Apparatus and method for hybrid water heating and air cooling and control thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9945587-B2
Application number	US-201414476654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2014
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A system for conditioning air circulated from an interior of a building includes a refrigerant path, an air-cooled condenser in the refrigerant path, a water-cooled condenser in the refrigerant path that transfers heat from refrigerant in the refrigerant path to the building water, an evaporator in the refrigerant path, and a control system. The control system moves the system between operation of the air-cooled condenser and the water-cooled condenser based upon predetermined system conditions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for conditioning air and for heating water, comprising:
a first refrigerant path;
a second refrigerant path that is independent of the first refrigerant path;
a first condenser in the first refrigerant path and the second refrigerant path;
a fan disposed with respect to the first condenser to move air in a first air flow path across the first condenser so that
the first condenser transfers heat to the air in the first air flow path from refrigerant in the first refrigerant path that moves through the first condenser and
the first condenser transfers heat to the air in the first air flow path from refrigerant in the second refrigerant path that moves through the first condenser;

an evaporator in the first refrigerant path and the second refrigerant path and disposed in a second air flow path so that air in the second air flow path transfers heat to refrigerant in the first refrigerant path that moves through the evaporator and refrigerant in the second refrigerant path that moves through the evaporator;
a second condenser in the first refrigerant path and that defines a water flow path so that the second condenser transfers heat to water in the water flow path from the refrigerant in the first refrigerant path that moves through the second condenser; and
a control system in operative communication with the first refrigerant path, the control system directing the refrigerant in the first refrigerant path, in a first state of the first refrigerant path, to the first condenser and not to the second condenser and, in a second state of the first refrigerant path, to the second condenser,
wherein the control system determines a condition under which the system activates the first refrigerant path and deactivates the second refrigerant path and to move the first refrigerant path from the second state to the first state responsively to the condition.

2. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the condition is a level of a pressure in the first refrigerant path in the second state.

3. The system as in claim 1 , including a pressure sensor in communication with the first refrigerant path so that the pressure sensor outputs a signal to the control system corresponding to pressure of refrigerant in the first refrigerant path.

4. The system as in claim 3 , wherein the control system is configured to compare the pressure of refrigerant in the first refrigerant path corresponding to the signal from the pressure sensor to a first predetermined pressure level, and based on the comparison, move the refrigerant path from the second state to the first state.

5. The system as in claim 4 , wherein the control system is configured to determine when the pressure of refrigerant in the first refrigerant path corresponding to the signal from the pressure sensor exceeds a second predetermined pressure level and, in that event, deactivate the first refrigerant path, and wherein the second predetermined pressure level is greater than the first predetermined pressure level.

6. The system as in claim 4 , wherein the first refrigerant path has a compressor and has a controllable valve that receives refrigerant from the compressor and that selectively directs refrigerant received from the compressor to the first condenser, in the first state, or to the second condenser, in the second state, and wherein the control system is in operative communication with the valve to control the valve and thereby move the first refrigerant path between the first state and the second state.

7. The system as in claim 3 , wherein the pressure sensor is disposed at the evaporator.

8. A system for conditioning air and for heating water, comprising:
a first refrigerant path;
a second refrigerant path that is independent of the first refrigerant path;
a first condenser in the first refrigerant path and the second refrigerant path;
a fan disposed with respect to the first condenser to move air in a first air flow path across the first condenser so that
the first condenser transfers heat to the air in the first air flow path from refrigerant in the first refrigerant path that moves through the first condenser and
the first condenser transfers heat to the air in the first air flow path from refrigerant in the second refrigerant path that moves through the first condenser;

an evaporator in the first refrigerant path and the second refrigerant path and disposed in a second air flow path so that air in the second air flow path transfers heat to refrigerant in the first refrigerant path that moves through the evaporator and refrigerant in the second refrigerant path that moves through the evaporator;
a second condenser in the first refrigerant path and that defines a water flow path so that the second condenser transfers heat to water in the water flow path from the refrigerant in the first refrigerant path that moves through the second condenser; and
a control system comprising a controllable valve in the first refrigerant path in communication with the first condenser and the second condenser so that the controllable valve selectively directs refrigerant in the first refrigerant path to the first condenser or the second condenser,
wherein control system actuates the controllable valve to at least a first state and a second state, wherein the controllable valve, in the first state, directs the refrigerant in the first refrigerant path to the first condenser and not to the second condenser and, in the second state, directs the refrigerant in the first refrigerant path to the second condenser, and
wherein the control system determines a condition having a need for movement of refrigerant in the first refrigerant path and a need for no movement of refrigerant in the second refrigerant path and to control the controllable valve to move from the second state to the first state in response to the condition.

9. The system as in claim 8 , wherein the condition is a level of a pressure in the first refrigerant path in the second state.

10. The system as in claim 8 ,
comprising a pressure sensor disposed with respect to the first refrigerant path so that the pressure sensor outputs a signal corresponding to pressure in the first refrigerant path, and
wherein the control system is in communication with the pressure sensor and is configured to control the controllable valve to move from the second state to the first state in response to the condition and to pressure of refrigerant in the first refrigerant path as indicated by the signal.

11. The system as in claim 10 , wherein the control system is configured to control the controllable valve to move from the second state to the first state when the condition exists and when the signal from the pressure sensor indicates pressure of refrigerant in the first refrigerant path is greater than a first predetermined pressure.

12. The system as in claim 10 , wherein the pressure sensor is disposed at the evaporator.

13. The system as in claim 11 , wherein the control system is configured to determine when the pressure of refrigerant in the first refrigerant path corresponding to the signal from the pressure sensor exceeds a second predetermined pressure level and, in that event, deactivate the first refrigerant path, and wherein the second predetermined pressure level is greater than the first predetermined pressure level.

14. A system for conditioning air and for heating water, comprising:
a first refrigerant path;
a second refrigerant path that is independent of the first refrigerant path;
a first condenser in the first refrigerant path and the second refrigerant path;
a first fan disposed with respect to the first

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co

Inventors

• Lowrimore Walter R
• Long Robert L
• Winters Scott D
• Foster Randy W

Classifications

• Y02B30/13

  Hot air central heating systems using heat pumps · CPC title

• F24D2200/126

  Absorption type heat pumps · CPC title

• F24H4/06

  Air heaters · CPC title

• F25B2339/047

  Water-cooled condensers · CPC title

• F24D2200/31

  Air conditioning systems · CPC title