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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         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, a single compressor, and at least one metering device;   said at least one evaporator being in fluid communication with said single compressor, said single 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 fluid 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 thermal storage device at least one turbine, at least one condenser and at least one fluid pump, at least one motor/generator;   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, said at least one fluid pump being in fluid communication with said at least one renewable energy collector;   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;   a second refrigerant contained within and circulating through said renewable energy driven circuit; and   a drive shaft mechanically connected said at least one motor/generator and at least one turbine, said single compressor, and said at least one fluid pump, said at least one turbine driving said single compressor and said at least one fluid pump and said motor/generator through said drive shaft;   said renewable energy circuit being constructed and arranged as a module which can be readily connected to said evaporator of said heating and air conditioning circuit, wherein use of said renewable energy circuit decreases electrical power consumption of 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 solar compound parabolic concentrator/reflector juxtaposed to each said Solar evacuated tube. 
     
     
         5 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 4  including a Solar Fresnel lens located adjacent all of said solar evacuated tubes. 
     
     
         6 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  including a fluid bypass line, 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; during start mode. 
     
     
         7 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  including at least one renewable energy collector being in fluid communication with said at least one condenser coupled to said single compressor being in fluid communication with said at least one renewable energy collector and at least one condenser wherein said renewable energy collector creates a larger temperature differential with said first fluid refrigerant that enables said first fluid to become condensed into liquid form without the need for cooling fan to consume electrical energy. 
     
     
         8 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 7  including at least one heat exchanger coupled to said single compressor being in fluid communication with said at least one renewable energy collector being in fluid communication with said at least one heat exchanger first heat exchanger being in fluid communication with said refrigerant in said heating and air-conditioning circuit, said first heat exchanger being in fluid communication with said second refrigerant in said renewable energy driven circuit, whereby heat removed from said first refrigerant is transferred to said second refrigerant and preheats said second refrigerant prior to said second refrigerant entering said at least one renewable energy collector. Heat removed from first said refrigerant allows for fluid to become liquid without a condenser being operated and pre-heats second said fluid refrigerant. 
     
     
         9 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  wherein said motor/generator includes a variable speed starter motor/electrical generator to operate said fluid pump during a start-up operational mode of said renewable energy driven circuit. 
     
     
         10 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 9  wherein said variable speed starter motor/electrical generator is used to produce electricity during renewable energy heating and air-conditioning operation. 
     
     
         11 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  wherein said first and second fluid refrigerants are reduced to a single common fluid refrigerant. 
     
     
         12 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  wherein said first fluid refrigerant is a cooling fluid refrigerant and said second fluid refrigerant is a drive system refrigerant. 
     
     
         13 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  wherein said first and second fluid refrigerants have USA ASHRAE thermophysical fluid refrigerant properties. 
     
     
         14 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 2  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. 
     
     
         15 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 2  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 and provide solar heated water. 
     
     
         16 . The renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system of  claim 1  including a fluid bypass line, said fluid bypass line connected to an inlet of said at least one fluid pump and an outlet of said at least one fluid pump, liquid said second refrigerant in said renewable energy driven circuit bypasses said at least one fluid pump through said fluid bypass line; and said variable speed starter motor/electrical generator is connect to and operates said fluid pump during a non solar driven operation mode of said renewable energy driven circuit. 
     
     
         17 . 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 motor/generator, at least one condenser and at least one fluid pump, said at least one renewable energy collector being a solar energy collector, said at least one renewable energy collector including a plurality of evacuated tubes, said evacuated tubes being constructed and arranged to capture solar energy and transfer the solar energy to said refrigerant, said at least one renewable energy collector including 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; 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 a drive shaft, said drive shaft mechanically connected to and driving at least one fluid pump and said drive shaft mechanically connected to and driving a single compressor, said drive shaft mechanically connected to and driven by or driving and at least one motor/generator; and said renewable energy circuit being constructed and arranged as a module which can be readily connected to a heating and air conditioning circuit by fluid connection to said metering valve and said evaporator.   
     
     
         18 . A method of operating a renewable energy heating and air-conditioning system comprising:
 attaching a renewable energy circuit to a heating and air-conditioning circuit, said renewable energy circuit being constructed and arranged as a module, said renewable energy circuit having a drive shaft for attaching to at least one compressor of a heating and air-conditioning circuit.