Energy conservation refrigeration unit

The present invention provides an energy conservation and utilization arrangement for use with an expansible refrigerant air conditioner including a refrigerant circuit with a compressor, refrigerant condensor and expansion means to selectively heat a reservoir of fluid, for example, the water used in a swimming pool where selector valve means are provided to selectively supply compressed refrigerant from the air conditioning unit compressor to heat exchange means to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the fluid to be heated, or to the condensor means associated with the air conditioner unit or, when it is desired to heat the fluid but not to provide cooling, to direct compressed refrigerant to the heat exchange means and then to a return conduit, where the return conduit includes refrigerant expansion means to expand the refrigerant means, second heat exchange means to heat the expanded refrigerant and conduit means to return the heated refrigerant to the selector valve means where the selector valve means is adapted to return the refrigerant to compressor means inlet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In recent years, the use of compressed refrigerant air conditioning devices 
has become commonplace in both commercial and residential applications. In 
many instances where air conditioning is available, it is also necessary 
or desirable to have a source of heat for a fluid, for example, water. 
Such an occasion is found, for example, in residential, apartment, motel 
or hotel applications where a central air conditioning unit is provided 
and where there is a swimming pool which is to be heated for a portion of 
the year. In many instances, there is a coincidence of time periods when 
it is desirable to provide cooling to the facility served by the air 
conditioning device and to provide heat to the fluid. For example, in the 
morning it may be necessary to begin cooling the house or motel rooms and 
simultaneously heating the water in the swimming pool which has cooled 
during the night. 
However, there are also other situations where air conditioning and 
selective fluid heating are desirable in industrial applications, for 
example, where heated water is needed for cleaning or processing purposes. 
Heretofore, separate facilities have generally been provided to supply 
cooling and heating services. 
However, with the advent of rapidly escalating energy costs and 
simultaneous emphasis on energy conservation, the cost of separate 
facilities necessitates alternate approaches. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides, in general, a fluid circuit for use in 
association with compressor driven air cooling systems to selectively heat 
a fluid such as water where the arrangement can be adapted to convert the 
air conditioning unit for use as a heat pump to efficiently provide heat 
to the fluid even when the unit is not in use to cool the facility served 
with cooling. 
The present invention provides an inexpensive arrangement to accomplish the 
aforenoted objectives with a minimum number of elements so that 
maintenance and opportunity for malfunction is minimal. 
Moreover, arrangements within the scope of the present invention 
substantially reduce energy utilized by elimination of use of duplicate 
sources of energy and, in most instances, provide an increase in 
efficiency of the air conditioning unit where it is used to simultaneously 
provide heating and cooling leading to further effective decrease in 
energy consumption. 
As previously noted, there are many situations where concepts within the 
scope of the present invention could be utilized, that is, where an air 
conditioning unit is in use and there is a swimming pool on the premises 
and within the scope of the present invention, such arrangements can be 
adapted to take advantage of the present invention. 
More particularly, the present invention provides an arrangement to heat a 
fluid by use of heat from a refrigerant system including a compressor 
having an inlet and compressed refrigerant outlet communicating with 
refrigerant condensor means where an outlet of the refrigerant condensor 
means communicates bypass valve means and thence to expansion means where 
refrigerant is expanded, cooled and supplied to heat exchanger means and 
returned to the inlet of the compressor means where in accordance with the 
present invention first valve means are provided in communication with the 
compressor outlet to selectively supply compressed refrigerant to the 
condensor means and to second heat exchange means to transfer heat from 
the refrigerant to fluid supplied to the second heat exchange means where 
the refrigerant is then supplied to a heat exchanger outlet conduit 
communicating with the bypass valve means where the bypass valve means 
includes bypass valve outlet means communicating with bypass conduit means 
including second expansion means having an outlet communicating with the 
outlet from the first condensor means where the bypass valve means is 
operable from a first position to permit refrigerant flow to the second 
condensor means and to a second position where the refrigerant flows 
through the second expansion device to the first condensor outlet where 
the first valve means is adapted to receive refrigerant from the first 
condensor where the bypass valve is in second position. 
Various other arrangements within the scope of the present invention will 
become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set 
forth hereinafter.

Referring now to FIGS. 1A-1C, the illustration of one example of an 
arrangement in accordance with the present invention shown includes a 
cooling, for example, an air conditioner, circuit including a compressor 1 
having a refrigerant return conduit 10 and a compressed refrigerant outlet 
5 communicating with an inlet 6 to a reversing valve 2. 
Reversing valve 2 is, for example, a pneumatic operated slide valve having 
a two-part valve member 3 operated by pistons 4 adapted for longitudinal 
movement in valve 2 in response to differential pressure between opposed 
inlets 14 and 16 provided in valve 2. It will be understood that within 
the scope of the present invention, while a hydraulic or pneumatic 
operated valve is shown, any other suitable arrangement, for example, a 
solenoid valve can be used. Further, it is within the scope of the present 
invention that multiple valve arrangements can be provided to accomplish 
the same result. Operation of valve member 3 is provided by a controller 
11, which supplied fluid at selected pressure to outlet conduit 13 and 12 
communicating with inlets 14 and 16 respectively to position valve member 
3 in valve 2 as hereinafter described. Valve 2 is further provided with 
ports 7, 8, 9 where movement of valve member 3 in valve 2 allows, 
selective communication between inlet 6 and port 7 and between ports 8 and 
9 through valve member 3 where valve body 3 is in the first position shown 
in FIGS. 1A and 1C. Valve member 3 is selectively moved to a second 
position shown in FIG. 1B where inlet 6 communicates with port 9 and ports 
7 and 8 are in communication through valve member 3. 
As shown in FIGS. 1A-1C, port 7 communicates by means of a conduit 17 to 
the shell of a shell and tube heat exchanger 21 where the refrigerant 
outlet 32 of heat exchanger 21 is supplied to a check valve 33. 
Port 8 of valve 2 communicates, by means of a conduit 18, with a 
refrigerant receiver 46. 
Port 9 of valve 2 communicates, by means of a conduit 18, with a condensor 
42, which can be disposed in cooperative relation with a condensor fan 43, 
as is known in the art where condensor 42 communicates with a check valve 
34. 
As shown, the outlet from check valves 33 and 34 communicate, by means of a 
conduit 30 with a two-way valve 36 operated by a controller 37 as 
described hereinafter. Valve 36, as shown in FIG. 1A, has one outlet 40 
communicating with a refrigerant expansion valve 41 communicating by means 
of a conduit 45 with port 9 of valve 2 and in the example shown, conduit 
45 communicates with condensor 42 at the end opposite valve 2. 
As shown in FIG. 1B, the other outlet of valve 36 communicates with a 
refrigerant expansion valve 38 located downstream of a heat exchanger 39, 
for example, the loading means for an air conditioning system located in 
the space served by the air conditioning system. A return conduit 44 is 
provided to return warmed refrigerant to receiver 46. 
Refrigerant is recycled from receiver to compressor 1 by means of conduit 
10. 
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, heat exchanger 
21 is selectively supplied, on the tube side, with a heat exchange medium, 
for example, water from a swimming pool 24 by means of a pump 26 
communicating with the inlet to heat exchanger 21 by means of a conduit 
23. In accordance with one feature of the present invention, a flow 
detector 27 is provided within conduit 27 to detect flow of water to heat 
exchanger 21. Also, a temperature sensing element 31 is provided to detect 
the pool temperature as reflected by the temperature of the water in 
conduit 23 which is fed back to controller 11 and 37 as described 
hereinafter. A two-way valve 28 is provided, and operated by controller 29 
which senses water pressure to first as shown in FIG. 1A, permit fluid 
flow to heat exchanger 21 or alternatively as shown in FIG. 1B, to bypass 
heat exchanger 21 by means of conduit 23A. 
The example of the present invention shown in the figures contemplates 
three modes of operation as follows. 
MODE I--FIG. 1A 
Mode I as shown in FIG. 1A is arranged to provide heat to the water in pool 
24 where no cooling is required in evaporator 39. 
Valve 2 is in position where valve member 3 is located so ports 8 and 9 are 
in communication. In Mode I, the heat compressed refrigerant flows through 
valve 2 and out port 7 to heat exchanger 21 where it is cooled to heat the 
water in exchanger 21 and emitted through conduit 32, and check valve 33 
to valve 36. In mode I, valve 36 is positioned to direct the refrigerant 
through expansion valve 41 to condensor 42, which, in mode I acts as an 
evaporator where expansion valve 41 is operated by a temperature sensing 
element 41A located in mode I downstream side of condensor 42. It will be 
recognized that in the example shown, two way valve 36 and valve 2 
cooperate to permit the system to operate as a heat pump for heating the 
water in pool 24. 
MODE II--FIG. 1B 
FIG. 1B illustrates a second mode of operation within the scope of the 
present invention where the system operates as a normal air conditioning 
or refrigerant device where valves 2 and 36 are positioned to utilize 
condensor 42 as a condensor and provide cooling to evaporator 39. In the 
arrangement shown, compressed heating refrigerant is supplied to condensor 
42, with fan 43 operating then through valve 36 to expansion valve 38 and 
evaporator 39 to be returned to reservoir 46. 
MODE III--FIG. 1C 
FIG. 1C is an example of operation of the device where the system is 
operated to cool evaporator 39 and heat the water in pool 24. 
In Mode III operation, the heated compressed refrigerant from compressor 1 
is supplied to valve 3. Valve 3 is positioned so the heated refrigerant is 
supplied to condensor 21 where the refrigerant is compressed. The 
condensed refrigerant is then supplied to valve 36 which is positioned to 
permit refrigerant flow to evaporator 39. 
In this mode of operation, refrigerant returns to receiver 46 and valve 2 
and check valve 34 to isolate condensor 42. 
CONTROLS 
In the arrangement shown, the position of valve 2 is determined by water 
flow in conduit 23 as determined by flow detector 27. A flow-no flow 
signal is transmitted by control conduit from detector 27 to a switch 27A 
which activates valve controller 11 to the position shown in FIGS. 1A and 
1C when there is flow in conduit 23. 
Valve 2 can also be activated to the position shown in FIG. 1B even when 
there is water flow in conduit 23 when the temperature sensed by 
temperature sensor 31 is above a pre-set maximum where the temperature is 
transmitted to a switch 29 in a circuit D which controls operation of 
valve operator 11. 
The position of valve 28 is set manually by means of a switch 28A in a 
circuit D where valve 28 is operable to direct water to heat exchanger 21 
or to bypass heat exchanger 21 through bypass 23A. In this regard, switch 
28A initiates operation of valve 11 which responds to flow detector 27 
where the position of valve 2 is then dependent on the temperature of the 
water in conduit 23. Pump 26 which is provided for recirculation of water 
can be the filter pump normally provided with swimming pools. 
Valve 36 is operated by a controller 37 in a circuit F from the position 
shown in FIG. 1A when there is no air conditioning or cooling needed in 
evaporator 39 to the position shown in FIG. 1B when cooling is needed in 
evaporator 39 as described hereinafter. 
As previously described, the present invention provides several 
interlocking control arrangements. Referring to FIGS. 1A-1C and FIG. 2, 
power, for example 240 VDC is supplied by means of terminals 21 and 22. 
Motor 1A of compressor 1 is wired in parallel between terminals 21 and 22 
with a relay CR provided to make the circuit. 
Likewise, fan motor 43A is provided in a parallel circuit between terminals 
21 and 22 with operation controlled by a relay FR. A step down transformer 
is provided, for example 240 VDC to 24 VDC having a primary winding in 
parallel between terminals 21 and 22 and a secondary winding 52 having 
terminals CS1 and CS2. High compressor pressure cutout relay 53 and low 
compressor pressure cutout relay 54 are provided in series with secondary 
winding 52 as shown. 
The terminals CS1 and CS2 provide a control power circuit as described 
hereinafter to control operation of the example of an arrangement in 
accordance with the present invention as shown in the Figures. 
Automatic operation is initiated by a thermostat T located in the space 
served by evaporator 39 which energizes relay coil HR1C. At a selected 
temperature in the space served by evaporator 39, coil HR1C is energized 
by thermostat T so relay HR1 closes a parallel circuit between CS1 and CS2 
which includes coil CRC which closes relay CR to initiate compressor 
operation. 
Operation is initially determined by whether there is water flow or not. In 
this regard, water flow sensing switch 27A is provided (and shown in FIGS. 
1A-1C). When there is water, flow switch 27A closes on terminal 51. In 
this condition, switch 28A is closed to permit water flow through 
exchanger 21 so operation of the circuit depends on the position of switch 
29. When the water in conduit 23 is below the desired temperature, switch 
29 closes on terminal 58 which activates coil HR2C to close a relay 
contacts HR2 which activate valve control 11 to the position shown in 
FIGS. 1A. When contacts HR2 are open, valve 2 is in the position shown in 
FIG. 1B. 
If the temperature of the water in conduit 23 rises above the desired 
maximum, switch 29 closes on terminal 59 so that relay coil HR2C is 
deactivated allowing valve operator 3 to move to the position shown in 
FIG. 1B even though water continues to flow to heat exchanger 21. 
It will be noted that when deactivation of coil HR1C opens, relay contacts 
HR1 so coil BPVC is also deactivated. Coil BPVC operates valve control 37 
which when BPVC is deactivated is in the position shown in FIG. 1A. 
In Mode I, operation is achieved, with flow in conduit 23 so switch 27A is 
closed on terminal 56 with switch 28A closed and switch 29 closed on 
terminal 58 so HR2C is activated and HR1C is deactivated so contacts HR1 
are open. 
Various other arrangements within the scope of the present invention will 
become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing 
disclosure.