Vapor compression system

• US 10,458,687 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Kohler, Jay A., Marks, Patrick Christian, Casper, Ian Michael, Devlin, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Trpisovsky, Joseph F
• Application Number:
  US15/399,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20170191714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 62468, 62518
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 1/04 Evaporators with horizontal tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2339/0242 having tubular elements
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2339/047 Water-cooled condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/13 Economisers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/23 Separators
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 25/005 using primary and secondary systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/01 Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0253 with variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2513 Expansion valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/171 of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21162 of the refrigerant at the inlet of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21163 of the refrigerant at the outlet of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/02 Evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/028 having distributing means
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 40/02 Subcoolers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/385 Dispositions with two or more expansion means arranged in parallel on a refrigerant line leading to the same evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/39 Dispositions with two or more expansion means arranged in series, i.e. multi-stage expansion, on a refrigerant line leading to the same evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 43/006 Accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0063 Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0071 Evaporators
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/16 : the conduits being arranged in parallel spaced relation F28D7/0008 - F28D7/0058 take precedence; F28D7/02 - F28D7/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/002 : by using inserts or attachments
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 9/005 : Other auxiliary members within casings, e.g. internal filling means or sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 : Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system that includes a refrigerant loop, a compressor disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to circulate refrigerant through the refrigerant loop, and an evaporator disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with a cooling fluid, where the refrigerant surrounds a tube bundle disposed in the evaporator, the tube bundle is configured to flow the cooling fluid, and the evaporator has a height based at least on a target height of a liquid level of refrigerant in the evaporator, the evaporator includes a discharge configured to direct the vapor refrigerant from the evaporator to an inlet of the compressor, and an interface between the discharge and the inlet is without a bend.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&

R) system comprising;

a refrigerant loop;

a compressor disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to circulate refrigerant through the refrigerant loop, wherein the compressor comprises an inlet extending from an external surface of a housing of the compressor; and

an evaporator disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with a cooling fluid, wherein the refrigerant surrounds a tube bundle disposed in the evaporator, the tube bundle is configured to flow the cooling fluid, the evaporator comprises a discharge extending from an exterior surface of a shell of the evaporator, wherein the discharge is configured to direct the vapor refrigerant from the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor, and an interface between the discharge and the inlet, wherein the interface, the discharge, and the inlet are without a bend.

2. The HVAC&

R system of claim 1, wherein a height of the evaporator is between 10% and 50% of a length of the evaporator, and wherein the height of the evaporator is between 10% and 50% of a width of the evaporator.

3. The HVAC&

R system of claim 2, comprising the tube bundle of the evaporator, wherein the tube bundle is configured to direct the cooling fluid through multiple passes of the length of the evaporator.

4. The HVAC&

R system of claim 1, wherein the discharge and the inlet are coaxial with one another.

5. The HVAC&

R system of claim 1, wherein the evaporator comprises an economizer configured to receive and preheat the refrigerant before the refrigerant surrounds the tube bundle.

6. The HVAC&

R system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a flanged connection between the discharge and the inlet.

7. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&

R) system, comprising;

a refrigerant loop;

a compressor disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to circulate refrigerant through the refrigerant loop, wherein the compressor comprises an inlet extending from an external surface of a housing of the compressor; and

an evaporator disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with a cooling fluid to evaporate the refrigerant into vapor refrigerant, wherein the evaporator comprises a discharge extending from an exterior surface of a shell of the evaporator, wherein the discharge is configured to direct the vapor refrigerant from the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor, wherein the evaporator comprises an interface between the discharge and the inlet, wherein the interface, the discharge, and the inlet are without a bend, and wherein a first central axis of the discharge and a second central axis of the inlet are axially aligned such that the vapor refrigerant travels in one direction from the evaporator to the compressor.

8. The HVAC&

R system of claim 7, wherein the compressor is driven by a hermetically sealed, in-line permanent magnet motor.

9. The HVAC&

R system of claim 7, wherein the refrigerant is a low pressure refrigerant.

10. The HVAC&

R system of claim 9, wherein the low pressure refrigerant is R-123.

11. The HVAC&

R system of claim 7, comprising a condenser configured to receive the vapor refrigerant from the compressor and condense the vapor refrigerant to the refrigerant.

12. The HVAC&

R system of claim 11, comprising a subcooler and an economizer disposed between the condenser and the evaporator, wherein the subcooler is configured to subcool the refrigerant exiting the condenser, and wherein the economizer is configured to preheat the refrigerant before the refrigerant is placed in thermal communication with the cooling fluid in the evaporator.

13. The HVAC&

R system of claim 7, wherein a height of the evaporator is between 10% and 50% of a length of the evaporator, and wherein the height of the evaporator is between 10% and 50% of a width of the evaporator.

14. The HVAC&

R system of claim 7, wherein the evaporator comprises a box shape.

15. The HVAC&

R system of claim 7, wherein the interface comprises a flanged connection between the discharge and the inlet.

16. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&

R) system, comprising;

a refrigerant loop;

a compressor disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to circulate refrigerant through the refrigerant loop, wherein the compressor comprises an inlet extending from an external surface of a housing of the compressor; and

an evaporator disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to place the refrigerant in thermal communication with a cooling fluid to evaporate the refrigerant to a vapor refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant surrounds a tube bundle disposed in the evaporator, the tube bundle is configured to flow the cooling fluid, the evaporator comprises a discharge extending from an exterior surface of a shell of the evaporator, wherein the discharge is configured to direct the vapor refrigerant from the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor, wherein the discharge, the inlet, and an interface between the discharge and the inlet are without a bend, and the discharge and the inlet are coaxially aligned such that the vapor refrigerant travels in a vertical direction from the evaporator to the compressor.

17. The HVAC&

R system of claim 16, wherein the inlet of the compressor is configured to have a uniform size.

18. The HVAC&

R system of claim 16, wherein a height of the evaporator is between 10% and 50% of a length of the evaporator, and wherein the height of the evaporator is between 10% and 50% of a width of the evaporator.

19. The HVAC&

R system of claim 16, wherein the evaporator comprises a box shape.

20. The HVAC&

R system of claim 16, wherein the interface comprises a flanged connection between the discharge and the inlet.