Submerged condensers and heat pump water heaters including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022163219-A1
Application number	US-202117530945-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 19, 2021
Priority date	Nov 20, 2020
Publication date	May 26, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A condenser assembly is disclosed. The condenser assembly can include a condenser coil having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion can be configured to fluidly communicate with a first refrigerant line of a heat pump, and the first portion can have a plurality of windings defining an internal volume. The second portion can be configured to fluidly communicate with a second refrigerant line of the heat pump. The condenser coil can be configured to at least partially insert into an internal volume of a water heater tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A condenser assembly comprising:
a condenser coil having:
a first portion configured to fluidly communicate with a first refrigerant line of a heat pump, the first portion having a plurality of windings defining an internal volume; and
a second portion configured to fluidly communicate with a second refrigerant line of the heat pump.

2 . The condenser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of windings of the first portion form a helix.

3 . The condenser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the condenser coil is configured to sequentially pass refrigerant through the first portion and the second portion.

4 . The condenser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the condenser coil is configured to sequentially pass refrigerant through the second portion and the first portion.

5 . The condenser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second portion comprises a substantially straight section.

6 . The condenser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second portion extends through the internal volume of the first portion.

7 . The condenser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second portion extends outside the internal volume of the first portion.

8 . The condenser assembly of claim 1 further comprising:
a base configured to detachably attach to a receiving port of a water heater.

9 . The condenser assembly of claim 8 , wherein the base comprises threads configured to mate with threads of the receiving port.

10 . The condenser assembly of claim 8 , wherein the base comprises an aperture configured to receive a water inlet tube.

11 . The condenser assembly of claim 10 , wherein the water inlet tube extends through the internal volume of the first portion.

12 . The condenser assembly of claim 10 , wherein the water inlet tube has a length that is less than or equal to a length of the condenser coil.

13 . The condenser assembly of claim 10 , wherein the water inlet tube has a plurality of apertures disposed along at least a portion of a length of the water inlet tube.

14 . The condenser assembly of claim 13 , wherein the water inlet tube has a capped end.

15 . The condenser assembly of claim 10 further comprising an alignment tab configured to hold the water inlet tube in a predetermined position relative the condenser coil.

16 . The condenser assembly of claim 1 , wherein the condenser coil comprises an inner wall and an outer wall, the inner and outer walls forming an air gap therebetween.

17 . A water heater comprising:
a tank; and a heat pump comprising a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion valve, a condenser assembly, and a plurality of refrigerant lines, the condenser assembly including a condenser coil comprising:
a first portion configured to fluidly communicate with a first refrigerant line of the plurality of refrigerant lines, the first portion (i) having a plurality of windings defining an internal volume and (ii) being configured to at least partially extend into an internal volume of the tank; and
a second portion configured to fluidly communicate with a second refrigerant line of the plurality of refrigerant lines and to at least partially extend into an internal volume of the tank.

18 . The water heater of claim 17 further comprising a receiving port, wherein the condenser assembly is configured to detachably attach to the receiving port.

19 . The water heater of claim 18 , wherein the receiving port is located in a sidewall of the water heater.

20 . The water heater of claim 19 further comprising a water inlet configured to discharge incoming water into the internal volume of the first portion.

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co

Inventors

• Chen Hongchu
• Manay Atilhan
• Ardha Vishwanath
• Mantha Divakar

Classifications

• F25B39/04

  Condensers · CPC title

• F24H9/1809

  for water heaters · CPC title

• F24H4/04

  Storage heaters · CPC title

• F24D3/18 Primary

  using heat pumps · CPC title

• F25B2339/047

  Water-cooled condensers · CPC title