Solar turbo pump - hybrid heating-air conditioning and method of operation

Abstract

A closed loop system utilizing a solar refrigerant turbocharger and pump in conjunction with a solar collector to operate a heating and cooling system for a building by utilization of a renewable energy source. The liquid pump within the solar turbocharger is used to boost the refrigerant pressures into the solar collector, the refrigerant absorbs heat inside the solar collector and changes phase from a liquid to a vapor. The vapor is expanded across the turbine causing the turbine to spin. The ability of the refrigerant to change phase or flash from a liquid to a vapor is due to the solar energy that is transferred from evacuated tubes into the solar collector manifold and into the refrigerant. The gas is routed to the solar turbo pump turbine to drive the compressor and liquid pump. The resulting fluid gas leaving the turbine is routed to the condenser for normal operation.

1 . A renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system comprising:
 a heating and air-conditioning circuit, said heating and air-conditioning circuit comprising at least one evaporator, at least one condenser, at least one compressor, and at least one metering device;   said at least one evaporator being in fluid communication with said at least one compressor, said at least one compressor being in fluid communication with said at least one condenser, said at least one condenser being in fluid communication with said at least one metering device, said at least one metering device being in fluid communication with said at least one evaporator;   a first refrigerant contained within and circulating through said heating and air-conditioning circuit;   a renewable energy driven circuit, said renewable energy driven circuit comprising at least one renewable energy collector, at least one turbine, at least one condenser and at least one fluid pump;   said at least one renewable energy collector being in fluid communication with said at least one turbine, said at least one turbine being in fluid communication with said at least one condenser, said at least one condenser being in fluid communication with said at least on fluid pump;   a second refrigerant contained within and circulating through said renewable energy driven circuit;   said at least one turbine being mechanically connected to and driving said at least one compressor and said at least one fluid pump; and   said renewable energy circuit being constructed and arranged as a module which can be readily connected to said heating and air conditioning circuit.   
     
     
         2 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one renewable energy collector is a solar energy collector. 
     
     
         3 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 2  wherein said at least one renewable energy collector includes a plurality of evacuated tubes, said evacuated tubes being constructed and arranged to capture solar energy and transfer the solar energy to said second refrigerant. 
     
     
         4 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 3  wherein said at least one renewable energy collector includes a compound parabolic concentrator juxtaposed to each said evacuated tube. 
     
     
         5 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 4  including a Fresnel lens located adjacent all of said evacuated tubes. 
     
     
         6 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  including a fluid bypass line and a variable speed starter motor, said fluid bypass line connected to an inlet of said at least one turbine and an outlet of said at least one turbine, gaseous said second refrigerant in said renewable energy driven circuit bypasses said at least one turbine through said fluid bypass line; and said variable speed starter motor is connect to and operates said fluid pump during a start-up operational mode of said renewable energy driven circuit. 
     
     
         7 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  including
 a first heat exchanger, said first heat exchanger being in fluid communication with said refrigerant in said heating and air-conditioning circuit, said first heat exchanger also being in fluid communication with said second refrigerant in said renewable energy driven circuit, 
 whereby heat removed from said second refrigerant is transferred to said first refrigerant and preheats said second refrigerant prior to said second refrigerant entering said at least one renewable energy collector. 
 
     
     
         8 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  including
 a first “T” fitting in a fluid line between said at least one compressor and said at least one evaporator; 
 a second “T” fitting in a fluid line between said at least one condenser and said at least one compressor; 
 a first check valve in a fluid line between said first “T” fitting and an outlet of said at least one compressor; and 
 a second check valve in a fluid line between said second “T” fitting and an inlet of said at least one compressor. 
 
     
     
         9 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  including
 a first “T” fitting in a fluid line between said at least one compressor and said at least one evaporator; 
 a second “T” fitting in a fluid line between said at least one condenser and said at least one compressor; 
 a first check valve in a fluid line between said first “T” fitting and an outlet of said at least one compressor; 
 a second check valve in a fluid line between said second “T” fitting and an inlet of said at least one compressor; 
 a first three way valve in the fluid line between said second check valve and an inlet of said at least one compressor; and 
 a second three way valve in the fluid line between said first check valve and said outlet of said at least one compressor. 
 
     
     
         10 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  wherein said at least one renewable energy collector includes a manifold that is integral with said at least one renewable energy collector, said manifold being constructed and arranged to store thermal energy which is used to vaporize said second refrigerant in said renewable energy driven circuit. 
     
     
         11 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 10  including a first thermal storage module connected to said at least one renewable energy collector, said first thermal storage module is used to store thermal energy which is used to vaporize said second refrigerant in said renewable energy driven circuit. 
     
     
         12 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  including
 a first “T” fitting in a fluid line between said at least one compressor and said at least one evaporator; 
 a second “T” fitting in a fluid line between said at least one condenser and said at least one compressor; 
 a first check valve in a fluid line between said first “T” fitting and an outlet of said at least one compressor; 
 a second check valve in a fluid line between said second “T” fitting and an inlet of said at least one compressor; and 
 a second evaporator in the fluid line between said first “T” fitting and an outlet of said at least one compressor. 
 
     
     
         13 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 12  including a second thermal storage module, said second thermal storage module is located in the fluid line between said second evaporator and said outlet of said at least one compressor. 
     
     
         14 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 13  wherein said at least one renewable energy collector is a solar collector;
 said at least one renewable energy collector includes a plurality of evacuated tubes, said evacuated tubes being constructed and arranged to capture solar energy and transfer the solar energy to said second refrigerant. 
 
     
     
         15 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 14  wherein said at least one renewable energy collector includes a compound parabolic concentrator juxtaposed to each said evacuated tube. 
     
     
         16 . A renewable energy system comprising:
 a renewable energy driven circuit, said renewable energy driven circuit comprising at least one renewable energy collector, at least one turbine, at least one condenser and at least one fluid pump;   said at least one renewable energy collector being in fluid communication with said at least one turbine, said at least one turbine being in fluid communication with said at least one condenser, said at least one condenser being in fluid communication with said at least on fluid pump;   a refrigerant contained within and circulating through said renewable energy driven circuit;   said at least one turbine being mechanically connected to and driving said at least one compressor and said at least one fluid pump; and   said renewable energy circuit being constructed and arranged as a module which can be readily connected to a heating and air conditioning circuit.   
     
     
         17 . The renewable energy system of  claim 16  wherein said at least on renewable energy collector is a solar energy collector. 
     
     
         18 . The renewable energy system of  claim 17  wherein said at least one renewable energy collector includes a plurality of evacuated tubes, said evacuated tubes being constructed and arranged to capture solar energy and transfer the solar energy to said refrigerant. 
     
     
         19 . The renewable energy system of  claim 18  wherein said at least one renewable energy collector includes a manifold that is integral with said at least one renewable energy collector, said manifold being constructed and arranged to store thermal energy which is used to vaporize said second refrigerant in said renewable energy driven circuit. 
     
     
         20 . A method of operating a renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system comprising:
 operating a heating and air-conditioning circuit, said heating and air-conditioning circuit comprising at least one evaporator, at least one condenser, at least one compressor, and at least one metering device;   said at least one evaporator fluidly communicating with said at least one compressor, said at least one compressor fluidly communicating with said at least one condenser, said at least one condenser fluidly communicating with said at least one metering device, said at least one metering device fluidly communicating with said at least one evaporator;   circulating a first refrigerant within said heating an air-conditioning circuit;   operating a renewable energy driven circuit, said renewable energy driven circuit comprising at least one renewable energy collector, at least one turbine, at least one condenser and at least one fluid pump;   said at least one renewable energy collector fluidly communicating with said at least one turbine, said at least one turbine fluidly communicating with said at least one condenser, said at least one condenser fluidly communicating with said at least on fluid pump;   circulating a second refrigerant contained within said renewable energy driven circuit;   said at least one turbine being mechanically connected to and driving said at least one compressor and said at least one fluid pump; and   said renewable energy circuit being constructed and arranged as a module which can be readily connected to said heating and air conditioning circuit.