Thermal exchange system for an appliance

Abstract

A thermal transfer system for an appliance includes a first blower that delivers process air through an airflow path. A first vapor compression loop delivers internal thermal energy via a first flow of media from a first evaporator and to a condenser that are within the airflow path. A second vapor compression loop delivers ambient thermal energy via a second flow of media from a second evaporator that is outside the airflow path to a thermal exchange structure within the airflow path. A second blower directs ambient air over the second evaporator for capturing ambient thermal energy. The first blower directs the process air over the thermal exchange structure to deliver ambient thermal energy to the condenser to define a preheat sequence of the condenser. Further, the internal thermal energy and the ambient thermal energy are delivered by the process air to a processing space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermal transfer system for an appliance, the thermal transfer system comprising:
 a first blower that delivers process air through an airflow path that includes a processing space;   a first vapor compression loop that delivers a first flow of thermal exchange media through a first evaporator and a condenser for delivering internal thermal energy from the first evaporator to the condenser, the first evaporator and the condenser disposed within the airflow path;   a second vapor compression loop that delivers a second flow of thermal exchange media through a second evaporator and a thermal exchange structure disposed within the airflow path, the second evaporator disposed outside of the airflow path; and   a second blower that directs ambient air over the second evaporator; wherein
 the second vapor compression loop captures ambient thermal energy from the ambient air and delivers the ambient thermal energy to the thermal exchange structure; 
 the first blower directs the process air over the thermal exchange structure to capture the ambient thermal energy from the thermal exchange structure; 
 the ambient thermal energy from the thermal exchange structure is delivered via the process air to the condenser to define a preheat sequence of the condenser; and 
 the internal thermal energy and the ambient thermal energy are delivered by the process air to the processing space to define a duty cycle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The thermal transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first vapor compression loop and the second vapor compression loop include a common compressor that delivers a single thermal exchange media through each of the first vapor compression loop and the second vapor compression loop. 
     
     
         3 . The thermal transfer system of  claim 2 , wherein a valve assembly directs the single thermal exchange media, alternatively, through the first vapor compression loop and the second vapor compression loop. 
     
     
         4 . The thermal transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the preheat sequence of a primary condenser is operated in advance of the duty cycle. 
     
     
         5 . The thermal transfer system of  claim 4 , wherein the first vapor compression loop includes an auxiliary condenser and an auxiliary blower that operate to reject additional internal thermal energy from the airflow path, wherein the auxiliary condenser is positioned between the primary condenser and the first evaporator. 
     
     
         6 . The thermal transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first vapor compression loop includes a first expansion device upstream of the first evaporator and the second vapor compression loop includes a second expansion device upstream of the second evaporator. 
     
     
         7 . The thermal transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal exchange structure includes one or more thermal exchange modules that are attached together in an array configuration. 
     
     
         8 . The thermal transfer system of  claim 3 , further comprising a controller that operates the common compressor and the valve assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The thermal transfer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first vapor compression loop includes a first compressor and a first thermal exchange media, and wherein the second vapor compression loop includes a second compressor and a second thermal exchange media. 
     
     
         10 . The thermal transfer system of  claim 9 , wherein a common controller operates the first compressor and the second compressor. 
     
     
         11 . An appliance comprising:
 an outer cabinet having a processing space defined therein for treating articles;   a first blower that delivers process air through an airflow path that includes the processing space;   a first vapor compression loop that delivers a first flow of thermal exchange media through a first evaporator and a condenser that are positioned within the airflow path and upstream of the processing space, wherein the first blower delivers the process air across the first evaporator to extract internal thermal energy that cools and dehumidifies the process air, and wherein the first blower further delivers the process air across the condenser to absorb the internal thermal energy that heats the process air before entering the processing space;   a second vapor compression loop that delivers a second flow of thermal exchange media through a second evaporator and a thermal exchange structure, wherein the thermal exchange structure is positioned within the airflow path between the first evaporator and the condenser, and wherein the second evaporator is positioned outside of the airflow path; and   a second blower that directs ambient air over the second evaporator; wherein
 the second vapor compression loop captures ambient thermal energy from the ambient air and delivers the ambient thermal energy to the thermal exchange structure; 
 the second blower directs the process air over the thermal exchange structure to capture the ambient thermal energy from the thermal exchange structure; and 
 the ambient thermal energy from the thermal exchange structure is delivered via the process air to the condenser to define a preheat sequence of the condenser. 
   
     
     
         12 . The appliance of  claim 11 , wherein a common compressor is in communication with the first vapor compression loop and the second vapor compression loop to deliver a common thermal exchange media to define the first flow of thermal exchange media and the second flow of thermal exchange media. 
     
     
         13 . The appliance of  claim 12 , wherein the first vapor compression loop and the second vapor compression loop are attached to the common compressor through a valve assembly that directs the common thermal exchange media through the first vapor compression loop and the second vapor compression loop. 
     
     
         14 . The appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the second evaporator is positioned outside of the outer cabinet. 
     
     
         15 . The appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the thermal exchange structure includes one or more thermal exchange modules that are attached together in an array configuration. 
     
     
         16 . The appliance of  claim 13 , further comprising a controller that operates the common compressor and the valve assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the first vapor compression loop includes a first compressor, and wherein the second vapor compression loop includes a second compressor, and wherein the first flow of thermal exchange media and the second flow of thermal exchange media are separated from one another. 
     
     
         18 . The appliance of  claim 11 , wherein the preheat sequence is performed before activation of a duty cycle of the processing space, wherein the ambient thermal energy is delivered to the thermal exchange structure and the process air delivers the ambient thermal energy to the condenser to define stored ambient thermal energy within the condenser and within the thermal exchange structure, wherein the first vapor compression loop is operated during the duty cycle, and wherein the stored ambient thermal energy and the internal thermal energy of the condenser are delivered by the process air to the processing space. 
     
     
         19 . A method for operating a laundry appliance, the method comprising steps of:
 activating an ambient vapor compression loop that delivers external ambient thermal energy from ambient air outside of an airflow path to a thermal exchange structure within the airflow path;   delivering the ambient thermal energy from the thermal exchange structure to a condenser of a drying vapor compression loop to define stored ambient thermal energy to define a preheated condenser;   activating the drying vapor compression loop to deliver internal thermal energy to the preheated condenser; and   delivering the stored ambient thermal energy and the internal thermal energy from the preheated condenser through the airflow path and to a processing space.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the steps of activating the ambient vapor compression loop and activating the drying vapor compression loop are performed using a common compressor and a recycled thermal exchange media that is delivered through each of the ambient vapor compression loop and the drying vapor compression loop.