System for generating electrical energy from waste energy

• US 10,208,978 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lennox Industries Incorporated (Lennox International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Berg, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oswald, Kirstin U
• Application Number:
  US13/672,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20140123695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,294 Days
• Field of Search: 62331, 62236, 62134, 62 32, 62 33, 62 37, 62 56, 318116
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 12/00 Use of energy recovery systems in air conditioning, ventilation or screening with both heat and humidity transfer between supplied and exhausted air F24F3/147
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence

Abstract

A power-generating system comprising an energy-converting module that converts non-electrical waste energy generated by one or more components of an HVAC system into electrical energy, and, a control module that directs the electrical energy to one or more electricity-consuming components of the HVAC system.

Claims

1. An HVAC system, comprising:

an outdoor heat exchanger equipped with an outdoor air-mover;

an indoor heat exchanger equipped with an indoor air-mover;

a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant and configured to transfer the refrigerant to a discharge line and to receive the refrigerant from a suction line; and

a power generating system, including;

an energy-converting module that converts non-electrical waste energy generated by one or more of the indoor air-mover, the outdoor air-mover, the compressor, or the discharge line, into electrical energy, the non-electrical waste energy in a form of both heat and mechanical vibrations, and

a control module that directs the electrical energy to a plurality of electricity-consuming components of the HVAC system, wherein at least one of the indoor air-mover, the outdoor air-mover, the compressor, or the discharge line can alternately either generate non-electrical waste energy or comprise one of the plurality of electricity-consuming components;

wherein the energy-converting module includes a thermoelectric module and the thermoelectric module is coupled to the discharge line outside of the compressor, wherein a heat-absorbing side of the thermoelectric module is mounted to an outer surface of the discharge line and configured to transfer heat to the discharge line, and a heat-rejecting side of the thermoelectric module is mounted to an outer surface of the suction line outside of the compressor and configured to receive heat from the suction line.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy-converting module includes a piezoelectric module and the piezoelectric module is coupled to an outer surface of the compressor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy-converting module includes a piezoelectric module and the piezoelectric module is coupled to the indoor air mover.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy-converting module includes a piezoelectric module and the piezoelectric module is coupled to the outdoor air mover.

5. The system of claim 1, further including a heat sink mounted to a heat-rejecting side of the thermoelectric module.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control module directs the electrical energy to one or more of a crank-case heater of the HVAC system, a control circuit of the HVAC system, or a user interface of the HVAC system.

7. A method of operating an HVAC system, comprising:

circulating a refrigerant through an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger, the outdoor heat exchanger equipped with an outdoor air-mover, and the indoor heat exchanger equipped with an indoor air-mover;

compressing the refrigerant at a compressor configured to transfer the refrigerant to a discharge line and to receive the refrigerant from a suction line; and

coupling an energy-converting module to the discharge line and the suction line outside of the compressor, wherein the energy-converting module includes a thermoelectric module and the thermoelectric module is coupled to the discharge line, wherein a heat-absorbing side of the thermoelectric module is mounted to an outer surface of the discharge line and configured to transfer heat to the discharge line, and a heat-rejecting side of the thermoelectric module is mounted to an outer surface of the suction line and configured to receive heat from the suction line, the energy-converting module operable to convert non-electrical waste energy into electrical energy, the non-electrical waste energy in a form of both heat and mechanical vibrations, and

coupling a control module to the energy-converting module, the control module operable to direct the electrical energy to a plurality of electricity-consuming components of the HVAC system.

8. The method of claim 7, further including:

providing an inverter configured to convert the electrical energy into an alternating current; and

providing a battery configured to store the electrical energy, wherein

the control module is programmed to regulate amounts of the electrical energy directed to the electricity-consuming components by the inverter, and

the control module is programmed to regulate amounts of the electrical energy stored in the battery.