Hot water supply apparatus associated with heat pump

Abstract

A hot water supply apparatus associated with a heat pump is provided. The hot water supply apparatus may employ a cascade heat pump including a two-stage cycle to perform a hot water supply operation. Refrigerants flowing through a heat side heat exchanger and a usage side heat exchanger may be heat-exchanged with water. Thus, the hot water supply operation may be continuously performed, without a defrosting operation, and hot water supply performance and heating performance may be improved.

1 . A hot water supply apparatus associated with a heat pump that performs a hot water supply operation, comprising:
 a first refrigerant circuit tha circulates a first refrigerant, including a first compressor, a cascade heat exchanger in which heat is exchanged between the first refrigerant and a second refrigerant, a first expander, and a heat source side heat exchanger in which the first refrigerant absorbs or emits heat; and   a second refrigerant circuit that circulates the second refrigerant, including a second compressor, a usage side heat exchanger that performs at least one of the hot water supply operation or a heating/cooling operation using the second refrigerant, a second expander, and the cascade heat exchanger, wherein refrigerant flowing through the heat source side heat exchanger and the usage side heat exchanger are heat-exchanged with water so as to continuously perform the hot water supply operation without a defrosting operation.   
     
     
         2 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a hot water supply device that performs the hot water supply operation using at least one of the first refrigerant or the second refrigerant;   a circulation passage that circulates water flowing through the heat source side heat exchanger;   a hot water supply side supply passage that guides water from a water supply source to the hot water supply device; and   a circulation side supply passage connected to the circulation passage so as to to guide water from the water supply source to the heat source side heat exchanger.   
     
     
         3 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the hot water supply device comprises:
 a hot water supply tank that receives and stores water;   an auxiliary heater that selectively heats water in the hot water supply tank; and   a water discharge passage that supplies hot water from the hot water supply tank, wherein the water stored in the hot water supply tank and the water that is heat-exchanged with the first refrigerant in the heat source side heat exchanger are initially supplied from the same water supply source.   
     
     
         4 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a source water supply device including a circulation passage through which water flowing through the heat source side heat exchanger circulates, and a circulation side pump that forcibly circulates water in the circulation passage,
 wherein the apparatus is configured to circulate water in the circulation passage when a temperature of water supplied by the source water supply device is less than or equal to a freezing and bursting reference temperature, and   wherein the apparatus is configured to resume an operation state thereof prior to the forcible circulation of water in the circulation passage when the temperature of the water supplied by the source water supply device is greater than the freezing and bursting reference temperature.   
     
     
         5 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a circulation passage that circulates water flowing through the heat source side heat exchanger;   a circulation side supply passage that supplies water to the circulation passage;   a water supply adjustment device that selectively restricts a supply of water to the circulation side supply passage; and   a water discharge adjustment device that selectively restricts discharge of water from the circulation side discharge passage through a circulation side discharge pasage.   
     
     
         6 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the water supply adjustment device and the water discharge adjustment device close the circulation side supply passage and the circulation side discharge passage, respectively, when a temperature of the water in the circulation passage is greater than a circulation reference temperature, and
 the water supply adjustment device and the water discharge adjustment device open the circulation side supply passage and the circulation side discharge passage, respectively, when the temperature of the water in the circulation passage is less than or equal to the circulation reference temperature.   
     
     
         7 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a first subcooler in which water passing through the heat source side heat exchanger uncergoes heat-exchange with the first refrigerant condensed in one of the cascade heat exchanger or the heat source side heat exchanger, so as to subcool and condense the first refrigerant; and
 a second subcooler in which water passing through the heat source side heat exchanger undergoes heat-exchange with the second refrigerant condensed in one of the usage side heat exchanger or the cascade heat exchanger, so as to subcool and condense the second refrigerant.   
     
     
         8 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an air-conditioning heating/cooling device that performs an indoor heating/cooling operation using the first refrigerant or the second refrigerant;   a hot water supply device that performs the hot water supply operation; and   an air-conditioning heat exchanger installed at an upstream side of the cascade heat exchanger along a flow direction of the first refrigerant, wherein the air-conditioning heat exchanger receives high temperature refrigerant from a discharge side of the first compressor when the hot water supply operation and a heating operation are simultaneously performed.   
     
     
         9 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the hot water supply device is connected to the usage side heat exchanger and employs a cascade cycle. 
     
     
         10 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a hot water supply device that performs the hot water supply operation using a high temperature refrigerant received from at least one of the first compressor or the second compressor; and   a first flow switch and a second flow switch that respectively switch a refrigerant flow direction of the first refrigerant circuit and a refrigerant flow direction of the second refrigerant circuit based on operation in a heating mode or a cooling mode.   
     
     
         11 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the hot water supply device is connected between the compressor and the flow switch of a respective refrigerant cycle of a respective refrigerant circuit so as to perform the hot water supply operation during operation in both the heating mode and the cooling mode. 
     
     
         12 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a desuperheater heat exchanger in which high temperature refrigerant received from at least one of the first compressor or the second compressor flows,
 wherein the apparatus performs the hot water supply operation using water that has undergone heat-exchange with refrigerant in the desuperheater heat exchanger to heat water held in the hot water supply device,   and wherein an amount of refrigerant discharged from the at least one of the first compressor of the second compressor and flowing to the desuperheater heat exchanger and an amount of refrigerant bypassing the desuperheater heat exchanger are varied based on a hot water supply load and a heating/cooling load.   
     
     
         13 . The hot water supply apparatus  claim 1 , wherein the hot water supply apparatus is a multi-system apparatus comprising:
 a first hot water supply device that genrates hot water using water that has undergone heat-exchange with refrigerant in the usage side heat exchanger;   a first heating/cooling device that heats or cools a first designated space using water that has undergone heat-exchange with refrigerant in the usage side heat exchanger;   a second hot water supply that directly heats water for the hot water supply operation using at least one of the first refrigerant or the second refrigerant; and   a second heating/cooling device that directly heats or cools a second designated space using at least one of the first refrigerant or the second refrigerant.   
     
     
         14 . A hot water supply apparatus associated with a heat pump that performs a hot water supply operation, comprising:
 a cascade heat pump, including:   a first refrigerant circuit including a heat source side heat exchanger in which a first refrigerant absorbs or emits heat; and   a second refrigerant circuit connected to the first refrigerant circuit so as to form a two-stage refrigerant cycle;   a hot water supply device coupled to the cascade heat pump so as to perform the hot water supply operation; and   a desuperheater heat exchanger simultaneously connected to the hot water supply device and to at least one of the first refrigerant circuit or the second refrigerant circuit so as to perform the hot water supply operation using a high temperature refrigerant received from a compressor of the at least one of the first refrigerant circuit or the second refrigerant circuit,   wherein refrigerant flowing through the heat source side heat exchanger and the desuperheater heat exchanger are heat-exchanged with water so as to continuously perform the hot water supply operation without a defrosting operation.   
     
     
         15 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein an amount of refrigerant discharged from the compressor and flowing to the desuperheater heat exchanger and an amount of refrigerant bypassing the desuperheater heat exchanger are varied based on a hot water supply load and a heating/cooling load,
 wherein the apparatus is configured to increase the amount of refrigerant flowing to the desuperheater heat exchanger and to decrease the amount of refrigerant bypassing the desuperheater heat exchanger when the hot water supply load is greater than the heating/cooling load, and   the apparatus is configured to decrease the amount of refrigerant flowing to the desuperheater heat exchanger and to increase the amount of refrigerant bypassing the desuperheater heat exchanger when the heating/cooling load is greater than the hot water supply load.   
     
     
         16 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a flow switch that switches a refrigerant flow direction between a heating mode and a cooling mode,
 wherein the desuperheater heat exchanger is installed between the compressor and the flow switch of the one of the first or second refrigerant circuit to which the desuperheater heat exchanger is connected so as to continuously perform the hot water supply operation in both the heating and the cooling modes.   
     
     
         17 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the compressor is a multi-stage compressor including a low stage compression part coupled to a middle compression part that compresses refrigerant received from the low stage compression part, wherein the hot water supply apparatus further comprises:
 a phase divider that divides condensed refrigerant into a vapor refrigerant and a liquid refrigerant; and   an injection pipe that guides the vapor refrigerant from the phase divider to the middle compression part of the multi-stage compressor.   
     
     
         18 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising an air-conditioning heat exchanger connected to the second refrigerant circuit to heat or cool indoor air using refrigerant flowing through the second refrigerant circuit. 
     
     
         19 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a cascade heat exchanger in which heat is exchanged between the first refrigerant circulated in the first refrigerant circuit and a second refrigerant circulated in the second refrigerant circuit. 
     
     
         20 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the desuperheater heat exchanger comprises:
 a first desuperheater heat exchanger connected to the first refrigerant circcircuit and the hot water supply device; and   a second desuperheater heat exchanger connected to the second refrigerant circuit and the hot water supply device,   wherein the apparatus is configured to vary amounts of refrigerant passing respectively through the first and second desuperheater heat exchangers and amounts of refrigerant respectively bypassing the first and second desuperheater heat exchangers based on a hot water supply load and a heating/cooling load.   
     
     
         21 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the apparatus is configured to increase the amounts of refrigerant passing respectively through the first and second desuperheater heat exchangers and to decrease the amounts of refrigerant respectively bypassing the first and second desuperheater heat exchangers when the hot water supply load is greater than the heating/cooling load, and
 wherein the apparatus is configured to decrease the amounts of refrigerant passing respectively through the first and second desuperheater heat exchangers and to increase the amounts of refrigerant respectively bypassing the first and second desuperheater heat exchangers when the heating/cooling load is greater than the hot water supply load.   
     
     
         22 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a source water supply device including a circulation passage that circulates water flowing through the heat source side heat exchanger, and a circulation side pump that forcibly circulates water through the circulation passage,
 wherein the apparatus is configured to circulate the water in the circulation passage when a temperature of the water in the water supply device is less than or equal to a freezing and bursting reference, and   wherein the apparatus is configured to resume an operation state thereof prior to the forcible circulation of the water in the circulation passage when the temperature of the water of the water supply device is greater than the freezing and bursting reference temperature.   
     
     
         23 . The hot water supply apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising a circulation passage that circulates water flowing through the heat source side heat exchanger,
 wherein the apparatus is configured to circulate the water in the circulation passage without supplying water to and discharging water from the circulation passage when a temperature of the water of the circulation passage is greater than a circulation reference temperature, and   wherein the apparatus is configured to supply water to and discharge water from the circulation passage when the temperature of the water of the circulation passage is less than or equal to the circulation reference temperature.