A method of designing an optimized heating and cooling system includes: (1) automatically importing data from an energy model into an optimization model; (2) simulating energy use of a virtual heating and cooling system operating a thermal source or sink with the optimization model based upon the data from the energy model to obtain an optimized system design; (3) developing controls for an actual heating and cooling system based upon the optimized system design; and (4) automatically exporting the controls directly to a controller for the actual heating and cooling system.

Heat pump system (100) comprising at least one heat medium circuit (210,220,230,240,250,310,320,410,420,430,440,450,460) in turn comprising a compressor (211), an expansion valve (232,242), at least two different primary heat sources or sinks selected from outdoor air, a water body, the ground or exhaust air, at least one of two different secondary heat sources or sinks selected from indoors air, pool water and tap water, a respective temperature sensor (412,432) at each of said primary heat sources or sinks, a valve means (421,431,451) for selectively directing the primary-side heat medium to at least one of said primary heat exchanging means, and a control means (500). The invention is characterised in that, in a secondary-side heating operating mode, the temperature of said primary heat sources or sinks is measured, and in that the primary-side heat medium is directed only to available primary heat exchanging means associated with the heat sources or sinks with the highest temperature. The invention also relates to a method.

A flow control valve has a body defining a cavity therein, a first and second outlets, a first and second inlets, and a modulating body disposed at least in part in the cavity. The modulating body is pivotable in: a) a first range of angular positions, in which the modulating body fluidly connects the first outlet to the first inlet and blocks the second opening and the fourth opening; b) a second range of angular positions, in which the modulating body fluidly connects the second outlet to the second inlet and blocks the first and the third opening; c) a third range of angular positions, in which modulating body fluidly connects the first outlet and the second outlet to the second inlet and blocks the third opening; and d) a fourth position, in which the modulating body blocks the third opening and the fourth opening.

Through a power cable from a power collection box, a power conversion device receives DC power. The power conversion device converts the received DC power into AC power and transmits it to a power system. A plurality of air lead-in tubes are laid in parallel. Each of the air lead-in tubes includes a heat exchange part, an opening part, and a lead-in part. The heat exchange part is buried in a ground at a ground surface on a back surface of a solar cell panel. The opening part is exposed to the ground surface. The lead-in part is an opening that communicates with an interior of a building in which the power conversion device is installed. The air lead-in tubes are constructed to draw air in the heat exchange part from the lead-in part by using a sucking mechanism.

A refrigerating structure may include an air inlet mechanism, a water tank, and an air outlet mechanism. The air inlet mechanism introduces hot air from a room into the water tank, and comprises a first fan, an air inlet channel, an air inlet pipe and an air pump. The first fan is arranged in the air inlet channel. The air inlet pipe is extended into a bottom of the water tank, and the air pump is arranged at one end of the air inlet pipe extended into the water tank. The water tank is provided with a water inlet pipe and a water discharge pipe communicated with seawater or underground water. The water inlet pipe is arranged at an upper part of the water tank, the upper part of the water tank is open. The air outlet mechanism discharges cold air in the water tank into the room.

An intelligent heat pump system having a dual heat exchanger structure includes a heat source side heat exchange member, a heat pump, an external expansion valve, a refrigerant-water heat exchanger, a heat storage tank, and a target side end unit. A refrigerant flows through the heat pump, the refrigerant-water heat exchanger, and the target side end unit, and in a non-air-conditioning state for the target site, circulates between the heat pump and the refrigerant-water heat exchanger, so that cooled or heated water is stored in the heat storage tank. In an air-conditioning state for the target site, the heat pump and the heat storage tank supply cooling and heating to the target site, so that the power consumption for normal operation is reduced in order to improve the operation efficiency of the intelligent heat pump system.

A method and arrangement for conditioning a building space of a building includes extracting heat energy from the building space to heat pump working fluid with a primary heat exchange connection of a heat pump and releasing heat energy from the heat pump working fluid with a secondary heat exchange connection of the heat pump to geothermal working fluid of a geothermal heat exchanger. The method further includes releasing heat energy from the geothermal working fluid to ground at lower part of the ground hole having depth at least 300 meters, producing solar energy with a solar energy apparatus provided to the building, and supplying the solar energy to the heat pump or to the geothermal heat exchanger.

A method of processing electrical data and signals which comprises locating a site with a geothermal hot water resource which feeds hot water to an on-site heat engine that drives an on-site electricity generator which provides electrical power to an array of microprocessors, located in an enclosure structure, that processes data transmitted from a remote location at high speeds. The processed data is transmitted back to the remote locations at high speeds.

A refrigeration and/or heat transfer device includes a heating section and cooling section, a release member, and a one-way check valve affixed together in a continuous loop so working fluid may flow in one direction therein. The heating section absorbs heat and transfers such heat to the working fluid, thereby heating, expanding and increasing pressure upon the working fluid therein. The pressurized working fluid is released in a regulated manner from the heating section to the cooling section, thereby carrying the heat away. The released working fluid cools and transfers its heat to the surroundings within the cooling section. As released working fluid enters the cooling section, such fluid displaces already cooled working fluid, pushing such fluid through the one-way check valve back into the heating section to absorb heat. The working fluid may undergo a phase change or remain in a single phase throughout to enhance heat transfer.

A simple, cost effective system and method for flexibly managing heat pump source fluid is disclosed. The source fluid flow-manager significantly enhances heat pump efficiency by selectively coupling it to renewable energy resources via geothermal, solar, and ambient air thermal exchanges. The sophisticated interconnection of these thermal exchanges also reduces installation costs. A preferred embodiment of the source fluid flow-manager consists of three T-port valves, two pumps and a plurality of connection points, and operates in at least twelve modes. These modes selectively interconnect source fluid flow between fluid utilizing units, such as heat pumps, and a variety of thermal exchange and/or storage units, such as hot or cold underground thermal storage-and-exchange regions, dry coolers and solar thermal collectors. The valves and pumps are controlled by a programmed controller, guided by input from flow meters and thermometers. Operational modes are matched to thermal need, and to system and environmental status.