Air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy and air source heat pump
By heating the air preheater with a geothermal energy collector, the problem of frosting in air source heat pumps at low temperatures is solved, achieving efficient and stable defrosting, adapting to various weather conditions, and reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- QINGDAO HAIER AIR CONDITIONING
- Filing Date
- 2025-05-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
AI Technical Summary
Air source heat pumps are prone to frost formation in low-temperature environments, leading to reduced heat transfer efficiency and increased energy consumption. Existing solar thermal collectors have poor defrosting performance on cloudy or rainy days and in areas with insufficient sunshine.
A geothermal energy collector is used to heat the air preheater through a geothermal circulation pipeline to prevent frost from forming on the outdoor heat exchanger. The stability and high efficiency of geothermal energy are used to achieve defrosting.
It effectively prevents frost formation on the outdoor heat exchanger, improves heat transfer efficiency, reduces energy consumption, reduces maintenance costs, and adapts to various weather conditions, especially demonstrating high efficiency and reliability in extremely cold regions.
Smart Images

Figure CN224262003U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of temperature regulation equipment technology, specifically to an air source heat pump defrosting system and an air source heat pump based on geothermal energy. Background Technology
[0002] An air source heat pump is a device that uses air as a heat source and achieves efficient heat transfer through the reverse Carnot cycle principle. It offers advantages such as energy saving, environmental friendliness, and flexible application. During winter operation, frost buildup on the outdoor heat exchanger increases its surface thermal resistance and reduces the heat transfer coefficient. Simultaneously, the frost layer blocks the channels between the fins, increasing airflow resistance, significantly reducing airflow, and increasing the heat exchanger's temperature difference. This, in turn, increases the compressor's suction and discharge pressure and temperature differences. As refrigerant flow decreases, compressor power consumption increases, and heat output decreases. Severe frost buildup can even lead to serious accidents such as unit shutdown.
[0003] To prevent frost buildup on air-source heat pumps, patent publication number CN119642445A discloses a cold air preheating system. Figure 1 As shown, the disclosed cold air preheating system includes an air source heat pump 101, an air preheater 102, and a solar thermal collector 103. The air source heat pump 101 is connected in series with the air preheater 102. The air preheater 102 preheats the cold air surrounding the air source heat pump 101 using medium-temperature water generated by the solar thermal collector 103, thereby increasing the air temperature around the unit. This solves the problem of poor defrosting performance of the air source heat pump 101 when operating in low-temperature, high-humidity areas, and improves the defrosting effect of the air source heat pump.
[0004] However, although the above solutions can solve the problem of frost formation in air source heat pumps, solar thermal collectors are greatly affected by environmental factors. In cloudy and rainy days and in cold and frigid regions with short sunshine hours, severe frost formation and untimely defrosting will still occur. Utility Model Content
[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a defrosting system for an air source heat pump based on geothermal energy, so as to provide a system and an air source heat pump that can reliably defrost the air source heat pump.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:
[0007] An air-source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy includes:
[0008] Geothermal energy harvester;
[0009] An air preheater is connected to the geothermal energy collector via a geothermal circulation pipeline. The air preheater is used to heat the air around the outdoor heat exchanger of the air source heat pump to prevent frost from forming on the outdoor heat exchanger.
[0010] The first water pump is installed in the geothermal circulation pipeline.
[0011] Optionally, in the above-mentioned air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy, the geothermal energy collector is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger or a capillary tube heat exchanger.
[0012] Optionally, in the above-mentioned air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy, the underground part of the geothermal energy collector, the pipes at a height less than a preset distance from the ground, and the pipes above the ground are provided with insulation layers.
[0013] Optionally, the above-mentioned air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy also includes a geothermal exchanger, which is located at the bottom of the geothermal energy collector, where the bottom location refers to the deepest point where the geothermal energy collector is buried underground.
[0014] Optionally, in the above-mentioned air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy, when the geothermal energy collector is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger includes an outer tube and an inner tube, the inner tube is disposed inside the outer tube, and the two are axially parallel to each other to form an annular space.
[0015] The outer tube serves as the water inlet pipe of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger.
[0016] The inner tube serves as the outlet pipe of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger.
[0017] The inlet pipe is connected to the outlet of the geothermal circulation pipeline;
[0018] The outlet pipe is connected to the inlet of the geothermal circulation pipeline.
[0019] Optionally, in the above-mentioned air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy, the thermal conductivity of the outer pipe is greater than that of the inner pipe.
[0020] Optionally, in the above-mentioned air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy, the outer pipe is made of metal and the inner pipe is made of plastic.
[0021] Optionally, in the above-mentioned air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy, an insulation layer is provided on the inner pipe.
[0022] Optionally, the above-mentioned geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system also includes:
[0023] Fin structure disposed on the outside of the outer tube.
[0024] An air source heat pump, comprising any of the above-mentioned geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting systems.
[0025] Based on the above technical solution, the above-mentioned solution provided by this utility model embodiment, when the geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system is working, uses a geothermal energy collector to collect underground heat, and uses a medium (such as water) in the geothermal circulation pipeline to transfer the collected geothermal energy to the air preheater for heat dissipation. The air preheater corresponds to the outdoor heat exchanger of the air source heat pump. When the air preheater dissipates heat, it heats the air around the outdoor heat exchanger of the air source heat pump, increasing the air temperature around the outdoor heat exchanger, thereby preventing frost from forming on the outdoor heat exchanger. Since geothermal energy is relatively stable and not affected by weather factors, and the maintenance cost of the geothermal energy collector is low, it can reliably defrost the outdoor heat exchanger. Attached Figure Description
[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.
[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cold air preheating system in the prior art;
[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy disclosed in an embodiment of this application;
[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the geothermal energy harvester disclosed in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0030] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0031] The applicant's research found that geothermal energy is easy to collect, unaffected by environmental factors, and can still effectively collect high levels of heat energy in cloudy and rainy days and in cold and frigid regions with short sunshine hours. Furthermore, the geothermal energy collection system has a simple structure, long service life, and low maintenance costs.
[0032] This application discloses an air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy. See [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 The defrosting system may include: a geothermal energy collector 100, an air preheater 200, and a first water pump 300.
[0033] Regarding the geothermal energy collector 100, it is a device or system for extracting geothermal energy from the earth's crust using specific technologies. The geothermal energy collector includes shallow geothermal energy collectors and medium-deep geothermal energy collectors. The shallow geothermal energy collector includes a water-source heat pump system and a buried pipe heat exchange system. The water-source heat pump system uses an aquifer as a heat source, extracting groundwater for heat exchange. The heat pump unit then boosts the low-grade heat energy for use by the air preheater 200. The buried pipe heat exchange system buries closed pipes in shallow soil (30-400 meters deep), utilizing the temperature difference between the soil's constant-temperature layer and the surface to achieve heat exchange. This method is suitable for medium- and low-temperature regions. The medium-deep geothermal energy collector includes a dry hot rock circulating water extraction system, a dual-well circulation system, a single-well circulation system, a single-well closed-loop circulation system, and a gravity heat pipe system. The geothermal energy recovery system employs a "water injection-permeation-water extraction" cycle, injecting water into the geothermal well via a reinjection pump. The heated rock strata are then heated, and the heat energy is extracted through the extraction pipe. This method is suitable for the efficient development of geothermal strata. The well-to-well circulation system forms a closed loop through injection and extraction wells, enhancing the permeability of the geothermal reservoir and improving heat extraction efficiency. The single-well closed-loop system uses a coaxial casing within each well, achieving heat extraction through fluid circulation within and outside the pipes, reducing dependence on groundwater. The gravity heat pipe system utilizes the principle of working fluid phase change to transfer heat, making it suitable for rock strata with low permeability. Those skilled in the art can select a suitable geothermal energy acquisition system as the geothermal energy collector 100 in this application based on design requirements.
[0034] Regarding the air preheater 200, the air preheater is connected to the geothermal energy collector via a geothermal circulation pipeline. The air preheater heats the air surrounding the outdoor heat exchanger of the air source heat pump to prevent frost formation on the outdoor heat exchanger. The air preheater primarily recovers waste heat from flue gas and preheats the air entering the boiler, thereby improving the boiler's thermal and combustion efficiency. Through heat exchange, the air preheater transfers heat from the medium-temperature water in the geothermal circulation pipeline to the air surrounding the outdoor heat exchanger of the air source heat pump, raising the temperature of the air around the outdoor heat exchanger and thus heating the outdoor heat exchanger to prevent frost formation on its surface. The air preheater includes tubular air preheaters, rotary air preheaters, plate air preheaters, and heat pipe air preheaters, etc. Designers can select the specific type of air preheater 200 according to design requirements.
[0035] A first water pump 300 is installed in the geothermal circulation pipeline. A water pump is a mechanical device used to transport liquids (mainly water). It transfers the mechanical energy of a prime mover or other external energy to the liquid, increasing the liquid's energy and thus meeting the needs of various fields for liquid transport and pressurization. Types of water pumps can include impeller pumps (centrifugal pumps, axial flow pumps, mixed flow pumps), positive displacement pumps (piston pumps, gear pumps), and other types of pumps (such as jet pumps, water hammer pumps), etc. During design, a suitable type of water pump can be selected as the first water pump in this application according to actual needs. In this embodiment, a centrifugal pump is preferred as the first water pump.
[0036] When the geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system is in operation, a geothermal energy collector collects heat from the ground and uses a medium (such as water) in the geothermal circulation pipeline to transfer the collected geothermal energy to the air preheater for heat dissipation. The air preheater is located corresponding to the outdoor heat exchanger of the air source heat pump. When the air preheater dissipates heat, it heats the air around the outdoor heat exchanger of the air source heat pump, increasing the air temperature around the outdoor heat exchanger and thus preventing frost from forming on the outdoor heat exchanger. Because geothermal energy is relatively stable and unaffected by weather factors, and the maintenance cost of the geothermal energy collector is low, it can reliably defrost the outdoor heat exchanger.
[0037] In this scheme, the geothermal energy collector can specifically be a shell-and-tube heat exchanger or a capillary tube heat exchanger. A shell-and-tube heat exchanger consists of two standard tubes of different sizes connected to form a concentric circular shell; the outer tube is called the shell side (outer tube), and the inner tube is called the tube side (inner tube). The medium can enter the inner tube from one end of the outer tube and flow out from the other end, or it can flow into the outer tube from one end of the inner tube and flow out from the other end. The medium in the outer tube can absorb heat from the ground and increase its own temperature. A capillary network is an ideal high-efficiency heat exchanger, consisting of a network structure of extremely fine pipes that can efficiently absorb heat from the ground.
[0038] In this embodiment, the geothermal energy collector 100 is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and the structure of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger is as follows: Figure 3As shown, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 100 includes an outer tube 110 and an inner tube 120. The inner tube 120 is disposed inside the outer tube 110, and the two are axially parallel, forming an annular space. In this embodiment, the geothermal energy collector 100 consists of a double-layer coaxial nested system formed by the outer tube 110 and the inner tube 120. The outer tube can be made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel (such as 316L). The outer tube and the inner tube are axially parallel and form an annular heat exchange cavity (annular space). The advantage of this structure is that it achieves dual heat exchange between geothermal energy and circulating water through the double-layer contact surface of the inner and outer tube walls. At the same time, the annular space can effectively reduce fluid flow resistance and improve heat exchange efficiency. The outer tube 110 and the inner tube 120 serve as the inlet and outlet pipes, respectively, forming a counter-current heat exchange mode. In practice, the first end (upper end) of the outer pipe 110 is connected to the outlet of the geothermal circulation pipeline via a flange-type conversion joint, while the first end of the inner pipe 120 is connected to the inlet of the circulation pipeline via a similar joint. The second end (lower end) of the outer pipe and the second end of the inner pipe are sealed and connected via a U-shaped bend, forming a closed-loop water circuit. This design allows the low-temperature water to flow from top to bottom in the outer pipe, absorb geothermal heat, and then turn to the inner pipe at the bottom, flowing back from bottom to top. This reverse flow maximizes the temperature gradient and improves heat exchange efficiency. The geothermal absorption process is as follows: Driven by the circulating water pump, the low-temperature water discharged from the air preheater enters the outer pipe 110 through the geothermal circulation pipeline. When the water flows through the buried area of the outer pipe (usually 50-100 meters underground), it conducts / convects heat exchange with the surrounding rock and soil or geothermal water body through the pipe wall, and the water temperature gradually rises to a medium temperature state (25-35℃). A spiral fin structure can be added to the outer wall of the outer pipe to increase the heat exchange area and further enhance the geothermal extraction capacity. Heat release and system linkage: The heated medium-temperature water returns to the geothermal circulation pipeline through the inner pipe 120 and is then transported to the air preheater. During this process, the inner pipe is wrapped by the outer pipe, forming a "pipe-in-pipe" insulation structure to reduce heat loss. After entering the air preheater, the medium-temperature water releases heat through a plate heat exchanger or a spray-type heat dissipation unit, raising the temperature of the air around the outdoor heat exchanger of the air source heat pump by 3-8°C, effectively alleviating the frosting problem of the heat pump in low-temperature environments, while also reducing its compressor power consumption.
[0039] Furthermore, this application can also install adjustable guide vanes between the annular space and the inner wall of the outer pipe to adapt to different geothermal gradient conditions by changing the intensity of water flow turbulence. Alternatively, a self-cleaning filter can be installed at the inlet of the outer pipe to prevent underground sediment from entering the annular space; an electromagnetic descaling device can be installed at the outlet of the inner pipe to inhibit scale deposition. Simultaneously, distributed fiber optic temperature sensors can be arranged along the axial direction of the outer pipe to monitor the temperature distribution of the geothermal absorption section in real time, and the pump speed and valve opening can be dynamically adjusted through a PLC system to maintain the peak thermal efficiency of the system.
[0040] In the technical solution disclosed in this embodiment, the design of the geothermal energy harvester fully considers the differences in functional requirements between the outer and inner pipes, and thus optimizes their configurations specifically for their different roles. Specifically, the outer pipe 110, serving as the water inlet pipe, needs to directly contact the ground and absorb geothermal energy. Since the geothermal energy in the ground needs to be efficiently transferred to the water through the outer pipe 110, it requires high heat exchange capacity. To achieve this, the outer pipe 110 can be made of a material with high thermal conductivity to ensure that it can quickly and effectively absorb and transfer the heat energy from the ground to subsequent heat exchange processes. Opposite to the outer pipe 110 is the inner pipe 120, which is responsible for providing medium-temperature water to the outside. Maintaining the stability of the water temperature inside the inner pipe 120 is crucial in this process, as any unnecessary heat loss could cause the water temperature supplied to the air preheater to drop, thereby affecting the efficiency of the entire system. To prevent heat loss from the inner pipe 120, this design strictly controls its thermal conductivity, requiring it to have low heat exchange capacity. Specifically, the inner pipe 120 is made of a material with relatively low thermal conductivity. This material effectively reduces heat loss during transfer, ensuring a stable water temperature inside the inner pipe 120 and meeting external usage requirements. Therefore, in this geothermal energy harvester setup, the difference in thermal conductivity between the outer pipe 110 and the inner pipe 120 becomes a key design element. The thermal conductivity of the outer pipe 110 is set to be greater than that of the inner pipe 120. This design not only satisfies the difference in functional requirements between the two but also ensures the efficient and stable operation of the entire geothermal energy harvesting system.
[0041] In the geothermal energy harvester, the inner pipe 120 needs to prevent heat loss to maintain the stability of the internal water temperature. Therefore, the inner pipe should be made of a material with low thermal conductivity and good insulation properties. In this embodiment, the inner pipe material can be polyethylene (PE), cross-linked polyethylene (PE-X), polypropylene (PP), random copolymer polypropylene (PP-R), or other plastic materials. The outer pipe 110 needs to be in direct contact with the ground and is responsible for absorbing geothermal energy. Therefore, the outer pipe should be made of a material with high thermal conductivity and corrosion and wear resistance. For example, the inner pipe can be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), metal materials (such as stainless steel, copper, or composite materials), etc.
[0042] In this embodiment, in order to further improve the thermal insulation of the inner tube 120, a thermal insulation layer is provided on the inner tube. The thermal insulation layer can be provided on the inner surface of the inner tube, the outer surface of the inner tube, or in the inner tube interlayer.
[0043] The design of the geothermal energy harvester fully considers the characteristics of underground heat energy distribution and the optimization of heat transfer efficiency. Specifically, a section of the harvester's pipes is precisely buried at a relatively deep location underground. This depth range is typically scientifically calculated to maximize the absorption of relatively stable and abundant heat resources deep underground. The heat from deep underground exchanges heat with the circulating medium (such as water or antifreeze) inside the harvester through the pipe walls, effectively increasing the temperature of the medium and providing a high-grade heat source for subsequent energy utilization.
[0044] It is worth noting that in frigid regions, soil temperature gradually decreases with depth below ground level, forming a natural temperature gradient. This temperature distribution characteristic means that the closer the pipe section is to the ground, the lower the surrounding ambient temperature, and the greater the risk of heat loss. If effective insulation measures are not taken for the pipe sections of the geothermal energy harvester that are close to the ground or exposed to low-temperature environments, a significant amount of heat absorbed and heated from deep underground may be lost during the transfer to surface equipment (such as air preheaters) due to heat exchange between the pipe walls and the surrounding environment. This could lead to a substantial decrease in energy utilization efficiency, or even failure to meet the expected heating or energy conversion needs.
[0045] Therefore, in this embodiment, insulation layers are designed and installed in the underground portion of the geothermal energy collector for pipes located less than a preset distance from the ground surface—these pipes are significantly affected by the low-temperature environment due to their proximity to the surface—and for pipes completely exposed to the low-temperature air above ground. The insulation layer material is typically a low-thermal-conductivity, weather-resistant insulating material, such as polyurethane foam, rock wool, or glass wool. These materials effectively isolate the heat exchange between the internal medium and the external low-temperature environment, reducing heat loss during transmission and ensuring that the geothermal energy collector can efficiently and stably transfer underground heat to the target equipment, maximizing energy utilization. This design not only improves the overall energy efficiency of the system but also enhances the reliability and economy of the geothermal energy collector in extremely cold regions.
[0046] In this embodiment, to maximize the collection of underground heat and improve the overall efficiency and energy output of the geothermal energy collector, an underground heat exchanger is added based on the above-mentioned scheme. The underground heat exchanger effectively increases the contact area between the geothermal energy collector and the underground heat source, thereby significantly improving heat transfer efficiency and ensuring that more underground heat is collected and utilized. Specifically, the underground heat exchanger is located at the bottom of the geothermal energy collector. Here, "bottom location" refers to the deepest point where the geothermal energy collector is buried underground. From a thermodynamic perspective, as the underground depth increases, the ground temperature gradually rises, and the deepest point of the geothermal energy collector can collect more geothermal energy. Further analysis from the perspective of heat transfer efficiency shows that heat transfer requires a certain driving force and contact area. The underground heat exchanger, located at the bottom of the geothermal energy collector, forms a good heat conduction path with the underground heat source. It can greatly increase the contact area with the underground medium through its special structure (such as being made of materials with high thermal conductivity, or being designed with a large surface area, such as spiral or fin shape), thereby accelerating the heat transfer process.
[0047] Corresponding to the above solution, this application also discloses an air source heat pump, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 The air source heat pump may include any of the above-mentioned geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting systems, outdoor heat exchangers, expansion valves, indoor heat exchangers, and compressors.
[0048] In this embodiment, to further enhance the user's autonomous control and ease of operation of the air source heat pump system, the user can directly manage the operating status of the first water pump through an integrated control interface. Specifically, the user can actively control the first water pump to turn it on or off by operating a specially configured first water pump switch, and flexibly adjust the output power of the first water pump according to actual needs. The first water pump switch can be directly integrated into the control panel of the air source heat pump, ensuring that the user can quickly find and operate it accurately even on first use. When the user needs to start the first water pump to assist the air source heat pump in defrosting, preheating, or other specific functions, they only need to press the start button on the control panel, and the first water pump will start working according to the preset logic or the parameters subsequently set by the user. Similarly, when the user wants to stop the operation of the first water pump or adjust its output power, this can be easily achieved by using the corresponding stop button or power adjustment knob (or touch interface).
[0049] In this embodiment, there is seamless linkage between the start switch of the air source heat pump and the start switch of the first water pump. Specifically, when the air source heat pump detects the need to start to provide heating or cooling services, its built-in intelligent control system immediately sends a start signal. Simultaneously, the system sends a start command to the associated first water pump via a preset communication protocol or electrical connection. This linkage process ensures precise synchronization between the start-up time of the air source heat pump and the first water pump, avoiding energy waste or system performance degradation due to delayed start-up. With the start of the first water pump, the geothermal energy circulation system begins operation, transporting stable underground geothermal energy to the air preheater through a circulation medium (such as water or antifreeze). The air preheater, a key component of this system, uses geothermal energy to heat the air flowing through it. The heated air is then guided to the area around the outdoor heat exchanger, creating a localized high-temperature environment. In this localized high-temperature environment, the frost layer adhering to the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger gradually melts due to heat absorption, thus achieving defrosting. This process not only effectively prevents the frost layer from negatively impacting the efficiency of the heat exchanger, but also avoids the high energy consumption problem caused by traditional defrosting methods (such as electric heating defrosting).
[0050] Furthermore, this interconnected design also takes into account the system's safety and reliability. For example, if the air source heat pump needs to be shut down due to a malfunction or maintenance, the first water pump will also stop working simultaneously to prevent the geothermal energy circulation system from continuing to operate unnecessarily, thereby saving energy and extending the equipment's lifespan.
[0051] In this embodiment, to avoid unnecessary activation of the geothermal-based air source heat pump defrosting function and thus effectively prevent unnecessary energy waste, the controller monitors the outdoor ambient temperature in real time using a built-in temperature sensor upon startup. The controller determines whether to activate the geothermal-assisted defrosting system based on the outdoor ambient temperature data. A specific preset temperature threshold can be set, which is a specific temperature value not exceeding 0°C. When the controller detects that the outdoor temperature is lower than this preset value, it means the outdoor environment is cold enough that there is a risk of frost formation on the heat exchanger surface. In this case, to ensure stable operation and efficient heating of the air source heat pump, the controller automatically controls the first water pump to start simultaneously with the air source heat pump startup. The activation of the first water pump will cause the geothermal energy circulation system to begin working. Conversely, if the controller detects that the outdoor temperature is higher than the preset value, it indicates that the current outdoor environmental conditions are not sufficient to cause frost formation on the heat exchanger, or even slight frost is insufficient to affect the normal operating efficiency of the heat pump system. In this case, to avoid energy waste, the controller does not need to activate the first water pump when the air source heat pump starts. This design ensures the efficient operation of the heat pump system under suitable conditions and maximizes energy utilization, reflecting the intelligent and energy-saving design concept of the system.
[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, considering the dynamic needs of the geothermal-based air-source heat pump defrosting system during actual operation, when the system receives a command to activate the defrosting mode, it often means that a certain thickness of frost has accumulated on the surface of the outdoor heat exchanger. To quickly and effectively remove this frost, the air preheater must be able to provide high-intensity heat output in the initial stage of startup to rapidly increase the temperature of the air around the heat exchanger and accelerate the melting process of the frost. However, as the defrosting system operates for longer, the frost on the outdoor heat exchanger will gradually decrease until it disappears completely. Maintaining high-intensity heat output during this stage would not only waste energy but also potentially cause unnecessary thermal stress on other components of the heat pump system, affecting the long-term stable operation of the system. Therefore, when starting the first water pump, the system will first control it to operate at a higher initial power to ensure that the air preheater can quickly generate enough heat to rapidly defrost the outdoor heat exchanger. Subsequently, when the system's built-in timer or sensor detects that the first water pump has been operating for a preset duration (which can be flexibly adjusted according to the actual operating environment and defrosting requirements), the system will automatically adjust its control strategy, reducing the output power of the first water pump to a second power level. The selection of this second power level should be based on the minimum heat energy requirement to ensure that the outdoor heat exchanger will not re-frost after defrosting, thereby maximizing energy efficiency. Through this intelligent adjustment mechanism, this solution not only effectively solves the problem of frosting on the outdoor heat exchanger but also significantly reduces the power consumption of the geothermal-based air source heat pump defrosting system, improving the overall energy efficiency ratio and operational stability of the system. This innovative design not only reflects a profound understanding of energy conservation and environmental protection but also provides a valuable reference for the further development of air source heat pump technology.
[0053] As can be seen from the above solutions, this application utilizes a geothermal energy collector to collect geothermal energy, which then suppresses frost formation on the outdoor heat exchanger of the air-source heat pump. Geothermal energy is unaffected by weather, offering stable, reliable, and efficient performance. Furthermore, the geothermal energy collector occupies little ground space, is easy to maintain, and has a long service life. Directly suppressing frost formation on the outdoor heat exchanger of the air-source heat pump using geothermal energy results in minimal energy loss during the heat conversion process. Solar energy, on the other hand, requires multiple stages of heat collection, storage, and conversion to achieve the same frost suppression effect, resulting in greater energy loss.
[0054] For ease of description, the above system is described by dividing it into various modules based on their functions. Of course, in implementing this utility model, the functions of each module can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware components.
[0055] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments. The systems and system embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. Components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without creative effort.
[0056] To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of the hardware, the components of each example have been generally described in terms of function in the foregoing description. Those skilled in the art can implement the described functions using different methods for each specific application, but such implementations should not be considered beyond the scope of this invention.
[0057] It should also be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.
[0058] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
Claims
1. A defrosting system for an air source heat pump based on geothermal energy, characterized in that, include: Geothermal energy harvester; An air preheater is connected to the geothermal energy collector via a geothermal circulation pipeline. The air preheater is used to heat the air around the outdoor heat exchanger of the air source heat pump to prevent frost from forming on the outdoor heat exchanger. The first water pump is installed in the geothermal circulation pipeline.
2. The geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The geothermal energy collector is either a shell-and-tube heat exchanger or a capillary tube heat exchanger.
3. The geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The underground portion of the geothermal energy collector, including the pipes at a height less than a preset distance from the ground, and the pipes above ground, are equipped with insulation layers.
4. The geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes a geothermal exchanger, which is located at the bottom of the geothermal energy collector, where the bottom refers to the deepest point where the geothermal energy collector is buried underground.
5. The geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system according to claim 2, characterized in that, When the geothermal energy collector is a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger includes an outer tube and an inner tube, the inner tube is disposed inside the outer tube, and the two are axially parallel to each other to form an annular space. The outer tube serves as the water inlet pipe of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The inner tube serves as the outlet pipe of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The inlet pipe is connected to the outlet of the geothermal circulation pipeline; The outlet pipe is connected to the inlet of the geothermal circulation pipeline.
6. The geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The thermal conductivity of the outer tube is greater than that of the inner tube.
7. The geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The outer tube is made of metal, and the inner tube is made of plastic.
8. The geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The inner tube is provided with a heat insulation layer.
9. The geothermal energy-based air source heat pump defrosting system according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: Fin structure disposed on the outside of the outer tube.
10. An air source heat pump, characterized in that, Includes the air source heat pump defrosting system based on geothermal energy as described in any one of claims 1-9.