Heat pump device with simultaneous use of air and geothermal heat sources

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9909785-B2
Application number	US-201214428199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2012
Priority date	Oct 5, 2012
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A heat pump device that collects heat both air and geothermal heat sources, and a controller determines, by comparing the temperature of an additional heat source and the current refrigerant temperature, whether or not to switch to simultaneous operation when there is insufficient capacity during single operation. During heating operation, the operation is switched to simultaneous operation if the temperature of the additional heat source is greater than the current refrigerant temperature, and single operation is continued if the temperature of the additional heat source is no greater than the current refrigerant temperature. As another determination method for during heating operation, the refrigerant temperature after addition of geothermal heat source is estimated and the heat pump is switched to simultaneous operation if the estimated refrigerant temperature is greater than the current refrigerant temperature. Single operation is continued if the estimated refrigerant temperature is no greater than the current refrigerant temperature.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat pump device, comprising:
a refrigerant circuit comprising a first circuit and a second circuit,
the first circuit comprising:
a compressor;
a refrigerant passage of a use-side heat exchanger;
a first pressure reducing device; and
a first heat-source heat exchanger configured to use outdoor air serving as a first heat source as a heat source,

the second circuit comprising:
a second pressure reducing device; and
a refrigerant passage of a second heat-source heat exchanger, the refrigerant passage being connected in series to the second pressure reducing device,

the second circuit being connected in parallel to the first pressure reducing device and the first heat-source heat exchanger of the first circuit,
the compressor having a discharge side connected to a condenser, wherein the use side heat exchanger serves as the condenser or at least either one of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger serves as the condenser;

a heat exchange medium circuit comprising a heat exchange medium passage of the second heat-source heat exchanger, and configured to circulate therethrough a heat exchange medium serving as a second heat source,
the second heat source being used to exchange heat with another heat source than the outdoor air so as to receive heat of the another heat source;

an outlet temperature detector configured to detect an outlet temperature of a use-side medium flowing out from a use-side medium passage of the use-side heat exchanger; and
a controller having a single operation selecting the first heat-source heat exchanger or the second heat-source heat exchanger to cause a refrigerant to flow therethrough and a simultaneous operation causing a refrigerant to flow through both of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger,
wherein, in a case where the use-side heat exchanger serves as the condenser, the controller,
when the outlet temperature of the use-side medium detected by the outlet temperature detector is less than a target temperature,
switches the single operation to the simultaneous operation.

2. The heat pump device of claim 1 , wherein the controller, when a temperature of the heat source to be added by switching from the single operation to the simultaneous operation is higher than a refrigerant temperature of the heat-source heat exchanger that is currently selected, switches operation from the single operation to the simultaneous operation.

3. The heat pump device of claim 1 , wherein in determination of whether or not capacity is improved through addition of a heat source, the controller estimates refrigerant temperatures at outlets of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger, which are those after the heat source is added by switching from the single operation to the simultaneous operation, and, when the estimated refrigerant temperature is higher than a refrigerant temperature of the heat-source heat exchanger that is currently selected, switches operation from the single operation to the simultaneous operation.

4. The heat pump device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
compare, in the simultaneous operation, a refrigerant temperature of the first heat-source heat exchanger, which is measured when a single operation selecting the first heat-source heat exchanger is performed, and a refrigerant temperature of the second heat-source heat exchanger, which is measured when a single operation selecting the second heat-source heat exchanger is performed; and when a lower one of the refrigerant temperatures becomes lower than a refrigerant temperature of the heat-source heat exchanger that is currently selected, stop the heat source corresponding to the lower one of the refrigerant temperatures to switch the simultaneous operation to the single operation.

5. The heat pump device of claim 1 , further comprising a main refrigerant flow switching valve connected to the compressor, and configured to switch a flow direction of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor.

6. The heat pump device of claim 1 , wherein any one of geothermal heat, groundwater, seawater, solar-heated water, and a boiler is used as the another heat source.

7. A heat pump device, comprising:
a refrigerant circuit comprising a first circuit and a second circuit,
the first circuit comprising:
a compressor;
a refrigerant passage of a use-side heat exchanger;
a first pressure reducing device; and
a first heat-source heat exchanger configured to use outdoor air serving as a first heat source as a heat source,

the second circuit comprising:
a second pressure reducing device; and
a refrigerant passage of a second heat-source heat exchanger, the refrigerant passage being connected in series to the second pressure reducing device,

the second circuit being connected in parallel to the first pressure reducing device and the first heat-source heat exchanger of the first circuit,
the compressor having a discharge side connected to a condenser, wherein the use side heat exchanger serves as the condenser or at least either one of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger serves as the condenser;

a heat exchange medium circuit comprising a heat exchange medium passage of the second heat-source heat exchanger, and configured to circulate therethrough a heat exchange medium serving as a second heat source,
the second heat source being used to exchange heat with another heat source than the outdoor air so as to receive heat of the another heat source;

an outlet temperature detector configured to detect an outlet temperature of a use-side medium flowing out from a use-side medium passage of the use-side heat exchanger; and
a controller having a single operation selecting the first heat-source heat exchanger or the second heat-source heat exchanger to cause a refrigerant to flow therethrough and a simultaneous operation causing a refrigerant to flow through both of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger,
wherein, in a case where the use-side heat exchanger serves as a evaporator, the controller,
when the outlet temperature of the use-side medium detected by the outlet temperature detector is greater than a target temperature,
switches the single operation to the simultaneous operation.

8. The heat pump device of claim 7 , wherein the controller, when a temperature of the heat source to be added by switching from the single operation to the simultaneous operation is lower than a refrigerant temperature of the heat-source heat exchanger that is currently selected, switches operation from the single operation to the simultaneous operation.

9. The heat pump device of claim 7 , wherein the controller estimates refrigerant temperatures at outlets of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger, which are those after the heat source is added by switching from the single operation to the simultaneous operation, and when the estimated refrigerant temperature is lower than a refrigerant temperature of the heat-source heat exchanger that is currently selected, switches operation from the single operation to the simultaneous operation.

10. The heat pump device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to:
compare, in the simultaneous operation, a refrigerant temperature of the first heat-source heat exchanger, which is measured when a single operation selecting the first heat-source heat exchanger is performed, and a refrigerant temperature of the second heat-source heat exchanger, which is measured when a single operation selectin

Assignees

• Kato Yohei
• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Kato Yohei

Classifications

• F25B2700/21161

  of the fluid heated by the condenser · CPC title

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• F25B2313/009

  indoor unit in circulation with outdoor unit in first operation mode, indoor unit in circulation with an other heat exchanger in second operation mode or outdoor unit in circulation with an other heat exchanger in third operation mode · CPC title

• F24F5/0046

  using natural energy, e.g. solar energy, energy from the ground · CPC title

• F25B27/00

  Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy (F25B30/06 takes precedence) · CPC title