Heat pump assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing simultaneous heating and cooling systems face inefficiencies due to fluctuating heating and cooling capacity requirements, often necessitating the emission of unused heat or cold to the environment, which reduces overall efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump system comprising a liquid-liquid heat pump with a refrigerant circuit, a first heat pump connected via liquid/liquid heat exchangers, and a second reversible air/liquid heat pump for heat and cold provision, along with a control unit for efficient operation and buffer storage management, allowing for flexible heat and cold distribution without external emission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If heat is transferred from heat source to heat sink using a heat pump, then heating and cooling are provided simultaneously, but additional heat must be supplied or removed to the environment when heating or cooling demand increases, resulting in efficiency loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple heat transfer circuits (first heat source circuit, second heat source circuit, first heat sink circuit, second heat sink circuit) into a unified heat pump system that can simultaneously serve multiple heating and cooling loads. The heat pumps transfer heat between these circuits, enabling simultaneous heating and cooling while utilizing all circuits to minimize waste heat discharge to the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump system is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple purposes: it can provide heating to different heat sinks, cooling from different heat sources, and can operate in various configurations depending on the relative demands of heating and cooling loads. This universal design allows the system to adapt to fluctuating demands without necessarily discharging waste heat to the environment.
2Power
If heat pump capacity is increased to meet peak heating or cooling demand, then sufficient heating or cooling can be provided, but the heating and cooling load requirements are not in constant ratio and fluctuate, leading to unused heat or cold being emitted to the environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic operation by enabling the heat pump system to continuously adjust heat transfer between multiple circuits based on real-time heating and cooling demands. The system can dynamically switch between different operational modes, directing heat flow to where it is most needed and minimizing waste discharge to the environment when demands fluctuate.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by adjusting the relative capacity utilization of different heat source and heat sink circuits. When heating demand exceeds cooling demand, the system utilizes additional heat source circuits or redirects heat to available heat sinks, and vice versa, thereby adapting to varying load conditions without fixed capacity ratios.
3Device complexity
If a single heat pump is used for heat transfer, then the system is simple, but it cannot efficiently handle fluctuating heating and cooling demands without external heat or cold provision
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple heat source circuits and multiple heat sink circuits into a single integrated heat pump system. This combination allows the system to internally balance heat and cooling demands across different circuits, reducing the need for external heat or cold exchange with the environment while maintaining manageable system complexity through unified control.
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 maintains efficient operation by shifting heat and cold between circuits, adjusting to fluctuating demands, and minimizing external energy exchange, thereby achieving high Total Efficiency Ratio (TER) and optimal temperature control.
Implementation Method 1
heat is transferred from the heat source side to the heat sink side
Implementation Method 2
The heat pump has an evaporator on the heat source side and a condenser on the heat sink side
Implementation Method 3
The heat pump is connected on a source side to a heat source and on a sink side to a heat sink, each via a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
The heat pump system (2) serves for simultaneous heating and cooling. It comprises a first compression heat pump (4) which is connected to a cooling circuit (6) and a heating circuit (8). A buffer storage tank (10, 14) and at least one consumer (12, 16) are arranged in each of the respective cooling circuits (6) and heating circuits (8). In addition to the first heat pump (4), an auxiliary unit, preferably a reversibly operating air/liquid heat pump (26), is arranged, which is hydraulically connected to the cooling circuit (6) and the heating circuit (8) and is optionally configured to provide additional heat for the heating circuit (8) and additional cooling for the cooling circuit (6).