US 12,169,085 B2
Air conditioning system with capacity control and controlled hot water generation
David J. Lingrey, Yukon, OK (US); Michael S. Privett, Tuttle, OK (US); Reem S. Merchant, Oklahoma City, OK (US); and Michael F. Taras, Oklahoma City, OK (US)
Assigned to Climate Master, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK (US)
Filed by Climate Master, Inc., Oklahoma City, OK (US)
Filed on Feb. 3, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/164,178.
Application 18/057,076 is a division of application No. 16/897,252, filed on Jun. 9, 2020, granted, now 11,506,430, issued on Nov. 22, 2022.
Application 18/164,178 is a continuation of application No. 18/057,076, filed on Nov. 18, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/874,310, filed on Jul. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0184471 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. F25B 41/26 (2021.01); F25B 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC F25B 41/26 (2021.01) [F25B 13/00 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An HVAC system for conditioning air in a space, comprising:
a compressor to circulate a refrigerant through a refrigerant circuit;
a source heat exchanger operable as a condenser for exchanging heat with a source fluid;
a first source heat exchanger bypass circuit comprising a first bi-directional valve;
a second source heat exchanger bypass circuit comprising a second bi-directional valve positioned downstream of the compressor;
a load heat exchanger operable as an evaporator for cooling the air in the space;
a desuperheater heat exchanger operable as a condenser for heating water, wherein the desuperheater heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the compressor;
a desuperheater bypass circuit comprising a third bi-directional valve positioned downstream of the compressor;
a 3-way valve disposed along the refrigerant circuit and positioned downstream of the third bi-directional valve and between the desuperheater heat exchanger and the source heat exchanger, the 3-way valve including a first port configured to receive the refrigerant from the desuperheater heat exchanger, a second port configured to receive the refrigerant from the third bi-directional valve or to direct the refrigerant to the first bi-directional valve, and a third port configured to direct the refrigerant to the source heat exchanger, wherein the 3-way valve is configured to selectively receive the refrigerant from either the desuperheater heat exchanger or from the third bi-directional valve and to selectively direct the refrigerant to either the source heat exchanger or to the first bi-directional valve;
an expansion valve positioned between the source heat exchanger and the load heat exchanger;
wherein the first bi-directional valve is configured to direct the refrigerant from the 3-way valve to the expansion valve to bypass the source heat exchanger;
wherein the second bi-directional valve modulates exchange of heat in the load heat exchanger and controls flashing of the refrigerant entering the source heat exchanger; and
a controller comprising a processor and memory on which one or more software programs are stored, the controller configured to control operation of the compressor, the 3-way valve, the first, second, and third bi-directional valves, the expansion valve, a first variable speed pump for circulating the water through the desuperheater heat exchanger, and a second variable speed pump for circulating the source fluid through the source heat exchanger.