Patents by Inventor Oliver Kniffler

Oliver Kniffler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11852388
    Abstract: A heat pump arrangement includes a heat pump device, an evaporator cycle interface for inputting liquid to be cooled into the heat pump device and for outputting cooled liquid out of the heat pump device, a condenser cycle interface for inputting liquid to be heated into the heat pump device and for outputting heated liquid out of the heat pump device, a controllable heat exchanger for controllably coupling the evaporator cycle interface and the condenser cycle interface, and a control for controlling the controllable heat exchanger in dependence on an evaporator cycle temperature in the evaporator cycle interface or a condenser cycle temperature in the condenser cycle interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Oliver Kniffler, Jürgen Süss
  • Patent number: 11754325
    Abstract: A heat pump, having: an evaporator for evaporating a working liquid; a liquefier for condensing a compressed working vapor; a compressor motor with a suction mouth having attached thereto a radial impeller to convey a working vapor evaporated in the evaporator through the suction mouth; a guide space arranged to guide a working vapor conveyed by the radial impeller into the condenser; and a cooling device for cooling the guide space or the suction mouth with a liquid, wherein the cooling device is configured to guide the liquid onto an outside of the guide space or of the suction mouth, wherein the outside is not in contact with the working vapor, and wherein an inside of the guide space or of the suction mouth is in contact with the working vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventor: Oliver Kniffler
  • Publication number: 20220120477
    Abstract: A cooling device having a vaporizer for vaporizing a working liquid, wherein the working liquid is held on a vaporizer bottom; a compressor for compressing a vaporized working liquid, wherein the compressor is configured to convey the vaporized working liquid from the bottom to the top in a setup direction; a liquefier having an upper wall configured such that the vaporized and compressed working liquid is condensable at the upper wall and drips down from top to bottom; and an intermediate bottom configured to collect a dripped-down working liquid, wherein the intermediate bottom comprises at least one opening through which the dripped-down working liquid may reach the vaporizer bottom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Jürgen SÜSS, Oliver KNIFFLER
  • Patent number: 11137172
    Abstract: A heat pump system includes a first heat pump arrangement having a compressor having a compressor output; a second heat pump arrangement having an input portion and an output portion; and a coupler for thermally coupling the first heat pump arrangement and the second heat pump arrangement, the coupler including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger being connected to the input portion of the second heat pump arrangement, and the second heat exchanger being connected to the output portion of the second heat pump arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Oliver Kniffler, Jürgen Süß
  • Patent number: 11105432
    Abstract: A fluid switchover device includes a housing having at least three ports leading into an interior space; a valve flap rotatably arranged within the housing and having a rotational axis that is mounted to the housing at first and second locations; and a circumferential seal mounted to the valve flap and having first and second evasion portions at first and second locations, respectively, which are configured to evade the rotational axis on the same side of the valve flap, and the valve flap is configured to slidingly engage a boundary of the interior space by means of the circumferential seal, so that at a first position of the valve flap, the first and second ports are connected, and the first and third ports are mutually sealed off, and in a second position, the first and third ports are connected, and the first and second ports are mutually sealed off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Oliver Kniffler, Gerd Wings
  • Patent number: 11079146
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a condenser for condensing compressed working vapor; a foreign gas collection space arranged within the condenser, the foreign gas collection space comprising: a condensation surface which during operation of the heat pump is colder than a temperature of the working vapor to be condensed; and a partition wall arranged, within the condenser, between the condensation surface and a condensation zone; and a foreign gas discharge device coupled to the foreign gas collection space so as to discharge foreign gas from the foreign gas collection space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Oliver Kniffler, Holger Sedlak
  • Patent number: 10976078
    Abstract: A heat pump system includes a heat pump stage having a first evaporator, a first liquefier, and a first compressor; and a further heat pump stage having a second evaporator, a second liquefier, and a second compressor, wherein a first liquefier exit of the first liquefier is connected to a second evaporator entrance of the second evaporator via a connecting lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Oliver Kniffler, Holger Sedlak, Florian Hanslik, Thaddäus Hinterberger
  • Patent number: 10921031
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a condenser for condensing compressed working vapor, a gas trap coupled to the condenser via a foreign gas feed inlet and including: a housing having a foreign gas feed entrance, a working liquid feed inlet within the housing; a working liquid discharge outlet within the housing, and a pump for pumping off gas from the housing, wherein the housing, the working liquid feed inlet and the working liquid discharge outlet are configured such that during operation, a working liquid flow takes place, within the housing, from the working liquid feed inlet to the working liquid discharge outlet, and wherein the working liquid feed inlet is coupled to the heat pump so as to direct, during operation of the heat pump, working liquid which is colder than a working liquid within the condenser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Oliver Kniffler, Holger Sedlak
  • Patent number: 10830500
    Abstract: A heat pump system includes a first heat pump arrangement configured to operate with a first heat pump medium including CO2; a second heat pump arrangement configured to operate with a second heat pump medium including water; and a coupler for thermally coupling the first heat pump arrangement to the second heat pump arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Oliver Kniffler, Jürgen Süss
  • Patent number: 10724770
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a condenser having a condenser housing; a compressor motor mounted on the condenser housing and having a rotor and a stator, the rotor having a motor shaft which has a compressor wheel for compressing working medium vapor mounted thereon, and the compressor motor having a motor wall; a motor housing which surrounds the compressor motor and has a working medium intake so as to direct liquid working medium out of the condenser to the motor wall for the purpose of cooling the motor, wherein the motor housing is further configured to form a vapor space during operation of the heat pump, and wherein the motor housing further has a vapor discharge outlet for discharging vapor from the vapor space within the motor housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Oliver Kniffler, Holger Sedlak
  • Publication number: 20200200447
    Abstract: A heat pump, having: an evaporator for evaporating a working liquid; a liquefier for condensing a compressed working vapor; a compressor motor with a suction mouth having attached thereto a radial impeller to convey a working vapor evaporated in the evaporator through the suction mouth; a guide space arranged to guide a working vapor conveyed by the radial impeller into the condenser; and a cooling device for cooling the guide space or the suction mouth with a liquid, wherein the cooling device is configured to guide the liquid onto an outside of the guide space or of the suction mouth, wherein the outside is not in contact with the working vapor, and wherein an inside of the guide space or of the suction mouth is in contact with the working vapor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventor: Oliver KNIFFLER
  • Publication number: 20200191282
    Abstract: A fluid switchover device includes a housing having at least three ports leading into an interior space; a valve flap rotatably arranged within the housing and having a rotational axis that is mounted to the housing at first and second locations; and a circumferential seal mounted to the valve flap and having first and second evasion portions at first and second locations, respectively, which are configured to evade the rotational axis on the same side of the valve flap, and the valve flap is configured to slidingly engage a boundary of the interior space by means of the circumferential seal, so that at a first position of the valve flap, the first and second ports are connected, and the first and third ports are mutually sealed off, and in a second position, the first and third ports are connected, and the first and second ports are mutually sealed off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Oliver KNIFFLER, Gerd WINGS
  • Publication number: 20200141615
    Abstract: A heat pump arrangement includes a heat pump device, an evaporator cycle interface for inputting liquid to be cooled into the heat pump device and for outputting cooled liquid out of the heat pump device, a condenser cycle interface for inputting liquid to be heated into the heat pump device and for outputting heated liquid out of the heat pump device, a controllable heat exchanger for controllably coupling the evaporator cycle interface and the condenser cycle interface, and a control for controlling the controllable heat exchanger in dependence on an evaporator cycle temperature in the evaporator cycle interface or a condenser cycle temperature in the condenser cycle interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Oliver KNIFFLER, Jürgen SÜSS
  • Patent number: 10634401
    Abstract: A heat pump includes an evaporator for evaporating working liquid within an evaporator space bounded by an evaporator base, and a condenser for condensing evaporated working liquid within a condenser space bounded by a condenser base, the evaporator space being at least partially surrounded by the condenser space, the evaporator space being separated from the condenser space by the condenser base, and the condenser base being connected to the evaporator base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: Efficient Energy GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Kniffler, Holger Sedlak
  • Patent number: 10473368
    Abstract: A heat pump includes a first portion for evaporating a working fluid at a first pressure, for compressing the evaporated working fluid to a second, higher pressure, and for liquefying the compressed working fluid within a liquefier, and a second portion for compressing liquid working fluid to a third pressure, which is higher than the second pressure, for evaporating the working fluid compressed to the third pressure, for relaxing the evaporated working fluid to a pressure, which is lower than the third pressure, so as to generate electrical current, and for liquefying relaxed evaporated working fluid within the liquefier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: EFFICIENT ENERGY GMBH
    Inventors: Holger Sedlak, Oliver Kniffler
  • Patent number: 10337746
    Abstract: A heat pump has an evaporator for evaporating water as a working liquid so as to produce a working vapor, the evaporation taking place at an evaporation pressure of less than 20 hPa. The working vapor is compressed to a working pressure of at least 25 hPa by a dynamic-type compressor so as to then be liquefied within a liquefier by direct contact with liquefier water. The heat pump is preferably an open system, wherein water present in the environment in the form of ground water, sea water, river water, lake water or brine is evaporated, and wherein water which has been liquefied again is fed to the evaporator, to the soil or to a water treatment plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Efficient Energy GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Sedlak, Oliver Kniffler
  • Publication number: 20190154309
    Abstract: A heat pump system includes a first heat pump arrangement having a compressor having a compressor output; a second heat pump arrangement having an input portion and an output portion; and a coupler for thermally coupling the first heat pump arrangement and the second heat pump arrangement, the coupler including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger being connected to the input portion of the second heat pump arrangement, and the second heat exchanger being connected to the output portion of the second heat pump arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Oliver KNIFFLER, Jürgen SÜß
  • Publication number: 20190154310
    Abstract: A heat pump system includes a first heat pump arrangement configured to operate with a first heat pump medium including CO2; a second heat pump arrangement configured to operate with a second heat pump medium including water; and a coupler for thermally coupling the first heat pump arrangement to the second heat pump arrangement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Oliver KNIFFLER, Jürgen SÜSS
  • Patent number: 10256686
    Abstract: A rotor includes a rotor shaft with a mounting portion along a mounting region of the shaft; and a plurality of permanent magnets mounted in the mounting portion on the rotor shaft, wherein the rotor shaft includes, in the mounting portion, a region with a radius reduced with respect to a circular cross-section, such that a radially measured thickness of a permanent magnet is greater in the region than in an adjacent region with non-reduced radius of the rotor shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Efficient Energy GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Sedlak, Oliver Kniffler
  • Patent number: 10222103
    Abstract: A heat pump includes an evaporator with an evaporator inlet and an evaporator outlet; a compressor for compressing operating liquid evaporated in the evaporator; and a condenser for condensing evaporated operating liquid compressed in the compressor, wherein the condenser includes a condenser inlet and a condenser outlet, wherein the evaporator inlet is connected to a return from a region to be heated, and wherein the condenser inlet is connected to a return from a region to be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Efficient Energy GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Sedlak, Oliver Kniffler