Estimating evaporator airflow in vapor compression cycle cooling equipment
First Claim
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1. In vapor compression equipment having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator arranged in succession and connected via a conduit in a closed loop for circulating refrigerant through the closed loop, a process for determining the airflow rate through the evaporator, the process comprising the steps of:
- obtaining the suction dew point and discharge dew point temperatures from the suction line and liquid line pressures;
obtaining the refrigerant mass flow rate that corresponds to the compressor in the vapor compression cycle for the dew point temperatures and suction line superheat;
obtaining the enthalpies at the suction line and at the inlet of the evaporator;
obtaining the enthalpies of the air entering and leaving the evaporator; and
calculating the airflow mass flow rate across the evaporator.
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Abstract
A method for determining airflow through an evaporator coil in a vapor compression cycle by measuring the moist air conditions entering and leaving the coil, and various temperatures and pressures in the refrigerant of the vapor compression cycle. The mass airflow rate and the volumetric airflow rate are then determined.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. In vapor compression equipment having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator arranged in succession and connected via a conduit in a closed loop for circulating refrigerant through the closed loop, a process for determining the airflow rate through the evaporator, the process comprising the steps of:
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obtaining the suction dew point and discharge dew point temperatures from the suction line and liquid line pressures;
obtaining the refrigerant mass flow rate that corresponds to the compressor in the vapor compression cycle for the dew point temperatures and suction line superheat;
obtaining the enthalpies at the suction line and at the inlet of the evaporator;
obtaining the enthalpies of the air entering and leaving the evaporator; and
calculating the airflow mass flow rate across the evaporator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In vapor compression equipment having a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator arranged in succession and connected via a conduit in a closed loop for circulating refrigerant through the closed loop, a process for determining the airflow through the evaporator, the process comprising the steps of:
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measuring liquid line pressure, suction line pressure, suction line temperature, and liquid line temperature;
obtaining the suction dew point and discharge dew point temperatures from the suction line and liquid line pressures;
obtaining the suction line superheat;
obtaining the mass flow rate that corresponds to the compressor in the vapor compression cycle for the dew point temperatures and suction line superheat;
obtaining the suction line superheat specified by the compressor manufacturer;
comparing the calculated suction line superheat to the suction line superheat specified by the compressor manufacturer; and
,if the calculated suction line superheat is different than the suction line superheat specified by the compressor manufacturer, correcting the mass flow rate by multiplying the suction line superheat specified by the compressor manufacturer by the ratio of the design suction line absolute temperature over the actual suction line absolute temperature;
obtaining the enthalpies at the suction line and at the inlet of the evaporator;
calculating the capacity of the vapor compression cycle from the mass flow rate and the enthalpies across the evaporator;
obtaining the enthalpies of the air entering and leaving the evaporator; and
calculating the airflow mass flow rate across the evaporator. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification