HEAT PUMP APPARATUS AND METHOD
First Claim
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1. A heat pump system including:
- a primary compressor;
a booster compressor;
at least said primary compressor being a variable capacity compressor,a refrigerant conduit system, said primary compressor and said booster compressor being in series in said refrigerant conduit system, and said conduit system including a first conduit segment connected to deliver refrigerant to the inlet to said primary compressor when said booster compressor in inoperative, and said conduit system including a second conduit segment between the discharge from said booster compressor and the inlet to said primary compressor to deliver refrigerant between said booster compressor and said primary compressor when both of said compressors are operating;
a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of outdoor ambient air;
a controller, said controller being connected between a thermostat and said primary and booster compressors, said controller receiving signals from said first temperature sensor and from the thermostat to operate said primary compressor and said booster compressor in a predetermined sequence as follows;
(a) effect a first mode of operation of partial capacity operation of said primary compressor (M1) when the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a first range of temperatures;
(b) effect operation in M1 and effect a second mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor (M2) when the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a second range of temperatures;
(c) effect operation in M2 and effect a third mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor, and operation of said booster compressor (M3) when the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a third range of temperatures.
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Abstract
A heat pump system and method is presented having a primary compressor, a booster compressor, an economizer, a microprocessor, an air temperature sensor, and a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature commensurate with the boiling temperature of refrigerant in the outside coil. The microprocessor effects controlled operation of the primary compressor, the booster compressor and the economizer when a thermostat calls for heat and in accordance with predetermined ranges of air temperature. The microprocessor calculates a defrost trigger temperature, and defrost operation is initiated when the sensed refrigerant boiling temperature is lower than the trigger temperature for a period of time.
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Citations
62 Claims
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1. A heat pump system including:
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a primary compressor; a booster compressor; at least said primary compressor being a variable capacity compressor, a refrigerant conduit system, said primary compressor and said booster compressor being in series in said refrigerant conduit system, and said conduit system including a first conduit segment connected to deliver refrigerant to the inlet to said primary compressor when said booster compressor in inoperative, and said conduit system including a second conduit segment between the discharge from said booster compressor and the inlet to said primary compressor to deliver refrigerant between said booster compressor and said primary compressor when both of said compressors are operating; a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of outdoor ambient air; a controller, said controller being connected between a thermostat and said primary and booster compressors, said controller receiving signals from said first temperature sensor and from the thermostat to operate said primary compressor and said booster compressor in a predetermined sequence as follows; (a) effect a first mode of operation of partial capacity operation of said primary compressor (M1) when the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a first range of temperatures; (b) effect operation in M1 and effect a second mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor (M2) when the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a second range of temperatures; (c) effect operation in M2 and effect a third mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor, and operation of said booster compressor (M3) when the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a third range of temperatures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A heat pump system including:
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a primary compressor; a booster compressor; at least said primary compressor being a variable capacity compressor, a refrigerant conduit system, said primary compressor and said booster compressor being in series in said refrigerant conduit system, and said conduit system including a first conduit segment connected to deliver refrigerant to the inlet to said primary compressor when said booster compressor in inoperative, and said conduit system including a second conduit segment between the discharge from said booster compressor and the inlet to said primary compressor to deliver refrigerant between said booster compressor and said primary compressor when both of said compressors are operating; an economizer in said refrigerant conduit system; a third conduit segment from said economizer to said second conduit segment; a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of outdoor ambient air; a controller, said controller being connected between a two step thermostat and said primary and booster compressors, said controller receiving signals from said first temperature sensor and from the thermostat to operate said primary compressor, said booster compressor and said economizer in a predetermined sequence as follows; (a) effect a first mode of operation of partial capacity operation of said primary compressor (M1) when either stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a first range of temperatures; (b) effect operation in M1 when the first stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor temperature in a second range of temperatures; and
effect a second mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor (M2) when the second stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in the second range of temperatures;(c) effect operation in M2 when either stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor temperature in a third range of temperatures; and (d) effect operation in M2 when the first stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a fourth range of temperatures; and
effect a third mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor, said booster, and said economizer (M3) when the second stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in the fourth range of temperatures. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. 1. A defrost system for a heat pump system including:
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at least one compressor; an outdoor coil in said heat pump system; a refrigerant conduit system, said compressor and said outdoor coil being being in said refrigerant conduit system; a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of outdoor ambient air and generating a first signal commensurate with the outdoor ambient air temperature; a second temperature sensor, said second temperature sensor being positioned to sense a temperature commensurate with the temperature of refrigerant in said conduit system in or adjacent to said outside coil, said second temperature sensor generating a second signal commensurate with the temperature of refrigerant in or adjacent to said outdoor coil; a controller, said controller receiving said first signal from said first temperature sensor and calculating a defrost trigger temperature T1 based on the outdoor ambient temperature sensed at said first temperature sensor, and said controller receiving said second temperature signal T2 from said second temperature sensor; said controller operating to effect a defrost operation of said heat pump system when T2 is equal to or less than T1 for a predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. A method of operating a heat pump system having a primary compressor and a booster compressor, at least said primary compressor being a variable capacity compressor, and said compressors being operable in series, the method including the steps of:
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(a) sensing the temperature of outdoor ambient air; (b) effecting a first mode of operation of partial capacity operation of said primary compressor (M1) when heat is called for and the outdoor air temperature is in a first range of temperatures; (c) effecting operation in M1 and effecting a second mode of operation of fall capacity operation of said primary compressor (M2) when heat is called for and the outdoor air temperature is in a second range of temperatures; (d) effecting operation in M2 and effecting a third mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor, said booster, and said economizer (M3) when heat is called for and the outdoor air temperature is in a third range of temperatures. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method of operating a heat pump system having a primary compressor, a booster compressor, and an economizer, at least said primary compressor being a variable capacity compressor, and said compressors being operable in series, the method including the steps of:
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(a) sensing the temperature of outdoor ambient air; (b) effecting a first mode of operation of partial capacity operation of said primary compressor (M1) when heat is called for and the outdoor air temperature is in a first range of temperatures; (c) effecting operation in M1 and effecting a second mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor (M2) when heat is called for and the outdoor air temperature is in a second range of temperatures; (d) effecting operation in M2 when heat is called for and the outdoor air temperature is in a third range of temperatures; (e) effecting operation in M2 and effecting a third mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor, said booster, and said economizer (M3) when heat is called for and the outdoor air temperature is in a fourth range of temperatures. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of operating a heat pump system having a primary compressor, a booster compressor, and an economizer, and a multi-stage thermostat, at least said primary compressor being a variable capacity compressor, and said compressors being operable in series, the method including the steps of:
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(a) sensing the temperature of outdoor ambient air; (b) effecting a first mode of operation of partial capacity operation of said primary compressor (M1) when the outdoor air temperature is in a first range of temperatures and either the first stage or the second stage of the thermostat is calling for heat; (c) effecting operation in M1 when the outdoor air temperature is in a second range of temperatures, and the first stage of the thermostat is calling for heat; and
effecting a second mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor (M2) when the outdoor air temperature is in the second range of temperatures and the second stage of the thermostat is calling for heat;(d) effecting operation in M2 when the outdoor air temperature is in a third range of temperatures and either the first stage or the second stage of the thermostat is calling for heat; (e) effecting operation in M2 when the outdoor air temperature is in a fourth range of temperatures and the first stage of the thermostat is calling for heat, and effecting full capacity operation of said primary compressor, said booster, and said economizer (M3) when the outdoor air temperature is in a fourth range of temperatures and the second stage of the thermostat is calling for heat. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A heat pump system including:
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a primary compressor; a booster compressor; at least said primary compressor being a variable capacity compressor, a refrigerant conduit system, said primary compressor and said booster compressor being in series in said refrigerant conduit system, and said conduit system including a first conduit segment connected to deliver refrigerant to the inlet to said primary compressor when said booster compressor in inoperative, and said conduit system including a second conduit segment between the discharge from said booster compressor and the inlet to said primary compressor to deliver refrigerant between said booster compressor and said primary compressor when both of said compressors are operating; a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of outdoor ambient air; a controller, said controller being connected between a two step thermostat and said primary and booster compressors, said controller receiving signals from said first temperature sensor and from the thermostat to operate said primary compressor, said booster compressor and said economizer in a predetermined sequence as follows; (a) effect a first mode of operation of partial capacity operation of said primary compressor (M1) when either stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a first range of temperatures; (b) effect operation in M1 when the first stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor temperature in a second range of temperatures; and
effect a second mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor (M2) when the second stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in the second range of temperatures;(c) effect operation in M2 when the first stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor temperature in a third range of temperatures; and
effect operation in M2 and cyclical on-off operation of said booster compressor (M3-C) when the second stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from the first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor temperature in a third range of temperatures;(d) effect operation in M3-C when the first stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in a fourth range of temperatures; and
effect full capacity operation of said primary compressor and said booster (M3), when the second stage of the thermostat is calling for heat and the signal from said first temperature sensor indicates an outdoor air temperature in the fourth range of temperatures. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
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59. A heat pump system operating in a cooling mode, including:
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a primary compressor; a booster compressor; at least said primary compressor being a variable capacity compressor, a refrigerant conduit system, said primary compressor and said booster compressor being in series in said refrigerant conduit system, and said conduit system including a first conduit segment connected to deliver refrigerant to the inlet to said primary compressor when said booster compressor in inoperative, and said conduit system including a second conduit segment between the discharge from said booster compressor and the inlet to said primary compressor to deliver refrigerant between said booster compressor and said primary compressor when both of said compressors are operating; a first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of outdoor ambient air; a controller, said controller being connected between a multi-stage thermostat and said primary and booster compressors, said controller receiving signals from said first temperature sensor and from the thermostat to operate said primary compressor and said booster compressor in a predetermined sequence as follows; (a) effect a first mode of operation of partial capacity operation of said primary compressor (M1) when a first stage of the thermostat calls for cooling, and without regard to the signal from said first temperature sensor; (b) effect a second mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor (M2) when M1 is not sufficient to meet the need for cooling and a second stage of the thermostat calls for more cooling. - View Dependent Claims (60)
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61. A method of operating a heat pump system in cooling, the system having a primary compressor and a booster compressor, at least said primary compressor being a variable capacity compressor, and said compressors being operable in series, the method including the steps of:
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(a) effecting a first mode of operation of partial capacity operation of said primary compressor (M1) when a first stage of a thermostat calls for cooling is called for and without regard to the signal from said first temperature sensor; (b) effecting a second mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor (M2) when cooling is called for and the outdoor air temperature is in a second range of temperatures; (c) effecting operation in M2 and effecting a third mode of operation of full capacity operation of said primary compressor, said booster, and said economizer (M3) when M1 is not sufficient to meet the need for cooling and a second stage of the thermostat calls for more cooling. - View Dependent Claims (62)
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Specification