Solar driven ejector heat pumps for supplemental heating and cooling resources

Abstract

In one embodiment, solar-thermal system is provided. The solar-thermal system comprises a generator component; an evaporator component; a heat pump ejector comprising a mixing chamber; said heat pump ejector coupled to the generator component and the evaporator component; wherein the generator component emits a vapor stream into said mixing chamber and the heat pump ejector is configured to extract a working fluid vapor from the evaporator component into said mixing chamber through entrainment thereby to form a mixed flow; and a condenser component configured to cool said mixed flow via a cooling loop.

1 . A solar-thermal system, comprising:
 a generator component;   an evaporator component;   a heat pump ejector comprising a mixing chamber; said heat pump ejector coupled to the generator component and the evaporator component; wherein the generator component emits a vapor stream into said mixing chamber and the heat pump ejector is configured to extract a working fluid vapor from the evaporator component into said mixing chamber through entrainment thereby to form a mixed flow; and   a condenser component configured to cool said mixed flow via a cooling loop.   
     
     
         2 . The solar-thermal system of  claim 1 , wherein said cooling loop is configured to heat water stored in a thermal storage unit. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a solar thermal collector array configured to supply heat to the generator component thereby to facilitate generation of the vapor stream by the generator component. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator component extracts heat from outdoor air. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator component extracts heat from an air-conditioning unit. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said generator component, evaporator component, and heat pump ejector are installed on the rooftop of a building. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said thermal storage unit is installed and ground level. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said cooling loop comprises a first heat exchanger coupled to said condenser component; and a second heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the solar thermal collector array. 
     
     
         9 . A method for operating a solar-thermal system, comprising:
 generating a vapor stream in a generator component using heat extracted from a solar thermal collector array;   feeding said vapor stream into an ejector heat pump comprising a mixing chamber;   forming a mixed flow in said mixing chamber by extracting a secondary flow into said mixing chamber through entrainment, wherein said secondary flow comprises a working fluid vapor from an evaporator component; and   condensing said mixed flow in a condenser loop wherein heat is extracted from said mixed flow.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said condenser loop comprises a first heat exchanger coupled to a condenser component; and a second heat exchanger configured to extract heat from the solar thermal collector array. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising pumping water from a thermal storage unit to said first and second heat exchangers thereby to cause said wanted to be heated using the heat extracted from the mixed flow. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the evaporator component is configured to extract heat from outdoor air. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the evaporator component is configured to extract heat from an air-conditioning system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising locating the thermal storage unit and ground level. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising locating the generator component, the ejector heat pump, and the evaporator component on the rooftop of a building.