Heating installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heating installations inefficiently utilize surplus heat energy from heat pumps, leading to wasted energy and reduced efficiency in meeting heating demands, especially when one heat pump is temporarily out of operation.
Innovation Solution
A heating installation with a first and second heat pump circuit, a heat exchanger for subcooling, and accumulator tanks in series, allowing for efficient heat transfer and storage, enabling the second heat pump to utilize stored heat energy even when the first heat pump is not operational, thus ensuring continuous heating demands are met.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If surplus heat from the first heat pump is directly utilized without storage, then energy efficiency is improved during normal operation, but heating continuity cannot be ensured when the first heat pump is temporarily out of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The accumulator tank stores surplus heat energy in advance during periods when the first heat pump is operational, creating a thermal reserve that can be utilized later when the first heat pump is temporarily out of operation, thus ensuring heating continuity
Solution Approach 2:
The accumulator tank acts as an intermediary thermal storage device between the first heat pump and the second heat pump, decoupling their operations and enabling the second heat pump to maintain heating functionality even when the first heat pump is not operational
2Device complexity
If the medium temperature in the second circuit is not controlled before returning to the heat exchanger, then system simplicity is maintained, but the heat exchanger cannot achieve efficient subcooling
Solution Approach 1:
The system preliminarily cools the medium in the second circuit through the accumulator tank before it returns to the heat exchanger, ensuring that the medium temperature is within the required interval for efficient subcooling to occur
Solution Approach 2:
The system monitors the medium temperature in the second circuit and regulates the cooling process through the accumulator tank to maintain temperature within the required interval, providing feedback control for optimal heat exchanger subcooling efficiency
3Device complexity
If only one heat pump is used without thermal storage, then system complexity is reduced, but the system cannot satisfy heating demands when the heat pump is temporarily out of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The accumulator tank stores thermal energy in advance during periods when the first heat pump is operational, creating a thermal reserve that enables the second heat pump to satisfy heating demands even when the first heat pump is temporarily out of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters by introducing thermal storage capacity through the accumulator tank, transforming the system from a single-point operation to a multi-source configuration that can maintain heating supply under varying operational conditions
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 solution allows for efficient utilization of surplus heat energy, increasing the overall efficiency of the heating system and ensuring continuous heating capabilities by utilizing stored heat energy from the second accumulator tank, even when the first heat pump is temporarily out of operation.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger which is arranged in the second circuit and which is connected between a condenser and an expansion valve of the first heat pump in order to transfer heat from a working medium of the first heat pump to the medium in the second circuit
Implementation Method 2
a second heat pump arranged for heating a medium by absorbing heat energy from the medium in the second circuit
Implementation Method 3
a first accumulator tank and a second accumulator tank arranged in series with each other in the second circuit for accumulating the medium in the second circuit
Data Source
AI summary
A heating installation comprising: a first circuit (C1); a second circuit (C2); a first heat pump (4) for heating the medium in the first circuit; a heat exchanger (10) which is arranged in the second circuit and connected between a condenser (4b) and an expansion valve (4d) of the first heat pump; a second heat pump (11) arranged for heating a medium by absorbing heat energy from the medium in the second circuit; and a first and a second accumulator tank (A1, A2) arranged in series in the second circuit for accumulating the medium in the second circuit. The accumulator tanks are alternately connectable to the second heat pump in order to allow medium to circulate between the first accumulator tank and the evaporator of the second heat pump in a first operating situation and allow medium to circulate between the second accumulator tank and the evaporator of the second heat pump in a second operating situation.