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A heat pump system including a first heating/cooling exchange loop including a refrigerant to water heat exchanger to produce a first output. A second heating/cooling exchange loop includes a refrigerant to forced air heat exchanger to produce a second output. A compressor is fluidly coupled to the

A heat pump system including a first heating/cooling exchange loop including a refrigerant to water heat exchanger to produce a first output. A second heating/cooling exchange loop includes a refrigerant to forced air heat exchanger to produce a second output. A compressor is fluidly coupled to the first heating/cooling exchange loop and the second heating/cooling exchange loop. A controller is connected to control the first output and the second output and to transmit control signals to the at least one compressor, for balancing the first output and the second output responsive to a structural heating/cooling load.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A heat pump system comprising: a compressible refrigerant circulating through a first heating/cooling exchange loop including a refrigerant to water heat exchanger to produce a first output; the refrigerant circulating through a second heating/cooling exchange loop including

What is claimed is: 1. A heat pump system comprising: a compressible refrigerant circulating through a first heating/cooling exchange loop including a refrigerant to water heat exchanger to produce a first output; the refrigerant circulating through a second heating/cooling exchange loop including a refrigerant to forced air heat exchanger to produce a second output; the refrigerant flowing through at least one compressor fluidly coupled to the first heating/cooling exchange loop and the second heating/cooling exchange loop; a controller connecting to a plurality of inputs and controlling the speed of the compressor responsive to the plurality of inputs, receiving data from a zone controller, the zone controller including a plurality of zoned thermostat inputs from within a building structure, connected to control the first output and the second output and to transmit control signals to the at least one compressor, for balancing the first output and the second output responsive to a structural heating/cooling load, diverting a portion of the refrigerant from the air heat exchanger to increase the first output; both the refrigerant to water heat exchanger and the refrigerant to forced air heat exchanger are located within the structure; and wherein the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant exiting the water heat exchanger is substantially equal to the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant entering the forced air heat exchanger. 2. The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising a water pump and a vessel coupled to the first heating/cooling exchange loop. 3. The heat pump system of claim 2, wherein the vessel comprises auxiliary heating elements. 4. The heat pump system of claim 2, wherein the second heating/cooling exchange loop includes a forced air conditioning system; the refrigerant substantially bypasses the refrigerant to water heat exchanger; and an auxiliary heating element heats the vessel. 5. The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising a heating load on the first heating/cooling exchange loop, the heating load selected from the group consisting of radiant floor tubing, radiant wall panels, radiators, a water coil, a radiant floor heating system and a radiant wall heating system. 6. The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the controller is also electrically coupled to at least one floor temperature sensor; the refrigerant flows through at least one outdoor heat exchanger fluidly coupled to both the first heating/cooling exchange loop and the second heating/cooling exchange loop; and the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant entering the outdoor heat exchanger are substantially different than the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant entering the forced air heat exchanger. 7. The heat pump system of claim 6, wherein the floor temperature sensor comprises a thermostat. 8. The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the second heating/cooling exchange loop includes an indoor forced air heating system; and the first heating/cooling exchange loop is coupled to a domestic water heating system. 9. The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein at least one compressor is fluidly coupled in a loop to a reversing valve, the loop coupled to the first heating/cooling exchange loop and the second heating/cooling exchange loop; and heat is removed from refrigerant in the water heat exchanger while heat is removed from refrigerant in the forced air heat exchanger. 10. The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the at least one compressor is selected from the group consisting of a variable displacement compressor, dual compressors and at least two compressors controlled to function as a variable speed compressor. 11. The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor; and the first and second outputs are both heating outputs. 12. The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls a first valve coupled to the first heat exchange loop and a second valve coupled to the second heat exchange loop, the first valve and the second valve configured to selectively proportion a flow of refrigerant through the first heating/cooling exchange loop and the second heating/cooling exchange loop. 13. The heat pump system of claim 12, wherein the first valve and the second valve regulate the flow of the refrigerant. 14. The heat pump system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of inputs comprises at least two temperature inputs; and the controller diverts substantially all of the refrigerant from the air heat exchanger to increase the first output. 15. The heat pump system of claim 1 wherein the control signals comprise signals for controlling the compressor, the signals selected from the group consisting of at least two balancing valves outputs, a compressor control output, a blower control output, and an electric element control output. 16. The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the zone controller is configured to determine a load capacity from each of the plurality of zoned thermostat inputs and communicates the load capacity to the controller to select an output of the at least one compressor. 17. The heat pump system of claim 1, wherein the zone controller is configured to determine a load capacity from each of the plurality of zoned thermostat inputs and communicates the load capacity to the controller to transmit control outputs to the balancing valves for meeting a total heating/cooling load. 18. The heat pump system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to receive input and transmit output over a wireless communications path. 19. The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising: an outdoor coil coupled to the first heating/cooling exchange loop wherein the outdoor coil is defrosted by transporting heat from the first heat exchange loop. 20. The heat pump system of claim 19, wherein transporting heat from the first heat exchange loop comprises diverting heated water energy from radiant loops in a radiant heated floor to the outdoor coil. 21. The heat pump system of claim 1, further comprising a small zone plumbing system including: at least one pump; at least one flow loop connected to the at least one pump; and a vessel plumbed between the at least one pump and a water supply, wherein heat energy from the household domestic plumbing system is supplied to a small zone, wherein the controller is electronically coupled to control the at least one flow loop. 22. A method for controlling the system of claim 1 in reaction to a plurality of heating/cooling zones, the method comprising the steps of: assigning each of a plurality of zones to one of a plurality of temperature sensors; transmitting zone information from each of the plurality of temperature sensors to the controller; monitoring a heat load capacity for each of the plurality of zones; and controlling the compressor to adjust and balance heat output between the first heating/cooling exchange loop and the second heating/cooling exchange loop responsively to the heat load capacity. 23. The method of claim 22 wherein at least one dial switch is assigned to at least one of the plurality of zones. 24. The method of claim 22 wherein the plurality of temperature sensors comprise thermostats. 25. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of correlating the at least one dial switch to a heating capacity for each zone. 26. The method of claim 22 wherein for a small zone heating capacity, the controller employs energy from hot water held in a water tank to supply the heating to the needy zone. 27. The method of claim 26 wherein a small zone heating capacity comprises a value corresponding to less than or equal to 50% of the lowest compressor output. 28. The method of claim 22 wherein a vessel temperature sensor is configured to send a water temperature reading for a water tank to the controller, where, if the water temperature drops to a predetermined level, the controller will enable the compressor and balance a heat output across a plurality of valves. 29. The method of claim 22 wherein, when the controller senses an imbalance in heat output and heat zone capacity, it responds by turning on the compressor to increase a heat output to meet a resultant change in total zonal heat capacity. 30. The method of claim 22 wherein the plurality of zones includes priority zones that receive immediate additional heating/cooling ahead of other non-selected zones. 31. The heat pump system of claim 1 wherein a first coil associated with the refrigerant to air heating/cooling loop, a second coil, an expansion valve, and the compressor are arranged in a serial configuration where refrigerant flow is regulated by a plurality of valves to allow selectively bypassing at least one of the first refrigerant to water heat exchange loop and the first refrigerant to air heat exchange loop. 32. The heat pump system of claim 1 wherein at least one zoned thermostat input is within a hydronics radiant loop within the structure. 33. The heat pump system of claim 1 wherein at least one zoned thermostat input is within a radiant floor zone of the structure. 34. The heat pump system of claim 1 wherein the zone thermostat input is within a radiantly heated bathroom floor of the structure. 35. The heat pump system of claim 1 wherein the zone controller controls a valve in a hydronics radiant loop within the structure. 36. The heat pump system of claim 35 wherein at least one zoned thermostat input is within the hydronics radiant loop within the structure. 37. The heat pump system of claim 35 wherein at least one zoned thermostat input is within a radiant floor zone of the structure. 38. The heat pump system of claim 35 wherein the zone thermostat input measures a water temperature within a radiantly heated bathroom floor of the structure. 39. The heat pump system of claim 1 wherein a first one zoned thermostat input measures an indoor room air temperature within the structure. 40. The heat pump system of claim 1 wherein at least one zone thermostat input measures the temperature of a room. 41. The heat pump system of claim 40 wherein the water heat exchanger warms a domestic hot water tank.