Heat Pump Water Heater Control via Shifted Condensation Zone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermodynamic water heaters are inflexible and inefficient, leading to prolonged waiting times for hot water and significant heat losses due to oversized tanks, as they heat the entire water volume regardless of demand, resulting in reduced comfort and economic efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A domestic hot water production installation with a heat pump system that includes a condenser arranged around or inside the tank, a device for introducing and extracting additional refrigerant, and a central control unit to manage refrigerant volume, allowing targeted heating and quick response to user needs by adjusting the condensation zone height within the condenser.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the heat pump heats the entire water volume in the storage tank, then the hot water supply is ensured, but the heating time is prolonged and energy is wasted when hot water demand is low
Solution Approach 1:
The condenser is divided into multiple independent heating zones (first condensation zone, second condensation zone, third condensation zone) arranged at different heights in the tank. This segmentation allows selective heating of specific water zones based on demand, rather than heating the entire tank volume, thus reducing heating time and energy waste while ensuring hot water supply.
Solution Approach 2:
Different condensation zones are activated based on local hot water demand. The control system selectively operates specific condensation zones (e.g., only the first zone for low demand, or all zones for high demand) to match the actual heating needs of different tank regions, avoiding unnecessary heating and reducing overall heating time.
2Reliability
If the entire storage tank volume is heated, then hot water availability is maximized, but heat loss to ambient air increases when the tank is oversized
Solution Approach 1:
The condenser is divided into multiple independent heating zones (first condensation zone, second condensation zone, third condensation zone) arranged at different heights in the tank. This segmentation allows selective heating of specific water zones based on demand, rather than heating the entire tank volume, thus reducing heating time and energy waste while ensuring hot water supply.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial heating action by activating only the necessary condensation zones based on actual hot water demand. When demand is low, only the first condensation zone is activated; when demand is high, additional zones are activated. This prevents excessive heating of the entire tank volume and reduces heat loss to ambient air.
3Device complexity
If the condenser is fixed relative to the storage tank, then the structure is simple, but the system is inflexible and cannot respond quickly to varying hot water demand
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces dynamic control by dividing the condenser into multiple independently controllable zones and using a control system that can selectively activate specific zones based on real-time hot water demand. This transforms the static, fixed condenser into a dynamic system that can adapt its heating pattern to varying demands, improving responsiveness while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The condenser is divided into multiple independent heating zones (first condensation zone, second condensation zone, third condensation zone) arranged at different heights in the tank. This segmentation allows selective heating of specific water zones based on demand, rather than heating the entire tank volume, thus reducing heating time and energy waste while ensuring hot water supply.
4Ease of operation
If the heat pump uses a fixed refrigerant volume, then the system is simple to operate, but it cannot provide quick response to urgent hot water needs
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces dynamic control by dividing the condenser into multiple independently controllable zones and using a control system that can selectively activate specific zones based on real-time hot water demand. This transforms the static, fixed condenser into a dynamic system that can adapt its heating pattern to varying demands, improving responsiveness while maintaining reasonable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors hot water demand and proactively activates the appropriate condensation zones in advance or immediately when demand is detected. This preliminary action ensures that heating begins without delay, providing quick response to urgent hot water needs while maintaining simple operation through automated control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables efficient, continuous, and cost-effective response to varying hot water demands by concentrating heating in specific zones of the tank, reducing waiting times and minimizing heat losses, thus enhancing user comfort and thermal efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a heat pump whose condenser allows for heat exchange with the water contained in said tank in order to heat it
Implementation Method 2
the condensation zone of the refrigerant in said condenser... its movement over the height
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a domestic hot water production installation (1) comprising a domestic hot water storage and production tank (2) coupled to a heat pump (3).This installation is remarkable in that it comprises: - a device (4) for introducing and extracting an additional volume of refrigerant into and out of the refrigerant circuit of the heat pump, - a central control unit (5) for controlling said device and in that the condenser (32) of the heat pump is a heat exchanger disposed around said tank (2) or inside said tank over at least part of its height, said central control unit (5) acting on said device (4) to introduce an additional volume of refrigerant into the refrigerant circuit and cause the reduction of the total height of the condensation zone of the refrigerant in said condenser and its movement towards the top of said condenser.