Open Water Heat Pump Using Low-Pressure Vapor Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pumps are inefficient due to high compressor losses, greenhouse gas emissions from ozone-depleting refrigerants like R134a, and the need for closed systems that increase costs and complexity, limiting their effectiveness and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump system using water as the working medium, with an open circuit design where groundwater is evaporated at low pressure, compressed by turbomachines, and liquefied directly in the heating water, eliminating the need for heat exchangers and reducing environmental impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional refrigerants like R134a are used in heat pumps, then the heat transfer efficiency is maintained, but greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the working medium from conventional refrigerants to water, eliminating greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining heat transfer functionality through water's phase change properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the typically harmful high compression ratios and temperature differences into benefits by using water's high specific heat capacity and latent heat of vaporization to efficiently transfer thermal energy without requiring extreme conditions
2Device complexity
If closed system designs with heat exchangers are used, then heat transfer is achieved, but system complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the evaporator and condenser functions into a single open water body, eliminating the need for separate heat exchanger components and reducing system complexity while maintaining effective heat transfer through direct water contact
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex heat exchanger subsystem by using water as both the working medium and the heat transfer medium, simplifying the overall system architecture
3Device complexity
If piston compressors are used, then compression is achieved, but compressor losses and mechanical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical piston compressor system with a more efficient compression mechanism that utilizes water's compressibility and phase change properties, reducing mechanical complexity and energy losses
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic principles by using water itself as the compression medium, leveraging its incompressible nature in liquid phase and expandable nature in vapor phase to achieve compression without complex mechanical components
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 achieves efficiencies at least six times higher than conventional systems, providing 240% of the electrical energy used as heating energy, significantly reducing energy costs and carbon emissions while avoiding harmful refrigerants.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator (10) for evaporating water as the working fluid in order to generate steam
Implementation Method 2
so much heat is extracted from the ground or groundwater via a first heat exchanger 80 and the evaporator that the working medium evaporates
Implementation Method 3
The turbomachine is designed to compress the working steam to a steam pressure of at least greater than 25 hPa
Implementation Method 4
a condenser (18) for liquefying the compressed working vapor
Implementation Method 5
The condensed water is fed via a return line (20b) into the evaporator (10) and the energy-rich steam is fed into a heating water circuit (20a)
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
A heat pump comprises an evaporator (10) for the evaporation of water as a working liquid, to generate a working vapor, whereby the evaporation takes place at an evaporation pressure of less than 20 hPa. The working vapor is condensed by a compressor (16) to a working pressure of at least 25 hPa, then to be liquefied in a liquefier (18) by direct contact with liquefier water. The heat pump is preferably an open system, in which water present in the environment in the form of ground water, sea water, river water, lake water or brine is evaporated, and reliquefied water is fed to the evaporator, to the ground or to a purification plant.