Air routing for simultaneous heating and cooling

Abstract

In an enclosed space which requires refrigeration or cooling at the same time when the heating of air is required, provision is made to divert at least a portion of the flow of heated air from the air conditioning/refrigeration heat rejection heat exchanger to the climate-controlled zone which requires heating. An airflow control device, such as one or more dampers, is provided for controlling the amount of heated air delivered to the climate-controlled-zone.

1 . An air conditioning system, a refrigeration system, or a combination thereof, comprising:
 a compressor, a heat rejection heat exchanger, an expansion device and an evaporator in a serial flow relationship, with the evaporator for cooling air, and the heat rejection heat exchanger for heating air;   a discharge air duct for conducting the flow of heated air from the heat rejection heat exchanger; and   an airflow control device for selectively directing at least a portion of the heated air in the discharge air duct to either a location within an enclosed space and/or to an ambient environment.   
     
     
         2 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein airflow control device is at least one damper. 
     
     
         3 . A system as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said at least one damper is a pair of dampers. 
     
     
         4 . A system as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said at least one damper is a two-position damper. 
     
     
         5 . A system as set forth in  claim 2  wherein said at least one damper is a multi-position damper such that some of the heated air is passed into the enclosed space and some of the heated air is passed to an ambient environment. 
     
     
         6 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the heated air is utilized to satisfy fresh air circulation requirements. 
     
     
         7 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the heated air is utilized for a zone temperature control. 
     
     
         8 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the enclosed space is a space within a building. 
     
     
         9 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the refrigeration system is a supermarket refrigeration system. 
     
     
         10 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein said system at times provides both refrigeration and heating. 
     
     
         11 . A system as set forth in  claim 1  wherein the system comprises a multi-zone system associated with multiple climate-controlled zones wherein one or more zones may require cooling while, at the same time, one or more zones may require heating. 
     
     
         12 . A method of operating an air conditioning system, a refrigeration system or a combination thereof, comprising the steps of:
 providing an evaporator for cooling air;   providing a heat rejection heat exchanger for heating air;   providing a discharge air duct for conducting the flow of the heated air from the heat rejection heat exchanger; and   selectively directing at least a portion of the heated in the discharge air duct to either a location within an enclosed space and/or to an ambient environment.   
     
     
         13 . A method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said flow directing step is by way of at least one damper. 
     
     
         14 . A method as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said at least one damper is a pair of dampers. 
     
     
         15 . A method as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said at least one damper is a two-position damper. 
     
     
         16 . A method as set forth in  claim 13  wherein said at least one damper is a multi-position damper such that some of the heated air is passed into the enclosed space and some of the heated air is passed to an ambient environment. 
     
     
         17 . A method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the heated air is utilized to satisfy fresh air circulation requirements. 
     
     
         18 . A method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the heated air is utilized for a zone temperature control 
     
     
         19 . A method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the enclosed space is a space within a building. 
     
     
         20 . A method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the refrigeration system is a supermarket refrigeration system. 
     
     
         21 . A method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein said system at times provides both refrigeration and heating.  2 , 2 . A method as set forth in  claim 12  wherein the system comprises a multi-zone system associated with multiple climate-controlled zones wherein one or more zones may require cooling while, at the same time, one or more zones may require heating.