Unitary heat pump air conditioner

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) that includes a refrigerant loop having a condenser, a refrigerant expansion device, and an evaporator hydraulically connected in series. An electrically driven compressor is provided to circulate a two-phase refrigerant through the refrigerant loop to transfer heat from the evaporator to the condenser. The unitary HPAC also includes a cold side chiller configured to hydraulically connect to a cold side coolant loop and is in thermal communication with the evaporator. The unitary HPAC further includes a hot side chiller configured to hydraulically connect to a hot side coolant loop and is in thermal communication with the condenser. The refrigerant loop transfer heat from the cold side chiller to the hot side chiller, thereby cooling the cold side coolant loop and heating the hot side coolant loop. The components of the unitary HPAC are mounted on a common platform.

Having described the invention, it is claimed: 
     
         1 . A unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) system, comprising:
 a refrigerant loop having a condenser for condensing a high pressure vapor refrigerant thereby releasing heat energy, an evaporator downstream of said condenser for evaporating a low pressure liquid refrigerant thereby absorbing heat energy, and a compressor for receiving a low pressure vapor refrigerant from said evaporator and discharging a high pressure vapor refrigerant to said condenser;   a cold side chiller configured to hydraulically connect to a cold side coolant loop having a cold side coolant flow therethrough, wherein said cold side chiller is in thermal communication with said evaporator, whereby heat energy is transferred from the cold side coolant flow to the evaporating refrigerant within said evaporator, thereby cooling the cold side coolant flow; and   a hot side chiller configured to hydraulically connect to a hot side coolant loop having a hot side coolant flow therethrough, whereby heat energy is transferred from the condensing refrigerant in the condenser to the hot side coolant flow, thereby heating the hot side coolant flow.   
     
     
         2 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 1 , wherein said compressor is electrically driven. 
     
     
         3 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 2 , further comprising an electrically driven hot coolant flow and cold coolant flow pumps configured to circulate a hot side coolant flow throughout said hot side chiller and a cold side coolant flow through said cold side chiller, respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 3 , wherein said refrigerant loop further comprises a refrigerant expansion device downstream of said condenser and upstream of said evaporator. 
     
     
         5 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 4 , wherein said refrigerant loop further comprises a receiver downstream of said condenser and upstream of said refrigerant expansion device. 
     
     
         6 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 5 , wherein said refrigerant loop further comprises a sub-cooler downstream of said receiver and upstream of said refrigerant expansion device. 
     
     
         7 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 6 , wherein said compressor, receiver, sub-cooler, refrigerant expansion device, and evaporator of said refrigerant loop, together with said hot side chiller, cold side chiller, and hot and cold side coolant pumps are mounted on a common platform. 
     
     
         8 . A unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC), comprising:
 a plate-type integral condenser/hot side chiller assembly comprising a hot coolant passageway and a condenser refrigerant passageway, wherein said hot coolant passageway and said condenser refrigerant passageway are in non-contact thermal communication;   a plate-type sub-cooler assembly comprising a sub-cooler refrigerant passageway in hydraulic communication with condenser refrigerant passageway;   a plate-type integral evaporator/cold side chiller assembly comprising a cold coolant passageway and an evaporator refrigerant passageway in hydraulic communication with said sub-cooler passageway;   and an electrically driven compressor having an inlet in hydraulic communication with said evaporator refrigerant passageway and an outlet in hydraulic communication with said condenser refrigerant passageway.   
     
     
         9 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 8 , further comprising an electrically driven hot side coolant pump in hydraulic communication with said hot coolant passageway of said plate-type integral condenser/hot side chiller assembly and an electrically driven cold side coolant pump in hydraulic communication with said cold coolant passageway of said plate-type integral evaporator/cold side chiller assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 9 , further comprising a refrigerant expansion device in hydraulic communication with said refrigerant passageway of plate-type sub-cooler and refrigerant passageway of integral evaporator/cold side chiller assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 10 , further comprising a receiver in hydraulic communication with upstream condenser refrigerant passageway and downstream sub-cooler refrigerant passageway. 
     
     
         12 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 8 , further comprising hot side coolant and cold side coolant pumps configured to circulate a hot side coolant flow through said hot coolant passageway and a cold side coolant flow through said cold coolant passageway, respectively. 
     
     
         13 . The unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) of  claim 11 , wherein said plate-type integral condenser/hot side chiller assembly, said plate-type sub-cooler assembly, said receiver, said plate-type sub-cooler, said plate-type integral evaporator/cold side chiller assembly, said electrically driven compressor, and said hot and cold side coolant pumps are mounted on a common platform. 
     
     
         14 . A unitary heat pump air conditioner (Unitary HPAC) system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
 a refrigerant loop having a condenser for condensing a high pressure vapor refrigerant thereby releasing heat energy, an evaporator downstream of said condenser for evaporating a low pressure liquid refrigerant thereby absorbing heat energy, and a compressor for receiving a low pressure vapor refrigerant from said evaporator and discharging a high pressure vapor refrigerant to said condenser;   a cold side coolant loop having a cold side coolant flow therethrough and configured to capture waste heat energy from heat sources within the motor vehicle;   a cold side chiller hydraulically connected to said cold side coolant loop, wherein said cold side chiller is in thermal communication with said evaporator, whereby heat energy is transferred from the cold side coolant flow to the evaporating refrigerant within said evaporator, thereby cooling the cold side coolant flow; and   a hot side coolant loop having a hot side coolant flow therethrough and configured to transfer heat energy to heat sinks within the motor vehicle;   a hot side chiller hydraulically connected to said hot side coolant loop having a hot side coolant flow therethrough, whereby heat energy is transferred from the condensing refrigerant in the condenser to the hot side coolant flow, thereby heating the hot side coolant flow;   wherein said cold side coolant includes a cabin heat recovery heat exchanger configured to capture heat energy from the exhaust air from a compartment of said motor vehicle.