Gas heat-pump system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11796231-B2
Application number	US-202017110609-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Dec 6, 2019
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

Proposed is a gas heat-pump system including: a compressor of an air conditioning module; a gas engine generating a drive force of the compressor; and a turbocharger primarily first-level pressure to a fuel-to-air mixture and supplying the fuel-to-air mixture to the gas engine or applying second-level pressure to the fuel-to-air mixture to which the first-level pressure is applied and supplying the fuel-to-air mixture to the gas engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas heat-pump system comprising:
an air conditioning module comprising a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, an indoor heat exchanger, and a refrigerant pipe;
an engine module comprising an engine configured to burn a fuel-to-air mixture, and to generate a driving force of the compressor, and a turbocharger comprising a first turbocharger having a first impeller to be driven by a first motor and a second turbocharger having a second impeller to be driven by a second motor;
a mixture device configured to guide the fuel-to-air mixture to the turbocharger;
a connection pipe connecting a discharge port of the first turbocharger and an inlet port of the second turbocharger to each other for a fluid flow, the mixture device being connected to the connection pipe at a first position of the connection pipe between the discharge port of the first turbocharger and the inlet port of the second turbocharger;
an exhaust pipe configured to guide exhaust gas discharged from the engine to the outside;
a first bypass pipe connecting the exhaust pipe and the first turbocharger to each other for the fluid flow and configured to at least partly guide the exhaust gas to the first turbocharger; and
a second bypass pipe having a first end portion is connected to the exhaust pipe downstream from the position of the exhaust pipe where the first bypass pipe is connected to the exhaust pipe and having a second end portion connected to the connection pipe at a second position of the connection pipe, the second position of the connection pipe being between the first position of the connection pipe and a third position of the connection pipe where the connection pipe connects to the discharge port of the first turbocharger,
wherein the turbocharger supplies the fuel-to-air mixture to the engine by applying pressure with the second impeller, or supplies the fuel-to-air mixture to the engine by applying pressure with the first impeller and subsequently applying pressure with the second impeller.

2. The gas heat-pump system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first turbocharger entrance pipe connected to the mixture device upstream from a position where the connection pipe is connected to the mixture device and configured to guide the fuel-to-air mixture to a first inlet port of the first turbocharger; and
a first switch valve arranged at a position where the first turbocharger entrance pipe is connected to the mixture device, the first switch valve being configured to switch a flowing direction of the fuel-to-air mixture flowing within the mixture device.

3. The gas heat-pump system of claim 2 , wherein the first switch valve comprises:
a first port connected to the mixture device;
a second port connected to the mixture device in a manner that faces the first port; and
a third port connected to the first turbocharger entrance port.

4. The gas heat-pump system of claim 3 , further comprising:
a second switch valve arranged at a position where the first bypass pipe is connected to the exhaust pipe, the second switch valve configured to allow or block the fluid flow between the first bypass pipe and the exhaust pipe;
a third switch valve arranged at a position where the second bypass pipe and the connection pipe are connected to each other, the third switch valve configured to allow or block the fluid flow between the second bypass pipe and the connection pipe, wherein the second switch valve comprises:
a fourth port connected to the exhaust pipe;
a fifth port connected to the exhaust pipe in a manner that faces the fourth port; and
a sixth port connected to the first bypass pipe, and

the third switch valve comprises:
a seventh port connected to the connection pipe;
an eighth port connected to the connection pipe in a manner that faces the seventh port; and
a ninth port connected to the second bypass pipe.

5. The gas heat-pump system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a controller configured to adjust an output rpm of the engine in a manner that corresponds to a required load ratio of the air conditioning module,
wherein when it is determined that the required load ratio is less than a first reference load ratio, the controller performs control in such a manner that the turbocharger operates in a first turbocharger operation mode,
when it is determined that the required load ratio is equal to or greater than the first reference load ratio and is less than a second reference load ratio, the controller performs control in such a manner that the turbocharger operates in a second turbocharger operation mode, and
when it is determined that the required load ratio is equal to or greater than the second reference load ratio, the controller performs control in such a manner that the turbocharger operates in a third turbocharger operation mode,
wherein the second reference load ratio is greater than the first reference load ratio.

6. The gas heat-pump system of claim 5 , wherein the first reference load ratio is 30% of a maximum amount of load on the air conditioning module, and the second reference load ratio is 70% of the maximum amount of load.

7. The gas heat-pump system of claim 5 , wherein in the first turbocharger operation mode, the controller sets a flow path with respect to the first switch valve in such a manner that the first port and the second port are open and that the third port is closed, sets the flow path with respect to the second switch valve in such a manner that the fourth port and the fifth port are open and that the sixth port is closed, and sets the flow path with respect to the third switch valve in such a manner that at least two of the seventh port, the eighth port, and the ninth port are closed.

8. The gas heat-pump system of claim 7 , wherein in the first turbocharger operation mode, the controller supplies electric power to the second motor and thus rotates the second impeller, and blocks the electric power from being supplied to the first motor and thus stops the first impeller.

9. The gas heat-pump system of claim 8 , wherein while operation in the first turbocharger operation mode is in progress, the controller determines whether or not the output rpm of the engine reaches a target rpm corresponding to the required load ratio, and
when it is determined that the output rpm of the engine reaches the target rpm, the controller performs control in such a manner that the exhaust gas is at least partly introduced into the engine.

10. The gas heat-pump system of claim 9 , wherein in order to at least partly introduce the exhaust gas into the engine, the controller maintains the flow path with respect to the first switch valve, switches the flow path with respect to the second switch valve in such a manner that the fourth port and the fifth port are open and that the sixth port is partly open, and switches the flow path with respect to the third switch valve in such a manner that the seventh port and the eighth port are open and that the ninth port is closed.

11. The gas heat-pump system of claim 10 , wherein a degree of opening to which the sixth port is partly open ranges from 5% to 30%.

12. The gas heat-pump system of claim 5 , in the second turbocharger operation mode, the controller sets the flow path with respect to the first switch valve in such a manner that the first port and the second port are open and that the third port is closed, sets the flow path with respect to the second switch valve in such a manner that the fourth port and the sixth port are open and that the fifth port is closed, and sets the flow path with respect to the third switch valve in such a manner that the seventh port and the ninth por

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Jang Heejoong
• Jeong Hojong

Classifications

• F25B27/00 Primary

  Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy (F25B30/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F02B33/40

  of non-positive-displacement type · CPC title

• F02B39/10 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• F02B47/08

  the substances including exhaust gas · CPC title

• F02D23/00

  Controlling engines characterised by their being supercharged · CPC title