Heating and/or cooling system for maintaining an environment at a desired temperature

• US 9,328,931 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Esg Pool Ventilation Limited
• Original Assignee: Esg Pool Ventilation Limited
• Inventors: Robinson, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric, Ljiljana
• Application Number:
  US13/984,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20140034285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 622/22, 622/23
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 4/129 Systems for heating the water content of swimming pools solar collectors using pools F24S10/17, F24S10/10; by solar radiation F24S20/02
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/02 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 11/0214 water heating system
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 25/005 using primary and secondary systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1933 Suction pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21151 at the suction side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 30/02 of the compression type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/12 Hot water central heating systems using heat pumps

Abstract

A heating and/or cooling system for maintaining an environment at a desired temperature. The heating and/or cooling system includes a heat pump, a temperature sensor disposed to measure a temperature of the environment, and a system controller. The system controller may be configured to control a condensing temperature within the condenser such that the condensing temperature is set as low as possible while maintaining the condensing temperature a predetermined amount above the desired temperature that is being maintained. The system controller may also be configured to control the evaporating valve in order to vary, based on the measured temperature, an evaporating temperature in order to reduce the difference between the evaporating and condensing temperatures.

Claims

1. A heating and/or cooling system for maintaining an environment at a desired temperature, comprising:

a heat pump, comprising;

a refrigerant pipe system;

an evaporator connected to the refrigerant pipe system, the evaporator configured to extract heat from a first environment;

a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe system;

a condenser connected to the refrigerant pipe system; and

an evaporating valve connected to the refrigerant pipe system;

a temperature sensor disposed to measure a temperature of the first environment; and

a system controller configured to perform at least one of;

i) controlling, based on the measured temperature, a condensing temperature within the condenser such that the condensing temperature is set as low as possible while maintaining the condensing temperature a predetermined amount above the desired temperature that is being maintained; and

ii) controlling the evaporating valve in order to vary, based on the measured temperature, an evaporating temperature in order to reduce the difference between, the evaporating and condensing temperatures.

2. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 1, wherein the heat pump is an air source heat pump, wherein the first environment is an outside environment, and wherein the evaporator is configured to extract heat from the outside air.

3. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 2, wherein the temperature sensor is disposed to measure an outside air temperature.

4. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 3, wherein the system controller is configured to vary the evaporating temperature as a function of the measured temperature.

5. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 4, wherein the system controller is configured to periodically and simultaneously vary the evaporating and the condensing temperatures.

6. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 1, wherein the condenser comprises a heat exchanger configured to extract heat from a refrigerant within the refrigerant pipe system.

7. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a heating pipe system configured to circulate a medium through the condenser of the refrigerant pipe system thereby exchanging heat between a refrigerant within the refrigerant pipe system and the medium within the heating pipe system.

8. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a pump configured to pump the medium within the heating pipe system around the heating pipe system.

9. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 8, wherein the pump is of variable speed.

10. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 7, wherein the system controller is configured to control the condensing temperature by varying, based on the measured temperature, the rate of flow of the medium through the condenser.

11. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 7, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat to the medium within the heating pipe system.

12. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 11, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to transfer heat from the medium within the heating pipe system to a second environment.

13. The heating and/or cooling system according to claim 12, wherein the second environment-is an interior of a building or water within a swimming pool.

14. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a by-pass pipe that allows the medium within the heating pipe system to by-pass the heat exchanger of the heating pipe system.

15. The heating and/or cooling system system according to claim 14, further comprising:

a valve configured to control the amount of the medium within the heating pipe system allowed to flow through the by-pass pipe.

16. A method of heating and/or cooling an environment to a desired temperature, comprising the steps of:

extracting heat from a first environment, via a heat pump, wherein the heat pump comprises;

a refrigerant pipe system;

an evaporator connected to the refrigerant pipe system;

a compressor connected to the refrigerant pipe system;

a condenser connected to the refrigerant pipe system; and

an evaporating valve connected to the refrigerant pipe system; and

measuring, via a temperature sensor, a temperature of the first environment; and

performing, via a system controller, at least one of the following steps;

i) controlling, based on the measured temperature, a condensing temperature within the condenser such that the condensing temperature is set as low as possible while maintaining the condensing temperature a predetermined amount above the desired temperature that is being maintained; and

ii) controlling the evaporating valve in order to vary, based on the measured temperature, an evaporating temperature in order to reduce the difference between the evaporating and condensing temperatures.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the first environment is a building or a swimming pool.