Heat pump type hot water supply apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9003818-B2
Application number	US-201113091586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2011
Priority date	Apr 23, 2010
Publication date	Apr 14, 2015
Grant date	Apr 14, 2015

Abstract

A heat pump-type hot water supply apparatus may be provided that includes: a refrigeration cycle circuit (including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, expansion devices, and an indoor heat exchanger); a hot water supply heat exchanger connected to the refrigeration cycle circuit to use the first refrigerant discharged from the compressor for a hot water supply; a cascade heat exchanger connected to the refrigeration cycle circuit to allow the first refrigerant passing through the hot water supply heat exchanger to evaporate a second refrigerant and thereafter, to be condensed, expanded, and evaporated in the refrigeration cycle circuit; a heat storage compressor compressing the second refrigerant evaporated in the cascade heat exchanger, a heat storage tank to heat water using the second refrigerant compressed by the heat storage compressor, and a heat storage expansion device to expand the second refrigerant condensed in the heat storage tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat pump-type hot water supply apparatus, comprising:
a refrigeration cycle circuit that circulates a first refrigerant and performs an air-condition operation, the refrigeration cycle circuit including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, expansion devices, and an indoor heat exchanger;
a hot water supply heat exchanger to use the first refrigerant from the compressor for a hot water supply;
a cascade heat exchanger to receive the first refrigerant that passes through the hot water supply heat exchanger and to evaporate a second refrigerant based on the first refrigerant;
a heat storage compressor to compress the second refrigerant evaporated in the cascade heat exchanger;
a heat storage tank to receive the compressed second refrigerant and to heat water based on the received second refrigerant; and
a heat storage expansion device to expand the second refrigerant from the heat storage tank,
wherein the hot water supply heat exchanger is connected to a hot water supply inflow path,
the cascade heat exchanger is connected to a cascade outflow path, and
the hot water supply heat exchanger and the cascade heat exchanger are each connected to a hot water supply outflow path,
wherein the refrigeration cycle circuit further includes a cooling/heating switching valve to switch between a cooling operation and a heating operation,
wherein the cooling/heating switching valve is connected to a compressor suction path and a compressor discharge path,
the hot water supply inflow path is connected between the compressor and the cooling/heating switching valve , and
the cascade outflow path connects the cascade heat exchanger and the compressor discharge path to each other,
wherein the apparatus further comprises a heat exchanger bypass path to guide the first refrigerant that passes through the cascade heat exchanger to bypass any one of the outdoor heat exchanger or the indoor heat exchanger, and
an auxiliary refrigerant controller provided between the cascade heat exchanger and the cooling/heating switching valve to selectively control the flow of the first refrigerant that passes through the cascade heat exchanger such that the first refrigerant passes through the heat exchanger bypass path or bypasses the heat exchanger bypass path.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a water and refrigerant heat exchanger connected between the hot water supply heat exchanger and the cascade heat exchanger by a water and refrigerant heat exchanger connection path;
a water and refrigerant heat exchanger refrigerant controller to selectively control flow of the first refrigerant such that the first refrigerant passes through the water and refrigerant heat exchanger or bypasses the water and refrigerant heat exchanger.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a floor heating pipe connected to the water and refrigerant heat exchanger by a heating circulation path; and
a floor heating pump provided at the heating circulation path.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hot water supply tank connected to the hot water supply heat exchanger; and
a hot water supply pump provided at a hot water supply circulation path.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a refrigerant controller to selectively control the flow of the first refrigerant from the compressor such that the first refrigerant passes through the hot water supply heat exchanger and the cascade heat exchanger or bypasses the hot water supply heat exchanger and the cascade heat exchanger.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the expansion devices include an indoor expansion device and an outdoor expansion device, and
the heat exchanger bypass path is between the indoor expansion device and the outdoor expansion device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger bypass valve provided on the heat exchanger bypass path to control the flow of the first refrigerant.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a liquid refrigerant valve provided between the heat exchanger bypass path and the indoor expansion device to control the flow of the first refrigerant.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the expansion devices include the indoor expansion device and the outdoor expansion device, and
the heat pump-type hot water supply apparatus further comprises:
a gas-liquid separator between the indoor expansion device and the outdoor expansion device, and
an injection line for injecting a vapor refrigerant of the gas-liquid separator into the compressor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising an injection refrigerant controller provided at the injection line to control the vapor refrigerant injected into the compressor.

Assignees

• Choi Hwanjong
• Park Noma
• Park Heewoong
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choi Hwanjong
• Park Noma
• Park Heewoong

Classifications

• Y02B30/52

  Heat recovery pumps, i.e. heat pump based systems or units able to transfer the thermal energy from one area of the premises or part of the facilities to a different one, improving the overall efficiency · CPC title

• F24F1/0003

  characterised by a split arrangement, wherein parts of the air-conditioning system, e.g. evaporator and condenser, are in separately located units · CPC title

• F24D2200/31

  Air conditioning systems · CPC title

• F24F2203/021

  Compression cycle · CPC title

• F24F2221/54

  Heating and cooling, simultaneously or alternatively · CPC title