Heat pump system

Abstract

A heat pump system configured to heat or cool a building is provided. The heat pump system comprises a heat pump circuit. The heat pump circuit includes an evaporator configured to absorb heat from a heat source; a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant and raise its temperature; a condenser configured to release heat from the refrigerant into a sink; and an expansion valve configured to regulate the flow of the refrigerant and lower its temperature before it returns to the evaporator. The refrigerant is configured to flow continuously through the circuit from the evaporator to the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and back to the evaporator to provide the heating or cooling to the building. The heat pump system further comprises a DC battery configured to at least partially power the compressor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat pump system designed to efficiently provide heating and / or cooling to residential and / or commercial buildings. Heat pumps are used for their ability to efficiently transfer heat from one location to another. Typically, a heat pump uses electricity to drive a compressor and refrigerant to transfer heat from an outdoor space to an indoor space or vice versa.

Background Art

[0002] Typical high-efficiency heat pump systems are capable of providing heating and cooling to a building. A heat pump system includes a compressor, a refrigerant, and a heat exchanger to transfer thermal energy from one location to another. Heat pump systems are typically configured as either a ground-source heat pump or an air-source heat pump (other configurations such as water-source heat pumps are also available).

[0003] The compressor compresses the refrigerant, raising its temperature and pressure. The refrigerant then flows through the heat exchanger, absorbing or releasing thermal energy depending on whether the system is being used for heating or cooling. Examples of heat exchanger configurations include tube & fin, plate & fin, and microchannel. Other configurations are known to those skilled in the art.

[0004] In a ground-source heat pump configuration, a ground loop is installed underground to exchange heat between the heat pump system and the ground. In some examples, the ground loop is typically composed of a series of polyethylene pipes containing water and antifreeze. Depending on the amount of available space, the pipes of the ground loop are buried in a desired configuration such as horizontal or vertical. The heat exchanger transfers thermal energy between the refrigerant of the heat pump and the water / antifreeze of the ground loop, enabling the heat pump system to heat or cool the building as needed.

[0005] In an air-source heat pump configuration, the heat pump system typically uses outside air as a heat source in winter and as a heat sink in summer. Generally, heat pumps are used to heat hot drinking water year-round. Therefore, heat pumps are used for multiple purposes in summer. Environmental factors (such as location in a hot region of the Earth) affect how the heat pump is used. Outside air is drawn into the heat pump system, for example by a fan, and transfers thermal energy from or to the refrigerant as it passes through a first heat exchanger. The heat pump system then circulates the refrigerant to a second heat exchanger, which transfers energy from or to the refrigerant. The second heat exchanger transfers energy from or to air or water circulating within the building using a series of ducts and vents or pipes and emitters.

[0006] A heat pump system can be equipped with various control devices and sensors to optimize its performance. For example, the system may include a variable-speed compressor that adjusts its speed based on the building's heating and cooling demands. The system may also include a smart thermostat that learns the building's usage patterns and adjusts the temperature accordingly.

[0007] Heat pumps offer several advantages over conventional heating and cooling systems. They are highly efficient, typically able to move up to four times (sometimes six or even seven times) the energy consumed. Heat pump efficiency is likely to improve even further in the future. Furthermore, the use of renewable energy sources can further reduce a building's carbon footprint. Heat pumps can provide consistent heating and cooling throughout a building without requiring separate systems.

[0008] The main components of a typical heat pump system include an evaporator, compressor, condenser, and expansion valve.

[0009] An evaporator is a heat exchanger that absorbs heat from the air, ground, or water source. The evaporator contains a refrigerant. Refrigerants are typically fluids with a low boiling point and high latent heat of vaporization. When a refrigerant absorbs heat, it evaporates and becomes a gas.

[0010] A compressor is a mechanical device that compresses a refrigerant gas to raise its temperature. This is done by reducing the volume of the gas and increasing its pressure. As the pressure increases, the temperature of the gas also increases. Compressors typically operate on commercial AC (alternating current) power, which is converted to DC (direct current) by an AC-DC power rectifier.

[0011] A condenser is another type of heat exchanger that releases heat into heating and cooling systems such as rooms and hot water tanks. High-temperature refrigerant gas enters the condenser and releases heat into the surrounding environment as it flows through it, causing the gas to condense back into a liquid state.

[0012] The expansion valve is a metering device that regulates the flow of refrigerant, lowering its temperature before it re-enters the evaporator. By reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, the expansion valve causes it to expand and cool, allowing it to return to the evaporator and absorb more heat.

[0013] In addition to these components, the heat pump system may include other components such as a reversing valve (which switches the direction of refrigerant flow to provide both heating and cooling functions in the same heat pump system), an external backup heating system (such as an electric resistance heater or a gas furnace), and a controller that controls the operation of the system.

[0014] A reversing valve is a component that allows a heat pump to switch between heating and cooling modes. The reversing valve directs the refrigerant to flow in one direction in heating mode and in the opposite direction in cooling mode.

[0015] If temperatures are low or the heat pump cannot meet heating demands, a backup heating system may be used. Backup heating systems include electric resistance heaters, gas furnaces, and other types of heating systems.

[0016] The controller is responsible for controlling the operation of the heat pump system, including temperature settings, switching between heating and cooling modes, and other settings. The controller may be a simple thermostat or a more sophisticated electronic controller of a known type.

[0017] The power consumption of each component in a heat pump system varies depending on the specific capacity of the system. Typically, the compressor and evaporator fan (if installed in an air-source system, for example) are the two main components that consume the most power.

[0018] The compressor is the biggest power consumer in a heat pump system. The compressor's power consumption depends on the unit's size and capacity, ambient temperature, and operating conditions. For example, a typical 2-ton (24,000 BTU) residential heat pump compressor may consume 1200-400 watts of power under normal operation.

[0019] The evaporator fan circulates air over the evaporator coil, transferring heat to the refrigerant. The power consumption of the evaporator fan depends on the size and capacity of the unit, as well as the fan speed. A typical residential heat pump evaporator fan can consume 100 to 500 watts (or more) of power during normal operation.

[0020] The control unit of a heat pump system typically consumes only a relatively small amount of power, usually less than 10 watts. However, the control unit plays a crucial role in managing the operation of the heat pump and ensuring that all components operate efficiently.

[0021] If a heat pump system includes backup heating systems such as electric resistance heating devices or gas furnaces, the power consumption of these components depends on the type of heating system and the capacity of the unit. For example, an electric resistance heating system may consume several kilowatts of power during operation. A gas furnace may consume 500 to 2000 watts of power through components such as the blower motor.

[0022] The power consumption of a heat pump system depends on various factors, including system efficiency, unit size and capacity, local climate, and operating conditions.

[0023] The inventors recognized that a superior heat pump could be realized and created the solution described in the claims. [Overview of the project]

[0024] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a heat pump system as described in claim 1 is provided.

[0025] Advantageously, this provides a heat pump that can be powered directly from a DC (direct current) battery (i.e., does not need to rely on an AC (alternating current) input). This type of heat pump is efficient and fault-tolerant (for example, it can operate even when an AC input is unavailable or undesirable).

[0026] Using DC power directly without converting voltage to a different level is the most efficient method. Converting one voltage to another is highly efficient, achieving efficiencies of at least 99%, or even 99.5%. In contrast, power conversion (e.g., via a rectifier converting AC to DC or an inverter converting DC to AC) requires more work, and the efficiency of such systems is generally below 95%, although it may slightly exceed 95% in the case of very high-power and expensive systems.

[0027] For every watt "lost" before the compressor (e.g., by passing through a relatively inefficient inverter compared to a relatively efficient direct DC-DC battery), the system loses about 3 to 7 times that wattage in the heat output of the heat pump (since a typical heat pump can operate with a coefficient of performance (COP) of 3 to 7). Thus, as the inventors recognized, the relative efficiency is amplified by the configuration of the present invention.

[0028] Optionally, the heat pump system includes a battery charger configured to charge a DC battery.

[0029] The battery charger may include any one or more of the following: · An AC-DC charger configured to charge a DC battery from an AC power source such as commercial AC; · Optionally, a DC-DC charger configured to charge a DC battery from a DC power source such as a solar power source via a DC-DC converter; · A bidirectional inverter-rectifier that combines AC-DC and DC-AC in a single unit; · A three-phase AC-DC charger configured to charge a DC battery from a three-phase AC power source.

[0030] Optionally, the DC battery may be charged at an easy voltage (e.g., 320V, 165V, 72V) and then switched to output the battery to the compressor at a low voltage (e.g., 24V, 48V, 120V, 230V, 400V).

[0031] Furthermore, the battery may be charged at any appropriate time (for example, when there is little to no heating (or cooling) demand for the system). The controller may be configured to control when the battery is charged. In contrast, when heating demand is high, the compressor requires a large power input (and less power is available for charging). In some examples, one option for charging the DC battery cells is to charge them at low power, maximum efficiency, or other desired efficiency of the charging circuit when the heat pump system is idle.

[0032] Optionally, one or more of the voltage inputs and outputs of the compressor, DC battery, and AC-DC rectifier are matched, i.e., have substantially identical values. This allows for highly efficient operation without excessive electronic processing.

[0033] In some examples, the system never uses an AC power inverter to operate the compressor, always using only DC battery power.

[0034] Any features of the present invention are as described in the dependent claims and offer various advantages as described in the detailed description. These features contribute efficiency and intelligence to the heater configuration of the present invention. As those skilled in the art will understand, these features can be combined with other features. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0035] Embodiments will be described illustratively with reference to the following drawings. [Figure 1] This shows a known schematic heat pump circuit for building heat pumps. [Figure 2] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to one aspect of the present invention is shown. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram of some components (including power electronics components) of a heat pump system according to an aspect of the present invention is shown. [Figure 4]A schematic diagram of some components (including power electronics components) of a heat pump system according to a further aspect of the present invention is shown. [Figure 5] A schematic diagram of some components (including power electronics components) of a heat pump system according to a further aspect of the present invention is shown. [Figure 6] A schematic diagram of some components (including power electronics components) of a heat pump system according to a further aspect of the present invention is shown. [Figure 7a] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 7b] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 8] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 9] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 10a] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 10b] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 11] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 12] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Figure 13] A schematic diagram of a heat pump system according to a further embodiment of the present invention is shown. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0036] The exemplary embodiments described in the detailed description and claims are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used or other modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Although various embodiments are described, no particular embodiment is intended to be exhaustive or to limit to a broader set of embodiments discussed and claimed herein. Features described in conjunction with a particular embodiment are not necessarily limited to that embodiment and may be incorporated into any other embodiment. Protection under the applicable doctrine of equivalents is retained to the maximum extent possible.

[0037] Terms such as "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "inside," "outside," "vertical," and "upright" are used to describe the present invention concisely and clearly. These terms are not to be interpreted restrictively. Those skilled in the art will envision other suitable embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 1 shows a known schematic heat pump circuit for a building. The circuit comprises the following: • Evaporator 1 configured to absorb heat from a heat source (e.g., ambient air in an outdoor environment); • Compressor 2 configured to compress the refrigerant and raise its temperature; • A condenser 3 configured to release heat from the refrigerant into the sink (e.g., through the pipes of the radiator circuit or into the ambient air of the air conditioning circuit); and • An expansion valve 4 configured to regulate the flow of the refrigerant and lower its temperature before it re-enters the evaporator.

[0039] The refrigerant is configured to flow continuously through the circuit from the evaporator to the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and back to the evaporator, providing heating or cooling to the building. Many standard options exist for the configuration of each of the evaporator, compressor, condenser, and expansion valve, and these will be apparent to those skilled in the art. One or more pipes may be configured to accommodate the refrigerant as it flows continuously through the circuit from the evaporator to the compressor, condenser, expansion valve, and back to the evaporator.

[0040] As a different example, the same circuit can be applied to underground, air, water, or other heat pump systems, for example, via a swimming pool or attic.

[0041] In particular, thermal management systems for vehicles, including heat pumps (e.g., those disclosed in US2014374081A1 and US2015217622A1), are known. However, these are difficult to apply to building heat pump systems because the heat pump system in a vehicle is an additional system to the main vehicle system. A vehicle exists and functions with or without a heat pump. The heat pump is a small-scale additional function for efficiently cooling / heating the battery and the passenger compartment. On the other hand, the heat pump system of the present invention is a complete heat pump system whose main role is to provide sufficient heating or cooling to the entire system, i.e., the building. The battery system of the present invention is fully integrated into the heat pump because its main function is to supply power to the heat pump compressor and other systems. The power of the heat pump is about the same as that of the battery system and power supply. In vehicle systems, virtually unlimited battery supply is assumed. In contrast, the system of the present invention is designed to allow for situations where the battery is completely depleted at times (e.g., on cold days with continuously high heating demand), and therefore allows for a smooth switch to AC power, etc. The control system used in this invention anticipates significant fluctuations in demand, and matching this to power grid load, user demand, and weather conditions is more challenging than drawing power from a battery that is more than sufficient for a small vehicle heat pump system. Building heating demand fluctuates significantly from high to low demand. Therefore, the system of this invention may require highly responsive battery charging and / or the ability to finely adjust power based on heating / cooling demand within the building. This is in contrast to vehicle thermal management systems, where demand conditions are more stable and less prone to sudden fluctuations.

[0042] In summary, vehicle thermal management systems using heat pumps are low-power systems designed to support secondary functions of a vehicle (battery management and cabin environmental conditions) and are very small in scale. In contrast, buildings have enormous heating demands, sometimes requiring almost continuous heating, necessitating careful adjustment of battery pack size and compressor output, and requiring the use of commercial power to supplement or completely replace battery DC power. Furthermore, in this invention, the inventors recognized that there are space constraints in fitting a battery into a appropriately sized heat pump, whereas similar space constraints do not exist for low-power vehicle heat pumps. In other words, the heat pump fits into the vehicle, but in this invention, the heat pump is a system, and the battery fits within it.

[0043] Referring to Figure 2, a first example of the heat pump system 100 of the present invention for heating a building via a typical heating fluid circuit including a radiator heating circuit and a drinking water hot water circuit is schematically shown. In this specification, the expression heating or cooling a building is to include: heating or cooling water in a wet heating / cooling circuit, heating or cooling air in an air conditioning system, and other known suitable heating or cooling assemblies. Those skilled in the art will understand that by operating a heat pump in the reverse direction in a known manner, it is possible to make a building heating circuit function as a cooling circuit and vice versa. Various embodiments of heat pumps and heat pump systems will be described in detail with reference to non-limiting examples. Other details will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In particular, it is possible to incorporate and use known embodiments of heat pump systems (including embodiments not described) in the present invention.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, system 100 includes several standard components located inside and outside the building, separated by an exterior wall 102. In other suitable examples, depending on the specific system needs, the components may be distributed in different arrangements inside and outside the building.

[0045] The building has a wet heating network, in which at least one radiator 104 is configured to heat a space within the building (e.g., a room), and at least one water cylinder 106 (or other suitable water tank) is configured to store hot water and supply it to drinking water units such as sinks and bathtub faucets. The components of the wet heating network are connected by piping in known ways. A heat pump pipe 105 carrying hot water passes through the inside of the cylinder 106 and is configured to transfer heat to the drinking water stored therein in known ways. A separate dedicated pipe 107 is provided for supplying water from the water cylinder to the drinking water units, ensuring that the drinking water is not contaminated by radiator water or other heating fluids in the heat pump pipe.

[0046] System 100 comprises a heat pump for a wet heating system and has two main components: an outdoor unit 110 and an indoor unit (not shown). In this example, the heat pump is an air-source heat pump. The outdoor unit comprises a housing 112, which houses a compressor, a fan 114, and a heat exchanger or coil that transfers heat between a refrigerant and the outside air, heating water or an aqueous solution circulating within the system in a known manner. The indoor unit houses a heat exchanger or coil that transfers heat between water or a solution and radiator fluid / water passing through a radiator 104 or water cylinder 106 in a known manner. This heat exchange may occur directly (e.g., the same refrigerant flows through the heat pump circuit and the radiator) or indirectly (e.g., separate circuits for the radiator and the heat pump; standard heat exchange techniques between these circuits are known to those skilled in the art). Overall, in the first heating configuration, the outdoor unit is responsible for heating water or a solution, and the indoor unit is responsible for transferring that heat to the indoor air.

[0047] The outdoor unit 110 is typically installed outdoors near the exterior wall of the building (but not so close that it excessively restricts airflow around the unit). The indoor unit may be installed inside the building, for example, in a closet, attic, or utility room. Heat pump piping runs through the heat pump circuit inside the outdoor unit, connecting the outdoor unit and the indoor unit, and distributing the heated or cooled fluid through the heat pump piping inside the building.

[0048] The evaporator, compressor, condenser, and expansion valve are not shown individually in Figure 2, but are distributed throughout the system in a known manner. As previously mentioned, the refrigerant is configured to flow continuously through the heat pump circuit from the evaporator through the compressor, condenser, and expansion valve back to the evaporator, providing heating or cooling to the building.

[0049] System 100 also includes a diverter valve 108 configured to deliver heated fluid to a desired location in a wet heating network (e.g., a radiator 104 or a water cylinder 106). The diverter valve may be configured to deliver heated fluid according to demand and supply factors. A controller (not shown) is configured to control the diverter based on several control factors, e.g., typical demand and supply factors, which may include those obtained by measurement (e.g., measurements by sensors in the system) and those that do not require sensors (e.g., based on time or date).

[0050] According to the present invention, the heat pump system 100 includes a DC battery 120 configured to supply at least partially power to a compressor. In this example, the compressor is a DC compressor, i.e., it operates on DC power in a known manner. "At least partially powered" means that the compressor is able to perform the following operations: • When operating using only power from DC Battery 120, • When operating using only power from an AC power source (see below), and • When operating using power from a combination of AC power and DC battery 120.

[0051] A controller (not shown) may be configured to balance the power supply operation to the compressor (DC only, AC only, or a combination of DC and AC). Such control may be based on multiple supply or demand control factors, such as the DC battery charge level and demand or supply forecasts (e.g., by time of day, detected temperature, or weather forecast; for example, if it is very cold and hot water demand is expected to occur soon, the controller may maintain the battery charge level in preparation for the expected demand).

[0052] Building heating demand fluctuates significantly, from high to low. Therefore, the system of this invention may require highly responsive battery charging and / or the ability to finely adjust power based on heating / cooling demand within the building. This is in contrast to vehicle thermal management systems, where demand conditions are more stable and less prone to sudden fluctuations. In vehicles, charging demand is governed by power demand, not heating / cooling demand. In fact, cooling / heating in vehicles often occurs in conjunction with charging events of large-capacity onboard batteries, whereas when building heating is powered by battery energy, charging and charging levels must be determined by heating demand.

[0053] The controller (not shown) is configured to control the operation of the compressor and / or the switching of the switching valve 108 based on several control factors. These control factors include, but are not limited to, any one or any combination of the following: • Compressor capacity; • The respective capacities of the battery or AC power supply; • Instantaneous demand for drinking water, heating water, or heated air; • Forecasted demand for drinking water, heating water, or heated air; • Instantaneous or predictable available supply types.

[0054] Some known DC heat pump compressors operate on AC power (e.g., commercial AC power). Such known compressors include a rectifier that converts the input AC power to DC power, which is then supplied to the DC compressor. In the examples of the present invention, the compressor can operate directly via power from a DC power source according to the present invention, as well as using input AC power in this known manner (described below with reference to Figure 3). In other examples, this may not be the case, namely, the compressor may be configured to be powered only by a DC battery.

[0055] Referring to Figure 3, the heat pump system 100 includes power electronics for efficiently supplying power to the compressor. The arrows represent possible power flow paths depending on the power electronics. In this example, the compressor is a DC compressor and is most efficiently powered directly from a DC power source, i.e., a DC battery 120. Furthermore, in this example, the DC output from battery 120 is a voltage that matches the input voltage of the compressor. Therefore, no extra processing is required between the DC battery and the compressor, and very efficient operation is possible.

[0056] In other cases, there may be a mismatch between the output voltage of the DC battery and the input voltage of the compressor. In such cases (not shown), system 100 may further include power electronics between the DC battery output and the compressor input to appropriately adjust the voltage between them. This allows for more efficient operation than converting external AC (e.g., commercial AC) power to DC power before supplying it to the compressor.

[0057] In such examples, the present invention efficiently drives a compressor by supplying power directly from a DC battery to the DC compressor. Such direct power supply includes directly driving the compressor motor by a DC switch input; that is, DC power drives the DC compressor motor (with or without the need for voltage step changes). For example, a brushless DC electric motor can be used between the power supply 120 and the compressor. Conversion from DC to AC (e.g., via an inverter) or from AC to DC (e.g., via a rectifier) ​​is unnecessary. This reduces unnecessary or superfluous power electronics (and the resulting decrease in efficiency) when implementing such examples of the present invention.

[0058] In this example, the power electronics of system 100 also include an AC-DC rectifier 122 configured to convert the input AC power (in this case, commercial AC power) to a suitable DC power output level for driving a DC compressor in a known manner.

[0059] In particular, even when AC power is unavailable, such as during a power outage, the compressor is efficiently powered by the DC battery 120. In some other examples, the heat pump system according to the present invention may not have an AC connection for supplying power to the compressor. However, in most cases, the present invention includes an AC connection.

[0060] The DC battery in this example comprises one or more rechargeable cells. System 100 includes a charging interface configured to charge the DC battery. In this example, the charging interface includes a rectifier configured to receive external AC (e.g., commercial AC) and convert it into a DC power suitable for charging the battery 120.

[0061] In other examples, the charging interface may optionally or additionally include a DC-DC charging interface for receiving DC power from, for example, a solar panel assembly or other such device.

[0062] In yet another example, the charging interface may, alternatively or additionally, include a three-phase AC-DC charger.

[0063] Advantageously, in this example and similar examples, the same rectifier 122 used to power the compressor from an AC power source can be used to charge the battery 120 via an external AC power source. In this example, the rectifier 122 is configured to supply DC power at a voltage suitable for charging the DC battery 120 without requiring an intermediate voltage conversion. In other examples, the power electronics may further include a voltage stepper configured to convert the DC signal output by the rectifier 122 into a DC signal of a voltage suitable for charging the battery 120.

[0064] Another configuration example of the present invention is schematically shown in Figure 4. Many components are the same as in the configuration of Figure 3, and the same reference numerals are used where appropriate. For brevity, similar features will not be described again. In this example, system 100 includes an additional DC output interface configured so that the DC battery 120 can supply power to other electronic equipment (i.e., equipment other than the heat pump compressor). The DC output interface can be used to supply DC power (direct non-step voltage or step voltage) or AC power (e.g., via an inverter) to interfaced external components. External components may include additional components of a building heating and cooling system that require power, such as a second heat pump, air conditioning unit, or boiler (e.g., an electric boiler, or a hybrid combustion fuel electric boiler of the type described, for example, in the applicant's concurrently pending applications GB2115477.8, GB2115478.6, and GB2115479.4). In some examples, the external components may not be additional components of a building heating and cooling system. For example, the external component may be a vehicle battery that can be efficiently charged from a DC power supply 120 via a DC-DC converter.

[0065] Another configuration example of the present invention is schematically shown in Figure 5. Many components are the same as in the configuration of Figure 4, and therefore the same reference numerals are used where appropriate. For brevity, similar features will not be described again. In this example, system 100 includes an additional AC output interface configured to allow the DC battery 120 to power other electronic devices. The AC output interface can be used to supply AC power or DC power (e.g., via an additional rectifier such as an external rectifier) ​​to interfaced external components. External components may include additional components of a building heating and cooling system that require power, such as a second heat pump, air conditioning unit, or boiler (e.g., an electric boiler, or a hybrid combustion fuel electric boiler of the type described, for example, in the applicant's concurrently pending applications GB2115477.8, GB2115478.6, and GB2115479.4). External components are not limited to additional components of a building heating and cooling system.

[0066] In some examples, a single combined rectifier-inverter is used to perform both a) battery charging and b) provide an external device interface with AC output.

[0067] Referring to Figure 5, the power electronics of system 100 further include a DC-AC inverter 124 configured to convert the DC power input from the DC battery 120 to an AC power output level suitable for use as household AC power or for supplying to the commercial AC grid in known ways.

[0068] In particular, the AC output interface can supply AC power (from DC power supply 120) even when commercial AC is unavailable, such as during a power outage.

[0069] Another configuration example of the present invention is schematically shown in Figure 6. Many components are the same as in the configuration of Figure 5, and therefore the same reference numerals are used where appropriate. For brevity, similar features will not be described again. In this example, the separate rectifiers 122 and inverters 124 of the example in Figure 5 are replaced by a single combined power converter (rectifier-inverter) 126 configured to perform the same functions as those described in relation to Figure 5. In some examples, the single combined power converter has a single circuit that operates in reverse to provide rectifier and inverter functions (therefore, it is not possible to perform inverter and rectifier functions simultaneously). Such examples are intended to be compact configurations that can use common electronic components. In other examples, the single combined power converter has separate paths for rectifier and inverter functions (therefore, it is possible to perform inverter and rectifier functions simultaneously). Such examples are easier to assemble and allow for easier cooling of electronic components.

[0070] In some cases, the rectifier's output voltage is matched to the DC battery (either instead of the compressor or in addition to it), which allows for efficient charging. In some cases, all components (i.e., the compressor, DC battery, and rectifier (or inverter and rectifier)) are matched.

[0071] Another exemplary heat pump system 200 according to the present invention is schematically shown in Figures 7a and 7b. Features similar to those shown in Figure 2 and described with reference to system 100 are given the same reference numerals (with the leading digit changed from "1" to "2"), and for brevity, these features will not be described again. Heat pump system 200 comprises an air-source heat pump in which the external building components are the same or similar as those described above. The internal and external building components differ in that there is no water tank 106. In this example, the external integrated heat pump unit 210 includes an integrated mechanism (not shown) for heating drinking water on demand (e.g., when the tap is turned on) using power from a DC battery. The mechanism for heating drinking water on demand may include one or more heating elements powered from a DC battery or a combination of DC (battery) and AC (e.g., commercial AC) (see the applicant's concurrently pending applications GB2115477.8, GB2115478.6, and GB2115479.4). One or more heating elements may be installed fully or partially embedded inside, above, around, or within the walls of the aforementioned components of the heat pump system (such as boilers, air conditioning units, piping, fans, or vents).

[0072] The heat pump system is configured to heat a fluid (in this case, a radiator fluid solution and drinking water), supply the heated drinking water to a first piping network 207, and supply the heated radiator fluid to a second, independent piping network 205 (to prevent contamination of the drinking water). The main water supply pipe 209 supplies the water to be heated to the system 200 (in this example, within the housing 212) in a known manner. In this example, the heating of the drinking water takes place within the housing 212. In other examples, the heating of the drinking water may take place outside the housing 212, for example, through a heating element in another part of the drinking water piping network 207 as described above.

[0073] The heat pump system 200 is configured to supply heating fluid to the radiator piping network 205, as described above in relation to system 100. In some examples, the heat pump piping and the radiator circuit piping 205 are the same piping and are integrated. The fluid circulating in the radiator is the same refrigerant that passes through the heat pump. The drinking water piping 205 is separate and carries separate drinking water heated in the same manner as described above in relation to system 100. The water in the drinking water network is separated in a well-known manner, for example, through separate heat exchangers. Therefore, the fluids in the networks do not mix, but heat transfer is possible.

[0074] In other examples, the heat pump piping and the radiator circuit piping 205 are not the same piping, are not integrated, and are independent. The radiator fluid carried by the radiator circuit piping 205 can be heated in a manner similar to that described above for drinking water in relation to system 100.

[0075] The System 200 configuration enables the on-demand supply of hot drinking water while achieving a highly responsive system (at minimal resource costs) without reducing the efficiency of the heat pump or drawing heat away from radiator heating. A key advantage of the heat pump system of this invention is its relatively small footprint. In this example, there are no indoor tanks or indoor wall-mounted units; only an outdoor box / unit is used. This facilitates transportation and installation, minimizing the use of building floor space (indoors and outdoors).

[0076] Another exemplary heat pump system 300 according to the present invention is schematically shown in Figure 8. Features similar to those shown in Figures 2, 7a, and 7b and described with reference to systems 100 and 200 are given the same reference numerals (with the leading digit changed to "3"), and for brevity, these features will not be described again. Heat pump system 300 includes an air-source heat pump whose external building components are the same as or similar to those described above. The internal and external building components differ (from the examples in Figures 7a and 7b) in that there is a water tank 306 configured to supply household drinking water to a drinking water unit, as described above in relation to the example in Figure 2.

[0077] The heat pump system 300 also includes a partially or fully electric fluid heater 330 configured to provide an additional source of supply for the heating fluid within the system 300. The fluid heater 330 is of the type described in the applicant's concurrently pending applications GB2115477.8, GB2115478.6, and GB2115479.4. The fluid heater 330 in this example comprises a DC battery 320b configured to supply power to partially or entirely heat the fluid passing through it, for example, via the aforementioned heating element. The fluid heater may be an electric boiler, such as a DC electric boiler, or a hybrid gas-electric boiler.

[0078] In this example, the heat pump system 300 also includes a hydraulic unit 340 configured to regulate the flow of fluid through the system 300. The hydraulic unit 340 receives heated fluid from the outdoor heat pump unit 312 and the fluid heater 330. The hydraulic unit 340 in this example includes a DC battery 320c configured to supply power to partially or entirely heat the fluid passing through it, for example, via the aforementioned heating element.

[0079] The hydraulic unit 340 communicates with a controller (not shown). The controller controls the efficient generation and transfer of heated fluid from one or more of the air-source heat pump unit 312, the fluid heater 330, and the hydraulic unit 340 to the radiator piping network 305 and / or the water tank 306 (which transfers heat to the drinking water piping network 307), in this example, taking into account any combination of demand, environment, and supply factors (as described above). The system 300 also includes a switching valve 308, which receives heated fluid output from the hydraulic unit 340 and is configured to deliver the heated fluid to a desired location in the wet heating network (e.g., the radiator piping network 305 or the water cylinder 306) according to instructions from the controller (not shown), as described above. In some examples, the switching valve 308 is located within the hydraulic unit 340.

[0080] The heat pump unit 312 is provided with a DC battery 320a, as described in relation to other examples. In some examples, the DC battery power supply within the heat pump system 300 has the advantage of being able to distribute the required DC power so that it can be placed entirely or partially in any combination of the unit 312, the heater 330, and the hydraulic unit 340. Thus, in some examples, the (outdoor) unit 312 may not have a battery, and all DC battery power may be located in other parts of the system. A controller (not shown) may be configured to control the DC batteries in the distributed system or the power supply from each DC battery based on several factors, such as the battery charge level or the outdoor temperature (useful, for example, if some of the DC batteries are located outdoors), as described above.

[0081] Another exemplary heat pump system 400 according to the present invention is schematically shown in Figure 9. Features similar to those shown in previous figures such as Figure 8 and described with reference to the aforementioned system (e.g., heat pump system 300) are given the same reference numerals (with the leading digit changed to "4"), and for brevity, these features will not be described again. The heat pump system 400 includes an air-source heat pump with external building components identical or similar to those described above. The internal and external building components differ (from the example in Figure 8) in that there is no water tank or switching valve. Instead, in this example, fluid heated by the heat pump unit 410 and fluid heated by the fluid heater 430 are fed into the hydraulic unit 440. The hydraulic unit 440 supplies the heated fluid to the radiator piping network 405, as described above. The choices regarding the configuration of the outdoor unit 410, the hydraulic unit 440, and the fluid heater 430 are the same as described above. In this example, the hydraulic unit does not supply drinking water. Instead, only the fluid heater 430 is configured to output heated drinking water to the drinking water circuit 407. The system 400 includes a tap water input (not shown) to the fluid heater 430.

[0082] The fluid heater 430 is also configured to receive fluid from the hydraulic unit (heated by the outdoor unit 410), heat it further, and then return it to the hydraulic unit 440 for distribution to the radiator piping 405. In this example, the built-in DC battery 420b allows the fluid heater 430 to provide a rapid and rapid boost of heated fluid to the radiator network as needed, for example, during the initial startup of the radiator or under particularly cold conditions. This is useful because the output of a typical heat pump may not reach such high temperatures.

[0083] System 400 includes a DC battery 420a within a housing 412, as described in other examples. Advantageously, in some examples, the DC battery power sources within the heat pump system 400 can be distributed, and the required DC power sources can be located entirely or partially in any one of the units 410, heater 430, and hydraulic unit 440, or any combination thereof. A controller (not shown) may be configured to control the power supply from the DC batteries in the distributed system or from each DC battery based on several factors, such as the battery charge level and the outdoor temperature (useful, for example, if some of the DC batteries are installed outdoors), as described above.

[0084] As previously mentioned, a partially or fully electric fluid heater 430 is configured to provide an additional source of heating for the fluid in the system 400. The fluid heater 430 is of the type described in the applicant's concurrently pending applications GB2115477.8, GB2115478.6, and GB2115479.4. In this example, the fluid heater 430 includes a DC battery 420b for partially or fully heating the fluid passing through it, for example, via the aforementioned heating element. The fluid heater may be an electric boiler, such as a DC electric boiler, or a hybrid gas-electric boiler.

[0085] Another exemplary heat pump system 500 according to the present invention is schematically shown in Figure 10. Features similar to those shown in previous figures such as Figures 7a and 7b and described with reference to the aforementioned system (e.g., heat pump system 200) are given the same reference numerals (with the leading digit changed to "5"), and for brevity, these features will not be described again. The heat pump system 500 comprises an air-source heat pump whose external building components are the same or similar as those described above. The internal and external building components differ (from the examples in Figures 7a and 7b) in that the system 500 further comprises an auxiliary heater 550 housed in the housing 512 of the outdoor unit 510. In this example, the auxiliary heater consists of a gas-fired heat exchanger, such as an H2-compatible gas-fired heat exchanger. In other examples, the gas-fired heat exchanger may be a natural gas-fired heat exchanger. The auxiliary heater 550 is configured to provide additional heating capacity to the system configuration shown and described with reference to Figures 7a and 7b.

[0086] In this example, the DC battery 520 is configured to power the compressor (as in all other embodiments) and to provide additional direct heating via the heating element (as described above). In other examples with an auxiliary heater, the DC battery may not provide additional direct heating via the heating element because the auxiliary heater is sufficient to meet the additional heating needs.

[0087] One advantage is that, in this example, the heat pump system 500 provides an integrated unit 510 that performs all the necessary fluid heating functions and is installed entirely outside the building. This integrated unit is easy to set up and install and compact for transport. In this example, supplemental heating is provided by an integrated H2-compatible gas-fired heat exchanger. Other alternatives for supplemental heating are also apparent to those skilled in the art. Supplemental heating is particularly useful when conventional heat pumps alone do not provide sufficient power and both residential heating and on-demand hot water (drinking water) need to be supplied. The partially or fully electric DC power supply of the present invention advantageously provides more powerful operation and a useful and operational system. Furthermore, in some cases, there are residential sites where installation permits cannot be obtained because the power grid cannot supply enough power to the heat pump, but the present invention can mitigate this. This may be due to a national and local peak demand limitation electricity grid issue in the national or local power grid.

[0088] In some examples, the external heat pump unit 510 substantially includes an integrated fluid heater (powered in this example by a gas-fired heat exchanger). In this configuration, unit 510 is similar to a typical combi boiler. Unit 510 is configured to heat a fluid (in this case, a radiator fluid solution and drinking water) and supply heated drinking water to a first piping network 507 and heated radiator fluid to another piping network 505 (to prevent contamination of the drinking water). A feed main 509 supplies water to be heated to unit 510 in known ways. In this example, the gas-fired heat exchanger is housed within a housing 512.

[0089] The heat pump system 500 is configured to supply a heating fluid, as described above with respect to system 200. In some examples, the heat pump piping and the radiator circuit piping 505 are the same piping, i.e., integrated. The fluid circulating in the radiator is the same as the refrigerant flowing through the heat pump. The drinking water piping 507 is separate and carries separate drinking water that is heated in a similar manner to that described above with respect to system 200.

[0090] In other examples, the heat pump piping and the radiator circuit piping 505 are not identical or integrated; that is, they are independent. The radiator fluid flowing through the radiator circuit piping 505 can be heated in a manner similar to that of the drinking water described above with respect to system 100.

[0091] Figure 11 schematically shows another exemplary heat pump system 600 according to the present invention. Features similar to those shown in previous figures such as Figure 2 and described with reference to the aforementioned system (e.g., heat pump system 100) are given the same reference numerals (with the leading digit changed to "6"), and for brevity, these features will not be described again. The heat pump system 600 comprises a ground source heat pump in which some components are identical or similar to those described above. The building interior and exterior components differ (from the example in Figure 2) in that, because system 600 is a ground source system, it comprises a ground heat exchanger loop 614 of a known type as described above. The ground heat exchanger loop 614 is installed underground in a known manner and is configured to exchange heat between the heat pump system and the ground. In some examples, the underground loop consists of a series of polyethylene pipes containing water and antifreeze. The underground loop 614 is configured to transport the heating fluid to the heat pump unit 612. In this example, the heat pump unit 612 does not necessarily have to be installed outdoors and can be installed indoors or outdoors. In this example, it is installed indoors. The DC battery 620 is located inside the housing 612 of the unit 610.

[0092] A heat exchanger (not shown) within unit 610 transfers thermal energy between the solution in the heat pump piping network (output from unit 610) and the water / antifreeze solution in the underground loop 614, allowing the heat pump system to heat or cool the building as needed.

[0093] As described above, the switching valve 608 is configured to selectively send the heated fluid from unit 610 to either the water tank 606 (for heating the drinking water in the drinking water piping 607) or the radiator piping 605.

[0094] In other examples, the underground loop may be identical to the heat pump piping network (output from unit 610). That is, they are a single unit, and the water / antifreeze solution in the underground loop is the same as the solution flowing through the radiator.

[0095] Those skilled in the art will understand that any of these examples can be used with an air source, a geothermal source, a water source, or any other suitable heat pump (or any combination thereof). A DC battery powering the compressor offers significant redundancy and efficiency advantages, especially when powered directly and located within the same housing as the compressor.

[0096] In some examples of the present invention, a heat pump system supplies heating or cooling to other types of heating systems (not necessarily wet heating systems), such as air conditioning units. Several exemplary system configurations are briefly described below.

[0097] Referring to Figure 12, another exemplary heat pump system 700 includes an outdoor air source heat pump unit 710 that supplies heated air (i.e., heated air) to an air conditioning unit 704 inside a building. System 700 includes components similar to those described above. System 700 includes an outdoor heat pump unit 710 having a housing 712 that houses a DC battery 720a. The air conditioning unit 704 has a housing that houses a DC battery 720b. As described in relation to the above example, the DC batteries 720a and 720b work together to provide continuous and on-demand heating as needed. In this example, the air conditioning unit 704 is wall-mounted and can also be powered from an AC power source (e.g., commercial AC). Power from the DC power source is available in both the heat pump circuit and the wall-mounted air conditioning unit, allowing heating or operation with DC cells instead of AC power, for example, during high-rate periods or power outages. In some examples, the DC batteries may be located only in unit 710 or 704, or they may be distributed across both units (as in this example).

[0098] Referring to Figure 13, another exemplary heat pump system 800 includes a ground source heat pump unit 810 that supplies heated air to an air conditioning unit 804 within a building. System 800 includes components similar to those described above. System 800 includes an indoor heat pump unit 810 having a housing 812 that houses a DC battery 820a. System 800 includes a ground loop 814 similar to those described above for exchanging heat with the surrounding ground.

[0099] The air conditioning unit 804 has a housing that accommodates the DC battery 820b. As described in relation to the previous example, the DC batteries 820a and 820b work together to provide continuous and on-demand heating as needed. In this example, the air conditioning unit 804 is wall-mounted and can also be powered from an AC power source (e.g., commercial AC). Power from the DC power source is available to both the heat pump circuit and the wall-mounted air conditioning unit, allowing heating and operation with DC cells instead of AC power, for example, during high-rate periods or power outages. In some examples, the DC batteries may be located only in unit 810 or 804, or they may be distributed across both units (as in this example).

[0100] [Boost Mode] In any of the examples described above, the heat pump system may optionally be configured to operate in boost mode or overrun mode, for example, according to instructions from a controller. The compressor typically operates at a first power level during continuous operation (e.g., providing a typical coefficient of performance). In boost mode, the compressor operates at a second power level higher than the first power level, configured to provide more powerful heating than during continuous operation. This boost mode may be used in relatively short bursts. In one example, the boost mode may operate at the higher second power level for a short period, e.g., about 5 minutes. For example, a 5kWh battery pack might operate at 15kW instead of 2kW. Other specific operating parameters will be apparent to those skilled in the art depending on the application.

[0101] In some examples, in boost mode, the compressor is configured to be powered solely by a DC battery (because this allows for faster and more powerful heating compared to normal operation). In some examples, the DC battery may be configured to heat heating elements located within or near the components of the heating circuit (e.g., piping, water tanks, etc.) to directly heat these components without going through a heat pump circuit.

[0102] [Battery Size] In any of the examples described above, the DC battery (whether a single battery or batteries distributed across multiple components) may have a capacity of at least 1.5 kWh, and optionally at least 3.5 kWh. This provides sufficient heating capacity. In a typical building heat pump system, the compressor power is approximately 1.5 kW or more. Therefore, the battery output is well suited to the required power (unlike, for example, a vehicle's thermal management system).

[0103] In all examples, the battery may be sized to correspond to the compressor output of the building heat pump system of the present invention. For example, a 5kW compressor requires "at least" a 5kWh battery, and therefore, in one example, a 5kWh battery is used (however, a 77kWh battery pack like those found in vehicles is not used). In another example, a 500W or 1kW compressor may be paired with a suitable battery, such as 1.5kWh.

[0104] A DC battery may have, for example, multiple cells arranged in series. In some cases, the battery pack may have capacities of 2kWh to 5kWh (for apartment buildings), 7kWh to 15kWh (for single-family homes), or 15kWh to 20kWh (for large-scale homes). Those skilled in the art will understand that these values ​​may vary depending on the type of insulation, the size of the house, environmental factors, etc.

[0105] [Battery protection] In any of the examples described above, the heat pump system may optionally include one or more battery protection functions. For example, any of the heat pump systems described above may include battery protection means configured to provide thermal protection for a DC battery, cold protection for a DC battery, or both. The battery protection means may include a battery jacket (not shown) configured to keep the battery warm or cold. The specific form of the battery protection means depends on the intended operating conditions. For example, it may be necessary to protect the battery from external heat (such as sunlight) and cold to block infrared radiation from sunlight in case the battery may overheat, or to retain infrared radiation within the battery pack when the battery needs to be kept warm (e.g., via a reflective case with a reflective inner surface).

[0106] The battery protection means are configured to maintain the DC power supply in an appropriate state (e.g., an appropriate temperature) so that the DC power supply can be charged, and ideally, to enable efficient charging of the DC power supply. For example, some lithium batteries cannot be charged below 0°C. The battery protection means may include a mechanism configured to heat the cells.

[0107] One method of protecting DC batteries from outdoor elements (such as excessive sunlight, cold, wind, and rain) is to install the batteries underground. The battery protection means may include a suitable chamber or housing configuration configured to safely install the DC battery (in whole or in part) underground. The chamber or housing configuration may be configured to allow easy access for repair or replacement of the DC battery or its constituent cells. Even when the DC battery is placed underground, a charging interface may be provided above ground via appropriate wiring or the like for easy access. Installing the DC battery underground is particularly advantageous when combined with the ground source heat pump system of the present invention, because a common chamber can be used for installing the DC battery and the underground loop. This feature is particularly efficient in ground source heat pumps where underground excavation and construction are required in many configurations, but it can also be used in other types of heat pumps (such as water source heat pumps and air source heat pumps).

[0108] In any of the above examples equipped with battery protection means, the heat pump system may include one or more thermal sensors configured to detect the temperature at at least one location within the heat pump system. The battery protection means is configured to operate based on the temperature detected at at least one location. In this way, the battery protection means can operate efficiently as needed. This can be important in heat pump systems equipped with large DC batteries, as in the present invention.

[0109] [Cooling System] In any of the above examples, the heat pump system may optionally include a cooling system for other components such as power electronics (e.g., one or more of a rectifier, inverter, or rectifier-inverter combination). In particular, in examples where the compressor can be powered by a combination of AC and DC power supplies, there is a risk of the power electronics overheating (this is a problem not anticipated in simple AC-only or simple DC-only heat pumps). This particular problem arises from the power conversion and power switching requirements that occur when the controller switches between AC and DC power supplies due to the aforementioned control factors. In such examples, the heat pump system of the present invention may include a cooling system dedicated to the power electronics. The cooling mechanism may be configured to bring the cooled refrigerant close to one or more of a DC battery, battery charger, AC-DC rectifier, and DC-DC converter, and transfer heat between them to cool the electronic components.

[0110] [Waste heat recovery mechanism] In any of the examples described above, the heat pump system may optionally include a waste heat recovery mechanism configured to recover waste heat from one or more of the following: a DC battery, a battery charger, an AC-DC rectifier, and a DC-DC converter, and to transfer the recovered heat to an evaporator. The waste heat recovery mechanism may be configured to transfer the recovered heat to the evaporator via a waste heat fluid circuit, such as an airflow circuit or a liquid circuit. In some examples, the waste heat fluid circuit includes a waste heat fluid pipe containing a waste heat transfer fluid, which is configured to transfer the recovered heat to the evaporator.

[0111] [Further favorable scenarios] (Water temperature and diseases) In particular, in heat pump heating systems, the water stored in the hot water tank may be relatively cold (it may rarely or never be hot). In such systems, harmful bacteria may proliferate (because the water does not reach a temperature high enough to kill the harmful bacteria). In any of the examples described, the heat pump system of the present invention may be equipped with a pasteurization function. This pasteurization function brings the water in the tank to a temperature sufficient to kill harmful bacteria from time to time, for example, once a week, by direct electric heating (supplying power using DC power to electric heating elements located in appropriate parts of the fluid circuit, e.g., a) elements located in the circuit piping near the water tank, or elements directly installed in the water tank, and / or b) elements located in the piping elsewhere in the system).

[0112] In some examples, heat pump systems are configured to raise the temperature on demand within a fluid network (radiator, drinking water, or both), such as when supplying directly to a water tank or tap.

[0113] In examples of air-source heat pumps, conventional heat pump systems often suffer from condensation and freezing problems, especially when the air is humid and the outside temperature is low. Therefore, it is necessary to reverse the rotation of the system to melt / defrost the heat exchanger and operate efficiently. In any example of the present invention, a DC battery can be used to power the embedded heating element and directly defrost frozen components (e.g., vents, fans, piping). In addition, or instead, the DC battery can be used to supply power for heating demands while the heat pump is performing the defrosting operation. Thus, the heat pump system of the present invention has the advantage of being able to operate without interruption or stagnation of heating performance, as is the case with conventional heat pump systems.

[0114] In some examples, heat pump systems can optionally extract and utilize lost heat by supplying waste heat generated by electronic devices to the evaporation process. This improves the overall efficiency of the system. Optionally, waste heat from fan motors can be utilized in a similar manner.

[0115] As described above, a heat pump can be operated in reverse to perform cooling instead of heating, and vice versa. In some cases, the cooling capacity of the heat pump system of the present invention can be used to cool power electronics or DC battery cells. In this invention, the load on electronic equipment is higher than in a typical heat pump system due to the inclusion of a large DC battery, so this function is particularly effective. In particular, as mentioned above, this function is very useful in cases where AC power and DC power are combined to supply power to the compressor.

[0116] Those skilled in the art will see that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0117] The power electronics configurations described in relation to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 can all be used in any of the described examples of heat pump systems. Furthermore, other power electronics configurations within the claims will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0118] In any of the examples described, heating may be provided directly by the heat pump circuit described above, and / or supplemented or enhanced by direct heating by a heating element powered by a DC battery (in addition to heating by the compressor and heat pump cycle). Such heating elements may be installed in, on, around, or embedded (completely or partially) within the walls of the piping or other components of the heat pump system described above (including components such as boilers, air conditioning units, pipes, fans, and vents).

[0119] On-demand hot water supply (e.g., drinking water) requires a relatively short burst of high power. The DC battery of the present invention is particularly useful in some examples for supplying additional burst power to a compressor.

[0120] Some examples of the present invention include one or more controllers. In any of these examples, a single controller that comprehensively monitors supply, demand, and environmental factors may be used instead of multiple distributed controllers.

[0121] In examples including a hydraulic unit, the hydraulic unit may be wall-mounted.

[0122] This specification refers to the types of fluid heaters described in the applicant's concurrently pending applications GB2115477.8, GB2115478.6, and GB2115479.4. The disclosures of these published applications are incorporated herein by reference.

[0123] Descriptions of radiators shall include wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, underfloor-mounted, or other known radiator types.

[0124] In any of these examples, the DC battery may be configured to power not only the compressor but also one or more other components of the heat pump system, such as the heat pump fan motor (if present), the AC / DC control system, the heat pump system valves, the main electronic control system, and the claves and pumps used for fluid flow in the system.

[0125] In any of the examples described, the compressor may be a reciprocating compressor, a scroll compressor, a screw compressor, a rotary compressor, a centrifugal compressor, or any other suitable known type of compressor.

[0126] Descriptions of buildings shall include parts of the building (for example, a room in an apartment building).

Claims

1. A building heat pump system configured to heat or cool a building, comprising a heat pump circuit, The aforementioned heat pump circuit is An evaporator configured to absorb heat from a heat source, A compressor configured to compress a refrigerant and raise its temperature, A condenser configured to release heat from the refrigerant into the sink, An expansion valve configured to regulate the flow of the refrigerant and lower its temperature before it returns to the evaporator, Includes, The refrigerant is configured to flow continuously through the circuit from the evaporator, through the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve, back to the evaporator, thereby providing heating or cooling to the building. A heat pump system further comprising a DC battery configured to supply at least partially power to the compressor.

2. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein the DC battery has a capacity of at least 1.5 kWh, and optionally at least 3.5 kWh.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising battery protection means configured to provide thermal protection of the DC battery, cold protection of the DC battery, or both.

4. The aforementioned battery protection means is - An insulating jacket configured to protect the DC battery from cold environments. - A warm refrigerant flow that passes through the battery, for example, before or after a compressor, is configured to protect the DC battery from cold environments. - An electric heater configured to protect the DC battery from cold environments. - Double-walled or triple-walled insulation configured to protect the DC battery from cold environments, - A Peltier element configured to protect the DC battery from cold environments, - An insulating jacket configured to protect the DC battery from high-temperature environments, - A refrigerant configured to protect the DC battery from high-temperature environments, for example, a refrigerant configured to pass through the battery via a cooling water network. - A return coolant from, for example, a radiator circuit, configured to pass through the aforementioned battery. - Double-walled or triple-walled insulation configured to protect the DC battery from high-temperature environments, and - A Peltier element configured to protect the DC battery from high-temperature environments. The heat pump system according to claim 3, comprising one or more of the following:

5. The heat pump system according to claim 4, comprising a thermal sensor configured to detect the temperature at least one location within the heat pump system, wherein the battery protection means is configured to operate based on the temperature detected at the at least one location.

6. A heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a heat pump system, optionally a geothermal heat source heat pump system, wherein the DC battery is configured to be located at least partially underground.

7. The heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the compressor is a DC compressor.

8. The heat pump system according to claim 7, wherein the DC battery is configured to supply power directly to the compressor.

9. The heat pump system according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising an AC-DC rectifier configured to convert an AC power source, such as a commercial AC power source, to DC, thereby supplying power to the DC compressor.

10. A DC-AC inverter configured to convert DC power from the DC battery into AC power, A first device interface is connected to the DC-AC inverter and configured to supply power to an externally interfaced device, A bidirectional inverter / rectifier that combines AC-DC and DC-AC into a single unit, The heat pump system according to any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising the ability to supply power from the DC battery to external devices such as household appliances.

11. The heat pump system according to any one of claims 7 to 10, further comprising a DC device interface configured to supply power to an externally interfaced device, which is optionally connected to the DC battery via a DC-DC converter, thereby enabling power to be supplied from the DC battery to an external device such as a household appliance.

12. The heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a battery charger configured to charge the DC battery.

13. The aforementioned battery charger is - An AC-DC charger configured to charge the DC battery from an AC power source such as commercial AC, A DC-DC charger configured to charge the DC battery from a DC power source such as a solar power source via a DC-DC converter, - A bidirectional inverter / rectifier that combines AC-DC and DC-AC into a single unit, and A three-phase AC-DC charger configured to charge the DC battery from a three-phase AC power supply. The heat pump system according to claim 12, comprising one or more of the following:

14. The heat pump system according to claim 13, as dependent on any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the AC-DC rectifier is configured to charge the DC battery.

15. The heat pump system according to claim 14, wherein the AC-DC rectifier is configured to charge the DC battery via a DC-DC converter configured to convert the voltage to a desired charging voltage.

16. The heat pump system according to any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the AC-DC rectifier and the DC-AC inverter are located on the same electronics module.

17. The heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein one or more of the voltage inputs and / or outputs of the compressor, the DC battery, the AC-DC rectifier, the DC-AC inverter, and the battery charger are matched.

18. A heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, comprising a cooling mechanism configured to cool one or more of the DC battery, the battery charger, the AC-DC rectifier, and the DC-DC converter, wherein the cooling mechanism is configured to bring a cooled refrigerant close to one or more of the DC battery, the battery charger, the AC-DC rectifier, and the DC-DC converter to transfer heat between them.

19. A heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, comprising a waste heat recovery mechanism configured to recover waste heat from one or more of the DC battery, the battery charger, the AC-DC rectifier, and the DC-DC converter, and to transfer the recovered heat to the evaporator.

20. - Charging of the DC battery, - Discharge of the DC battery, - Switching of the DC battery, - The cooling mechanism, - Power distribution from the DC battery and the AC power supply to the compressor, and - Combination of the output from the AC power supply and the DC power supply, A heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 19, comprising a controller configured to control one or more of the following.

21. The heat pump system according to claim 20, wherein the system is capable of operating in a boost mode in which the compressor operates at a higher-than-average power, and the controller is configured to supply power to the compressor using only the DC battery in the boost mode.

22. The aforementioned controller, - The capacity of the compressor, - The aforementioned battery or AC power supply or their respective capacities, - Instantaneous demand for tap water, heating water, or heated air, - Forecast demand for tap water, heating water, or heated air, - Instantaneous or predictable available supply types, and Weather patterns A heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 21, configured to control its operation by taking into consideration one or more of the following.

23. The heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, further comprising the compressor and a heat pump housing configured to house optionally one or more of the DC battery, the expansion valve, the evaporator, and the condenser.

24. The heat pump system according to claim 23, comprising one or more electric heating elements located on, near, or partially embedded in the heat pump housing, wherein the one or more electric heating elements are powered by the DC battery and configured to provide heating for defrosting or for accelerating the operation of the components of the heat pump system.

25. A combined heat pump and water tank system comprising a heat pump system according to any one of claims 1 to 24 in fluid communication with a water tank, wherein the heat pump system is configured to heat the water in the water tank, and the boost mode heats the water in the tank to a temperature higher than the threshold pasteurization temperature.

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