or stop pumps 236) to isolate or stop any coolant flow from coolant loop 230 between the first refrigerator 218 and cascaded heat exchanger 224. In some embodiments, the controller may also instruct heating load 240 to stop any process fluid flow from the first process fluid loop 202 to the first heat exchanger 214, for example by sending instructions to close one or more valves 203 and / or stop the operation of one or more pumps 204 heating the heating load 240.

[0045] Thus, in parallel operation, the compressors of the first heat transfer loop 210 and the second heat transfer loop 220 compress the working fluid, such that the heat generated during the compression of the working fluid can be transferred, respectively, in the first heat exchanger 214 and the cascaded heat exchanger 224, via the cooling fluid from the cooling device 260, for example, transferring heat to the cooling fluid, which raises the temperature of the cooling fluid from 85°F to 95°F. After the working fluid is expanded by the expander, both the first cooler 218 and the second cooler 228 are configured to extract heat from the process fluid to provide cooling to the cooling load 250, for example, extracting heat from the second process fluid in the second process fluid loop 205, for example, reducing the temperature of the second process fluid from 52°F to 42°F.

[0046] Therefore, the HVACR system 200 is configured to improve the utilization and operability of the HVACR system 200 through a heating mode (in a cascaded hydrothermal cycle series arrangement) that enables both the first heat transfer loop 210 and the second heat transfer loop 220 to be used both in a heating mode for heating the process fluid of a heating load (in a cascaded hydrothermal cycle series arrangement) and in a cooling mode (in a parallel hydrothermal cycle parallel arrangement) for cooling the process fluid of a cooling load. Thus, the HVACR system 200 can be used to provide high lift to heat the process fluid for a heating load and to provide additional cooling capacity (e.g., cooling capacity by (multiple) compressors) during periods of high cooling demand that were previously unattainable by existing HVACR systems, where existing HVACR systems have one or more stages or loops that are idle at different times (e.g., different seasons).

[0047] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of an HVACR system 500 is shown, which uses a compressed circulation of a working fluid to heat and / or cool (multiple) process fluids. The HVACR system 500 may have the same or similar features as heating and cooling system 100 or HVACR system 200 (as discussed above). The HVACR system 500 may include a water-cooled circulation system comprising a first process fluid loop 502 and a second process fluid loop 504 for conditioning a space or building. The working fluid may be any suitable working fluid, such as a refrigerant or a mixture thereof. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the HVACR system 500 is configured to provide cooling in the refrigeration system and to provide heating using a heat pump system. However, it should be understood that the heating and cooling system including the compressor according to the embodiment may also be arranged as a heat pump, a reversible system, or any other suitable system that provides heating and / or cooling by compression circulation of the working fluid.

[0048] The HVACR system 500 includes a first heat transfer loop 510, a second heat transfer loop 520, a coolant loop 530, and a controller, which may be... Figure 1 The controller 170 is located in the first heat transfer circuit 510, which includes a working fluid circuit including a compressor (e.g., Figure 1 The compressor 112), the first heat exchanger 514 (e.g., condenser), and the expander (e.g., Figure 1 The second heat transfer circuit 520 includes an expander 116, a first cooler 518 (e.g., an evaporator), and a working fluid circuit including a compressor (e.g., an expander 116), and a first cooler 518 (e.g., an evaporator), and the second heat transfer circuit 520 includes a working fluid circuit including a compressor (e.g., an expander 116), and a first cooler 518 (e.g. Figure 1 The compressor 122), cascade heat exchanger 524, auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger 525, and expander (e.g., Figure 1 The expander 126 and the second cooler 528 (e.g., evaporator).

[0049] In the first heat transfer loop 510, a compressor is configured to compress the working fluid. The compressor can be any suitable compressor, such as a screw compressor, scroll compressor, centrifugal compressor, etc. The working fluid from the compressor can be transferred to a first heat exchanger 514. The first heat exchanger 514 is a heat exchanger configured to selectively exchange heat with a first process fluid (or a cooling fluid (not shown)) to allow the working fluid to transfer heat to the process fluid, thereby heating the first process fluid in the first process fluid loop 502, so that the first process fluid can exchange heat to heat the heating load 540. The heat transferred to the heating load 540 can be transferred to, for example, the ambient environment, the heating load, or any other suitable radiator for transferring heat to the working fluid at the first heat exchanger 514, for example, to regulate one or more spaces or buildings. The working fluid can be transferred from the first heat exchanger 514 to an expander configured to expand the working fluid. The working fluid can be transferred from the expander to the first cooler 518, where it can extract heat from a source (such as a source for cooling a cooling load) or refrigerant to evaporate before returning to the compressor. This source could be, for example, the process fluid to be cooled, the conditioning space, or the surrounding environment, to cause evaporation. The working fluid leaving the first cooler 518 can return to the compressor's suction inlet and continue circulating in the first heat transfer loop 510.

[0050] In the second heat transfer loop 520, a compressor is configured to compress the working fluid. The working fluid from the compressor can be transferred to a cascaded heat exchanger 524 and / or an auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger 525. The cascaded heat exchanger 524 is a heat exchanger configured to selectively exchange heat with the coolant in the coolant loop 530 to allow the working fluid to transfer heat to the coolant, thereby heating the coolant in the coolant loop 530 to provide lift, for example, for the refrigerant in the first heat transfer loop 510. The auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger 525 is a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with cooling fluid from a cooling device 560 (such as a cooling tower) to allow the working fluid to transfer heat to the cooling fluid. The working fluid can be transferred from the cascaded heat exchanger 524 and / or the auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger 525 to an expander configured to expand the working fluid. The working fluid can be transferred from the expander to the second cooler 528, where it can extract heat from the second process fluid in the second process fluid loop 505 to cool the cooling load 550, thereby evaporating the working fluid before it returns to the compressor. The working fluid leaving the second cooler 528 can return to the compressor's suction port, and can continue to circulate in the second heat transfer loop 520.

[0051] In some embodiments, the first heat exchanger 514 of the first heat transfer loop 510 and / or the cascaded heat exchanger 524 of the second heat transfer loop 520 may include an auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger 525. Thus, the first heat exchanger 514 can be selectively configured to transfer heat to the process fluid used to heat the heating load 540, while the auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger can be configured to transfer heat to, for example, a cooling fluid from the cooling device 560 (e.g., cooling water in a cooling fluid loop from a cooling tower or other cooling source, or air from a cooling fan (not shown)). Similarly, the cascaded heat exchanger 524 can be selectively configured to transfer heat from the coolant loop 530 to the coolant, while the auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger 525 is configured to transfer heat from the cooling device 560 to the cooling fluid. While the supply of cooling fluid to the auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger 525 has been discussed above, it should be understood that such disclosure is not intended to be limiting. For example, it should be understood that the cascaded heat exchanger 524 (or the first heat exchanger 514) may alternatively receive cooling fluid from the cooling device 560, while the auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger receives other fluids.

[0052] The coolant loop 530 may include a coolant and one or more of a plurality of valves, a plurality of pumps, filters, dyers, etc., for controlling the fluid flow between the first cooler 518 of the first heat transfer loop 510 and the cascaded heat exchanger 524 of the second heat transfer loop 520. The coolant may be, but is not limited to, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, brine solution, etc. One or more valves may include a three-way feed valve (e.g., a two-position valve) or a four-way feed valve (e.g., a three-position valve) to allow selective fluid connections to be cooled by the first cooler 518, such as coolant connected to the coolant loop 530 or a second process fluid used to cool the cooling load 550, as will be further discussed below.

[0053] The controller may be a controller programmed, designed, or otherwise configured to control one or more components of the HVACR system 500, and / or a building automation system (BAS) controller for a computerized network of electronic devices that may be configured to control one or more systems (e.g., mechanical, electrical, lighting, security, HVACR, etc.). The controller may include one or more processors and one or more non-volatile memories having instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform control operations as discussed herein. In some embodiments, the controller may include programmability to enable, for example, receiving and / or receiving signals for heating or cooling from a BAS controller. For example, the building load may be determined based on seasonality (e.g., winter or summer) such that when there is no heating demand (e.g., in summer), the first heat transfer loop may be selectively operated in a cooling mode, while when there is a heating demand (e.g., in winter), the first heat transfer loop may be selectively operated in a heating mode, wherein the controller is configured to selectively supply one or more of a coolant, a second process fluid from a coolant load, or a cooling fluid from a cooling device 560 to one or more heat exchangers.

[0054] Thus, the HVACR system 500 can be optimized for heating or cooling. In an embodiment, when heating is required (such as during winter), the controller can receive a control request, for example, from a BAS controller, to operate the HVACR system 500 in heating mode. Therefore, the controller can be configured to operate the HVACR system 500 in a cascaded operation manner, as described below. The controller instructs the coolant loop 530 to supply coolant in thermal communication with the first chiller 518 and the cascaded heat exchanger 524, for example, by sending commands to open one or more of the valves(s) and / or to operate one or more pumps 536 disposed between the first chiller 518 and the cascaded heat exchanger 524, and to heat the process fluid from the heating load 540, for example, by sending commands to open one or more of the valves(s) and / or to operate one or more pumps disposed between the first heat exchanger 514 and the heating load 540. In some embodiments, the controller may instruct the coolant loop 530 and / or the second process fluid loop 505 to close valves (and / or stop pumps) to isolate or stop any process fluid flow from the cooling load 550 to the first cooler 518. In some embodiments, the controller may also instruct the cooling device 560 to stop any cooling fluid flow to the auxiliary or isolated heat exchanger 524 and the first heat exchanger 514, for example by sending commands to close one or more valves and / or stop the operation of one or more pumps supplying cooling fluid.

[0055] Thus, in cascaded operation, the compressor of the second heat transfer loop 520 compresses the working fluid, such that the heat generated during the compression of the working fluid can be transferred in the cascaded heat exchanger 524 to the coolant flowing in the coolant loop 530. The coolant in the coolant loop 530 then uses thermal energy to thermally connect the cascaded heat exchanger 524 to the first refrigerator 518 in the first heat transfer loop 510 to provide thermal lift to heat the working fluid in the first heat transfer loop 510. Therefore, the working fluid compressed by the compressor in the first heat transfer loop 510 is at a higher (e.g., elevated) temperature to provide heating or thermal energy to the process fluid in the first process fluid loop 502 via the first heat exchanger 514, thereby heating the heating load 540, which can be used for heating operations, such as heating to regulate a space or building.

[0056] In another embodiment, when the building's heating demand is below a threshold (e.g., during the summer), the controller may receive a control request, for example, from a BAS controller, to operate the HVACR system 500 in cooling mode. Thus, the controller can be configured to operate the HVACR system 500 in parallel operation, as described below. The controller instructs a second process fluid loop 505 to supply second process fluid from a cooling load 550 to a first chiller 518, for example, by sending commands to open one or more of the valves and / or to operate one or more pumps located between the first chiller 518 and the cooling load 550, and to supply cooling fluid from a cooling unit 560 to an auxiliary or insulated heat exchanger 525 and a first heat exchanger 514 to provide cooling of the working fluid, for example, by sending commands to open one or more valves and / or to operate one or more pumps between the cooling unit 560 and the first heat exchanger 514 and / or between the auxiliary or insulated heat exchanger 525. In some embodiments, the controller may instruct the coolant loop 530 to close valves (and / or stop pumps 536) to isolate or stop any coolant flow from the coolant loop 530 between the first refrigerator 518 and the cascaded heat exchanger 524. In some embodiments, the controller may also instruct the heating load 540 to stop any process fluid flow from the first process fluid loop 502 to the first heat exchanger 514, for example by sending instructions to close one or more valves and / or stop the operation of one or more pumps supplying process fluid to heat the heating load 540.

[0057] Thus, in parallel operation, the compressors of the first heat transfer loop 510 and the second heat transfer loop 520 compress the working fluid, such that the heat generated during the compression of the working fluid can be transferred, for example, to the cooling fluid in the first heat exchanger 514 and the auxiliary or isolation heat exchanger 525 via the cooling fluid from the cooling device 560, raising the temperature of the cooling fluid from 85°F to 95°F. After the working fluid is expanded by the expander, both the first cooler 518 and the second cooler 528 are configured to extract heat from the process fluid to provide cooling to the cooling load 550, for example, extracting heat from the second process fluid in the second process fluid loop 505, for example, lowering the temperature of the second process fluid from 52°F to 42°F.

[0058] Therefore, the HVACR system 500 is configured to improve the utilization and operability of the HVACR system 500 by enabling both the first heat transfer loop 510 and the second heat transfer loop 520 to be used both in a heating mode (in a cascaded hydrothermal cycle series arrangement) for heating the process fluid of a heating load and in a cooling mode (in a parallel hydrothermal cycle arrangement) for cooling the process fluid of a cooling load in a parallel operation. This is something that existing HVACR systems could not previously achieve. Thus, the HVACR system 500 can be used to provide high lift to heat the process fluid used for heating loads and to provide additional cooling capacity (e.g., cooling capacity by (multiple) compressors) during periods of high cooling demand that existing HVACR systems could not previously achieve, where existing HVACR systems have one or more stages or loops that are idle at different times (e.g., different seasons).

[0059] Figure 6 It is used in heating and / or cooling systems (e.g., Figure 1 Heating and cooling system 100, or Figure 2 HVACR system 200, or Figure 5 A flowchart of method 600 for an HVACR system 500. According to an embodiment, the system includes a first heat transfer loop (e.g., 110, 210, 510), a second heat transfer loop (e.g., 120, 220, 520), a coolant loop including coolant (e.g., 130, 230, 530), and a controller (e.g., 170), wherein the first heat transfer loop includes a first compressor (e.g., 112), a first heat exchanger (e.g., 114, 214, 514), and a second heat exchanger (e.g., 118, 218, 518); wherein the second heat transfer loop includes a second compressor (e.g., 122), a third heat exchanger (e.g., 124, 224, 524), and a fourth heat exchanger (e.g., 128, 228, 528).

[0060] Method 600 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions depicted by one or more boxes 610, 620, 630, and 640. Although illustrated as scattered boxes, the individual boxes may be divided into additional boxes, combined into fewer boxes, or eliminated, depending on the desired implementation. In an embodiment, method 600 may be... Figure 1 The method may be executed by controller 170, or BAS controller, or any other suitable control system or controller. Optionally, method 600 may begin at block 610 for selectively operating either in cascaded or parallel operation.

[0061] At box 610, “receiving signals for heating a heating load or supplemental cooling a cooling load,” the controller is programmed, designed, or otherwise configured to control one or more components of a heating and cooling system (or HVACR system), and / or a building automation system (BAS) controller for a computerized network of electronic devices that can be configured to control one or more systems (e.g., mechanical, electrical, lighting, security, HVACR, etc.). The controller may include one or more processors and one or more non-volatile memories with instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform control operations as discussed herein. In some embodiments, the controller may include programmability to enable, for example, receiving and / or receiving signals for heating or cooling from a BAS controller. For example, building load can be determined based on seasonality (e.g., winter or summer), such that when there is no heating demand (e.g., in summer), the first heat transfer loop can be selectively operated in cooling mode, while when there is heating demand (e.g., in winter), the first heat transfer loop can be selectively operated in heating mode, wherein the controller is configured to selectively supply one or more of the following to one or more heat exchangers: coolant, a second process fluid from the coolant load, or cooling fluid from the cooling unit. Thus, the heating and cooling system (or HVACR system) can be optimized for heating or cooling. Method 600 can proceed to 620.

[0062] At 620, “selectively operating the system to heat the heating load and / or cool the cooling load,” the controller is configured to receive control requests to selectively operate the heating and cooling system in one of a “heating mode” and a “cooling mode,” wherein the first heat transfer loop is capable of operating in cascaded or parallel operation to enable the first heat transfer loop to be used in all seasons. Then, method 600 can proceed to 630 or 640.

[0063] At 630, “operating in heating mode,” in an embodiment, when the system operates in heating mode, for example when heating is required and the heating demand is high (e.g., during winter), the controller can be configured to receive a “heating mode” signal (e.g., from the BAS controller) and operate the heating and cooling systems in a cascaded manner, as described below. The controller instructs the coolant loop to supply coolant in thermal communication with the second and third heat exchangers, for example by sending commands to open one or more of the valves(s) and / or to operate one or more pumps located between the second and third heat exchangers, and to heat the process fluid from the heating load, for example by sending commands to open one or more of the valves(s) and / or to operate one or more pumps located between the first heat exchanger and the heating load. That is, the controller is configured to selectively control the flow of coolant through the coolant loop to provide coolant to the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop (or, in cooling mode, to provide the second process fluid to the second heat exchanger, as discussed below). In some embodiments, the controller may instruct the coolant loop to close valves (and / or stop pumps) to isolate or stop any process fluid flow from the cooling load to the second heat exchanger. In some embodiments, the controller may also instruct the cooling apparatus to stop any cooling fluid flow to the third and first heat exchangers, for example by sending commands to close one or more valves and / or stop the operation of one or more pumps supplying cooling fluid. Method 600 may proceed to 630.

[0064] Thus, in cascaded operation, the compressor in the second heat transfer loop compresses the working fluid, such that the heat generated during the compression of the working fluid can be transferred in a third heat exchanger (e.g., the condenser of the second heat transfer loop) to the coolant flowing in the coolant loop. The coolant in the coolant loop then thermally connects the heat energy from the third heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger in the first heat transfer loop to provide thermal lift for heating the working fluid in the first heat transfer loop. Therefore, the working fluid compressed by the compressor in the first heat transfer loop is at a higher (e.g., elevated) temperature to provide heating or thermal energy (e.g., heat transfer) to the process fluid of the heating load via the first heat exchanger, which can be used for heating operations, such as heating the process flow and / or heating to regulate a space or building.

[0065] At 640, “operating in cooling mode,” in an embodiment, when the system operates in cooling mode, for example, when the building’s heating demand is below a threshold (e.g., during summer), the controller can be configured to receive a “cooling mode” signal (e.g., from the BAS controller) and operate the heating and cooling systems in parallel, as described below. The controller instructs the coolant loop to selectively supply a second process fluid from the cooling load to the second heat exchanger, for example by sending instructions to open one or more of the valves(s) and / or operate one or more pumps disposed between the second heat exchanger and the cooling load, and to supply cooling fluid from the cooling unit to the third heat exchanger and the first heat exchanger to provide cooling of the working fluid, for example by sending instructions to open one or more of the valves(s) and / or operate one or more pumps between the cooling unit and the first and / or the third heat exchanger, for example, such that the first and third heat exchangers are condensers of their respective heat transfer loops. In some embodiments, the controller may instruct the coolant loop to close valves (and / or stop pumps) to isolate or stop any coolant flow from the coolant loop between the second and third heat exchangers. In some embodiments, the controller may also instruct the heating load to stop any process fluid flow to the first heat exchanger, for example by sending instructions to close one or more valves and / or stop the operation of one or more pumps supplying process fluid from the heating load.

[0066] Thus, in parallel operation, the compressors of the first and second heat transfer loops compress the working fluid, such that the heat generated during the compression of the working fluid can be transferred from the cooling unit to the cooling fluid in the first and third heat exchangers, respectively. After the working fluid is expanded by the expanders(s), both the second and fourth heat exchangers are configured to extract heat from the process fluid from the cooling load, thereby causing the working fluid to evaporate before returning to its respective compressor.

[0067] Therefore, the heating and cooling system is configured to improve the utilization and operability of the heating and cooling system by enabling both a first heat transfer loop and a second heat transfer loop to be used both in a cascaded operation mode for heating the process fluid of the heating load and in a parallel operation mode for cooling the process fluid of the cooling load, which is not available in existing heating and cooling systems. Thus, the heating and cooling system can be used to provide high lift to heat the process fluid for the heating load and to provide additional cooling capacity (e.g., cooling capacity by (multiple) compressors) during periods of high cooling demand that were previously unattainable by existing heating and cooling systems, where existing heating and cooling systems have one or more stages or loops that are idle during various times of the year (e.g., different seasons).

[0068] Aspects: It should be understood that any one of aspects 1 to 9, any one of aspects 10 to 16, and any one of aspects 17 to 19 can be combined with each other.

[0069] Aspect 1. A heating and cooling system comprising: a first heat transfer loop, wherein the first heat transfer loop includes a first compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger; a second heat transfer loop, wherein the second heat transfer loop includes a second compressor, a third heat exchanger, and a fourth heat exchanger; a coolant loop including a coolant, the coolant loop being configured to allow thermal communication between the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to selectively operate the heating and cooling system in a heating mode, wherein The heating and cooling system described herein is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a cascaded manner to heat the first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, wherein the coolant loop is configured to allow thermal communication between the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop and the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop, and a cooling mode wherein the heating and cooling system is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a parallel manner to provide cooling to the second process fluid via heat transfer with the fourth heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

[0070] Aspect 2. The heating and cooling system according to aspect 1, wherein the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop is configured to selectively receive cooling fluid in the cooling mode or receive coolant from the coolant loop in the heating mode.

[0071] Aspect 3. The heating and cooling system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 2, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop is configured to selectively receive cooling fluid in the cooling mode or receive the first process fluid in the heating mode.

[0072] Aspect 4. The heating and cooling system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and / or the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop are dual-beam heat exchangers.

[0073] Aspect 5. The heating and cooling system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and / or the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop includes an auxiliary heat exchanger.

[0074] Aspect 6. A heating and cooling system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the coolant loop includes one or more valves for controlling the flow of coolant through the coolant loop, and the controller is configured to operate the one or more valves to selectively supply the coolant to the second heat exchanger in the heating mode, or to supply the second process fluid to the second heat exchanger in the cooling mode.

[0075] Aspect 7. The heating and cooling system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the heating and cooling system is a water heating circulation system, and the first process fluid is hot water, and the second process fluid is cold water.

[0076] Aspect 8. The heating and cooling system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7 further includes a cooling fluid loop comprising one or more valves, wherein the controller is configured to operate the one or more valves in the cooling mode to supply cooling fluid to the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop.

[0077] Aspect 9. The heating and cooling system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the coolant is at least one of the following: ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, and a saline solution.

[0078] Aspect 10. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and cooling (HVACR) system comprising: a water-cooled circulation system including a first process fluid and a second process fluid for regulating one or more spaces; a first heat transfer loop including a first compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a first cooler, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to selectively exchange heat with the first process fluid, wherein the first process fluid also exchanges heat with a heating load in the one or more spaces, or with a cooling fluid; a second heat transfer loop including a second compressor, a cascaded heat exchanger, and a second cooler; wherein the second cooler is configured to exchange heat between the second process fluids, wherein the second process fluid also exchanges heat with a cooling load; and a coolant loop including a coolant configured to allow heat energy to be transferred between the first heat transfer loops. The system includes a first cooler and a cascaded heat exchanger in a second heat transfer loop that are in thermal communication; and a controller configured to selectively operate the HVACR system in the following modes: a heating mode, wherein the HVACR system is configured to operate the first and second heat transfer loops in a cascaded manner to heat the first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, wherein the coolant loop is configured to allow heat to be in thermal communication between the cascaded heat exchanger in the second heat transfer loop and the first cooler in the first heat transfer loop; and a cooling mode, wherein the HVACR system is configured to operate the first and second heat transfer loops in a parallel manner to provide cooling to the second process fluid via heat transfer with the first and second coolers, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat with the cooling fluid.

[0079] Aspect 11. The HVACR system according to aspect 10, wherein the cascaded heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop is configured to selectively receive cooling fluid or coolant from the coolant loop.

[0080] Aspect 12. The HVACR system according to any one of Aspects 10 and 11, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and / or the cascaded heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop are dual-beam heat exchangers.

[0081] Aspect 13. The HVACR system according to any one of Aspects 10 to 11, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and / or the cascaded heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop includes an auxiliary heat exchanger.

[0082] Aspect 14. The HVACR system according to any one of Aspects 10 to 13, wherein the coolant is at least one of the following: ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, and a saline solution.

[0083] Aspect 15. The HVACR system according to any one of Aspects 10 to 14, wherein the cooling fluid is supplied via a cooling fluid loop including one or more valves, wherein the controller is configured to operate the one or more valves in the cooling mode to supply the cooling fluid to the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and the cascaded heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop.

[0084] Aspect 16. The HVACR system according to any one of Aspects 10 to 15, wherein the coolant loop includes one or more valves for controlling the flow of coolant through the coolant loop, and the controller is configured to operate the one or more valves to selectively supply the coolant to the first refrigerator in the heating mode, or to supply the second process fluid to the first refrigerator in the cooling mode.

[0085] Aspect 17. A method for heating and / or cooling a system, the system comprising: a first heat transfer loop, a second heat transfer loop, a coolant loop, and a controller, wherein the first heat transfer loop includes a first compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger; wherein the second heat transfer loop includes a second compressor, a third heat exchanger, and a fourth heat exchanger; and the coolant loop includes a coolant; the method comprising selectively operating the system in any of the following modes: in a heating mode, operating the system by cascading the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop to heat a first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, wherein operating the system in the heating mode includes: thermally communicating heat energy from the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop and the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop via the coolant loop; or in a cooling mode, operating the system by paralleling the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop to provide cooling to a second process fluid, wherein operating the system in the cooling mode includes: providing the second process fluid to the fourth heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

[0086] Aspect 18. The method according to aspect 17 further includes selectively controlling the flow of coolant through the coolant loop to provide the coolant to the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop in the heating mode, or to provide the second process fluid to the second heat exchanger in the cooling mode.

[0087] Aspect 19. The method according to any one of Aspects 17 to 18 further includes circulating cooling fluid from a cooling fluid loop to selectively supply the cooling fluid to the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop in the cooling mode.

[0088] The terminology used in this specification is intended to describe particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” also include their plural forms. When used in this specification, the terms “comprising” and / or “including” specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0089] Regarding the foregoing description, it should be understood that changes may be made in detail, particularly in terms of the construction materials used, and the shape, size, and arrangement of components, without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This specification and the described embodiments are merely exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heating and cooling system, comprising: A first heat transfer circuit, wherein the first heat transfer circuit includes a first compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger; A second heat transfer loop, wherein the second heat transfer loop includes a second compressor, a third heat exchanger, and a fourth heat exchanger; A coolant loop, the coolant loop including a coolant, the coolant loop being configured to allow thermal energy to be thermally connected between a second heat exchanger in a first heat transfer loop and a third heat exchanger in the second heat transfer loop; as well as A controller, wherein the controller is configured to selectively operate the heating and cooling system in the following modes: A heating mode, wherein the heating and cooling systems are configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a cascaded manner to heat the first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, wherein the coolant loop is configured to allow thermal communication between the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop and the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop. Cooling mode, wherein the heating and cooling systems are configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in parallel to provide cooling to the second process fluid via heat transfer with the fourth heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

2. The heating and cooling system of claim 1, wherein the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop is configured to selectively receive cooling fluid in the cooling mode or receive coolant from the coolant loop in the heating mode.

3. The heating and cooling system of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop is configured to selectively receive cooling fluid in the cooling mode or receive the first process fluid in the heating mode.

4. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and / or the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop are dual-beam heat exchangers.

5. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and / or the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop include an auxiliary heat exchanger.

6. The heating and cooling system of claim 1, wherein the coolant loop includes one or more valves for controlling the flow of coolant through the coolant loop, and the controller is configured to operate the one or more valves to selectively supply the coolant to the second heat exchanger in the heating mode, or to supply the second process fluid to the second heat exchanger in the cooling mode.

7. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the heating and cooling system is a water-based heating circulation system, and The first process fluid is hot water, and the second process fluid is cold water.

8. The heating and cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a cooling fluid loop including one or more valves, wherein the controller is configured to operate the one or more valves in the cooling mode to supply cooling fluid to the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop.

9. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is at least one of the following: ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, and a brine solution.

10. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) system, comprising: A water heating circulation system, the water heating circulation system comprising a first process fluid and a second process fluid for regulating one or more spaces; A first heat transfer circuit, wherein the first heat transfer circuit includes a first compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a first refrigerator. The first heat exchanger is configured to selectively exchange heat with a first process fluid, wherein the first process fluid also exchanges heat with a heating load in the one or more spaces, or with a cooling fluid; The second heat transfer loop includes a second compressor, a cascaded heat exchanger, and a second refrigerator. The second cooler is configured to exchange heat between the second process fluids, wherein the second process fluids also exchange heat with the cooling load; A coolant loop, the coolant loop including a coolant, the coolant loop being configured to allow thermal energy to be thermally connected between the first refrigerator in the first heat transfer loop and the cascaded heat exchanger in the second heat transfer loop; as well as A controller, wherein the controller is configured to selectively operate the HVACR system in the following modes: In a heating mode, the HVACR system is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in a cascaded manner to heat the first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, wherein the coolant loop is configured to allow thermal communication between the cascaded heat exchanger in the second heat transfer loop and the first cooler in the first heat transfer loop. Cooling mode, wherein the HVACR system is configured to operate the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in parallel to provide cooling to the second process fluid via heat transfer with the first cooler and the second cooler, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat with the cooling fluid.

11. The HVACR system of claim 10, wherein the cascaded heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop is configured to selectively receive cooling fluid or coolant from the coolant loop.

12. The HVACR system of claim 10, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and / or the cascaded heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop are dual-beam heat exchangers.

13. The HVACR system of claim 10, wherein the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and / or the cascaded heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop includes an auxiliary heat exchanger.

14. The HVACR system of claim 10, wherein the coolant is at least one of the following: ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, water, and a brine solution.

15. The HVACR system of claim 10, wherein the cooling fluid is supplied via a cooling fluid loop including one or more valves, wherein the controller is configured to operate the one or more valves in the cooling mode to supply the cooling fluid to the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and the cascaded heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop.

16. The HVACR system of claim 10, wherein the coolant loop includes one or more valves for controlling the flow of coolant through the coolant loop, and the controller is configured to operate the one or more valves to selectively supply the coolant to the first refrigerator in the heating mode, or to supply the second process fluid to the first refrigerator in the cooling mode.

17. A method for a heating and / or cooling system, the system comprising: The system comprises a first heat transfer circuit, a second heat transfer circuit, a coolant loop, and a controller, wherein the first heat transfer circuit includes a first compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger. The second heat transfer loop includes a second compressor, a third heat exchanger, and a fourth heat exchanger; the coolant loop includes a coolant; the method includes selectively operating the system in any of the following modes: In heating mode, the system is operated by cascading the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop to heat the first process fluid via heat transfer with the first heat exchanger, wherein operating the system in heating mode includes: thermally connecting the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop and the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop via the coolant loop; or In cooling mode, the system is operated by operating the first heat transfer loop and the second heat transfer loop in parallel to provide cooling to the second process fluid, wherein operating the system in cooling mode includes providing the second process fluid to the fourth heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising selectively controlling the flow of coolant through the coolant loop to provide the coolant to the second heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop in the heating mode, or to provide the second process fluid to the second heat exchanger in the cooling mode.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising circulating cooling fluid from a cooling fluid loop to selectively supply the cooling fluid to the first heat exchanger of the first heat transfer loop and the third heat exchanger of the second heat transfer loop in the cooling mode.

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