WO2023229939A1 - Heat pump systems for hand washing unit and/or bottle filling unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosed technology includes a system comprising a heat pump, a bottle filing station, and a hand washing station. The heat pump can include a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The evaporator can be configured to cool water to be supplied to the bottle filling station, and the condenser can be configured to heat water to be supplied to the hand washing station and/or the bottle filling station.

Description

HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS FOR HAND WASHING UNIT AND/OR BOTTLE FILLING UNIT

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 63/365,144, filed May 23, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0002] The presently disclosed subject matter relates generally to heat pump systems and more particularly to heat pump systems integrated into a hand washing unit and/or a bottle filling unit.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Water fountains, such as public water fountains, have become increasingly replaced or supplemented with bottle filling units, at least in part, to decrease the spread of pathogens, which can be prevalent on traditional water fountains. At the same time, the number of hand sanitation devices available in public spaces has greatly increased for similar reasoning: to encourage hand cleanliness, which can in turn prevent or decrease the spread of pathogens

SUMMARY

[0004] These and other problems can be addressed by embodiments of the technology disclosed herein. The disclosed technology relates to heat pump systems for a hand washing unit and/or a bottle filling unit.

[0005] The heat pump system can include a condenser configured to heat water and an evaporator configured to cool water. Cooled water can be directed to the bottle filling station. Heated water can be directed to the hand wash station and/or the bottle filling station. The heat pump system may also be applicable to any other use case beyond hash washing and bottle filling stations as well.

[0006] The disclosed technology can further include one or more storage tanks. A cold water storage tank can be located downstream from the evaporator and upstream from the bottle filling station. A hot water storage tank can be located downstream from the condenser and upstream from the end use location (e.g., hand wash station, bottle filling station). The hot water storage tank can include a heating element. Alternatively or in addition, the hot water storage tank can be heated by a portion of the refrigerant circuit of the heat pump system. [0007] The disclosed technology can further include a microchannel heat exchanger, which can help even lopsided heating or cooling demands of water.

[0008] Alternatively or in addition, the disclosed technology can be configured to employ variable refrigerant flow (VRF) techniques.

[0009] These and other aspects of the present disclosure are described in the Detailed Description below and the accompanying figures. Other aspects and features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the following description of specific examples of the present disclosure in concert with the figures. While features of the present disclosure may be discussed relative to certain examples and figures, all examples of the present disclosure can include one or more of the features discussed herein. Further, while one or more examples may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be used with the various other examples of the disclosure discussed herein. In similar fashion, while examples may be discussed below as devices, systems, or methods, it is to be understood that such examples can be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0010] Reference will now be made to the accompanying figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a system diagram for an example heat pump system integrated into a hand washing unit and a bottle filling unit, in accordance with the disclosed technology; [0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a system diagram for an example heat pump system integrated into a hand washing unit and a bottle filling unit, in accordance with the disclosed technology; [0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a system diagram for an example heat pump system integrated into a hand washing unit and a bottle filling unit, in accordance with the disclosed technology; and

[0014] FIG. 4 illustrates a system diagram for an example heat pump system integrated into a hand washing unit and a bottle filling unit, in accordance with the disclosed technology. [0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a method for providing heated and cooled water, in accordance with the disclosed technology.

[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a controller, in accordance with the disclosed technology. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The disclosed technology relates to a heat pump system integrated into, or otherwise in communication with a hand washing unit and/or a bottle filling unit. As will be described more fully herein, the heat pump can be configured to heat and/or cool water that can then be used at one or both the hand washing unit and the bottle filling unit. For example, cold or cooled water can be provided to the bottle filling unit. Alternatively or in addition, hot or heated water can be provided to the hand washing unit, where the hot water can be mixed with source water (i.e., water that has neither been heated nor cooled by the heat pump system) and output for use via a faucet. Alternatively or in addition, hot or heated water can be provided to the bottle filling station (e g., for making tea or other uses). The hand washing unit (also referenced herein as a hand washing station) can be integrated (e.g., commonly located in a single system or unit) with the bottle filling unit (also referenced herein as a bottle filling station). Among other benefits, such a design can provide space savings not offered by the prior art. The system described herein may also be used to provide heated and or cooled water to any other device beyond a hand washing unit and/or bottle filling unit, as well.

[0018] The disclosed technology will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosed technology can, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein. The components described hereinafter as making up various elements of the disclosed technology are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many suitable components that would perform the same or similar functions as components described herein are intended to be embraced within the scope of the disclosed electronic devices and methods. Such other components not described herein can include, but are not limited to, for example, components developed after development of the disclosed technology.

[0019] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth. But it is to be understood that examples of the disclosed technology can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of this description. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “certain embodiments,” “various embodiments,” etc., indicate that the embodiment(s) of the disclosed technology so described can include a particular feature, structure, or charactenstic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it can.

[0020] Throughout the specification and the claims, the following terms take at least the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or.” Further, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean one or more unless specified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to a singular form.

[0021] Unless otherwise specified, the use of the ordinal adjectives “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described should be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.

[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system 100 including a heat pump configured to provide heated and/or cooled water for one or more end uses. As non-limiting examples, the system 100 can be configured to provide cold or cooled water to the bottle filling unit, hot or heated water to the hand washing unit, and/or hot or heated water to the bottle filling station. The heat pump can include a compressor 102, a condenser 104, an expansion valve 106, and an evaporator 108, each of which being fluidly connected via refrigerant tubing configured to pass refrigerant therethrough. As such, the heat pump can exchange heat between the refrigerant and water via the condenser 104 (for heating water) and/or the evaporator 108 (for cooling water).

[0023] As a non-limiting example, the condenser 104 and/or evaporator 108 can be a brazed plate heat exchanger. Alternative heat exchanger designs can be used and are contemplated herein.

[0024] Incoming water can be received from a water source 110. The water source can be or include a tank of water or any other water source (e.g., a water tap). A first water line can supply water to the evaporator 108 from the water source 110, and a connecting cold water line can supply cold water to the bottle filling station 120 from the evaporator 108. As the water flows through the evaporator 108, heat can be transferred from the water to the refrigerant, thereby providing a cooling effect to the water. Similarly, a second water line can supply water to the condenser 104 from the water source 110, and a connecting hot water line can supply hot water to the hand washing station 130 from the condenser 104. Alternatively or in addition, a connecting hot water line can supply hot water to the bottle filling station 120 from the condenser 104. Alternatively or in addition, the system 100 can include a bypass line that provides water from the water source 1 10 and to the bottle fdling station 120 while bypassing both the condenser 104 and the evaporator 108.

[0025] The flow of water through the evaporator 108, condenser 104, and/or bypass line can be controlled via one or more pumps 112. Although FIG. 1 illustrates pumps 112 as being located on the first and second water lines, respectively, they can be alternatively positioned downstream from the condenser 104 and/or evaporator 108. Alternatively or in addition, the system 100 can include valves (e.g., in lieu of the pumps 112), which can be selectively open or closed depending on whether there is a demand for water at the bottle filling station 120 and/or hand washing station 130.

[0026] The bottle filling station 120 can have a user interface enabling a user to select between water that is cold (e.g., water that has been cooled by the evaporator 108), hot (e.g., water that has been heated by the condenser 104), and/or a moderate temperature (e.g., water that has flowed through the bypass line).

[0027] Referring to FIG. 2, the system 100 can include a cold water storage tank 122 located between the evaporator 108 and the bottle filling station 120 and/or a hot water storage tank 124 located between the condenser 104 and the hand washing station 130 (and/or between the condenser 104 and the bottle filling station 120). The storage tanks 122, 124 can increase the amount of cold or hot water immediately available for use. To increase energy efficiency, the storage tanks 122, 124 can be insulated. Either storage tank 122, 124 can have a capacity of approximately 3 gallons to approximately 6 gallons, as non-limiting examples. The storage tanks 122, 124 can be the same size or can be different sizes. For example, if the bottle filling station 120 is found to have a higher demand, cold water storage tank 122 can have a larger capacity than the hot water storage tank 124.

[0028] The hot water storage tank 124 can include a heating element 125 (e.g., an electric heating element) configured to periodically output heat into the water stored within the hot water storage tank 124. Alternatively or in addition, a length of the refrigerant tubing from the heat pump can be wrapped around, or otherwise placed in thermal communication with, the hot water storage tank 124. For example, the length of refrigerant tubing between the condenser 104 and the expansion valve 106 can be wrapped around, or otherwise in thermal communication with, the hot water storage tank 124.

[0029] Referring now to FIG. 3, the system 100 can include a microchannel heat exchanger 109, which can, for example, help compensate lopsided heating or cooling (e.g., a comparatively large demand for one of cold or hot water). The system can further include a plurality of valves (referenced generally herein as valves 126 and including valves 126a-126d, as non-limiting examples), such as electric solenoid valves, that are configured to selectively open or close to permit or prevent refrigerant from flowing therethrough. When there is a demand for cold water and no demand for hot water, valve 126a can be closed to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the condenser 104, valve 126b can be opened to permit refrigerant to flow through a first portion of the microchannel heat exchanger 109, valve 126c can be opened to permit refrigerant to flow through the evaporator 108 and thereby cool water via the evaporator 108, and valve 126d can be closed to prevent refrigerant from flowing through a second portion of the microchannel heat exchanger 109. When there is a demand for hot water and no demand for cold water, valve 126a can be opened to permit refrigerant to flow through the condenser 104 and thereby heat water via the condenser 104, valve 126b can be closed to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the first portion of the microchannel heat exchanger 109, valve 126c can be opened to permit refrigerant to flow through the second portion of the microchannel heat exchanger 109, and valve 126d can be closed to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the evaporator 108.

[0030] Alternatively or in addition, the compressor 102 can be run at a higher discharge temperature and the water flow rate can be less on the hot water side (e.g., to the hot water storage tank 124) than on the cold water side (e.g., to the cold water storage tank 124). Thus, a comparatively large demand for cold water can be satisfied and a comparatively small volume of hot water can be stored in the hot water storage tank 124 (as compared to the volume of cold water stored in the cold water storage tank 122).

[0031] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the system 100 can employ a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) methodology. That is to say, the system 100 can include a high pressure liquid portion to which the evaporator 108 and the condenser 104 are connected, a low pressure gas portion connected to the evaporator 108, and a high pressure gas portion connected to the condenser 104. As shown, the system 100 can include multi-directional valves 152 and/or electronic valves 154 configured to selectively permit or prevent refrigerant flow. When there is a demand for hot water (e.g., at the hand washing station 130), the valves 154 can be operated to permit refrigerant to flow through the condenser 104, and when there is a demand for cold water (e.g., at the bottle filling station 120), the valves 152, 154 can be operated to permit refrigerant to flow through the evaporator 108.

[0032] While the present disclosure has been described in connection with a plurality of exemplary aspects, as illustrated in the various figures and discussed above, it is understood that other similar aspects can be used, or modifications and additions can be made to the described subject matter for performing the same function of the present disclosure without deviating therefrom. In this disclosure, methods and compositions were described according to aspects of the presently disclosed subject matter. But other equivalent methods or compositions to these described aspects are also contemplated by the teachings herein. Therefore, the present disclosure should not be limited to any single aspect, but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims.

[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates a method 500 for providing heated and cooled water. Some of the steps of the method 500 may be performed by any of the systems or devices described herein, such as controller 600, however, a controller may only be required to perform some of the steps of the method 500.

[0034] At block 502, the method 500 may include receiving, by an evaporator (for example, evaporator 108) of a heat pump that is in fluid communication with a fluid source and a first device, first fluid from the fluid source. In some instances, the first device may be a bottle fill station (such as bottle fill station 120) and the fluid source may be a water source, such as water source 110.

[0035] At block 504, the method 500 may include providing, by the evaporator, a cooled fluid to the first device.

[0036] At block 506, the method 500 may include receiving, by a condenser (for example, condenser 104) of the heat pump that is in fluid communication with the fluid source and a second device, second fluid from the fluid source. In some instances, the second device may be a hand wash station (such as hand wash station 130) and the fluid source may be a water source.

[0037] At block 508, the method 500 may include providing, by the condenser and simultaneous to the cooled fluid being provided to the first device, a heated fluid to the second device. That is, a heat pump including the evaporator 108 and the condenser 104 may be used to provide both cooled water to the bottle fill station 120 and heated water to the hand wash station 130 depending on user demands at the bottle fill station 120 and the hand wash station 130. However, the same heat pump may be used to provide cooled water and heated water to any other two other types of devices, systems, etc.

[0038] The operations described and depicted in the illustrative methods, process flows, and use cases of FIGS. 1-5 may be carried out or performed in any suitable order, such as the depicted orders, as desired in various example embodiments of the disclosure. Additionally, in certain example embodiments, at least a portion of the operations may be carried out in parallel. Furthermore, in certain example embodiments, less, more, or different operations than those depicted in FIGS. 1-5 may be performed.

[0039] FIG. 6 illustrates a controller 600. The controller may be provided in any of the systems 100, 200, 300, and 400 and may be configured to provide control signals to any of the components of the systems. For example, the controller 600 may be configured to provide electrical control signals to the vales 126a, 126b, 126c, and 126d to open and/or close.

[0040] The controller 600 may be configured to communicate via one or more networks. Such network(s) may include, but are not limited to, any one or more different types of communications networks such as, for example, cable networks, public networks (e g., the Internet), private networks (e.g., frame-relay networks), wireless networks, cellular networks, telephone networks (e.g., a public switched telephone network), or any other suitable private or public packet-switched or circuit-switched networks. Further, such network(s) may have any suitable communication range associated therewith and may include, for example, global networks (e.g., the Internet), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), or personal area networks (PANs). In addition, such network(s) may include communication links and associated networking devices (e.g., linklayer switches, routers, etc.) for transmitting network traffic over any suitable type of medium including, but not limited to, coaxial cable, twisted-pair wire (e.g., twisted-pair copper wire), optical fiber, a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) medium, a microwave medium, a radio frequency communication medium, a satellite communication medium, or any combination thereof.

[0041] In an illustrative configuration, the controller 600 may include one or more processors (processor(s)) 602, one or more memory devices 604 (generically referred to herein as memory 604), one or more input/ output (I/O) interfaces 606, one or more network interfaces 608, one or more sensors or sensor interfaces 610, and data storage 620. The controller 600 may further include one or more buses 618 that functionally couple various components of the controller 600.

[0042] The bus(es) 618 may include at least one of a system bus, a memory bus, an address bus, or a message bus, and may permit the exchange of information (e.g., data (including computer-executable code), signaling, etc.) between various components of the controller 600. The bus(es) 618 may include, without limitation, a memory bus or a memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and so forth. The bus(es) 618 may be associated with any suitable bus architecture including, without limitation, an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA), an Enhanced ISA (EISA), a Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) architecture, an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) architecture, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) architecture, a PCI-Express architecture, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) architecture, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) architecture, and so forth.

[0043] The memory 604 of the controller 600 may include volatile memory (memory that maintains its state when supplied with power) such as random access memory (RAM) and/or non-volatile memory (memory that maintains its state even when not supplied with power) such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory , ferroelectric RAM (FRAM), and so forth. Persistent data storage, as that term is used herein, may include non-volatile memory. In certain example embodiments, volatile memory may enable faster read/write access than non-volatile memory. However, in certain other example embodiments, certain types of non-volatile memory (e.g., FRAM) may enable faster read/write access than certain types of volatile memory.

[0044] In various implementations, the memory 604 may include multiple different types of memory such as various types of static random access memory (SRAM), various types of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), various types of unalterable ROM, and/or writeable variants of ROM such as electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, and so forth. The memory 604 may include main memory as well as various forms of cache memory such as instruction cache(s), data cache(s), translation lookaside buffer(s) (TLBs), and so forth. Further, cache memory such as a data cache may be a multilevel cache organized as a hierarchy of one or more cache levels (LI, L2, etc ).

[0045] The data storage 620 may include removable storage and/or non-removable storage, including, but not limited to, magnetic storage, optical disk storage, and/or tape storage. The data storage 620 may provide non-volatile storage of computer-executable instructions and other data. The memory 604 and the data storage 620, removable and/or non-removable, are examples of computer-readable storage media (CRSM) as that term is used herein.

[0046] The data storage 620 may store computer-executable code, instructions, or the like that may be loadable into the memory 604 and executable by the processor(s) 602 to cause the processor(s) 602 to perform or initiate various operations. The data storage 620 may additionally store data that may be copied to the memory 604 for use by the processor(s) 602 during the execution of the computer-executable instructions. Moreover, output data generated as a result of execution of the computer-executable instructions by the processor(s) 602 may be stored initially in the memory 604, and may ultimately be copied to the data storage 620 for non-volatile storage.

[0047] More specifically, the data storage 620 may store one or more operating systems (O/S) 622; one or more database management systems (DBMSs) 624; and one or more program module(s), applications, engines, computer-executable code, scripts, or the like such as, for example, one or more module(s) 626. Some or all of these module(s) may be sub-module(s). Any of the components depicted as being stored in the data storage 620 may include any combination of software, firmware, and/or hardware. The software and/or firmware may include computer-executable code, instructions, or the like that may be loaded into the memory 604 for execution by one or more of the processor(s) 602 Any of the components depicted as being stored in the data storage 620 may support functionality described in reference to corresponding components named earlier in this disclosure.

[0048] The data storage 620 may further store various types of data utilized by the components of the controller 600. Any data stored in the data storage 620 may be loaded into the memory 604 for use by the processor(s) 602 in executing computer-executable code. In addition, any data depicted as being stored in the data storage 620 may potentially be stored in one or more datastore(s) and may be accessed via the DBMS 624 and loaded in the memory 604 for use by the processor(s) 602 in executing computer-executable code. The datastore(s) may include, but are not limited to, databases (e.g., relational, object-oriented, etc.), file systems, flat files, distributed datastores in which data is stored on more than one node of a computer network, peer-to-peer network datastores, or the like.

[0049] The processor(s) 602 may be configured to access the memory 604 and execute the computer-executable instructions loaded therein. For example, the processor(s) 602 may be configured to execute the computer-executable instructions of the various program module(s), applications, engines, or the like of the controller 600 to cause or facilitate various operations to be performed in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. The processor(s) 602 may include any suitable processing unit capable of accepting data as input, processing the input data in accordance with stored computer-executable instructions, and generating output data. The processor(s) 602 may include any type of suitable processing unit including, but not limited to, a central processing unit, a microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor, a complex instruction set computer (CISC) microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field- programmable gate array (FPGA), a system-on-a-chip (SoC), a digital signal processor (DSP), and so forth. Further, the processor(s) 602 may have any suitable microarchitecture design that includes any number of constituent components such as, for example, registers, multiplexers, arithmetic logic units, cache controllers for controlling read/write operations to cache memory, branch predictors, or the like. The microarchitecture design of the processor(s) 602 may be capable of supporting any of a variety of instruction sets.

[0050] Referring now to functionality supported by the various program module(s) depicted in FIG. 6, the module(s) 626 may include computer-executable instructions, code, or the like that responsive to execution by one or more of the processor(s) 602 may perform functions including, but not limited to, sending control signals to open/close valves, such as valves 126a-126d and/or sending any other control signals to control any other components of systems 100-400.

[0051] Referring now to other illustrative components depicted as being stored in the data storage 620, the O/S 622 may be loaded from the data storage 620 into the memory 604 and may provide an interface between other application software executing on the controller 600 and the hardware resources of the controller 600. More specifically, the O/S 622 may include a set of computer-executable instructions for managing hardware resources of the controller 600 and for providing common services to other application programs (e.g., managing memory allocation among various application programs). The O/S 622 may include any operating system now known or which may be developed in the future, including, but not limited to, any server operating system, any mainframe operating system, or any other proprietary or nonproprietary operating system.

[0052] The DBMS 624 may be loaded into the memory 604 and may support functionality for accessing, retrieving, storing, and/or manipulating data stored in the memory 604 and/or data stored in the data storage 620. The DBMS 624 may use any of a variety of database models (e.g., relational model, object model, etc.) and may support any of a variety of query languages. The DBMS 624 may access data represented in one or more data schemas and stored in any suitable data repository including, but not limited to, databases (e.g., relational, object-oriented, etc.), file systems, flat files, distributed datastores in which data is stored on more than one node of a computer network, peer-to-peer network datastores, or the like. In those example embodiments in which the controller 600 is a mobile device, the DBMS 624 may be any suitable lightweight DBMS optimized for performance on a mobile device.

[0053] Referring now to other illustrative components of the controller 600, the input/output (I/O) interface(s) 606 may facilitate the receipt of input information by the controller 600 from one or more I/O devices as well as the output of information from the controller 600 to one or more I/O devices. The I/O devices may include any of a variety of components such as a display or display screen having a touch surface or touchscreen; an audio output device for producing sound, such as a speaker; an audio capture device, such as a microphone; an image and/or video capture device, such as a camera; a haptic unit; and so forth. Any of these components may be integrated into the controller 600 or may be separate. The I/O devices may further include, for example, any number of peripheral devices such as data storage devices, printing devices, and so forth.

[0054] The I/O interface(s) 606 may also include an interface for an external penpheral device connection such as a universal serial bus (USB), FireWire, Thunderbolt, Ethernet port or other connection protocol that may connect to one or more networks. The I/O interface(s) 606 may also include a connection to one or more of the antenna(e) to connect to one or more networks via a wireless local area network (WLAN) (such as Wi-Fi) radio, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and/or a wireless network radio, such as a radio capable of communication with a wireless communication network such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, WiMAX network, 3G network, etc.

[0055] The controller 600 may further include one or more network interface(s) 608 via which the controller 600 may communicate with any of a variety of other systems, platforms, networks, devices, and so forth. The network interface(s) 608 may enable communication, for example, with one or more wireless routers, one or more host servers, one or more web servers, and the like via one or more networks.

[0056] Moreover, the various diagrams and figures presented herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be considered exhaustive. That is, the systems described herein can include one or more additional components, such as various valves, expansions tanks, and the like, as will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art.

[0057] Exemplary Embodiments

[0058] Embodiment 1. A system comprising a fluid source; a bottle filling device; a hand washing device; a heat pump in fluid communication with the fluid source, the bottle filling device, and the hand washing device, the heat pump comprising: an evaporator in fluid communication with the bottle filling device, wherein the evaporator is configured to cool a first fluid received from the fluid source and provide the first fluid to the bottle filling device; and a condenser in fluid communication with the hand washing device, wherein the condenser is configured to simultaneously heat a second fluid received from the fluid source and provide the second fluid to the hand washing device.

[0059] Embodiment 2. The system of embodiment 1, further comprising a first pump provided between the fluid source and the evaporator and a second pump provided between the fluid source and the condenser.

[0060] Embodiment 3. The system of embodiments 1 or 2, further comprising a cold water storage tank provided between the bottle filling device and the evaporator and a hot water storage tank provided between the hand washing device and the condenser.

[0061] Embodiment 4. The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the hot water storage tank comprises a heating element

[0062] Embodiment 5. The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 4, further comprising a compressor provided between the evaporator and the condenser and an expansion valve provided between the condenser and the evaporator.

[0063] Embodiment 6. The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 5, further comprising a heat exchanger, a first valve provided between a compressor and the condenser, a second valve provided between the heat exchanger and the compressor, a third valve provided between the condenser and the evaporator, and a fourth valve provided between the condenser and the heat exchanger.

[0064] Embodiment 7. The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 6, further comprising a controller configured to: determine that a demand for cold fluid exists and no demand for hot fluid exists; close the first valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the condenser; open the second valve to permit refrigerant to flow through a first portion of the heat exchanger; open the third valve to permit refrigerant to flow through the evaporator; and close the fourth valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through a second portion of the heat exchanger.

[0065] Embodiment 8. The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 7, further comprising a controller configured to: determine that a demand for hot fluid exists and no demand for cold fluid exists; open the first valve to permit refrigerant to flowing through the condenser; close the second valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through a first portion of the heat exchanger; open the third valve to permit refrigerant to flow through a second portion of the heat exchanger; and close the fourth valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the evaporator.

[0066] Embodiment 9. The system of any one of embodiments 1 to 8, further comprising a high pressure liquid portion connected to the evaporator and the condenser, a lower pressure gas portion connected to the evaporator, and a high pressure gas portion connected to the condenser.

[0067] Embodiment 10. A method comprising: method comprising: receiving, by an evaporator of a heat pump that is in fluid communication with a fluid source and a first device, first fluid from the fluid source; providing, by the evaporator, a cooled fluid to the first device; receiving, by a condenser of the heat pump that is in fluid communication with the fluid source and a second device, second fluid from the fluid source; and providing, by the condenser and simultaneous to the cooled fluid being provided to the first device, a heated fluid to the second device.

[0068] Embodiment 11. A method of embodiment 10, further comprising a first pump provided between the fluid source and the evaporator and a second pump provided between the fluid source and the condenser.

[0069] Embodiment 12. A method of embodiments 10 or 11, further comprising: storing the cooled fluid in a cold water storage tank provided between the first device and the evaporator; and storing the heated fluid in a hot water storage tank provided between the second device and the condenser.

[0070] Embodiment 13. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 12, further comprising heating the heated fluid within the hot water storage tank using a heating element.

[0071] Embodiment 14. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 13, further comprising a compressor provided between the evaporator and the condenser and an expansion valve provided between the condenser and the evaporator.

[0072] Embodiment 15. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 14, further comprising a heat exchanger, a first valve provided between a compressor and the condenser, a second valve provided between the heat exchanger and the compressor, a third valve provided between the condenser and the evaporator, and a fourth valve provided between the condenser and the heat exchanger.

[0073] Embodiment 16. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 15, further comprising: determining, by a controller, that a demand for cold fluid exists and no demand for hot fluid exists; closing, by the controller, the first valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the condenser; opening, by the controller, the second valve to permit refrigerant to flow through a first portion of the heat exchanger; opening, by the controller, the third valve to permit refrigerant to flow through the evaporator; and closing, by the controller, the fourth valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through a second portion of the heat exchanger. [0074] Embodiment 17. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 16, further comprising: determining, by a controller, that a demand for hot fluid exists and no demand for cold fluid exists: opening, by the controller, the first valve to permit refrigerant to flowing through the condenser; closing, by the controller, the second valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through a first portion of the heat exchanger; opening, by the controller, the third valve to permit refrigerant to flow through a second portion of the heat exchanger; and closing, by the controller, the fourth valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the evaporator.

[0075] Embodiment 18. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 17, further comprising a high pressure liquid portion connected to the evaporator and the condenser, a lower pressure gas portion connected to the evaporator, and a high pressure gas portion connected to the condenser.

[0076] Embodiment 19. A system comprising: a fluid source; a first device; a second device; a heat pump in fluid communication with the fluid source, the first device, and the second device, the heat pump comprising: an evaporator in fluid communication with the first device, wherein the evaporator is configured to cool a first fluid received from the fluid source and provide the first fluid to the first device; and a condenser in fluid communication with the second device, wherein the condenser is configured to simultaneously heat a second fluid received from the fluid source and provide the second fluid to the second device.

[0077] Embodiment 20. The system of embodiment 19, w herein the first device is a bottle filling device, and wherein the second device is a hand washing device.

Claims

What is claimed is: A system comprising: a fluid source; a bottle filling device; a hand washing device; a heat pump in fluid communication with the fluid source, the bottle filling device, and the hand washing device, the heat pump comprising: an evaporator in fluid communication with the bottle filling device, wherein the evaporator is configured to cool a first fluid received from the fluid source and provide the first fluid to the bottle filling device; and a condenser in fluid communication with the hand washing device, wherein the condenser is configured to simultaneously heat a second fluid received from the fluid source and provide the second fluid to the hand washing device. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first pump provided between the fluid source and the evaporator and a second pump provided between the fluid source and the condenser. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cold water storage tank provided between the bottle filling device and the evaporator and a hot water storage tank provided between the hand washing device and the condenser. The system of claim 3, wherein the hot water storage tank comprises a heating element. The system of claim 1, further comprising a compressor provided between the evaporator and the condenser and an expansion valve provided between the condenser and the evaporator. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger, a first valve provided between a compressor and the condenser, a second valve provided between the heat exchanger and the compressor, a third valve provided between the condenser and the evaporator, and a fourth valve provided between the condenser and the heat exchanger. The system of claim 6, further comprising a controller configured to: determine that a demand for cold fluid exists and no demand for hot fluid exists; close the first valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the condenser; open the second valve to permit refrigerant to flow through a first portion of the heat exchanger; open the third valve to permit refrigerant to flow through the evaporator; and close the fourth valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through a second portion of the heat exchanger. The system of claim 6, further comprising a controller configured to: determine that a demand for hot fluid exists and no demand for cold fluid exists; open the first valve to permit refrigerant to flowing through the condenser; close the second valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through a first portion of the heat exchanger; open the third valve to permit refrigerant to flow through a second portion of the heat exchanger; and close the fourth valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the evaporator. The system of claim 1, further comprising a high pressure liquid portion connected to the evaporator and the condenser, a lower pressure gas portion connected to the evaporator, and a high pressure gas portion connected to the condenser. A method comprising: receiving, by an evaporator of a heat pump that is in fluid communication with a fluid source and a first device, first fluid from the fluid source; providing, by the evaporator, a cooled fluid to the first device; receiving, by a condenser of the heat pump that is in fluid communication with the fluid source and a second device, second fluid from the fluid source; and providing, by the condenser and simultaneous to the cooled fluid being provided to the first device, a heated fluid to the second device. The method of claim 10, further comprising a first pump provided between the fluid source and the evaporator and a second pump provided between the fluid source and the condenser. The method of claim 10, further comprising: storing the cooled fluid in a cold water storage tank provided between the first device and the evaporator; and storing the heated fluid in a hot water storage tank provided between the second device and the condenser. The method of claim 12, further comprising heating the heated fluid within the hot water storage tank using a heating element. The method of claim 10, further comprising a compressor provided between the evaporator and the condenser and an expansion valve provided between the condenser and the evaporator. The method of claim 10, further comprising a heat exchanger, a first valve provided between a compressor and the condenser, a second valve provided between the heat exchanger and the compressor, a third valve provided between the condenser and the evaporator, and a fourth valve provided between the condenser and the heat exchanger. The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining, by a controller, that a demand for cold fluid exists and no demand for hot fluid exists; closing, by the controller, the first valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the condenser; opening, by the controller, the second valve to permit refrigerant to flow through a first portion of the heat exchanger; opening, by the controller, the third valve to permit refrigerant to flow through the evaporator; and closing, by the controller, the fourth valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through a second portion of the heat exchanger. The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining, by a controller, that a demand for hot fluid exists and no demand for cold fluid exists; opening, by the controller, the first valve to permit refrigerant to flowing through the condenser; closing, by the controller, the second valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through a first portion of the heat exchanger; opening, by the controller, the third valve to permit refrigerant to flow through a second portion of the heat exchanger; and closing, by the controller, the fourth valve to prevent refrigerant from flowing through the evaporator. The method of claim 10, further comprising a high pressure liquid portion connected to the evaporator and the condenser, a lower pressure gas portion connected to the evaporator, and a high pressure gas portion connected to the condenser. A system comprising: a fluid source; a first device; a second device; a heat pump in fluid communication with the fluid source, the first device, and the second device, the heat pump comprising: an evaporator in fluid communication with the first device, wherein the evaporator is configured to cool a first fluid received from the fluid source and provide the first fluid to the first device; and a condenser in fluid communication with the second device, wherein the condenser is configured to simultaneously heat a second fluid received from the fluid source and provide the second fluid to the second device. The system of claim 19, wherein the first device is a bottle filling device, and wherein the second device is a hand washing device.