Multi-Source Heat Pump Mixing for Stable Compressor Inlet Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Heat pumps operated with multiple heat sources face significant temperature fluctuations across the compressor unit, leading to inefficiencies and increased energy consumption due to large and fluctuating temperature differences between the evaporating and condensing heat exchangers.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a heat pump system with at least two evaporating heat exchangers, each with a separate expansion valve, allowing for adjustable pumping capacity to regulate refrigerant temperature upstream of the compressor unit, and the combination of multiple heating circuits for temperature equalization, enabling the selection and activation of the most favorable heat source for optimal operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If multiple heat sources are used in parallel, then temperature stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the heat source integration into separate evaporating heat exchangers for different heat sources (geothermal, solar, ambient air), each with its own expansion valve. This segmentation allows independent control of each heat source while maintaining overall system stability and reducing the temperature fluctuations that would occur with a single integrated heat source.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic control through electronically expandable valves that can adjust refrigerant flow rates in real-time based on the temperature and availability of different heat sources. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to optimize performance and maintain temperature stability by selecting and weighting different heat sources according to current conditions.
2Power
If refrigerant temperature upstream of compressor is regulated, then compressor efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the temperature parameter of the refrigerant upstream of the compressor by using pre-heating from multiple heat sources before the evaporating heat exchanger. By adjusting the refrigerant temperature through electronic expansion valve control and heat source selection, the compressor operates at optimal temperature conditions, improving efficiency without excessive energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple heat sources (geothermal, solar, ambient air) into a single integrated system that collectively regulates refrigerant temperature. This combination allows the system to achieve the desired temperature regulation more efficiently than any single heat source could provide alone, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining compressor efficiency.
3Ease of manufacture
If geothermal area is reduced, then investment costs are lowered, but heat supply capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system makes the geothermal heat exchanger multi-functional by combining it with solar thermal collectors and ambient air heat exchangers. The geothermal component can operate independently or in combination with other heat sources, allowing the system to maintain adequate heat supply capacity with a smaller geothermal area, thereby reducing investment costs while preserving productivity through the complementary heat sources.
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 approach minimizes temperature differences across the compressor unit, enhancing the efficiency of the heat pump by reducing the compression capacity required, thereby lowering operating costs and achieving a higher annual performance factor, while also reducing the size of the geothermal area and minimizing investment costs.
Implementation Method 1
there is an expansion valve, which expands the pressure and which has already cooled down the refrigerant again and thus cools it down further
Implementation Method 2
A drivable compressor unit is arranged between the evaporating heat exchanger and the condensing heat exchanger, which compresses the heated refrigerant and thus brings it to a higher temperature
Implementation Method 3
The inlet and evaporating heat exchanger is in contact with a suitable energy carrier, such as the outside air or the earth
Implementation Method 4
The liquefying heat exchanger, which is arranged on the outlet side, heats a consumer circuit
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention is based on the object of designing and using a heat pump, which consists of a refrigerant circuit (1), a heat distribution circuit (3) and a heat source circuit (2) with more than one heat source, in such a way that the temperature differences across the compressor unit Heat pump can be kept low and largely without fluctuations. This object is achieved on the device side according to claim 1 in that the refrigerant circuit (1) has at least two evaporating heat exchangers (4, 6, 38). On the process side, this object is achieved according to claim 16 in that the at least two heat circuits (18, 39) are brought together and mixed quantitatively in front of an evaporating heat exchanger (4) for the purpose of temperature equalization.