Heat Pump With A Storage Tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016370044-A1
Application number	US-201515122237-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 21, 2015
Priority date	Feb 27, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device includes a storage tank and a heat pump including at least one condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and a compressor. The heat pump includes a working circuit for a circulating working fluid. The storage tank is arranged between the condenser and the evaporator with respect to the working circuit, and the storage tank includes a piston and/or a membrane for controlling a fluid level of the working fluid in the condenser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A device, comprising:
a storage tank; and a heat pump comprising:
a condenser,
an expansion valve,
an evaporator,
a compressor,
a working circuit having a circulating working fluid,
wherein the storage tank is arranged, with respect to the working circuit, between the condenser and the evaporator, and wherein the storage tank comprises at least one of a piston or a diaphragm that regulates a fluid level of the working fluid in the condenser.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the storage tank comprises a piston and is fluidically coupled to the heat pump via an outlet value and an inlet valve,
wherein the outlet valve, with respect to the working circuit, is arranged between the condenser and the expansion valve, and the inlet valve is arranged between the expansion valve and the evaporator.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the storage tank comprises a hydraulic cylinder.

4 . The device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the outlet valve or the inlet valve comprises a further expansion valve and a non-return valve.

5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the storage tank is a collecting tank comprising a diaphragm, and
wherein the collecting tank is arranged, with respect to the working circuit, between the condenser and the expansion valve.

6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the collecting tank is coupled to an air compressor, wherein the air compressor feeds compressed air into a partial volume of the collecting tank, the partial volume being delimited by the diaphragm.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the partial volume of the collecting tank is coupled to a compressed-air outlet valve.

8 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the collecting tank includes a displacement unit configured to mechanically displace the diaphragm.

9 . A method for operating a heat pump with a working fluid circulating within a working circuit, the method comprising:
condensing the working fluid using a condenser, expanding the working fluid using an expansion valve, evaporating the working fluid using an evaporator, and compressing the working fluid using a compressor, guiding the working fluid between the condenser and the evaporator to a storage tank, and regulating a fluid level of the working fluid in the condenser using at least one of a piston or a diaphragm of the storage tank.

10 . The method of claim 9 , comprising:
regulating the fluid level using the piston, and guiding the working fluid to the storage tank using an outlet valve.

11 . The method of claim 10 , comprising guiding the working fluid from the storage tank back to the heat pump by closing the outlet valve and opening an inlet valve coupled between the expansion valve and the evaporate.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the storage tank a collecting tank including a diaphragm that regulates the fluid level, and the working fluid is guided, with respect to the working circuit, between the condenser and the expansion valve to the collecting tank.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein at least a partial volume of the collecting tank is enlarged or reduced by a mechanical displacement of the diaphragm.

14 . The method of claim 9 , comprising regulating the fluid level of the working fluid if the fluid level of the working fluid in the condenser exceeds or falls below a threshold value.

15 . The method of claim 9 , comprising regulating the fluid level of the working fluid if the temperature of the working fluid exceeds or falls below a threshold value.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Danov Vladimir
• Reissner Florian

Classifications

• F25B41/20

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

• F25B41/04

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• F25B45/00 Primary

  Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant · CPC title

• F25B2400/16

  Receivers · CPC title