Heating, cooling, and dehumidifying system with energy recovery
First Claim
1. A heating, cooling, and dehumidifying system, comprising at least two heat pump circuits, each of which is connected in thermal transfer communication between two different respective media and includes:
- a) structure to provide a circuit heating mode wherein thermal energy is transferred from a first one to the second one of the two different respective media; and
b) structure to provide a circuit cooling mode wherein thermal energy is transferred from the second one to the first one of the two different respective media; and
wherein said system includes;
c) structure to provide a combination heating mode wherein each of one or more of said at least two heat pump circuits is connected in thermal transfer communication with the same media and operated in its respective circuit heating mode relative to said same media;
d) structure to provide a combination cooling mode wherein each of one or more of said at least two heat pump circuits is connected in thermal transfer communication with the same media and operated in its respective circuit cooling mode relative to said same media; and
e) structure to provide a dehumidifying mode wherein at least two of said at least two heat pump circuits are connected in thermal transfer communication with the same media, at least one of said at least two heat pump circuits being operable in its respective circuit heating mode and at least another of said at least two heat pump circuits being operable in its respective circuit cooling mode relative to said same media.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved heating and cooling system is provided which also includes dehumidification and energy recovery capability. The system includes two or more heat pump circuits operating singly or in concert to provide heating, singly or in concert in reverse to provide cooling, or concurrently but oppositely to provide dehumidification only, dehumidification concurrently with heating, or dehumidification concurrently with cooling. The system is adapted to include desuperheaters while being simultaneously providing heating, cooling, or dehumidification.
144 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A heating, cooling, and dehumidifying system, comprising at least two heat pump circuits, each of which is connected in thermal transfer communication between two different respective media and includes:
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a) structure to provide a circuit heating mode wherein thermal energy is transferred from a first one to the second one of the two different respective media; and b) structure to provide a circuit cooling mode wherein thermal energy is transferred from the second one to the first one of the two different respective media; and wherein said system includes; c) structure to provide a combination heating mode wherein each of one or more of said at least two heat pump circuits is connected in thermal transfer communication with the same media and operated in its respective circuit heating mode relative to said same media; d) structure to provide a combination cooling mode wherein each of one or more of said at least two heat pump circuits is connected in thermal transfer communication with the same media and operated in its respective circuit cooling mode relative to said same media; and e) structure to provide a dehumidifying mode wherein at least two of said at least two heat pump circuits are connected in thermal transfer communication with the same media, at least one of said at least two heat pump circuits being operable in its respective circuit heating mode and at least another of said at least two heat pump circuits being operable in its respective circuit cooling mode relative to said same media. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system for dehumidifying a gaseous media by utilizing a second media, comprising:
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a) a first heat pump circuit having; 1) a first transient load heat exchanger connected in thermal transfer communication with the gaseous media, and 2) a second transient load heat exchanger connected in thermal transfer communication with the second media, wherein said first transient load heat exchanger is structured to absorb thermal energy from the gaseous media and transfer thermal energy to said second transient load heat exchanger; and b) a second heat pump circuit having; 1) a third transient load heat exchanger connected in thermal transfer communication with the gaseous media, and 2) a fourth transient load heat exchanger connected in thermal transfer communication with the second media; wherein said third transient load heat exchanger is structured to absorb thermal energy from the second media and transfer thermal energy to said fourth transient load heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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38. A system for conditioning a first media by utilizing a second media, said system comprising:
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a) a first heat pump circuit having; 1) a first transient load heat exchanger structured to selectively absorb thermal energy from and discharge thermal energy to the first media, and 2) a second transient load heat exchanger structured to selectively absorb thermal energy from and discharge thermal energy to the second media, wherein said first transient load heat exchanger is structured to absorb thermal energy from the first media and transfer thermal energy to said second transient load heat exchanger as said first heat pump circuit operates in a first circuit cooling mode and said second transient load heat exchanger is structured to absorb thermal energy from the second media and transfer thermal energy to said first transient load heat exchanger as said first heat pump circuit operates in a first circuit heating mode; b) a second heat pump circuit having; 1) a third transient load heat exchanger structured to selectively absorb thermal energy from and discharge thermal energy to the first media, and 2) a fourth transient load heat exchanger structured to selectively absorb thermal energy from and discharge thermal energy to the second media; wherein said third transient load heat exchanger is structured to absorb thermal energy from the first media and transfer thermal energy to said fourth transient load heat exchanger as said second heat pump circuit operates in a second circuit cooling mode and said fourth transient load heat exchanger is structured to absorb thermal energy from the second media and transfer thermal energy to said third transient load heat exchanger as said second heat pump circuit operates in a second circuit heating mode; c) a control mechanism structured to automatically and selectively control said first heat pump circuit in either of said first circuit heating and cooling modes and to selectively operate said second heat pump circuit in either of said second circuit heating and cooling modes; and d) a dehumidifying mechanism structured to remove humidity from at least one of the first and second media, wherein said dehumidifying mechanism includes said control mechanism being structured to simultaneously operate said first heat pump circuit in said first circuit heating mode and said second heat pump circuit in said second circuit cooling mode.
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Specification