IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,648,714
Granted Patent B2
US 10,648,714 · App. 14/388,207 · Granted May 12, 2020

Heat pump system using latent heat

Inventor: Carl Van Gysel (Koksijde, BE)
Assignee: VGE BVBA
F25B30/06F24D3/18F24D10/00F24D17/001F24D17/02F24D19/00F24D19/0095F25B25/005F25B30/02F25C1/14F28D20/02F28D20/021F28F19/008F24D2200/11F24D2200/12F24D2200/13F24D2200/20F24D2200/24F24D2200/32F25B7/00F25B29/003F25B2339/047F25C2301/002Y02B10/40Y02B10/70Y02B30/12Y02B30/17Y02B30/18Y02B30/52Y02E60/145Y02P60/855
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,648,714
App. No.
14/388,207
Granted
May 12, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A heat pump system is disclosed comprising a heat-exchanger extracting latent heat from liquid stored in a reservoir, thereby forming an ice slurry. The heat pump also includes a device for delivering the heat to a heat consumer. The heat pump system includes a random input of extrinsic liquid into the reservoir and a device for removing ice slurry stored in the reservoir outward the system.

Claims (33)

1. A heat pump system comprising:

a reservoir for storing a liquid and ice slurry, the reservoir is a rain water collector, a domestic waste collector, a processing tank, or a cooling tank,

a heat-exchanger separate from the reservoir and extracting latent heat from the liquid stored in the reservoir, thereby forming the ice slurry, the heat-exchanger located outside the reservoir and forming part of a circuit comprising a pump for circulating the liquid, a heat pump transferring the extracted heat (i) to a refrigerant circulating in a loop comprising the heat exchanger, and (ii) from the refrigerant to a heat consumer,

wherein the heat pump system comprises an uncontrolled random input of extrinsic liquid into the reservoir, an overflow connection from the reservoir to a drain for removing a portion of the ice slurry stored in the reservoir outward the system, and an inlet for replacing the removed portion by the uncontrolled random input of an extrinsic liquid from one or more of a plurality of sources into the reservoir, the extrinsic liquid is rain water, domestic water, process water or fluid, or a combination thereof, originating from the one or more sources external to the system and not originating from the slurry removed from the reservoir.

2. The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the ice slurry is removed from an inside surface of the heat-exchanger into the reservoir or into the circuit for circulating the liquid.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 2 , wherein the heat-exchanger is a scraped surface heat exchanger.

4. The heat pump system according to claim 2 , wherein the heat-exchanger is an evaporator.

5. The heat pump system according to claim 2 , additionally comprising a cooling circuit adapted for delivering cold fluid to a cold consumer and delivering heat to the reservoir.

6. The heat pump system according to claim 5 , wherein the cooling circuit is a refrigerating or air-conditioning system.

7. The heat pump system according to claim 6 , comprising a plurality of said heat-exchanger, a plurality of said heat pump for delivering heat to a plurality of said heat consumer, and a plurality of said circuit circulating liquid stored in the reservoir.

8. The heat pump system according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of said heat-exchanger are installed at each premises of the plurality of said heat consumer.

9. The heat pump system according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of said heat exchanger are installed at each premises of the plurality of said heat consumer.

10. The heat pump system according to claim 6 , comprising a plurality of said circuit circulating liquid stored in a plurality of the reservoir.

11. The heat pump system according to claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of the reservoir separately stores rain water, domestic water, process water or process fluid.

12. The heat pump system according to claim 11 wherein at least one reservoir or a number of the plurality of the reservoir is incorporated in soil.

13. A method for supplying heat to a consumer comprising the steps of:

supplying liquid to a reservoir, the reservoir is a rain water collector, a domestic waste collector, a processing tank, or a cooling tank,

extracting latent heat from said liquid by a heat exchanger separate from the reservoir in heat-exchanging contact with the liquid of said reservoir, and transferring said heat to a refrigerant circulating in a loop comprising said heat exchanger, thereby forming an ice slurry,

transferring said heat from the refrigerant to the consumer,

wherein:

storing the ice slurry in the reservoir such that it melts at least partially, and re-using it as a heat source again containing latent,

the method further comprising:

removing portion of the stored ice slurry from the reservoir outward the system and not recycled to the reservoir, and

replacing the removed ice slurry by an uncontrolled random supply of extrinsic liquid randomly providing additional thermal energy to the reservoir for extracting latent heat from, the extrinsic liquid is rain water, domestic water, process water or fluid, or a combination thereof, originating from one or more of a plurality of sources external to the system and not originating from said ice slurry removed from the reservoir.

14. A heat pump system comprising:

a reservoir for storing a liquid and ice slurry, the reservoir is a rain water collector, a domestic waste collector, a processing tank, or a cooling tank,

a heat-exchanger separate from the reservoir and extracting latent heat from the liquid stored in the reservoir, thereby forming the ice slurry, the heat-exchanger located outside the reservoir and forming part of a circuit comprising:

a pump for circulating the liquid, and

a heat pump transferring the extracted heat (i) to a refrigerant circulating in a loop comprising the heat exchanger, and (ii) from the refrigerant to a heat consumer,

a cooling circuit adapted for delivering cold fluid to a cold consumer and delivering heat to the reservoir, the cooling circuit is a refrigerating or air-conditioning system,

a plurality of said heat exchanger, a plurality of said heat pump for delivering heat to a plurality of said heat consumer, and a plurality of said circuit circulating liquid stored in the reservoir,

wherein the heat pump system comprises an uncontrolled random input of extrinsic liquid into the reservoir, an overflow connection from the reservoir to a drain for removing a portion of the ice slurry stored in the reservoir outward the system, and an inlet for replacing the removed portion by the uncontrolled random input of an extrinsic liquid, the extrinsic liquid comprises rain water, domestic water, process water or fluid, or a combination thereof from one or more of a plurality of sources into the reservoir, the extrinsic liquid is liquid originating from the one or more sources external to the system and not originating from the ice slurry removed from the reservoir, and

the overflow connection removes ice slurry from the reservoir to the drain.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2015
From: VAN GYSEL, CARL
To: VGE BVBA
Reel/Frame 035975/0228 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2014
From: VAN GYSEL, CARL
To: VGE BVBA
Reel/Frame 033957/0676 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 12161843 · Mar 28, 2012 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150114019A1 · Apr 30, 2015
Cited By (1)
US 12,214,644