Heat pump with hot gas reheat systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10948203-B2
Application number	US-201816008939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2018
Priority date	Jun 4, 2018
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a climate management system having an outdoor coil of a refrigerant circuit, a first indoor coil of the refrigerant circuit, and a second indoor coil of the refrigerant circuit disposed downstream of the first indoor coil with respect to a flow of air directed across the first indoor coil and the second indoor coil. The climate management system is configured to, in a cooling mode, direct refrigerant flow in a first direction through the outdoor coil, direct refrigerant flow through the first indoor coil, and restrict refrigerant flow from the second indoor coil. The climate management system is also configured to, in a heating mode, direct refrigerant flow in a second direction through the outdoor coil, direct refrigerant flow through the second indoor coil, and restrict refrigerant flow from the first indoor coil. The second direction is opposite the first direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A climate management system, comprising:
an outdoor coil of a refrigerant circuit;
a first indoor coil of the refrigerant circuit; and
a second indoor coil of the refrigerant circuit disposed downstream of the first indoor coil with respect to a flow of air directed across the first indoor coil and the second indoor coil,
wherein the climate management system is configured to, in a cooling mode, direct refrigerant flow in a first direction through the outdoor coil, direct refrigerant flow through the first indoor coil, and block refrigerant flow from the second indoor coil, and
wherein the climate management system is configured to, in a heating mode, direct refrigerant flow in a second direction through the outdoor coil, direct refrigerant flow through the second indoor coil, and block refrigerant flow from the first indoor coil throughout the heating mode, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction.

2. The climate management system of claim 1 , wherein, in the cooling mode, the outdoor coil is configured to function as a condenser and the first indoor coil is configured to function as an evaporator, and wherein, in the heating mode, the outdoor coil is configured to function as the evaporator and the second indoor coil is configured to function as the condenser.

3. The climate management system of claim 1 , wherein the second indoor coil comprises a hot gas reheat (HGRH) coil.

4. The climate management system of claim 1 , comprising:
a compressor of the refrigerant circuit configured to circulate the refrigerant flow through the outdoor coil, the first indoor coil, and the second indoor coil; and
a valve disposed along the refrigerant circuit downstream of the compressor, wherein the climate management system is configured to, in the cooling mode, control the valve to direct refrigerant flow from the compressor to the outdoor coil and block refrigerant flow from the compressor to the second indoor coil, and in the heating mode, control the valve to direct refrigerant flow from the compressor to the second indoor coil and block refrigerant flow from the compressor to the first indoor coil.

5. The climate management system of claim 4 , wherein the valve is disposed directly downstream of the compressor.

6. The climate management system of claim 4 , wherein the valve is a three-way valve.

7. The climate management system of claim 1 , wherein the climate management system is configured to, in a dehumidifying mode, direct refrigerant flow to the first indoor coil and the second indoor coil and to block refrigerant flow from the outdoor coil.

8. The climate management system of claim 1 , comprising a heat pump having the outdoor coil, the first indoor coil, and the second indoor coil.

9. The climate management system of claim 1 , comprising:
a compressor of the refrigerant circuit configured to circulate refrigerant flow through the outdoor coil, the first indoor coil, and the second indoor coil;
a three-way valve disposed along the refrigerant circuit downstream of the compressor; and
a reversing valve disposed along the refrigerant circuit upstream of the compressor, wherein the climate management system is configured to, in the cooling mode, control the three-way valve to direct refrigerant flow from the compressor to the reversing valve and control the reversing valve to direct refrigerant flow from the three-way valve to the outdoor coil.

10. The climate management system of claim 1 , comprising an indoor heat exchange unit, and wherein the first indoor coil and the second indoor coil are packaged together within the indoor heat exchange unit.

11. A climate management system, comprising:
a control system configured to control climate characteristics in a building, wherein the control system comprises a memory device and a processor, and wherein the memory device includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
direct refrigerant flow through an outdoor coil in a first direction and through a first indoor coil in a cooling mode of the climate management system;
block refrigerant flow through a second indoor coil in the cooling mode;
direct refrigerant flow through the outdoor coil in a second direction and through the second indoor coil in a heating mode of the climate management system, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction; and
block refrigerant flow through the first indoor coil throughout the heating mode.

12. The climate management system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
direct refrigerant flow through the first indoor coil and through the second indoor coil in a dehumidifying mode of the climate management system; and
block refrigerant flow through the outdoor coil in the dehumidifying mode.

13. The climate management system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to direct refrigerant flow through the outdoor coil in the cooling mode via actuation of a three-way valve disposed downstream of a compressor of the climate management system.

14. The climate management system of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to direct the refrigerant flow through the second indoor coil in the heating mode via actuation of the three-way valve.

15. A climate management system, comprising:
a valve disposed along a refrigerant circuit, wherein the valve is configured to receive refrigerant from a compressor disposed along the refrigerant circuit;
an outdoor coil disposed along the refrigerant circuit;
a first indoor coil disposed along the refrigerant circuit;
a second indoor coil disposed along the refrigerant circuit and disposed downstream of the first indoor coil relative to a flow of air directed across the first indoor coil and the second indoor coil; and
a reversing valve disposed along the refrigerant circuit downstream of the valve,
wherein the climate management system is configured to actuate the valve to a first position to direct refrigerant from the compressor to the second indoor coil and to block refrigerant from the compressor to the first indoor coil throughout a first operating mode, and
wherein the climate management system is configured to actuate the valve to a second position to direct refrigerant from the compressor to the outdoor coil via the reversing valve and to block refrigerant from the compressor to the second indoor coil in a second operating mode.

16. The climate management system of claim 15 , wherein the climate management system is configured to provide heated air to a conditioned space in the first operating mode, and to provide cooled air to the conditioned space in the second operating mode.

17. The climate management system of claim 15 , wherein the climate management system is configured to direct refrigerant from the second indoor coil to the outdoor coil in the first operating mode.

18. The climate management system of claim 15 , wherein the climate management system is configured to direct refrigerant from the outdoor coil to the first indoor coil in the second operating mode.

19. The climate management system of claim 15 , wherein the first indoor coil is designed and configured for operation as only an evaporator.

20. The climate management system of claim 15 , wherein the second indoor coil is designed and configured for operation as only a condenser.

21. The climate manag

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tech Co

Inventors

• Blanton Norman J

Classifications

• F25B41/24

  Arrangement of shut-off valves for disconnecting a part of the refrigerant cycle, e.g. an outdoor part · CPC title

• F25B41/20

  Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) · CPC title

• F25B2313/02321

  during cooling · CPC title

• F25B13/00

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• F25B2313/02323

  during heating · CPC title