| WO/2003/026103 | POWER GENERATOR AND VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONER |
| JP06341724 | VENDING MACHINE |
| JP2006038257 | COOLING DEVICE AND VENDING MACHINE |
| CLAIMS 1. Method for coupling a primary heat pump system intended for heating a building by means of the heating of heating water via a heating water circuit and/or for heating hot tap water via a tap water circuit, wherein the primary heat pump system is provided with at least one primary cooling agent circuit, comprising at least one primary evaporator, primary compressor, primary expansion provision and a primary condenser, on one or more secondary heat pump systems intended for lowering the temperature in a closed space of a housing, such as for instance a refrigerator, wherein the secondary heat pump system is provided with at least one secondary cooling agent circuit comprising at least one secondary evaporator, secondary compressor and secondary expansion provision, wherein the heat extracted from the closed space by the secondary heat pump system is used to additionally heat the heating water or tap water, and wherein the primary and secondary heat pumps are enclosed in the housing. 2. Method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the secondary cooling agent circuit of the secondary heat pump system is coupled to the primary cooling agent circuit of the primary heat pump system. 3. Method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the secondary heat pump system is provided with a secondary condenser which is coupled such that the heat extracted by the secondary heat pump system is relinquished to the heating water or hot tap water. 4. Device adapted to perform the method of claim 1 and intended substantially for domestic use, comprising a housing provided with a primary heat pump system intended for heating a building by means of the heating of heating water and/or for heating tap water, wherein the primary heat pump system is provided with at least one cooling agent circuit comprising at least one evaporator, compressor, expansion provision and condenser, wherein the housing is further provided with a cooling part, and a secondary heat pump system intended for lowering the temperature in the cooling part, wherein the secondary heat pump system is provided with at least one cooling agent circuit comprising at least one evaporator, compressor and expansion provision. 5. Device as claimed in claim 4 adapted to perform the method of claim 2, wherein the cooling agent circuit of the secondary heat pump system is connected to the cooling agent circuit of the primary heat pump system. 6. Device as claimed in claim 4 adapted to perform the method of claim 3, wherein the secondary heat pump system is provided with a secondary condenser, which is coupled to the heating water circuit or tap water circuit such that the heat extracted by the secondary heat pump system is relinquished to the heating water or tap water. |
The present invention relates to a method for coupling a primary heat pump system intended for heating a building and/or for heating tap water to one or more secondary heat pump systems intended for lowering the temperature in an enclosed space, and device for performing the method.
Heat pump systems are increasingly being applied in practice to heat a building and/or to heat tap water. Heat is herein extracted from the surrounding area, such as groundwater or open water, with which heating water or tap water is heated. A heat pump is generally also applied in a refrigerator or freezer, wherein the extraction of heat inside the cabinet provides for cooling of the cabinet. The extracted heat is then relinquished to the surrounding area.
The use of the extracted heat of a refrigerator or freezer to heat the heating water or tap water is known in the field. Examples of known devices are described in EP1921401 and 1452808. In addition, there are also examples of devices in which a refrigerator or freezer is applied in combination with an airconditioning system, for instance in EP1821050.
A drawback of the known devices is that the devices are applied on industrial scale and take up a great deal of space due to the use of an additional heat exchanger, compressor or control. The components are moreover distributed over several spaces, for instance in a building and on a building. The known devices cannot hereby be applied for domestic use.
In addition, not all the heat released in a refrigerator or freezer is discharged in the known devices. Owing to the increasingly more efficient insulation of dwellings it is not desirable for this heat to be relinquished directly to the area around the refrigerator or freezer. Particularly in summer and between seasons overheating of the space/dwelling can occur because the refrigerator or freezer relinquishes the absorbed heat of the products to the surrounding area.
The present invention has for its object to provide a method for using the heat extracted from a refrigerator or freezer to additionally heat the heating water or tap water, which does not have the above stated drawbacks.
The present invention provides for this purpose a method for coupling a primary heat pump system intended for heating a building by means of the heating of heating water via a heating water circuit and/or for heating tap water via a hot tap water circuit, wherein the primary heat pump system is provided with at least one primary cooling agent circuit, comprising at teast one primary evaporator, primary compressor, primary expansion provision and a primary condenser, on one or more secondary heat pump systems intended for lowering the temperature in a dosed space of a housing, such as for instance a refrigerator, freezer or a combination thereof, wherein the secondary heat pump system is provided with at least one secondary cooling agent circuit comprising at least one secondary evaporator, secondary compressor and secondary expansion provision, wherein the heat extracted from the closed space by the secondary heat pump system is used to additionally heat the heating water or hot tap water, and wherein the primary and secondary heat pumps are enclosed in the housing. In this way the heat of the food products to be cooled does not enter the area close to the refrigerator but is relinquished via a heat exchanger to the tap water or the heating circuit.
In a first practical embodiment of the method according to the invention the secondary cooling agent circuit of the secondary heat pump system is coupled to the primary cooling agent circuit of the primary heat pump system. In this embodiment it is possible to suffice with one condenser, which is shared by all heat pump systems used in the method.
In a second practical embodiment of the method according to the invention the secondary heat pump system is provided with a secondary condenser which is coupled for heating a building and/or for heating hot tap water such that the heat extracted by the secondary heat pump system is relinquished to the heating water or hot tap water. In this embodiment it is not necessary for the primary heat pump system and the secondary heat pump system to be close together.
The invention also relates to a device intended substantially for domestic use which is adapted to perform the above stated method, comprising a housing provided with a primary heat pump system intended for heating a building by means of the heating of heating water and/or for heating tap water, wherein the primary heat pump system is provided with at least one cooling agent circuit comprising at least one evaporator, compressor, expansion provision and condenser, wherein the housing is further provided with a cooling part, and a secondary heat pump system intended for lowering the temperature in the cooling part, wherein the secondary heat pump system is provided with at least one cooling agent circuit comprising at least one evaporator, compressor and expansion provision. The present invention combines a primary heat pump system with a refrigerator or freezer, wherein the heat extracted from the refrigerator or freezer is no longer relinquished to the area around the refrigerator or freezer. The device in fact consists of a heat pump combination, wherein a cooling and heating system are accommodated in one combination and the heat of the food products to be cooled does not enter the area close to the refrigerator, but is relinquished via a heat exchanger to the tap water or the heating circuit. In practice the device according to the invention replaces a conventional refrigerator, freezer or combination thereof, whereby there will always be space for placing of the device.
A first practical embodiment of the device according to the invention is adapted to perform the first practical embodiment of the method according to the invention, wherein the cooling agent circuit of the secondary heat pump system is connected to the cooling agent circuit of the primary heat pump system. The present embodiment is economically attractive since only one condenser is required.
A second practical embodiment of the device according to the invention is adapted to perform the first practical embodiment of the method according to the invention, wherein the secondary heat pump system is provided with a secondary condenser, which is coupled to the heating water circuit or tap water circuit such that the heat extracted by the secondary heat pump system is relinquished to the heating water or tap water. This embodiment is particularly low-maintenance.
The invention will now be discussed in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which
Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention,
Figure 2a shows a schematic view of the operation of the first practical embodiment of the method according to the invention,
Figure 2b shows a schematic cross-section of the first practical embodiment of the device according to the invention,
Figure 3a shows a schematic view of the operation of the second practical embodiment of the method according to the invention, and
Figure 3b shows a schematic cross-section of the second practical embodiment of the device according to the invention;
Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment 1 of the device according to the invention, wherein the cooling part A is situated at the top of the housing of the device. The primary heat pump system is situated in the part B of the housing of the device, and parts of the secondary heat pump system can be situated therein. The device is connected to a heat exchanger which makes contact with for instance groundwater or open water. The device is also connected to a heating water circuit in a building or a tap water circuit.
Figure 2a shows a schematic view of the operation of the first practical embodiment of the method according to the invention. This example is limited to one secondary heat pump system. The primary heat pump system is formed by heat exchanger 10 which is connected to for instance groundwater or open water, circulation pump 6a, evaporator 3a, compressor 3b, expansion provision 3d and condenser 3c. The primary heat pump system is connected to heating water circuit or tap water circuit 8, which is provided with circulation pump 6b. The operation of the primary heat pump system is known in the art and will not be further elaborated. The secondary heat pump system is formed by evaporator 4a, compressor 4b and expansion provision 4c, wherein the secondary heat pump system is connected to the cooling agent circuit of the primary heat pump system and makes use of condenser 3c of the primary heat pump system. Evaporator 4a is situated in parts A1 and A2 of the closed space A of device 1 of figure 1 , whereby this part is cooled during use of the secondary heat pump system. The heat extracted from part A is then relinquished to hot water circuit 8 by means of condenser 3c of the primary heat pump system. Heat exchanger 10 is preferably attached to evaporator 3a by means of rapid-action couplings 7. Hot water circuit 8 is preferably attached to condenser 9 by means of rapid-action couplings 9. The primary heat pump circuit is preferably mounted in a frame or cassette.
Figure 2b shows a schematic cross-section of the first practical embodiment of the device according to the invention. The part A can in practice be divided into a freezer part A1 and a refrigerator part A2. Evaporator 3a, compressor 3b, expansion provision 3d, circulation pump 6a and condenser 3c of the primary heat pump system are situated in the part B. The primary heat pump system is connected to heat exchanger 10 by means of rapid-action couplings 7. The primary heat pump system is also connected to a heating water circuit (not drawn) or tap water circuit by means of rapid-action couplings 9. Evaporator 3a, compressor 3b, expansion provision 3d and condenser 3c are preferably mounted on a frame or cassette 3. Evaporator 4a, compressor 4b and expansion provision 4c are preferably situated in the part A of the device, but may optionally be situated in the part B. Evaporator 4a is situated in the parts A1 and A2, where the heat will be extracted.
Figure 3a shows a schematic view of the operation of the second practical embodiment of the method according to the invention. The reference numerals of figure 2a designate the same components in figure 3a. In this method the secondary heat pump system, which is provided with its own condenser 4d, is not connected to the cooling agent circuit of the primary heat pump system but to the heating water circuit or tap water circuit 8. In this way condenser 4d relinquishes the heat extracted from the part A to heating water circuit or tap water circuit 8.
Figure 3b shows a schematic cross-section of the second practical embodiment of the device according to the invention. The embodiment is almost the same as that in figure 2b, with the difference that additional condenser 4d is situated in the part A.
Both part A and B are equipped with a door for the purpose of access.
The device according to the invention can be provided with a free cooling, wherein an additional heat exchanger is placed in the part B which is connected to heat exchanger 10 and the heating water circuit or tap water circuit 8.
In addition, the device according to the invention can be provided with an evaporator, wherein cooled air is blown into both freezer section A1 and refrigerator section A2. The evaporator in section A1 is dispensed with here.
The device according to the invention replaces a conventional refrigerator, freezer or combination thereof and a heat pump/central heating boiler in a dwelling. Because the device carries out both functions, cooling of products and heating of the dwelling/building (hot tap water), extra space becomes available in the dwelling as space is only required for one apparatus, and overheating of the
dwelling/building is prevented.
Finally, the invention is expressly not limited to the described and shown embodiments, but extends generally to any embodiment falling within the scope of the appended claims, as seen in the light of the foregoing description and drawings.