Dehumidification system for heat pump
A dehumidification system for a heat pump, a method of operating a heat pump system, and a method of operating a refrigeration system are provided. The method of operating a heat pump system includes circulating refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit having a compressor ( 12 ), selectively communicating refrigerant from the compressor to an indoor heat exchanger ( 18 ) during a heating mode or to an outdoor heat exchanger ( 16 ) during a cooling mode or a reheat mode, selectively communicating refrigerant to a reheat heat exchanger during the reheat mode, and regulating a refrigerant volume in the reheat heat exchanger.
1. A dehumidification system for a heat pump, the system comprising:
a compressor configured to circulate refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit;
an outdoor heat exchanger;
an indoor heat exchanger;
a flow control device for selectively routing refrigerant from the compressor to the indoor heat exchanger when in a heating mode or to the outdoor heat exchanger when in a cooling mode; and
a reheat heat exchanger configured to receive refrigerant during a reheat mode and regulate a refrigerant volume during an initiation of the heating mode and the cooling mode;
wherein the reheat heat exchanger is configured to receive and store the refrigerant volume for a predetermined time period during the initiation of the heating mode or the cooling mode before refrigerant bypasses the reheat heat exchanger.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a bleed passage selectively communicating refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger in the heating mode or cooling mode.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the bleed passage selectively communicates refrigerant to a location upstream from the compressor.
4. A method of operating a heat pump system, the method comprising:
circulating refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit having a compressor;
selectively communicating refrigerant from the compressor to an indoor heat exchanger during a heating mode or to an outdoor heat exchanger during a cooling mode or a reheat mode;
selectively communicating refrigerant to a reheat heat exchanger during the reheat mode; and
regulating a refrigerant volume in the reheat heat exchanger;
wherein regulating the refrigerant volume includes bypassing the reheat heat exchanger after receiving and storing the refrigerant volume for a predetermined time period during initiation of the heating mode or the cooling mode.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein regulating the refrigerant volume includes bleeding refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger during the heating mode or the cooling mode.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein bleeding refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger includes bleeding refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger to a location upstream from the compressor.
7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising selectively bypassing the outdoor heat exchanger.
8. A method of operating a refrigeration system, the method comprising:
circulating refrigerant in a refrigerant circuit;
cooling indoor air with an outdoor heat exchanger and an indoor heat exchanger in a cooling mode;
cooling and dehumidifying air with the outdoor heat exchanger, the indoor heat exchanger, and a reheat heat exchanger in a reheat mode; and
regulating a refrigerant volume in the reheat heat exchanger during the cooling mode;
wherein regulating the refrigerant volume includes the refrigerant bypassing the reheat heat exchanger after receiving and storing the refrigerant volume for a predetermined time period during initiation of the heating mode or the cooling mode.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein regulating the refrigerant volume includes bleeding refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger in the cooling mode.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein bleeding refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger includes bleeding refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger to a location upstream from a compressor.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
heating indoor air in a heating mode; and
regulating the refrigerant volume in the reheat heat exchanger during the heating mode.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein regulating the refrigerant volume includes the refrigerant bypassing the reheat heat exchanger after receiving and storing the refrigerant volume for a predetermined time period during initiation of the heating mode.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein regulating the refrigerant volume includes removing refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger in the heating mode.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein removing refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger includes bleeding refrigerant from the reheat heat exchanger to a location upstream from a compressor.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising selectively bypassing the outdoor heat exchanger.