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Heating system with heat pump and auxiliary heater

  • US 4,293,092 A
  • Filed: 07/05/1979
  • Issued: 10/06/1981
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1978
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a heating system comprising a main heating network including a heat carrier and an internal combustion engine and a heat pump having a condenser, said condenser of said heat pump being driven by the internal combustion engine for supplying heat to said heat carrier of said main heating network, said internal combustion engine also driving an additional aggregate which transforms the mechanical drive power fed to it by the engine into heating power and transmits such heating power as additional heat to the heat carrier of said main heating network, the improvement comprising a circulating system which is self-contained and is separate from said main heating network, which circulating system incorporates said additional aggregate, said circulating system further incorporating a heat exchanger for transmitting the heat provided by the additional aggregate by way of a fluid which circulates in said circulating system to said heat carrier in said main heating network, means for scavenging heat energy from the coolant and exhaust gas of said internal combustion engine and supplying said heat to said main heating network, said additional aggregate being a fluid brake, said brake being mechanically driven by said internal combustion engine for operation at a speed proportional thereto, said separate self-contained circulating system including a regulating member associated with said fluid brake, said regulating member being a valve responsive to the surrounding temperature and hence to the heat required to be supplied by the main heating network, there being a relatively low surrounding temperature below which heat pump gas pressure and gas specific weight and therefore heat pump efficiency fall below a preselected limit and accordingly reduce loading of the engine to below a preselected limit, said regulating member being arranged for actuating said fluid brake at said relatively low temperature for thereby increasing the heat fed to said main heating network, by adding heat to said main heating network from said fluid brake and its separate circulating system, and also by increasing the amount of heat added to said main heating network from the exhaust gas and coolant of said engine due to increased engine loading.

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