Hybrid Heat Pump Refrigerant Injection for Severe Conditions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hybrid absorption-compression heat pumps face performance deterioration under colder conditions for heating and hotter conditions for cooling, with complex configurations increasing system costs and lacking effective solutions for refrigerant injection technology.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid heat pump system with refrigerant injection at both absorption-side and compression-side, featuring a compression sub-cycle and absorption sub-cycle installed in parallel, sharing a condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator, with a mid-pressure inlet port to adjust design proportions and operate in various modes, including combined absorption-compression, single compression, and single absorption modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hybrid absorption-compression heat pump configuration is used, then the system can provide both cooling and heating functions, but the system performance deteriorates under colder heating conditions and hotter cooling conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the compression function into two separate compression cycles: a high-pressure compression cycle and a low-pressure compression cycle. This segmentation allows each cycle to operate independently at its optimal pressure range, preventing performance deterioration when operating conditions change. The high-pressure cycle handles high-pressure refrigerant compression while the low-pressure cycle handles low-pressure refrigerant compression, ensuring reliable operation under both cold heating and hot cooling conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different compression cycles based on operating conditions. A control mechanism selectively activates either the high-pressure compression cycle, the low-pressure compression cycle, or both simultaneously, depending on whether the system is operating in heating mode or cooling mode and the specific temperature conditions. This dynamic adaptation maintains optimal performance across varying environmental conditions.
2Reliability
If complex configuration is used to improve system performance, then the system can handle various operating conditions, but the system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the high-pressure compression cycle and the low-pressure compression cycle into a single integrated hybrid absorption-compression heat pump system. Both compression cycles share common components such as the absorber, generator, condenser, and evaporator, while adding only the necessary additional components (second compressor, additional expansion valve, refrigerant flow control valves). This merging approach achieves improved performance under severe conditions without proportionally increasing system cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The system design makes components serve multiple functions. For example, the condenser and evaporator serve both the high-pressure and low-pressure compression cycles, and the absorber-generator pair handles refrigerant processing for both cycles. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components needed compared to having completely separate systems, thereby controlling complexity while maintaining performance.
3Productivity
If refrigerant injection technology is added to improve performance, then the system can operate efficiently under various conditions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the refrigerant itself as the injection medium, eliminating the need for external injection devices or additional working fluids. The refrigerant is extracted from the system's own circulation and injected into the compression cycles at appropriate points, providing the necessary cooling effect and improving efficiency without requiring separate injection systems or additional complexity.
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 improved energy efficiency, flexibility, and performance under severe conditions, enabling efficient use of lower-temperature heat sources and renewable energy, while minimizing heat pump oversizing and optimizing energy use in cooling and heating applications.
Implementation Method 1
first compression means operable to form a refrigerant in vapor form and increases the pressure of the refrigerant vapor
Implementation Method 2
condensing means arranged to receive the pressurized vapor and condenses the vapor under pressure to a liquid
Implementation Method 3
pressure reduction means through which the liquid refrigerant leaving the condensing means passes to reduce the pressure of the liquid to form a mixture of liquid and vapor refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
evaporator means arranged to receive the mixture of liquid and vapor refrigerant that passes through the pressure reduction means to evaporate the remaining liquid to form first and second portions of refrigerant vapor
Implementation Method 5
second compression means including two, first and second inlet ports and an outlet port and operable to: receive at least a portion of the refrigerant vapor from the evaporator means, the pressurized vapor from the first compression means, and the vapor refrigerant from the condensing means through the first and second inlet ports respectively; increase the pressure thereof
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method for a hybrid heat pump system including first compression means operable to form a refrigerant in vapor form and increases the pressure of the refrigerant vapor; condensing means arranged to receive the pressurized vapor and condenses the vapor under pressure to a liquid; pressure reduction means through which the liquid refrigerant leaving the condensing means passes to reduce the pressure of the liquid to form a mixture of liquid and vapor refrigerant; evaporator means arranged to receive the mixture of liquid and vapor refrigerant that passes through the pressure reduction means to evaporate the remaining liquid to form first and second portions of refrigerant vapor; second compression means including two, first and second inlet ports and an outlet port and operable to: receive at least a portion of the refrigerant vapor from the evaporator means, the pressurized vapor from the first compression means, and the vapor refrigerant from the condensing means through the first and second inlet ports respectively; increase the pressure thereof; and pass the pressurized vapor to the condensing means through the outlet port; and a conduit operable to pass a portion of the refrigerant vapor leaving the first compression means to the second compression means.