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A heating and cooling method and apparatus for a single, closed loop configuration for directly exchanging thermal energy with the earth for both heating and cooling purposes. A refrigerant, which is pumped through the apparatus by a compressor, undergoes two phase transitions during each circuit th

A heating and cooling method and apparatus for a single, closed loop configuration for directly exchanging thermal energy with the earth for both heating and cooling purposes. A refrigerant, which is pumped through the apparatus by a compressor, undergoes two phase transitions during each circuit through the loop. A subterranean heat exchanger has a pair of manifolds in flow communication with a plurality of substantially horizontally oriented tubes. Refrigerant flowing through the tubes has sufficient velocity to sweep lubricant oil, which has escaped from the compressor, along with it for return to the compressor. An expansion valving assembly automatically meters and regulates the flow rate and pressure of the refrigerant during both the heating mode and the cooling mode of the apparatus. A refrigerant storage device automatically supplies or accepts the change in quantity of the refrigerant required when the apparatus changes from either the heating or cooling mode to the reverse mode. A bypass mechanism anticipates the low pressure condition which arises at the compressor input during reversal or startup of the apparatus and provides multiple attempts to overcome inertial resistance corresponding thereto. A modified embodiment of the apparatus provides a non-phase-change heat exchanger flow communicating in tandem to remove a portion of the thermal energy for auxiliary thermodynamic purposes.

대표청구항 ▼

In a heating and cooling apparatus having a subterranean heat exchanger in thermal communication with the earth, a dynamic load heat exchanger in thermal communication with a dynamic load, a refrigerant for conveying thermal energy through said apparatus, said refrigerant alternately undergoing gas-

In a heating and cooling apparatus having a subterranean heat exchanger in thermal communication with the earth, a dynamic load heat exchanger in thermal communication with a dynamic load, a refrigerant for conveying thermal energy through said apparatus, said refrigerant alternately undergoing gas-to-liquid and liquid-to-gas phase changes while being directed through said apparatus, and a compressor for cycling said refrigerant through said apparatus, said compressor containing a lubricant, the improvement comprising: (a) said subterranean heat exchanger being oriented substantially horizontally and including a pair of manifolds and a plurality of tubes fluidically interconnecting said manifolds; (b) reversing valve means for selectively and reversibly interconnecting said compressor with said subterranean heat exchanger and said dynamic load heat exchanger for reversing the direction and sequence of refrigerant flow through said heat exchangers; and (c) lubricant recovery means for recovering said lubricant from said subterranean exchanger and for restoring said recovered lubricant to said compressor. A method for extracting thermal energy from the earth for heating purposes and diverting thermal energy to the earth for cooling purposes, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a thermostatically controlled, single closed loop system containing a refrigerant, said loop having a gaseous portion whereat said refrigerant is substantially in a gaseous phase, and a liquid portion whereat said refrigerant is substantially in a liquid phase; a dynamic load heat exchanger disposed in said loop at a first juncture between said gaseous portion and said liquid portion; a subterranean heat exchanger similarly disposed in said loop at a second juncture between said gaseous portion and said liquid portion; said subterranean heat exchanger substantially horizontally oriented and disposed below the frost-line of the locality; a compressor for cycling said refrigerant through said loop and a reversing valve assembly having a heating mode configuration for extracting thermal energy from the earth and a cooling mode configuration for diverting thermal energy to the earth; (b) placing said reversing valve assembly in said heating mode configuration; followed by (1) compressing said refrigerant in said gaseous portion with said compressor such that said refrigerant acquires a temperature which is substantially warmer than a receiving medium which is in thermal communication with said dynamic load heat exchanger; (2) removing thermal energy from said refrigerant by conveying said refrigerant through said dynamic load heat exchanger wherein said refrigerant substantially undergoes a gas-to-liquid phase transition while simultaneously transferring said thermal energy to said receiving medium for distribution elsewhere for heating purposes; (3) simultaneously controllably regulating the flow rate and reducing the pressure of said liquid refrigerant such that the effective temperature of said refrigerant is substantially less than the temperature of the earth below the frost-line of the locality; (4) extracting thermal energy from the earth with said refrigerant by passing said refrigerant at a relatively high velocity through said subterranean heat exchanger; said velocity of said refrigerant sufficient to sweep any lubricant oil, which may have escaped from said compressor along with said lubricant; said refrigerant substantially undergoing a liquid-to-gas phase transition by absorbing thermal energy from the earth while passing through said subterranean heat exchanger; (5) returning said refrigerant with said escaped lubricant oil to said compressor completing the cycle of said refrigerant through said single closed loop system and restoring said escaped lubricant oil to said compressor; (c) placing said reversing valve assembly in said cooling mode configuration; followed by: (1) compressing said refrigerant in said gaseous portion with said compressor such that said refrigerant acquires a temperature which is substantially warmer than the earth which is in thermal communication with said subterranean heat exchanger; (2) diverting thermal energy to the earth from said refrigerant by conveying said refrigerant through said subterranean heat exchanger wherein said refrigerant is conveyed therethrough with sufficient velocity to sweep any said escaped lubricant oil along with said refrigerant; said refrigerant substantially undergoing a gas-to-liquid phase transition while passing through said subterranean heat exchanger; (3) simultaneously controllably regulating the flow rate and reducing the pressure of said liquid refrigerant such that the effective temperature of said refrigerant is substantially less than the temperature of said receiving medium in thermal communication with said dynamic load heat exchanger; (4) absorbing thermal energy from and cooling said receiving medium by conveying said refrigerant through said dynamic load heat exchanger; said refrigerant substantially undergoing a liquid-to-gas phase transition while passing through said dynamic load heat exchanger; (5) returning said refrigerant with said extracted lubricant oil to said compressor completing the cycle of said refrigerant through said single closed loop system and restoring said escaped lubricant oil to said compressor.