Reverse cycle heat pump

Patent · Tue Jun 21 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:6558555

Harnish, J R

A reverse cycle heat pump is provided with a heat exchanger which provides refrigerant subcooling with no thermodynamic losses. The heat exchanger is arranged such that it is operative only during the heating cycle to permit optimum charging of the system and allow operation during the cooling cycle with no excess refrigerant in the system accumulator. The heat exchanger is bypassed when the system is converted from heating to cooling operations. Liquid refrigerant will be mixed with oil in the accumulator during the heating cycle, but not the cooling cycle. Then since refrigerant liquid returning with the oil from the accumulator to the compressor should be evaporated to avoid harm to the compressor, heat applied to the suction line, with no thermodynamic loss, vaporizes this refrigerant. During the cooling operation, no liquid refrigerant is returned from the accumulator, so heat added to the suction gas would be undesirable.

• Assignee: Borg-Warner Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 4030315
• OSTI ID: 6558555
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
BUILDINGS
COOLING
DESIGN
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PUMPS
HEATING
OPERATION
SPACE HEATING