Patent attributes
A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a compressor, a first region of a first heat exchanger, a first branching point, a first shutoff valve, a second shutoff valve, and a second heat exchanger. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet. The first heat exchanger is positioned immediately downstream of the outlet of the compressor. The first branching point is positioned immediately downstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger. The refrigerant loop splits into a first path and a second path at the first branching point. The first shutoff valve is positioned along the first path and immediately downstream of the first branching point. The second shutoff valve is positioned along the second path and immediately downstream of the first branching point. The second heat exchanger is downstream of the first heat exchanger.
