Environmentally friendly heatpump system

Abstract

A heatpump system ( 10 ) for controlling the temperature of a fluid within a predetermined space ( 12 ). The heatpump system ( 10 ) comprises a heat-transferring component ( 14 ) located proximate to predetermined space ( 12 ) and a heat-transferring sink ( 26 ) located remote from the predetermined space ( 12 ). In the remote heat sink, heat is rejected to and/or absorbed from an environmentally contaminable medium (e.g., soil or water). The heatpump system ( 10 ) further comprises a naturally occurring refrigerant (e.g., carbon dioxide) that is carried through the cycle by a circuit ( 20 ).

1 . A heatpump system for controlling the temperature of a fluid within a predetermined space, said system comprising:
 a naturally occurring refrigerant;   a proximate heat-transferring component located proximate to predetermined space;   a remote heat-transferring sink located remote from the predetermined space and comprising an environmentally contaminable medium to which heat is rejected and/or from which heat is absorbed; and   a refrigerant-carrying circuit for cycling the refrigerant through the heat-transferring component and the remote heat-transferring sink.   
   
   
       2 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is carbon dioxide. 
   
   
       3 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein the environmentally contaminable medium is not a gas. 
   
   
       4 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the refrigerant-carrying circuit comprises conduit sections in heat-transfer relationship with the medium. 
   
   
       5 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the conduit sections are positioned in a generally vertical orientation. 
   
   
       6 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the conduit sections are positioned in a generally horizontal orientation. 
   
   
       7 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the environmentally contaminable medium is soil and wherein the conduit sections are buried in the soil. 
   
   
       8 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 4 , wherein the environmentally contaminable medium is water and wherein the conduit sections are immersed in the water. 
   
   
       9 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 4 , further comprising a compressor which compresses the refrigerant after it has been evaporated in either the proximate heat-transfer component or the remote heat-transfer sink. 
   
   
       10 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 9 , further comprising filters to prevent oil from being transferred into the conduit sections in heat-transferring relationship with the environmentally contaminable medium of the remote sink. 
   
   
       11 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 10 , further comprising monitors for actively monitoring the performance or status of the filters. 
   
   
       12 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 9 , further comprising an expander that decreases the pressure of the refrigerant after it has been cooled in either the proximate heat-transferring component or the remote heat-transferring sink. 
   
   
       13 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 12 , further comprising a heat exchanger that transfers heat from evaporated refrigerant to cooled refrigerant. 
   
   
       14 . A heatpump system as set forth in  claim 12 , further comprising a receptacle into which water is heated by a section of the refrigerant-carrying circuit passing therethrough. 
   
   
       15 . A method of cooling a fluid within a predetermined space with the heatpump system set forth in  claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:
 absorbing heat from the to-be-cooled fluid by evaporating the refrigerant as it passes through the proximate heat-transfer component; and   rejecting heat to the environmentally contaminable medium by cooling the refrigerant as it passes through the remote heat-transfer sink.   
   
   
       16 . A method as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein said heat-rejecting step is performed below the critical point of the refrigerant and wherein the temperature of the refrigerant stays constant during the heat-rejecting step. 
   
   
       17 . A method as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the refrigerant is condensed to a liquid during the heat-rejecting step. 
   
   
       18 . A method of heating a fluid within a predetermined space with the heatpump system set forth in  claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:
 rejecting heat to the to-be-heated fluid by cooling the refrigerant as it passes through the proximate heat-transfer component; and   absorbing heat from the environmentally contaminable medium by evaporating the refrigerant as it passes through the remote heat-transfer sink.   
   
   
       19 . A method as set forth in  claim 18 , wherein said heat-rejecting step is performed above the critical point of the refrigerant and wherein the temperature of the refrigerant decreases during the heat-rejecting step. 
   
   
       20 . A method as set forth in  claim 19 , wherein the refrigerant is cooled, but not condensed, during said heat-rejecting step.