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Geothermal heat pump system

  • US 5,758,514 A
  • Filed: 05/02/1995
  • Issued: 06/02/1998
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/02/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. In a heating and cooling system having a subterranean heat exchanger in thermal communication with the earth, a dynamic load heat exchanger in thermal communication with a dynamic load, a conduit circuit for circulating a phase-change heat transfer fluid so as to convey thermal energy from one said heat exchanger to the other, a gas compressor in said conduit circuit for compressing said heat transfer fluid while in the gas phase, an expansion valve in a section of said conduit circuit that carries the heat transfer fluid from said dynamic load heat exchanger to said subterranean heat exchanger when the system is being operated in the heating mode or the cooling mode!, and a trap vessel in said conduit circuit for trapping any liquid present in the heat transfer fluid that is about to be sucked into the compressor, the improvement whereinsaid system includes a reservoir vessel in said conduit circuit for holding a reserve supply of said heat transfer fluid in liquid phase, the reservoir vessel being located in said section of the conduit circuit that carries heat transfer fluid from said gas compressor to said subterranean heat exchanger in the heating mode and from the subterranean heat exchanger to said gas compressor in the cooling mode, at a location between said gas compressor and said expansion valve.

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