Heat pump system and control method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11629899-B2
Application number	US-201816960952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2018
Priority date	Jan 17, 2018
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A heat pump system and a control method therefor. The heat pump system includes a compressor; an indoor heal exchanger; an outdoor heat exchanger, including a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion, wherein a flow path switching device is provided between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion to disconnect or communicate the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion; a first four-way valve; and a second four-way valve, configured to enable a high-temperature refrigerant to be input into the first heat exchange portion in a heating mode, so as to enable the heat pump system to operate in a heating and deicing mode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat pump system, comprising:
a compressor;
an indoor heat exchanger;
an outdoor heat exchanger, comprising a first heat exchange portion and a second heat exchange portion, wherein a flow path switching device is provided between the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion configured to disconnect or communicate the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion;
a first four-way valve, configured to switch the flow direction of a refrigerant between the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger; and
a second four-way valve, configured to enable a high-temperature refrigerant to be input into the first heat exchange portion in a heating mode, so as to enable the heat pump system to operate in a heating and deicing mode;
wherein the compressor comprises an enhanced vapor injection port and an inlet port, and in the heating and deicing mode, the second four-way valve is configured to enable the first heat exchange portion to be connected between the enhanced vapor injection port and the inlet port.

2. The heat pump system of claim 1 , wherein
the first heat exchange portion is positioned at the bottom of the outdoor heat exchanger, and the second heat exchange portion is positioned above the first heat exchange portion.

3. The heat pump system of claim 1 , wherein the second four-way valve comprises a first port, a second port, a third port and a fourth port, the first port communicates with the enhanced vapor injection port, the second port and the fourth port communicate with two ends of the first heat exchange portion respectively and the third port communicates with the inlet port.

4. The heat pump system of claim 3 ,
wherein the flow path switching device comprises a first three-way reversing valve arranged at a first end of the first heat exchange portion, and a second three-way reversing valve arranged at a second end of the first heat exchange portion; and a throttling member is arranged between the third port and the inlet port; or
the flow path switching device comprises a first three-way reversing valve arranged at the first end of the first heat exchange portion, and a second three-way reversing valve arranged at a second end of the first heat exchange portion.

5. The heat pump system of claim 4 ,
wherein a collecting pipe is arranged at a first end of the outdoor heat exchanger, the collecting pipe communicates with the second heat exchange portion, a first end of the first heat exchange portion is configured to communicate with the collecting pipe in a first state of the first three-way reversing valve, and the first end of the first heat exchange portion is configured to communicate with the second port of the second four-way valve in a second state of the first three-way reversing valve; and a flow divider is arranged at a second end of the outdoor heat exchanger, the flow divider communicates with the second heat exchange portion, a second end of the first heat exchange portion is configured to communicate with a splitting branch of the flow divider in a first state of the second three-way reversing valve, and the second end of the first heat exchange portion communicates with the fourth port of the second four-way valve in a second state of the second three-way reversing valve; or
a collecting pipe is arranged at a first end of the outdoor heat exchanger, the collecting pipe communicates with the second heat exchange portion, a first end of the first heat exchange portion is configured to communicate with the collecting pipe in a first state of the first three-way reversing valve, and the first end of the first heat exchange portion is configured to communicate with the second port of a second four-way valve in the second state of the first three-way reversing valve.

6. The heat pump system of claim 5 ,
wherein the second heat exchange portion comprises a plurality of heat exchange pipes in parallel; and a first end of each heat exchange pipe communicates with the collecting pipe, and a second end of each heat exchange pipe communicates with one splitting branch of the flow divider respectively; or
a second end of each heat exchange pipe communicates with one splitting branch of the flow divider respectively.

7. The heat pump system of claim 6 , wherein a throttling element is arranged in each splitting branch of the flow divider.

8. The heat pump system of claim 5 , wherein the second heat exchange portion comprises a plurality of heat exchange pipes in parallel; and a first end of each heat exchange pipe communicates with the collecting pipe.

9. The heat pump system of claim 4 , wherein a flow divider is arranged at a second end of the outdoor heat exchanger, the flow divider communicates with the second heat exchange portion, a second end of the first heat exchange portion is configured to communicate with a splitting branch of the flow divider in a first state of the second three-way reversing valve, and the second end of the first heat exchange portion communicates with the fourth port of the second four-way valve in a second state of the second three-way reversing valve.

10. The heat pump system of claim 3 , comprising a supercooler comprising a first passage and a second passage; wherein a first end and a second end of the first passage communicate with the outdoor heat exchanger and the indoor heat exchanger respectively; a first end of the second passage communicates with the fourth port of the second four-way valve; and a second end of the second passage communicates with the second end of the first passage via a supercooler throttling element.

11. The heat pump system of claim 10 ,
wherein a first throttling component is arranged between the supercooler and the outdoor heat exchanger, and a second throttling component is arranged between the supercooler and the indoor heat exchanger; or
a first throttling component is arranged between the supercooler and the outdoor heat exchanger; or
a second throttling component is arranged between the supercooler and the indoor heat exchanger.

12. The heat pump system of claim 3 , wherein a throttling member is arranged between the third port and the inlet port.

13. The heat pump system of claim 1 ,
wherein a first stop valve and a second stop valve are arranged at two ends of the indoor heat exchanger respectively; and a vapor-liquid separator is arranged between the inlet port and the first four-way valve; or
a first stop valve and a second stop valve are arranged at two ends of the indoor heat exchanger respectively; or
a vapor-liquid separator is arranged between the inlet port and the first four-way valve.

14. A method for controlling the heat pump system of claim 1 , comprising following steps:
S 10 , enabling the heat pump system to operate in the heating mode; and
S 30 , switching the flow path switching device to a state to disconnect the first heat exchange portion and the second heat exchange portion, and switching the second four-way valve to a state to input a high-temperature refrigerant into the first heat exchange portion, so as to enable the heat pump system to operate in the heating and deicing mode.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein a first port of the second four-way valve communicates with an enhanced vapor injection port of the compressor, a second port and a fourth port of the second four-way valve communicates with two ends of the first heat exchange portion respectively, and a third port of the second four-way valve communicates with an inlet port of the compressor; and in the step S 30 , switching the second four-way valv

Assignees

• Gree Electric Appliances Inc Zhuhai

Inventors

• Feng Tao
• Li Limin
• Li Huajie
• Huang Wenhao
• Cao Peng
• Jin Mengmeng
• Zhou Chao
• Zhu Shiqiang

Classifications

• F25B47/02

  Defrosting cycles · CPC title

• F25B41/42

  Arrangements for diverging or converging flows, e.g. branch lines or junctions · CPC title

• F25B40/00 Primary

  Subcoolers, desuperheaters or superheaters · CPC title

• F25B49/025

  Motor control arrangements · CPC title

• F25B41/20

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