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A heat pump apparatus for conditioning a fluid characterized by a fluid handler and path for circulating a fluid in heat exchange relationship with a refrigerant fluid, at least three refrigerant heat exchangers, one for effecting heat exchange with the fluid, a second for effecting heat exchange wi

A heat pump apparatus for conditioning a fluid characterized by a fluid handler and path for circulating a fluid in heat exchange relationship with a refrigerant fluid, at least three refrigerant heat exchangers, one for effecting heat exchange with the fluid, a second for effecting heat exchange with a heat exchange fluid, and a third for effecting heat exchange with ambient air; a compressor for compressing the refrigerant; at least one throttling valve connected at the inlet side of a heat exchanger in which liquid refrigerant is vaporized; a refrigerant circuit; refrigerant; a source of heat exchange fluid; heat exchange fluid circuit and pump for circulating the heat exchange fluid in heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant; and valves or switches for selecting the heat exchangers and directional flow of refrigerant therethrough for selecting a particular mode of operation. Also disclosed are a variety of embodiments, modes of operation, and schematics therefor.

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1. Apparatus for conditioning a fluid temperaturewise comprising: a. a fluid handler and fluid path means for circulating said fluid in a path in heat exchange relationship with a refrigerant fluid; b. at least three refrigerant heat exchangers; a first of the heat exchangers having parallel-con

1. Apparatus for conditioning a fluid temperaturewise comprising: a. a fluid handler and fluid path means for circulating said fluid in a path in heat exchange relationship with a refrigerant fluid; b. at least three refrigerant heat exchangers; a first of the heat exchangers having parallel-connected and alternatively operable first throttling means for throttling refrigerant flow and a first by-pass therefor, said first heat exchanger being disposed in the path of the fluid such that the fluid is passed in heat exchange relationship with said first heat exchanger when said fluid handler is operative, a second of the refrigerant heat exchangers having a liquid level controller controlling a throttling means upstream of said heat exchanger to prevent flooding thereof and being disposed in a heat exchange fluid circuit for circulating the refrigerant in heat exchange relationship with a heat exchange fluid, and a third of the heat exchangers having parallel-connected and alternatively operable second throttling means for throttling the refrigerant flow and second by-pass therefor, said third heat exchanger being disposed in a path of ambient air for circulating said refrigerant in heat exchange relationship with the ambient air; c. a compressor connected into a refrigerant circuit for efficiently compressing the refrigerant from its inlet pressure to its discharge pressure under conditions of operation of the refrigerant circuit; d. ambient air blower for circulating said ambient air in heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant in said third heat exchanger; e. a refrigerant circuit serially connecting said at least three heat exchangers and said compressor and defining a flow path for said refrigerant; f. means including a reversing valve for selecting the heat exchangers and direction of flow of refrigerant therethrough for selecting a particular mode of operation of the apparatus: g. refrigerant disposed in said refrigerant circuit and adapted to be circulated in a selected flow path for transferring heat at a coefficient of performance greater than one; h. a source of heat exchange fluid; i. heat exchange fluid circulating means for circulating said heat exchange fluid in a heat exchange circuit and in heat exchange relationship with said refrigerant; j. a heat exchange circuit serially connecting said heat exchange fluid source, circulating means and second heat exchanger; k. control means for controlling respective modes of operation; the element a-j being connected together in respective circuits and with said control means so as to be operable in at least the following modes, one operational cycle being indicated in each mode interconnection: l. air to fluid heating in which said elements are connected serially compressor to reversing valve to first heat exchanger, with said first by-pass operative and with said fluid handler operative, to second throttling means to third heat exchanger, with said second throttling means controlling the liquid level in said third heat exchanger and with said ambient air blower operative, to second heat exchanger back to compressor; m. heat exchange fluid to fluid heating in which said elements are connected serially compressor to reversing valve to first heat exchanger, with said first by-pass operative and with said fluid handler operative, to second throttling means to third heat exchanger, operating in flooded condition with said ambient air blower deenergized to second heat exchanger, with said liquid level controlling said second throttling means and with said heat exchange fluid circulating means operative to circulate said heat exchange fluid through said second heat exchanger and effect a low compression pressure ratio across said compressor, back to said compressor; n. air and heat exchange fluid to fluid heating in which said elements are connected serially compressor to reversing valve to first heat exchanger with said first by-pass operative and with said fluid handler operative, to second throttling means to third heat exchanger, with said second throttling means controlling the liquid level of refrigerant therein and with said ambient air blower operative, to second heat exchanger with said heat exchange fluid circulating means operative to circulate said heat exchange fluid through said second heat exchanger and effect a low compression pressure ratio across said compressor and with said liquid level control imposing safety control on said second throttling means to prevent flooding of said second heat exchanger, back to said compressor; and o. air to fluid cooling in which said elements are connected compressor to reversing valve to third heat exchanger, with second by-pass operative, to first throttling means to first heat exchanger, with first throttling means operative to control liquid level in said first heat exchanger and with fluid handler operative, to second heat exchanger back to compressor. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a fourth chilled liquid-fluid heat exchanger is connected in a chilled liquid circuit serially with a chilled liquid storage and circulating means and said fourth heat exchanger is disposed in said fluid path for circulating said fluid in heat exchange relationship with said chilled liquid for supplemental cooling during high cooling and high electrical demand periods and said elements a-j are connected with said control means and in respective circuits so as to be operable in an additional mode of air to chilled liquid to fluid cooling in which said elements are connected serially compressor to reversing valve to third heat exchanger, with said second bypass operative to first throttling means to first heat exchanger, operating in flooded condition with said fluid handler off, to second heat exchanger, with said liquid level controller controlling said first throttling means to control the level of liquid refrigerant in said second heat exchanger and with heat exchange fluid circulating means operative to circulate heat exchange fluid to be chilled to form a chilled liquid, said chilled liquid being stored with said chilled liquid circulating means operative as desired to circulate said chilled liquid through said fourth heat exchanger to cool said fluid. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a desuperheater is connected into said refrigerant circuit downstream of said compressor and upstream of said reversing valve; said desuperheater also being connected in a hot water circuit serially with a hot water storage and means for circulating said water for heating said water when said water is circulated in heat exchange relationshipl with the hot compressed refrigerant gas. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elements a-k are adapted to operate in the air to fluid heating mode, said first heat exchanger is connected with the discharge side of said compressor so as to circulate hot compressed refrigerant gas though said first heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with said fluid; said fluid handler is energized to circulate said fluid; said second throttling means is connected so as to control the liquid refrigerant in said third heat exchanger responsive to a liquid level controller; said third heat exchanger has said liquid refrigerant and outside air flowed therethrough in heat exchange relationship so as to vaporize said refrigerant; and said second heat exchanger serves as an accumulator. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 where in the elements a-k are adapted to operate in the heating fluid to fluid heating mode, said first heat exchanger is connected with the discharge side of said compressor so as to circulate hot compressed refrigerant gas through said first heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with said fluid; said fluid handler is operative to circulate said fluid; said liquid level controller is connected so as to control the liquid refrigerant in said second heat exchanger; said third heat exchanger is operated in a flooded condition with its ambient air blower deenergized; said second heat exchanger has said heat exchange fluid and said refrigerant circulated therethrough in heat exchange relationship so as to vaporize said refrigerant. 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the elements a-k are adapted to operate in the air to fluid cooling mode, said third heat exchanger is connected with the discharge side of said compressor with its ambient air blower energized so as to give up heat to ambient and condense said refrigerant; said first throttling means is connected so as to control the liquid refrigerant in said first heat exchanger responsive to a liquid level controller; said first heat exchanger has said fluid and said refrigerant flowed therethrough in heat exchange relationship to vaporize said refrigerant and cool said fluid; said second heat exchanger serving as an accumulator. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there is included a second compressor and a second refrigerant circuit, said first and third heat exchangers have dual heat exchange means operable respectively and selectively as an evaporator and as a condenser and as a condenser and as an evaporator, and connected respectively into the respective refrigerant circuits such that no reversing valve is necessary to operate in the respective heating and cooling modes; said second heat exchanger being connected into said first refrigerant circuit upstream of said first compressor for operating in the heating mode. 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein there is provided a reversing structure having an insulated divider; said compressor and said second and third heat exchangers are located on a first side of said insulated divider on said reversing structure; said first heat exchanger is located on a second side of said insulating divider on said reversing structure; a first forced air blower and air path are disposed so as to circulate ambient air past one of said heat exchangers which is acting as a condenser in the cooling mode or which is acting as an evaporator in the heating mode; said reversing structure being disposed adjacent said air path and said fluid path and reversible so as to interpose selectively said first and third heat exchangers in, respectively, said air path and said fluid path and, vice versa, said fluid path and said air path such that said first and third heat exchangers can be designed at optimum design conditions for operating as condenser and evaporator and are physically moved into respective air and fluid paths by reversing said reversing means. 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein each of said heat exchanger fluid lines include at least a flexible portion so as to accomdate at least one hundred and eighty degrees (180°) of rotation of said reversing means.