US009267713B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 9,267,713 B2 Zamir (45) Date of Patent: Feb. 23, 2016 (54) TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM USPC ......................................... 62/235.1; 165/48.2 See application file for complete search history. (75) Inventor: Ofri Zamir, Hogla (IL) (73) Assignee: DZSOLAR LTD, Richmond (GB) (56) References Cited (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS patent is extended or adjusted under 35 4.256,475 A 3, 1981 Schafer ........................ 62/235.1 U.S.C. 154(b) by 821 days. 4,285,208 A * 8/1981 Takeshita et al. ............... 62/141 5,177,977 A 1/1993 Larsen (21) Appl. No.: 13/502.923 5,261,251 A * 1 1/1993 Galiyano ..................... 62,176.6 (Continued) (22) PCT Filed: Oct. 20, 2010 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (86). PCT No.: PCT/L2O1O/OOO863 AU 2011 100888 A4 2, 2012 S371 (c)(1), CN 26795.62 Y 2, 2005 (2), (4) Date: Apr. 19, 2012 (Continued) (87) PCT Pub. No.: WO2011/048594 OTHER PUBLICATIONS PCT Pub. Date: Apr. 28, 2011 The International Search Report for International Application No. (65) Prior Publication Data PCT/IL2010/000863, three pages, mailed May 12, 2011. US 2012/0204587 A1 Aug. 16, 2012 O O Primary Examiner — Ljiljana Ciric Related U.S. Application Data Assistant Examiner — Alexis Cox (60) Provisional application No. 61/253,573, filed on Oct. (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm — Vorys, Sater, Seymour & 21, 2009. Pease LLP (51) Int. Cl. F25B 27/00 (2006.01) (57) ABSTRACT F25B I3/00 (2006.01) A temperature control system, including a closed refrigerant (52) U.S. Cl. circuit having an evaporator unit for absorbing heat via the CPC ............... F2s: 13/00 (2013.01); F25B 2 7/005 refrigerant, thereby evaporating it, a compressor unit with a (2013.01); F25B 2 313/008 (2013.01); F2 5B mechanical compressor for increasing the pressure of the 2313/0272 (2013.01); F25B 2 40004 (2013.01); refrigerant and a thermal collector for using an external heat F25B 2600/o? 53 (2013.01); Y02B30/741 source to increase the temperature of refrigerant within the (20 3 .01); Y10T 137/87249 (2013.01) circuit, and a condenser unit for rejecting heat from the refrig (58) Field of Classification Search erant, liquefying it. CPC ...... F25B 27/002; F25B 27/005; F25B 27/00; Y02B10/24: YO2B10/22: YO2B 10/20; Y02B30/18: YO2B 10/70; Y02B40/58 16 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets US 9,267,713 B2 Page 2 (56) References Cited EP 1176 373 A1 1, 2002 EP 1925892 A2 5, 2008 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS JP 54-159454 U. 11, 1979 JP 56-168058 A 12/1981 7,451,611 B2 * 1 1/2008 Muscatell .................... 62/235.1 JP 57-156762 U. 10, 1982 8,613,204 B2 * 12/2013 Farmer ......................... 62/235.1 JP 58-85064. A 5, 1983 2009, OO32760 A1 2/2009 Muscatell JP 58-107478 U. T 1983 2011/0219801 A1* 9, 2011 McKenzie ................... 62/235.1 JP 58-127070 A T 1983 2012/013 1941 A1* 5, 2012 Ackner et al. 62/235.1 JP 10-267416 A 10, 1998 2012fO247134 A1* 10, 2012 Gurin .......... ... 62/129 JP 2003-188320 A T 2003 2012,0312043 A1* 12, 2012 Kim et al. 62/235.1 JP 2007-333.364 A 12/2007 2013/0255.299 A1 * 10, 2013 Hammond ................... 62/235.1 JP 2009-16475 A 1, 2009 JP 2009-109141 A 5, 2009 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS DE 10 2009 004 501 B4 12/2012 * cited by examiner U.S. Patent Feb. 23, 2016 Sheet 1 of 4 US 9,267,713 B2 FIG. 2 U.S. Patent Feb. 23, 2016 Sheet 2 of 4 US 9,267,713 B2 FIG. 3 FIG. 5 U.S. Patent Feb. 23, 2016 Sheet 3 of 4 US 9,267,713 B2 FIG. 4A FIG. 4C U.S. Patent Feb. 23, 2016 Sheet 4 of 4 US 9,267,713 B2 US 9,267,713 B2 1. 2 TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM The controller may be configured to control the operation of the mechanical compressor at least by causing the variable This is a National Phase Application filed under 35 U.S.C. frequency drive to vary the speed of the mechanical compres S371 as a national stage of PCT/IL2010/000863, filed on Oct. SO. 20, 2010, an application claiming the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 5 The temperature control system may further comprise tem S119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/253,573, perature sensors disposed so as to measure the temperature of filed on Oct. 21, 2009, the content of each of which is hereby the refrigerant upon entering and exiting the thermal collec incorporated by reference in their entirety. tor, the controller being configured to determine the expected temperature increase based on the temperature measured by FIELD OF THE INVENTION 10 the temperature sensors. The temperature control system may further comprise one This invention relates to air-conditioning systems, and in or more Solar-sensitive modules configured to measure the particular to those which provide cooling and/or heating by degree of solar radiation available to the solar collector, the compressing a working fluid Such as a refrigerant. controller being configured to determine the expected tem 15 perature increase based on the degree of solar radiation mea BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION sured by the solar-sensitive modules. The Solar collector may comprise a refrigerant-carrying Air-conditioning systems are commonly provided to pro conduit within an enclosure, which may be evacuated, a vide heating and cooling to a space. A compressor unit is radiation-facing side of the enclosure comprising a transpar provided to compress and thereby heat refrigerant which is ent material. provided thereto in a gaseous state. The compressed a heated The refrigerant-carrying conduit may constitute a portion refrigerant is passed through condenser coils, where air is of a fin-tube arrangement. forced over them to release heat into the atmosphere, thereby The Solar collector may further comprise a heat-sink asso condensing the refrigerant to liquid form. The liquid refrig ciated with the refrigerant-carrying conduit, the heat-sink erant may pass through a metering device, which regulates the 25 being configured to absorb solar energy and transfer it to the flow of refrigerant while lowering its pressure, then entering refrigerant-carrying conduit. The heat-sink may be formed an evaporator, which is located in or near a space to be cooled. with at least a portion of the refrigerant-carrying conduit, Air from the space is forced over evaporator coils, which and/or it may be formed so as to receive at least a portion of causes heat from the space to be absorbed by the refrigerant, the refrigerant-carrying conduit therewithin. which becomes a gas. The gaseous refrigerant is then carried 30 The heat-sink may be formed with projections extending to the compressor unit, where the cycle starts again. radially from the refrigerant-carrying conduit. The projec To provide heating, the direction of flow is reversed. A tions may extend along a portion of the refrigerant-carrying reversing valve is provided in order to ensure that the direc conduit. tion of flow through the compressor unit remains the same as The heat-sink may be made of an extruded material. when cooling. 35 The heat-sink may be made of a metal. At least radiation-facing Surfaces of the heat-sink may be SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION designed to lower reflectivity thereof. The temperature control system may be configured to oper According to one aspect of the present invention, there is ate a vapor-configuration refrigeration cycle. provided a temperature control system comprising a closed 40 The temperature control system may further comprise a refrigerant circuit having: metering device. Such as a thermostatic expansion valve, an evaporator unit configured for absorbing heat via the downstream of the condenser unit configured for regulating refrigerant, thereby evaporating it; the flow of liquid refrigerant. a compressor unit configured for increasing the pressure The temperature control system may be a split-system air and temperature of refrigerant within the circuit; and 45 conditioning system. a condenser unit configured for rejecting heat from the The temperature control system may further comprise a refrigerant, thereby liquefying it; reversing valve configured to cause the refrigerant to flow in the compressor unit comprising a mechanical compressor a reverse direction, thereby enabling the evaporator unit to configured for increasing the pressure of the refrigerant and a reject heat from the refrigerant, and the condenser unit to thermal collector configured for utilizing an external heat 50 absorb heat to the refrigerant, i.e., to cause heat to be absorbed Source to increase the temperature of the refrigerant. thereby. The thermal collector may comprise a solar collector con The condenser unit may constitute a portion of a water figured for capturing heat from incident Solar radiation. heating system, the water heater being configured to utilize The Solar-sensitive modules may comprise a photovoltaic the heat rejected from the refrigerant to heat water. At least a cell. 55 portion of the condenser my constitute part of a heat The thermal collector may be arranged downstream of the exchanger in order to enable the heating of the water. mechanical compressor. According to another aspect of the present invention, there A second thermal collector may be provided, arranged is provided a reversing valve comprising first and second upstream of the mechanical compressor. Supply connections, and inlet, an outlet, and first and second Each of the thermal collectors may be provided with a 60 valves; the reversing valve being arranged such that the first bypass configured to allow the refrigerant to bypass it.