APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HYBRID WATER HEATING AND AIR COOLING AND CONTROL THEREOF

摘要

A system for conditioning air circulated from an interior of a building includes a refrigerant path, an air-cooled condenser in the refrigerant path, a water-cooled condenser in the refrigerant path that transfers heat from refrigerant in the refrigerant path to the building water, an evaporator in the refrigerant path, and a control system. The control system moves the system between operation of the air-cooled condenser and the water-cooled condenser based upon predetermined system conditions.

主权项

1. A system for conditioning air and for heating water, comprising:
a first refrigerant path; a second refrigerant path that is independent of the first refrigerant path; a first condenser in the first refrigerant path and the second refrigerant path and disposed in an air flow so that the first condenser transfers heat to air in the air flow path from refrigerant in the first refrigerant path that moves through the first condenser and transfers heat to the air from refrigerant in the second refrigerant path that moves through the first condenser; a second condenser in the first refrigerant path and that defines a water flow path so that the second condenser transfers heat to water in the water flow path from the refrigerant in the first refrigerant path that moves through the second condenser; and a control system in operative communication with the first refrigerant path and configured to direct the refrigerant in the first refrigerant path, in a first state of the first refrigerant path, to the first condenser and not to the second condenser and, in a second state of the first refrigerant path, to the second condenser, wherein the control system is configured to determine a condition under which the system activates the first refrigerant path and deactivates the second refrigerant path and to move the first refrigerant path from the second state to the first state responsively to the condition.