Refrigeration system

• US 10,168,078 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mayekawa Manufacturing Company Limited (Mayekawa Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Mayekawa Manufacturing Company Limited (Mayekawa Holding AG)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Naoko, Komatsu, Shunsuke, Ueda, Shota, Komeda, Masao, Kudo, Mizuo, Machida, Akito
• Primary Examiner(s): Trpisovsky, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/888,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20160076793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 62335, 62175
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/10 with multi-stage compression with cascade operation F25B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 11/02 as expanders F25B9/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2339/047 Water-cooled condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/072 Intercoolers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/075 with parallel compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/14 Power generation using energy from the expansion of the refrigerant
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 25/005 using primary and secondary systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/00 Machines, plants or systems, using particular sources of energy F25B30/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/24 Arrangement of shut-off valves for disconnecting a part of the refrigerant cycle, e.g. an outdoor part
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 6/04 arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/06 using expanders F25B9/10 takes precedence

Abstract

To provide a refrigeration system capable of being installed efficiently in a limited space while ensuring a good reliability, the refrigeration system according to the present invention comprises a refrigeration cycle having: a circulation path (101) in which a refrigerant flows; and at least one compressor (102) for compressing the refrigerant, a heat exchanger (103) for cooling the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, at least one expansion turbine (104) for expanding the refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger to generate cold heat, and a cooling part (105) for cooling an object to be cooled by the cold heat, which are provided on the circulation path in order, wherein at least either the at least one compressor or the at least one expansion turbine comprises a plurality of compressors or expansion turbines which are arranged in parallel with one another with respect to the circulation path.

Claims

1. A refrigeration system including a refrigeration cycle, comprising:

a circulation path in which a refrigerant flows; and

at least one compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant compressed by the at least one compressor, a cold heat recovering exchanger, at least one expansion turbine for expanding the refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger to generate cold heat, and a cooling part for cooling an object to be cooled by the cold heat provided on the circulation path in order,

wherein at least either the at least one compressor or the at least one expansion turbine comprises a plurality of compressors or expansion turbines which are arranged in parallel with one another with respect to the circulation path,

wherein the cold heat recovering exchanger, the at least one expansion turbine, and the cooling part are housed together in at least one cold box insulated from the outside,

wherein the at least one compressor and the heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant compressed by the at least one compressor are housed together in at least one compressor unit other than the at least one cold box, and

wherein the at least one compressor unit is placed at a position farther from the object to be cooled than the at least one cold box.

2. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of compressors or each of the plurality of expansion turbines arranged in parallel with one another in the circulation path is configured to be disconnectable from the circulation path via a switching valve.

3. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one compressor unit comprises a plurality of compressor units arranged in parallel with one another with respect to the at least one cold box via a switching valve.

4. The refrigeration system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cold box comprises a plurality of cold boxes, and the at least one compressor unit comprises a plurality of compressor units, both of the plurality of cold boxes and the plurality of the compressor units being arranged in parallel with one another with respect to the object to be cooled.

5. The refrigeration system according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one compressor comprises a first compressor, a second compressor and a third compressor arranged in series on the circulation path,

wherein the first compressor is connected to an output shaft of a first electric motor together with the second compressor, and

wherein the third compressor is connected to an output shaft of a second electric motor together with one of the at least one expansion turbine.

6. A super conducting system comprising:

a LN2 circulation path in which liquid nitrogen flows;

a super conducting device disposed on the LN2 circulation path and configured to be cooled by the liquid nitrogen; and

a refrigeration system for cooling the liquid nitrogen,

wherein the refrigeration system includes;

a circulation path in which refrigerant flows;

at least one compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant compressed by the at least one compressor, at least one expansion turbine for expanding the refrigerant cooled by the heat exchanger to generate cold heat, and a cooling part for cooling the liquid nitrogen by the cold heat, which are provided on the circulation path in order;

at least one cold box which houses the at least one expansion turbine and the heat exchanger, the at least one cold box being insulated from the outside; and

a compressor unit which is disposed separately from the at least one cold box and which houses the at least one compressor,

wherein the super conducting device is disposed outside the at least one cold box and the compressor unit such that the at least one compressor unit is placed at a position farther from the super conducting device than the at least one cold box.