Water and heat hub micro-system and method
| DWPI Title: Water and heat hub micro-system for managing water and heat in water utilized by e.g. water source heat pump for air-conditioning, has controller for operating mixing valve, isolation valve and pump in response to signals corresponding to water quality measurements |
| Abstract: A water and heat hub micro-system and method that provides heat exchange, water consumption, and micro-water-network capabilities, for example, to a single building system or a connected community system for heat and water management. The micro-system is capable of operating independently or may be aggregated with other water and heat hub micro-systems installed to a common network water interface and connected community system. |
| Use: Water and heat hub micro-system for managing water and heat in water utilized by household water appliances. Uses include but are not limited to a water source heat pump for air-conditioning, a heat pump water heater, a local water storage tank, a reverse osmosis system, direct lines to end uses, water source heat pump refrigerators and freezers, a line with return to a ground heat exchanger or other appliance interacting with water through heat exchange or water consumption. |
| Advantage: The micro-system provides heat exchange, water consumption, and micro-water-network capabilities to a single building system or a connected community system, and is capable of operating independently or can be aggregated with other water and heat hub micro-systems installed to a common network water interface and connected community systems. The system allows the water to be transacted in ways similar to electric micro-grids, thus achieving water resilience. |
| Novelty: The micro-system (100) has a thermal bridge (101) arranged and placed to selectively combine water from a fresh water source, a network water interface (103) and a local water source i.e. water storage device, to output product water to household water appliances (109), where the water appliances and the thermal bridge are in fluid communication by component supply lines (217). A controller (201) operates a mixing valve (205), an isolation valve (207) and a pump (209) in response to signals corresponding to temperature, pressure and water quality measurements received from the appliance. The signals are obtained from a sensor (215). The sensor is selected from a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor and a water quality sensor (216). |
| Filed: 10/3/2022 |
| Application Number: US17958848A |
| Tech ID: SD 15928.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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