Refrigeration system including thermoelectric heat recovery and actuation

• US 20070101737A1
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jayanth, Nagaraj, Ignatiev, Kirill, Akei, Masao, Pham, Hung, Caillat, Jean-Luc
• Application Number:
  US11/270,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20070101737A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/238.600
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 1/00 Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle F25B3/00, F25B5/00, F25B6/00, F25B7/00, F25B9/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 27/02 using waste heat, e.g. from internal-combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 6/02 arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/00 Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/274 using waste energy, e.g. from internal combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 40/963 Off-grid food refrigeration

Abstract

A vapor-compression circuit may be used to meet the temperature/load demands for conditioning one or more spaces. Excess heat generated in the vapor-compression circuit may be utilized to generate an electric current that may power other components of the vapor-compression circuit. A thermoelectric device may be placed in heat-transferring contact with the excess heat and generate the electrical current. The electric current generated may be used to power another thermoelectric device to provide further cooling or heating of a fluid in heat-transferring relation therewith to supplement the vapor-compression circuit and the conditioning of the space.

Claims

1. A system including a vapor-compression circuit including a source of waste heat and a thermoelectric device positioned in heat-transferring relation to said source of waste heat and that generates an electric current from said source of waste heat.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said vapor compression circuit includes a compressor that compresses a working fluid.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said compressor includes a member separating high-pressure working fluid from low-pressure working fluid and said thermoelectric device is disposed in heat-transferring relation between said high-pressure working fluid and said low-pressure working fluid.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said member is a scroll member and said thermoelectric device is positioned adjacent said scroll member.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said scroll member is one of an orbiting scroll member and a nonorbiting scroll member and said thermoelectric device is positioned adjacent said orbiting scroll member.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said member is a partition and said thermoelectric device is positioned adjacent said partition.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein said member is a compression member and said thermoelectric device is positioned adjacent said compression member.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein said compressor includes a motor and said source of waste heat includes said motor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said compressor uses a lubricant, said motor includes a rotor, and said thermoelectric device is disposed in heat-transferring relation between said rotor and at least one of said lubricant and said working fluid within said compressor.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said compressor uses a lubricant, said motor includes a stator, and said thermoelectric device is disposed in heat-transferring relation between said stator and at least one of said lubricant and said working fluid within said compressor.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein said vapor compression circuit further includes an evaporator that evaporates said working fluid and a condenser that condenses said working fluid.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising another thermoelectric device that is powered by said electric current and transfers heat from said working fluid to an ambient environment.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said another thermoelectric device subcools said working fluid downstream of said condenser in said vapor-compression circuit.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein said compressor includes a shell and said thermoelectric device is disposed adjacent said shell.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said compressor includes a discharge chamber containing working fluid at discharge pressure and separated from an ambient environment by said shell and said thermoelectric device is disposed in heat-transferring relation to said working fluid and said ambient environment.

16. The system of claim 2, wherein said thermoelectric device is in heat-transferring relation to a component of said compressor.

17. The system of claim 2, wherein said compressor includes a shell and a sump including lubricant and said thermoelectric device is disposed in heat-transferring relation to said lubricant and said ambient environment.

18. The system of claim 2, wherein said compressor includes a discharge passage for compressed working fluid and wherein said thermoelectric device is disposed in heat-transferring relation to said compressed working fluid and an ambient environment.

19. The system of claim 2, wherein said compressor discharges compressed working fluid through a muffler external to said compressor, and said thermoelectric device is disposed in heat-transferring relation to said compressed working fluid within said muffler and an ambient environment.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said electric current generated by said thermoelectric device is operable to power a load.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said load is another thermoelectric device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said another thermoelectric device transfers heat from said working fluid to an ambient environment.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said vapor-compression circuit includes a compressor that compresses a working fluid and said load is internal to said compressor.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising a load and wherein said electric current generated by said thermoelectric device is operable to power said load.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said load is another thermoelectric device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said another thermoelectric device transfers heat from a working fluid in said vapor-compression circuit to an ambient environment.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein said load is a system power supply and said thermoelectric device at least supplements said power supply.

28. A refrigeration system including the system of claim 1.

29. An air conditioning system including the system of claim 1.

30. A refrigerator including the system of claim 1.

31-79. -79. (canceled)