Heat pump using solar and outdoor air heat sources

Patent · Tue Dec 14 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6536730

Nussbaum, O J

A heat pump system uses a non-reversing refrigeration circuit having a water-cooled condenser and a counterflow chiller fed by a thermostatic expansion valve to permit operation at close to zero superheat. To protect the compressor in the refrigeration circuit from possible flood-back at this low superheat, a combination suction-liquid heat exchanger-suction accumulator is employed. A hold-back valve serves to maintain constant compressor suction pressure regardless of evaporator pressure fluctuations caused by changing chiller fluid temperatures. The system is designed to operate in four distinct modes: (1) water source heat pump heating; (2) direct solar heating; (3) air source heat pump heating; and (4) heat pump cooling. To switch the refrigeration circuit to heat pump mode from the cooling mode or vice versa, four three-way valves and three fluid pumps are selectively operated. The fluid circuit of the system consists of two separate coils in an air-handling unit. One coil is connected to the solar collector circuit and may be used for either heating or cooling. A second coil is connected to the condenser circuit and works during the heat pump cycle.

• Assignee: Halstead Ind Inc
• Patent Number(s): US 4363218
• OSTI ID: 6536730
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 10 Apr 1981; Other Information: PAT-APPL-252799
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
HEAT PUMPS
SOLAR REFRIGERATION
ACCUMULATORS
CONDENSERS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
PUMPS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
VALVES
CONTAINERS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
COOLING
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
FLUIDS
REFRIGERATION
TANKS
140909* - Solar Thermal Utilization- Miscellaneous Solar Applications- (1980-)