Vapor injection heat pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11927372-B2
Application number	US-202217731600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2022
Priority date	Apr 28, 2022
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a compressor, a first region of a first heat exchanger. The first heat exchanger is positioned immediately downstream of an outlet of the compressor. A second heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger. A vapor generator is positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger. The vapor generator is positioned upstream of the second heat exchanger in a first mode of operation. The vapor generator is positioned downstream of the second heat exchanger in a second mode of operation. A first branching point is positioned immediately downstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat pump, comprising:
a refrigerant loop comprising:
a compressor having a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet;
a first region of a first heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned immediately downstream of the outlet of the compressor;
a second heat exchanger downstream of the first heat exchanger;
a vapor generator positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger, wherein the vapor generator is positioned upstream of the second heat exchanger in a first mode of operation, wherein the vapor generator is positioned downstream of the second heat exchanger in a second mode of operation, wherein the vapor generator is positioned upstream of both the low-pressure inlet and the mid-pressure inlet, and wherein the vapor generator delivers at least a portion of a gaseous component of a first heat exchange fluid to the mid-pressure inlet of the compressor; and
a first branching point positioned immediately downstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger;
a first shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the first branching point;
a second shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the first branching point, wherein the second heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the second shutoff valve;
a second branching point positioned downstream of the second heat exchanger;
a third shutoff valve and a fourth shutoff valve each positioned downstream of the second branching point, respectively;
a first coupling point positioned downstream of the fourth shutoff valve; and
a third branching point positioned immediately downstream of the first coupling point.

2. The heat pump of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a first expansion valve positioned downstream of the third branching point.

3. The heat pump of claim 2 , wherein the vapor generator comprises a first region and a second region, wherein the first region of the vapor generator is positioned immediately downstream of the first expansion valve, and wherein the second region of the vapor generator is positioned immediately downstream of the third branching point.

4. The heat pump of claim 3 , wherein the mid-pressure inlet of the compressor is immediately downstream of the first region of the vapor generator.

5. The heat pump of claim 3 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a fourth branching point positioned downstream of the second region of the vapor generator.

6. The heat pump of claim 5 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a fifth shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the fourth branching point.

7. The heat pump of claim 6 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a second expansion valve positioned immediately downstream of the fourth branching point.

8. The heat pump of claim 7 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a second coupling point positioned immediately downstream of the second expansion valve, wherein the second coupling point is positioned immediately upstream of the second heat exchanger.

9. The heat pump of claim 8 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a third expansion valve positioned downstream of the fifth shutoff valve;
a third heat exchanger positioned immediately downstream of the third expansion valve;
a fourth expansion valve positioned downstream of the fifth shutoff valve;
a fourth heat exchanger positioned immediately downstream of the fourth expansion valve; and
an accumulator positioned immediately upstream of the low-pressure inlet of the compressor.

10. The heat pump of claim 9 , further comprising:
a coolant loop comprising:
a pump;
a second region of the first heat exchanger;
a reservoir;
a fifth heat exchanger;
a first heat-producing component;
a second heat-producing component; and
a coolant network of conduits that fluidly couples components of the coolant loop.

11. A heat pump, comprising:
a refrigerant loop comprising:
a compressor having a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet;
a first region of a first heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned immediately downstream of the outlet of the compressor;
a second heat exchanger downstream of the first heat exchanger;
a vapor generator positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger, wherein the vapor generator is positioned upstream of the second heat exchanger in a first mode of operation, wherein the vapor generator is positioned downstream of the second heat exchanger in a second mode of operation, wherein the vapor generator is positioned upstream of both the low-pressure inlet and the mid-pressure inlet, and wherein the vapor generator delivers at least a portion of a gaseous component of a first heat exchange fluid to the mid-pressure inlet of the compressor;
a first branching point positioned immediately downstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger;
a first shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the first branching point;
a second shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the first branching point, wherein the second heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the second shutoff valve;
a second branching point positioned downstream of the second heat exchanger;
a third shutoff valve positioned downstream of the second branching point;
a fourth shutoff valve positioned downstream of the second branching point;
a first coupling point positioned downstream of the fourth shutoff valve;
a third branching point positioned immediately downstream of the first coupling point; and
a first expansion valve positioned downstream of the third branching point, wherein the vapor generator comprises a first region and a second region, wherein the first region of the vapor generator is positioned immediately downstream of the first expansion valve, wherein the second region of the vapor generator is positioned immediately downstream of the third branching point, and wherein the mid-pressure inlet of the compressor is immediately downstream of the first region of the vapor generator.

12. The heat pump of claim 11 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a fourth branching point positioned downstream of the second region of the vapor generator;
a fifth shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the fourth branching point;
a second expansion valve positioned immediately downstream of the fourth branching point; and
a second coupling point positioned immediately downstream of the second expansion valve, wherein the second coupling point is positioned immediately upstream of the second heat exchanger.

13. The heat pump of claim 12 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a third expansion valve positioned downstream of the fifth shutoff valve;
a third heat exchanger positioned immediately downstream of the third expansion valve;
a fourth expansion valve positioned downstream of the fifth shutoff valve;
a fourth heat exchanger positioned immediately downstream of the fourth expansion valve; and
an accumulator positioned immediately upstream of the low-pressure inlet of the compressor.

14. A heat pump, comprising:
a refrigerant loop comprising:
a compressor having a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet;
a first region of a first heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger is positioned immediately downstream of the outlet of the compressor;
a second heat exchanger downstream of the first heat exchanger;
a vapor generator positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger, wherein the vapor generator is positioned upstream of the

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Shey Rachael
• Brown Jeffrey Paul

Classifications

• F25B13/00 Primary

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

• B60H1/00921

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct · CPC title

• F25B25/005

  using primary and secondary systems · CPC title

• F25B30/02 Primary

  of the compression type · CPC title

• F25B41/24

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