Automatic Switching Two Pipe Hydronic System

• US 20080271881A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph G. Blecker
• Original Assignee: Joseph G. Blecker
• Inventors: Blecker, Joseph G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,141,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/254
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/06 characterised by the arrangements for the supply of heat-exchange fluid for the subsequent treatment of primary air in the room units
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 29/003 of the compression type system

Abstract

Disclosed is an automatic switching two pipe hydronic system for conditioning a space. In one embodiment the two pipe hydronic system enables automatic switching from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation or vice versa in a reduced span of time. The present invention saves fuel, energy and water, when there are lower load conditions that affect boilers, chillers, and cooling towers. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a system for simultaneously heating and cooling a first portion and a second portion of a space by utilizing a plurality of boilers, chillers, heat exchangers, condenser pumps and closed loop pumps by using a plurality of sensors indicating the temperatures inside and outside the space and a controlling module controlling the operation of the system. The present invention can be easily achieved by making minor configurational modifications to existing systems thereby increases system versatility.

Claims

1. An automatic switching two pipe hydronic system, comprising:

a supply line configured to supply a conditioned fluid to a space;

a return line configured to return utilized conditioned fluid from the space;

a primary boiler in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line, the primary boiler capable of operating in a first full load condition;

a secondary boiler in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line, the secondary boiler capable of operating in a first part load condition;

a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line, the heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between the return line and the supply line;

a primary chiller in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line, the primary chiller capable of operating in a second full load condition;

a secondary chiller in fluid communication with the supply line and the return line, the secondary chiller capable of operating in a second part load condition;

a cooling tower in fluid communication with the heat exchanger, the primary chiller and the secondary chiller, the cooling tower configured to take away heat from the heat exchanger, the primary chiller and the secondary chiller;

at least one closed loop pump having a variable speed drive, the closed loop pump capable of regulating the flow between the return line and the supply line;

a plurality of flow controls valves disposed in the supply line and the return line, the flow controls capable of controlling the flow of fluid through the supply and return line and the primary boiler, the secondary boiler, the heat exchanger, the primary chiller, the secondary chiller, and the cooling tower;

a plurality of sensors for sensing an outside space temperature, an inside space temperature, and temperature of the fluid in the supply line and the return line;

a bypass pipe and automatic flow control valve entering the cooling tower below the fluid distribution pan; and

a controlling module configured to acquire temperatures from the plurality of sensors and capable of controlling the flow of fluid through the flow control valves.

2. The automatic switching two pipe hydronic system of claim 1, wherein the automatic switching two pipe hydronic system enables switching from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation in about 4 hours.

3. The automatic switching two pipe hydronic system of claim 1, wherein the first mode of operation is heating and second mode of operation is cooling and vice-versa.

4. The automatic switching two pipe hydronic system of claim 1, wherein the cooling tower comprises a cooling tower bypass valve capable of diverting an incoming cooling tower circulating fluid to a sump instead of flowing into a cooling tower pan.

5. The automatic switching two pipe hydronic system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors include inside space sensors and outside space sensors.

6. The automatic switching two pipe hydronic system of claim 5, wherein the inside space sensors and the outside space sensors have a differential of two degrees.

7. A method for automatically switching a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation during conditioning a space by conditioning a return fluid in a return line to be supplied as a supply fluid in a supply line of a system having a primary boiler, a secondary boiler, a heat exchanger, a primary chiller, a secondary chiller, a cooling tower and a closed loop pump, the method comprising:

switching the primary boiler providing heated supply fluid in the first mode of operation to a standby mode upon determining an increase in an outside space temperature;

switching the secondary boiler to an operational mode for reducing the temperature of the supply fluid in the supply line by heating the return fluid from the return line in the secondary boiler to a temperature less than the temperature of the heated supply fluid;

disabling the secondary boiler and enabling a variable speed drive of the closed loop pump for regulating the flow of supply fluid to the supply line;

enabling the heat exchanger for reducing the temperature of the return fluid in the return line to be supplied as the supply fluid in the supply line by transferring heat of the return fluid to the cooling tower;

disabling the heat exchanger and enabling the secondary chiller for reducing the temperature of the return fluid in the return line to be supplied as the supply fluid in the supply line by transferring heat of the return fluid to the cooling tower;

enabling the primary chiller and receiving the fluid from the secondary chiller into the primary chiller for reducing the temperature of the fluid from the secondary chiller to be supplied as the supply fluid in the supply line by transferring heat of the fluid from the primary chiller to the cooling tower; and

disabling the secondary chiller for switching the system to the second mode of operation.

8. A system for simultaneously heating and cooling a first portion and a second portion of a space, the system comprising:

a first flow path disposed towards the first portion, the first flow path having a first supply line and a first return line;

a second flow path disposed towards the second portion, the second flow path having a second supply line and a second return line

wherein the supply line configured to supply a conditioned fluid to the space and the return line configured to return utilized conditioned fluid from the space,

a plurality of closed loop pumps capable of circulating the conditioned fluid and the utilized conditioned fluid between the supply and return lines of the first flow path and the second flow path;

a plurality of boilers disposed between the first portion and the second portion, the boilers capable of providing conditioned fluid to the first supply line and the second supply line;

a plurality of heat exchangers disposed between the first portion and the second portion, the heat exchangers capable of receiving utilized conditioned fluid from the first and the second return line, for reducing the temperature of the utilized conditioned fluid in the first return line and the second return line to be supplied as the conditioned fluid to the first supply line and the second supply line by transferring heat of the utilized conditioned fluid to a cooling tower fluid;

a plurality of chillers disposed between the first portion and the second portion, the chillers capable of receiving utilized conditioned fluid from the first return line and the second return line, for reducing the temperature of the utilized conditioned fluid in the first return line and the second return line to be supplied as the conditioned fluid to the first supply line and the second supply line by transferring heat of the utilized conditioned fluid to the cooling tower fluid;

a plurality of condenser pumps disposed between the first flow path and the second flow path, the condenser pumps capable of circulating a cooling tower fluid between the cooling tower and the plurality of heat exchangers and the plurality of chillers;

a plurality of boiler flow control valves coupled to the plurality of boilers, the boiler flow control valves capable of controlling the flow of utilized conditioned fluid to the boilers from the first and second return lines and conditioned fluid from the boiler to the first and second supply lines;

a plurality of chiller flow control valves coupled to the plurality of chillers, the chiller flow control valves capable of controlling the flow of utilized conditioned fluid to the chillers from the first and second return lines and conditioned fluid from the chillers to the first and second supply lines;

a plurality of heat exchanger flow control valves coupled to the plurality of heat exchangers, the heat exchanger flow control valves capable of controlling the flow of utilized conditioned fluid to the heat exchangers from the first and second return lines and conditioned fluid from the heat exchangers to the first and second supply lines;

a plurality of sensors for sensing an outside space temperature, a temperature of the first portion and the second portion inside the space, and temperatures of the conditioned fluid and the utilized conditioned fluid in the first flow path and the second flow path; and

a controlling module configured to acquire temperatures from the plurality of sensors and capable of controlling the flow of conditioned fluid and utilized conditioned fluid through the boiler, chiller and heat exchanger flow control valves,

wherein the controlling module is configured to operate the boiler, the chiller and the heat exchanger flow control valves in a manner such that at least one boiler from the plurality of boilers and at least one chiller from the plurality of chillers or at least one heat exchanger from the plurality of heat exchangers are capable of heating or cooling the first portion and the second portion simultaneously.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of boilers are further capable receiving utilized domestic hot water through a domestic hot water heat exchanger and producing conditioned domestic hot water.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one inlet boiler flow control valve is disposed on an inlet to the plurality of boilers for receiving the utilized conditioned fluid and utilized domestic hot water from the space.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one outlet boiler flow control valve is disposed on an outlet to the plurality of boilers for circulating the conditioned fluid and conditioned domestic hot water to the space.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is capable of heating the first portion of the space by using a first boiler from the plurality of boilers and cooling the second portion by using a first heat exchanger from the plurality of heat exchangers.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the utilized conditioned fluid from the first return line is received by the first boiler and heated therein to be supplied to the first portion through the first supply line and the utilized conditioned fluid from the second return line is received by the heat exchanger and cooled therein to be supplied to the second portion through the second supply line.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is capable of moderately heating the first portion of the space by using at least one heat exchanger and cooling the second portion by using a first chiller from the plurality of chillers.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the utilized conditioned fluid from the first return line is received by a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger and moderately heated therein to be supplied to the first portion through the first supply line and the utilized conditioned fluid from the second return line is received by the chiller and cooled therein to be supplied to the second portion through the second supply line.

16. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is capable of heating the first portion of the space by using a first boiler from the plurality of boilers and cooling the second portion by using a first chiller from the plurality of chillers.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the utilized conditioned fluid from the first return line is received by the first boiler and heated therein to be supplied to the first portion through the first supply line and the utilized conditioned fluid from the second return line is received by the chiller and cooled therein to be supplied to the second portion through the second supply line.

18. The system of claim 8, wherein the system is further capable of utilizing the rejected heat of the chiller for supplying as domestic hot water.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the utilized conditioned fluid from the first return line is cooled in the chiller using a circulating cooling tower fluid, in a manner, such that, the circulating cooling tower fluid carrying the rejected heat from the utilized conditioned fluid in the chiller is utilized as domestic hot water supply.