대표
청구항
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1. A control system to control the flow rate of a fluid flowing relative to and in thermal contact with the condenser of a vapour compression cycle system, the flow of fluid being captured in a conduit that together with the condenser forms a tube-in-tube heat exchanger, in order to control heating of the fluid via heat exchange with the working fluid, said control system comprising: a sensor providing an output correlating to the temperature of the working fluid at the condensing phase of the vapour compression cycle system,a flow rate controller to con...
1. A control system to control the flow rate of a fluid flowing relative to and in thermal contact with the condenser of a vapour compression cycle system, the flow of fluid being captured in a conduit that together with the condenser forms a tube-in-tube heat exchanger, in order to control heating of the fluid via heat exchange with the working fluid, said control system comprising: a sensor providing an output correlating to the temperature of the working fluid at the condensing phase of the vapour compression cycle system,a flow rate controller to control the rate of flow of fluid relative the condenser,a controller operatively connected with the flow rate controller to be able to vary the flow rate of the fluid, reliant on the output of said sensor,wherein the sensor is located at the condenser at a zone corresponding to the condensing zone of the working fluid. 2. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the heat exchanger is a tube-in-tube heat exchanger and the working fluid is contained in the annulus between the inner and outer tubes of said tube-in-tube heat exchanger. 3. The control system as claimed in claim 2 where the sensor is located on an exterior surface of the outer tube of the tube-in-tube heat exchanger. 4. The control system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conduit includes an inlet and an outlet for the flow of fluid. 5. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the sensor is located at the condenser corresponding to a location downstream of the working fluid de-superheating occurs. 6. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the sensor is located at the condenser, proximate to the point of the condenser phase of the vapour compression cycle system where the working fluid first starts to condense. 7. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the sensor is attached to the condenser in a thermally conductive manner to facilitate heat transfer between the sensor and condenser. 8. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the fluid is water. 9. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the flow rate controller is a fluid pump. 10. The control system as claimed in claim 9 where the operating parameters of the pump can be varied by the controller to vary the fluid flow rate. 11. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the temperature change of the fluid passing through the heat exchanger is greater than at least one of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 degrees Celsius. 12. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where a second sensor is provided to sense the temperature of the fluid leaving the condenser and to send a signal to the controller. 13. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the controller receives a signal from the sensor which the controller interprets to thereby vary the flow rate of fluid to achieve a desired target fluid temperature of fluid leaving thermal contact with the condenser. 14. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the controller is one selected from the group consisting of a PID controller, feedback controller, fuzzy logic, a P controller, and a PI controller. 15. The control system as claimed in claim 14 where the controller is a PID controller and where the controller receives a signal from the sensor which the controller processes using the P and D portions of the PID controller, the controller also receives a signal from the second sensor which the controller processes using the I portion of the PID controller, the controller using both signals to vary the flow rate of the fluid to achieve a target temperature of fluid leaving thermal contact with the condenser that is constant over time. 16. The control system as claimed in claim 14 where the controller is a ND controller and where the controller receives a signal from the sensor which the controller processes using the P and D portions of the PID controller, the controller also receives a signal from the second sensor which the controller processes using the I portion of the PID controller, the controller using both signals to vary the flow rate of the fluid to achieve a desired temperature of the fluid leaving thermal contact with the condenser that is preferably constant over time. 17. The control system as claimed in claim 1 where the fluid travels through the heat exchanger in a single pass. 18. A control system to control the temperature increase of a fluid, to be varied in temperature via heat exchange with, flowing relative to, condenser of a vapour compression cycle system, the flow of fluid being captured in a conduit that together with the condenser forms a tube-in-tube heat exchanger, said control system comprising: a sensor providing an output correlating to the temperature of the working fluid at the condensing phase of the vapour compression cycle system,a flow rate controller to control the rate of flow of fluid relative to the condenser,a controller operatively connected with the flow rate controller to vary the flow rate of the fluid based on the output of said sensor to thereby achieve a desired target temperature of the fluid leaving thermal contact with the condenser; wherein the sensor is located at the condenser, at the condenser phase of the vapour compression cycle system where the working fluid first starts to condense. 19. A fluid heater comprising a vapor compression cycle system that includes an evaporator, at least one condenser and a working fluid,a tube-in-tube heat exchanger comprising said condenser and a fluid conduit through which a fluid can pass in thermal contact with the condenser to allow, via heat exchange between the fluid and the working fluid, the heating of the fluid,a sensor for sensing the temperature of the working fluid at the condensing phase of the vapor compression cycle system,a flow rate controller to control the flow rate of fluid through the conduit,a controller operatively connected with the flow rate controller to vary the flow rate of fluid through the conduit reliant on the output from the sensor to achieve a desired target temperature of the fluid leaving the conduit; wherein the sensor is located at the condenser, at a zone corresponding to the condensing zone of the working fluid. 20. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 where, in the heat exchanger, the working fluid is contained in the annulus between the inner and outer tubes of said tube-in-tube heat exchanger. 21. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 where the sensor is located on an exterior surface of the outer tube of the tube-in-tube heat exchanger. 22. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 where the sensor is located downstream of the working fluid de-superheating zone of the condenser. 23. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 where the fluid is water. 24. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 where the flow rate controller is a fluid pump. 25. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 24 where the operating parameters of the pump can be varied by the controller to vary the fluid flow rate. 26. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 where the temperature change of the fluid is greater than at least one of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 degrees Celsius. 27. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 where a second sensor is provided to sense the temperature of the fluid leaving the conduit and to send a signal to the controller. 28. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 where the controller receives a signal from the sensor which the controller interprets to thereby vary the flow rate of fluid through to achieve a desired target fluid temperature of the fluid leaving the conduit. 29. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 where the controller is one selected from the group consisting of a PID controller, feedback controller, fuzzy logic, a P controller, and a PI controller. 30. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 29 where the controller is a PID controller and where the controller receives a signal from the sensor which the controller processes using the P and D portions of the PID controller, the controller also receives a signal from the second sensor which the controller processes using the I portion of the RED controller, the controller using both signals to vary the flow rate of the fluid to achieve a target fluid temperature of the fluid leaving conduit that is constant over a period time. 31. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 29 where the controller is a PID controller and where the controller receives a signal from the sensor which the controller processes using the P and D portions of the PID controller, the controller also receives a signal from the second sensor which the controller processes using the I portion of the PID controller, the controller using both signals to vary the flow rate of the fluid to achieve a desired temperature of the fluid at the outlet of the conduit that is preferably constant over time. 32. The fluid heater as claimed in claim 19 Where the fluid travels through the heat exchanger in a single pass. 33. A method of changing the temperature of a fluid comprising: passing said fluid through a tube-in-tube heat exchanger comprising a conduit in thermal contact with the condenser of a vapor compression cycle system,sensing the temperature of the working fluid at the condensing zone of the condenser of the vapor compression cycle system,sensing the temperature of the fluid leaving the condenser,controlling the flow rate of said fluid through said conduit on the basis of the first mentioned and second mentioned sensed temperature. 34. The method as claimed in claim 33 where the said controlling is done by at least one controller that is a PID controller. 35. The method as claimed in claim 34 where the at least one controller is a PID controller and where the controller receives a signal from a sensor sensing the first mentioned temperature which the controller processes using the P and D portions of the PID controller, the controller also receives a signal from a second sensor sensing the second mentioned temperature which the controller processes using the I portion of the PID controller, the controller using both signals to vary the flow rate of the fluid to elevate the temperature of the water to or towards or near a target temperature that is constant over time. 36. The method as claimed in claim 34 where the controller is a PID controller and where the controller receives a signal from a sensor that senses the first mentioned temperature which the controller processes using the P and D portions of the PID controller, the controller also receives a signal from a second sensor sensing the second mentioned temperature which the controller processes using the I portion of the PID controller, the controller using both signals to vary the flow rate of the fluid to achieve a desired target temperature of the fluid at the outlet of the conduit that is constant over a period of time. 37. A fluid heater comprising a vapor compression cycle system that includes an evaporator, at least one condenser conduit of a tube-in-tube heat exchanger and a working fluid,a fluid conduit of said tube-in-tube heat exchanger being substantially concentric with at least part of the condenser conduit, said fluid conduit including an inlet and an outlet for fluid to flow through the fluid conduit, to allow heat transfer between said fluid to be heated and said working fluid,a sensor located at the zone of the condenser conduit where the working fluid condenses, said sensor able to sense the temperature of the working fluid at the condensing zone of the condenser of the vapor compression cycle system,at least one of a variable flow rate pump that can control the flow rate of fluid to be heated through the fluid conduit,a controller operatively connected with the pump, to vary the flow rate of fluid through the fluid conduit, reliant on the output from the sensor to achieve a desired target temperature of the fluid leaving the fluid conduit at the outlet. 38. A fluid heater comprising a vapor compression cycle system that includes an evaporator, at least one condenser and a working fluid,a tube-in-tube heat exchanger incorporating said at least one condenser, said heat exchanger including a fluid conduit for fluid to be heated, reliant on heat from the condenser, to pass through,a sensor able to sense the temperature of the working fluid at the condensing zone of the condenser of the refrigeration vapor compression cycle system,a flow rate controller to control the flow rate of fluid to be heated through the heat exchanger,a controller operatively connected with the flow rate controller to vary the flow rate of fluid through the heat exchanger reliant on the output from the sensor to achieve a desired target temperature of the fluid leaving the heat exchanger. 39. A domestic water heating system comprising: a vapor compression cycle system that includes an evaporator, at least one condenser and a working fluid,a tube-in-tube heat exchanger incorporating said at least one condenser, said heat exchanger including a passage for domestic water to be heated, reliant on heat from the condenser, to pass through,a first sensor located at the condenser able to sense the temperature of the working fluid at the condensing zone of the condenser of the refrigeration vapor compression cycle system,a second sensor located to sense the temperature of the domestic water exiting the heat exchangera variable flow rate pump to pump domestic water through said heat exchanger and to be able to vary the flow rate of domestic water through the heat exchanger,a controller operatively connected with the pump to control the variable flow rate of domestic water through the heat exchanger reliant on the output from the first sensor and the second sensor to achieve a desired target temperature of the fluid leaving the heat exchanger. 40. The system as claimed in claim 39 wherein the an auxiliary water heater is provided to elevate the temperature of the domestic water prior to entering the heat exchanger or after exiting the heat exchanger, the auxiliary water heater controlled by said controller.
