HEATING AND/OR COOLING SYSTEM AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20140034285A1
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Published: 02/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Esg Pool Ventilation Limited
• Original Assignee: Esg Pool Ventilation Limited
• Inventors: Robinson, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,328,931 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/259
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/129 Systems for heating the water content of swimming pools solar collectors using pools F24S10/17, F24S10/10; by solar radiation F24S20/02
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/02 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/0214 water heating system
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/10 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices only the heater being controlled F24H9/20
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1039 the system uses a heat pump
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 25/005 using primary and secondary systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1933 Suction pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21151 at the suction side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 30/02 of the compression type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/12 Hot water central heating systems using heat pumps

Abstract

A method of heating and/or cooling an area to a desired temperature comprising using a heat pump having an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion control means each connected by a refrigerant pipe work system and the method comprising monitoring the temperature of an environment in which the evaporator is operating and using a system controller to vary in response to the monitored temperature, the temperature at which gas condenses to a fluid within the condenser to keep it as low as possible whilst maintaining the condensing temperature a predetermined amount above the desired temperature and/or also varying in response to the monitored temperature, the temperature at which a liquid expands to a gas within the evaporator in order to reduce the difference between the evaporating and condensing temperatures.

Claims

1. A heating and/or cooling system arranged to maintain a volume at a desired temperature and comprising:

a heat pump having an evaporator arranged to extract heat from its surroundings, a compressor, a condenser having a condensing temperature at which fluid therein condenses and an expansion means each connected by a refrigerant pipe work system;

a temperature sensor arranged to monitor the temperature of an environment outside of the volume and the temperature sensor being arranged to generate a temperature output;

a system controller arranged to have input thereto the temperature output and further arranged to perform at least one of;

i) controlling the temperature at which gas condenses to a fluid within the condenser in response to the temperature output such that the condensing temperature is as low as possible whilst maintaining the condensing temperature a predetermined amount above the desired temperature that the heating system is maintaining; and

ii) controlling the expansion means to vary the temperature at which the refrigerant within the refrigerant pipe work system evaporates in order to reduce the difference between the evaporating and condensing temperatures.

2. A system according to claim 1 in which the heat pump is an air source heat pump, the environment in which the evaporator is situated is an outside environment and wherein the evaporator is arranged to extract heat from air of the outside environment.

3. A system according to claim 1 in which the evaporator is arranged to extract heat from the outside air and as such the temperature sensor is arranged to measure outside air temperature.

4. A system according to any preceding claim 1 in which the system controller is arranged to vary the evaporating temperature as a function of the temperature output of the temperature sensor.

5. A system according to claim 1 in which the evaporator is arranged to extract heat from the outside air and as such the temperature sensor is arranged to measure outside air temperature, the system controller is arranged to vary the evaporating temperature as a function of the temperature output of the temperature sensor and the system controller is arranged to vary, from time to time, the evaporating and condensing temperatures wherein the evaporating and condensing temperatures are varied at the same interval.

6. A system according to claim 1 in which the condenser comprises a heat exchanger arranged to extract heat from the refrigerant within the refrigerant pipe work system.

7. A system according to claim 1 in which the system comprises a heating pipe work system arranged to circulate a medium through the condenser of the refrigerant pipe work system thereby exchanging heat between refrigerant within the refrigerant pipe work system and the medium within the heating pipe work system;

8. A system according to claim 6 wherein the heat exchanger is arranged to transfer heat to a medium within the heating pipe work system.

9. A system according to claim 7 in which the heating pipe work system comprises a heat exchanger arranged to transfer heat from the medium within the heating pipe work system to the area to be heated.

10. A system according to claim 9 in which the area to be heated is an inside of a building or water within a swimming pool.

11. A system according to claim 9 in which the heating pipe work system comprises a by-pass pipe arranged to allow medium within the heating pipe work system to by-pass the heat exchanger of the heating pipe work system.

12. A system according to claim 11 in which the heating pipe work system comprises a valve arranged to control the amount of medium within the heating pipe work system allowed to flow through the by-pass pipe.

13. A system according to claims 7 in which the heating pipe work system comprises a pump arranged to pump medium within the heating pipe work system around the heating pipe work system.

14. A system according to claim 13 wherein the pump is of variable speed.

15. A system according to claims 7 in which the system controller is arranged to control the rate of flow of the medium in the heating pipe work system through the condenser in response to the temperature output to control the temperature at which gas condenses to a fluid within the condenser.

18. A machine readable medium containing instructions which when read by a machine, such as system controller, cause that machine to perform as the system of claim 1.

16. A method of heating and/or cooling a volume to a desired temperature comprising using a heat pump having an evaporator arranged to extract heat from its surroundings, a compressor, a condenser and an expansion control means each connected by a refrigerant pipe work system and the method comprising monitoring the temperature of an environment outside of the volume and using a system controller to vary in response to the monitored temperature, the temperature at which gas condenses to a fluid within the condenser to keep it as low as possible whilst maintaining the condensing temperature a predetermined amount above the desired temperature and/or also varying in response to the monitored temperature, the temperature at which a liquid expands to a gas within the evaporator in order to reduce the difference between the evaporating and condensing temperatures.

17. A method according to claim 16 which is used to heat at least one of a building and a swimming pool.

19. A machine readable medium containing instructions which when read by a machine, such as a system controller, cause that machine to provide the method of claim 16.