CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to, and is a continuation of, U S. Patent Application No. 16867447 filed May 5, 2020, currently pending, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

[0003] This section introduces information from the art that may be related to or provide context for some aspects of the technique described herein and/or claimed below. This information is background information facilitating a better understanding of that which is disclosed herein. This is a discussion of “related” art. That such art is related in no way implies that it is also “prior” art. The related art may or may not be prior art. The discussion is to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0004] Referring to Figure 1 , in a conventional heat pump cycle, the working fluid is compressed from a relatively low temperature, low pressure state (State 2) to one of higher temperature and pressure (State 3). This heat can then be transferred to a heat transfer target HTR that receives and either uses or stores that heat. In Figure 1 , the heat transfer target HTR starts at the conditions of HTRc and is stored at HTRh. During the process of heating the material that comprises the HTR from HTRc to HTRh, the working fluid is cooled to State 4. [0005] The process of transferring heat from the working fluid to the HTR takes place in a counter-flow heat exchanger. This process of heat transfer can be depicted on a “TQ” (temperature-heat flow) graph or diagram such as the one shown in Figure 2. The illustrated example uses supercritical Carbon dioxide (“sCCte”) at 30 MPa pressure as the working fluid, and silica sand as the HTR medium.

SUMMARY

[0006] In some embodiments, a heat pump includes a heat transfer source, a heat transfer target; and a closed fluid loop to circulate a working fluid. The closed fluid loop further includes a compression device, a counterflow heat exchanger, a low temperature expansion device, a low temperature heat exchanger, a high temperature expansion device, and a recuperating heat exchanger. Each of these elements of the closed fluid loop operate on the working fluid within the closed fluid loop.

[0007] More particularly, in operation, the compression device receives the working fluid in a first state and raises the temperature and pressure of the working fluid through mechanical work to place the working fluid in a second state. The counterflow heat exchanger includes a first stage and a second stage. The first stage is in thermal communication with the heat transfer target and receives the working fluid from the compression device in the second state and transfers heat from the received working fluid to the heat transfer target to cool the working fluid to a third state. The second stage is in thermal communication with the heat transfer target and receives a first portion of the working fluid in the third state from the first stage and transfers heat from the received first portion of the working fluid in the third state to the heat transfer target to cool the working fluid to a fourth state.

[0008] The low temperature expansion device, in operation, receives the working fluid in a fifth state to expand the working fluid to a sixth state. The low temperature heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the heat transfer source and receives the working fluid in the sixth state and transfers the heat from the heat transfer source to the working fluid in the sixth state to heat the working fluid to a seventh state. The high temperature expansion device receives a second portion of the working fluid in the third state from the first stage of the counterflow heat exchanger and expand the received second portion of the working fluid to an eighth state. The recuperating heat exchanger transfers heat from the working fluid in the fourth state received from the second stage of the counterflow heat exchange to a combination of the working fluid in the seventh state received from the high temperature expansion device and the working fluid in the eighth state received from the low temperature heat exchanger, thereby heating the mixed working fluid to the first state and cooling the working fluid in the fourth state to the fifth state.

[0009] In other examples a heat pump includes: a heat transfer target; a heat transfer source; and a closed fluid loop to circulate a working fluid. The closed fluid loop includes: a compression device, means for performing a split expansion of the working fluid, a low temperature heat exchanger, and a recuperating heat exchanger. The compression device receives the working fluid in a first state and heats and pressurizes the received working fluid to a second state. The means for performing the split expansion of the working fluid in the second state expands a first portion of the working fluid in a partially cooled third state to an eighth state and expands a second portion of the working fluid in the partially cooled third state to a sixth state after the second portion of the working fluid in the third state is further cooled to a twice-cooled fourth state and still further cooled to a fifth state. The low temperature heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the heat transfer source and receives the working fluid in the sixth state and transfer heat from the heat transfer source to the working fluid in the sixth state to heat the working fluid to a seventh state. The recuperating heat exchanger transfers heat from the working fluid in the fourth state received from the second stage of the counterflow heat exchanger to a combination of the working fluid in the seventh state received from the high temperature expansion device and the working fluid in the eighth state received from the low temperature heat exchanger, thereby heating the mixed working fluid to the first state and cooling the working fluid in the fourth state to the fifth state. [0010] In still other embodiments, this disclosure describes a method for operating a heat pump in a closed fluid loop, comprising: compressing a working fluid in a first state to raise the temperature and pressure to a second state; and cooling the working fluid in the second state in a counterflow heat exchanger. The cooling in the counterflow heat exchanger includes: cooling the working fluid in the second state in a first stage to a third state; and cooling a first portion of the working fluid in the third state in a second stage to a fourth state. The method further includes expanding the working fluid in a fifth state to a sixth state; heating the working fluid in the sixth state to a seventh state; expanding a second portion of the working fluid in the third state to an eight state; mixing the working fluid in the seventh state with the working fluid in the eighth state; and heating the mixture of the working fluid in the seventh and eighth states to the first state while cooling the working fluid in the fourth state to the fifth state in a recuperating heat exchanger.

[0011] The above presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is discussed later.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The subject matter disclosed below may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional heat pump employing a conventional heat pump cycle. [0014] Figure 2 is a T(Q) plot for the counterflow heat exchanger of the heat pump cycle of Figure 1.

[0015] Figure 3 is a plot of heat capacity vs. temperature for the heat pump cycle of Figure 1 illustrating changes in heat capacity of the working fluid and the heat transfer medium as their temperature varies.

[0016] Figure 4 is a second T(Q) plot for the counterflow heat exchanger of the heat pump cycle of Figure 1 illustrating how, as the working fluid flow rate increases relative to the heat transfer medium flow rate, the rate of change in the working fluid temperature will increase until it reaches a point at which further increases in working fluid flow rate cannot decrease the working fluid exit temperature.

[0017] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a split expansion heat pump employing a split expansion heat pump cycle in accordance with one or more embodiments of the subject matter claimed below.

[0018] Figure 6 is a pressure-enthalpy diagram for the working fluid at certain points in the heat pump cycle of Figure 5 in one particular embodiment.

[0019] Figure 7 is a T(Q) plot for the counterflow heat exchanger of the heat pump cycle of Figure 5.

[0020] Figure 8 is a graph of the coefficient of performance (“COP”) of the heat pump cycle as a function of the portion of the flow extracted between first stage and the second stage of the counter-flow heat exchanger in the heat pump cycle in Figure 5.

[0021] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a second particular embodiment of the split expansion heat pump cycle of Figure 5.

[0022] While the disclosed technique is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, the drawings illustrate specific embodiments herein described in detail by way of example. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit that which is claimed to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Illustrative embodiments of the subject matter claimed below will now be disclosed. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers’ specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort, even if complex and time-consuming, would be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0024] Referring again to the conventional heat pump cycle discussed above relative to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the slopes of the Twf and Thtr curves in the TQ plot are determined by the flow rate and heat capacity (“cp”) of the fluids. Both of these fluids exhibit significant changes in heat capacity as their respective temperature varies through the heat exchanger as shown in Figure 3. This variation can be seen in Figure 3 as curvature in the T(Q) plots. Because the heat capacity curves are mismatched, the amount of heat that can be transferred from the working fluid to the HTR medium is limited.

[0025] As the working fluid flow rate decreases relative to the HTR medium flow rate, the slope of the Twf curve will decrease, until the T(Q) plots intersect at a point 400 as shown in Figure 4. At this intersection point, further decreases in working fluid flow rate cannot decrease the working fluid exit temperature, as the heat transfer process cannot proceed any faster due to the near-zero temperature differential between the fluids at the point where the curves intersect. This phenomenon is frequently termed as “pinch”, which in this case occurs in the middle of the heat exchanger.

[0026] As the heat pump performance will be impacted by this pinch phenomenon, it would be beneficial to match the slopes of the working fluid and HTR medium T(Q) plots. Because heat capacity is a thermodynamic property of the two materials, and thus cannot be varied, one can only change the T(Q) slope(s) by changing the flow rate of either or both materials. Also, the HTR medium flow rates may be difficult to control and storing more than the two heat transfer targets shown in Figure 1 would be complex and cost-prohibitive.

[0027] The presently disclosed technique provides a heat pump cycle that allows for an improved matching of the T(Q) slopes and improves the performance of the heat pump cycle. More particularly, the high temperature heat exchange (e.g., as occurs in the counterflow heat exchanger HTX in Figure 1 ) is instead separated into two stages. Furthermore, a portion of the working fluid that was cooled in the first stage, is further cooled by expansion before being mixed with a heated working fluid for input to the recuperating heat exchanger. Still other variations may be seen in still other embodiments.

[0028] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a heat pump 500 employing a split expansion heat pump cycle in accordance with one or more embodiments. The heat pump 500 includes a heat transfer source 502, a heat transfer target 504, and a closed fluid loop 506. The closed fluid loop 506, in operation, circulates a working fluid that is used for heat transfer in a manner described further below. The working fluid may be, for example, Carbon dioxide. Depending on the point in the closed fluid loop 506 under discussion, the working fluid may be referred to as a “heated working fluid”, a “compressed working fluid”, a “cooled working fluid”, etc. during the discussion of the operation of the closed fluid loop 506. [0029] The heat transfer source 502 includes a heat transfer medium not otherwise shown. The heat transfer medium may have a variable heat capacity, although not all embodiments are so limited, and may be a fluid or a solid. If a fluid, the heat transfer medium may be, for example, a synthetic oil heat transfer fluid, water, or sand. The heat transfer source 502 may be, for example, a fluid circulating in a conduit depending on the embodiment. If the heat transfer medium is a solid, the solid may be, for example, a solid mass or a flowing sand contained in a reservoir.

[0030] The heat transfer target 504 includes a heat transfer medium not otherwise shown that may be a variable heat capacity material(s) although not all embodiments are so limited. The heat transfer medium may be a fluid or a solid. If a fluid, the heat transfer medium may be, for example, a synthetic oil heat transfer fluid, water, or sand. The fluid may be circulated in a conduit, for example. Thus, the heat transfer target 504 may be a fluid circulating in a conduit. If the heat transfer medium is a solid, the solid may be, for example, a solid mass or sand.

[0031] The closed fluid loop 506 of Figure 5 is to circulate the working fluid and includes a recuperating heat exchanger 508, a compression device 510, a counterflow heat exchanger 512, a low temperature expansion device 514, a low temperature heat exchanger 516, and a high temperature expansion device 518. The compression device 510, in operation, receives the working fluid in a first state from the recuperating heat exchanger 508. The compression device 510 raises the temperature and pressure of the working fluid in the first state to a second state through mechanical work. The compression device 510, in operation, provides the motive force for circulating the working fluid through the closed fluid loop 506.

[0032] The counterflow heat exchanger 512 includes a first stage 538 and a second stage 540, both of which are in thermal communication with the heat transfer target 504. The counterflow heat exchanger 512 may be implemented in various ways depending on the embodiment. For example, in some embodiments the counterflow heat exchanger 512 may be implemented in two single-stage heat exchangers, each single- stage heat exchanger implementing a respective one of the first stage 538 or second stage 540. In other embodiments, the counterflow heat exchanger 512 may be a single heat exchanger with an intermediate manifold. Those in the art having the benefit of this disclosure may appreciate still other variations on the implementation of the counterflow heat exchanger 512.

[0033] In operation, the first stage 538 of the counterflow heat exchanger 512 receives the working fluid in the second state and transfers heat therefrom to the heat transfer target 504 to cool the working fluid to a third state. The second stage 540 receives a first portion 544 of the working fluid in the third state and transfers heat therefrom to the heat transfer target 504 to cool the working fluid from the third state to a fourth state.

[0034] Note that there is an optimal flow split between the first portion 544 and the second portion 550 of the working fluid in the third state that maximizes the coefficient of performance (“COP”) of the heat pump 500. This can be inferred from Figure 8 relative to the heat pump cycle of Figure 5. “Optimal” in this context refers to a maximum achievable heat pump performance as defined by the amount of net work required to transfer a given amount of heat to heat transfer target 504. The optimal flow split is a function of the thermodynamic characteristics (specifically, the heat capacity) of the working fluid and the heat transfer medium of the heat transfer target 504.

[0035] The low temperature expansion device 514, in operation, receives the working fluid in a fifth state from the recuperating heat exchanger 508. The low temperature expansion device 514 reduces the pressure and reduces the temperature of the working fluid in the first state to cool the working fluid to a sixth state. The low temperature expansion device 514 may be implemented in, for example, an expansion valve or a turbine.

[0036] The low temperature heat exchanger 516 is in thermal communication with the heat transfer source 502. In operation, the low temperature heat exchanger 516 receives the working fluid in the sixth state from the low temperature expansion device 514 and heats the working fluid to a seventh state.

[0037] The counterflow heat exchanger 512, low temperature expansion device 514, and high temperature expansion device 518, by way of example and illustration, form, in some embodiments, a means for performing a split expansion of the working fluid in the second state, the split expansion including expanding a first portion of the working fluid in a partially cooled third state to an eighth state and expanding a second portion of the working fluid in the partially cooled third state to a sixth state after the second portion of the working fluid in the third state is further cooled to fourth state and still further cooled to a fifth state. Other embodiments may include variations on the structure disclosed in Figure 5. It is to be understood that such means may be implemented in structural equivalents that perform the recited function.

[0038] The high temperature expansion device 518 receives a second portion 550 of the working fluid in the third state. The high temperature expansion device 518 expands the second portion 550 of the working fluid in the third state to reduce its pressure and temperature to the eighth state. The high temperature expansion device 518 may be implemented in, for example, an expansion valve or a turbine.

[0039] Still referring to Figure 5, the heat pump 500 transfers heat to the combination or mixture 526 of the working fluid in the seventh state and the working fluid in the eighth state from the working fluid in the fourth state. This returns the working fluid in the fourth state to the fifth state and the mixture 526 to the first state. The working fluid in the first state is then compressed to raise the temperature and pressure as described above.

[0040] More particularly, the recuperating heat exchanger 508, in operation, receives a twice-cooled working fluid in the fourth state from the counterflow heat exchanger 512 and a combination 526 of the working fluid in the seventh state from the low temperature heat exchanger 516 and the working fluid in the eighth state from the high temperature expansion device 518. Heat transfers in the recuperating heat exchanger 508 return the working fluid in the fourth state to the fifth state and places the mixture 526 in the first state.

[0041] The heat pump 500 implements a split expansion of the working fluid. As used herein, “split expansion” refers to the feature wherein a part of the working fluid is expanded after being partially cooled in the first stage heat exchange and the rest of the working fluid is expanded after being cooled in both the first and second stage heat exchanges. So, in Figure 5, the first portion 544 and the second portion 550 are both expanded in such a split expansion. The first portion 544 is cooled in both the first stage 538 and the second stage 540 heat exchange and then expanded by the low temperature expansion device 514. The second portion 550 is only cooled in the first stage 538 of heat transfer before being expanded by the high temperature expansion device 518. Thus, the working fluid in the heat pump 500 undergoes a “split expansion”.

[0042] To further an understanding of the subject matter claimed below, one particular embodiment will now be disclosed. Figure 6 is a pressure-enthalpy diagram for the working fluid at certain points in the heat pump cycle of the heat pump 500 in Figure 5 in one particular embodiment. In this particular embodiment, the working fluid is Carbon dioxide (CO2). The heat transfer medium of the heat transfer target 512 is sand.

[0043] The heat pump cycle 500, like the heat pump 500 of Figure 5, divides the high temperature heat exchange into two stages 538, 540. In this particular embodiment, the two stages 538, 540 are implemented in two similarly sized stages. “Similarly sized” refers to the thermal conductance of the heat stages. Thermal conductance, generally termed “UA”, is the product of the average heat transfer coefficient (“U”) and heat transfer area (“A”). The relative sizes of the two stages 538, 540 in other embodiments may vary in size, one being larger than the other. The specific sizes of the stages 538, 540 may be selected during the design process dependent on the relative thermodynamic properties (e.g., heat capacity) of the working fluid and the heat transfer medium of the heat transfer targets 504.

[0044] The working fluid in the second state flows out of the compression device 510 and into the first-stage 538. In the first stage 538, the temperature of the working fluid in the second state decreases as the first stage 538 completes a heating of the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer target 504. A first portion 544 of the once-cooled working fluid 542 then proceeds to the second-stage 540 in the third.

[0045] The first portion 544 of the once-cooled working fluid in the third state is further cooled in the second stage 540 by the heat transfer medium of the heat transfer target 504 while the heat transfer medium is being heated. This first portion 544 of the working fluid in the third state is then cooled to the fourth state the twice-cooled working fluid 524 in the fourth state. The twice-cooled working fluid in the fourth state may still contain heat at a useful temperature that could be transferred back into the working fluid before the inlet 511 of the compressor 510 in another heater. This other heater is the recuperating heat exchanger 508.

[0046] The recuperated working fluid 532 is still at high pressure (i.e., state 5 in Figure 6). The working fluid in the fifth state is then expanded through a low temperature expansion device 514, which can either be a valve or a low-temperature turbine (“LT Turbine”). This process greatly reduces the temperature of the working fluid in the fifth state, thereby creating the working fluid to the sixth state.

[0047] The temperature reduction in the low temperature expansion device 514 allows the working fluid in the second state to receive heat from the heat transfer source 502. The heat transfer medium of the heat transfer source 502 is a synthetic oil heat transfer fluid, water, or sand. At this point, the working fluid {i.e., CO2) in the sixth state is either liquid or a liquid/vapor mixture. Heat is transferred to the working fluid in the low temperature heat exchanger 516. This heat transfer causes the working fluid to evaporate, thereby creating the working fluid in the seventh state. The working fluid in the seventh state is then mixed with the working fluid in the eighth state. The combination 526 of the working fluid in the seventh state and the working fluid in the eighth state is then further heated in the recuperating heat exchanger 508 to the first state before being compressed again.

[0048] The second portion 550 of the once-cooled working fluid in the third state is extracted between the first stage 538 and the second stage 540 and is expanded through the high temperature expansion device 518, which is a high temperature turbine in this embodiment. In the high temperature expansion device 518 the working fluid generates shaft work that can offset the work required to operate the charge compressor 510. The resultant working fluid in the eighth state then mixes back into the primary fluid stream downstream of the low temperature heat exchanger 516 and upstream of the recuperating heat exchanger 508 as shown in Figure 5.

[0049] The T(Q) plot of the counterflow heat exchanger 512 in the heat pump cycle 500 is shown in Figure 7. The change in slope at approximately 70% Q/Qtot is the point 700 where approximately 34% of the working fluid has been extracted between the first stage 538 and the second stage 540. The coefficient of performance (“COP”) of the heat pump cycle for the heat pump 500 as a function of the portion of the flow extracted between the first stage 538 and the second stage 540 is shown in Figure 8. For this set of conditions and assumptions, the improvement in COP is nearly 10%.

[0050] As noted above relative to the embodiment of Figure 5, there is an “optimal” split in the proportions of the working fluid that are expanded. The proportions are set in such a manner is to approximately match the slope of the working fluid temperature curve to the heat transfer medium temperature curve as shown in Figure 7. Recalling that the slope of these curves are inversely proportional to the product of fluid mass flow rate and fluid heat capacity (i.e., slope ~ 1/(m cp)), one can calculate an approximate flow rate of the working fluid in each stage of the counterflow heat exchanger that would result in this slope matching. [0051] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a heat pump 900 illustrating some variations that may be found in some embodiments. Some parts of the heat pump 900 are in common with the heat pump 500 of Figure 5, and like parts bear like numbers. In one example variation the counterflow heat exchanger 912 is implemented in a single heat exchanger with an intermediate manifold 939 defining a first stage 938 and a second stage 940. The second portion 550 of the once-cooled working fluid 542 is drawn from the intermediate manifold 939. In a second example variation the heating side 922 includes an auxiliary heat exchanger 950 disposed between the recuperating heat exchanger 508 and the low pressure expansion device 514. The auxiliary heat exchanger 950 rejects heat from the second portion 546 of the recuperated working fluid 532 to the ambient environment before the second portion 546 is received by the low temperature expansion device 514. Those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure may appreciate still further variations.

[0052] The disclosed heat pump cycle claimed below has applicability to any heat pump application where the heated fluid ( e.g ., the heat transfer medium) has a heat capacity vs. temperature curve that substantially differs from that of the working fluid (e.g., CO2), which encompasses most practical fluids. For instance, the heat capacity of commercially available heat transfer fluids like DURATFIERM HF™ or DOWTHERM™ follow a similar dependence on temperature as does sand (increasing c _P with temperature).

[0053] This concludes the detailed description. The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the claimed subject matter may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown, other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the claims. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.