Systems and Methods for Positioning a Compressor on a Storage Tank of a Water Heater

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/726,914, filed Dec. 2, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for positioning a compressor on a storage tank of a water heating system to decrease an overall system length and reduce the noise emanating from the compressor.

BACKGROUND

Refrigerant circuits are used in many applications including heat pump water heating systems. A refrigerant circuit typically includes a plurality of components, including a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion device, a condenser, one or more fans, a reversing valve, and/or the like.

Constant efforts are being made to reduce the size of heat pump water heating systems. Further, it is known that one or more refrigerant circuit components (e.g., the compressor) generate noise during operation, which may cause inconvenience to users. In addition to reducing the system size, efforts are being made to reduce the noise emanating from one or more components of the refrigerant circuit systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings. The use of the same reference numerals may indicate similar or identical items. Various embodiments may utilize elements and/or components other than those illustrated in the drawings, and some elements and/or components may not be present in various embodiments. Elements and/or components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Throughout this disclosure, depending on the context, singular and plural terminology may be used interchangeably.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary heat pump water heating system and a first exemplary arrangement of a compressor and a storage tank of the water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 depicts a second exemplary arrangement of a compressor and a storage tank of a water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 depicts a third exemplary arrangement of a compressor and a storage tank of a water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts a fourth exemplary arrangement of two compressors and a storage tank of a water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 depicts a fifth exemplary arrangement of a compressor and a storage tank of a water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 depicts a sixth exemplary arrangement of a compressor and a storage tank of a water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 depicts a flow diagram of an exemplary method to position a compressor on a storage tank of a water heating system in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure is directed towards a heat pump fluid heating system (or a heat pump water heating system) including a plurality of components/units including, but not limited to, a heat pump assembly, a storage tank, a housing, one or more temperature and/or fluid flowrate sensors, and/or the like. The storage tank may receive a supply of cold water from a utility water source and store the received water. The heat pump assembly may be a refrigerant circuit system, such as a vapor compression cycle system, which may be configured to heat the water stored in the storage tank. One or more components of the heat pump assembly may be positioned on the storage tank, to reduce an overall length/height of the heat pump water heating system (“system”) and/or to reduce the noise generated by the system component(s), as described later in the description below.

In certain embodiments, the heat pump assembly may include a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger. The second heat exchanger (which may be a condenser) may output a high-pressure refrigerant in a liquid state. The heat pump assembly may further include one or more expansion devices (e.g., an expansion valve or a capillary) that may receive the refrigerant from the second heat exchanger. Hereinafter, in the present disclosure, the expansion device is referred to as expansion valve; however, such terminology should not be construed as limiting. The expansion valve may reduce the pressure and temperature of the received refrigerant and output a low-pressure, low-temperature mixed phase refrigerant. The first heat exchanger may receive the refrigerant from the expansion valve and may output the refrigerant in a vapor state. In some aspects, the first heat exchanger may be an evaporator. In some aspects, the evaporator may include a fan or may be disposed in proximity to a fan that may draw heat from ambient environment/air and may blow air across the first heat exchanger, thereby heating and vaporizing the refrigerant. The heat pump assembly may further include a compressor that may receive the refrigerant from the first heat exchanger and output the refrigerant in high pressure, high temperature vapor state. The second heat exchanger may receive the refrigerant from the compressor, thus completing the vapor compression cycle.

As will be appreciated, the heat pump assembly may additionally include a reversing valve, which may reverse the flow of refrigerant described above based on a mode of operation of the heat pump assembly. For the sake of simplicity, a single flow direction of the refrigerant is described above.

In some aspects, the housing may enclose one or more system components. For example, the storage tank and one or more heat pump assembly components may be disposed in a housing interior portion, and thus enclosed by the housing. In accordance with the present disclosure, the compressor of the heat pump assembly is positioned on the storage tank to reduce an overall length/height of the water heating system (“system length/height”). It may be appreciated that in a conventional heat pump water heating system, the heat pump assembly is disposed over or above the housing that encloses the storage tank, which makes the water heating system long in length/height. Further, in many conventional heat pump water heating systems, an insulating layer may additionally be present between the housing and the heat pump assembly, which may further increase the system length/height. To reduce the system length/height (and hence to make the water heating system more compact and easy to transport, install, etc.), in the present disclosure, the disclosed water heating system has the compressor attached directly to or sunk (e.g., at least partially disposed) into the storage tank (and hence disposed in the housing), which facilitates in reducing the overall system length/height. Furthermore, in the disclosed water heating system, the evaporator is aligned horizontally parallel to ground (as opposed to vertically, as arranged in a conventional water heating system), thereby facilitating in further reducing the system length/height.

In addition, it is known that the compressor generates noise during operation. By positioning the compressor on or into the storage tank, the noise emanating from the compressor is prevented from escaping to the ambient environment. In this case, the storage tank walls, the mass of water stored in the storage tank and/or the insulation structure/layer present in the housing absorb the noise generated by the compressor, and hence prevent the noise from escaping to the ambient environment. In this manner, the arrangement of the compressor relative to the storage tank, as disclosed in the present disclosure, facilitates decreasing the system length/height as well as reducing the noise emission from the compressor.

In one exemplary embodiment, a tank top wall of the storage tank may include a cavity or a cut-out, and the compressor may be at least partially “sunk-into” or pushed/inserted/disposed into the cavity. In a second exemplary embodiment, the tank top wall may include a concave-shaped curved structure/surface, which may be curved towards a tank bottom portion or towards the ground. In this case, the compressor may be attached to or sunk-into the concave-shaped curved structure. In some aspects, the compressor may be disposed in a horizontal alignment parallel to the ground and the evaporator, when the compressor is attached or sunk-into the concave-shaped curved structure. In a third exemplary embodiment, a tank sidewall of the storage tank may include a pocket/socket/cavity or a cut-out, and the compressor may be attached to or pushed/inserted into the pocket. In a fourth exemplary embodiment, the tank top wall may not include any cavity or the concave-shaped curved structure. In this case, the compressor may be directly attached to the tank top wall via one or more fasteners (e.g., screws, nuts, etc.) or by welding.

In some aspects, when the compressor is sunk-into the cavity, pocket or the concave-shaped curved structure included in the storage tank as described above, a thermally conductive layer may be disposed between the compressor and the storage tank. The thermally conductive layer enables the heat generated by the compressor during its operation to be transferred to the storage tank, thereby facilitating in heating the water stored in the storage tank. This heating of the water by the heat generated by the compressor is in addition to the heat that the second heat exchanger/condenser transfers to the water during the operation of the heat pump assembly/system. Therefore, the heat generated by the compressor “augments” the heat transferred to the water by the condenser, thereby facilitating in quickly heating the water by using less energy (and hence facilitating in enhancing the system efficiency).

In further aspects, when the compressor is attached to or sunk-into the tank top wall, a shield may be disposed on top of a compressor top wall, which may shield/protect the compressor from condensates that may fall on the compressor from the horizontally-aligned evaporator (which is disposed over or above the compressor in the water heating system disclosed in the present disclosure). The shield may further protect the compressor from dust, debris, etc. that may fall onto the compressor (e.g., via the air ducts/outlets that may be present on a housing top wall and/or housing sidewalls).

The present disclosure describes a heat pump fluid heating system in which the compressor is positioned on or into the storage tank. By positioning the compressor in this arrangement, the overall system length/height may be decreased. Further, the noise generated by the compressor during operation may be prevented from escaping to the ambient environment by positioning the compressor on or into the storage tank. Furthermore, the heat that the compressor generates during its operation may be used to heat the water stored in the storage tank, thereby enhancing the system efficiency. In addition, the evaporator of the heat pump fluid heating system is horizontally aligned parallel to the ground, which further facilitates in reducing the overall system length/height.

Although certain examples of the disclosed technology are explained in detail herein, it is to be understood that other examples, embodiments, and implementations of the disclosed technology are contemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the disclosed technology is limited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement of components expressly set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed technology can be implemented in a variety of examples and can be practiced or carried out in various ways. In particular, the presently disclosed subject matter is described in the context of being a system and method for heating water with a heat pump/refrigerant circuit. The present disclosure, however, is not so limited, and can be applicable in other contexts. Furthermore, the present disclosure can include other fluid heating systems configured to heat a fluid other than water such as process fluid heaters used in industrial applications. Such implementations and applications are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, when the present disclosure is described in the context of being a system and method for heating water with a heat pump/refrigerant circuit, it will be understood that other implementations can take the place of those referred to.

Although the term “water” is used throughout this specification, it is to be understood that other fluids may take the place of the term “water” as used herein. Therefore, although described as a system and method to heat water, it is to be understood that the systems and methods described herein can apply to fluids other than water. Further, it is also to be understood that the term “water” can replace the term “fluid” as used herein unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary heat pump fluid or water heating system 100 (or system 100) and a first exemplary arrangement of a compressor and a storage tank of the system 100 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. The system 100 may include a plurality of components including, but not limited to, a housing 102, a storage tank 104, a heat pump assembly 106, and/or the like. The system 100 may include a plurality of additional components that are not shown in FIG. 1 for the sake of conciseness and simplicity. Examples of such additional components include, but are not limited to, one or more temperature sensors (that may detect temperature of water stored in the storage tank), one or more flowrate sensors (that may detect the flow of water into and/or from the storage tank), an inlet port (through which the storage tank receives a supply of cold water from a utility water source), an outlet port (through which the system outputs hot water), a mixing valve (that mixes hot and cold water to output water at a desired water temperature), a controller (that controls the operation of one or more system components), and/or the like.

The housing 102 may house/enclose one or more system components. For example, the housing 102 may enclose the storage tank 104. Stated another way, the storage tank 104 may be disposed in a housing interior portion. Further, the housing 102 may enclose one or more heat pump assembly components, as described later below. A size of the housing 102 may be based on the size of the storage tank 104 and/or the heat pump assembly components disposed in the housing interior portion, and/or the system requirements.

The storage tank 104 may store fluid/water to be heated. The heat pump assembly 106 may heat the water stored in the storage tank 104. The storage tank 104 may be of any size, shape (e.g., cylindrical, cuboidal, etc.) or configuration based on the water heating system application. For example, the storage tank 104 may be sized for common residential use or for commercial or industrial use that may require greater amounts of heated water. Furthermore, the storage tank 104 may be made of any suitable material for storing and heating water, including copper, carbon steel, stainless steel, ceramics, polymers, composites, or any other suitable material. The storage tank 104 may also be treated or lined with a coating to prevent corrosion and leakage. A suitable treating or coating will be capable of withstanding the temperature and pressure of the system 100 and may include, as non-limiting examples, glass enameling, galvanizing, thermosetting resin-bonded lining materials, thermoplastic coating materials, cement coating, or any other suitable treating or coating for the application.

The heat pump assembly 106 may be or form a vapor compression cycle system. In some aspects, the heat pump assembly 106 may include a first heat exchanger 108, a compressor 110, a second heat exchanger 112 and an expansion device 114 (hereinafter referred to as expansion valve 114) connected in series by refrigerant tubing 116 through which, during heat pump operation, a refrigerant may flow in the indicated clockwise direction. Specifically, the refrigerant may sequentially flow from an outlet of the compressor 110, through the second heat exchanger 112, through the expansion valve 114, through the first heat exchanger 108, and back to an inlet of the compressor 110.

In some aspects, the heat pump assembly 106 may additionally include a reversing valve (not shown) through which the flow of refrigerant shown in FIG. 1 and described above may be reversed. Depending on the mode of operation in which the heat pump assembly 106 may be operating, the flow of refrigerant may be reversed. Consequently, the flow of refrigerant depicted in FIG. 1 should not be construed as limiting.

The refrigerant may be selected from a variety of materials. The refrigerant may be any material capable of supplying favorable thermodynamic properties to a heating system. The refrigerant, for example, may be selected based on a desired boiling point, a high heat of vaporization, a moderate liquid density, a high critical temperature, and/or other aspects. Accordingly, the refrigerant may be any chlorofluorocarbon, chlorofluoroolefin, hydrochlorofluorocarbon, hydrochlorofluoroolefin, hydrofluorocarbon, hydrofluoroolefin, hydrochlorocarbon, hydrochloroolefin, hydrocarbon, hydroolefin, perfluorocarbon, perfluoroolefin, perchlorocarbon, perchloroolefin, halon, or haloalkane. In some aspects, the refrigerant may be any refrigerant designated as such by, and compliant with, the standards, rules, and regulations set forth by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) (e.g., ASHRAE Standard 34-2019). For example, the refrigerant may be R-410A or R-134a. In some embodiments, the refrigerant may be or may include a hydrofluoroolefin, such as HFO-1234yf or blends thereof, including R-454B.

In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the first heat exchanger 108 may be an evaporator (having evaporator coils, not shown) and the second heat exchanger 112 may be a condenser (including condenser coils 204 shown in FIG. 2). Hereinafter, the first heat exchanger 108 is referred to as evaporator 108, and the second heat exchanger 112 is referred to as condenser 112. The first and second heat exchangers 108, 112 may be reversed based on the mode of operation of the heat pump assembly 106.

The compressor 110 may output the refrigerant in vapor state towards the condenser 112, via the refrigerant tubing 116. The refrigerant output from the compressor 110 may be at high temperature and high pressure state. The condenser 112 may receive the refrigerant from the compressor 110 via the refrigerant tubing 116 and may convert the refrigerant into liquid state. In some aspects, the heat dissipated by the condenser 112 while changing the refrigerant phase from vapor to liquid may be used to heat the water stored in the storage tank 104 (e.g., via the condenser coils 204 that may be wrapped around the exterior surface of the storage tank 104, as depicted in FIGS. 2-6).

The condenser 112 may output the refrigerant in liquid state towards the expansion valve 114, via the refrigerant tubing 116. The refrigerant output from the condenser 112 may be at high pressure and medium-to-high temperature state. The expansion valve 114 may receive the refrigerant from the condenser 112 and may output the refrigerant in low pressure, low temperature state towards the evaporator 108 via the refrigerant tubing 116. The refrigerant output from the expansion valve 114 may be in a mixture of liquid and vapor states.

The evaporator 108 may receive the refrigerant from the expansion valve 114 and may convert the refrigerant into low pressure, vapor state refrigerant. The evaporator 108 may include or be disposed in proximity to a fan 118 (that may be part of the heat pump assembly 106) that may draw air from ambient environment and blow it towards the evaporator 108. The evaporator 108 may draw heat/warmth from the air that the evaporator 108 receives from the fan 118 and may transfer the warmth towards the refrigerant received from the expansion valve 114, thereby vaporizing the refrigerant. The evaporator 108 may output the refrigerant in vapor state towards the compressor 110 via the refrigerant tubing 116. The compressor 110 may receive the refrigerant from the evaporator 108 and may “compress” the refrigerant to output the refrigerant in high pressure, high temperature state, as described above. In some aspects, the compressor 110 may be a pump that provides additional pressure to the refrigerant to enable the refrigerant to flow through the defined path, as indicated in FIG. 1. In this manner, the refrigerant flows in the heat pump assembly 106, facilitating heating of the water stored in the storage tank 104 through the condenser 112 (or the condenser coils 204).

The compressor 110 may be of any type. For example, the compressor 110 may be a positive displacement compressor, a reciprocating compressor, a rotary screw compressor, a rotary vane compressor, a rolling piston compressor, a scroll compressor, a diaphragm compressor, a dynamic compressor, an axial compressor, or any other form of compressor that can be integrated into the heat pump assembly 106 for the particular application. The example compressors described here may be controlled by an inverter or may operate at a fixed speed.

It may be appreciated that in a conventional water heating system, the heat pump assembly is disposed over or above the housing (that houses the storage tank), thereby resulting in a water heating system that has a longer/taller overall length/height. Further, in many conventional water heating systems, an insulating structure or layer is present between the heat pump assembly and the housing top wall, which further increases the overall system length / height. Due to constraints associated with available space for water heating systems in modern houses and buildings, and generally to enhance the ease of transportation, installation, etc. of the water heating systems, a compact-sized water heating system with a shorter height/length is desirable.

In the system 100, the compressor 110 is attached to or at least partially “sunk-into” or disposed in a cavity about the storage tank 104, which facilitates in the reduction of an overall system length/height “H.” In an example view 120 depicted in FIG. 1, the storage tank 104 is shown to include a cavity 122 in a tank top wall 124, into which the compressor 110 may be sunk or pushed into or in which the compressor 110 may be disposed. In some aspects, a height “H1” of the cavity 122 may be in a range of 70-100% of a compressor height, and a width/diameter “D” of the cavity 122 may be equivalent to or slightly greater (e.g., 5-10% greater) than a compressor width/diameter.

In the view 120, the compressor 110 is sunk into the cavity 122 such that a longitudinal axis “L1” of the compressor 110 may be disposed perpendicular to ground surface or aligned parallel to a longitudinal axis “L2” of the storage tank 104. Stated another way, in the view 120, the compressor 110 is disposed in a “vertical” alignment. In the view 120, a compressor bottom wall is disposed in proximity to a cavity bottom wall, and a portion (e.g., 80-90% of a compressor length/height) of compressor sidewalls is disposed in proximity to cavity sidewalls. Specifically, in this case, the cavity bottom wall and the cavity sidewalls may enclose the compressor bottom wall and the compressor sidewalls.

Since a substantial portion of the compressor length/height (e.g., 80-90%) is disposed/sunk into the cavity 122 of the storage tank 104, the overall system length/height “H” may be reduced, thereby facilitating in the manufacturing/assembly of a compact-sized water heating system. In further aspects, the system 100 may include a thermally conductive material 126 (e.g., Tungsten, graphite, aluminum, etc.) that may be disposed between the cavity walls and the compressor walls. For example, as shown in the view 120, the thermally conductive material 126 may be disposed between the cavity bottom wall and the compressor bottom wall, and between the cavity sidewalls and the compressor sidewalls.

It may be appreciated that the compressor 110 generates heat when the heat pump assembly 106/compressor 110 is operating. By disposing the thermally conductive material 126 between the cavity walls and the compressor 110, the system 100 enables the heat generated by the compressor 110 to be transferred to the storage tank 104, thereby heating the water stored in the storage tank 104. The heat transferred from the compressor 110 to the storage tank 104 via the thermally conductive material 126 may be in addition to the heat that the condenser 112 transfers to the storage tank 104 (i.e., via the condenser coils 204). This “additional” transfer of heat to the storage tank 104 enables quick heating of the water stored in the storage tank 104, without requiring any additional energy, thereby resulting in enhanced system efficiency.

Furthermore, it is known that the compressor 110 generates noise when the compressor 110 is operating. By disposing the compressor 110 inside the cavity 122, the cavity walls may facilitate in absorbing the generated noise, thereby facilitating in the reduction of noise emission to the ambient environment. In addition, when the compressor 110 is sunk into the cavity 122, the storage tank 104 and the water stored in the storage tank 104 may absorb the noise that the compressor 110 generates, thereby suppressing noise emission. The mass of the storage tank 104 and the stored water may also facilitate in reducing/damping the vibrations that the compressor 110 generates during its operation.

As described above, in the system 100, the compressor 110 is attached to or sunk into the storage tank 104 to facilitate the reduction of the overall system length/height “H”. In certain embodiments, to further facilitate in the reduction of the overall system length/height “H”, the evaporator 108 may be disposed in a horizontal alignment parallel to the ground surface, as shown in the view 120. Stated another way, in the system 100, a longitudinal axis “L3” of the evaporator 108 may be parallel to the ground surface, and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis “L1” of the compressor 110 and the longitudinal axis “L2” of the storage tank 104.

By disposing the evaporator 108 in the horizontal alignment as described above (as opposed to a vertical alignment in which the evaporator is disposed in a conventional water heating system), the system 100 may further facilitate in decreasing the overall system length/height “H”. Furthermore, the evaporator 108 disposed in the horizontal alignment facilitates in blocking some noise emanating from the compressor 110 during the compressor operation.

In the example arrangement depicted in the view 120, the evaporator 108 is disposed above the compressor 110. Since the evaporator 108 is disposed above the compressor 110, it may be appreciated that condensates from the evaporator 108 may fall onto the compressor 110 during the heat pump assembly operation. To protect or shield the compressor 110 from the condensates (and other debris, dust, etc.), the system 100 may include a protective plate/tray or a shield 128 that may be disposed on a compressor top wall, as shown in the view 120. The dimensions (e.g., diameter/width) of the shield 128 may be equivalent to or slightly greater (e.g., 10-20% greater) than the compressor diameter/width. The shield 128 may cover the entire area of the compressor top wall and may be configured to protect the compressor 110 from condensates (that may fall from the evaporator 108) and debris.

To further protect the compressor 110, a space above the compressor 110 or above the shield 128 may be covered with an insulating structure/material 130 (that may be part of the system 100). In an exemplary embodiment, the insulating structure/material 130 may be foam and may provide further protection to the compressor 110. In other aspects, the insulating structure/material 130 may rubber, plastic, or any other similar insulating material.

Furthermore, in the example embodiment depicted in FIG. 1/view 120, the fan 118 is a cage blower that is disposed between the compressor 110 and the evaporator 108. The cage blower, which may be a squirrel cage blower or a centrifugal blower, may move air in the space between the compressor 110 and the evaporator 108 via a rotating impeller (which is a rotating device with blades or vanes that increases the pressure and flow of air). The fan 118 may extract air (shown by an arrow 132 in FIG. 1) from ambient environment via one or more vents present on a housing sidewall and blow the air towards the evaporator 108, which may escape (shown by an arrow 134 in FIG. 1) the housing 102 via one or more vents present on a housing top wall.

It may be appreciated that the arrangement of the fan 118 between the compressor 110 and the evaporator 108, as shown in the view 120, facilitates in making the system size compact (i.e., facilitates in reducing the overall system length/height “H”), while at the same time ensuring that the flow of air towards the horizontally-aligned evaporator 108 is not affected/constrained in any way.

The example arrangement of the compressor 110, the evaporator 108 and the fan 118 relative to each other and relative to the storage tank 104 as depicted in the view 120 should not be construed as limiting. The arrangement of these components may be modified in the system 100 without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 2-6 and described below.

FIG. 2 depicts a second exemplary arrangement of the compressor 110 and the storage tank 104 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 2 depicts a view 202 in which the compressor 110 is sunk-into the cavity 122 in the similar manner as depicted in the view 120 and described above. However, in the view 202 depicted in FIG. 2, the fan 118 is shown to be an impeller fan (as opposed to the cage blower depicted in the view 120). In the view 202, the impeller fan 118 is shown to be disposed parallel to the evaporator 108, and between the evaporator 108 and the compressor 110.

It may be appreciated that an impeller fan includes a rotating set of blades (which may be curved in a backward or forward direction) mounted on a hub that generates a stream of air to move it through the fan. The blades pull air into the center of the fan, and then push it away from the center in a circular motion. This creates a pressure difference between the air inside and outside the fan, which causes the air to flow into the fan and out of the fan through its outlet ports. By disposing the evaporator 108 in the horizontal alignment and by using the impeller fan 118, the system 100 may integrate or incorporate a large-sized fan. Stated another way, by arranging the system components as shown in the view 202, a large-sized fan 118 (i.e., a fan with large-sized blades) may be incorporated into the system 100.

It may be appreciated that a large-sized fan is able to move large amounts of air through the evaporator 108 at a lower revolutions-per-minute (RPM) than a conventional or standard-sized fan. Therefore, by using a large-sized fan, the system 100 is able to move large amounts of air through the evaporator 108 at a lower RPM (and thus at a lower energy consumption level), thereby further enhancing the system efficiency. In this manner, by arranging the system components as shown in the view 202 and by using a large-sized impeller fan, the system 100 is able to further enhance the system efficiency (in addition to providing the plurality of advantages described above in conjunction with FIG. 1).

The view 202 also depicts the condenser coils 204 wrapped around the exterior surface of the storage tank 104. As described above, the condenser coils 204 transfer heat from the refrigerant to the water stored in the storage tank 104, thereby heating the stored water. The remaining elements depicted in the view 202 are the same as the elements depicted in the view 120, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

FIG. 3 depicts a third exemplary arrangement of the compressor 110 and the storage tank 104 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 3 depicts a view 302 in which the tank top wall of the storage tank 104 includes concave-shaped curved structure 304 that is curved towards a storage tank bottom portion. The structure 304 may be in the form of a trench or a crater that may be formed or present on the tank top wall. It may be appreciated that a standard storage tank includes a curved bottom surface that is curved towards the tank top portion. In some aspects, the storage tank 104 depicted in the view 302 may be a standard storage tank that is turned/flipped upside down. Consequently, the storage tank 104 has the curved structure 304 on the tank top wall that is disposed towards the housing top wall (or away from the ground).

In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the compressor 110 may be attached to (e.g., via fasteners 306 such as nuts, screws, etc., or by welding) or sunk into the curved structure 304, to accomplish the same objectives/advantages described above in conjunction with FIG. 1. Further, to enable the compressor 110 to effectively secure/attach with the curved structure 304 (which may be shaped as a trench or a crater, as described above) or to effectively get sunk-into the curved structure 304, the compressor 110 may be disposed in a horizontal alignment parallel to the ground. Stated another way, in the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the longitudinal axis “L1” of the compressor 110 (not shown in FIG. 3) may be aligned parallel to the ground and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis “L2” of the storage tank 104. It may be appreciated that when the compressor 110 is placed/secured in the horizontal alignment on the curved structure 304 (as opposed to the vertical aligned as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2), a larger surface area of the compressor 110 may contact the curved structure 304, and may hence enable more secure and robust attachment of the compressor 110 with the curved structure 304.

Furthermore, in some aspects, in this case, the space/area around the storage tank 104 and/or above the compressor 110 may be filled with the insulating material/structure 130 (which may be foam), which may insulate the compressor 110 and the storage tank 104. The insulating structure 130 may also protect the compressor 110 from condensates, debris, etc.

The remaining elements depicted in the view 302 are the same as the elements depicted in the views 120/202, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

FIG. 4 depicts a fourth exemplary arrangement of two compressors 110 and the storage tank 104 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 4 depicts a view 402 in which two compressors 110 are sunk-into or attached to two concave-shaped curved structures 304 that are present on the tank top wall. In this case, the system 100 may include more than one compressor and the storage tank 104 may include more than one concave-shaped curved structures 304. The alignment/arrangement of each compressor 110 in the view 402 may be the same as the alignment/arrangement of the compressor 110 depicted in the view 302 and described above. In this manner, by having multiple concave-shaped curved structures 304 at the tank top wall, the system 100 may attach multiple compressors 110 to the storage tank 104, without needing to increase the overall system length/height “H”.

The remaining elements depicted in the view 402 are the same as the elements depicted in the view 302, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

FIG. 5 depicts a fifth exemplary arrangement of the compressor 110 and the storage tank 104 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 5 depicts a side view 502 and a cross-sectional view 504 of the system 100/storage tank 104, in which the storage tank 104 includes a pocket/socket/cut-out or a cavity (similar to the cavity 122) at a tank sidewall, as opposed to the tank top wall as shown in FIGS. 1-4 and described above. In the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 5, the compressor 110 may be sunk-into and attached (e.g., via the fasteners 306) to the cavity 122 or pocket that is disposed on the tank sidewall.

In some aspects, the cavity 122 in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5 may include a cavity back wall 506, a cavity bottom wall, cavity sidewalls and a cavity top wall 508. The compressor 110 may be attached to the cavity back wall 506. Further, the cavity top wall 508 may protect the compressor 110 from condensates, debris, etc. Therefore, in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, the system 100 may not require the shield 128 to protect the compressor top wall.

The dimensions of the cavity 122 may correspond to the dimensions of the compressor 110, such that the system operator may conveniently and securely attach/insert the compressor 110 in the cavity 122. In some aspects, the compressor 110 may be disposed in a vertical alignment perpendicular to the ground in the cavity 122, as shown in FIG. 5. In alternative aspects (not shown), depending on the cavity dimensions, the compressor 110 may be disposed in a horizontal alignment parallel to the ground in the cavity 122. Furthermore, in some aspects (not shown), there may be multiple cavities/pockets disposed on the tank sidewalls at different tank heights and radial coordinate angles to house multiple compressors 110 in the storage tank 104.

The remaining elements depicted in the views 502 and 504 are the same as the elements depicted in the views 120, 202 and 302, and hence are not described again here for the sake of simplicity and conciseness.

FIG. 6 depicts a sixth exemplary arrangement of the compressor 110 and the storage tank 104 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Specifically, FIG. 6 depicts a view 602 in which the storage tank 104 does not include any cavity/cut-out/pocket/socket. Instead, in the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the compressor bottom wall may be directly attached (e.g., via the fasteners 306 or by welding) to the tank top wall. The compressor 110 may be attached to the tank top wall such that no insulating layer may be prevented from being disposed between the compressor bottom wall and the tank top wall. Such an arrangement facilitates in effective transfer of heat from the compressor 110 to the storage tank 104 (and hence to the water stored in the storage tank 104) when the compressor 110 operates.

In some aspects, in the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the compressor 110 may be disposed in a vertical alignment perpendicular to the ground on top of the storage tank 104. Further, the exterior surface of a portion “P” of the compressor sidewalls may be enclosed by the insulating material/structure 130 (which may be foam), which may facilitate in insulating the compressor 110. The portion “P” may be in a range of 50-90% of the compressor height. In some aspects, the portion “P” may be close to 100% of the compressor height.

In some aspects, the same insulating structure 130 that encloses the compressor sidewalls also encloses the tank top wall and the tank sidewalls, thereby facilitating in insulating the storage tank 104. Further, in the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, the fan 118 is shown to be disposed over or above the evaporator 108 (and parallel to the evaporator 108). The exemplary depiction of the arrangement of the fan 118, the evaporator 108, the compressor 110 and the storage tank 104 relative to each other in FIG. 6 should not be construed as limiting. As described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-5, the fan 118 may alternatively be disposed between the evaporator 108 and the compressor 110, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 depicts a flow diagram of an exemplary method 700 to position the compressor 110 on the storage tank 104 in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 may be described with continued reference to prior figures. The following process is exemplary and not confined to the steps described hereafter. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include more or less steps than are shown or described herein and may include these steps in a different order than the order described in the following example embodiments.

The method 700 may start at step 702. At step 704, the method 700 may include providing the compressor 110 and the storage tank 104. At step 706, the method 700 may include attaching or sinking the compressor 110 into the storage tank 104, as described above.

At step 708, the method 700 may end.

In the above disclosure, reference has been made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, which illustrate specific implementations in which the present disclosure may be practiced. It is understood that other implementations may be utilized, and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. References in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, one skilled in the art will recognize such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

It should also be understood that the word “example” as used herein is intended to be non-exclusionary and non-limiting in nature. More particularly, the word “example” as used herein indicates one among several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is being directed to the particular example being described.

With regard to the processes, systems, methods, heuristics, etc. described herein, it should be understood that, although the steps of such processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to a certain ordered sequence, such processes could be practiced with the described steps performed in an order other than the order described herein. It further should be understood that certain steps could be performed simultaneously, that other steps could be added, or that certain steps described herein could be omitted. In other words, the descriptions of processes herein are provided for the purpose of illustrating various embodiments and should in no way be construed so as to limit the claims.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided would be apparent upon reading the above description. The scope should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In sum, it should be understood that the application is capable of modification and variation.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc., should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments could include, while other embodiments may not include, certain features, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments.