Heating and cooling system with heat pump and storage

Patent · Tue Mar 22 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7308238

Kirschbaum, H S

A heating and cooling system is described which includes a reversible heat pump with three refrigerant coils, one of which is in an air duct for the space to be served, another of which is in heat exchange relation with outdoor air, and a third of which is adapted to exchange heat with a heat exchange fluid which is circulated from a heat storage location, the system including valve means in the refrigerant lines for connecting any of the three coils to operate as either an evaporator or a condenser and for connecting either one of the other two coils to operate as a condenser or evaporator, respectively, so that heat can be exchanged in any combination between air in the duct serving the space to be heated, outside air, and the storage fluid. The system also preferably includes a solar collector and a second fluid storage tank, and circulating means and fluid valve means as well as a fluid-to-air heat exchanger in the duct so that heat from solar insulation may be used to heat directly or placed in storage, or heat may be provided for the space directly from the storage. Heat from storage may also be used with the heat pump operating. Various other modes of heat pump operation are also available in a cooling operation. The system also includes the provision of a diverting valve arrangement for the three coil heat pump which precludes, through a physical blocking arrangement, the possibility of short circuiting the discharge from the refrigerant compressor to the suction side of the compressor.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
• Patent Number(s): US 4012920
• OSTI ID: 7308238
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
AIR CONDITIONERS
APPLIANCES
BUILDINGS
COOLING SYSTEMS
DESIGN
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
GAS APPLIANCES
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PUMPS
HEAT STORAGE
HEATING SYSTEMS
OPERATION
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONERS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR COOLING SYSTEMS
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR-ASSISTED HEAT PUMPS
STORAGE
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT