Vapor compression circuit and method including a thermoelectric device

• US 20070101740A1
• Filed: 01/30/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jayanth, Nagaraj, Ignatiev, Kirill, Akei, Masao, Pham, Hung, Caillat, Jean-Luc
• Granted Patent: US 7,240,494 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/238.700
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/00 Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/02 using waste heat, e.g. from internal-combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 6/02 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/00 Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/274 using waste energy, e.g. from internal combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/963 Off-grid food refrigeration

Abstract

A system and method includes a vapor-compression circuit having a working fluid flowing therethrough, a thermoelectric device positioned in a heat-transfer relation with the working fluid, and a power supply providing current to the thermoelectric device to generate a heat flow through the thermoelectric device.

Claims

1. A heat pump system including a vapor-compression circuit having a working fluid flowing therethrough, a thermoelectric device positioned in heat-transfer relation with said working fluid, and a power supply that provides current to said thermoelectric device to generate a heat flow through said thermoelectric device.

2. The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising a compressor that compresses said working fluid, a first condenser that condenses a first portion of said working fluid, an air flow flowing over said first condenser, and a second condenser that condenses a second portion of said working fluid, said air flow flowing over said second condenser downstream of said first condenser, wherein said thermoelectric device is in heat-transfer relation with condensed working fluid downstream of said first condenser and with said second portion of said working fluid and transfers said heat flow to said second portion of said working fluid.

3. The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising a compressor that compresses said working fluid, a condenser that condenses said working fluid, an air flow flowing over said condenser, and a heat transfer circuit having a heat-transfer fluid flowing therethrough and a heat exchanger over which said air flow flows downstream of said condenser, wherein said thermoelectric device is in heat-transfer relation with condensed working fluid and with said heat-transfer fluid and transfers said heat flow into said heat-transfer fluid.

4. The heat pump system of claim 3, wherein said heat transfer circuit is a single-phase heat-transfer circuit and said heat-transfer fluid is a single-phase fluid.

5. The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising:

a compressor that compresses said working fluid;

a condenser that condenses said working fluid;

an air flow flowing over said condenser;

a first heat-transfer circuit having a first heat-transfer fluid flowing therethrough and in heat-transfer relation with condensed working fluid;

a second heat-transfer circuit having a second heat-transfer fluid flowing therethrough and a heat exchanger over which said air flow flows downstream of said condenser;

wherein said thermoelectric device is in heat-transfer relation with said condensed working fluid through said first heat-transfer fluid, is in heat-transfer relation with said second heat-transfer fluid, and transfers said heat flow into said second heat-transfer fluid.

6. The heat pump system of claim 5, wherein at least one of said first and second heat-transfer circuits is a single-phase heat-transfer circuit having a single-phase fluid flowing therethrough.

7. The heat pump system of claim 6, wherein both of said first and second heat-transfer circuits are single-phase heat-transfer circuits having respective first and second single-phase fluids flowing therethrough.

8. The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising:

a compressor that compresses said working fluid;

a condenser that condenses said working fluid;

an evaporator that evaporates said working fluid;

an air flow flowing over said evaporator;

a first heat-transfer circuit having a first heat-transfer fluid flowing therethrough and in heat-transfer relation with condensed working fluid;

a second heat-transfer circuit having a second heat-transfer fluid flowing therethrough and a heat exchanger over which said air flow flows downstream of said evaporator;

wherein said thermoelectric device is in heat-transfer relation with said condensed working fluid through said first heat-transfer fluid, is in heat-transfer relation with said second heat-transfer fluid, and transfers said heat flow into said second heat-transfer fluid.

9. The heat pump system of claim 8, wherein at least one of said first and second heat-transfer circuits is a single-phase heat-transfer circuit having a single-phase fluid flowing therethrough.

10. The heat pump system of claim 8, wherein both of said first and second heat-transfer circuits are single-phase heat-transfer circuits having respective first and second single-phase fluids flowing therethrough.

11. A method comprising:

flowing working fluid through a vapor compression circuit;

applying current to a thermoelectric device;

generating a heat flow between said thermoelectric device and said working fluid.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

compressing said working fluid;

condensing a first portion of said working fluid;

condensing a second portion of said working fluid;

wherein said generating the heat flow includes transferring said heat flow from said first portion of said working fluid to said second portion of said working fluid through said thermoelectric device.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

compressing said working fluid;

condensing said working fluid and transferring heat between said condensed working fluid and a heat-transfer fluid.