Energy system with a heat pump

Abstract

The invention provides a system for collection of thermal energy, e.g. solar energy. The system comprises at least two different loops for delivering the collected energy to a reservoir. One of the loops involves the use of a heat pump for increasing a temperature difference between inlet and outlet temperature of the energy collector.

1 . A system for collection of thermal energy, the system comprising
 an energy collector with a collector inlet and collector outlet for exchange of thermal energy between a fluid which flows from the collector inlet to the collector outlet and the energy collector,   an energy reservoir with a lower reservoir inlet and lower reservoir outlet for exchange of thermal energy between a fluid which flows from the reservoir inlet to the reservoir outlet and a lower portion of the energy reservoir,   a heat pump comprising a cold side inlet, a cold side outlet, a warm side inlet, a warm side outlet, and exchange means for exchange of thermal energy between a fluid which flows from the cold side inlet to the cold side outlet and a fluid which flows from the warm side inlet to the warm side outlet,   
       the system comprising at least a first and a second loop for flow of the fluid, wherein the first loop connects the collector outlet with the cold side inlet and the cold side outlet with the collector inlet, and the second loop connects the collector outlet with the lower reservoir inlet and the lower reservoir outlet with the collector inlet. 
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , the system further comprising a third loop, connecting the lower reservoir inlet with the cold side outlet and the lower reservoir outlet with the cold side inlet. 
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth loop connecting the lower reservoir inlet with the warm side outlet and the lower reservoir outlet with the warm side inlet. 
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the reservoir further comprising an upper reservoir inlet and an upper reservoir outlet for exchange of thermal energy between a fluid which flows from the upper reservoir inlet to the upper reservoir outlet and an upper portion of the energy reservoir which is located at vertical distance from the lower portion of the energy reservoir, the system comprising a fifth loop connecting the upper reservoir inlet with the warm side outlet and the upper reservoir outlet with the warm side inlet. 
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a fluid shunt valve structure allowing selection between flow of the fluid in at least two of the first, second and third loops. 
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second shunt valve structure allowing selection between flow of the fluid in the fourth and fifth loop. 
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control system facilitating change of flow rate in at least one of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth loops. 
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control system facilitating fluid flow in a combination of at least two of the first, second, third, fourth, or firth loops. 
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control system adapted to control the flow in at least one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth loop based on a set of data, the set of data comprising at least one of: solar incident, energy consumption, energy costs. 
     
     
         10 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control system adapted to control the flow in at least one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth loop based on a set of data, the set of data comprising forecast of at least one of: solar incident, energy consumption, energy costs. 
     
     
         11 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control system allowing selection between at least a first and a second operation mode, wherein the control system in the first mode automatically switches between at least two different flow rates in a at least two loops based on an optimization criteria, and wherein the control system in the second mode allows the user to specify at least certain flow conditions in selected loops. 
     
     
         12 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control system which sequentially can change flow in at least two of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth loops. 
     
     
         13 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat pump comprises one or more Peltier elements. 
     
     
         14 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a collector pump adapted to control a flow rate of the fluid in at least one of the loops. 
     
     
         15 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control system adapted to control the operation of the heat pump. 
     
     
         16 . A system according to  claim 14 , wherein the control system is adapted also to control the collector pump. 
     
     
         17 . A system according to  claim 16 , wherein the control system is adapted to control the operation of the heat pump dependent on a temperature of the reservoir or energy collector. 
     
     
         18 . A system according to  claim 16 , wherein the control system is adapted to control the operation of the heat pump dependent on the control of the collector pump. 
     
     
         19 . A system according to  claim 16 , wherein the control system is adapted to control the operation of the heat pump dependent on the control of the collector pump and dependent on a measured temperature. 
     
     
         20 . A system according to  claim 16 , wherein the control system is adapted to control the operation of the heat pump or the collector pump dependent on a flow rate in at least two of the loops. 
     
     
         21 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the energy collector comprises a photovoltaic panel. 
     
     
         22 . A system according to  claim 1 , comprising flow communication means by which at least two of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth loops can be connected to allow fluid communication there between. 
     
     
         23 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat pump comprises a compressor for compression of a refrigerant, and wherein the refrigerant flows in at least one of the first, third, fourth, or fifth loop.