HEAT PUMP APPARATUS

• US 20150219370A1
• Filed: 05/16/2013
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: KATO, Yohei
• Granted Patent: US 9,599,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/02 of articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles B29C35/0227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/18 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles B29C43/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/12 using fibres of short length, e.g. in the form of a mat non-woven fabrics per se D04H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/305 Spray-up of reinforcing fibres with or without matrix to form a non-coherent mat in or on a mould B29C41/365, B29C70/32, B29C70/34, B29C70/502, B29C70/508 take precedence; coating a former by spraying plastics B29C41/08
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/40 Shaping or impregnating by compression B29C70/34 takes precedencenot applied
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/42 for producing articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/46 using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0872 Prepregs
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2307/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 12/02 having more than one heat source using heat pumps, in water central heating systems F24D3/18; in air central heating systems F24D5/12; in systems using heat storage masses F24D11/02
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 15/04 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 2200/11 Geothermal energy
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/002 geothermal
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/003 Indoor unit with water as a heat sink or heat source
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0233 in parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0314 Temperature sensors near the indoor heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0315 : Temperature sensors near the outdoor heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 : Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence
• 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: F25B 30/06 : characterised by the source of low potential heat
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/02 : for compression type machines, plants or systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 5/02 : arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/40 : Geothermal heat-pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/00 : Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/12 : Hot water central heating systems using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24479 : including variation in thickness
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24628 : Nonplanar uniform thickness material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24994 : Fiber embedded in or on the surface of a polymeric matrix

Abstract

Provided is a heat pump device configured to collect heat both from outside air and another heat source. A controller calculates heat exchange amounts with use of heat exchange performance of each of an air heat-source heat exchanger and an underground heat-source heat exchanger in addition to an outside air temperature and an underground temperature. Then, in switching between a simultaneous operation of causing refrigerant to flow through both of the air heat-source heat exchanger and the underground heat-source heat exchanger and a single operation of selecting the air heat-source heat exchanger or the underground heat-source heat exchanger to cause refrigerant to flow therethrough, the controller selects a heat source having a larger calculated heat exchange amount. In this manner, an appropriate heat source suitable for operation conditions can be selected.

Claims

1. A heat pump apparatus, comprising:

a refrigerant circuit including a first circuit and a second circuit,

the first circuit including

a compressor,

a refrigerant passage of a use-side heat exchanger,

a first pressure reducing device, and

a first heat-source heat exchanger configured to use outside air serving as a first heat source as a heat source,

the compressor, the refrigerant passage, the first pressure reducing device, and the first heat-source heat exchanger being sequentially connected,

the second circuit including;

a second pressure reducing device; and

a refrigerant passage of a second heat-source heat exchanger, the refrigerant passage being connected in series to the second pressure reducing device,

the second circuit being connected in parallel to the first pressure reducing device and the first heat-source heat exchanger of the first circuit;

a heat exchange medium circuit including a heat exchange medium passage of the second heat-source heat exchanger, and configured to circulate therethrough a heat exchange medium serving as a second heat source,

the second heat source being used to exchange heat with another heat source other than the outside air so as to receive heat of the another heat source; and

a controller configured to switch between a simultaneous operation of causing refrigerant to flow through both of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger and a single operation of selecting the first heat-source heat exchanger or the second heat-source heat exchanger to cause refrigerant to flow therethrough, in accordance with a heat exchange amount in each of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger.

2. A heat pump apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first heat source temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the first heat source;

a second heat source temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the second heat source; and

a storage device configured to store information for calculating current heat exchange performance of each of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger,

wherein, when the controller switches the simultaneous operation to the single operation, the controller calculates the heat exchange amount in the each of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger based on the information stored in the storage device, the temperature of the first heat source detected by the first heat source temperature detector, and the temperature of the second heat source detected by the second heat source temperature detector, and selects one of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger that has a larger heat exchange amount.

3. A heat pump apparatus of claim 2, wherein, when the controller switches the simultaneous operation to the single operation, the controller selects the first heat-source heat exchanger when the heat exchange amount in the first heat-source heat exchanger is larger than the heat exchange amount in the second heat-source heat exchanger even if the temperature of the first heat source is lower than the temperature of the second heat source.

4. A heat pump apparatus of claim 2, wherein, when the controller switches the simultaneous operation to the single operation, the controller selects the second heat-source heat exchanger when the heat exchange amount in the second heat-source heat exchanger is larger than the heat exchange amount in the second heat-source heat exchanger even if the temperature of the first heat source is lower than the temperature of the first heat source.

5. A heat pump apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a fan configured to blow the first heat source to the first heat-source heat exchanger; and

a pump included in the heat exchange medium circuit, and configured to circulate the second heat source therethrough,

wherein the information stored in the storage device includes information necessary for calculating by conversion the heat exchange performance of the each of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger by using current operating conditions including a rotation speed of the compressor, a rotation speed of the fan, and a rotation speed of the pump.

6. A heat pump apparatus of claim 1, wherein, when the controller switches the simultaneous operation to the single operation, the controller determines a magnitude difference of the heat exchange amount in the first heat-source heat exchanger and the heat exchange amount in the second heat-source heat exchanger based on comparison between an opening degree of the first pressure reducing device and an opening degree of the second pressure reducing device, and selects one of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger that has a larger heat exchange amount.

7. A heat pump apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first heat source temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the first heat source;

a second heat source temperature detector configured to detect a temperature of the second heat source; and

a storage device configured to store information for calculating current heat exchange performance of each of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger,

wherein, when the controller switches the simultaneous operation to the single operation, the controller is configured to;

calculate heat source-side heat exchange amounts based on an outlet/inlet temperature of a use-side heat medium flowing through a use-side circuit of the use-side heat exchanger, a flow rate of the use-side heat medium flowing through the use-side circuit, and an input of the compressor;

calculate a heat exchange amount in one of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger based on the information stored in the storage device, the temperature of the first heat source detected by the first heat source temperature detector, and the temperature of the second heat source detected by the second heat source temperature detector; and

select one of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger that has a larger heat exchange amount based on comparison between the heat source-side heat exchange amounts and the heat exchange amount in one of the first heat-source heat exchanger and the second heat-source heat exchanger.

8. A heat pump apparatus of claim 1, wherein any one of geothermal heat, groundwater, seawater, solar-heated water, and a boiler is used as the another heat source.