GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP SYSTEM AND CONTROL METHOD FOR GEOTHERMAL HEAT PUMP SYSTEM

• Main Author: AOYAGI, Yoshiro
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 18.09.2019
• Subjects: BLASTING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATINGSYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; RANGES; REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; VENTILATING; WEAPONS

A geothermal heat pump system includes a heat pump apparatus, a hot-water heating apparatus, and a controller. The heat pump apparatus includes a compressor, a first heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between water supplied to a load side and refrigerant, an expansion valve, a second heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and a heat medium, a heat collection pump and a third heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the heat medium and geothermal heat. The heat collection pump, the second heat exchanger, and the third heat exchanger are connected in sequence by pipes, forming a heat collection circuit through which the heat medium circulates. The hot-water heating apparatus supplies hot water to a load side. The heat collection circuit includes a bypass mechanism allowing the heat medium to bypass the third heat exchanger when the heat medium circulates. The controller drives the bypass mechanism at the start of operation of the geothermal heat pump system. In this state, the controller estimates concentration of brine in the heat medium circulating through the heat collection circuit, determines whether the concentration of the brine falls outside an appropriate range, and stops operation when the concentration of the brine falls outside the appropriate range.