Vapor injection heat pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12169083-B2
Application number	US-202217740593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2022
Priority date	May 10, 2022
Publication date	Dec 17, 2024
Grant date	Dec 17, 2024

Abstract

A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a compressor, a first region of a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a bypass branch. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet. The first heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor. The second heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger. The bypass branch includes an entrance and an exit. The entrance to the bypass branch is positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor and upstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger. The exit of the bypass branch is positioned upstream of the second 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 downstream of the outlet of the compressor;
a second heat exchanger positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger;
a bypass branch having an entrance positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor and upstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger, wherein an exit of the bypass branch is positioned upstream of the second heat exchanger;
a bypass shutoff valve positioned along the bypass branch, wherein the bypass shutoff valve is downstream of the entrance to the bypass branch and upstream of the outlet of the bypass branch;
a first branching point positioned immediately downstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger, wherein the refrigerant loop splits into a first path and a second path at the first branching point;
a first shutoff valve positioned along the first path and immediately downstream of the first branching point;
a second shutoff valve positioned along the second path and immediately downstream of the first branching point;
a second branching point positioned immediately downstream of the second heat exchanger;
a third shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the second branching point; and
an intersection point positioned immediately downstream of the third shutoff valve, wherein the intersection point operates as a branching point in a first mode of operation, and wherein the intersection point operates as a coupling point in a second mode of operation.

2. 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 downstream of the outlet of the compressor;
a second heat exchanger positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger;
a bypass branch having an entrance positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor and upstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger, wherein an exit of the bypass branch is positioned upstream of the second heat exchanger;
a bypass shutoff valve positioned along the bypass branch, wherein the bypass shutoff valve is downstream of the entrance to the bypass branch and upstream of the outlet of the bypass branch;
a first branching point positioned immediately downstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger, wherein the refrigerant loop splits into a first path and a second path at the first branching point;
a first shutoff valve positioned along the first path and immediately downstream of the first branching point;
a second shutoff valve positioned along the second path and immediately downstream of the first branching point;
a second branching point positioned immediately downstream of the second heat exchanger;
a third shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the second branching point;
an intersection point positioned immediately downstream of the third shutoff valve; and
a first expansion valve positioned immediately downstream of the intersection point.

3. The heat pump of claim 2 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a third branching point positioned immediately downstream of the intersection point in at least one mode of operation.

4. The heat pump of claim 3 , wherein the third branching point is positioned immediately downstream of the second shutoff valve in at least a separate mode of operation, and wherein the intersection point is positioned immediately downstream of the third branching point in the separate mode of operation.

5. The heat pump of claim 3 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a vapor generator having a first region and a second region, wherein the first region is positioned immediately downstream of the first expansion valve, wherein the second region is positioned immediately downstream of the third branching point, 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.

6. The heat pump of claim 5 , wherein the vapor generator is positioned upstream of the second heat exchanger in a first mode of operation, and wherein the vapor generator is positioned downstream of the second heat exchanger in a second mode of operation.

7. The heat pump of claim 5 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a fourth branching point positioned immediately downstream of the second region of the vapor generator;
a fourth shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the fourth branching point; and
a second expansion valve positioned immediately downstream of the fourth branching point, wherein the second expansion valve is upstream of the second heat exchanger.

8. The heat pump of claim 7 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a fifth branching point positioned immediately downstream of the second branching point;
a fifth shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the fifth branching point; and
a sixth shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the fifth branching point.

9. 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 downstream of the outlet of the compressor;
a first branching point positioned immediately downstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger, wherein the refrigerant loop splits into a first path and a second path at the first branching point;
a first shutoff valve positioned along the first path and immediately downstream of the first branching point;
a second shutoff valve positioned along the second path and immediately downstream of the first branching point;
a second heat exchanger downstream of the first heat exchanger;
a bypass branch having an entrance positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor and upstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger, wherein an exit of the bypass branch is positioned upstream of the second heat exchanger;
a second branching point positioned immediately downstream of the second heat exchanger;
a third shutoff valve positioned immediately downstream of the second branching point;
an intersection point positioned immediately downstream of the third shutoff valve;
a first expansion valve positioned immediately downstream of the intersection point;
a third branching point positioned immediately downstream of the intersection point in at least one mode of operation; and
a vapor generator having a first region and a second region, wherein the first region is positioned immediately downstream of the first expansion valve, and wherein the second region is positioned immediately downstream of the third branching point.

10. The heat pump of claim 9 , wherein the refrigerant loop further comprises:
a bypass shutoff valve positioned along the bypass branch, wherein the bypass shutoff valve is downstream of the entrance to the bypass branch and upstream of the outlet of the bypass branch.

11. The heat pump of claim 9 , wherein the intersection point operates as a branching point in a first mode of operation, and wherein the intersection point operates as a coupling point in a second mode of operation.

12. The heat pump of claim 9 , wherein the third branc

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Shey Rachael E
• Brown Jeffrey Paul
• Yu Leyuan
• Rollinson James C

Classifications

• F25B41/24

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

• F25B41/48

  for flow path resistance control on the downstream side of the diverging point, e.g. by an orifice · CPC title

• F25B2339/047

  Water-cooled condensers · CPC title

• F25B5/02

  arranged in parallel · CPC title

• F25B2400/13

  Economisers · CPC title