Reverse cycle heat pump circuit

Abstract

A reverse cycle heat pump refrigeration system including multi-circuited heat exchangers arranged to provide a series of refrigerant flow through the circuits for either heat exchanger when it is used as a condenser, and a parallel refrigerant flow through the circuits for either heat exchanger when it is used as an evaporator.

What is claimed is: .[.1. A reversible refrigeration system adapted for heating and cooling, comprising: 
     
        parallel when a heat exchanger operates as an evaporator..]. .[.4.  The reversible refrigeration system recited in claim 1 wherein: means including valves arranged between said circuits and said heat exchanger inlet lines for permitting parallel refrigerant flow through each of said circuits between said conduit and said heat exchanger inlet line when a heat exchanger is operating as an evaporator; and for directing all of said refrigerant flow from said heat exchanger inlet line to said series connected circuits when a heat exchanger is operating as a condenser..]. .[.5. A reversible refrigeration system adapted for heating and cooling, comprising:   a motor compressor unit;   an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger each including a plurality of circuits;   a valve for reversing the flow of refrigerant through said system to operate said system in a heating or cooling mode with each of said heat exchangers arranged interchangeably as a condenser or as an evaporator;   means connecting the circuits in each of said heat exchangers in series between a heat exchanger inlet line connected to said reversing valve and an outlet line when a heat exchanger operates as a condenser;   a conduit connecting the outlets of said heat exchangers;   means including a pair of one way valves arranged between said heat exchanger outlet lines and said conduit to allow passage of refrigerant into said conduit from said coils when a heat exchanger is operating as a condenser and for preventing series flow of refrigerant through said circuits from said conduit when a heat exchanger is operating as an evaporator;   a plurality of distribution means connected at one end to said conduit and at the other end to each of said circuits to arrange said circuits in parallel when a heat exchanger operates as an evaporator;   means including valves arranged between said circuits and said heat exchanger inlet lines for permitting parallel refrigerant flow through each of said circuits between said conduit and said heat exchanger inlet line when a heat exchanger is operating as an evaporator; and for directing all of said refrigerant flow from said heat exchanger inlet line to said series connected circuits when a heat exchanger is operating as a   
     
     
        condenser..]. .Iadd. 6.  A reversible refrigeration system adapted for heating and cooling, comprising: a motor compressor unit;   an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger each including a plurality of circuits, each circuit defining a single continuous passageway, a heat exchanger inlet line and a heat exchanger outlet line;   a valve for reversing the flow of refrigerant through said system to operate said system in a heating or cooling mode with each of said heat exchangers arranged interchangeably as a condenser or as an evaporator;   a conduit interconnecting said heat exchangers;   means connecting in series said single continuous passageways of each of the circuits in one of said heat exchangers arranged as a condenser to provide refrigerant flow successively through each of said single continuous passageway of each of said circuits between its heat exchanger inlet line and its outlet line when that heat exchanger operates as a condenser; and   means connecting in parallel said single continuous passageway of each of the circuits in said one of said heat exchangers when said one of said heat exchanger is arranged as an evaporator to provide refrigerant flow simultaneously through the continuous passageway of each of said circuits said conduit and said reversing valve when that heat exchanger operates as an evaporator. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 7. The reversible refrigeration system recited in claim 6 wherein:   means, including a pair of one way valves arranged between said heat exchanger outlet lines and said conduit, to allow passage of refrigerant into said conduit from said circuits of the heat exchanger operating as a condenser and for preventing series flow of refrigerant from said conduit through said circuits of the heat exchanger operating as an evaporator. .Iaddend..Iadd. 8. The reversible refrigeration system recited in claim 6 wherein said means for connecting in parallel all of the circuits in the one of the said heat exchangers arranged as an evaporator includes a plurality of distribution means connected at one end to said conduit and at the other end to each of said circuits. .Iaddend..Iadd. 9. The reversible refrigeration system recited in claim 6 wherein:   means, including valves arranged between said circuits and said heat exchanger inlet lines, for permitting parallel refrigerant flow between said conduit and said heat exchanger inlet line through each of said circuits of the heat exchanger operating as an evaporator; and for directing all of said refrigerant flow from said heat exchanger inlet line to said series connected circuits of the heat exchanger operating as a condenser. .Iaddend..Iadd. 10. A reversible refrigeration system adapted for heating and cooling, comprising:   a motor compressor unit;   an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger, each of said heat exchangers including a plurality of circuits, a heat exchanger inlet line and a heat exchanger outlet line;   a valve for reversing the flow of refrigerant through said system to operate said system in a heating or cooling mode with each of said heat exchangers arranged interchangeably as a condenser or as an evaporator;   means connecting in series all of the circuits in the one of said heat exchangers arranged as a condenser to provide refrigerant flow successively through each of said circuits between its heat exchanger inlet line and its outlet line when that heat exchanger operates as a condenser;   a conduit interconnecting said heat exchangers;   means, including a pair of one way valves arranged between said heat exchanger outlet lines and said conduit, to allow passage of refrigerant into said conduit from said circuits of the heat exchanger operating as a condenser and for preventing series flow of refrigerant from said conduit through said circuits of the heat exchanger operating as an evaporator;   a plurality of distribution means connected at one end to said conduit and at the other end to each of said circuits of each of said heat exchangers to arrange said circuits in parallel when that heat exchanger operates as an evaporator;   means, including valves arranged between said circuits and said heat exchanger inlet lines, for permitting parallel refrigerant flow between said conduit and said heat exchanger inlet line through each of said circuits of the heat exchanger operating as an evaporator; and for directing all of said refrigerant flow from said heat exchanger inlet line to said series connected circuits of the heat exchanger operating as a   
     
     
        condenser. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 11.  A reversible refrigeration system adapted for heating and cooling, comprising: a motor compressor unit;   an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger; one of said heat exchangers including a plurality of circuits each circuit defining a single continuous passageway, said heat exchanger having an inlet line and an outlet line connected thereto;   a valve for reversing the flow of refrigerant through said system to operate said system in a heating or cooling mode with each of said heat exchangers arranged interchangeably as a condenser or as an evaporator;   a conduit interconnecting said heat exchangers;   means connecting in series said single continuous passageway of each of said circuits in said one of said heat exchanger to provide refrigerant flow successively through said single continuous passageway of each of said circuits between said inlet line and said outlet line when said one heat exchanger operates as a condenser; and   means connecting in parallel said single continuous passageway of each of said circuits in said one heat exchanger to provide refrigerant flow simultaneously through each single continuous passageway of each of said circuits between said conduit and said reversing valve when said one of said heat exchanger operates as an evaporator. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 12. The reversible refrigeration system recited in claim 11 wherein:   means, including a one way valve arranged between said outlet line of said one heat exchanger, and said conduit to allow passage of refrigerant into said conduit from said circuits when said one heat exchanger is operating as a condenser and for preventing series flow of refrigerant through said circuits from said conduit when said one heat exchanger is operating as an evaporator. .Iaddend..Iadd. 13. The reversible refrigeration system recited in claim 12 wherein means for connecting in parallel all of said circuits in said one heat exchanger includes a plurality of distribution means connected at one end to said conduit and at the other end to each of said circuits to arrange said circuits in parallel when said one heat exchanger operates as an evaporator. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14. The reversible refrigeration system recited in claim 13 wherein:   means, including valves arranged between said circuits and said heat exchanger inlet line, for permitting parallel refrigerant flow through each of said circuits between said conduit and said heat exchanger inlet line when said one heat exchanger is operating as an evaporator; and for directing all of said refrigerant flow from said heat exchanger inlet line to said series connected circuits when said one heat exchanger is operating as a condenser. .Iaddend..Iadd. 15. A reversible refrigeration system adapted for heating and cooling, comprising:   a motor compressor unit;   an indoor heat exchanger and an outdoor heat exchanger; one of said heat exchangers including a plurality of circuits and having an inlet line and an outlet line connected thereto;   a valve for reversing the flow of refrigerant through said system to operate said system in a heating or cooling mode with each of said heat exchangers arranged interchangeably as a condenser or as an evaporator;   means connecting in series all of said circuits in said one heat exchanger between said inlet line and said outlet line when said one heat exchanger operates as a condenser;   a conduit interconnecting said heat exchangers;   means, including a one way valve arranged between said one heat exchanger outlet line and said conduit, to allow passage of refrigerant into said conduit from said circuits when said one heat exchanger operates as a condenser and for preventing series flow of refrigerant through said circuits from said conduit when said one heat exchanger operates as an evaporator;   a plurality of distribution means connected at one end to said conduit and at the other end to each of said circuits to arrange said circuits in parallel when said one heat exchanger operates as an evaporator; and   means, including valves arranged between said circuits and said heat exchanger inlet line, for permitting parallel refrigerant flow through each of said circuits between said conduit and said heat exchanger inlet line when said one heat exchanger operates as an evaporator; and for directing all of said refrigerant flow from said heat exchanger inlet line to said series connected circuits when said one heat exchanger operates as a condenser..Iaddend.