Water distillation system for hvac&r system

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes a heat pump system configured to circulate a working fluid therethrough, and a water distillation system coupled to the heat pump system. The water distillation system includes a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between a flow of the working fluid from the heat pump system and a flow of fluid from a water source to generate a liquid fluid portion and a distilled vapor fluid portion. In addition, the water distillation system includes a storage vessel configured to receive, from the heat exchanger, and store the liquid fluid portion and the distilled vapor fluid portion.

Description

[0001] WATER DISTILLATION SYSTEM FOR HVAC&R SYSTEM

[0002] Description

[0003] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0004] This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 527,454, entitled "WATER DISTILLATION SYSTEM FOR HVAC&R SYSTEM," filed July 18, 2023, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0007] A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system may utilize a working fluid (e.g., a refrigerant) that changes phases between vapor, liquid, and combinations thereof in response to exposure to different temperatures and pressures within components of the HVAC&R system (e.g., vapor compression system). The HVAC&R system may place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a conditioning fluid (e.g., water) to heat and / or cool the conditioning fluid and may then deliver the conditioning fluid to various destinations to be utilized. For example, the HVAC&R system may include a heat pump system (e.g., heat pump vapor compression circuit) that includes one or more heat exchangers configured to receive the working fluid and a respective fluid and to place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the additional fluid. In general, energy transferred by a first heat exchanger of a heat pump system (e.g., heat transferred from the working fluid to a first additional fluid) may be approximately equal to a combination of energy transferred by a second heat exchanger of the heat pump system (e.g., heat transferred from a second additional fluid to the working fluid) and energy consumed by a compressor of the heat pump system. In some applications, heat pump systems may be utilized with additional systems, such as industrial process systems, client systems, and so forth. Unfortunately, existing heat pump systems, including heat pump systems incorporated with additional systems, are susceptible to inefficiencies and drawbacks.

[0008] SUMMARY

[0009] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0010] In one embodiment, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes a heat pump system configured to circulate a working fluid therethrough, and a water distillation system fluidly coupled to the heat pump system. The water distillation system includes a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between a flow of the working fluid from the heat pump system and a flow of fluid from a water source to generate a liquid fluid portion and a distilled vapor fluid portion. The water distillation system includes a storage vessel configured to receive, from the first heat exchanger, and store the liquid fluid portion and the distilled vapor fluid portion.

[0011] In another embodiment, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of working fluid from a heat pump system and to receive a flow of fluid from a water source. The heat exchanger is configured to place the flow of working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the flow of fluid from the water source and to transfer heat from the flow of working fluid to the flow of fluid from the water source to at least partially vaporize the flow of fluid. The HVAC system includes a storage vessel configured to receive, from the heat exchanger, a vaporized portion of the flow of fluid and a liquid portion of the flow of fluid and includes a first valve configured to fluidly couple the heat exchanger to a vapor compression circuit of the heat pump system. The HVAC system includes a control system configured to communicatively couple to the first valve and configured to adjust a position of the first valve to control an amount of the flow of working fluid directed from the vapor compression circuit to the heat exchanger.

[0012] In a further embodiment, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes a distillation system configured to distill a mixture, a heat pump system fluidly coupled to the distillation system, wherein the heat pump system is configured to transfer heat between a working fluid circulated through the heat pump system and a flow of fluid received from the distillation system. The HVAC system includes a water distillation system fluidly coupled to the heat pump system and to the distillation system, wherein the water distillation system is configured to receive a flow of the working fluid from the heat pump system, to receive a flow of water from a water source, and to place the flow of the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the flow of water to at least partially vaporize the flow of water to generate and store a liquid water portion and a distilled water portion. The HVAC system includes a control system communicatively coupled to the distillation system, the heat pump system, and the water distillation system. The control system is configured to control a flow of the distilled water portion supplied to at least one component of the heat pump system, to at least one component of the distillation system, or both, based on data indicative of a fluid level associated with the heat pump system, the distillation system, or both.

[0013] DRAWINGS

[0014] Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building utilizing an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system in a commercial setting, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a schematic of an embodiment of a vapor compression system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic of an embodiment of a vapor compression system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system including a distillation system with a heat pump system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 6 is a schematic of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system including a distillation system and a heat pump system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 7 is a schematic of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system including a heat pump system and a water distillation system incorporated with a distillation system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 8 is a schematic of an embodiment of an HVAC&R system including a heat pump system and a water distillation system incorporated with a distillation system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

[0022] FIG. 9 is a process flow diagram of an embodiment of a method for operating a heat pump system and a water distillation system incorporated with a distillation system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0025] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0026] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system. The HVAC&R system may include a vapor compression system (e.g., a vapor compression circuit, working fluid circuit) configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., a refrigerant, water) to cool and / or heat a process fluid (e.g., conditioning fluid, cooling fluid, water, water and alcohol mixture). For example, the vapor compression system may be a heat pump system that includes one or more heat exchangers each configured to receive a working fluid and a process fluid and to place the working fluid in the heat exchange relationship with the process fluid. The heat pump system may be a generally thermally balanced system. For example, energy transferred by a first heat exchanger of the heat pump system (e.g., heat transferred from the working fluid to a first process fluid) may be approximately equal to a combination of energy transferred by a second heat exchanger of the heat pump system (e.g., heat transferred from a second process fluid to the working fluid) and energy consumed by a compressor of the heat pump system. In other words, the heat pump system may operate to heat and / or cool one or more process fluids. Indeed, the heat pump system may operate to heat a first process fluid and to cool a second process fluid, in some embodiments.

[0027] As described herein, heat pump systems may be incorporated with one or more additional systems to provide heating and / or cooling for additional system. Additionally or alternatively, heat pump systems may be incorporated to satisfy one or more heating loads and / or one or more cooling loads. For example, a heat pump system may be incorporated with a distillation system (e.g., distillation process, system that distills a mixture, evapo-concentration, desalination, water distillation). In such applications, the heat pump system may be operated to supply heat and / or steam (e.g., working fluid, vaporized water, vaporized water and alcohol mixture) to a distillation vessel (e.g., distillation column) and to cool and / or condense a vaporized fluid (e.g., first process fluid, alcohol vapor). In some embodiments, the heat pump system may operate in an open loop (e.g., open circuit, open flow) configuration and may circulate a process fluid or process fluid mixture (e.g., first process fluid, water, water and alcohol mixture) received from the distillation vessel of the distillation system, and place the process fluid or process fluid mixture in a heat exchange relationship with a vaporized process fluid (e.g., second process fluid, alcohol vapor) of the same distillation vessel to produce a desired product (e.g., distilled fluid, high percentage alcohol mixture, 45 to 90 percent alcohol mixture). In other words, the open heat pump system may use the first process fluid (e.g., water and / or water alcohol mixture) of the distillation system as a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant). In some embodiments, the heat pump system may operate in a closed loop (e.g., closed circuit, closed flow) configuration and may circulate a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant, water, distilled water) that may be fluidly separate from a process fluid (e.g., water, water and alcohol mixture) of the distillation system. In any case, the heat pump system may circulate water as a working fluid (e.g., refrigerant) for the heat pump system, which may enable more efficient and cost effective operation of the heat pump system. For example, utilization of water as a working fluid may enable more efficient distillation operations and / or other high temperature heat pump applications. In addition, use of water as a working fluid in the heat pump system may reduce generation and / or presence of pollutants (e.g., hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)) that may cause wear, degradation, and / or performance issues for components of the distillation system over time.

[0028] Unfortunately, in some phases or stages (e.g., steps, operations, batch stages) of the distillation system, one or more components of the distillation system, such as the distillation column, the distillation process piping (e.g., plumbing), a distillation process side of one or more heat exchangers, or any combination thereof may be drained (e.g., emptied, purged) of the water or water mixture (e.g., working fluid), such as between batches of a distillation process, during cleaning and / or sanitizing stages, for maintenance purposes, and so forth. In addition, during operation of the heat pump system and / or the distillation system, working fluid and / or process fluid (e.g., steam) may escape from the HVAC&R system, (e.g., via a compressor of the heat pump system). Accordingly, it is desirable to replenish the working fluid and / or process fluid within the HVAC&R system. However, for heat pump systems and / or the distillation systems that utilize water as a working fluid or process fluid, it may be desirable to utilize distilled water instead of other water (e.g., tap water, non-distilled water) that may contain impurities. Unfortunately, procurement of distilled water may be expensive and / or time consuming.

[0029] Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an HVAC&R system that may include a heat pump system including a water distillation system (e.g., water distillation apparatus). In some embodiments, the heat pump system and the water distillation system may be utilized in conjunction with a distillation system (e.g., process fluid distillation system, evapo-concentration system, desalination system, water distillation and / or purification system), but the heat pump system and the water distillation system may also be utilized without the distillation system. The water distillation system is configured to generate and store distilled water that may be used to fill one or more components of the heat pump system and / or the distillation system. For example, the distilled water generated by the water distillation system may be utilized to replenish and / or replace distilled water (e.g., process fluid, working fluid) that has been drained and / or escaped from the HVAC&R system. Thus, the water distillation system may increase the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost effectiveness of the heat pump system and / or the distillation system. In some embodiments, the HVAC&R system may be configured to operate the water distillation system to generate distilled water and / or provide the distilled water to the heat pump system and / or distillation system in an automated manner to enable more efficient start-up of the heat pump system and / or distillation system, as well as reduce downtime of the HVAC&R system.

[0030] For illustrative purposes, the following discussion is directed to a heat pump system and a water distillation system integrated with or configured to operate with a distillation system or process. However, as noted above, it should be appreciated that the disclosed features and techniques may be used with other systems and processes. In particular, the heat pump system and the water distillation system may be implemented with other types of systems, such as other types of process fluid systems. In addition, the heat pump system and the water distillation system may be integrated with or configured to operate with systems and / or processes in which heat is applied (e.g., by the heat pump system) to a mixture to enable separation of the mixture into its constituents and produce a more purified and / or more concentrated end product. For example, the heat pump system and the water distillation system may be integrated with or configured to operate with an evaporation-concentration system or process, a desalination system or process, a water distillation system or process, a water purification system or process, a system or process for distilling and / or concentrating a mixture or liquid, and the like. As with the distillation system or process, the disclosed features and techniques may increase the efficiency and cost effectiveness of these processes by enabling the heat pump system and the water distillation system to more efficiently and effectively generate distilled water and / or provide the distilled water to the heat pump system and / or the distillation system in an automated manner.

[0031] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an environment for a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system 10 in a building 12 for a typical commercial setting. The HVAC&R system 10 may include a vapor compression system 14 (e.g., a heat pump system) that supplies a chilled liquid, which may be used to cool the building 12. The HVAC&R system 10 may also include a boiler 16 to supply warm liquid to heat the building 12 (e.g., principal location 12) and an air distribution system which circulates air through the building 12. The air distribution system can also include an air return duct 18, an air supply duct 20, and / or an air handler 22. In some embodiments, the air handler 22 may include a heat exchanger (e.g., plate heat exchanger) that is connected to the boiler 16 and the vapor compression system 14 by conduits 24. The heat exchanger in the air handler 22 may receive either heated fluid from the boiler 16 and / or chilled fluid from the vapor compression system 14, depending on the mode of operation of the HVAC&R system 10. The HVAC&R system 10 is shown with a separate air handler on each floor of building 12, but in other embodiments, the HVAC&R system 10 may include air handlers 22 and / or other components that may be shared between or among floors.

[0032] FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematics of embodiments of the vapor compression system 14 that can be used in the HVAC&R system 10. The vapor compression system 14 may circulate a working fluid (e.g., water, refrigerant) through a circuit starting with a compressor 32. The circuit may also include a condenser 34, an expansion valve(s) or device(s) 36, and a liquid chiller or an evaporator 38. The vapor compression system 14 may further include a control panel 40 that has an analog to digital (A / D) converter 42, a microprocessor 44, a non-volatile memory 46, and / or an interface board 48.

[0033] Some examples of fluids that may be used as working fluids in the vapor compression system 14 are water, water vapor, hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based refrigerants, for example, R-410A, R-407, R-134a, R-1234ze, R1233zd, hydrofluoro olefin (HFO), "natural" refrigerants like ammonia (NH3), R-717, carbon dioxide (CO2), R-744, or hydrocarbon based refrigerants, or any other suitable working fluid. In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may be configured to efficiently utilize working fluids having a normal boiling point of about 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) at one atmosphere of pressure, also referred to as low pressure working fluids, versus a medium pressure working fluid (e.g., refrigerant), such as R-134a. As used herein, "normal boiling point" may refer to a boiling point temperature measured at one atmosphere of pressure.

[0034] In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may use one or more of a variable speed drive (VSDs) 52, a motor 50, the compressor 32, the condenser 34, the expansion valve or device 36, and / or the evaporator 38. The motor 50 may drive the compressor 32 and may be powered by a variable speed drive (VSD) 52. The VSD 52 receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 50. In other embodiments, the motor 50 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor 50 may include any type of motor that can be powered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically commutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

[0035] The compressor 32 compresses a working fluid vapor and delivers the vapor to the condenser 34 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, the compressor 32 may be a centrifugal compressor. The working fluid vapor delivered by the compressor 32 to the condenser 34 may transfer heat to a cooling fluid (e.g., water or air, water mixture, water and alcohol mixture) in the condenser 34. The working fluid vapor may condense to a working fluid liquid in the condenser 34 due to thermal heat transfer with the cooling fluid. The liquid working fluid from the condenser 34 may flow through the expansion device 36 to the evaporator 38. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the condenser 34 is water cooled and includes a tube bundle 54 connected to a cooling tower 56, which supplies the cooling fluid to the condenser 34.

[0036] The liquid working fluid delivered to the evaporator 38 may absorb heat from a conditioning fluid (e.g., water, water mixture, water and alcohol mixture, alcohol vapor) that may or may not be the same cooling fluid used in the condenser 34. The liquid working fluid in the evaporator 38 may undergo a phase change from the liquid working fluid to a working fluid vapor. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the evaporator 38 may include a tube bundle 58 having a supply line 60S and a return line 60R connected to a cooling load 62. The conditioning fluid of the evaporator 38 enters the evaporator 38 via return line 60R and exits the evaporator 38 via supply line 60S. The evaporator 38 may reduce the temperature of the conditioning fluid in the tube bundle 58 via thermal heat transfer with the working fluid. The tube bundle 58 in the evaporator 38 can include a plurality of tubes and / or a plurality of tube bundles. In any case, the vapor working fluid exits the evaporator 38 and returns to the compressor 32 by a suction line to complete the cycle.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a schematic of the vapor compression system 14 with an intermediate circuit 64 incorporated between condenser 34 and the expansion device 36. The intermediate circuit 64 may have an inlet line 68 that is directly fluidly connected to the condenser 34. In other embodiments, the inlet line 68 may be indirectly fluidly coupled to the condenser 34. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, the inlet line 68 includes a first expansion device 66 positioned upstream of an intermediate vessel 70. In some embodiments, the intermediate vessel 70 may be a flash tank (e.g., a flash intercooler, an economizer, etc.). In other embodiments, the intermediate vessel 70 may be configured as a heat exchanger or a "surface economizer." In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, the intermediate vessel 70 is used as a flash tank, and the first expansion device 66 is configured to lower the pressure of (e.g., expand) the liquid working fluid received from the condenser 34. During the expansion process, a portion of the liquid may vaporize, and thus, the intermediate vessel 70 may be used to separate the vapor from the liquid received from the first expansion device 66. Additionally, the intermediate vessel 70 may provide for further expansion of the liquid working fluid because of a pressure drop experienced by the liquid working fluid when entering the intermediate vessel 70 (e.g., due to a rapid increase in volume experienced when entering the intermediate vessel 70). The vapor in the intermediate vessel 70 may be drawn by the compressor 32 through a suction line 74 of the compressor 32. In other embodiments, the vapor in the intermediate vessel may be drawn to an intermediate stage of the compressor 32 (e.g., not the suction stage). The liquid that collects in the intermediate vessel 70 may be at a lower enthalpy than the liquid working fluid exiting the condenser 34 because of the expansion in the expansion device 66 and / or the intermediate vessel 70. The liquid from intermediate vessel 70 may then flow in line 72 through a second expansion device 36 to the evaporator 38.

[0038] It should be appreciated that any of the HVAC&R systems discussed above may be utilized in accordance with the present techniques. For example, the present techniques may incorporate embodiments of the HVAC&R system 10, the vapor compression system 14, a chiller, a heat pump, and / or other HVAC&R equipment discussed above. As briefly discussed above, present embodiments are directed to embodiments of the HVAC&R system 10, which may include a heat pump system. In some embodiments, the heat pump may be incorporated with a distillation system (e.g., first distillation system, distillation operation, distillation process, process fluid distillation). In addition, as discussed herein, the heat pump may include a water distillation system (e.g., second distillation system, separate and / or distinct from the first distillation system) configured to generate and store distilled water that may be used to fill one or more components of the distillation system and / or the heat pump system. For example, the distilled water generated by the water distillation system may be supplied to the heat pump system and / or the distillation system to fill components thereof and / or to replace distilled water that may escape the HVAC&R system 10 during operation. In particular, the water distillation system may be configured to generate the distilled water by capturing heat produced by the heat pump system. In some embodiments, the water distillation system may capture heat from one or more stages of the distillation system to generate distilled water. In addition, the water distillation system of the heat pump system may further increase the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and the cost effectiveness of the heat pump system and / or distillation system by utilizing the stored distilled water to fill the one or more components of the heat pump system and / or distillation system utilizing an automated process to enable more efficient operation of the heat pump system and / or distillation system.

[0039] It should be appreciated that the present systems and techniques, as applied to distillation processes and systems, may be incorporated with or configured to operate with other processes including, but not limited to, evaporationconcentration systems or processes, vacuum and / or rotary evapo-concentration systems or processes, desalination systems or processes, water distillation systems or processes, water purification systems or processes, systems or processes for distilling and / or concentrating a mixture or liquid, and the like. For example, a heat pump system and / or a water distillation system may be configured to efficiently and effectively generate distilled water and / or provide the distilled water to the heat pump system and / or an evaporation-concentration systems or processes. The evaporation concentration systems may be used to separate contaminates (e.g., impurities, pollutants, debris, solvent) from a liquid substance or mixture. In such processes, heat may be used or applied to a mixture containing the contaminates (e.g., under vacuum) to vaporize the liquid and separate out the contaminates from the mixture. The contaminates may be removed, leaving a more purified (e.g., more concentrated) liquid substance. For desalination and / or water distillation systems or processes, a heat pump system and / or water distillation system may be incorporated with or configured to operate with the foregoing systems or processes to generate distilled water and / or to provide distilled water to the heat pump system and / or the desalination and / or water distillation systems or processes integrated with the heat pump system and water distillation system. Thus, present systems and techniques may increase the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and the cost effectiveness of various industrial processes, such as evaporation-concentration systems or processes, vacuum and / or rotary evapo-concentration systems or processes, desalination systems or processes, water distillation systems or processes, water purification systems or processes, systems or processes for distilling and / or concentrating a mixture or liquid, and the like, by capturing heat and utilizing the captured heat to generate distilled water. In addition, the present systems and methods may improve the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and the cost effectiveness of various industrial processes by providing the distilled water (e.g., in an automated manner) to the heat pump system and / or the other processes or systems integrated with the heat pump system. With the foregoing in mind, FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematics of embodiments of the HVAC&R system 10 including a heat pump system 100 incorporated with a distillation system 102 (e.g., first distillation system, external distillation system, distillation operation, distillation process, process fluid distillation system, additional system). In particular, FIG. 5 illustrates the heat pump system 100 (e.g., first heat exchanger, evaporator) as being configured to receive, as indicated by arrow 104, a first fluid flow (e.g., first process fluid, water and alcohol mixture, conditioning fluid) from a distillation vessel 106 (e.g., distillation column, vessel, evaporation-concentration vessel, tank, desalination vessel, water distillation vessel) of the distillation system 102. The heat pump system 100 is also configured to heat the first fluid flow and supply, as indicated by arrow 108, the heated and / or vaporized first flow fluid (e.g., steam, water, heated water and alcohol mixture) to the distillation vessel 106. Furthermore, the heat pump system 100 (e.g., second heat exchanger, condenser) is configured to receive, as indicated by arrow 110, as second fluid flow (e.g., second process fluid, condensed alcohol vapor, a conditioning fluid) from the distillation vessel 106 of the HVAC&R system 10 and to further and to further cool (e.g., condense) the second fluid flow. The heat pump system 100 may then supply, as indicated by arrow 114, the cooled second fluid flow to the distillation vessel 106. The distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102 may receive a process fluid flow (e.g., initial process fluid flow, mixture of water and alcohol), as indicated by arrow 122, and through a distillation process within the distillation vessel 106 (e.g., utilizing the heat pump system 100), supply a process fluid flow (e.g., product, more concentrated alcohol), as indicated by arrow 124.

[0040] The illustrated embodiment of the heat pump system 100 is a closed (e.g., closed loop) heat pump system 120 incorporated with the distillation system 102. The closed heap pump system 120 may include at least a vapor compression circuit 126 having a first heat exchanger 128 (e.g., an evaporator, operating as an evaporator), a second heat exchanger 130 (e.g., a condenser, operating as a condenser), a compressor 132, and an expansion valve 134. The closed heat pump system 120 (e.g., the vapor compression circuit 126) is configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., water, refrigerant) to cool and / or heat one or more fluids (e.g., process fluids, water, water and alcohol mixture, alcohol vapor), such as fluids and / or fluid mixtures received from the distillation vessel 106. In particular, the first heat exchanger 128 and the second heat exchanger 130 may each be configured to receive the working fluid and a respective flow of fluid and to place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the flow of fluid. For example, the first heat exchanger 128 (e.g., evaporator) may receive, as indicated by arrow 110, the second fluid flow (e.g., a flow of fluid, a flow of alcohol vapor, partially condensed alcohol vapor) from the distillation vessel 106 of the HVAC&R system 10 and may place the second fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with the working fluid. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) may be transferred from the second fluid flow to the working fluid to condense the second fluid flow (e.g., condense the alcohol vapor). The first heat exchanger 128 may then supply and / or return, as indicated by arrow 114, the condensed second fluid flow to the distillation vessel 106. In addition, the second heat exchanger 130 (e.g., condenser) may receive, as indicated by arrow 104, the first fluid flow (e.g., a flow of fluid, a flow of water or water and alcohol mixture) from the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102. The second heat exchanger 130 may place the first fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with the working fluid. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) may be transferred from the working fluid to the first fluid flow to generate vaporized first fluid flow (e.g., vaporized water and / or vaporized alcohol) and / or a heated first fluid flow (e.g., heated water and alcohol mixture.) The second heat exchanger 130 may then supply, as indicated by arrow 108, the heated and / or vaporized first fluid flow to the distillation vessel 106.

[0041] The closed heat pump system 120 may operate in a closed loop (e.g., closed circuit, closed flow) configuration, such that the closed heat pump system 120 may circulate a fixed or constant volume of the working fluid (e.g., water). In addition, the working fluid of the closed heat pump system 120 may not mix with and / or contact fluid (e.g., fluid mixture) within the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102. In this way, the working fluid of the closed heat pump system 120 may be a different fluid or the same fluid as the fluid within the distillation vessel 106. In accordance with present techniques, the working fluid of the closed heat pump system 120 may be water. However, in other embodiments, the working fluid (e.g., refrigerant) may be a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based working fluid, such as R-410A, R-407, R-134a, hydrofluoro olefin (HFO) based refrigerant, such as R-1234ze, R1233zd, a "natural" working fluid, such as ammonia (NH3), R-717 or carbon dioxide (CO2), R-744, or any other suitable working fluid. The fluid within the distillation vessel 106 and circulated through the first heat exchanger 128 and the second heat exchanger 130 may be any suitable fluid, such as water, a water and alcohol mixture, a fluid to be distilled or concentrated via a distillation process (e.g., evapo-concentration process, desalination process, water distillation process), or any combination thereof.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a schematic of an embodiment of the HVAC&R system 10 including the heat pump system 100 incorporated with the distillation system 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat pump system 100 is configured as an open (e.g., open loop) heat pump system 140. The open heat pump system 140 may include at least a portion of a vapor compression circuit 142 having a heat exchanger 144 (e.g., an evaporator), a compressor 146, and an expansion valve 148. The open heat pump system 140 (e.g., the vapor compression circuit 142) is configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., water, water and alcohol mixture) to cool and / or heat one or more fluids (e.g., distillation process fluids, water, water and alcohol mixture), such as fluids and / or fluid mixtures received from the distillation vessel 106. In particular, the heat exchanger 144 may be configured to receive a flow of the working fluid and a first flow of fluid from the distillation vessel 106 and to place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the first flow of fluid. For example, the heat exchanger 144 (e.g., evaporator) may receive, as indicated by arrow 110, the first fluid flow (e.g., alcohol vapor, vaporized alcohol and water mixture) from the distillation vessel 106 of the HVAC&R system 10 and place the first fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with the working fluid. In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) may be transferred from the first fluid flow to the working fluid to cool (e.g., condense) the first fluid flow. The heat exchanger 144 may then supply and / or return, as indicated by arrow 114, the condensed first fluid flow to the distillation vessel 106.

[0043] In addition, the open heat pump system 140 may receive, as indicated by arrow 104, a second flow of fluid (e.g., process fluid, water, a water and alcohol mixture) from the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102. The open heat pump system 140 may circulate the second flow of fluid through the expansion valve 148, the heat exchanger 144, and the compressor 146 to heat (e.g., increase thermal energy) the second fluid flow to generate vaporized second fluid flow (e.g., steam and / or vaporized water and alcohol mixture.) The open heat pump system 140 may circulate the second fluid flow through the heat exchanger 144 as the working fluid described above. In other words, the open heat pump system 140 may circulate the second fluid flow through the heat exchanger 144 (e.g., evaporator) to enable transfer of heat from the first fluid (e.g., alcohol vapor) to the second fluid flow (e.g., the water or water and alcohol mixture). The compressor 146 may then supply, as indicated by arrow 108, the heated and / or vaporized second fluid flow (e.g., heated and / or vaporized water or water and alcohol mixture, steam) to the distillation vessel 106.

[0044] The open heat pump system 140 may operate in an open loop (e.g., open circuit, open flow) configuration. That is, the open heat pump system 140 may circulate the second flow of fluid (e.g., water, water and alcohol mixture) received from the distillation vessel 106 and place the second flow of fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the first flow of fluid (e.g., alcohol vapor) to condense the first flow of fluid, whereby the first flow of fluid and the second flow of fluid are both directed to the open heat pump system 140 from the distillation vessel 106. In particular, the working fluid (e.g., the second fluid flow) and the distillation fluid (e.g., the first fluid flow) may both originate from the same fluid (e.g., the distillation process fluid, the received first process fluid (arrow 122)). The open heat pump system 140 configuration may be beneficial, for example, by virtue of the simplification in circulating different flows of fluid from the distillation vessel 106 and enabling heat exchange therebetween to facilitate a distillation process.

[0045] However, as discussed herein, during operation of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102, one or more fluids (e.g., an amount of one or more fluids) circulated within the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102 may be removed from the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102. For example, a portion of the working fluid (e.g., water, water and alcohol mixture) circulated through the heat pump system 100 may escape from one or more components of the heat pump system 100 (e.g., compressor 132, compressor 146). Additionally or alternatively, one or more process fluids (e.g., water, alcohol, water and alcohol mixture) circulated through the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 may be drained (e.g., emptied, purged), such as between batches of a distillation process of the distillation system 102, during cleaning and / or sanitizing procedures of the heat pump system 100 and / or distillation system 102, during maintenance procedures, and so forth. In accordance with present techniques and as described above, the working fluid and / or process fluid(s) utilized by the heat pump system 100 and / or distillation system 102 may include water. As will be appreciated, utilization of distilled water as the working fluid and / or process fluid(s) (e.g., instead of tap water, non-distil led water) may be preferred and may enable improved (e.g., more reliable, more efficient) operation of the HVAC&R system 10. However, generation, supply, and / or procurement of distilled water (e.g., using a separate system) may be inefficient, time consuming, and costly. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to embodiments of the HVAC&R system 10 including an embodiment of the heat pump system 100 and a water distillation system (e.g., water distillation apparatus) that is configured to generate and / or store distilled water that may be utilized with the heat pump system 100 (e.g., as a working fluid). Additionally or alternatively, the distilled water may be utilized as a process fluid in the distillation system 102 (e.g., and / or other industrial processes and / or systems) incorporated with the heat pump system 100. In some embodiments, the water distillation system may be configured to generate and supply distilled water to the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102 in an automated manner to enable more efficient operation of the heat pump system and / or distillation system. Thus, the water distillation system may increase the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost effectiveness of heat pump system and / or distillation system operations.

[0046] With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 7 is a schematic of an embodiment of the HVAC&R system 10 including a water distillation system 150 (e.g., water distillation apparatus) of the heat pump system 100. The heat pump system 100 is also incorporated with an embodiment of the distillation system 102. In particular, the water distillation system 150 is integrated with the heat pump system 100 having a closed loop configuration (e.g., closed heat pump system 160). The water distillation system 150 is configured to generate distilled water to enable more efficient operation of the heat pump system 100 (e.g., closed heat pump system 160) and / or the distillation system 102. In some embodiments, the water distillation system 150 may also store distilled water generated by the water distillation system 150 for use in subsequent operations of the heat pump system 100, the distillation system 102, and / or another system. In accordance with the present techniques, the water distillation system 150 may increase the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost effectiveness of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102. The distilled water generated by the water distillation system 150 may be utilized to supply, replenish, and / or replace the working fluid and / or process fluid of the closed heat pump system 160 and / or the distillation system 102, respectively, in some implementations. To this end, the water distillation system 150 may be configured to supply distilled water to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or one or more components of the closed heat pump system 160. In some embodiments, the water distillation system 150 may supply distilled water to pipes / conduits / plumbing of the distillation system 102 and / or closed heat pump system 160, and so forth. The water distillation system 150 may also be configured to generate and / or supply distilled water to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or one or more components of the closed heat pump system 160 according to an automated control scheme to enable more efficient operation of the HVAC&R system 10. It should be appreciated that the closed heat pump system 160 and the water distillation system 150 may be incorporated with one or more alternative systems (e.g., instead of the distillation system) and may be configured to generate and supply distilled water for use with the one or more alternative systems. In some implementations, the closed heat pump system 160 and the water distillation system 150 may be configured to generate distilled water for use to satisfy any other suitable demand or purpose.

[0047] Continuing with FIG. 7, the closed heat pump system 160 may include a vapor compression circuit 152 including at least a first heat exchanger 154 (e.g., evaporator), a second heat exchanger 156 (e.g., condenser), a compressor 158, and an expansion valve 162. The closed heat pump system 160 (e.g., vapor compression circuit 152) is configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., water, distilled water) to cool and / or heat one or more fluids (e.g., process fluid, water, water and alcohol mixture), such as fluids and / or fluid mixtures received from the distillation vessel 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the first heat exchanger 154 and the second heat exchanger 156 are each configured to receive a flow of the working fluid and a respective flow of fluid from the distillation vessel 106 and to place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the respective flow of fluid. For example, the first heat exchanger 154 may receive, as indicated by arrow 164, a first fluid flow (e.g., a flow of alcohol vapor) from the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102 and place the first fluid flow in a heat exchange relationship with a second fluid flow (e.g., the flow of working fluid, of the vapor compression circuit 152). In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) may be transferred from the first fluid flow to the second fluid flow to further cool and / or condense the first fluid flow (e.g., condense the alcohol vapor.) The first heat exchanger 154 (e.g., evaporator) may then supply and / or return, as indicated by arrow 166, the condensed first fluid flow to the distillation vessel 106. In addition, the second heat exchanger 156 (e.g., condenser) may receive, as indicated by arrow 168, a flow of process fluid (e.g., water or a water and alcohol mixture from the distillation vessel 106) of the distillation system 102 and place the flow of process fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a third fluid flow(e.g., a flow of the working fluid of the vapor compression circuit 152.) In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) may be transferred from the third fluid flow to the flow of process fluid to generate steam and / or vaporize the flow of process fluid. The second heat exchanger 156 may then supply, as indicated by arrow 170, the heated and / or vaporized flow of process fluid (e.g., steam) to the distillation vessel 106.

[0048] The closed heat pump system 160 may operate in a closed loop (e.g., closed circuit, closed flow) configuration. That is, the closed heat pump system 160 may be configured to circulate a generally fixed or designated volume of the working fluid (e.g., water, distilled water). In addition, the working fluid of the closed heat pump system 160 may not mix with and / or contact the fluid (e.g., fluid mixture) of the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102. In this way, the working fluid of the closed heat pump system 160 may be a different fluid or may be the same fluid as the fluid or fluid mixture within the distillation vessel 106. For example, in some embodiments, the working fluid of the closed heat pump system 160 may be water (e.g., distilled water). In other embodiments, the working fluid may be a hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based working fluid, for example, R-410A, R-407, R-134a, hydrofluoro olefin (HFO) based working fluid, for example, R-1234ze, R1233zd, a "natural" working fluid, such as ammonia (NH3), R-717, carbon dioxide (CO2), R-744, or any other suitable working fluid. The fluid within the distillation vessel 106 and circulated through the first heat exchanger 154 and / or the second heat exchanger 156 may be any suitable fluid, such as water, a water and alcohol mixture, a fluid to be distilled or concentrated via a distillation process (e.g., evapo-concentration process, desalination process, water distillation process), or any combination thereof.

[0049] However, in some instances, a portion of the working fluid may escape from the closed heat pump system 160. To this end, the HVAC&R system 10 includes the water distillation system 150 coupled (e.g., thermally coupled, fluidly coupled) to the closed heat pump system 160. In some embodiments, the water distillation system 150 may also be coupled (e.g., thermally coupled, fluidly coupled) to the distillation system 102. The water distillation system 150 includes a heat exchanger 172 (e.g., plate heat exchanger) and a storage vessel 174 (e.g., distilled water storage vessel, liquid-vapor separation vessel). The heat exchanger 172 is configured to generate the distilled water, and the distilled water may be stored in the storage vessel 174. To this end, the storage vessel 174 may be configured to receive and contain (e.g., store) distilled water generated by the water distillation system 150.

[0050] The heat exchanger 172 may receive a flow of the working fluid from the compressor 158 (e.g., discharged by the compressor 158, upstream of the second heat exchanger 156, downstream of a discharge port of the compressor 158), receive a flow of fluid (e.g., water) from a water source 178 (e.g., tap water, ground water), and place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the fluid. The flow of working fluid received from the compressor 158 may be at a relatively elevated temperature compared to the flow of fluid received from the water source 178. Accordingly, heat (e.g., thermal energy) may be transferred from the working fluid of the closed heat pump system 160 to the fluid received via the water source 178. The heat transferred to the fluid may cause the fluid to at least partially vaporize. For example, the fluid may be tap water received by the heat exchanger 172 (e.g., from the water source 178) and heat transferred to the tap water may cause the tap water to at least partially vaporize, thereby producing vaporized water (e.g., steam, distilled water) while also separating impurities and / or pollutants from the vaporized water.

[0051] A flow (e.g., an amount) of the working fluid directed to the heat exchanger 172 of the water distillation system 150 may be controlled (e.g., adjusted, via a controller, via a control system), such as via a first valve 176 (e.g., adjustable valve, modulating valve). Furthermore, control of the first valve 176 may be based on any suitable operating parameter of the HVAC&R system 10, such as a temperature and / or pressure of a conditioning fluid of the distillation system 102 (e.g., detected by a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller / control system), a stage of the distillation process of the distillation system 102, a temperature and / or pressure of the working fluid of the closed heat pump system 160 (e.g., detected by a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller / control system), a temperature of the fluid supplied by the water source 178 (e.g., detected by a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller / control system), a fluid parameter (e.g., liquid level, fluid level, fluid volume, fluid pressure, fluid temperature) of the working fluid within the closed heat pump system 160 (e.g., within the heat exchangers 154 and / or 156, detected by a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller / control system), a fluid parameter (e.g., level liquid level, fluid level, fluid volume, fluid pressure, fluid temperature) of a process fluid within the distillation system 102 (e.g., detected by a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller / control system), another suitable operating parameter, or any combination thereof.

[0052] Further, a flow (e.g., an amount) of the fluid received via the water source 178 and directed to the heat exchanger 172 of the water distillation system 150 may be controlled (e.g., adjusted, via a controller, via a control system), such as via a second valve 180 (e.g., adjustable valve, modulating valve). In particular, a position of the second valve 180 may be controllably adjusted (e.g., via a controller, a control system) to adjust the amount of fluid received by and / or directed to the heat exchanger 172 from the water source 178. The amount of fluid received via the water source 178 (e.g., received by the heat exchanger 172) and / or a position of the second valve 180 may be controlled (e.g., by a controller, control system) based on one or more operating parameters of the heat pump system 100, 160 and / or the distillation system 102, such as an amount of superheat (e.g., 2 Kelvin [K], 4 K, 3 K, 2 to 4 K) and / or a temperature of fluid (e.g., detected by a sensor, vaporized water temperature) output by the heat exchanger 172 (e.g., received by the storage vessel 174).

[0053] The storage vessel 174 may be configured to receive a first portion of the flow of fluid (e.g., from the heat exchanger 172) that is vaporized (e.g., vaporized water) and a second portion of the flow of fluid that is not vaporized (e.g., liquid water). For example, an increase in a valve opening of the second valve 180 (e.g., increase flow of fluid supplied by the water source 178) may cause a decrease in the amount of superheat of the vaporized water output by the heat exchanger 172. In such instances, an amount of vaporized water flow (e.g., portion of the received fluid flow that is vaporized, vaporized fluid mass) may decrease and an amount of liquid water flow (e.g., portion of the received fluid flow that is not vaporized, liquid fluid mass) may increase. When the valve opening of the second valve 180 is decreased (e.g., decrease flow of fluid supplied by the water source 178), the amount of vaporized water flow (e.g., distilled water) received by the storage vessel 174 may increase and the amount of liquid water flow received by the storage vessel 174 may decrease. During operation of the water distillation system 150, the position of the second valve 180 may be adjusted (e.g., adjust an amount of superheat of the vaporized water at outlet of the heat exchanger 172, at inlet of the storage vessel 174) such that a target amount (e.g., 50%, 55%, 50-60%, etc.) of the water received by the heat exchanger 172 from the water source 178 is vaporized (e.g., distilled), while a remaining amount of the water remains in liquid form (e.g., liquid water). The liquid water may retain impurities and / or pollutants separated from the vaporized water, as described in further detail below.

[0054] In addition, the storage vessel 174 may be configured to separate the generated distilled water (e.g., the vaporized water, first portion of fluid) from liquid water (e.g., second portion of fluid) that retains impurities and / or pollutants separated from the vaporized water to generate the distilled water (e.g., distilled water vapor). The water distillation system 150 may include a pump 182 configured to draw the liquid water (e.g., heated liquid water) retaining impurities and / or pollutants from the storage vessel 174. For example, as discussed herein, a first portion (e.g., 50%, 55%, 60%, etc.) of the water received by the heat exchanger 172 from the water source 178 may be vaporized, while a remaining amount (e.g., second portion) of the water remains in a liquid form (e.g., liquid water). Any impurities and / or pollutants in the water received from the water source 178 may be retained in the liquid water (e.g., separated from the vaporized water). In particular, the liquid water containing impurities and / or pollutants may collect at a bottom (e.g., base) of the storage vessel 174 (e.g., relative to a gravitational axis), while the vaporized water (e.g., distilled water, distilled water vapor) may collect near and / or at a top of the storage vessel 174. The pump 182 may be operated to remove the liquid water containing impurities and / or pollutants from the storage vessel 174. In this way, the vaporized water and the liquid water may be separated from one another within the storage vessel 174.

[0055] Furthermore, the storage vessel 174 may be fluidly coupled to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or the closed heat pump system 160. For example, in some embodiments, the storage vessel 174 may be fluidly coupled to the distillation vessel 106 and be configured to direct a portion of the generated distilled water (e.g., vaporized water) to the distillation vessel 106. In this way, as discussed herein, the generated and / or stored distilled water (e.g., generated and stored via the water distillation system 150) may be utilized to improve operations and / or processes associated with the distillation system 106 and / or the closed heat pump system 160 (e.g., prior to initiation of a new distillation process, in between distillation processes, for cleaning and / or sanitizing the distillation vessel 106). In some instances, the generated and / or stored distilled water may be supplied from the storage vessel 174 to replace steam that may escape from the distillation system 102 during the distillation process.

[0056] Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, a portion of the generated distilled water (e.g., vaporized water) may be directed towards the first heat exchanger 154, the second heat exchanger 156, the compressor 158, or any combination thereof, to fill (e.g., prior to initiation of a new distillation process, such as a new batch, in between distillation processes, for cleaning and / or sanitizing) the first heat exchanger 154, the second heat exchanger 156, the compressor 158 and / or to replace working fluid (e.g., water, steam) that may escape from the closed heat pump system 160 during previous or concurrent operation of the closed heat pump system 160. In addition, a flow (e.g., an amount) of the generated distilled water directed to the first heat exchanger 154, the second heat exchanger 156, the compressor 158, and / or the distillation vessel 106 may be controlled (e.g., adjusted), such as via one or more third valves 184 (e.g., supply valves, distilled water supply valves, adjustable valves, modulating valves, solenoid valves). Furthermore, the flow of the generated distilled water directed towards the first heat exchanger 154, the second heat exchanger 156, the compressor 158, and / or the distillation vessel 106 may be controlled (e.g., via a controller, via a control system) based on a temperature and / or pressure of a fluid (e.g., process fluid, water) of the distillation system 102, a stage of the distillation process of the distillation system 102, a temperature and / or pressure of a working fluid (e.g., water) of the closed heat pump system 160, a temperature and / or pressure of a fluid of the storage vessel 174, a liquid level of working fluid in the closed heat pump system 160, a liquid level of water in the distillation system 102, another suitable operating parameter, or any combination thereof.

[0057] FIG. 8 is a schematic of an embodiment of the HVAC&R system 10 including a water distillation system 200 (e.g., a water distillation apparatus) incorporated with an embodiment of the heat pump system 100. The heat pump system 100 is also incorporated with an embodiment of the distillation system 102. However, it should be appreciated that the heat pump system 100 and the water distillation system 200 may be incorporated with other systems (e.g., instead of the distillation system 102) and / or may be implemented to fulfill another purpose. As shown, the water distillation system 200 is integrated with the heat pump system 100 having an open loop configuration (e.g., an open heat pump system 190). The water distillation system 200 is configured to generate distilled water to enable more efficient operation of the heat pump system 100 (e.g., open heat pump system 190) and / or the distillation system 102. In some embodiments, the water distillation system 200 may also store the generated distilled water for subsequent use (e.g., at a desired time). In accordance with the present techniques, the water distillation system 200 may enable an increase in the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and cost effectiveness of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102. In particular, as discussed herein, the water distillation system 200 may be configured to generate and / or store distilled water that may be used to fill, replenish, and / or replace the working fluid and / or process fluid of the open heat pump system 190 and / or the distillation system 102, respectively. To this end, the water distillation system 200 may be configured to supply distilled water to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or one or more components of the open heat pump system 190. In some embodiments, the water distillation system 150 may supply distilled water to pipes / conduits / plumbing of the distillation system 102 and / or open heat pump system 190, and so forth. The water distillation system 200 may also be configured to generate and / or supply distilled water to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or one or more components of the open heat pump system 190 according to an automated control scheme to enable more efficient operation of the HVAC&R system 10.

[0058] Continuing with FIG. 8, the open heat pump system 190 may include a portion of a vapor compression circuit 202 including at least a heat exchanger 204 (e.g., evaporator), a compressor 206, and an expansion valve 208. The open heat pump system 190 (e.g., vapor compression circuit 202) is configured to circulate a working fluid (e.g., water, distilled water) to cool and / or heat one or more fluids (e.g., process fluid, water, water and alcohol mixture), such as fluids and / or fluid mixtures received from the distillation vessel 106. For example, the heat exchanger 204 may be configured to receive a first flow of fluid from the distillation vessel 106 and a second flow of fluid from the distillation vessel 106 and to place the first flow of fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the second flow of fluid. For example, the heat exchanger 204 (e.g., evaporator) may receive, as indicated by arrow 192, the first flow of fluid (e.g., a flow of alcohol vapor) from the distillation vessel 106 of the HVAC&R system 10 and place the first flow of fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the second flow of fluid (e.g., working fluid, water or water and alcohol mixture) received from the distillation vessel 106 (e.g., via the portion of the vapor compression circuit 202.) In this way, heat (e.g., thermal energy) may be transferred from the first flow of fluid to the second flow of fluid to cool and condense the first flow of fluid (e.g., to condense alcohol vapor.) The heat exchanger 204 may then supply and / or return, as indicated by arrow 194, the condensed first flow of fluid to the distillation vessel 106. In addition, the open heat pump system 190 may receive, as indicated by arrow 196, the second flow of fluid (e.g., water or water and alcohol mixture) from the distillation vessel 106 of the distillation system 102. In particular, the open heat pump system 190 may circulate the second flow of fluid (e.g., water or water and alcohol mixture) through the expansion valve 208, the heat exchanger 204, and the compressor 206 to heat (e.g., increase thermal energy) the second flow of fluid and generate a vaporized second flow of fluid (e.g., steam and / or to vaporize the water and alcohol mixture.) The compressor 206 may then direct, as indicated by arrow 198, the heated and / or vaporized second flow of fluid to the distillation vessel 106.

[0059] The open heat pump system 190 may operate in an open loop (e.g., open circuit, open flow) configuration. That is, the open heat pump system 190 may be configured to circulate the second flow of fluid (e.g., water, water and alcohol mixture) received from the distillation vessel 106 (e.g., the distillation system 102) and may place the second flow of fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the first flow of fluid (e.g., vapor alcohol) received from the distillation vessel 106. In this way, first and second flows of fluid (e.g., two flows, each including water, such as distilled water) circulated through the open heat pump system 190 (e.g., through at least one component of the open heat pump system 190) may both be received from the distillation vessel 106. In particular, the first flow of fluid and the second flow of fluid may both originate from the same fluid (e.g., the process fluid, the received first process fluid, as indicated by arrow 122). The open heat pump system 190 configuration may be beneficial, for example, by virtue of the simplification in circulating different flows of fluid from the distillation vessel 106 and enabling heat exchange therebetween to facilitate a distillation process.

[0060] In addition, the HVAC&R system 10 includes the water distillation system 200 coupled (e.g., thermally coupled, fluidly coupled) to the open heat pump system 190. In some embodiments, the water distillation system 200 may also be coupled (e.g., thermally coupled, fluidly coupled) to the distillation system 102. The water distillation system 200 includes a heat exchanger 210 (e.g., plate heat exchanger) and a storage vessel 212 (e.g., distilled water storage vessel, liquidvapor separation vessel, container). The heat exchanger 210 is configured to generate the distilled water that is collected and / or stored in the storage vessel 212. That is, the storage vessel 212 may be configured to receive and contain distilled water generated by the water distillation system 200, as similarly described above with reference to FIG. 7.

[0061] The heat exchanger 210 may receive a flow of working fluid (e.g., water, steam, first process fluid) from the compressor 206 (e.g., discharged from the compressor 206, upstream of the distillation vessel 106, downstream of a discharge port of the compressor 206), receive a flow of fluid (e.g., water) from a water source 214, and place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the fluid. As similarly discussed above, heat (e.g., thermal energy) may be transferred from the working fluid of the open heat pump system 190 to the fluid received via the water source 214. The heat transferred to the fluid may cause the fluid to at least partially vaporize. For example, the fluid may be tap water received by the heat exchanger 210 from the water source 214, and heat transferred to the tap water may cause the tap water to at least partially vaporize, thereby producing vaporized water (e.g., distilled water). A portion of the tap water directed through the heat exchanger 210 may remain in liquid form and may retain impurities and / or pollutants separated from the vaporized water. In this way, the vaporized water may be distilled for use with the open heat pump system 190 (e.g., as a working fluid) and / or the distillation system 102 (e.g., as a process fluid). A flow (e.g., an amount) of the working fluid directed to the heat exchanger 210 of the water distillation system 200 from the open heat pump system 190 (e.g., from the compressor 206) may be controlled (e.g., adjusted, via a controller, via a control system), such as via a first valve 216 (e.g., working fluid supply valve, adjustable valve, modulating valve, solenoid valve). Furthermore, the flow of the working fluid directed towards the heat exchanger 210 may be controlled (e.g., via the first valve 216) based on a temperature and / or pressure of a process fluid of the distillation system 102 (e.g., detected by a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller / control system), a stage of the distillation process of the distillation system 102, a temperature and / or pressure of the working fluid (e.g., water) of the open heat pump system 190 (e.g., detected by a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller / control system), a fluid parameter (e.g., liquid level, fluid level, fluid volume, fluid pressure, fluid temperature) of the working fluid within the open heat pump system 190 (e.g., within the heat exchanger 204, detected by a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller / control system), a fluid parameter (e.g., liquid level, fluid level, fluid volume, fluid pressure, fluid temperature) of a process fluid within the distillation system 102 (e.g., detected by a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller / control system), another suitable operating parameter, or any combination thereof.

[0062] It should be appreciated that the heat exchanger 172 and / or the heat exchanger 210 may be a plate heat exchanger (e.g., an arrangement of plates defining two or more fluid flow paths therebetween). In particular, the plate heat exchanger includes a series of plates (e.g., metal plates) arranged such that they form two or more channels (e.g., void, space) between adjacent and / or consecutive plates. In addition, the plate heat exchanger may include an arrangement of ports (e.g., with gaskets, openings, in or through the plates) that enables fluids to flow through the channels. For example, a flow of the working fluid received from the heat pump system 100 (e.g., closed heat pump system 160, open heat pump system 190) may flow in a first direction through a first set of the channels (e.g., through every other channel) and along the plates, and an additional flow of the heat storage fluid received may flow in a second direction (e.g., opposite the first direction) through a second set of the channels (e.g., arranged in an alternating arrangement with the first set of channels) and along the plates. In this way, the plate arrangement of the plate heat exchanger may enable efficient and effective transfer of heat in a counter-flow arrangement. Additionally, in some embodiments, the plates may be corrugated plates (e.g., comprise ridges, fluted, channeled, grooved) that increase turbulence in the fluids as the fluids flow through the plate heat exchanger (e.g., through the channels and along the plates.) The increase in turbulence may increase a heat transfer coefficient of the plate heat exchanger, thus improving efficiency of the transfer of heat from the working fluid to a fluid (e.g., tap water, ground water) received form a water source (e.g., water source 178, 214). The plate arrangement of the plate heat exchanger may be more compact and lower in cost to implement as compared to other types of heat exchanger configurations. In addition, the plate arrangement of plate heat exchanger may enable sufficient separation of the fluids received by the plate heat exchanger, thus decreasing mixing and / or cross-contamination of the fluids. It should be understood that the heat exchanger 172, 210 may be any suitable heat exchanger to transfer heat from the working fluid of the heat pump system 100 to the flow of fluid received from the water source 178, 214, such as a tube and shell heat exchangers, plate fin heat exchangers, regenerative heat exchangers, double pipe heat exchangers, etc.

[0063] Further, a flow (e.g., an amount) of the fluid received via the water source 214 and directed to the heat exchanger 210 of the water distillation system 200 may be controlled (e.g., adjusted, via a controller, via a control system), such as via a second valve 218 (e.g., adjustable valve, modulating valve, solenoid valve, water supply valve). In particular, a position of the second valve 218 may be controllably adjusted (e.g., via a controller, a control system) to adjust the amount of fluid received by and / or directed to the heat exchanger 210. The amount of fluid received via the water source 214 (e.g., received by the heat exchanger 210) and / or a position of the second valve 218 may be controlled (e.g., by a controller, control system) based on one or more operating parameters of the heat pump system 100, 190 and / or the distillation system 102, such as an amount of superheat (e.g., 2 Kelvin [K], 4 K, 3 K, 2 to 4 K) and / or a temperature of fluid (e.g., detected by a sensor,) output by the heat exchanger 210 (e.g., received by the storage vessel 212). The storage vessel 212 may be configured to receive, from the heat exchanger 210, a first portion of the flow of fluid that is vaporized (e.g., vaporized water, distilled fluid vapor portion, distilled water portion) and a second portion of the flow of fluid that is not vaporized (e.g., liquid water, liquid fluid portion, liquid water portion). For example, an increase in a valve opening (e.g., position) of the second valve 218 (e.g., increase in flow of fluid from the water source 214 to the heat exchanger 210) may cause a decrease in the amount of superheat of the vaporized water output by the heat exchanger 210. In such instances, an amount of vaporized water flow (e.g., portion of the received fluid flow that is vaporized, vaporized fluid mass) received by the storage vessel 212 may decrease and an amount of liquid water flow (e.g., portion of the received fluid flow that is not vaporized, liquid fluid mass) received by the storage vessel 212 may increase. When the valve opening of the second valve 218 is decreased (e.g., decrease in flow of fluid from the water source 214 to the heat exchanger 210), the amount of vaporized water flow from the heat exchanger 210 to the storage vessel 212 may increase and the amount of liquid water flow from the heat exchanger 210 to the storage vessel 212 may decrease. During operation of the water distillation system 200, the opening of the second valve 218 may be adjusted (e.g., adjust an amount of superheat of the vaporized water at outlet of the heat exchanger 210, at inlet of the storage vessel 212), such that a target amount (e.g., 50%, 55%, 60%, etc.) of the water received by the heat exchanger 210 from the water source 214 is vaporized, while a remaining amount of the water remains in liquid form (e.g., liquid water) to retain any impurities and / or pollutants.

[0064] In addition, the storage vessel 212 may be configured to separate the generated distilled water (e.g., the vaporized water, first portion of fluid) from liquid water (e.g., second portion of fluid) that retains impurities and / or pollutants separated from the vaporized water. The water distillation system 200 may include a pump 220 configured to draw the liquid water (e.g., heated liquid water) retaining impurities and / or pollutants from the storage vessel 212. For example, as discussed herein, a first portion (e.g., 50%, 55%, 60%, etc.) of the water received by the heat exchanger 210 from the water source 214 may be vaporized, while a remaining amount (e.g., second portion) of the water remains in a liquid form (e.g., liquid water). Any impurities and / or pollutants in the water received from the water source 214 may be retained in the liquid water (e.g., separated from the vaporized water). In particular, the liquid water containing impurities and / or pollutants may collect at a bottom (e.g., base) of the storage vessel 212 (e.g., relative to a gravitational axis), while the vaporized water (e.g., distilled water) may collect near and / or at a top of the storage vessel 212. The pump 220 may be operated to remove the liquid water containing impurities and / or pollutants from the storage vessel 212. In this way, the vaporized water and the liquid water may be separated from one another within the storage vessel 212.

[0065] Furthermore, the storage vessel 212 may be fluidly coupled to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or the open heat pump system 190. For example, in some embodiments, the storage vessel 212 may be fluidly coupled to the distillation vessel 106 and be configured to direct a portion of the generated distilled water (e.g., vaporized water) to the distillation vessel 106. In this way, as discussed herein, the generated and / or stored distilled water (e.g., generated and stored via the water distillation system 200) may be utilized to improve operations and / or processes associated with the distillation system 106 and / or the open heat pump system 190 (e.g., prior to initiation of a new distillation process, in between distillation processes, for cleaning and / or sanitizing the distillation vessel 106). In some instances, the generated and / or stored distilled water may be supplied from the storage vessel 212 to replace steam that may escape from the distillation system 102 during the distillation process.

[0066] Similarly, in some embodiments, a portion of the generated distilled water (e.g., vaporized water) may be directed towards the heat exchanger 204, the compressor 206, or both, to fill (e.g., prior to initiation of a new distillation process, such as a new batch, in between distillation processes, for cleaning and / or sanitizing) the heat exchanger 204 and / or the compressor 206 and / or to replace working fluid (e.g., water, steam) that may escape from the open heat pump system 190 during operation of the open heat pump system 190. In addition, a flow (e.g., an amount) of the generated distilled water directed to the heat exchanger 204, the compressor 206, and / or the distillation vessel 106 may be controlled (e.g., adjusted), such as via one or more third valves 222 (e.g., supply valves, distilled water supply valves, adjustable valves, modulating valves, solenoid valves). Furthermore, the flow of the generated distilled water directed towards the heat exchanger 204, the compressor 206, and / or the distillation vessel 106 may be controlled based on a temperature and / or pressure of a fluid (e.g., process fluid, water) of the distillation system 102, a stage of the distillation process of the distillation system 102, a temperature and / or pressure of a working fluid (e.g., water) of the open heat pump system 190, a temperature and / or pressure of a fluid of the storage vessel 212, a liquid level of working fluid in the open heat pump system 190, a liquid level of water in the distillation system 102, another suitable operating parameter, or any combination thereof.

[0067] As discussed herein, the water distillation system 150, 200 may be configured to supply distilled water (e.g., distilled water vapor) to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 according to an automated control scheme. In this way, the water distillation system 150, 200 may enable more efficient operation of the heat pump system, the distillation system 102, another system serviced by the HVAC&R system 10, or any combination thereof. For example, the water distillation system 150, 200 may be operated to enable automatic replacement of a working fluid (e.g., water) of the heat pump system 100 that may escape from one or more components, such as, for example, from the compressor 158, 206 of the heat pump system 100.

[0068] In addition, in some applications (e.g., distillation applications), a portion of the piping (e.g., plumbing, conduits, conduits forming flow paths along arrows 164, 166, 168, 170, 192, 194, 196, and / or 198) that may fluidly couple components of the distillation system 102 (e.g., to one another and / or to the heat pump system 100) may be purged (e.g., emptied, drained) of a process fluid (e.g., water, water vapor), such as during periodic maintenance and / or in between distillation operations or processes. In this way, the water distillation system 150, 200 may resupply the purged components with distilled water to enable continued and / or resumed operation of the HVAC&R system 10. In some embodiments, a level of process fluid (e.g., water) within the distillation system 102 and / or a level of working fluid (e.g., water) within the heat pump system 100 may be monitored, and the water distillation system 150, 200 may be operated to provide distilled water to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 in response to detection of a level of fluid (e.g., process fluid, working fluid) below a threshold level of fluid. In some embodiments, operation of the water distillation system 150, 200 may be initiated during operation of the heat pump system 100 (e.g., as opposed to suspending operation of the heat pump system 100), and thus may improve efficiency of the heat pump system 100.

[0069] To enable desired and controlled supply of distilled water (e.g., distilled water vapor) to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 according to an automated control scheme, and as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the HVAC&R system 10 may include a controller 300 (e.g., control system 300) communicatively coupled to one or more components of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102. For example, the controller 300 may be configured to control a position (e.g., opening) of one or more of the third valves 184, 222, a position (e.g., opening) of the expansion valve 162, 208, a position (e.g., opening) of the second valve 180, 218, and / or a position (e.g., opening) of the first valve 176, 216. To this end, the HVAC&R system 10 may include one or more sensors 302 configured to monitor (e.g., detect) one or more operating conditions (e.g., fluid parameters) associated with the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100. For example, the HVAC&R system 10 may include one or more temperature sensors, one or more pressure sensors, and / or one or more fluid level (e.g., liquid level, liquid volume) sensors. The controller 300 may be communicatively coupled to the sensors 302 and be configured to receive signals (e.g., data, feedback) from the sensors 302 that are indicative of the operating conditions. In particular, the distillation system 102 may include one or more sensors 302 disposed within one or more of the heat exchangers (e.g., the first heat exchanger 154, the second heat exchanger 156, the heat exchanger 204, and / or the heat exchanger 172, 210). The sensors 302 may each be configured to detect an amount or level of fluid (e.g., working fluid, water, water vapor) within the respective heat exchanger. Additionally or alternatively, the sensors 302 may be located and / or associated with one or more other components and / or piping (e.g., tubing, conduits, portion of piping) associated with the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102. The controller 300 may receive signals from the sensors 302 and operate the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102 based on the signals. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 300 may operate the water distillation system 150, 250 (e.g., to supply distilled water to the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102 based on feedback from the sensors 302).

[0070] As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the HVAC&R system 10 may include one or more circulation pumps 308, in some embodiments. In particular, the circulation pumps 308 may be configured to direct a flow of fluid through the heat exchangers 154, 204, and / or 156 (e.g., through process side piping, tubing, and / or conduits of the heat exchangers 154, 204, and / or 156, through heat pump side piping, tubing, and / or conduits associated with the heat exchangers 154, 204, and / or 156) during operation of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102. For example, one of the circulation pumps 308 may be associated with the first heat exchanger 154 (e.g., evaporator) of the closed heat pump system 160 and may be configured to direct a flow of the process fluid (e.g., of the distillation system 102) through the first heat exchanger 154. In some embodiments, the HVAC&R system 10 may include at least one circulation pump 308 corresponding to each respective heat exchanger to direct a respective flow of fluid through the respective heat exchanger.

[0071] The controller 300 may be communicatively coupled to and configured to control the one or more circulation pumps 308 (e.g., circulation pumps associated with one or more of the heat exchangers 154, 204, and / or 156). It should be appreciated that, although the circulation pumps 308 respectively associated with the heat exchangers 154, 204, and / or 156 are illustrated as disposed upstream of the respective heat exchanger (e.g., relative to a flow direction of process fluid, relative to a flow direction of working fluid), in other embodiments, the circulation pumps 308 may be disposed within the respective heat exchanger (e.g., along tubing, piping, and / or conduits within the heat exchangers), downstream of the respective heat exchanger (e.g., relative to the flow direction of process fluid, along the process piping coupling the heat exchanger to the distillation vessel 106, relative to a flow direction of working fluid, along the heat pump side piping coupling the heat exchanger to the heat pump system 100), or any combination thereof. In addition, it should be appreciated that, although the circulation pump 308 associated with the heat exchanger 204 is disposed along a portion of the vapor compression circuit 202 of the open heat pump system 190 and is illustrated as disposed downstream (e.g., relative to a flow direction of the working fluid of the vapor compression circuit 202) of the expansion valve 208, in other embodiments, the circulation pump 308 may be disposed upstream of the expansion valve 208 (e.g., relative to a flow direction of the working fluid of the portion of the vapor compression circuit 202). In some embodiments, the circulation pump 308 associated with the heat exchanger 204 and disposed on a portion of the vapor compression circuit 202 may be omitted.

[0072] In some embodiments, the controller 300 may include processing circuitry 304 (e.g., one or more processors, processing system) and a memory 306. For example, the controller 300 may include non-transitory code or executable instructions stored on a machine-readable medium (e.g., memory 306) that is executed by the processing circuitry 304 to implement the techniques disclosed herein. The controller 300 may monitor and control the operation of the distillation system 102, the heat pump system 100, and / or the water distillation system 150, 200, for example, by adjusting a position (e.g., opening) of one or more of the third valves 184, 222, a position (e.g., opening) of the expansion valve 162, 208, a position (e.g., opening) of the second valve 180, 218, and / or a position (e.g., opening) of the first valve 176, 216, and / or by controlling the one or more circulation pumps 308 (e.g., circulation pumps 308 of one or more of the heat exchangers 154, 204, and / or 156) based on the feedback received from the sensors 302. The controller 300 of the HVAC&R system 10 may be configured to perform instructions that may enhance an efficiency of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100, as discussed in more detail below with reference to FIG. 9.

[0073] With the foregoing in mind, FIG. 9 is a process flow diagram of an embodiment of a method 400 for controlling operation of the HVAC&R system 10 (e.g., the water distillation system 150, 200). It should be appreciated that although the method 400 illustrates steps in a certain sequence, it should be understood that the steps may be performed in any suitable order and certain steps may be carried out simultaneously, where appropriate. In some embodiments, one or more steps or portions of the process of the method 400 may be omitted. Further, certain steps or portions of the process of method 400 may be performed by separate systems or devices.

[0074] To enhance an efficiency of the HVAC&R system 10, the controller 300 may implement an automated control sequence or scheme (e.g., to operate the water distillation system 150, 200, the heat pump system 100, and / or the distillation system 102) in response to detection of an amount of fluid (e.g., water, distilled water, water vapor, fluid level) of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 being below a threshold amount of fluid. In addition, as discussed herein, the controller 300 may implement the automated control scheme during operation of the heat pump system 100 (e.g., in response to an indication of levels of fluid, water, in the heat pump system 100 and / or distillation system 102 below a threshold level of fluid.) For example, the method 400 may be implemented to generate and provide distilled water to one or more components of the distillation system 102 and / or one or more components of the heat pump system 100 after the respective one or more components are purged (e.g., emptied, drained) of respective fluid (e.g., water, water vapor, process fluid, working fluid), such as between distillation operations of the distillation system 100, during cleaning and / or sanitizing stages of the distillation system 102 and / or heat pump system 100, during maintenance operations, and / or to replace process fluid and / or working fluid that may escape from the HVAC&R system 10.

[0075] In process block 402, during operation of the heat pump system 100, the water distillation system 150, 200 may operate, as discussed herein, to generate distilled water vapor (e.g., stored or contained via the storage vessel 174, 212). In some embodiments, the controller 300 may determine that a portion of heating capacity provided by the working fluid is available for use in the water distillation system 150, 200. For example, in response to a determination that a heating demand of a customer process (e.g., distillation vessel 106) is less than a total heating capacity provided by the working fluid, a portion of the working fluid may be utilized to enable operation of the water distillation system 150, 200. Therefore, the controller 300 may control the first valve 176, 216 to direct a portion of the working fluid to the heat exchanger 172, 210 to enable the water distillation operation. In process block 404, the controller 300 may receive a signal from one of the sensors 302 indicative of a level of fluid (e.g., working fluid, process fluid, water, water vapor, water and alcohol mixture) within a component (e.g., heat exchangers 154, 156, and / or 204) of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100. In process block 406, the controller 300 may determine that the level of fluid is below a threshold level of fluid (e.g., for a corresponding component). In response to determining that the level of fluid is below the threshold level of fluid, in process block 408, the controller 300 may direct, via one or more of the third valves 184, 222, generated distilled water vapor to the component (e.g., the component associated with the level of fluid below the threshold level of fluid).

[0076] In some embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the controller 300 may direct the distilled water vapor to one or more other components of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102, such as a component upstream and / or downstream of the component associated with the sensor 302, relative to a flow direction of the fluid (e.g., working fluid, process fluid) within the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102. In some embodiments, the controller 300 may suspend flow of the distilled water vapor to one or more of the components of the heat pump system 100 and / or distillation system 102 in response to receipt of a signal (e.g., from one of the sensors 302) indicative of a level of fluid being above or substantially equal to the threshold level of fluid. The method 400 may enable automated filling of components of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102 during operation of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation process of the distillation system 102 based on signals received from the sensors 302 associated with a respective level of fluid within components of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102. As such, the automated control scheme described herein may enable automated control of fluid levels within the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102, in addition to increased efficiency of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102 by replacing lost fluid (e.g., steam) that may escape during the distillation process. In this way, downtime of the HVAC&R system 10 may be reduced.

[0077] Continuing with the method 400, in some embodiments, as discussed herein, one or more components of the distillation system 102, one or more components of the heat pump system 100, and / or process side piping (e.g., conduits, tubing) of the distillation system 102 and / or piping (e.g., conduits, tubing) of the heat pump system 100 may be purged (e.g., emptied, drained) of a respective process fluid, distillation fluid, and / or working fluid during operation of the distillation process and / or between distillation processes, during operation of the heat pump system 100, during cleaning and / or sanitizing procedures, for maintenance purposes, and so forth. It should be appreciated, that in some embodiments, portions of the processes of method 400 may be implemented upon a commissioning process (e.g., start-up process) of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100.

[0078] In process block 410, the controller 300 may receive a signal indicative of a purge of one or more components (e.g., of the distillation system 102, of the heat pump system 100) and / or piping (e.g., of the distillation system 102, of the heat pump system 100.) In some embodiments, the signal may be received from one or more of the sensors 302. Additionally, the signal may be indicative of a respective level of fluid within a component and / or portion of piping associated with the sensor 302, and the controller 300 may determine that the level of fluid is below a threshold level of fluid for the respective component and / or portion of piping. In some embodiments, signals may be received from multiple sensors 302, where each sensor 302 is associated with a component and / or portion of piping of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100, and be indicative of a respective level of fluid within the component and / or portion of piping. Further, the controller 300 may determine that each of the levels of fluid is below a threshold and / or a respective threshold level of fluid, and when multiple components and / or portions of piping are determined to have levels of fluid below the respective threshold levels of fluid, the controller 300 may determine that the distillation system 102 (e.g., components and / or piping of the distillation system 102) and / or the heat pump system 100 (e.g., components and / or piping of the heat pump system 100) has been purged of fluid. In some embodiments, the controller 300 may receive a signal indicative of a purge of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 via operator input and / or another suitable operating parameter (e.g., an operating state of a compressor or pump). In some embodiments, the signal may be associated with a stage of the distillation process, such as one or more stages of the distillation process associated with purging components and / or process piping of the distillation system 102 and / or associated with purging components and / or piping of the heat pump system 100. The signal may automatically be transmitted to the controller 300, based on the stage of the distillation process.

[0079] In process block 412, the controller 300 may direct, via one or more of the third valves 184, 222, generated distilled water vapor to components and / or piping of the distillation system 102 and / or components and / or piping of the heat pump system 100, based on determining that the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 has been purged. In particular, the generated distilled water (e.g., vapor) may then be directed to and used to fill a heat exchanger (e.g., the heat exchanger 154, 204, process side piping associated with the heat exchanger 154, 204, evaporator) and / or may be directed to another component of the heat pump system 100, such as a suction inlet of the compressor 158, 206. In particular, the controller 300 may send instructions (e.g., via control signal) to the one or more third valves 184, 222 to cause the one or more third valves 184, 222 to actuate (e.g., open) and enable at least a portion of the generated (e.g., stored, contained) distilled water vapor to flow from the storage vessel 174, 212 and toward the heat exchanger 154, 204.

[0080] In process block 414, during operation of the heat pump system 100, the controller 300 may direct, via one or more first valves 176, 216, at least a portion of distilled water vapor (e.g., flow of working fluid circulated by the heat pump system 100) to the water distillation system 150, 200. In particular, the controller 300 may send instructions (e.g., via control signal) to the one or more adjustable valves 176, 216 to cause the one or more adjustable valves 176, 216 to actuate (e.g., open) and enable at least a portion of the distilled water vapor to flow toward the heat exchanger 172, 210 of the water distillation system 150, 200. In some embodiments, process block 414 may be omitted. For example, the controller 300 may cause the one or more adjustable valves 176, 216 to actuate (e.g., close) and block the distilled water vapor from flowing toward the heat exchanger 172, 210. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, an amount of distilled water (e.g., distilled water vapor) generated by the water distillation system 150, 200 and / or directed to components and / or piping of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 may be controlled via the second valve 180, 218. As an example, the one or more first valves 176, 216 may be omitted and / or remain open, and an amount of fluid received via the water source 178, 214 and directed to the heat exchanger 172, 210 may be controlled (e.g., adjusted) via the second valve 180, 218. In particular, the controller 300 may direct, via the second valve 180, 218, an amount of fluid to the heat exchanger 172, 210 to generate the distilled water vapor that then may be used to supply, replenish, and / or replace a respective fluid (e.g., working fluid, distilled water vapor) of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102. In particular, the controller 300 may send instructions (e.g., via control signal) to the second valve 180, 218 to cause the second valves 180, 218 to actuate (e.g., open) and enable at least a portion of the fluid from the water source 178, 214 to flow toward the heat exchanger 172, 210 of the water distillation system 150, 200.

[0081] In process block 416, in some embodiments (e.g., the closed heat pump system 160), the generated distilled water vapor may be directed to and / or supplied to (e.g., via the third valves 184) to an additional heat exchanger (e.g., condenser, heat exchanger 156, process side piping associated with the heat exchanger 156). In particular, the controller 300 may send instructions (e.g., via control signal) to the one or more third valves 184, 222 to cause the one or more third valves 184, 222 to actuate (e.g., open) and enable at least a portion of the generated (e.g., stored, contained) distilled water vapor to flow from the storage vessel 174, 212 and toward the heat exchanger 156.

[0082] In some embodiments, the controller 300 may operate (e.g., via control signal) the circulation pumps 308 to circulate and / or direct fluid (e.g., water, distilled water, process fluid, working fluid) through the heat exchangers (e.g., heat exchanger 154, 204, and / or 156) and / or piping coupling the respective heat exchanger to the distillation vessel 106 and / or piping coupling the respective heat exchanger to the vapor compression circuit 152, 202.

[0083] In process block 418, the controller 300 may operate one or more circulation pumps 308 to circulate the distilled water (e.g., working fluid) within the heat pump system 100 and / or distillation system 102. In particular, the controller 300 may send instructions (e.g., via control signals) to the circulation pump 308 of a respective heat exchanger to cause the circulation pump 308 to operate and circulate the distilled water through the respective heat exchanger, the heat pump system 100, and / or the process piping coupling the respective heat exchanger to the distillation vessel 106. In particular, the controller 300 may operate (e.g., start operation of, start-up, cause operation of) the circulation pump 308 in response to a level of fluid (e.g., process fluid, working fluid) associated with the respective heat exchanger being above or substantially equal to a threshold level of fluid (e.g., determined by signals received from the sensors 302). In addition, in some embodiments, the controller 300 may suspend operation of the circulation pump 308 in response to a level of fluid (e.g., distilled water, working fluid) within the heat exchanger being below or substantially equal to an additional threshold level of fluid (e.g., determined by signals received from the sensors 302).

[0084] As such, method 400 may enable automated supply of distilled water to components of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 in response to an indication of a reduced level of fluid within one or more components and / or piping of the distillation system 102 and / or one or more components and / or piping of the heat pump system 100. In some embodiments, the method 400 (e.g., a portion of the processes of method 400) may be implemented during operation of the heat pump system 100 and / or operation the distillation process of the distillation system 102. In addition, the method 400 may enable automated supply of distilled water to components of the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 based on an indication of a purge process, commissioning process (e.g., start-up process), and / or maintenance / cleaning process of the heat pump system 100 and / or distillation system 102. As such, the control schemed described herein enables automatic control of fluid levels within the distillation system 102 and / or the heat pump system 100 and increased efficiency of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102 by automatically supplying distilled water to components of the heat pump system 100 and / or the distillation system 102.

[0085] In the manners described above, present embodiments include an HVAC&R system with a water distillation system configured to generate and store distilled water that may be supplied to one or more components of a distillation system and / or a heat pump system. In particular, the water distillation system may be configured to generate the distilled water by capturing and utilizing heat produced by the heat pump system. In addition, the water distillation system of the HVAC&R system may further increase the efficiency (e.g., energy efficiency) and the cost effectiveness of the heat pump system by replacing process fluids and / or working fluids that may be discharged (e.g., escape) from the HVAC&R system. The water distillation system may also enable improve operation of other systems that may be incorporated with the HVAC&R system, such as an additional distillation system.

[0086] While only certain features and embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters (e.g., temperatures, pressures, etc.), mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative embodiments. It is, therefore, to be noted that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not have been described (i.e., those unrelated to the presently contemplated best mode of carrying out the present disclosure, or those unrelated to enabling the claimed embodiments). It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undue experimentation.

[0087] The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as "means for [perform]ing [a function]..." or "step for [perform]ing [a function]...", it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

WATER DISTILLATION SYSTEM FOR HVAC&R SYSTEMClaims1. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising: a heat pump system configured to circulate a working fluid therethrough; and a water distillation system fluidly coupled to the heat pump system, wherein the water distillation system comprises: a first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between a flow of the working fluid from the heat pump system and a flow of fluid from a water source to generate a liquid fluid portion and a distilled vapor fluid portion; and a storage vessel configured to receive, from the first heat exchanger, and store the liquid fluid portion and the distilled vapor fluid portion.

2. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, comprising a distillation system configured to distill a process fluid, wherein the heat pump system is fluidly coupled to the distillation system and is configured to transfer heat between the working fluid and a flow of the process fluid from the distillation system.

3. The HVAC&R system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the water distillation system is fluidly coupled to at least one component of the heat pump system, to at least one component of the distillation system, or both, and wherein the water distillation system is configured to supply the distilled vapor fluid portion to the at least one component of the heat pump system, to the at least one component of the distillation system, or both.

4. The HVAC&R system of one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: a first valve fluidly coupling the heat pump system to the first heat exchanger, wherein the first valve is configured to adjust an amount of the flow of the working fluid received from the heat pump system and directed toward the first heat exchanger; and a second valve fluidly coupling the water source to the first heat exchanger, wherein the second valve is configured to adjust an amount of the flow of fluid received from the water source and directed to the first heat exchanger.

5. The HVAC&R system of claim 4, comprising: one or more third valves coupling the storage vessel to the at least one component of the heat pump system, to the at least one component of the distillation system, or both; and a control system communicatively coupled to the first valve, the second valve, the one or more third valves, or any combination thereof, wherein the control system is configured to execute an automated control sequence to direct a respective flow of the distilled vapor fluid portion toward the at least one component of the heat pump system, toward the at least one component of the distillation system, or both.

6. The HVAC&R system of claim 5, wherein the control system is configured adjust a respective position of the first valve, the second valve, the one or more third valves, or any combination thereof, based on a respective fluid level associated with the at least one component of the heat pump system, to the at least one component of the distillation system, or both.

7. The HVAC&R system of claim 5 or 6, comprising one or more sensors associated with the at least one component of the heat pump system, with the at least one component of the distillation system, or both, wherein the one or more sensors is communicatively coupled to the control system, the one or more sensors are configured to detect the respective fluid level, and the control systemis configured to execute the automated control sequence based on the respective fluid level being below a threshold fluid level.

8. The HVAC&R system of one of claims 1 to 7 and claim 2, wherein the heat pump system is a closed heat pump system, and the closed heat pump system comprises: a compressor configured to circulate the working fluid through the closed heat pump system; a second heat exchanger configured to receive the working fluid and to receive a first flow of the process fluid from the distillation system, wherein the second heat exchanger is configured to place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the first flow of the process fluid to transfer heat from the first flow of the process fluid to the working fluid; and a third heat exchanger configured to receive the working fluid from the compressor and to receive a second flow of the process fluid from the distillation system, wherein the third heat exchanger is configured to place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the second flow of the process fluid to transfer heat from the working fluid to the second flow of the process fluid, and wherein the first heat exchanger is fluidly coupled to the closed heat pump system between a discharge port of the compressor and the third heat exchanger.

9. The HVAC&R system of one of claims 1 to 7 and claim 2, wherein the heat pump system is an open heat pump system, and the open heat pump system comprises: a compressor configured to circulate a first flow of the process fluid received from the distillation system as the working fluid; and a second heat exchanger configured to receive the first flow of the process fluid and to receive a second flow of the process fluid from the distillation system, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to place the first flow of the process fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the second flow of the process fluid and to transfer heat from the second flow of the process fluid to the first flow of the process fluid, andwherein the first heat exchanger is fluidly coupled to the open heat pump system between a discharge port of the compressor and the distillation system.

10. The HVAC&R system of one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the working fluid is water, and wherein the first heat exchanger is a plate heat exchanger.

11. The HVAC&R system of one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the water distillation system comprises a pump, and wherein the pump is configured to discharge the liquid fluid portion from the storage vessel.

12. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising: a heat exchanger configured to receive a flow of working fluid from a heat pump system and to receive a flow of fluid from a water source, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to place the flow of working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the flow of fluid from the water source and to transfer heat from the flow of working fluid to the flow of fluid from the water source to at least partially vaporize the flow of fluid; a storage vessel configured to receive, from the heat exchanger, a vaporized portion of the flow of fluid and a liquid portion of the flow of fluid; a first valve configured to fluidly couple the heat exchanger to a vapor compression circuit of the heat pump system; and a control system configured to communicatively couple to the first valve and configured to adjust a position of the first valve to control an amount of the flow of working fluid directed from the vapor compression circuit to the heat exchanger.

13. The HVAC&R system of claim 12, comprising a second valve configured to fluidly couple the water source to the heat exchanger, wherein the control system is configured to communicatively couple to the second valve and configured to adjust a position of the second valve to control an amount of the flow of fluid directed from the water source to the heat exchanger.

14. The HVAC&R system of claim 13, wherein the control system is configured to adjust the position of the first valve, adjust the position of the second valve, or both, based on a received data indicative of a fluid level associated with the heat pump system.

15. The HVAC&R system of claim 13 or 14, comprising one or more third valves configured to fluidly couple the storage vessel to at least one component of the heat pump system, to at least one component of a distillation system, or both, wherein the one or more third valves are configured to direct a respective flow of the vaporized portion of the flow of fluid toward the at least one component of the heat pump system, toward the at least one component of the distillation system, or both.

16. The HVAC&R system of claim 15, comprising one or more sensors configured to detect a respective fluid parameter associated with the heat pump system, the distillation system, or both, wherein the control system is configured to communicatively couple to the one or more sensors and is configured to receive data indicative of the respective fluid parameter from the one or more sensors and to adjust the first valve, the second valve, the one or more third valves, or any combination thereof based on the data.

17. The HVAC&R system of claim 16, wherein the respective fluid parameter is associated with a fluid amount detected by the one or more sensors, the control system is configured to compare the fluid amount to a threshold fluid amount, and the control system is configured to adjsut the first valve, the second valve, the one or more third valves, or any combination thereof based on the comparison.

18. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising: a distillation system configured to distill a mixture; a heat pump system fluidly coupled to the distillation system, wherein the heat pump system is configured to transfer heat between a working fluid circulated through the heat pump system and a flow of fluid received from the distillation system; a water distillation system fluidly coupled to the heat pump system and to the distillation system, wherein the water distillation system is configured to receive a flow of the working fluid from the heat pump system, to receive a flow of water from a water source, and to place the flow of the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the flow of water to at least partially vaporize the flow of water to generate and store a liquid water portion and a distilled water portion; and a control system communicatively coupled to the distillation system, the heat pump system, and the water distillation system, wherein the control system is configured to control a flow of the distilled water portion supplied to at least one component of the heat pump system, to at least one component of the distillation system, or both, based on data indicative of a fluid level associated with the heat pump system, the distillation system, or both.

19. The HVAC&R system of claim 18, comprising one or more sensors configured to detect the fluid level associated with the heat pump system, the distillation system, or both, wherein the control system is configured to receive the data from the one or more sensors and to control the flow of the distilled water portion based on the fluid level being below a threshold fluid level.

20. The HVAC&R system of claim 19, wherein the water distillation system comprises: a heat exchanger fluidly coupled, via a first valve, to the heat pump system and fluidly coupled, via a second valve, to the water source, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat between theflow of the working fluid and the flow of water to generate the liquid water portion and the distilled water portion; a storage vessel fluidly coupled to the heat exchanger and configured to receive and contain the liquid water portion and the distilled water portion from the heat exchanger, wherein the storage vessel is fluidly coupled, via one or more third valves, to the heat pump system, the distillation system, or both; and a pump fluidly coupled to the storage vessel and configured to discharge a flow of the liquid water portion from the storage vessel.

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