Scheme of the universal heat pump system powered by thermal, solar and wind energy

Heat engine for extraction of useful energy from ground, water, wind and sunlight are providing family house with heat and cold and electricity.
House energy system:
Geothermal and water heating
Solar heating
Wind heating
Electrical power generation.

Principles of universal heat pump

This universal heat pump* extracts heat energy from outdoor sources, such as ground and water, air; hot gases from stovepipes and other low temperature energy sources; from sunlight and wind. Energy for compressor or heater of heat machine with ammonia cycle is gathering from wind energy. Universal heat pump system "sucks out" accessible, to the moment, energy from the environment, stores it for further "working up", and accumulates the energy by the form of heat energy, as energy of "cold" and energy of "warmth". In this way, the universal heat pump system is an autonomous and year-round supplier of sustainable power for family autonomous house.

* - A heat pump is a machine or device that moves heat from one location to another via work. Most often heat pump technology is applied for moving heat from a low temperature heat source to a higher temperature heat sink.
Common examples are:
Food refrigerators and freezers
Air conditioners and reversible-cycle heat pumps for providing thermal comfort
Water chillers
Wikipedia, article Heat pump. (11 Sept 2007)

Scheme of the universal heat pump with heat storage

Where are:
1 - compressor, powered by wind energy or accumulated energy;
2 - wind engine - wind turbine or other device, that transforms kinetic wind power to mechanical power;
3 - high temperature heat accumulator as a main condenser (cooler) of the heat pump
4 - low temperature heat accumulator as a second-step condenser of the heat pump
5 - ground (or water) heat exchanger as a third-step condenser of the heat pump
6 - air radiator as a fourth-step condenser of the heat pump
7 - expansion valve or electric generator (turbine or plunger type) as a work-extracting device
8 - heat accumulator of "cold" as a main evaporator (heater) of the heat pump
9 - air radiator as a second-step evaporator (heater)
10 - ground (or water) heat exchanger as a third-step evaporator (heater)
11 - solar collector as a fourth-step evaporator (heater)

How the universal heat pump works

There are two types of universal heat pump: with working fluid or with working gas. But the principles of the work are almost the same, either for the fluid-type, or for the gaseous-type heat pump.

How fluid-type heat pump works

The compressor make some pressure in a pipe, as a result the working fluid transforms from gaseous state into liquid state. Latent heat of evaporation is transforming to heat energy of the working liquid. Temperature of the fluid raises.

Working fluid via heat exchanger warms water in high and low temperature heat energy accumulators. Remained heat is releasing into ground or water via heat exchanger. If the temperature of the working fluid is higher than the outdoor temperature, then remained heat energy is releasing into the air via radiator.

After the expansion valve or the heat engine (turbine or plunger type) pressure of the working fluid lowers and working fluid transforms into gaseous state, temperature of the working fluid lowers. Heat energy transforms into latent heat of evaporation and mechanical energy of gas movement, mechanical energy of turbine engine or plunger engine.

Further the working fluid is warming inside the heat energy accumulator of "cold" (in that way "cold" becomes useful at house keep). And the working fluid is warming in the air radiator - if there are some hot stove gases or if the temperature of working fluid is lower, than temperature outdoors.

If the temperature of working fluid is lower, than the temperature of the ground, then the warming is processed from the ground or water. If there is sunlight, that is intensive enough, then the working fluid gathers energy also from the solar collector.

Conditions for the normal functioning of the fluid-type heat pump are: presence of working fluid in gaseous state before the compressor and presence of working fluid in liquid state before the expansion valve or the heat engine.

How gaseous-type heat pump works

The compressor creates pressure in the pipe, as a result the temperature of working gas increases. Working gas via heat exchanger warms the water in the high and the low temperature heat energy accumulators. Remaining heat is releasing into the ground or water via heat exchanger. If the temperature of working gas is higher, than the outdoor temperature, then remaining heat energy is releasing into the air via radiator.

After the expansion valve or the heat engine (turbine or plunger) pressure lowers, temperature of the working gas lowers. Energy of pressure and heat energy transform into mechanical energy of gas movement, mechanical energy of turbine engine or plunger engine.

Further the working gas is warming inside the heat energy accumulator of "cold" (in that way "cold" becomes useful at house keep). And the working gas is warming inside the air radiator - if there are some hot stove gases or temperature of working gas is lower, than the temperature outdoors.

If the temperature of the working gas is lower, than the temperature of the ground, than the warming is processed from the ground or water. If there is intensive enough sunlight, than the working gas gathers energy also from the solar collector.

How to use the results of work of the universal heat pump system for the autonomous house

Generated energy is storing in the heat energy accumulators (high and low temperature, "cold"). Besides, electricity can be produced by a generator, connected to the heat engine.

Electricity produced by the generator is unstable. The easiest way to use this electricity is like a "car scheme": 12-volts generator plus electric lead-acid battery. In the house and the green-house 12-volts electricity is simple to use for artificial lighting (by LEDs and halogen bulbs), pumps and coolers.

Thermal energy from the low temperature heat accumulator is using for "prewarming" of cold water and fresh air, that is coming into the house, night heating of the green-house etc.

Energy from the high temperature heat accumulator is using for house heating; as energy source for boiler, for green-house heating etc.

Thermal energy from accumulator of "cold" is using for the refrigerator, for house air cooling and drying.

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