COMBINED REFRIGERATING/FREEZING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM

• US 20110120168A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: HA, Do Yong, KWAK, Tae Hee, YOO, Yoon Ho, CHUNG, Baik Young, CHOI, Jae Heuk
• Granted Patent: US 8,393,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/324.6
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/22 Refrigeration systems for supermarkets
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/31 Low ambient temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 7/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with cascade operation, i.e. with two or more circuits, the heat from the condenser of one circuit being absorbed by the evaporator of the next circuit F25B9/00 takes precedence

Abstract

A combined refrigerating/freezing and air conditioning system is provided. The system may include an air conditioning circuit, a refrigerating circuit, a freezing circuit, a first heat exchanger, and a second heat exchanger. The air conditioning circuit may include a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor heat exchanger. The refrigerating circuit may include compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. The freezing circuit may include a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator. The refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit may be heat-exchanged with the refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit in the first heat exchanger, and the refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit may be heat-exchanged with the refrigerant of the freezing circuit in the second heat exchanger to improve air conditioning efficiency and refrigerating/freezing efficiency of the system.

Claims

1. A combined refrigerating/freezing and air conditioning system, comprising:

an air conditioning circuit including an air conditioning compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor heat exchanger;

a refrigerating circuit including a refrigerating compressor, a refrigerating condenser, and a refrigerating evaporator;

a freezing circuit including a freezing compressor, a freezing condenser, and a freezing evaporator; and

a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit and refrigerant flowing through the freezing circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit and refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit is condensed in the refrigerating condenser, and then heat-exchanged with refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit, and then condensed in the refrigerating condenser.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the air conditioning circuit has a cooling mode and a heating mode, and wherein refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit is condensed in the refrigerating condenser, and then heat-exchanged with refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit in the cooling mode, and refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit and is then condensed in the refrigerating condenser in the heating mode.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein an order of performing one operation in which refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit is condensed in the refrigerating condenser and another operation in which refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with refrigerant flowing the air conditioning circuit is determined based on outdoor air conditions.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switch that controls flow of refrigerant through a passage that connects the refrigerating compressor, the refrigerating condenser and the first heat exchanger.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the switch directs refrigerant that has been compressed in the refrigerating compressor to at least one of the refrigerating condenser or the first heat exchanger.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first switch that directs a flow of refrigerant compressed in the refrigerating compressor to the refrigerating condenser or to the first; and

a second switch that directs a flow of refrigerant condensed in the refrigerating condenser to the first heat exchanger or to the refrigerating evaporator.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the air conditioning circuit has a cooling mode and a heating mode, and wherein, in the cooling mode, refrigerant compressed in the refrigerating compressor is directed to the refrigerating condenser by the first switch and condensed, and is then directed to the first heat exchanger by the second switch, and in the heating mode, refrigerant compressed in the refrigerating compressor is directed to the first heat exchanger by the first switch and heat-exchanged with refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit, and is then directed to the refrigerating condenser by the second switch.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein refrigerant compressed in the refrigerating compressor is directed to the first heat exchanger by the first switch and heat-exchanged with refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit, and is then directed to the refrigerating condenser by the second switch based on outdoor air conditions.

12. A combined refrigerating/freezing and air conditioning system, comprising:

an air conditioning circuit through which a first refrigerant circulates so as to perform an air conditioning cycle;

a refrigerating circuit through which a second refrigerant circulates so as to perform a refrigerating cycle;

a freezing circuit through which a third refrigerant circulates so as to perform a freezing cycle; and

a heat exchange system that performs heat exchange between the freezing circuit and the refrigerating circuit, and between the refrigerating circuit and the air conditioning circuit.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the heat exchange system comprises:

a first heat exchanger that selectively performs heat exchange between the second refrigerant and the third refrigerant; and

a second heat exchanger that selectively performs heat exchange between the first refrigerant and the second refrigerant.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises a cascade heat exchanger that transfers heat from the third refrigerant flowing through the freezing circuit to the second refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second heat exchanger comprises a cascade heat exchanger that transfers heat from the second refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit to the first refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first refrigerant supplied to the second heat exchanger from the air conditioning circuit has a relatively low pressure and is heat-exchanged with the second refrigerant supplied to the second heat exchanger from the refrigerating circuit, the second refrigerant having a relatively high pressure.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the second refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger from the refrigerating circuit has a relatively low pressure and is heat-exchanged with the third refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger from the freezing circuit, the third refrigerant having a relatively high pressure.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the second refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with the first refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit by the second heat exchanger after being condensed in the refrigerating circuit.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the second refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with the first refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit by the second heat exchanger after being compressed in the refrigerating circuit and before being condensed in the refrigerating circuit.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the air conditioning circuit has a cooling mode and a heating mode, and wherein, when the air conditioning circuit is in the cooling mode, the second refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with the first refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit by the second heat exchanger after being condensed in the refrigerating circuit, and when the air conditioning circuit is in the heating mode, the second refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with the first refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit by the second heat exchanger after being compressed in the refrigerating circuit and before being condensed in the refrigerating circuit.

21. The system of claim 13, further comprising a four-way valve that directs the second refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit to the second heat exchanger after being condensed in the refrigerating circuit, or after being compressed it the refrigerating circuit and before being condensed in the refrigerating circuit.

22. A combined refrigerating and air conditioning system, comprising:

an air conditioning circuit including an air conditioning compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an indoor heat exchanger; and

a refrigerating circuit including a refrigerating compressor, a refrigerating condenser, and a refrigerating evaporator, wherein the outdoor heat exchanger and the refrigerating condenser are installed in a single outdoor unit.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a freezing circuit including a freezing compressor, a freezing condenser and a freezing evaporator; and

a heat exchanging system that performs heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit and refrigerant flowing through the freezing circuit.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the heat exchanging system also performs heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit and refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the freezing condenser is also installed in the single outdoor unit together with the outdoor heat exchanger and the refrigerating condenser.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the heat exchanging system comprises:

a first heat exchanger that provides for heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit and refrigerant flowing through the freezing circuit; and

a second heat exchanger that provides for heat exchange between refrigerant flowing through the air conditioning circuit and refrigerant flowing through the refrigerating circuit.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein heat is transferred from the refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit to the refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit in the second heat exchanger, and heat is transferred from the refrigerant of the freezing circuit to the refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit in the first heat exchanger.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is condensed in the refrigerating condenser and is then heat-exchanged with refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit, or wherein refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit and is then condensed in the refrigerating condenser.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is condensed in the refrigerating condenser and is then heat-exchanged with refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit in a cooling mode of the air conditioning circuit, and wherein refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit and is then condensed in the refrigerating condenser in a heating mode of the air conditioning circuit.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein an order of performing one operation in which refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is condensed in the refrigerating condenser and another operation in which refrigerant of the refrigerating circuit is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant of the air conditioning circuit is determined based on outdoor air conditions.