Cogeneration system and method for controlling the same

• US 7,174,727 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2005
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Cheol Min, Ko, Cheol Soo, Cheong, Baik Young, Ha, Sim Bok
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai; William E.
• Application Number:
  US11/037,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20060037342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 622/387, 623/231, 623/241
• US Class Current: 62/115
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00961 comprising means for defrosting outside heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0233 in parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0254 in series arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2313/0315 Temperature sensors near the outdoor heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2327/001 of the internal combustion type
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/06 Several compression cycles arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/02 Increasing the heating capacity of a reversible cycle during cold outdoor conditions
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2106 of fresh outdoor air
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/274 using waste energy, e.g. from internal combustion engine
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/14 Combined heat and power generation [CHP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/15 On-site combined power, heat or cool generation or distribution, e.g. combined heat and power [CHP] supply

Abstract

A cogeneration system including a pre-heater to pre-heat outdoor air blown toward the outdoor heat exchanger during a heating operation of a heat pump type air conditioner, an auxiliary evaporator to evaporate a refrigerant emerging from the outdoor heat exchanger during the heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner, and waste heat recovering means to transfer waste heat of the engine to at least one of the pre-heater and the auxiliary evaporator. The cogeneration system exhibits a high energy efficiency.

Claims

1. A cogeneration system comprising:

an engine;

a generator connected to an output shaft of the engine to generate electricity;

a heat pump type air conditioner including a compressor, a directional valve, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an outdoor heat exchanger;

a pre-heater to pre-heat outdoor air blown toward the outdoor heat exchanger during a heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner;

an auxiliary evaporator to evaporate a refrigerant emerging from the outdoor heat exchanger during the heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner; and

waste heat recovering means to transfer waste heat of the engine to at least one of the pre-heater and the auxiliary evaporator.

2. The cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein the heat pump type air conditioner uses the electricity generated from the generator.

3. The cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the engine, the generator, the compressor, the directional valve, the indoor heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the outdoor heat exchanger comprises a plurality of ones.

4. The cogeneration system according to claim 1, wherein the waste heat recovering means comprises:

an engine-cooling heat exchanger to absorb heat from cooling water used to cool the engine;

an exhaust gas heat exchanger to absorb heat from exhaust gas discharged from the engine; and

heat transfer means to transfer at least one of the heat of the engine-cooling heat exchanger and the heat of the exhaust gas heat exchanger to at least one of the pre-heater and the auxiliary evaporator.

5. The cogeneration system according to claim 4, wherein the heat transfer means comprises:

a pre-heater circulation conduit to guide a heat medium to be circulated around the engine-cooling heat exchanger, the exhaust gas heat exchanger, and the pre-heater;

an auxiliary evaporator circulation conduit to guide the heat medium to be circulated around the engine-cooling heat exchanger, the exhaust gas heat exchanger, and the auxiliary evaporator; and

a heat medium circulation pump to pump the heat medium for circulation of the heat medium.

6. The cogeneration system according to claim 5, wherein the auxiliary evaporator circulation conduit is branched from the pre-heater circulation conduit upstream from the pre-heater such that the auxiliary evaporator circulation conduit is bypassed through the auxiliary evaporator, and is joined to the pre-heater circulation conduit downstream from the pre-heater.

7. The cogeneration system according to claim 6, wherein the heat transfer means further comprises a control valve to control the amount of the heat medium circulated through the pre-heater circulation conduit and the auxiliary evaporator circulation conduit.

8. The cogeneration system according to claim 7, wherein:

the heat transfer means further comprises an outdoor temperature sensor to measure an outdoor temperature or a temperature of the outdoor heat exchanger;

the control valve is controlled to operate in a pre-heater circulation mode when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in a heating mode, and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is in a heavily frosting temperature range;

the control valve is controlled to operate in an auxiliary evaporator circulation mode when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in the heating mode, and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is in a non-frosting temperature range; and

the control valve is controlled to operate in a common mode when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in the heating mode, and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor is in a lightly frosting temperature range.

9. The cogeneration system according to claim 5, wherein:

the cogeneration system further comprises a radiator to discharge heat; and

the heat transfer means transfers the heat of the engine-cooling heat exchanger to the radiator when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in a cooling mode.

10. The cogeneration system according to claim 9, wherein the heat transfer means further comprises a radiator circulation conduit to guide the heat medium to be circulated around the engine-cooling heat exchanger and the radiator.

11. The cogeneration system according to claim 10, wherein:

the heat medium circulation pump is directly connected to the pre-heater circulation conduit between the engine-cooling heat exchanger and the exhaust gas heat exchanger; and

the radiator circulation conduit is branched from the pre-heater circulation conduit between the heat medium circulation pump and the exhaust gas heat exchanger such that the radiator circulation conduit is bypassed through the radiator heat exchanger, and is joined to the pre-heater circulation conduit upstream from the engine-cooling heat exchanger.

12. The cogeneration system according to claim 11, wherein the heat transfer means further comprises:

a first valve arranged at a branching region where the radiator circulation conduit is branched from the pre-heater circulation conduit, to alternately open/close the pre-heater circulation conduit and the radiator circulation conduit; and

a second valve arranged at a joining region where the radiator circulation conduit is joined to the pre-heater circulation conduit, to alternately open/close the pre-heater circulation conduit and the radiator circulation conduit.

13. The cogeneration system according to claim 12, wherein:

the first and second valves operate, during the heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner, in a pre-heater circulation mode to open the pre-heater circulation conduit and to close the radiator circulation conduit; and

the first and second valves operate, during the cooling operation of the heat pump type air conditioner, in a radiator circulation mode to close the pre-heater circulation conduit and to open the radiator circulation conduit.

14. A cogeneration system comprising:

an engine;

a generator connected to an output shaft of the engine to generate electricity;

a heat pump type air conditioner including a compressor, a directional valve, an indoor heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an outdoor heat exchanger;

a pre-heater to pre-heat outdoor air blown toward the outdoor heat exchanger during a heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner;

an auxiliary evaporator to evaporate a refrigerant emerging from the outdoor heat exchanger during the heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner; and

waste heat recovering means to transfer waste heat of the engine to at least one of the pre-heater and the auxiliary evaporator while controlling the amount of the transferred heat in accordance with a frosting condition of the outdoor heat exchanger.

15. The cogeneration system according to claim 14, wherein the heat pump type air conditioner uses the electricity generated from the generator.

16. The cogeneration system according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the engine, the generator, the compressor, the directional valve, the indoor heat exchanger, the expansion device, and the outdoor heat exchanger comprises a plurality of ones.

17. The cogeneration system according to claim 14, wherein the waste heat recovering means comprises:

an engine-cooling heat exchanger to absorb heat from cooling water used to cool the engine;

an exhaust gas heat exchanger to absorb heat from exhaust gas discharged from the engine; and

heat transfer means to transfer at least one of the heat of the engine-cooling heat exchanger and the heat of the exhaust gas heat exchanger to at least one of the pre-heater and the auxiliary evaporator.

18. The cogeneration system according to claim 17, wherein:

the heat transfer means transfers at least one of the heat of the engine-cooling heat exchanger and the heat of the exhaust gas heat exchanger to the pre-heater when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in a heating mode, and the outdoor heat exchanger is under a heavily frosting condition;

the heat transfer means transfers at least one of the heat of the engine-cooling heat exchanger and the heat of the exhaust gas heat exchanger to the auxiliary evaporator when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in a heating mode, and the outdoor heat exchanger is under a non-frosting condition; and

the heat transfer means transfers at least one of the heat of the engine-cooling heat exchanger and the heat of the exhaust gas heat exchanger to both the pre-heater and the auxiliary evaporator when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in a heating mode, and the outdoor heat exchanger is under a lightly frosting condition.

19. A method for controlling a cogeneration system, comprising:

a temperature measuring step of measuring an outdoor temperature or a temperature of an outdoor heat exchanger included in a heat pump type air conditioner; and

a waste heat controlling step comprising steps of

supplying waste heat of an engine to a pre-heater adapted to pre-heat air blown to the outdoor heat exchanger when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in a heating mode, and the temperature measured in the temperature measuring step is in a heavily frosting temperature range,

supplying the waste heat of the engine to a compressor suction line heater adapted to heat a suction line of a compressor included in the heat pump type air conditioner when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in the heating mode, and the temperature measured in the temperature measuring step is in a non-frosting temperature range, and

supplying the waste heat of the engine to both the pre-heater and the compressor suction line heater when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in the heating mode, and the temperature measured in the temperature measuring step is in a lightly frosting temperature range.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the waste heat controlling step further comprises the step of supplying, to the radiator, waste heat of cooling water used to cool the engine, which is included in the waste heat of the engine, when the heat pump type air conditioner operates in a cooling mode.