Co-axial fitting for use with a refrigeration circuit heat reclaim apparatus

• US 4,293,093 A
• Filed: 10/25/1979
• Issued: 10/06/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Raymond, Glendon A., Spath, Herbert J., Honnold, Fred V.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Lloyd L.
• Application Number:
  US06/088,319
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 62/238 E, 62/324 D, 237/19, 126/427, 126/435, 126/362 X, 165/DIG. 12
• US Class Current: 237/19
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/0235 with recuperation of waste energy
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/02 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/52 Heat recovery pumps, i.e. heat pump based systems or units able to transfer the thermal energy from one area of the premises or part of the facilities to a different one, improving the overall efficiency

Abstract

Apparatus and method for exchanging heat energy between a refrigeration circuit and a hot water system. Water is heated in a combination refrigerant desuperheater-water preheater and then conducted to hot water storage. A co-axial fitting is disclosed for mixing heated water from the refrigerant desuperheater-water preheater with water in a hot water tank prior to discharging that water to a hot water system.

Claims

1. Apparatus for preheating hot water for a hot water system using heat energy from a refrigeration circuit including a refrigerant to water heat exchanger, the hot water system including a tank adapted to contain a reservoir of stratified water such that warmer water is at the top of the tank and colder water is at the bottom of the tank, a tank outlet located in the top of the tank through which heated water is withdrawn and inlet means located in the top of the tank adapted to provide water to the tank which comprises:

a fitting adapted to be connected to the tank outlet in the top of the tank, the fitting including;

a conduit portion through which heated water from the tank may flow;

a return line connected to the water outlet for supplying heated water from the heat exchanger to the tank, and

a return line extension connected to the return line and extending through the top of the tank into the reservoir of water in the tank such that water from the heat exchanger is discharged into the reservoir a sufficient distance from the conduit portion to allow for mixing of the water from the heat exchanger with the water in the reservoir prior to the water from the heat exchanger being withdrawn from the tank outlet.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the return line has an ingress portion extending through a wall of the conduit portion of the fitting, a discharge portion extending into the reservoir in the tank and an elbow portion connecting the ingress portion to the discharge portion.

3. A fitting adapted to connect a heated water outlet of a tank containing a reservoir of water to a heated water system and for discharging water heated outside the tank into the tank which comprises:

a conduit portion connecting the heated water outlet to the heated water system,

a return line extension extending through the heated water outlet of the tank into the reservoir of water in the tank, the length that the return line extension extends into the tank being sufficient such that the water heated ouside the tank and flowing through the return line extension at least partially mixes with the water in the tank prior to being discharged from the tank through the heated water outlet; and

wherein the conduit portion has an opening therethrough and wherein the return line extension is secured within the opening through the conduit portion, said extension having one end external of the conduit portion for connection with the supply of water heated outside the tank, and having the other end extend through the heated water outlet into the reservoir of water within the tank.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the return line extension comprises an ingress portion extending through the opening in the conduit portion, a discharge portion extending into the reservoir of water and an elbow portion connecting the ingress portion to the discharge portion.

5. A method of transferring heat energy from a refrigeration circuit used to heat or cool a space upon demand to a hot water system which comprises the steps of:

energizing the refrigeration circuit on demand to circulate the refrigerant flowing within the circuit through a heat exchanger;

energizing a pump simultaneously with the refrigeration circuit to circulate water between the hot water system and the heat exchanger;

sensing the temperature of the water from the hot water system;

sensing the temperature of the water being discharged from the heat exchanger;

routing water primarily through the heat exchanger when the water from the hot water system is below a first predetermined temperature and the water being discharged from the heat exchanger is above a second predetermined temperature, and

by-passing a restricted flow of water around the heat exchanger when either the temperature of the incoming water is above the first predetermined temperature or the temperature of the water being discharged from the heat exchanger is below the second predetermined temperature, said step of by-passing serving to allow continuous but reduced flow circulation of water between the tank and the heat exchanger to allow the water temperature of the tank to be continuously monitored, and

mixing heated water from the heat exchanger with water in the tank prior to discharging the heated water from the heat exchanger out the heated water outlet.

6. A method of supplying heated water to a hot water system having a tank with a heated water outlet in the top of the tank such that the heated water may be reduced in temperature prior to being circulated through the hot water system which comprises the steps of:

maintaining a reservoir of water in the tank, said reservoir being stratified with the colder water at the bottom and the hotter water at the top;

supplying water to the hot water system from the heated water outlet in the top of the tank, and

introducing heated water to the tank through the heated water outlet, said heated water being conducted into the reservoir of water in the tank such that the heated water mixes with the water in the tank prior to being discharged from the heated water outlet of the tank.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the step of supplying includes connecting the heated water outlet of the tank to the remainder of the hot water system with a conduit, and wherein the step of introducing includes mounting a return line extension through the conduit extending through the heated water outlet into the reservoir of water such that the entering heated water is not discharged at the same location as the water supplied to the hot water system is removed from the tank.