Heat pump

Abstract

A heat pump (10), comprising an external motor with a fan (V) and relative shaft (V1), below called drive shaft, supported at one end only and kinematically connected to a shaft (11.1) of an alternator / generator (11), which generates electrical energy produced by the rotary movement of said drive shaft (V1), wherein mechanical connection means (12.1; 12.2) are provided, configured to maintain a substantially parallel arrangement, respectively substantially coaxial, of said drive shaft (V1) and said shaft (11.1) of said alternator / generator (11), and wherein said alternator / generator (11) is electrically connected to a utility, an electricity network, a battery of electric accumulators, respectively, via inverter means.

Description

[0001] HEAT PUMP

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] The present invention refers to a heat pump.

[0004] The present invention can be applied also in conditioners, which have a similar structure to heat pumps. Therefore, in the present description, heat pump and conditioner are considered as equivalents.

[0005] The known heat pumps comprise a fan with relative shaft of an external motor. The shaft is supported at one end only. The kinetic energy produced by means of the fan is dispersed.

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a heat pump that allows recovery of at least part of the kinetic energy deriving from the rotary movement of said fan.

[0007] In view of said object, the present invention provides a heat pump, the essential characteristic of which forms the subject of claim 1.

[0008] Further advantageous characteristics form the subject of the dependent claims.

[0009] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed disclosure of an embodiment example of the heat pump according to the invention, with reference to the attached drawing which shows details important for the invention, and from the claims.

[0010] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a heat pump comprising an external motor with a fan and relative shaft, below called drive shaft, in which said drive shaft is supported at one end only.

[0011] According to the invention, said drive shaft of the fan is kinematically connected to a shaft of an alternator / generator, which generates electrical energy produced by the rotary movement of said drive shaft, in which mechanical connection means are configured to maintain a substantially parallel arrangement, respectively substantially coaxial, of said drive shaft and of said shaft of said alternator / generator, in which said alternator / generator is electrically connected to a utility, an electrical power network, a battery of electrical accumulators, respectively.

[0012] In particular, said mechanical connection means are configured to ensure the stability and / or the dynamic balancing of said drive shaft of the fan and of said shaft of said alternator / generator reciprocally connected. According to a first embodiment example, the drive shaft, on which the fan serving the heat pump condenser is fitted, transmits the movement to the shaft on which the current generator is fitted (driven shaft). The latter is electrically connected to an inverter: therefore the direct current, once converted from direct current to alternating current, is fed into a network, for example.

[0013] In said configuration, the two shafts are arranged substantially parallel and each support a respective pulley, coaxial and rotating integrally therewith. The power is transmitted via a belt, which is wound on said pulleys, which can be timing or V belt pulleys, appropriately sized to provide the desired transmission ratio. The above configuration is particularly suitable for short distances between shaft centres.

[0014] According to a second embodiment example of the invention, the drive shaft, on which the fan serving the heat pump condenser is fitted, transmits the movement to the shaft on which the current generator (driven shaft) is fitted. The latter is electrically connected to an inverter: the direct current, once converted from direct current to alternating current, is fed into a network, for example.

[0015] In said configuration, the two shafts are connected in a substantially coaxial arrangement, and a flexible coupling is arranged between said two shafts and is configured to compensate for slight misalignments between said two shafts.

[0016] As described above, the inverter allows the energy produced by means of said alternator / generator to be fed into an electricity distribution network, while any energy surplus produced can be stored, for example, in battery accumulator means.

[0017] The arrangement according to the invention is sized based on the number of revolutions per minute of the fan of the external motor of the heat pump.

[0018] In order to optimize operation of the heat pump, it may be necessary to eliminate the overgear of the generator and, possibly, provide a gear reducer of the drive shaft.

[0019] In the drawing:

[0020] - figure l is a perspective detail view of a fan with relative shaft of an external motor of a conventional heat pump;

[0021] - figure 2 is a perspective detail view of an electric generator, configured for coaxial assembly on the shaft of said fan of figure 1;

[0022] - figure 3 is a perspective detail view of said electric generator, partially assembled in coaxial arrangement on the shaft of said fan, in which mechanical connection means of said electric generator are configured to provide an axial centring of the shaft, maintaining the correct alignment during operation;

[0023] - figure 4 is an example diagram of the connection between the drive shaft of the heat pump, a current generator and an inverter;

[0024] - figure 5 illustrates schematically the connection of the drive shaft, on which the fan serving the heat pump condenser is fitted, to the shaft on which the current generator (driven shaft) is fitted, by means of an arrangement of pulleys and relative drive belt wound between said pulleys;

[0025] - figure 6 illustrates schematically the connection of the drive shaft, on which the fan serving the heat pump condenser is fitted, to the shaft on which the current generator (driven shaft) is fitted, via elastic coupling means.

[0026] With reference to the drawing, the number 10 in figure 3 indicates the heat pump according to the present invention.

[0027] Said heat pump 10 comprises a conventional fan V, which is supported by means of a drive shaft VI of an external electric motor. The drive shaft VI is supported at one end by means of appropriate bearings, not shown in the drawing.

[0028] On the drive shaft VI of the fan V an electric generator 11 is assembled in coaxial arrangement, so as to be functionally operated by said drive shaft VI. In particular, said electric generator 11 comprises a rotary driven shaft 11.1 (figure 2) which has, at an axial end not shown in the drawing, a fitting for the coaxial coupling to the drive shaft VI.

[0029] By means of this arrangement, the driven shaft 11.1 of the electric generator 11 is arranged coaxial with the drive shaft VI of the fan V.

[0030] Said driven shaft 11.1 is mechanically connected to the drive shaft VI via elastic coupling means 12.1.

[0031] Figure 5 illustrates schematically the connection of the drive shaft, on which the fan serving the heat pump condenser is fitted, to the shaft on which the current generator (driven shaft) is fitted, by means of an arrangement 12.2 of pulleys and relative drive belt between said pulleys.

[0032] In said configuration, the two shafts are arranged parallel and each support a respective pulley, coaxial and rotating integrally therewith. The power is transmitted through a belt, wound on said pulleys, which can be timing or V belt pulleys, appropriately sized to provide the desired transmission ratio. Alternatively to the generator 11, according to the invention, an alternator can be provided.

[0033] Operation

[0034] When the external motor of the heat pump is energized, the drive shaft VI of the fan V sets in rotation the driven shaft 11.1 of the generator 11, which produces electrical energy, while the inverter converts the direct current into alternating current, which is fed into an electricity distribution network, for example.

[0035] As can be seen from the above, the present invention achieves simply and effectively the object described in the introduction to the present report.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A heat pump (10), comprising an external motor with a fan (V) and relative shaft (VI), below called drive shaft, supported at one end only and kinematically connected to a shaft (11.1) of an alternator / generator (11), which generates electrical energy produced by the rotary movement of said drive shaft (VI), wherein mechanical connection means (12.1; 12.2) are provided, configured to maintain a substantially parallel arrangement, respectively substantially coaxial, of said drive shaft (VI) and said shaft (11.1) of said alternator / generator (11), and wherein said alternator / generator (11) is electrically connected to a utility, an electricity network, a battery of electric accumulators, respectively, via inverter means.

2. The heat pump (10) according to claim 1, wherein said mechanical connection means (12.1; 12.2) are configured to ensure the stability and / or dynamic equilibrium of said drive shaft (VI) of the fan (V) and of said shaft (11.1) of said alternator / generator (11) reciprocally connected.

3. The heat pump (10) according to claim 1, wherein said drive shaft (VI) and said shaft (11.1) of said alternator / generator (11) are arranged substantially parallel, wherein a kinematic arrangement (12.2) comprising:- for each shaft (VI, 11.1), a respective pulley, which can be a timing or V belt pulley, arranged coaxial and rotating integrally therewith, and- a drive belt, wound on said pulleys, transmits the power from said drive shaft (VI) to said shaft (11.1) of said alternator / generator (11).

4. The heat pump (10) according to claim 1, wherein said drive shaft (VI) and said shaft (11.1) of said alternator / generator (11) are kinematically connected in a substantially coaxial arrangement, and a flexible coupling (12.1) is arranged between said two shafts (VI, 11.1) and is configured to compensate for slight misalignments between the shafts.

5. The heat pump (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said alternator / generator (11) is not provided with overgear means.

6. The heat pump (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said drive shaft (VI) is connected to a gear reducer provided in said alternator / generator (11).

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