Heat Pump Flow Control for Simultaneous Water Heating and Air Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pump water heaters inefficiently utilize heat, as they primarily cool outside air, leading to energy wastage and reduced heat exchange efficiency due to refrigerant stagnation in heat exchangers.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump system that utilizes both radiation and evaporation of refrigerant to heat an aqueous medium, with adjustable flow rate valves and blower controls to prevent refrigerant stagnation, allowing for effective utilization of heat in both the first and second usage units, thereby enhancing energy-saving capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the heat pump system cools outside air using the heat-source-side heat exchanger, then hot water can be supplied, but the heat of cooling obtained is not effectively utilized leading to energy waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers the heat of cooling that would otherwise be discarded during air cooling operation. By introducing a waste heat recovery unit with a heat exchanger, the system captures the cooling heat from the heat-source-side refrigerant and uses it to heat aqueous medium, thereby recovering energy that would be lost and improving overall energy utilization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-source-side refrigerant circuit is designed to serve multiple functions: it can cool outside air through the heat-source-side heat exchanger, supply hot water through the first usage-side heat exchanger, and recover waste heat through the waste heat recovery unit. This multi-functionality allows the same refrigerant circuit to simultaneously achieve air cooling, hot water supply, and energy recovery, maximizing energy utilization.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the heat-source-side refrigerant flows through multiple heat exchangers, then more heat can be utilized, but refrigerant stagnation occurs reducing heat exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces flow rate adjustment valves at key positions in the refrigerant circuit to dynamically control refrigerant flow distribution. These valves can adjust the refrigerant flow rates to each heat exchanger based on operational conditions, preventing refrigerant stagnation while ensuring adequate heat utilization across multiple heat exchangers, thereby maintaining heat exchange efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit monitors the operational state of the heat pump system and adjusts the flow rate adjustment valves accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that refrigerant flow is optimized in real-time to prevent stagnation in any heat exchanger while maintaining effective heat utilization, thus resolving the contradiction between heat utilization and heat exchange efficiency.
3Loss of energy
If the heat-source-side refrigerant is used for both hot water supply and air cooling, then energy-saving effects are achieved, but refrigerant flow distribution becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces flow rate adjustment valves as intermediary devices that simplify the control of refrigerant flow distribution. These valves act as mediators between the heat-source-side refrigerant circuit and multiple heat exchangers, making the complex flow distribution manageable and controllable while enabling the system to achieve energy-saving effects through simultaneous hot water supply and air cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit automatically manages the refrigerant flow distribution to multiple heat exchangers based on system conditions, making the system self-regulating. This self-service capability handles the complexity of refrigerant flow control internally, allowing the system to achieve energy-saving operation through dual use of the refrigerant for hot water supply and air cooling without requiring complex external control mechanisms.
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
The system achieves energy-saving effects by effectively utilizing heat through radiation and evaporation processes, preventing refrigerant stagnation, and maintaining heat exchange efficiency, thus optimizing energy usage in heating aqueous media.
Implementation Method 1
heating an aqueous medium by radiation of the heat-source-side refrigerant in the first usage-side heat exchanger
Implementation Method 2
cooling an air medium by evaporation of the heat-source-side refrigerant in the second usage-side heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
utilizing both radiation and evaporation of refrigerant to heat an aqueous medium
Data Source
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AI summary
An object of the present invention is to obtain energy-saving effects in a heat pump system capable of heating an aqueous medium by utilizing a heat pump cycle. A heat pump system (1) includes a heat source unit (2), a first usage unit (4a, 4b), and a second usage unit (10a, 10b). The heat source unit has a heat-source-side compressor (21), a heat-source-side heat exchanger (24), a heat-source-side blower (32), and a heat-source-side switching mechanism (23). The first usage unit has at least a radiation amount adjusting means (43a, 43b), and a first usage-side flow rate adjustment valve (42a, 42b). The second usage unit has at least a second usage-side flow rate adjustment valve (102a, 102b). In a case in which the second usage unit performs air-cooling operation and the first usage unit performs aqueous medium heating operation, the radiation amount of the radiation amount adjusting means or the operating capacity of the heat-source-side blower is controlled in accordance with the state of the first usage-side flow rate adjustment valve and the second usage-side flow rate adjustment valve.