Heat pump system and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12467663-B2
Application number	US-202318322058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2023
Priority date	May 24, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A heat pump system comprises: a compressor having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet; a change-over valve configured to selectively connect the compressor inlet and the compressor outlet to a first flow path and a second flow path; a heat-source-side heat exchanger on the first flow path; a user-side heat exchanger on the second flow path; a first branch and a second branch between the first flow path and the second flow path, the first branch having a three-way valve, and the second branch having a two throttling devices, wherein the three-way valve has two ports for communicating with the first flow path and a third port for communicating with the second flow path; and a third branch connected between the first throttling device and the second throttling device and the second port of the three-way valve, where an economizer is provided on the third branch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat pump system, comprising:
a heat-source-side heat exchanger on a first flow path; a user-side heat exchanger on a second flow path; a first branch and a second branch between the first flow path and the second flow path, the first branch being provided with a three-way valve, and the second branch being provided with a first throttling device and a second throttling device, wherein the three-way valve has a first port and a second port for communicating with the first flow path and a third port for communicating with the second flow path; and a third branch connected between a first position between the first throttling device and the second throttling device and the second port of the three-way valve, where an economizer is provided on the third branch.

2 . The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the three-way valve is configured to only allow refrigerant to flow from its first port to its second port in a cooling mode, and to only allow refrigerant to flow from its third port to its second port in a heating mode.

3 . The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the first throttling device and the second throttling device are expansion valves.

4 . The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat pump system further comprises a controller for controlling the first throttling device and the second throttling device, wherein the controller is configured to turn off the first throttling device and allow the second throttling device to throttle in the cooling mode, and to turn off the second throttling device and allow the first throttling device to throttle in the heating mode.

5 . The heat pump system according to claim 4 , wherein the three-way valve is a three-way stop valve, and the controller is configured to control the three-way valve such that the first and second ports of the three-way valve are turned on and the third port is turned off in the cooling mode, and that the third and second ports of the three-way valve are turned on and the first port is turned off in the heating mode.

6 . A control method of a heat pump system for use in a heat pump system according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
turning off the first throttling device and allowing the second throttling device to throttle in a cooling mode such that refrigerant passes through the first port of the three-way valve, the second port of the three-way valve, the economizer and the second throttling device in turn, and turning off the second throttling device and allowing the first throttling device to throttle in a heating mode such that refrigerant passes through the third port of the three-way valve, the second port of the three-way valve, the economizer and the first throttling device in turn.

7 . A heat pump system, comprising:
a heat-source-side heat exchanger on a first flow path; a user-side heat exchanger on a second flow path; a first three-way valve and a second three-way valve arranged in parallel between the first flow path and the second flow path, wherein the first three-way valve has a first port and a second port for communicating with the first flow path and a third port for communicating with the second flow path, and the second three-way valve has a first port and a second port for communicating with the first flow path and a third port for communicating with the second flow path; and an economizer and a throttling device connected in turn between the second port of the first three-way valve and the second port of the second three-way valve, wherein the economizer and the throttling device are operably connected between the heat-source-side heat exchanger and the user-side heat exchanger.

8 . The heat pump system according to claim 7 , wherein the first three-way valve is configured to only allow refrigerant to flow from its first port to its second port in a cooling mode and to only allow refrigerant to flow from its third port to its second port in a heating mode.

9 . The heat pump system according to claim 7 , wherein the throttling device is an expansion valve.

10 . The heat pump system according to claim 7 , wherein the first three-way valve is a first three-way stop valve and the second three-way valve is a second three-way stop valve, wherein the heat pump system further comprises a controller for controlling the first three-way valve and the second three-way valve, such that the first and second ports of the first three-way valve are turned on and the third port of the first three-way valve is turned off, and the second and third ports of the second three-way valve are turned on and the first port of the second three-way valve is turned off in the cooling mode, and that the second and third ports of the first three-way valve are turned on and the first port of the first three-way valve is turned off, and the first and second ports of the second three-way valve are turned on and the third port of the second three-way valve is turned off in the heating mode.

11 . A control method of a heat pump system for use in a heat pump system according to claim 7 , the method comprising:
turning on the first and second ports of the first three-way valve and turning off the third port of the first three-way valve, and turning on the second and third ports of the second three-way valve and turning off the first port of the second three-way valve in the cooling mode, such that refrigerant passes through the first port of the first three-way valve, the second port of the first three-way valve, the economizer, the throttling device, the second port of the second three-way valve and the third port of the second three-way valve in turn; and turning on the second and third ports of the first three-way valve and turning off the first port of the first three-way valve, and turning on the first and second ports of the second three-way valve and turning off the third port of the second three-way valve in the heating mode, such that refrigerant passes through the third port of the first three-way valve, the second port of the first three-way valve, the economizer, the throttling device, the second port of the second three-way valve and the first port of the second three-way valve in turn.

12 . A heat pump system, comprising:
a heat-source-side heat exchanger on a first flow path; a user-side heat exchanger on a second flow path; a four-way valve arranged between the first flow path and the second flow path, wherein the four-way valve has a first port and a second port for communicating with the first flow path, and a third port and a fourth port for communicating with the second flow path; and an economizer and a throttling device connected in turn between the second port and the fourth port of the four-way valve, wherein the economizer directly communicates with the second port of the four-way valve.

13 . The heat pump system according to claim 12 , wherein the four-way valve is configured to only allow refrigerant to flow from its first port to its second port and from its fourth port to its third port in the cooling mode, and to only allow refrigerant to flow from its third port to its second port and from its fourth port to its first port in the heating mode.

14 . The heat pump system according to claim 12 , wherein the throttling device is an expansion valve.

15 . The heat pump system according to claim 12 , wherein the four-way valve is a four-way stop valve, and the heat pump system further comprises a controller for controlling the four-way valve, such that the first and second ports of the four-way valve are communicated and the third and fourth

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Yilin
• Wang Weijuan

Classifications

• F25B2600/2507

  Flow-diverting valves · CPC title

• F25B41/26

  of fluid flow reversing valves · CPC title

• F25B41/20

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

• F25B2400/13

  Economisers · CPC title

• F25B2313/02741

  using one four-way valve · CPC title