Heat pump including auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger acting as defroster and sub-cooler
First Claim
1. A heat pump including a refrigerant compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a main outdoor heat exchanger, each of said heat exchangers having a plurality of finned parallel tubes, and a refrigerant flow circuit including a reversal valve for routing a refrigerant from said compressor to said indoor heat exchanger during heating operation and routing the refrigerant from said compressor to said main outdoor heat exchanger during cooling operation, comprising:
- an auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger having a plurality of finned parallel tubes mounted below said main outdoor heat exchanger and connected in series between said indoor and main outdoor heat exchangers so as to have a higher temperature than said main outdoor heat exchanger to melt any ice which might have formed underneath the main outdoor heat exchanger during the heating operation and to sub-cool the refrigerant during the cooling operation;
first capillary tubes each being respectively connected at one end to a respective one of said finned tubes of said main outdoor heat exchanger;
a one-way valve and a liquid receiver respectively connected in series between the other end of said first capillary tubes and said finned tubes of the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger, said one-way valve permitting the passage of refrigerant from said main heat exchanger to said liquid receiver during the cooling operation and preventing the passage of refrigerant from said liquid receiver during the heating operation;
a second capillary tube connected to provide a bypass passage for the refrigerant from said liquid receiver during the heating operation to said main outdoor heat exchanger; and
third capillary tubes each being respectively connected at one end to a respective one of the finned tubes of said indoor heat exchanger and connected at the other end to said auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger.
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Abstract
A heat pump including an indoor heat exchanger, a main outdoor heat exchanger and an auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger provided underneath the main outdoor heat exchanger and connected between the indoor and main outdoor heat exchangers in a closed refrigerant flow circuit. The refrigerant flow circuit includes a compressor and a reversal valve which can be adjusted (1) during cooling operation to direct the hot compressed gaseous refrigerant from the compressor to the main outdoor heat exchanger and thence to the auxiliary heat exchanger acting as a sub-cooler into the indoor heat exchanger for extracting heat from air of the interior of a building and (2) during heating operation to direct the hot compressed gaseous refrigerant to the indoor heat exchanger to supply heat to the indoor air and then to the auxiliary heat exchanger now acting as a defroster for melting a block of ice which may have accumulated under the main outdoor heat exchanger and into the main outdoor heat exchanger.
125 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A heat pump including a refrigerant compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a main outdoor heat exchanger, each of said heat exchangers having a plurality of finned parallel tubes, and a refrigerant flow circuit including a reversal valve for routing a refrigerant from said compressor to said indoor heat exchanger during heating operation and routing the refrigerant from said compressor to said main outdoor heat exchanger during cooling operation, comprising:
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an auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger having a plurality of finned parallel tubes mounted below said main outdoor heat exchanger and connected in series between said indoor and main outdoor heat exchangers so as to have a higher temperature than said main outdoor heat exchanger to melt any ice which might have formed underneath the main outdoor heat exchanger during the heating operation and to sub-cool the refrigerant during the cooling operation; first capillary tubes each being respectively connected at one end to a respective one of said finned tubes of said main outdoor heat exchanger; a one-way valve and a liquid receiver respectively connected in series between the other end of said first capillary tubes and said finned tubes of the auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger, said one-way valve permitting the passage of refrigerant from said main heat exchanger to said liquid receiver during the cooling operation and preventing the passage of refrigerant from said liquid receiver during the heating operation; a second capillary tube connected to provide a bypass passage for the refrigerant from said liquid receiver during the heating operation to said main outdoor heat exchanger; and third capillary tubes each being respectively connected at one end to a respective one of the finned tubes of said indoor heat exchanger and connected at the other end to said auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A heat pump including a refrigerant compressor, an indoor heat exchanger coil, a main outdoor heat exchanger coil, and a refrigerant flow circuit including a reversal valve for routing the refrigerant from said compressor to said indoor heat exchanger coil during heating operation and routing the refrigerant from said compressor to said main outdoor heat exchanger coil during cooling operation, comprising:
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an auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger coil mounted below said main outdoor heat exchanger coil and connected in a series refrigerant flow circuit between said indoor and main outdoor heat exchanger coils so as to have a higher temperature than said main outdoor heat exchanger coil to melt any ice which might have formed underneath the main outdoor heat exchanger coil during the heating operation and to sub-cool the refrigerant during the cooling operation; first pressure reduction means, one-way second pressure reduction means and a liquid receiver connected respectively in series between said main outdoor heat exchanger coil and said auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger coil; and third pressure reduction means connected between said auxiliary outdoor heat exchanger coil and said indoor heat exchanger coil. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification