초록 ▼

A heat pump system includes a compressor, a reversing valve, an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger in a circuit, and a refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger. In the air cooling with water heating mode, the air heating with water heating mode and the water heating only mode, water from

A heat pump system includes a compressor, a reversing valve, an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger in a circuit, and a refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger. In the air cooling with water heating mode, the air heating with water heating mode and the water heating only mode, water from a water reservoir is passed through refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger. A refrigerant reservoir may be provided for use in refrigerant charge control. A refrigerant line (71) couples reservoir to the refrigerant circuit intermediate the outdoor and indoor heat exchangers for directing liquid refrigerant into the reservoir and a refrigerant line (73) couples the refrigerant circuit upstream of the suction inlet to the compressor for returning refrigerant to the refrigerant circuit. A controller controls flow into and from the refrigerant reservoir through selective opening and closing of control valve (72) in line (71) and control valve (74) in line (73).

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for controlling refrigerant charge in a reversible heat pump having a closed loop refrigerant circulation circuit and a refrigerant reservoir in operative association with said refrigerant circulation circuit for storing a volume of refrigerant, the heat pump op

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for controlling refrigerant charge in a reversible heat pump having a closed loop refrigerant circulation circuit and a refrigerant reservoir in operative association with said refrigerant circulation circuit for storing a volume of refrigerant, the heat pump operable in an air cooling only mode, an air heating only mode, an auxiliary water heating only mode, a combined air cooling and auxiliary water heating mode, and a combined air heating and auxiliary water heating mode; said method comprising the steps of:upon initiating operation in one of said modes, adjusting the initial volume of refrigerant in said refrigerant reservoir to a desired initial volume for said one of said modes, wherein if said one of said modes is a mode without water heating, selectively directing refrigerant in a liquid state from said refrigerant circulation circuit into said refrigerant reservoir to fill said refrigerant reservoir with liquid refrigerant, and wherein if said one of said modes is a mode with water heating, selectively directing refrigerant in a gaseous state from said refrigerant circulation circuit into said refrigerant reservoir to fill said refrigerant reservoir with gaseous refrigerant;sensing the compressor discharge temperature during operation in said one of said modes;comparing the sensed compressor discharge temperature to a preselected upper limit for compressor discharge temperature;if the sensed compressor discharge temperature exceeds the preselected upper limit for compressor discharge temperature, directing liquid refrigerant from said refrigeration reservoir into said refrigeration circulation circuit.