Patents Assigned to Earth To Air Systems, LLC
  • Publication number: 20090133424
    Abstract: An R-410A DX heating/cooling system with: an electrical generating expansion device; with a protective means for refrigerant transport tubing containing dissimilar metals and/or in corrosive environments; with an automatic heating mode expansion device; with a TXV by-pass design; with retractable sub-surface tubing designs; with sub-surface line set sizing at varying depths and lengths; with reciprocal compressor sizing; with a DX Hydronic system design; with an improved oil separator float design; with a mobile DX system design; and with a resting module DX system design.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Publication date: May 28, 2009
    Applicant: EARTH TO AIR SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: B. Ryland Wiggs
  • Publication number: 20090095442
    Abstract: A direct exchange geothermal heating/cooling system has a self-adjusting expansion valve and a bypass flow path to improve efficiency when the system operates in a heating mode. The expansion valve may operate based solely on pressure from the vapor refrigerant transport line. The system may alternatively include an accumulator, a compressor, and an oil separator, wherein an oil return line returns oil from the oil separator to the accumulator. Additionally, a direct exchange geothermal heating/cooling system may include a hot-gas bypass valve for diverting heated vapor refrigerant to the liquid refrigerant line. Finally, a direct exchange geothermal heating/cooling system having a sub-surface heat exchanger extending to a depth of at least 300 feet may use a refrigerant particularly suited for such an application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: EARTH TO AIR SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: B. Ryland Wiggs
  • Publication number: 20090065173
    Abstract: A direct exchange heating/cooling system includes a specially designed supplemental air-source heat exchanger (also referred to herein as a High Level Heat Dissipater (“HLHD”). The HLHD is coupled to the primary vapor/hot gas line exiting the system's compressor at a point between the compressor unit and the sub-surface geothermal heat exchange tubing, and is operable only in the cooling mode of system operation. The HLHD includes heat exchange tubing that is sheltered from rain/moisture and has supply and discharge refrigerant transport tubing with relatively equally sized interior diameters, designed solely for mostly vapor (as opposed to liquid) refrigerant transport. The HLHD incorporates at least two check valves, or the like, so as to force hot compressor discharge gas through the HLHD in the cooling mode, and so as to prohibit geothermally warmed refrigerant gas flow through the HLHD in the heating mode. The HLHD has specially designed heat exchangers and may optionally include a fan.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Applicant: EARTH TO AIR SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: B. Ryland Wiggs
  • Publication number: 20080173425
    Abstract: A direct exchange heating/cooling system with at least one of a reduced compressor size, with a 500 psi high pressure cut-off switch, with a 98% efficient oil separator, with extra oil, operating at a higher pressure than an R-22 system, with receiver design parameters for efficiency and fox capacity, with geothermal heat exchange line set design parameters, with special heating/cooling expansion device sizing and design, with a specially sized air handler, and with a vapor line pre-heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicant: EARTH TO AIR SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: B. Ryland Wiggs
  • Patent number: 7401641
    Abstract: A system for installing sub-surface fluid transport tubing and pressure testing coupling seals in a vertically oriented geothermal heating/cooling system installation, and particularly in a direct exchange system installation, includes providing an elevated containment area, that has a confined space opening, supported by extensions/poles, within which opening an upper portion of the fluid transport tubing segment, to be installed within the borehole, can be positioned and contained. The system further includes pressure testing above-ground segmental coupling seals, by using moderate gas pressure applied via temporary gas hose and plug connections to respective ends of the operatively connected fluid transport line set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Earth to Air Systems, LLC
    Inventor: B. Ryland Wiggs
  • Patent number: 7234314
    Abstract: A sealed well direct expansion geothermal heat exchange unit, whose sealed well can be placed in ground and/or in water, consisting of a conventional direct expansion, or other heat pump, system wherein the exterior refrigerant heat exchange lines are placed within an insulated and sealed container, which container is supplied with a circulating heat conductive liquid from and to a sub-surface sealed well encasement, which container liquid may be supplemented with heat from a solar heating system, and which unit's hot refrigerant vapor line may be supplementary cooled by means of condensate water evaporative cooling, as well as a means to provide any direct expansion, and any closed-loop water-source, geothermal heat pump system with an optional solar heating supplement in the heating mode, and with an optional water-cooled vapor line supplement in the cooling mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Earth to Air Systems, LLC
    Inventor: B. Ryland Wiggs
  • Patent number: 7191604
    Abstract: A heat pump dehumidification system comprised of one of an air source heat pump system, a water source heat pump system, and a direct expansion heat pump system, with an extra interior air heat exchange means situated between the system's compressor's hot refrigerant gas discharge side and the exterior heat exchange means, for activation and use in conjunction with the system's primary interior air heat exchange means, located between the exterior heat exchange means and the system's compressor's refrigerant gas suction side, when operation in a dehumidification mode is desired absent sensible cooling, and optimum design sizes for both interior air exchange means while the system is operating in one of a dehumidification mode, a cooling mode, and a heating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Earth To Air Systems, LLC
    Inventor: B. Ryland Wiggs
  • Patent number: 7146823
    Abstract: A sub-surface geothermal direct exchange sub-surface tubing installation means, comprising situating certain specified tubing sizes for certain specified horizontal distances and for certain specified depths within each of a horizontally oriented trench and a vertically oriented well/borehole, as well as comprising a tubing installation means to increase the efficiency of any direct expansion system by means of adding at least one additional liquid refrigerant transport line segment within at least one of a well/borehole and a trench, together with a certain amount of insulation at specified locations, as well as comprising a means of surrounding horizontally oriented sub-surface refrigerant transport heat exchange tubing with a protective solid grout, with the operative system refrigerant being comprised of a refrigerant with system operating pressures at least 10% greater than R-22.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Earth To Air Systems, LLC
    Inventor: B. Ryland Wiggs