Hybrid heat pump system

Abstract

A hybrid heat pump system comprise a geothermal heat pump system, an air source heat pump system, and a buffer heat-storage configured to exchange a heat with the geothermal heat pump system and the air source heat pump system and to store therein the exchanged heat. The buffer heat-storage comprises fluid circulation lines fluid-coupled to and between an air heater and the buffer heat-storage to realize a circulation of a refrigerant fluid therebetween, which receives a heat energy from the buffer heat-storage, wherein the air heater is configured to heat the air thereto from an outdoor using the refrigerant fluid.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hybrid heat pump system comprising:
 a geothermal heat pump system configured to use a first fluid as a heat exchange medium thereof;   an air source heat pump system configured to use a second fluid as a heat exchange medium thereof;   a buffer heat-storage configured to exchange a heat with the geothermal heat pump system and the air source heat pump system and to store therein the exchanged heat, wherein the buffer heat-storage supplies a heat energy to a load; and   a controller configured to control the air source heat pump system based on a required heat level of the load,   wherein the geothermal heat pump system comprises:   a geothermal heat exchanger configured to collect a geothermal energy using a circulating water;   a geothermal heat pump apparatus configured to cool the first fluid using the collected geothermal energy from the geothermal heat exchanger;   first circulation lines fluid-coupled to and between the geothermal heat exchanger and the geothermal heat pump apparatus to realize a circulation of the circulating water between the geothermal heat exchanger and the geothermal heat pump apparatus; and   second circulation lines fluid-coupled to and between the geothermal heat pump apparatus and the buffer heat-storage to realize a circulation of the first fluid between the geothermal heat pump apparatus and the buffer heat-storage,   wherein the air source heat pump system comprises:   an air heater configured to heat an air from an outdoor and to output the heated air;   an air source heat pump apparatus configured to heat or cool the second fluid using the outputted heated air, wherein the air source heat pump apparatus is located in a closed indoor to suppress the air outputted threrefrom from returning thereto, wherein the air source heat pump apparatus has an air discharge unit fluid-coupled to the outdoor to discharge the air from the indoor to the outdoor,   third circulation lines fluid-coupled to and between the air source heat pump apparatus and the buffer heat-storage to realize a circulation of the second fluid between the air source heat pump apparatus and the buffer heat-storage; and   a control door configured to control the air flow between the indoor and the outdoor,   wherein the buffer heat-storage is configured to temporarily store therein the first fluid and the second fluid,   wherein the buffer heat-storage comprises fourth circulation lines fluid-coupled to and between the air heater and the buffer heat-storage to realize a circulation of a third fluid as a heat exchange medium between the air heater and the buffer heat-storage, wherein the third fluid receives a heat energy from the buffer heat-storage,   wherein the air heater is configured to heat the air from the outdoor using the third fluid,   wherein when the third fluid is circulating in and along the fourth circulation lines, the controller is configured to close the control door.   
     
     
         2 . The hybrid heat pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a flow rate of the third fluid circulating in and along the fourth circulation lines, based on a temperature of the air entered into the air heater. 
     
     
         3 . The hybrid heat pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the air heater when the air source heat pump apparatus operates. 
     
     
         4 . The hybrid heat pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the fourth circulation lines is adjacent to the third circulation lines in order to suppress a freeze-burst of the fourth circulation lines. 
     
     
         5 . The hybrid heat pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the air source heat pump apparatus is directly fluid-coupled to the air heater such that the air outputted from the air heater is not returned to the air heater but is fed to the air source heat pump apparatus. 
     
     
         6 . A method for control the hybrid heat pump system of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises:
 determining, by the controller, a required heat level of the load;   controlling, by the controller, an operation of the geothermal heat pump system, based on the required heat level; and   controlling, by the controller, a heat level to be supplied from the air source heat pump system to the load, based on the required heat level.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the (c) operation comprises:
 obtaining, by the controller, a temperature of the air entered into the air heater; and   controlling a flow rate of the third fluid circulating in and along the fourth circulation lines, based on the temperature.