Cooling-heating units with prioritized loading, system thereof, and method thereof

Abstract

A heating-cooling system includes cooling-heating units fluidly connected to a heating flow path for a first process fluid and to a cooling flow path for a second process fluid. The cooling-heating units include one or more primary cooling-heating units and one or more secondary cooling-heating units. The primary cooling-heating unit(s) and secondary cooling-heating unit(s) are fluidly connected to the heating flow path such that when active, a heating load is prioritized to the primary cooling-heating unit(s) over the secondary cooling-heating unit(s). A method of controlling a heating-cooling system includes selectively operating the heating-cooling system in a plurality of modes. In a mode, secondary cooling-heating unit(s) and primary cooling-heating unit(s) each heat the first process fluid and cool the second process fluid, and the one or more of the primary cooling-heating units operate at or about maximum conditioning capacity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heating-cooling system, comprising:
 a heating flow path for a first process fluid,   a cooling flow path for a second process fluid,   cooling-heating units each fluidly connected to the heating flow path and to the cooling flow path, each of the cooling-heating units including a refrigerant circuit with a compressor, an expander, a condenser for heating the first process fluid, and an evaporator for cooling the second process fluid, the cooling-heating units including:
 one or more primary cooling-heating units, and 
 one or more secondary cooling-heating units, the one or more primary cooling-heating units and the one or more secondary cooling-heating units being fluidly connected to the heating flow path such that when active, a heating load is prioritized to the one or more primary cooling-heating units over the one or more secondary cooling-heating units. 
   
     
     
         2 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of:
 the one or more secondary cooling-heating units have a smaller load capacity than the primary cooling-heating units, and   the compressor in each of the one or more secondary cooling-heating units is a different compressor type from the compressor in the primary cooling-heating units.   
     
     
         3 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the one or more primary cooling-heating units are a single primary cooling-heating unit or two or more primary cooling-heating units fluidly connected to the heating flow path in parallel, and   the one or more secondary cooling-heating units are a single secondary cooling-heating unit or two or more secondary cooling-heating units fluidly connected to the heating flow path in parallel.   
     
     
         4 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the one or more primary cooling-heating units are two or more primary cooling-heating units fluidly connected to the heating flow path in parallel, and   the one or more secondary cooling-heating units are two or more of secondary cooling-heating units fluidly connected to the cooling flow path in parallel.   
     
     
         5 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein when operating at least one of the one or more primary cooling-heating units, the at least one of the one or more primary cooling-heating units operate at or about maximum conditioning capacity prior to activating any of the one or more secondary cooling-heating units. 
     
     
         6 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein
 the one or more primary cooling-heating units have an inlet and an outlet each fluidly connected to the heating flow path, and   the one or more secondary cooling-heating units have an inlet that fluidly connects to the heating flow path between the inlet and the outlet of the one or more primary cooling-heating units.   
     
     
         7 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more secondary cooling-heating units have an outlet fluidly connecting to the heating flow path, and the outlet of the one or more primary cooling-heating units fluidly connect to the heating flow path between the inlet and the out let of the one or more secondary cooling-heating units. 
     
     
         8 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a controller for the heating-cooling system, the controller configured to selectively operate the heating-cooling system in each of a plurality of modes that include:
 a first mode in which the one or more primary chill-heating units are shutdown and at least one of the one or more secondary cooling-heating units is active, 
 a second mode in which the one or more secondary cooling-heating units are shutdown and at least one of the one or more primary cooling-heating units is active, and 
 a third mode in which at least one of the one or more secondary cooling-heating units is active and at least one of the one or more primary cooling-heating units is active. 
   
     
     
         9 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to selectively operate the heating-cooling system in each of a plurality of modes based on one or more of a heating demand for the first process fluid and a cooling demand for the second process fluid. 
     
     
         10 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to selectively operate the heating-cooling system in:
 the first mode in response to a conditioning demand for the first process fluid or the second process fluid being less than a minimum conditioning capacity of the one or more primary cooling-heating units,   the second mode in response to the conditioning demand for the first process fluid of the second process fluid being within a load capacity range of the one or more primary cooling-heating units, and   the third mode in response to the conditioning demand for the first process fluid of the second process fluid being greater than the minimum conditioning capacity of the one or more primary cooling-heating units and outside the load capacity range of the one or more primary cooling-heating units.   
     
     
         11 . The heating-cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of:
 one or more supplemental heating units fluidly connected to the heating flow path, the one or more supplemental heating units configured to provide supplemental heating of the first process fluid; and   one or more supplemental cooling units fluidly connected to the cooling flow path, the one or more supplemental cooling units configured to provide supplemental cooling of the second process fluid.   
     
     
         12 . A method of controlling a heating-cooling system, the heating-cooling system including a heating flow path for a first process fluid, a cooling flow path for a second process fluid, and cooling-heating units that are each fluidly connected to the heating flow path and to the cooling flow path, the cooling-heating units including one or more primary cooling-heating units and one or more secondary cooling-heating units, the method comprising:
 selectively operating the heating-cooling system in a plurality of modes including:
 a first mode, wherein operating the heating-cooling system in a first mode includes one or more of the secondary cooling-heating units each heating the first process fluid and cooling the second process fluid, 
 a second mode, wherein operating in the second mode includes one or more of the primary cooling-heating units each heating the first process fluid and cooling the second process fluid, 
 a third mode, wherein operating in the third mode includes one or more of the secondary cooling-heating units and one or more of the primary cooling-heating units each heating the first process fluid and cooling the second process fluid, wherein the one or more of the primary cooling-heating units operating at or about maximum conditioning capacity in the third mode. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more primary cooling-heating units are shutdown in the first mode, and the secondary cooling-heating units are shutdown in the second mode. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the selectively operating of the heating-cooling system in the plurality of modes is based on a conditioning demand for one or more of the first process fluid and the second process fluid. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the conditioning demand includes one or more of a heating demand for the first process fluid and a cooling demand for the second process fluid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein
 the selective operation of the heating-cooling system includes:
 selecting the operating of the heating-cooling system in the first mode, in response to a conditioning demand exceeding a minimum conditioning capacity of the one or more primary cooling-heating units, 
 selecting the operating of the heating-cooling system in the second mode, in response to the conditioning demand being within the conditioning load range of the one or more primary cooling-heating units; and 
 selecting the operating of the heating-cooling system in the third mode, in response to a conditioning demand exceeding the minimum conditioning capacity and being outside the conditioning load range of the of the one or more primary cooling-heating units. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the operation of heating-cooling system in the third mode includes one or more of:
 heating, with one or more supplemental heating units of the heating-cooling system, the first process fluid, and   cooling, with one or more supplemental cooling units of the heating-cooling system, the second process fluid.