Deep cycle heating and cooling apparatus and process

• US 20030061823A1
• Filed: 08/02/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ray M. Alden
• Original Assignee: Ray M. Alden
• Inventors: Alden, Ray M.
• Application Number:
  US10/211,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061823A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/115
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0017 using cold storage bodies, e.g. ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 23/00 Machines, plants or systems, with a single mode of operation not covered by groups F25B1/00 - F25B21/00, e.g. using selective radiation effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 30/00 Heat pumps F25B1/00-F25B25/00, F25B29/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

The present invention divides the traditional full-loop heat pump compression (heating) and expansion (refrigeration) process into two separate half-loop processes. The two (half-loop) processes occur separately and are separated by physical distance and/or by time. The two processes are connected by either physical storage means and/or by pipeline means such that low pressure refrigerant and high pressure refrigerant are stored between cycles and/or transported between cycles. In operation, a refrigerant is compressed to provide heat to a location, the compressed refrigerant is then stored/transported to where/when a cooling process is needed whereupon the refrigerant is expanded to provide refrigeration, the expanded refrigerant is then stored/transported to where/when a heating process is needed. The result of this invention is a significant reduction in energy required to heat and cool buildings, a reduction in fossil fuel consumption (and concomitant carbon dioxide gas emission pollution), a reduction in thermal pollution (and concomitant global warming), and a reduction in the cost of heating and cooling buildings.

Claims

1. A refrigerant pipeline system for integrating at least two climate control mechanisms together comprising;

a first climate control mechanism which takes refrigerant from a low pressure pipeline, compresses it, and moves it to a high pressure pipeline, said compression process heating a first space, and

a second climate control mechanism which takes refrigerant from said high pressure pipeline, expands it, and moves it to said low pressure pipeline, said expansion process absorbing heat from a second space.

2. The refrigerant pipeline system of claim 1 wherein said first space is located in a first building and said second space is located in a second building.

3. The refrigerant pipeline system of claim 1 wherein said first climate control mechanism operates during times which are independent of the times which said second climate control mechanism operates.

4. The refrigerant pipeline of claim 1 wherein pressure regulation means is provided for maintaining a constant pressure within said high pressure pipeline.

5. The refrigerant pipeline of claim 1 wherein at least some of said refrigerant pipeline is subterranean.

6. A space heating mechanism which comprises a means for compressing refrigerant, and

a means for storing refrigerant,

wherein said means for compressing refrigerant operates independently of any means for expanding refrigerant.

7. The space heating mechanism of claim 6 wherein no means to expand refrigerant is provided.

8. A space cooling mechanism which comprises a means for expanding refrigerant, and a means to store high pressure refrigerant before being expanded to a low pressure, wherein said means to expand refrigerant operates independently of any means for compressing refrigerant.

9. The space cooling mechanism of claim 8 wherein no means to compress refrigerant is provided.

10. A system of refrigerant storage tanks for integrating at least two climate control mechanisms together comprising;

a climate control mechanism which takes refrigerant from a low pressure tank, compresses it, and moves it to a high pressure tank, said compression process operating during a first time, and a second climate control mechanism which takes refrigerant from said high pressure tank, expands it, said expansion process operating during a second time.

11. The system of refrigerant storage tanks of claim 10 wherein said high pressure tank is filled with refrigerant at a first location, and is then physically transported to a second location where the refrigerant is expanded.

12. The system of refrigerant storage tanks of claim 10 wherein a pressure regulation means is provided for maintaining a constant pressure within said high pressure tank.

13. A refrigerant storage tank which comprises a first cavity for storing refrigerant at a first pressure and a second cavity for storing refrigerant at a second pressure.

14. The refrigerant storage tank of claim 13 wherein refrigerant can be moved between said first cavity and said second cavity while pressure in at least one cavity is maintained at a constant.