Heat pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9316402-B2
Application number	US-201113211490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2011
Priority date	Aug 17, 2010
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

A heat pump including a boiler is disclosed. The heat pump may include a quick-hot-water-supply tank and the boiler, which may be operated selectively based on a temperature of external air or an electric power rate per unit heat quantity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat pump, comprising:
an outdoor device comprising a compressor;
a hydro-device comprising at least one heat exchanger that heat-exchanges refrigerant supplied by the outdoor device with water;
a boiler configured to selectively heat water circulating through the hydro-device or water supplied from a commercial water supply system;
a radiation heater configured to perform heating using water heated by at least one of the hydro-device or the boiler, wherein water circulating through the hydro-device and the radiation heater selectively passes through the boiler based on a temperature of external air;
a quick-hot-water-supply tank configured to heat and store water supplied by the commercial water supply system using the water heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the hydro-device or to store, after heating, the water supplied by the commercial water supply system; and
a controller configured to control the outdoor device, the hydro-device, and the boiler, wherein the boiler is operated when the temperature of the external air is less than a predetermined first temperature below approximately 0° C. and the hydro-device is operated when the temperature of the external air is equal to or greater than the predetermined first temperature; wherein when the temperature of the external air is equal to or greater than the predetermined first temperature and less than a predetermined second temperature above approximately 0° C. which is greater than the predetermined first temperature, water circulating through the radiation heater, after being heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the hydro-device, passes through the boiler and only a pump provided in the boiler is operated, without a combustion process; wherein when the temperature of the external air is equal to or greater than the predetermined second temperature above approximately 0° C., the water circulating through the radiation heater, after being heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the hydro-device, bypasses the boiler; wherein the controller is connected to an energy management system that provides information on an electric power rate, wherein the energy management system provides information on the electric power rate per unit heat quantity for a predetermined period of time or the energy management system transmits a control signal of the heat pump to the controller, based on the information on the electric power rate per unit heat quantity; wherein when a user sets a peak rate per unit heat quantity using the energy management system or the controller, the energy management system or the controller compares the electric power rate unit heat quantity and a gas rate per unit heat quantity with the set peak rate per unit heat quantity, and the boiler is operated only in a period during which the electric power rate per unit heat quantity is higher than the set peak rate per unit quantity; and wherein operation of the hydro-device is stopped and the boiler operated, when the temperature of the external air is equal to or less than the predetermined first temperature below approximately 0° C., even in a case in which the electric power rate per unit heat quantity is lower than the set peak rate per unit heat quantity.

2. The heat pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant supplied to the hydro-device by the outdoor device is heat-exchanged with water circulating through the radiation heater and the quick-hot-water-supply tank.

3. The heat pump as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the hydro-device comprises:
a first heat exchanger that heat-exchanges the refrigerant supplied by the outdoor device with water circulating through the radiation heater; and
a second heat exchanger that heat-exchanges the refrigerant supplied by the outdoor device with water circulating through the quick-hot-water-supply-tank.

4. The heat pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the hydro-device and the boiler comprises at least one pump configured to pump heat-exchanged water, and wherein the at least one pump is operated when the temperature of the external air is equal to or less than the predetermined second temperature above approximately 0° C.

5. The heat pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the quick-hot-water-supply tank comprises a quick-hot-water-supply tank heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange water stored in a storage room of the quick-hot-water-supply tank with the water heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the hydro-device, and wherein water supplied to the quick-hot-water-supply tank by the commercial water supply system is heated by the boiler or by the water heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the quick-hot-water-supply tank heat exchanger after being supplied to the quick-hot-water-supply tank.

6. The heat pump as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a floor supply pipe and a floor collection pipe connect the hydro-device with the radiation heater, and wherein a boiler supply pipe and a boiler collection pipe which are branched from the floor supply pipe connect the floor supply pipe with the boiler.

7. The heat pump as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the boiler comprises:
a combustion heater configured to heat water supplied to the radiation heater using combustion heat; and
a heat exchange heater configured to heat water supplied to the quick-hot-water-supply tank using the water heated by the combustion heater.

8. The heat pump as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a hot water supply pipe that supplies water to the quick-hot-water-supply tank from the hydro-device; and
a hot water collection pipe that collects water in the hydro-device via the boiler.

9. The heat pump as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising:
a hot water supply branched pipe that supplies water to the quick-hot-water-supply tank heat exchanger of the quick-hot-water-supply tank from the hot water supply pipe; and
a hot water collection branched pipe that collects water. heat-exchanged by the quick-hot-water-supply tank heat exchanger in the hot water collection pipe.

10. The heat pump as claimed in claim 9 , wherein water supplied by the hydro-device via the hot water supply pipe is supplied to the quick-hot-water-supply tank heat exchanger of the quick-hot-water-supply tank via the hot water supply branched pipe, and wherein water collected from the quick-hot-water-supply tank heat exchanger of the quick-hot-water-supply tank via the hot water collection branched pipe is collected in the hot water collection pipe, when the temperature of the external air is equal to or greater than the predetermined first temperature below approximately 0° C.

11. The heat pump as claimed in claim 8 , wherein a commercial water supply connection pipe connects the commercial water supply system with the hot water collection pipe, and wherein a commercial water supply pipe branched from the commercial water supply connection pipe supplies the water supplied by the commercial water supply system to a storage room of the quick-hot-water-supply tank.

12. The heat pump as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the water supplied by the commercial water supply system is supplied to the storage room of the quick-hot-water-supply tank via the commercial water supply connection pipe when the temperature of the external air is equal to or greater than the predetermined first temperature.

13. The heat pump as claimed in claim 12 , wherein water collected in the hot water collection pipe passes through the boiler via a boiler passing pipe.

14. The heat pump as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the boiler comprises:
a combustion heater configured to heat water supplied to the radiation heater using combustion heat; a

Assignees

• Noh Jinhee
• Paik Woohyun
• Park Heewoong
• Park Noma
• Choi Hwanjong
• Ha Samchul
• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Noh Jinhee
• Paik Woohyun
• Park Heewoong
• Park Noma
• Choi Hwanjong
• Ha Samchul

Classifications

• F24D17/02

  using heat pumps · CPC title

• F24D19/1081

  counting of energy consumption · CPC title

• F24D3/18

  using heat pumps · CPC title

• F24D3/08 Primary

  in combination with systems for domestic hot-water supply · CPC title

• F24D19/1063

  counting of energy consumption · CPC title