Heat Exchanger System

Abstract

The heated suction line accumulator may include a tank extending longitudinally and having a first internal cavity, and a refrigerant input orifice extending through a sidewall of the tank and configured to receive an input refrigerant. A longitudinally extending intermediate tube may be disposed within the first internal cavity. At least one opening may extend through a sidewall of the intermediate tube to allow the input refrigerant to flow therethrough. At least one heated line may be disposed within the tank and include a first plurality of coils wound around the intermediate tube. The heated line may be configured to receive a heating fluid for heating the input refrigerant. An inner tube may be disposed within the intermediate tube and configured to convey the heated input refrigerant to an exterior of the tank.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This PCT application claims priority to U.S. Application No. 18 / 146,757, entitled "Heat Exchanger System," filed December 27, 2022, and U.S. Application No. 17 / 722,098, entitled "Heat Exchanger System," filed April 15, 2022, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. This application also incorporates by reference U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 821,692, entitled "Valve System and Method," filed March 17, 2020, and U.S. Patent No. 11,067,317, entitled "Heat Source Optimization System," filed January 30, 2018. [Technical field]

[0002] In one aspect, the disclosure generally describes the use of a superheater, such as the disclosed suction superheater, to preheat refrigerant in a heat pump system. In another aspect, the disclosure generally relates to the field of heat exchange systems, including the use of superheaters and desuperheaters for use in fluid heating and cooling systems, including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, refrigeration, fluid heating and cooling systems, heating systems such as pools, spas, and the like. [Background technology]

[0003] A variety of systems are available for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, fluid heating, and cooling. Such systems may be used for heating only, cooling only, or both. For example, a heat pump system may absorb heat from living and / or working spaces to cool the spaces, or absorb heat from outdoors to heat the spaces, by reversing the direction of refrigerant flow through a heat exchanger. Typically, in such an arrangement, forced air flows over the heat exchanger before being delivered to the living and / or working spaces. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technology of the present disclosure generally relates to heating and cooling by selectively adjusting fluid flow of a secondary fluid through a suction superheater and / or attemperator. In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for improving heat pump systems that are effective at relatively low ambient temperatures. The disclosed system may improve the operating efficiency of heat pump systems that are efficient at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 30.5 degrees Celsius). For example, the disclosed system may provide a secondary heating fluid to a suction superheater downstream of a compressor that heats the primary recirculating refrigerant via a heat exchange process before the primary refrigerant is received by the compressor.

[0005] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a heated suction line accumulator for superheating an input refrigerant for use in a heating and cooling system. In various embodiments, a tank may be provided extending longitudinally from a top surface to a bottom surface. The tank may define a first interior cavity having a first top surface, a first bottom surface opposite the first top surface, and a first sidewall extending from the first top surface to the first bottom surface. The refrigerant inlet orifice may extend through the first sidewall and be configured to receive refrigerant entering from outside the tank. Further, an intermediate tube may be provided extending longitudinally and defining a second interior cavity having a second top surface, a second bottom surface opposite the second top surface, and a second sidewall extending from the second top surface to the second bottom surface. In various embodiments, the intermediate tube may be disposed within the first internal cavity and include at least one first opening through the second sidewall adjacent the second top surface and at least one second opening through the second sidewall adjacent the second bottom surface. In various embodiments, the at least one heated line may be disposed within the tank and include a first plurality of coils wound around the intermediate tube. The at least one heated line is configured to receive a heated fluid. In various embodiments, the first and second heated lines are configured to receive a heated fluid. In various embodiments, the at least one longitudinally extending internal tube may be disposed within the second internal cavity. The at least one internal tube may extend from adjacent the second bottom surface, through the second top surface, and through the first top surface. Additionally, the at least one heated line may be configured to increase the temperature of the input refrigerant, and the at least one internal tube may be configured to convey the input refrigerant as a vaporized output refrigerant to the interior of the intermediate tube outside the tank.

[0006] In another aspect, the heated suction line accumulator may be provided in a larger heating and cooling system. For example, the heated suction line accumulator may be located immediately downstream of, for example, a compressor. The system may include a pump in fluid communication with at least one heated line and / or a plurality of heated lines. The system may include a first temperature sensor upstream of the heated suction line accumulator and a second temperature sensor downstream of the heated suction line accumulator. The system may include a controller in communication with the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, the controller may include at least one processor and a computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions. Execution of the computer-executable instructions may cause the system to obtain a first temperature measurement from the first temperature sensor, obtain a second temperature measurement from the second temperature sensor, and determine whether the second temperature measurement is within a target operating range. In various embodiments, the system may modulate the speed of the pump if the second temperature measurement is outside the target operating range.

[0007] In another aspect, a heated suction line accumulator may be provided. The heated suction line accumulator may include a tank extending longitudinally from a top surface to a bottom surface, the tank may define a first internal cavity having a first top surface, a first bottom surface opposite the first top surface, and a first sidewall extending from the first top surface to the first bottom surface. In various embodiments, the refrigerant inlet orifice may extend, for example, through the first sidewall and be configured to receive refrigerant flowing in from outside the tank. Additionally, an intermediate tube may be provided that extends longitudinally and defines a second internal cavity having a second top surface, a second bottom surface opposite the second top surface, and a second sidewall extending from the second top surface to the second bottom surface. In various embodiments, the intermediate tube may be disposed within the first internal cavity and include a first opening through the second sidewall adjacent the second top surface and a second opening through the second sidewall adjacent the second bottom surface. In various embodiments, the first heating line may be disposed within the tank and include a first plurality of coils wound around the intermediate tube, the first heating line configured to receive a heated fluid from an external heat source. In various embodiments, the second heating line may be disposed within the tank and include a second plurality of coils wound around the intermediate tube, the second heating line configured to receive a heated fluid from an external heat source. In various embodiments, a longitudinally extending inner tube disposed within the second internal cavity may be provided. In various embodiments, the inner tube may extend from a bottom region adjacent the second bottom surface, through the second top surface, and through the first top surface. Additionally, the tank, the intermediate tube, and the inner tube may be disposed in a coaxial relationship. Additionally, the intermediate tube may be substantially sealed such that the intermediate tube is configured to primarily receive the input refrigerant through the first and second openings. Additionally, the first and second heated lines may each increase a temperature of the input refrigerant, and the inner tube may be configured to transport the input refrigerant as vaporized output refrigerant inside the intermediate tube and outside the tank.

[0008] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a thermal optimization system including a suction superheater. The heat exchanger includes, for example, a longitudinally extending tank, the tank defining an internal cavity having a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a sidewall extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. In various exemplary embodiments, the internal cavity may include an upper region adjacent the top surface, a lower region adjacent the bottom surface, and a central region between the upper region and the lower region. In various exemplary embodiments, the system includes a refrigerant inlet line disposed within the tank and extending from the upper region to at least the central region, the refrigerant inlet line configured to receive a vaporized, semi-vaporized, and / or saturated input refrigerant from a first supply line outside the tank and to discharge the input refrigerant into the internal cavity, for example, via a first output orifice adjacent the central region and / or a second output orifice adjacent the lower region. In various exemplary embodiments, the refrigerant output line may be disposed within the tank and have a generally U-shape with a first portion and a second portion joined by a third portion. In various exemplary embodiments, the first portion may extend from an input orifice proximate the upper region to a third portion, the third portion may be disposed proximate the lower region and may include an oil return inlet therein, and the second portion may extend from the third portion to the upper region. In various exemplary embodiments, the refrigerant output line may be configured to draw vaporized refrigerant within the tank through the input orifice, draw liquid refrigerant and / or oil within the tank through the oil return inlet, and supply the vaporized refrigerant, liquid refrigerant, and / or oil together as a refrigerant output to a second supply line outside the tank. In various exemplary embodiments, a heating line may be disposed within the tank, the heating line may include multiple coils wrapped around the refrigerant input line and the refrigerant output line, and the heating line may be configured to receive a heated fluid from an external heat source. In various exemplary embodiments, the heating line increases the temperature of the input refrigerant.

[0009] In another aspect of the disclosure, a thermal optimization system is disclosed that includes a heat rejector. In various exemplary embodiments, a tank may be included that defines an interior cavity having a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a sidewall extending from the top surface to the bottom surface. In various exemplary embodiments, a refrigerant input line is disposed within the tank and extends from an upper region to at least a central region, the refrigerant input line configured to receive vaporized, semi-vaporized, and / or saturated input refrigerant from a first supply line outside the tank and discharge the input refrigerant through a first output orifice into the interior cavity. In various exemplary embodiments, a refrigerant output line is disposed within the tank, the refrigerant output line configured to draw refrigerant from within the tank through the input orifice and supply refrigerant to a second supply line outside the tank. In various exemplary embodiments, a cooling line is disposed within the tank, the cooling line including a plurality of coils wound around the refrigerant output line, the cooling line configured to receive a cooled fluid from an external source. In various exemplary embodiments, the cooling line reduces a temperature of the input refrigerant.

[0010] In another aspect, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include, for example, a chamber defining an internal cavity having an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion, and a sidewall portion extending between the upper and lower wall portions. The apparatus may include a first conduit disposed within the chamber and extending from adjacent the upper wall portion to adjacent the sidewall portion. The first conduit is configured, for example, to receive refrigerant in a vaporized and / or saturated state from a refrigerant source outside the chamber and to discharge the refrigerant into the internal cavity through at least one discharge orifice adjacent the sidewall portion and / or adjacent the lower wall portion. The apparatus may include a generally U-shaped second conduit disposed within the internal cavity having an inlet port adjacent the upper wall portion, a discharge port extending from the internal cavity to the outside of the chamber, and a metering port adjacent the lower wall portion, the inlet port being configured, for example, to draw vaporized or semi-vaporized refrigerant from the internal cavity. In various exemplary embodiments, the oil return inlet may be configured to take in liquid refrigerant and / or oil from the internal cavity, and the second conduit may be configured to route vaporized refrigerant from the inlet and liquid refrigerant from the oil return inlet to an exhaust port outside the chamber. In various exemplary embodiments, the fluid conduit may be disposed within the internal cavity and coiled around the first conduit and the second conduit and configured to receive a heated fluid from a heat source outside the chamber. In various exemplary embodiments, the heated fluid acting through the fluid conduit increases the temperature of the refrigerant in at least one of the internal cavity, the first conduit, and the second conduit.

[0011] In another aspect, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include, for example, a chamber defining an internal cavity having an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion, and a sidewall portion extending between the upper and lower wall portions. The apparatus may further include a first conduit disposed within the chamber and extending from a location adjacent to the upper wall portion to a location adjacent to the sidewall portion, the first conduit designed to receive refrigerant in a vaporized and / or saturated state, for example, from a refrigerant source outside the chamber, and to discharge the refrigerant into the internal cavity via at least one discharge orifice adjacent to the sidewall portion and / or adjacent to the lower wall portion. The apparatus may further include a generally U-shaped second conduit disposed within the internal cavity, the second conduit having an inlet port adjacent to the upper wall, a discharge port extending from the internal cavity to the outside of the chamber, and a metering port adjacent to the lower wall portion. The inlet port is configured to draw vaporized or semi-vaporized refrigerant from the internal cavity, the oil return flow inlet is configured to take in liquid refrigerant and / or oil from the internal cavity, and the second conduit is configured to, for example, deliver vaporized refrigerant from the internal cavity through the inlet port and liquid refrigerant through the oil return flow inlet to an exhaust port outside the chamber. The apparatus may further include, for example, a fluid conduit disposed within the internal cavity and wound around the first and second conduits and configured to receive a heating fluid from a heat source outside the chamber. In various embodiments, the heating fluid acting through the fluid conduit increases the temperature of the refrigerant in at least one of the internal cavity, the first conduit, and the second conduit, for example.

[0012] In another aspect, a heating and cooling system is disclosed. The system may include, for example, a heat exchanger; a first recirculation flow path for a refrigerant; a second recirculation flow path for a heating fluid; and an indoor air flow path for an indoor air heating and cooling system. In various embodiments, the heat exchanger includes a refrigerant flow path in fluid communication with the first recirculation flow path via a first input orifice and a first output orifice, the refrigerant flow path configured to receive, for example, an evaporated and / or saturated refrigerant at the input orifice and to discharge, for example, a substantially evaporated refrigerant at the output orifice. In various embodiments, a heated fluid flow path is in fluid communication with the second recirculation flow path via a second input orifice and a second output orifice, the heated fluid flow path configured to transfer heat to, for example, the refrigerant flow path. The system may further include a pump in fluid communication with the second recirculation line, a first temperature sensor in fluid communication with the first recirculation line upstream of the suction superheater, a second temperature sensor in fluid communication with the first recirculation line downstream of the suction superheater, and a reversing valve in fluid communication with the recirculation flow path, etc. The system may further include a controller in communication with the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, the controller comprising, for example, at least one processor and a computer readable memory storing computer executable instructions, which when executed, may cause the system to obtain a first temperature measurement from the first temperature sensor, obtain a second temperature measurement from the second temperature sensor, determine whether the second temperature is within a target operating range, and modulate the speed of the pump if the second temperature is outside the target operating range, e.g., switch a reversing valve to change the flow path of the refrigerant between the first recirculation flow path and / or the room air flow path.

[0013] In another embodiment, the heat exchanger is, for example, a suction superheater.

[0014] In another embodiment, the heat exchanger is a brazed plate heat exchanger, for example comprising a number of plates through which the refrigerant and heating fluids pass along separate flow paths without mixing.

[0015] In another aspect, the heat exchanger is a tube-and-shell heat exchanger that includes, for example, a plurality of interconnected tubes and a shell, the plurality of interconnected tubes defining a heating fluid flow path and the shell defining a refrigerant flow path.

[0016] In another aspect, the present disclosure includes a method of using a suction superheater to preheat refrigerant in a heat pump system.

[0017] In another aspect, the present disclosure includes the use of superheaters and / or heat rejectors in fluid heating and cooling systems, including HVAC, fluid heating and cooling systems, refrigeration systems, cooling systems, and heating systems for pools, spas, and the like.

[0018] The details of one or more aspects of this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the techniques described in this disclosure will become apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a superheater system including a suction superheater for introducing heat. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is an internal, exposed-components view of a first exemplary embodiment of a superheater system including a suction superheater for introducing heat. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is an internal, exposed-components view of a second exemplary embodiment of a superheater system including a suction superheater for introducing heat. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is an internal, exposed-components view of a first exemplary embodiment of an attemperator system including a heat exchanger for removing heat. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is an internal, exposed-components view of a second exemplary embodiment of a reduced-pressure heater system including a heat exchanger for removing heat. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a duct system including a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in heating mode. [Diagram 5]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a duct system including a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in a cooling mode. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat source optimization and thermal storage system including a suction superheater in heating mode. [Figure 6B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat source optimization and thermal storage system including a brazed plate superheater in heating mode. [Figure 6C] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat source optimization and thermal storage system including a tube and shell superheater in heating mode. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat source optimization and storage system in cooling mode. [Figure 8] According to some embodiments, an apparatus may be configured to at least partially implement a controller system according to implementations of the embodiments. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a superheater system including a suction superheater for introducing heat. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the tank of the superheater system of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of various internal components of the superheater system of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of an intermediate portion of a tube of the superheater system of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the inside of a tube of the superheater system of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a skeleton line diagram showing the tank, the middle section of the tube, and the inside of the tube in an assembled configuration. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a top or plan view of a portion of the heating system of FIG. [Figure 16] This is a partially exposed parts diagram with part of the tank removed to make it easier to understand the internal components of the superheating system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The accompanying drawings and the following description present examples of the present disclosure. However, it is believed that those generally familiar with heat pump systems will be able to apply the novel properties of the structures shown and described herein to other contexts with modifications to the specific details. Thus, the drawings and description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but should be understood as broad and general teachings.

[0021] The term "one example" herein means that one or more features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with the example are included in at least one implementation. The use of the term "one example" in various places in this specification may or may not refer to the same example.

[0022] Illustrative, non-exhaustive examples of subject matter according to the present disclosure, which may or may not be claimed, are set forth below. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Indeed, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "first", "second", and the like are used herein merely as labels and are not intended to impose any order, position, or hierarchical requirement on the items to which they refer. Furthermore, reference to a "second" item does not require or exclude the presence of one or more other items, e.g., an item numbered "first" or lower, and / or an item numbered "third" or higher. Additionally, reference may be made herein to a number of measurements, preset thresholds, etc. that example embodiments may manipulate, such as time, distance, speed, temperature, flow rate, voltage, power, coefficients, pressure, humidity, percentages, etc., although unless otherwise noted, any or all of these measurements / preset thresholds may be configurable. Like reference numbers refer to like elements throughout.

[0023] As used herein, "and / or" means one or more of the items in the list joined by "and / or." Additionally, as used herein, the term "exemplary" means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. Additionally, as used herein, the term "by way of example" or "for example" introduces a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations.

[0024] Various exemplary implementations are described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherever possible, like reference numerals refer to like parts and devices throughout the several views. Reference to various exemplary implementations is not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims, as the exemplary implementations are examples of the inventive concepts described herein. Moreover, any examples described herein are intended to be non-limiting and to present some of the many implementations or examples that may be applicable to the appended claims. Furthermore, any particular feature described herein may be used in combination with other described features, in each of various possible combinations and permutations, unless the context or other description clearly dictates otherwise.

[0025] Terms such as "same," "equal," "planar," "coplanar," "parallel," and "perpendicular" as used herein are intended to encompass the exact same meaning, while also encompassing variations that may occur, for example, due to the manufacturing process. In particular, when a described implementation or embodiment has the same or nearly the same function or characteristics, the term "substantially" may be used herein to emphasize this meaning, unless the context or other description clearly indicates otherwise. Terms such as "about" and "approximately" may reflect amounts, sizes, orientations, or layouts that vary only with relatively minor differences and / or in a manner that does not significantly alter the operation, function, or structure of a particular element. For example, a range of "about 0.1 to about 1" may encompass ranges such as 0% to 10% deviations around 0.1, 0% to 10% deviations around 1, and so forth, particularly when such deviations maintain the same effect as the recited range.

[0026] 1, 2A, and 2B, a superheater system 100 is disclosed. In some embodiments, the superheater system is referred to as a suction superheater and serves the purpose of introducing heat into a refrigerant conduit system downstream of a compressor. As used herein, the term "refrigerant" is intended to have its broad and ordinary technical meaning in the heating, cooling, and ventilation arts. Exemplary refrigerants include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and natural refrigerants.

[0027] The suction superheater 100 may include an elongated cylindrical tank 1 that defines an interior chamber or cavity. In an exemplary embodiment, the tank 1 extends longitudinally along an axis AA and laterally along an axis BB. In other embodiments, the housing 1 may be any shape, e.g., square, circular, elliptical, etc. FIG. 1 also illustrates a cross section 15-15 shown in FIG. 15. As best shown in FIG. 2A, the interior cavity defined by the tank 1 may include an upper surface 2, a lower surface 3, and a sidewall extending from the uppermost surface 2 to the lowermost surface 3. In this embodiment, the suction superheater 100 functions like a heated suction line accumulator in that the interior cavity of the tank 1 is sealed and can receive refrigerant in a vaporized, semi-vaporized, and / or saturated state. For example, refrigerant may enter the suction superheater 100 via an input port 12a of the refrigerant input line 12. The input line 12 may include at least one output 14 for entering the tank 1 through the substantially vertical top surface 2 and discharging the refrigerant into the interior of the tank 1 at an outlet opening 14a. The output 14 may be gently curved such that the input line 12 transitions from a substantially vertical orientation to a substantially horizontal orientation at the output 14 by making an approximately 90 degree turn or bend. In various embodiments, the input line 12 may include multiple outputs 14 at various relative heights, e.g., measured from the bottom surface 3. In this embodiment, the multiple outputs 14 are shown in dashed lines to indicate that they may be optionally included. In various embodiments, the lowest output 14 is directly adjacent the bottom surface 3, and the multiple sequentially stacked outputs 14 are located in a central region between the bottom surface 3 and the top surface 2, e.g., about 20% to 80% of the height between the bottom surface 3 and the top surface 2. At least one advantage of this configuration is that the output 14 directs the refrigerant along a flow path that is aligned with the coil 24 (represented by the pivoting arrow).

[0028] The suction superheater 100 may be disposed within the internal cavity of the tank 1 and include a refrigerant output line 16 having a substantially U-shaped configuration including an inlet opening 16a, a first portion 16b, a second portion 16c, and a third portion 16d connecting the first portion 16b and the second portion 16c. The inlet opening 16a may draw vaporized and / or semi-vaporized refrigerant into the refrigerant output line 16. In this embodiment, the first portion 16b extends substantially longitudinally from the inlet opening 16a adjacent the top surface 2 to the third portion 16d adjacent the bottom surface 3. The second portion 16c extends substantially longitudinally from the third portion 16d toward the top surface 2 and through the top surface 2 to an outlet port 16e. In an embodiment, the third portion 16d may include a small orifice 18 (also called a metering orifice) to allow oil that accumulates at the bottom of the tank 1 to re-enter the output line 16 for lubricating a downstream compressor or pump.

[0029] The suction superheater 100 may include a heating line 20 for receiving a heating fluid from an external source. The heating fluid may increase the internal temperature of the cavity of the tank 1, thereby warming the refrigerant introduced into the system via the refrigerant input line 12. Any suitable type of heating fluid may be used and may be provided from any suitable type of space or source (as further described below). Exemplary heating fluids include gas, water, glycol, glycol water mixture, oil, synthetic heat exchange fluids, graphene, ammonia, and various refrigerants, as well as combinations thereof. The heating line 20 includes an input port 22 located in a lower region of the tank 1 adjacent the bottom surface 3 of the tank 1, and extends generally in a coil from the lower region of the tank 1 toward the upper region of the tank 1, where the heating line 20 may exit through a side wall of the tank 1 at an output port 26. In various embodiments, the heating line 20 may be comprised of multiple sequentially stacked coil portions 24 that generally follow the internal shape of the tank 1. In this embodiment, a cylindrical tank is used with a circular shaped coil portion 24 surrounding the input line 12 and the output line 16. For example, the outer diameter of the circular shape of the coil portion 24 may correspond to the inner diameter of the circular shape of the tank 1. At least one advantage of this sequentially stacked coil arrangement is that the effective surface area of ​​the heating line 20 that can transfer thermodynamic heat is relatively increased, i.e., the heating line 20 has a relatively large thermodynamic potential. FIG. 2B is an alternative embodiment of a superheater having the same, similar, and / or substantially the same features and functions as those described above. However, in this embodiment, the suction superheater 100 may include a plurality of fins 20z that increase the available surface area for transferring heat to the refrigerant inside the superheater 100. Additionally, a screen or filter 18a is shown above the oil return inlet to prevent material contamination, such as metal shavings and debris, from entering the output refrigerant line 16 that may damage the downstream compressor.

[0030] 3A and 3B, an exposed parts view of the interior of a first embodiment of a heat removal system 200 is disclosed, including a heat exchanger for heat removal. In use, the attemperator 200 is disposed downstream of a compressor and may be used to remove heat from the refrigerant in a conduit line and / or to transfer heat from the refrigerant in a conduit line to an external location, such as a storage tank. In an exemplary embodiment, the attemperator 200 may take the same and / or similar shape as the suction superheater 100 and may be generally defined by the tank 1. Accordingly, a redundant description of the general shape and relative axes of the attemperator 200 is omitted for the sake of brevity.

[0031] In various embodiments, the refrigerant may enter the attemperator 200 via an input port 32a of a refrigerant input line 32. The input line 32 may pass through the top surface 2 in a substantially vertical direction into the tank 1 and include at least one outlet opening 32b for discharging the refrigerant into the interior of the tank 1. In this implementation, the outlet opening 32b is located at a relative height corresponding to, for example, an upper region of the interior cavity of the tank 1 proximate the top surface 2. In various embodiments, the outlet opening 32b may be curved to direct the refrigerant in a lateral direction along the coil 24, if desired (not shown).

[0032] The attemperator 200 may include a refrigerant output line 36 disposed within the interior cavity of the tank 1, drawing refrigerant from the interior of the tank 1 and carrying it to the exterior of the tank 1 at an output port 36b. The inlet opening 36a may draw vaporized and / or semi-vaporized refrigerant into the refrigerant output line 36, for example, from a lower region adjacent the bottom surface 3 of the tank 1. In this embodiment, the region of the output line 36 corresponding to the inlet opening 36a may be a curved portion resulting in a laterally oriented inlet opening 36a disposed directly adjacent the bottom surface 3. However, the opening 36a may be disposed at alternative locations and / or relative heights from the bottom surface 3. The remaining portion of the output line 36 may extend longitudinally from the bottom region of the tank 1 toward the top surface 2, for example, and exit the interior of the tank 1 at the output port 36b.

[0033] The attemperator 200 may include a heat rejection line 20a for carrying heat from the interior of the tank 1 to an external heat source or holding tank. In various embodiments, the heat rejection line 20a may include a fluid that enters the tank 1 at a first, relatively low temperature and exits the tank 1 at a second, relatively warm temperature. The fluid entering the tank 1 may reduce the internal temperature of the cavity of the tank 1, thereby cooling the refrigerant introduced into the system via the refrigerant input line 32. Any suitable type of fluid may be used and may be provided from any suitable space (described further below). Exemplary fluids include gas, water, glycol, glycol water mixture, oil, synthetic heat exchange fluid, graphene, ammonia, and various refrigerants, and combinations thereof. The heat rejection line 20a may be disposed in a lower region of the tank 1 adjacent the bottom surface 3 of the tank 1, extend generally in a coil from the lower region of the tank 1 toward an upper region of the tank 1, and include an input port 22a that allows the heat rejection line 20a to exit through a sidewall of the tank 1 at an output port 26a. In various embodiments, the heat rejection line 20 may include multiple coil sections 24a stacked in sequence to generally conform to the internal shape of the tank 1. In this embodiment, a cylindrical tank is used with a circular coil section 24 surrounding the input line 12 and the output line 16. For example, the outer diameter of the circular shape of the coil 24a may correspond to the inner diameter of the circular shape of the tank 1. At least one advantage of this sequentially stacked coil arrangement is that the available surface area of ​​the heat rejection line 20 over which thermodynamic heat can be transferred is relatively increased, i.e., the heat rejection line 20 has a relatively large thermodynamic potential. FIG. 3B is an alternative embodiment of an attemperator 200a having the same, similar, and / or substantially the same features and functions as those described above. However, in this embodiment, the suction superheater 100 may include multiple fins 20x that increase the available surface area for transferring heat from the refrigerant inside the suction superheater 100 to an external heat source or storage tank.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a heating and cooling optimization system 500, including a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in a heating mode. The system 500 may include a conduit piping network 40 for transporting a refrigerant, a fluid storage tank 50 for storing a secondary fluid and / or a refrigerant, and a suction superheater 100 and an attemperator 200. In the heating mode of FIG. 4, the refrigerant flows through the conduit piping network 40 along a heating flow path 41 (represented by arrows). When the system 500 is in the heating mode, the refrigerant does not traverse the first cooling branch portion 42a and / or the second cooling branch portion 42b (represented by the absence of arrows in the branches 42a, 42b). For example, the expansion valve 45b may be in a closed configuration and the expansion valve 45a may be in an open configuration.

[0035] Starting on the right side of the page, the refrigerant may flow through an outdoor evaporator coil and fan 44a toward the reversing valve 43. The refrigerant circulating in the evaporator coil and fan 44a may absorb heat and / or be warmed by the ambient temperature of the outdoor space 49b. When the relatively warm refrigerant reaches the reversing valve 43, a portion of the refrigerant may enter the recirculation portion 40a of the conduit system 40 (middle of the page). The recirculation portion 40a may include the superheater 100 and attemperator 200 described above. Additionally, the recirculation portion 40a may include a compressor 150 downstream of the suction superheater 100 and upstream of the attemperator 200. Further, at least one upstream sensor 190a may be in fluid communication with the conduit line 40 and / or refrigerant immediately upstream of the suction superheater 100, for example, and at least one downstream sensor 190b may be in fluid communication with the conduit line 40 and / or refrigerant immediately downstream of the superheater 100. Similarly, at least one upstream sensor 191a may be in fluid communication with the conduit line 40 and / or refrigerant immediately upstream of the attemperator 200, for example, and at least one downstream sensor 191b may be in fluid communication with the conduit line 40 and / or refrigerant immediately downstream of the attemperator 200, for example. In various embodiments, at least one sensor 190a, 190b, 191a, and 191b may be configured to detect a temperature of the refrigerant at a corresponding location, a flow rate of the refrigerant, and / or a pressure of the refrigerant at a corresponding location, and communicate this information to regulate the flow rate of other components of the system 500, for example, pumps 199, 299. As the refrigerant exits the suction superheater 100, it may travel toward a compressor 150 that includes any suitable motor for pumping and circulating the refrigerant in the conduit 40. As the refrigerant exits the compressor 150, it passes through an attemperator 200 and back toward the reversible valve 43. The refrigerant may branch toward a recirculation path 40a and / or toward an outdoor evaporator and fan 44b.

[0036] Consistent with the disclosure herein, a secondary fluid for introducing heat into tank 1 of suction superheater 100 may travel from charge tank 50 along line 20 to superheater 100. This relatively warm secondary fluid may be warmer than the refrigerant in tank 1, thereby transferring thermal energy to the refrigerant and warming the interior of tank 1 of superheater 100. After the secondary fluid circulates through coil 24 of suction superheater 100, the secondary fluid may return to charge tank 50. Although attemperator 200 is shown in fluid communication with charge tank 50 via line 20a and pump 299, it should be understood that attemperator 200 and pump 299 are not activated in the heating mode of FIG.

[0037] The refrigerant that reaches the indoor condenser and fan 44b may be used to heat the indoor conditioned space 49a. The refrigerant may flow from the indoor condenser and fan 44b along the cooling flow path 41 toward the check valve 47. In this heating mode, the expansion valve 45b remains in the closed position, so the refrigerant does not flow through the branch portion 42a. In this case, the refrigerant may flow along the heating flow path 41 toward the expansion valve 45a. In this heating mode, the refrigerant does not flow through the branch portion 42b, because the expansion valve 45a is in the open position. The refrigerant may then flow past the expansion valve 45a toward the outdoor evaporator coil and fan 44a to start the cycle again.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a heating and cooling optimization system 500 including a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in a cooling mode. The system 500 may include a conduit piping network 40 for transporting a refrigerant, a fluid storage tank 50 for storing a secondary fluid and / or a refrigerant, and a suction superheater 100 and an attemperator 200. In the cooling mode of FIG. 5, the refrigerant may flow through the conduit piping network 40 along a cooling flow path 48 (represented by arrows). When the system 500 is in the cooling mode, the refrigerant does not traverse the third branch portion 42c and / or the fourth branch portion 42d (represented by the absence of arrows in the branches 42c, 42d). For example, the expansion valve 45a may be in a closed configuration and the expansion valve 45b may be in an open configuration. The relative open and closed configurations of the expansion valves 45a, 45b are opposite to the heating mode described above with respect to FIG. 4.

[0039] Starting from the left side of the page, the refrigerant may flow through the indoor condenser coil and fan 44b toward the reversing valve 43. The refrigerant circulating in the evaporator coil and fan 44b may be cooled by the ambient temperature of the indoor conditioned space 49a. When the relatively cooled refrigerant reaches the reversing valve 43, a portion of the refrigerant may enter the recirculation portion 40a of the conduit system 40 (center of the page). The recirculation portion 40a may include the superheater 100 and attemperator 200 disclosed above. Additionally, the recirculation portion 40a may include a compressor 150 located downstream of the suction superheater 100 and upstream of the attemperator 200. Additionally, at least one first upstream sensor 190a may be in fluid communication with the conduit line 40 and / or refrigerant immediately upstream of the suction superheater 100, for example, and at least one second downstream sensor 190b may be in fluid communication with the conduit line 40 and / or refrigerant immediately downstream of the superheater 100. Similarly, at least one third upstream sensor 191a may be in fluid communication with the conduit line 40 and / or refrigerant, for example, immediately upstream of the attemperator 200, and at least one fourth downstream sensor 191b may be in fluid communication with the conduit line 40 and / or refrigerant, for example, immediately downstream of the attemperator 200. In various embodiments, at least one sensor 190a, 190b, 191a, and 191b may be configured to detect the temperature of the refrigerant at a corresponding location, the flow rate of the refrigerant, and / or the pressure of the refrigerant at a corresponding location and communicate this information to regulate the flow rate of other components of the system 500, for example, pumps 199, 299. As the refrigerant exits the suction superheater 100, it may travel toward a compressor 150 that includes any suitable motor for pumping and circulating the refrigerant in the conduit line 40. As the refrigerant exits the compressor 150, it passes through the attemperator 200 and back towards the reversible valve 43, where it may be branched towards the recirculation path 40a and / or towards the indoor condenser and fan 44b.

[0040] Consistent with this disclosure, a secondary fluid for removing heat and / or cooling from tank 1 of attemperator 200 may travel from charge tank 50 along line 20a to attemperator 200. The relatively cool secondary fluid is cooler than the refrigerant in tank 1, thereby removing thermal energy from the refrigerant and cooling the interior of tank 1 of attemperator 200. After the secondary fluid circulates through coil 24 of superheater 200, the secondary fluid may return to charge tank 50. Although suction superheater 100 is shown in fluid communication with charge tank 50 via line 20 and pump 199, it should be understood that superheater 100 and pump 199 are not activated in the cooling mode of FIG. 5.

[0041] The refrigerant that reaches the outdoor coil evaporator and fan 44a may be used to reject heat to the outdoor space 49b. The refrigerant may exit the outdoor coil evaporator and fan 44a along cooling flow path 48 toward check valve 47. In this cooling mode, the refrigerant does not flow through branch 42d because expansion valve 45a remains in a closed position. In this case, the refrigerant may flow along cooling flow path 48 toward expansion valve 45b. In this cooling mode, the refrigerant does not flow through branch 42c because expansion valve 45b is in an open position. The refrigerant may then flow past expansion valve 45b toward the indoor condenser coil and fan 44b to begin the cycle again.

[0042] With reference to Figures 6A-6C, various schematics of a heat source optimization system are disclosed. Figure 6A is a schematic of a heat source optimization and heat storage system including a suction superheater 100 in a heating mode, Figure 6B is a schematic of a heat source optimization and heat storage system including a brazed plate superheater 101 in a heating mode, and Figure 6C is a schematic of a heat source optimization and heat storage system including a tube and shell superheater 102 in a heating mode. The attributes of the system 1000 are the same, similar, and / or substantially the same as the system 500 described above with reference to the heating mode of Figure 4. Thus, similar part numbers are used and previously described components and functionality may not be described again and / or are briefly summarized. One aspect of the system 1000 is that other components and / or heat sources that provide thermodynamic energy (heat source energy) to the suction superheater 100 are described in the context of an integrated system such as a home, building, organization, etc. Of course, the principles described herein may be applied to any type of building, environment, and / or conditioned space as needed, taking into account the specific resources, customs, laws, etc. of the relevant localities. Thus, the various components described herein should be considered as exemplary sources illustrating the numerous ways in which the disclosed implementations and the spirit of the teachings may be practiced by one of ordinary skill in the art, such as various methods of heat introduction by introducing relatively hot fluid to the superheater 100, various methods of heat removal by introducing relatively cold fluid to the attemperator 200, sources of heating fluid, sources of cold fluid, and various modes of operation for regulating the fluid flow of either or both heating and / or cold fluid via a controller, such as a programmable controller including various circuits and integrated control logic for actuating pumps, solenoids, valves, etc. via electrical and / or wireless control signals.

[0043] Briefly, the system 1000 may be configured in a heating mode in which the refrigerant circulates along the heating flow path 41 in a manner similar to that described above. In this embodiment, the heating flow path 41 omits some components for simplicity of illustration. FIG. 6A shows that the heating flow path 41 includes a thermal expansion valve 39 (and / or the expansion valves 45a, 45b, and / or check valve 47 structures described above) that allows relatively cool refrigerant to flow to the outdoor coil 44a. The refrigerant is then warmed and exits the outdoor coil 44a along the heating flow path 41 toward the suction superheater 100 as described above. The vaporized and / or semi-vaporized refrigerant then exits the suction superheater 100 along the heating flow path 41 toward the compressor 150 and motor 150a to warm the conditioned indoor air space, and the cycle begins again.

[0044] FIG. 6B includes the same, similar, and / or substantially the same components and functions as FIG. 6A. However, the system 1000 of this embodiment may include a plate heat exchanger 101 instead of the suction superheater 100. In this embodiment, the plate heat exchanger 101 may be a relatively small, compact brazed plate heat exchanger 101 used to transfer heat to the system 1000, for example, by increasing the temperature of the refrigerant downstream of the compressor. The brazed plate heat exchanger 101, like the suction superheater 100 described herein, may be used to transfer heat from any of the heat sources disclosed herein to the system 1000. The brazed plate heat exchanger 101 may include multiple plates spaced apart sequentially inside a chamber to transfer heat from the heat source to the refrigerant. The plates may have any type of corrugation, gaskets, or surface texture to increase the surface area and enhance the thermodynamic transfer capabilities of the plate heat exchanger 101. The brazed plate heat exchanger 101 may include a manifold system through which the refrigerant and secondary fluid flow along the multiple plates, thereby transferring heat between the two media across the plates. The refrigerant and secondary heating fluid are kept completely separated from each other by the gaskets and plates and do not mix, but heat may be transferred between the two fluid media. In some embodiments, the brazed plate heat exchanger 101 may be used without a suction line accumulator. In other embodiments, the brazed plate heat exchanger 101 may be used in addition to a suction line accumulator, for example, the brazed plate heat exchanger may be located immediately upstream of the suction line accumulator.

[0045] FIG. 6C includes the same, similar, and / or substantially the same components and functions as FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B. However, the system 1000 of this embodiment can include a shell-and-tube heat exchanger (also called a tube-and-shell heat exchanger) 102 instead of the suction superheater 100 (or brazed plate heat exchanger 101). In this embodiment, the shell-and-tube heat exchanger can be a relatively small, compact canister used to transfer heat to the system 1000 by increasing the temperature of the refrigerant downstream of the compressor. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger 102 can be used in the same manner as described herein with respect to the suction superheater 100 and / or the brazed plate heat exchanger 101 to transfer heat to the system 1000 from any of the heat sources disclosed herein. The shell-and-tube heat exchanger 102 can include a shell or canister, for example, similar to the tank of the suction superheater 100. The shell may have an inlet orifice for admitting the refrigerant into the interior of the tank and an outlet orifice so that the refrigerant can exit the tank. Additionally, a collection or bundle of tubes forming a separate internal flow path for the secondary fluid may be disposed inside the shell or canister. The tube bundle may be provided with separate dedicated inlet and outlet ports for the secondary fluid to flow therethrough. The refrigerant and the secondary heating fluid are separated from each other by a closed system formed by the tube bundle (interconnected tube network) or may be completely separated, with the refrigerant flowing outside the tube bundle and thereby being warmed by the secondary heating fluid inside the tube bundle. The secondary fluid may be derived from any of the heat sources disclosed herein and may travel into the tube bundle in the shell and heat the refrigerant in the shell. In this manner, the refrigerant exiting the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 102 may be warmer than the refrigerant entering the shell-and-tube heat exchanger 102.

[0046] 6A-6C show a heat source optimization manifold 400 that can selectively permit and / or control fluid flow of various types of secondary fluids by appropriate valves, solenoids, pumps, motors, etc. (represented by multiple components 401 connected to individual supply lines). In various embodiments, the manifold 400 circulates a first type of secondary fluid to the suction superheater 100 (or brazed plate heat exchanger 101 and / or shell-and-tube heat exchanger 102) and back to the manifold 400, where it exchanges heat with any of the various secondary fluids utilized by any of the heat sources disclosed herein. In one example, the manifold 400 allows refrigerant fluid to circulate back and forth between the suction superheater 200 and the manifold 400, and the manifold 400 allows the heat exchange process to occur between a natural water source (such as a pond or lake) and the refrigerant without mixing the two fluid sources. In this manner, a natural water source may heat a refrigerant via a heat exchange process occurring in a manifold 400, which may be any type of heat exchanger, such as a brazed plate heat exchanger and / or a tube-and-shell heat exchanger. Although the manifold 400 is used herein to illustrate a method for managing multiple heat sources and heat storage sources, of course the system 1000 may be modified to utilize a single heat source and / or heat storage source without the use of a manifold 400. In at least one relatively simplified embodiment, the ground loop 55 may be connected directly to the suction superheater 100, the brazed plate heat exchanger 101, and / or the tube-and-shell heat exchanger 102, without the manifold 400 and the other disclosed heat sources.

[0047] In the embodiment of FIGS. 6A-6C, such secondary fluid may be stored in an insulated storage tank and / or charging tank 50 and / or delivered directly to superheater 200 via heating line 20 to provide relatively warm heating fluid to manifold 400. In some implementations, the secondary fluid may bypass superheater 200 at bypass 60 as needed as determined, for example, by controller 63 and / or temperature sensors 190a, 190b. As previously mentioned, multiple heat sources may provide secondary heating fluid to manifold 400, for example, forest chip boiler 51 may heat a storage tank containing secondary fluid, which is heated and then provided to manifold 400 via first heating line 52. A geothermal heat source 53 may provide secondary heating fluid to manifold 400 via second heating line 52. For example, geothermal heat source 53 may be any natural heat source, such as a hot spring, steam vent, geyser, submarine fumarole, hydrothermal vent, etc. Such a natural heat source can heat a local storage tank containing a secondary fluid that may be heated and then supplied to the manifold 400 via the second heating line 54. A ground loop system 55 can heat a storage tank containing a secondary fluid that may be heated and then supplied to the manifold 400 via the third heating line 56. A chemical heat source 57 can heat a reservoir containing the secondary fluid and supply the heated secondary fluid to the manifold 400 via the fourth heating line 58. In yet another example, a solar thermal heat source 68 (e.g., a septic tank on the roof of a building) can collect heat during the day and supply a relatively warm secondary fluid to the manifold 400. Similarly, a solar photovoltaic system 70 and / or a solar array 70 can utilize solar energy to generate power, and the local heat of the solar cells can be supplied directly to the manifold 400 along line 70a.

[0048] Additionally, the electrical energy generated by the solar array 70 may also be provided to a battery 72 along electrical line 71. Additionally, the electrical energy stored in the battery 72 may be transferred along electrical line 73 and provided to the controller 63. In this example, the controller 63 is in electrical communication with the manifold 400 along electrical line 63a and with the electric water heater 65 along electrical line 63b. In this manner, the controller 63 may determine, for example, whether it is beneficial to provide electrical energy to the manifold 400 to activate and / or regulate various valves 401 or to heat the manifold 400 via the electric heater 403. The controller 63 may receive electrical power from the grid 61 via the local power system lines 62 in addition to or as an alternative to the battery 72.

[0049] It should be understood that any type of heat source may be used to provide the secondary heating fluid to the manifold 400. For example, an alternative heat source 59 may provide the secondary heating fluid to the manifold 400. Such an alternative heat source may be provided from an artificial environment to take advantage of stored thermodynamic potential. As an example, heat may be transferred from a garage where thermodynamic energy may accumulate, for example, due to heat emanating from an engine block. Such heat may be transferred by a geothermal wall panel adjacent to the heated engine block, which stores a secondary fluid that may be provided to the manifold 400 when it is warmed. As another example, a fan coil may be installed in an attic space or other space where heat is known to accumulate. The fan coil is activated when the attic space reaches a certain temperature and transfers thermal energy from the attic by sending a secondary fluid to the manifold 400. Once the heated secondary fluid is provided to the manifold 400, it may be stored in the manifold 400 or may be provided directly to the suction superheater 100 along the heating line 20 described above. Examples of other heat sources include basements, swimming pools, ponds, hot tubs, saunas, ovens, refrigerator / freezer coils, washers and dryers, driveways, walkways, concrete slabs in basements, patio houses, roofs, roof decks, walls (especially south-facing walls in the northern hemisphere and north-facing walls in the southern hemisphere), and in commercial / industrial applications, parking lots, exhaust air plenums, wastewater treatment plants, elevator shafts, stairwells, waste heat from manufacturing processes, etc. Other heat sources may include heat sources from natural environments such as bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, rivers, tide pools, and oceans. Additionally or alternatively, thermodynamic energy from any of the above heat sources may be transferred to the insulated storage tank 50 for easy use by the disclosed system. In various embodiments, the insulated storage tank 50 may be configured to store any secondary fluid.

[0050] In various embodiments, the secondary fluid stored in the insulated storage tank 50 may be returned to any of the heat sources described above to be recharged with thermodynamic energy. For example, the secondary fluid may exit the tank 50 along line 50c to the return pump 194, and the secondary fluid may be returned to any one of a variety of sources along any number of recharge lines required, such as along recharge lines 50e, 50d.

[0051] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a heat source optimization and thermal storage system 1000 in a cooling mode. The system 1000 may include the same, similar, and / or substantially the same components and functions as those described above with respect to FIG. 6. The attributes of the system 1000 may be the same, similar, and / or substantially the same as the system 500 described above with reference to the cooling mode of FIG. 5. Thus, similar part numbering is used and previously described components and functions may not be described again and / or are only briefly summarized. Consistent with the disclosure herein, the comprehensive system may utilize both a heat exchanger (suction superheater 100, brazed plate heat exchanger 101, and / or tube-and-shell heat exchanger 102) and a heat remover (attemperator 200) as described above with respect to FIGS. 4 and 5. One aspect of the system 1000 shown in FIG. 7 is that other components and / or heat sources may be used to remove thermodynamic energy (heat source energy) via the attemperator 200. Essentially, the configuration of FIG. 7 is the inverse of that of FIG. 6 in which heat is removed from cooling passages 48 by circulating a relatively cool secondary fluid through attemperator 200 .

[0052] In various embodiments, the manifold 400 can circulate a first type of secondary fluid to the attemperator 200 and back to the manifold 400. The manifold 400 allows for heat exchange between any of the various secondary fluids utilized by any of the sources disclosed herein. In one example, the manifold 400 allows for a first refrigerant fluid to circulate back and forth between the attemperator 200 and the manifold 400, which allows for a heat exchange process between the first refrigerant fluid of the ground loop 55. In this manner, the thermal energy of the system 1000 (captured by the first refrigerant circulating in the attemperator) is transferred to the manifold 400, and the thermal energy of the first refrigerant is transferred to the second refrigerant for storage in the ground loop 55, thereby removing thermal energy from the system 1000. In another example, the fluid lines of the ground loop 55 may be directly connected to the attemperator 200 instead of indirectly connected through the manifold 400. In another alternative, the manifold 400 circulates the first refrigerant fluid back and forth between the attemperator 200 and the manifold 400, which performs a heat exchange process with a source of potable fluid, such as the storage tank 50 or the water tank 65. In this way, the thermal energy of the system 1000 (captured by the first refrigerant circulating in the attemperator 200) is transferred to the manifold 400, and the thermal energy of the first refrigerant is transferred to the potable water fluid, which is stored in the storage tank 50, thereby removing the thermal energy from the system 1000. In an alternative embodiment, the potable fluid line of the storage tank 50 may be directly connected to the attemperator 200 instead of indirectly connected via the manifold 400.

[0053] The system 1000 may be configured in a cooling mode in which the refrigerant circulates along the cooling flow path 48 in a manner similar to that described above. In this implementation, the cooling flow path 48 omits some components for clarity of illustration. FIG. 7 shows that the cooling flow path 48 includes the indoor coil and fan 44b, the thermal expansion valve 39, and the outdoor coil and fan 44a. In operation, the refrigerant flows from the indoor coil and fan 44b, through the thermal expansion valve 39, to the outdoor coil and fan 44a, rejecting heat to the outside environment. The refrigerant may flow from the outdoor coil and fan 44a back along the fluid flow path 48 to the compressor 150 and pump 150a and through the attemperator 200, for example, as described above.

[0054] In this cooling implementation, valve 195 is reversed to allow secondary fluid to flow into heat source optimization manifold 400. As described above, manifold 400 selectively permits and / or controls various secondary fluids with appropriate valves, solenoids, pumps, motors, etc. (represented by multiple components 401 connected to individual supply lines). Such secondary fluids may provide manifold 400 with relatively cool fluids that may be stored in insulated storage tanks and / or charging tanks 50 and / or sent directly to attemperator 200 via cooling line 20a. In some implementations, the secondary fluid may bypass attemperator 200 as needed, for example, with bypass 60 as determined by controller 63 and / or temperature sensors 191a, 191b. Additionally, any of the various thermodynamic sources 51, 53, 55, 57, 59 may be modulated and / or turned off to allow cooled secondary fluid to be provided to the manifold. For example, ground loop 57 may pump water from a relatively cool aquifer to cool the secondary fluid that is circulated to manifold 400. Additionally, at night, cooler water in solar tank 68 may be transferred to manifold 400 and / or stored in storage tank 50.

[0055] In various embodiments, thermodynamic energy may be removed from the system 1000 and stored in the ground loop. For example, heat from the system 1000 may be removed via the attemperator 200 and transferred to the ground loop system 55 via the third heating line 56. This arrangement has the advantage of storing accumulated thermal energy and transferring the thermal energy to the ground loop system 55 for later use. In another embodiment, thermal energy from the solar thermal heat source 68 may be transferred directly to the ground loop system 55. For example, heat accumulated during the day by the solar thermal heat source 68 may be transferred along the fluid line 69 to the manifold system 400 and then transferred along the fluid line 56 to the ground loop system 55.

[0056] FIG. 8 shows an example of a flow chart illustrating a method of regulating the flow rate of the secondary fluid utilizing the controller system 800 during the heating mode of FIGS. 4 and 6 and the cooling mode of FIGS. 5 and 7. In various embodiments and examples described herein, the controller system 800 and associated circuitry (not shown) are connected to or receive information from signals indicative of the operational status of the various components of the superheater 100, the attemperator 200, the system 500, and / or the system 1000 during one or more operational modes. In one example, the controller can receive information from sensors 190a, 190b, 191a, and 191b, for example. Additionally, the controller system 800 through such circuitry can directly control such components. The controller system 800 can be configured to control valves as referred to herein and can also be used to control the operation of the motor 150a, the compressor 150, the pumps 199, 299, the valves 45b, 45a, etc. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, one embodiment may include a number of sensors, actuators, transducers, detection devices, and / or alarm devices, collectively referred to herein as communications interface 808 (FIG. 8) (not all shown), that may be used in connection with the various components of the various systems and components disclosed.

[0057] A first example of the use of the controller 800 as a comparator will be described with reference to the heating mode of FIG. 4. In this example, the upstream sensor 190a and the downstream sensor 190b are used to collect data on the condition of the refrigerant just before it enters the suction superheater 100 and just after it leaves the superheater 100, respectively. At a certain point in time, the sensor 190a may detect that the refrigerant entering the suction superheater 100 is at a relatively cool first temperature, e.g., a reference temperature "XX" degrees, and the temperature of the refrigerant leaving the suction superheater 100 is at a relatively warm second temperature, e.g., XX+5 degrees. The controller 800 may then compare the temperature of the refrigerant leaving the suction superheater 100 to a table of target and / or acceptable temperature ranges. This table is pre-programmed and stored in the memory of the controller 800. In this example, the second temperature is below the acceptable temperature range, and the controller 800 may send a signal to the pump 199 to increase the flow rate of the secondary fluid provided to the superheater 100. Additionally, the controller 800 can send control signals to the manifold 400 to obtain additional heated secondary fluid from any of the sources described above with reference to FIG.

[0058] Then, at a second time point (after the first time point), the sensor 190a may detect that the refrigerant entering the suction superheater 100 is at a third temperature that is slightly warmer, for example XX+5 degrees, and that the temperature of the refrigerant leaving the suction superheater 100 is at a fourth temperature that is significantly warmer, for example XX+15 degrees. The controller 800 may then compare the temperature of the refrigerant leaving the suction superheater 100 to a table of acceptable temperatures that are pre-programmed and stored in the memory of the controller 800, as discussed above. In this example, the fourth temperature is within the acceptable temperature range, so the controller 800 may signal the pump 199 to continue to supply secondary fluid to the suction superheater 100 at the same flow rate.

[0059] Then, at a third time point (later than the first and second time points), the sensor 190a may detect that the refrigerant entering the suction superheater 100 is at a fifth temperature, which is slightly warmer, for example XX+15 degrees, and that the temperature of the refrigerant leaving the suction superheater 100 is at a sixth temperature, which is very warmer, for example XX+25 degrees. The controller 800 may then compare the temperature of the refrigerant leaving the suction superheater 100 to a table of acceptable temperatures pre-programmed and stored in the memory of the controller 800, as described above. In this example, since the sixth temperature is greater than the acceptable temperature range, the controller 800 may signal the pump 199 to stop supplying secondary fluid to the suction superheater 100 and / or adjust the flow rate until the temperature measured by the sensor 190b falls within the acceptable temperature range. For example, the iterative process described above may be understood to roughly measure the suction temperature of the refrigerant entering the suction superheater 100 and the discharge temperature of the refrigerant leaving the suction superheater 100 to adjust the flow rate of the secondary fluid via the pump 199. The suction temperature of the refrigerant leaving the suction superheater 100 is measured and the temperature of the refrigerant is regulated by controlling the flow rate of the secondary heating fluid and / or by increasing the temperature of the secondary heating fluid via manifold 400.

[0060] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the controller 800 can be configured to perform substantially similar operations in a cooling mode and with respect to the attemperator 200 and sensors 191a, 191b. For example, the controller 800 can be configured to adjust the flow rate of a relatively cool secondary fluid entering the attemperator 200 via the pump 299 by measuring the inlet temperature of the refrigerant at sensor 191a and the outlet temperature of the refrigerant leaving the attemperator 200 at sensor 191b. In this manner, the controller 800 can adjust the flow rate of the relatively cool secondary fluid by adjusting the power supplied to the pump 299, and control the temperature of the refrigerant by selectively increasing or decreasing the flow rate of the secondary fluid as needed. Additionally, as discussed above, the controller 800 can also communicate with the manifold 400 to obtain additional chilled secondary fluid.

[0061] In various embodiments, additional temperature, flow and / or pressure sensors (not shown) may be used to detect the inlet temperature, pressure, flow rate, etc. of the secondary fluid to the manifold 400 and / or storage tank 50. The sensors described herein may be used alone or in combination. Additionally, temperature sensors may be used, for example, to detect the ambient temperature of the air surrounding and circulating through the heat exchangers, e.g., the condenser and / or the high temperature braze plate and the low temperature braze plate, respectively. They may also be used, for example, to detect the temperature of groundwater available to the system 1000 and / or the temperature of the subsurface (earth) water loop. Such instrumentation may be connected to the controller system 800 via wired, wireless, optical, sonic and / or other means to provide output signals and communicate with the control circuitry of the controller system 800 to enable the controller system 800 to process, manipulate, scale and make calculations and control decisions based on such signal inputs.

[0062] Additionally, the controller system 800 is not limited to information and / or signals received from such instrumentation, but may draw information and receive input from other sources, which may be received remotely, via wired or wireless connections to the Internet, or communications via other means, including, but not limited to, microwave, radio frequency, Bluetooth, wired, power line, telephone, and / or other available communications means. For example, such remote information may include current weather and / or weather forecast information obtained from the Internet that may be relevant to operation of the system 1000. According to an exemplary implementation, the one or more sensors perform one or more actions in real time (generally including near real time herein) during operation in response to conditions sensed individually or collectively.

[0063] 8 illustrates a control system 800 that may be configured to at least partially implement the operations of system 1000, according to some embodiments. In general, an apparatus of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be configured, included, or embodied in one or more fixed, portable, or embedded electronic devices. The apparatus may include one or more each of a number of components, such as, for example, a processor 802 configured in hardware and software coupled to a memory 804. For each sensor, the processor 802 may receive measurements from the sensor.

[0064] The processor 802 is generally any piece or component of computer hardware that can process information, such as data, computer readable program code, instructions, or the like (sometimes commonly referred to as a "computer program"; e.g., software, firmware, etc.). The processor may be comprised of a collection of electronic circuits, some of which may be packaged as an integrated circuit or multiple interconnected integrated circuits (an integrated circuit may more commonly be referred to as a "chip"). The processor may be configured to execute a computer program that is on-board the processor or stored in memory 804 (of the same or another device).

[0065] The processor 802 may be multiple processors, multiple processor cores, or other types of processors, depending on the particular implementation. Additionally, the processor may be implemented using a multiple heterogeneous processor system, where a main processor is on a single chip along with one or more secondary processors. As another illustrative example, the processor may be a symmetric multi-processor system including multiple processors of the same type. In yet another example, the processor may be embodied as or include one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like. Thus, while a processor may be capable of executing a computer program to perform one or more functions, the processors of various examples may also be capable of performing one or more functions without the aid of a computer program.

[0066] The memory 804 is generally any piece or component of computer hardware capable of temporarily and / or permanently storing, for example, data, computer programs (e.g., computer readable program code 806) and / or other suitable information. The memory may include volatile and / or non-volatile memory and may be fixed or removable. Examples of suitable memory include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), hard drives, flash memory, USB memory, removable computer diskettes, optical disks, magnetic tapes, or combinations thereof. Optical disks may include compact disks-read only memory (CD-ROM), compact disks-read / write (CD-R / W), digital versatile disks (DVD), or other standard media and formats. In various cases, memory may be referred to as a computer readable storage medium as a non-transitory device that can store information, which can be distinguished from computer readable transmission media, such as a transitory electronic signal that can transmit information to another location. The computer readable medium described herein may generally refer to a computer readable storage medium or a computer readable transmission medium.

[0067] In addition to memory 804, processor 802 may be connected to one or more of communication interfaces 808 for displaying, transmitting, and / or receiving information. The communication interfaces may be configured to transmit and / or receive information to and / or from other devices, networks, etc. The communication interfaces may be configured to transmit and / or receive information over wired and / or wireless communication links. Examples of suitable communication interfaces include network interface controllers (NICs), wireless NICs (WNICs), etc.

[0068] As mentioned above, program code instructions can be stored in memory and executed by a processor to perform the functions of the systems, subsystems, and their respective elements described herein. As will be understood, any suitable program code instructions can be loaded from a computer readable storage medium into a computer, or other programmable device, configured with hardware and software, to generate a particular machine, which is then a means for performing the functions specified herein. These program code instructions can also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, processor, or other programmable device to function in a particular manner, thereby generating a particular machine or article of manufacture. The instructions stored in the computer readable storage medium can generate an article of manufacture, which is a means for performing the functions described herein. The program code instructions can be retrieved from a computer readable storage medium and loaded into a computer, processor, or other programmable device to configure operations to be performed by the computer, processor, or other programmable device. The retrieval, loading, and execution of the program code instructions can be performed sequentially, such that one instruction is retrieved, loaded, and executed at a time. In some embodiments, the acquiring, loading, and / or executing may be performed in parallel, such that multiple instructions are acquired, loaded, and / or executed simultaneously. Execution of program code instructions may produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, when executed by a computer, processor, or other programmable device, provide operations for performing the functions described herein.

[0069] Execution of the instructions by a processor or storage of the instructions in a computer readable storage medium supports a combination of operations to perform a specified function. In this manner, the apparatus 800 includes a processor 802 and a computer readable storage medium or memory 804 coupled to the processor, the processor configured to execute computer readable program code 806 stored in the memory. It will also be appreciated that one or more functions, and combinations of functions, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system and / or processor that performs the particular functions, or a combination of dedicated hardware and program code instructions.

[0070] Additional superheater embodiments: 9-16, another embodiment of a superheater system 300 is shown. Superheater system 300 may include the same, similar, and / or substantially the same features, components, and functions as described above with respect to systems 100, 100a, 200, and 200b, and therefore, redundant description will be omitted where possible.

[0071] Figure 9 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the superheater system 300, and Figure 10 is a front perspective view of the tank 301 of the superheater system 300. Figure 11 is a partially exploded perspective view of various internal components of the superheater system 300, Figure 12 is a front perspective view of the intermediate tube 320 of the superheater system 300, and Figure 13 is a front perspective view of the inner tube 330 of the superheater system 300. Figure 14 is a skeleton diagram showing various openings of the tank 301, intermediate tube 320, and inner tube 330 in an assembled configuration.

[0072] 9-14, an example arrangement of components according to the principles of the superheater system 300 is disclosed. In this exemplary embodiment, the superheater system 300 may be configured to receive at least one external heating fluid, such as a water-glycol mixture or other suitable circulating refrigerant that transfers heat to the interior of the internal cavity of the tank 301. In various embodiments, the superheater system 300 may be located in the heating and refrigeration system downstream of the compressor and function similarly as described above with respect to the superheater 100 of FIG. 6A. For example, the superheater system 300 may serve the purpose of a suction line accumulator that includes at least one circulation flow path for transferring heat from the external heating fluid to the primary refrigerant that is free flowing within the internal cavity of the tank 301.

[0073] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the tank 301 may be a sealed tank including multiple input and output lines for introducing at least one heating fluid. The tank 301 may include a mounting cap 302 and a support cap 303 including any suitable type of mounting tongue 306 for fixing the relative position of the tank 301. In various embodiments, a first heating fluid enters the tank 301 via a first input line 310, circulates inside the multiple coils in the tank, and exits via a first outlet line 311. Similarly, a second heating fluid enters the tank 301 via a second input line 312, circulates inside the multiple coils in the tank, and exits via a second outlet line 313, as described in more detail below. The refrigerant circulating through the heating and cooling system enters the tank 301 through a refrigerant input line 315, circulates freely within the interior cavity of the tank 301 in the form of a mixture of liquid, vapor, and / or gas, and exits the tank through a refrigerant outlet line 316. One skilled in the art will appreciate that an oil suitable for use with the refrigerant may also be included. In at least some embodiments, the outlet line 316 may be surrounded by a shroud 305. As described above, the refrigerant circulating freely inside the cavity of the tank 301 may traverse over and be heated by multiple coils of the first and / or second heating lines. The heated refrigerant may exit the tank 301 as a superheated vapor and continue downstream, for example to the compressor (see FIG. 6A). In this embodiment, a pressure relief valve 314 may be optionally included in case the tank becomes over-pressurized, for example if too much heat is introduced from the input lines 310 and 312. In some embodiments, the tank 301 and the orifices 310, 311, 312, 313, 315 described above may penetrate the sidewall of the tank 301 and then be sealed with a sealant and / or welded directly to the tank 301. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 10, the tank 301 may be configured with multiple input orifices, openings, and / or ports for receiving and / or coupling to the orifices 310, 311, 312, 313, 315 and the valve 314.For example, input line 310 utilizes a corresponding opening or port 310A, input line 312 utilizes a corresponding opening or port 312A, a pressure relief valve may be installed at opening or port 314A, outlet line and / or outlet line 312 may be attached to opening or port 312A, outlet line or orifice 313 may be attached to opening or port 313A, and refrigerant input line may be attached to opening or port 315A. In at least one embodiment, multiple quick connect ports are included for design versatility and ease of installation of superheater system 300. In other embodiments, the openings or ports may include threaded interfaces. In still other embodiments, one or more of orifices 310, 311, 312, 313, 315 may include relatively short lines as shown in FIG. 9 to provide connection points for connecting existing lines.

[0074] 11-14, the tank 301 may be a cylindrical structure in which the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 is disposed. In some embodiments, the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 may be centrally disposed in a coaxial relationship with respect to the tank 301. This arrangement may form a first interstitial space 350 (see FIG. 14), which may be a space between an inner sidewall of the tank 301 and an outer sidewall of the intermediate cylindrical tube 320. Additionally, an innermost tube 330 may be disposed inside the intermediate cylindrical tube 320. This arrangement may form a second interstitial space 351 (see FIG. 14), which may be a space between an inner sidewall of the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 and an outer sidewall of the innermost tube 330. The innermost tube 330 may be coaxially centered inside the intermediate cylindrical tube 320. In some embodiments, the innermost tube 330 and the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 may be centrally disposed in a coaxial relationship with respect to both each other and the tank 301.

[0075] The intermediate cylindrical tube 320 may be sealed at its top and bottom ends and may include at least one lumen through its sidewall to allow for exchange of refrigerant between the first interstitial space 350 and the second interstitial space 351. In an exemplary embodiment, the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 may be sealed at its top and bottom ends, for example by a cap or plug. In some embodiments, such a cap or plug may be a common cap shared by the tank 301, as shown in FIG. 14. In various embodiments, the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 is sealed at the top and bottom ends of the cylindrical structure and includes at least one opening through its sidewall. In an exemplary embodiment, the first and second openings 321, 322 are adjacent to each other and extend through the sidewall of the intermediate tube 320. For example, the two lumens and / or openings 321, 322 are arranged side by side through the sidewall of the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 and are adjacent to the upper region of the intermediate cylindrical tube 320. Additionally, the first and second lower openings 323, 324 may be located on opposite sides of the sidewall of the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 and adjacent to the lower region of the intermediate tube 320. In this example, the first and second lower openings 323, 324 are located approximately 180 degrees apart from each other, although other arrangements are contemplated, for example, within a range of 90 degrees to 180 degrees. Under various operating conditions, the first and second lower openings 323, 324 may also allow oil at the bottom of the tank 301 to pass through.

[0076] During operation, after the input refrigerant enters the first interstitial space 350 and becomes relatively warm, the input refrigerant may enter the second interstitial space 351 through any of the openings 321, 322, 324, 323. Thereafter, once the input refrigerant is in the second interstitial space 351, the relatively warm refrigerant may enter the innermost tube 30 through the opening 331 at the bottom end of the innermost tube 30. In an embodiment, the opening 331 includes a slanted or angled tip that allows the warmed refrigerant to be drawn up through the interior of the innermost tube 330 and then exit the superheater system 300 at the refrigerant outlet line 316. This arrangement also allows liquid oil to be drawn up through the innermost tube 330. In various embodiments, the angled tip of the opening 331 may be angled in a range of 20 degrees to about 150 degrees, 45 degrees to about 135 degrees, and more specifically, about 45 degrees. The arrangement of the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 and the openings 321, 322, 324, 323 advantageously facilitates an upward flow path between the heat input line and the freely circulating refrigerant in the tank 301. This upward movement of refrigerant in the innermost tube 330 may be indicated by the central arrow in FIG. 14, and may provide an upward convective path from the bottom of the tank 301 through the input line 315 and across the multiple heating coils of the first and second heating lines 341, 342 (FIG. 15). The relatively warmed input refrigerant may then be forced to move from the first interstitial space 350 to the second interstitial space 351 through any of the openings described above. As the input refrigerant enters the second interstitial space 351, it may be drawn upward by the innermost tube 330. In other words, the arrangement of the intermediate tube 320, the inner tube 330, and the locations of the various openings and ports facilitates effective heat transfer from the coils of the heating lines 341, 342 to the input refrigerant by routing the flow path of the input refrigerant through multiple coils.

[0077] With reference to Figures 15-16, various views illustrating the first heat introduction line 341 and the second heat introduction line 342 will be described. Figure 15 is a top or plan view of a cross section 360 (see Figures 9 and 16) of the superheater system 300. Figure 16 is a partially exposed parts view with a portion of the tank 301 removed to facilitate understanding of the internal components of the superheater system 300. As previously mentioned, the superheater system 300 may include at least one line for introducing heat into the cavity of the tank 301 to heat the refrigerant entering the tank 301 via the input line 315. The cross section of Figure 15 shows the tank 301, the intermediate cylindrical tube 320, and the innermost tube 330 centrally disposed in a coaxial relationship relative to one another. In various embodiments, the first heat introduction line 341 may be disposed in the interstitial space 350 adjacent to the interior sidewall of the outermost tank 301. Additionally, an optional second heat input line 342 may be disposed in the interstitial space 350 adjacent the outer sidewall of the intermediate cylindrical tube 320. For example, the second heat input line 342 may be disposed between the first heat input line 341 and the outer sidewall of the intermediate cylindrical tube 320. It should be understood that the particular geometric arrangement shown is not drawn strictly to scale, and in other embodiments, the particular relative positions of the first heat input line 341 and the second heat input line 342 may vary. For example, in some embodiments, the first and second heat input lines 341, 342 may cross each other from time to time, such that one is closer to the tank 301 and the other is closer to the intermediate cylindrical tube 320, and then switch in the reverse relationship. In some embodiments, the first heat input line 341 may be stacked about half the height of the tank 301, and the second heat input line 342 may be stacked about half the remaining height of the tank 301. In other embodiments, the first and second heat input lines may remain substantially as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 15. It should be further understood that the first heat input line 341 and the second heat input line 342 may each be configured to receive heated fluid from at least one heating source, similar to that described above with respect to systems 100, 100a, 200, and 200a.In various embodiments, each of the first and second heat input lines 341, 342 is configured to receive a heated fluid from any of the heat sources previously described. For example, each heat input line 341, 342 can receive a heated fluid from a different fluid source, which can be interchangeable as needed. In various embodiments, the heated fluid circulating within the first and / or second heat input lines 341, 342, respectively, can be a closed system with respect to the interior cavity of the tank 301. In this sense, the heated fluid does not mix with the free-flowing input refrigerant that enters the system 300 via the refrigerant input line 315 and exits via the refrigerant outlet port 316.

[0078] With reference to FIG. 16, an overview of the system 300 is provided with respect to each flow path. In various embodiments, a primary input refrigerant for the heating and cooling system may circulate along a first flow path F1 by entering the tank 301 via a refrigerant input line 315. The primary refrigerant may be initially in a liquid, vapor, and / or liquid-vapor state. The primary refrigerant may circulate freely within the tank 301 along the first flow path F1 and may be heated by contact with the exterior of one or both of the heating lines 341, 342. The heating line 341 may define a second flow path F2 and be configured to receive a heated fluid at the first heating input line 310 and exit through the first heating outlet port 311. For example, the first heating fluid circulates along the flow path F2 within multiple coils of the heating line 341 stacked sequentially in the longitudinal direction inside the tank 301, and then the heating fluid exits the tank 301 via the first heating outlet port 311. Similarly, the heating line 342 may define a third flow path F3 and be configured to receive the heating fluid at the second heating input port 312 and exit at the second heating exit line 313. For example, the second heating fluid may circulate along the flow path F3 in multiple coils of the heating line 342 stacked sequentially in the longitudinal direction inside the tank 301 and then exit the tank 301 via the second heating exit line 313. The primary refrigerant circulating freely in the tank 301 along the first flow path F1 may first enter the first interstitial space 350 and be warmed by the heating lines 341, 342. The primary refrigerant may then enter the second interstitial space 351 by flowing into the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 through any one or all of the various openings 321, 322, 321, 324 and travel along the first flow path F1. As the primary refrigerant enters the intermediate cylindrical tube 320 and is positioned within the second interstitial space 351, the primary refrigerant may become relatively warm and then enter the innermost tube 330 via the draw orifice 331. The heated primary refrigerant may then exit the system 300 through the refrigerant outlet port 316 along flow path F1, for example, to be conveyed downstream of the compressor.

[0079] It should be understood that the various aspects disclosed herein can be combined in different combinations than those specifically illustrated in the specification and accompanying drawings. For example, features, functions, and components of one implementation can be combined with another implementation, and vice versa, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, features, functions, and components can be omitted, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that, by way of example, certain acts or events of any of the processes or methods described herein may be performed in a different order, added, combined, or omitted entirely (e.g., not all acts or events described may be necessary to practice the technology).

[0080] Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms are to be given the broadest possible interpretation, including the meaning implied from this specification and / or understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, as defined in dictionaries, treatises, etc. It should also be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless otherwise specified. Additionally, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," as used herein, identify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

Claims

1. A heated suction line accumulator, A tank extending longitudinally from the top surface to the bottom surface, defining a first internal cavity having a first uppermost surface, a first lowermost surface opposite the first uppermost surface, and a first side wall extending from the first uppermost surface to the first lowermost surface; A refrigerant input orifice extending through the first side wall and configured to receive input refrigerant from outside the tank; An intermediate tube defining a second internal cavity having a second upper surface, a second lower surface opposite the second upper surface, and a second side wall extending from the second upper surface to the second lower surface, the intermediate tube being located inside the first internal cavity and including at least one first opening penetrating the second side wall adjacent to the second upper surface, and at least one second opening penetrating the second side wall adjacent to the second lower surface; A heating line comprising a plurality of first coils arranged inside a tank and wound around an intermediate tube, wherein the heating line is configured to receive a heated fluid; and At least one internal tube extending longitudinally and located inside a second internal cavity, the at least one internal tube extending from the vicinity of the second bottom surface, through the second top surface, and through the first top surface; Includes, A heated suction line accumulator is configured such that at least one heating line raises the temperature of the input refrigerant, and at least one internal tube transports the input refrigerant as vaporized output refrigerant inside an intermediate tube outside the tank.

2. At least one heating line includes a first heating line and a second heating line, The second heating line is located inside the tank and includes a second set of coils wound around an intermediate tube. The heated suction line accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the second heating line is configured to receive a heated fluid.

3. The heating and suction line accumulator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first plurality of coils and the second plurality of coils are alternately stacked in the longitudinal direction.

4. The heating and suction line accumulator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first plurality of coils are directly adjacent to the first side wall, and the second plurality of coils are directly adjacent to the second side wall.

5. The heating and suction line accumulator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first plurality of coils surround the second plurality of coils in a coaxial relationship.

6. The heating suction line accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate tube is substantially sealed and configured to receive input refrigerant only through at least one first opening and at least one second opening.

7. The heating suction line accumulator according to claim 1, wherein at least one first opening includes two openings penetrating a second side wall adjacent to the second uppermost surface, and at least one second opening includes two openings penetrating a second side wall adjacent to the second lowermost surface.

8. The heating suction line accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate tube is substantially sealed and configured to receive input refrigerant only through (a) two openings penetrating the second side wall adjacent to the second uppermost surface, and (b) two openings penetrating the second side wall adjacent to the second lowermost surface.

9. The heated suction line accumulator according to claim 1, further comprising a pressure relief valve penetrating the first side wall.

10. The heated suction line accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the tank, intermediate tube, and at least one internal tube are arranged in a coaxial relationship.

11. A heated suction line accumulator, A pump communicating with at least one heating line and fluid; A first temperature sensor located upstream of the heated suction line accumulator; A second temperature sensor located downstream of the heated suction line accumulator; A controller that communicates with a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor, comprising at least one processor, and when executed, A first temperature measurement value is obtained from the first temperature sensor; A second temperature measurement value is obtained from the second temperature sensor; Determine whether the second temperature measurement is within the target operating range; and, If the second temperature reading is outside the target operating range, adjust the pump speed; A controller having computer-readable memory on which the computer has been configured to store executable instructions; A heated suction line accumulator according to claim 1, comprising:

12. A heated suction line accumulator, Recirculation channel; Indoor air passages for indoor air heating and cooling systems; Reversal valve; The reversing valve, compressor, and heated suction line accumulator are located on the recirculation path; and, The heating suction line accumulator according to claim 11, wherein the reversing valve can switch the flow path of the refrigerant passing therethrough to a recirculation flow path and / or an indoor air flow path.

13. The heated suction line accumulator according to claim 12, wherein the controller is further configured to selectively adjust the flow rate of refrigerant through the recirculation channel and the indoor air channel.

14. The heated suction line accumulator according to claim 1, wherein at least one heating line is configured to receive a heated fluid from an external heat source selected from the group including a solar heat source, a wood chip boiler, a ground loop, a geothermal source, and / or a chemical heat source.

15. The heated suction line accumulator according to claim 1, further comprising a manifold configured to receive at least one heated fluid from a plurality of external heat sources.

16. The heated suction line accumulator according to claim 15, the manifold comprising an electronic valve, solenoid, or switch that selectively allows fluid flow from each of a plurality of external heat sources.

17. The heating and suction line accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the first plurality of coils extend longitudinally from a region directly adjacent to the first uppermost surface to a region directly adjacent to the first lowermost surface.

18. The heated suction line accumulator according to claim 1, wherein the bottom region of at least one internal tube includes an angled orifice having an angle from about 25 degrees to about 65 degrees.

19. A heated suction line accumulator, A tank extending longitudinally from the top surface to the bottom surface, defining a first internal cavity having a first uppermost surface, a first lowermost surface opposite the first uppermost surface, and a first side wall extending from the first uppermost surface to the first lowermost surface; A refrigerant input orifice extending through the first side wall and configured to receive input refrigerant from outside the tank; An intermediate tube defining a second internal cavity that extends longitudinally and has a second upper surface, a second lower surface opposite the second upper surface, and a second side wall extending from the second upper surface to the second lower surface, the intermediate tube being located inside the first internal cavity and including a first opening penetrating the second side wall adjacent to the second upper surface and a second opening penetrating the second side wall adjacent to the second lower surface; A first heating line, located inside a tank and comprising a plurality of first coils wound around an intermediate tube, configured to receive a heated fluid from an external heat source; A second heating line, located inside a tank and comprising a plurality of second coils wound around an intermediate tube, configured to receive a heated fluid from an external heat source; An internal tube extending longitudinally and located within a second internal cavity, the internal tube extending from a bottom region adjacent to the second lowest surface, through the second uppermost surface, and through the first uppermost surface; Includes, The tank, intermediate tube, and internal tube are arranged in a coaxial relationship. The intermediate tube is substantially sealed and is configured to receive input refrigerant only through the first and second openings, and, The apparatus is configured such that the first heating line and the second heating line each increase the temperature of the input refrigerant, and the internal tubes transport the input refrigerant inside the intermediate tubes outside the tank as vaporized output refrigerant to the outside of the tank.

20. The heating and suction line accumulator according to claim 19, wherein the first plurality of coils and the second plurality of coils each extend longitudinally from a region directly adjacent to the first uppermost surface to a region directly adjacent to the first lowermost surface.

21. A suction heater, A tank extending in the longitudinal direction, defining an internal cavity having a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and side walls extending from the top surface to the bottom surface, wherein the internal cavity includes an upper region adjacent to the top surface, a lower region adjacent to the bottom surface, and a central region between the upper and lower regions; A refrigerant input line located inside a tank and extending from the upper region to at least the central region, configured to receive input refrigerant in a vaporized, semi-vaporized, and / or saturated state from a first supply path outside the tank, and to discharge the input refrigerant into the internal cavity through a first output orifice adjacent to the central region and / or a second output orifice adjacent to the lower region; A refrigerant output line having a U-shape, located inside a tank, with a first part and a second part joined by a third part, the first part extending from an input orifice adjacent to the upper region to the third part, the third part located adjacent to the lower region and including an oil return inlet, the second part extending from the third part to the upper region, and the refrigerant output line configured to draw vaporized refrigerant from inside the tank through the input orifice, draw liquid refrigerant and / or oil from inside the tank through the oil return inlet, and supply together the vaporized refrigerant, liquid refrigerant and / or oil as a refrigerant output to a second supply line outside the tank; and, A heating line located inside a tank, comprising a plurality of coils extending longitudinally from a first region adjacent to the uppermost surface to a second region adjacent to the lowermost surface, and configured to receive a heated fluid from an external heat source; Includes a suction superheater, The heating line is a thermal optimization system that increases the temperature of the input refrigerant.

22. A chamber defining an internal cavity having an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion, and a side wall portion extending between the upper and lower wall portions; A first conduit positioned inside the chamber and extending from the vicinity of the upper wall to the vicinity of the side wall, configured to receive a refrigerant in a vaporized and / or saturated state from a refrigerant supply source outside the chamber, and to discharge the refrigerant into the internal cavity through at least one discharge orifice located near the side wall and / or the lower wall; A second conduit, generally U-shaped and located inside the internal cavity, having an inlet port near the upper wall, a discharge port extending from the internal cavity to the outside of the chamber, and an oil return inlet near the lower wall, wherein the inlet port is configured to draw in vaporized or semi-vaporized refrigerant from the internal cavity, the oil return inlet is configured to draw in liquid refrigerant and / or oil from the internal cavity, and the second conduit is configured to discharge vaporized refrigerant from the inlet port and liquid refrigerant from the oil return inlet to the discharge port outside the chamber; and, A fluid conduit located within an internal cavity, extending from a first region adjacent to the upper wall to a second region adjacent to the lower wall, and configured to receive heated fluid from a heat source outside the chamber; Includes, A device wherein a heating fluid acting through a fluid conduit raises the temperature of at least one of the refrigerants, an internal cavity, a first conduit, and a second conduit.

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