Air Conditioning Device for a Compartment, in Particular for a Railroad Vehicle

• US 20150191182A1
• Filed: 01/08/2015
• Published: 07/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alstom Transport Technologies
• Original Assignee: Alstom Transport Technologies
• Inventors: ABOU EID, Rami, CHAN, Josselin, CHEVALIER, Philippe, MORTREUX, Francis
• Granted Patent: US 9,994,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 27/0018 Air-conditioning means, i.e. combining at least two of the following ways of treating or supplying air, namely heating, cooling or ventilating air-conditioning in general F24F
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/061 the capacity of the first system being different from the second
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/24 Storage receiver heat
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/20 Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves expansion valves F25B41/31
• 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 47/022 hot gas defrosting
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/06 Removing frost defrosting cycles F25B47/02

Abstract

The air conditioning device (10) according to the invention comprises a primary heat pump circuit (12), comprising at least one primary heat exchanger (14) with the air from the compartment, a primary compressor (16), a second primary heat exchanger (18) with the outside air, and a primary expander device (20), and a heat storage reservoir (46), connected to the primary circuit (12), in parallel with said first primary heat exchanger (14) with the air from the compartment. The air conditioning device (10) comprises a secondary heat pump circuit (12′), comprising a first secondary heat exchanger (14′) with the air from the compartment, a secondary compressor (16′), a second secondary heat exchanger (18′) with the air from the outside, and a secondary expander device (20′). The heat storage reservoir (46) is connected to the secondary circuit (12′), in parallel with said first secondary heat exchanger (14′) with the air from the compartment.

Claims

1. An air conditioning device for a compartment, said air conditioning device comprising:

a primary heat pump circuit, comprising at least one first primary heat exchanger with the air from the compartment, a primary compressor, a second primary heat exchanger with the outside air, and a primary expander device,

a secondary heat pump circuit, comprising a first secondary heat exchanger with the air from the compartment, a secondary compressor, a second secondary heat exchanger with the air from the outside, and a secondary expander device,

a heat storage reservoir, connected to the primary heat pump circuit, in parallel with said first primary heat exchanger with the air from the compartment, and connected to the secondary heat pump circuit, in parallel with said first secondary heat exchanger with the air from the compartment.

2. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the heat storage reservoir comprises:

an enclosure filled with a heat storage fluid,

a first hollow heat exchange element, housed in the enclosure, and communicating with the primary heat pump circuit, and

a second hollow heat exchange element, housed in the enclosure, and communicating with the secondary heat pump circuit.

3. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein the primary heat pump circuits comprises:

a first primary branch, connected to the first primary heat exchanger,

a second primary branch, extending between the first primary heat exchanger and the primary expander device,

a third primary branch, extending between the primary expander device and the second primary heat exchanger,

a fourth primary branch, connected to the second primary heat exchanger,

a primary compressor branch, on which the primary compressor is arranged, and extending between a primary inlet part and a primary outlet part,

a primary inversion device, able to alternate between connecting said primary inlet portion to the first primary branch and said primary outlet portion to the fourth primary branch, and connecting said primary inlet part to the fourth primary branch and said primary outlet part to the first primary branch,

and the secondary heat pump circuits comprises;

a first secondary branch, connected to the first secondary heat exchanger,

a second secondary branch, extending between the first secondary heat exchanger and the secondary expander device,

a third secondary branch, extending between the secondary expander device and the second secondary heat exchanger,

a fourth secondary branch, connected to the second secondary heat exchanger,

a secondary compressor branch, on which the secondary compressor is arranged, and extending between a secondary inlet part and a secondary outlet part,

a secondary inversion device, able to alternate between connecting said secondary inlet portion to the first secondary branch and said secondary outlet portion to the fourth secondary branch, and connecting said secondary inlet part to the fourth secondary branch and said secondary outlet part to the first secondary branch.

4. The air conditioning device according to claim 3, wherein the primary inversion device comprises:

a first primary three-way valve, having a first path connected to said first primary branch, a second path connected to said primary inlet part, and a third path connected to said fourth primary branch, and

a second primary three-way valve, having a first path connected to said first primary branch, a second path connected to said primary outlet part, and a third path connected to said fourth primary branch,

5. The air conditioning device according to claim 3, wherein the secondary inversion device comprises:

a first secondary three-way valve, having a first path connected to said first secondary branch, a second path connected to said secondary inlet part, and a third path connected to said fourth secondary branch, and

a second secondary three-way valve, having a first path connected to said first secondary branch, a second path connected to said secondary outlet part, and a third path connected to said fourth secondary branch.

6. The air conditioning device according to claim 3, wherein the primary expander device comprises a first primary expander supported by a first primary expander branch, and a second primary expander supported by a second primary expander branch, such that:

the first primary expander has an inlet connected to said second primary branch, and an outlet connected to said third primary branch,

the second primary expander has an inlet connected to said third primary branch, and an outlet connected to said second primary branch,

the first primary expander branch comprises a first primary check valve, arranged in series with the first primary expander, and oriented in the same direction as that first primary expander, and

the second primary expander branch comprises a second primary check valve, arranged in series with the second primary expander, and oriented in the same direction as that second primary expander.

7. The air conditioning device according to claim 3, wherein the secondary expander device comprises a first secondary expander supported by a first secondary expander branch, and a second secondary expander supported by a second secondary expander branch, such that:

the first secondary expander has an inlet connected to said second secondary branch, and an outlet connected to said third secondary branch,

the second secondary expander has an inlet connected to said third secondary branch, and an outlet connected to said second secondary branch,

the first secondary expander branch comprises a first secondary check valve, arranged in series with the first secondary expander, and oriented in the same direction as that first secondary expander, and

the second secondary expander branch comprises a second secondary check valve, arranged in series with the second secondary expander, and oriented in the same direction as that second secondary expander.

8. The air conditioning device according to claim 3, wherein:

the heat storage reservoir comprises an enclosure filled with a heat storage fluid, a first hollow heat exchange element, housed in the enclosure, and communicating with the primary heat pump circuit, and a second hollow heat exchange element, housed in the enclosure, and communicating with the secondary heat pump circuit,

the first hollow heat exchange element is connected on the one hand to said first primary branch of the primary heat pump circuit by means of a first primary conduit, and on the other hand to said second primary branch of the primary heat pump circuit by means of a second primary conduit, and

the second hollow heat exchange element is connected on the one hand to said first secondary branch of the secondary heat pump circuit by means of a first secondary conduit, and on the other hand said second secondary branch of the secondary heat pump circuit by means of a second secondary conduit.

9. The air conditioning device according to claim 8, wherein:

the first primary conduit is connected to the first primary branch of the primary circuit at a first primary branching,

the second primary conduit is connected to the second primary branch of the primary circuit at a second primary branching,

the first primary branch of the primary circuit comprises a first primary valve arranged between said first primary branching and the first primary exchanger, and

one of the first primary conduit and second primary conduit comprises a second primary valve.

10. The air conditioning device according to claim 8, wherein:

the first primary conduit is connected to the first primary branch of the primary circuit at a first primary branching,

the second primary conduit is connected to the second primary branch of the primary circuit at a second primary branching,

the second primary branch of the primary circuit comprises a first primary valve arranged between said second primary branching and the first primary exchanger, and

one of the first primary conduit and second primary conduit comprises a second primary valve.

11. The air conditioning device according to claim 8, wherein:

the first secondary conduit is connected to the first secondary branch of the secondary circuit at a first secondary branching,

the second secondary conduit is connected to the second secondary branch of the secondary circuit at a second secondary branching,

the first secondary branch of the secondary circuit comprises a first secondary valve arranged between said first secondary branching and the first secondary exchanger, and

one of the first secondary conduit and second secondary conduit comprises a second secondary valve.

12. The air conditioning device according to claim 8, wherein:

the first secondary conduit is connected to the first secondary branch of the secondary circuit at a first secondary branching,

the second secondary conduit is connected to the second secondary branch of the secondary circuit at a second secondary branching,

the second secondary branch of the secondary circuit comprises a first secondary valve arranged between said second secondary branching and the first secondary exchanger, and

one of the first secondary conduit and second secondary conduit comprises a second secondary valve.

13. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, where said heat storage reservoir is able to exchange heat with the air in the compartment, the heat storage reservoir being equipped with a ventilation device able to generate a flow of air passing through the storage reservoir.

14. The air conditioning device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second primary or secondary heat exchangers is equipped with a ventilation device able to generate a flow of air passing through that first or second primary or secondary heat exchanger.

15. A method for defrosting a second heat exchanger of a heat pump circuit of an air conditioning device comprising:

the heat pump circuit, comprising at least one first heat exchanger with the air from the compartment, a compressor, the second heat exchanger with the outside air, and an expander device, and

another heat pump circuit, comprising a first other heat exchanger with the air from the compartment, another compressor, a second other heat exchanger with the air from the outside, and another expander device,

a heat storage reservoir, connected to the heat pump circuit, in parallel with said first heat exchanger with the air from the compartment, and connected to the other heat pump circuit, in parallel with said secondary heat exchanger with the air from the compartment,

wherein;

the heat pump circuit comprising the second heat exchanger to be defrosted, operates in a cold storage configuration, in which a refrigerant circulating in that heat pump circuit withdraws heat from the storage reservoir and gives that heat back to the second heat exchanger to be defrosted,

the other heat pump circuit operates in a heating configuration of the compartment, in which a refrigerant circulating in that circuit withdraws heat from the second other heat exchanger of that other heat pump circuit and gives that heat back to the first other heat exchanger of that other heat pump circuit.

16. The defrosting method according to claim 15, wherein said other heat pump circuit operates in a configuration for heating the compartment and storing heat in the storage reservoir, in which a refrigerant circulated in that other heat pump circuit withdraws heat from the second other heat exchanger of that other heat pump circuit and gives the heat back on the one hand to the first other heat exchanger of that other heat pump circuit, and on the other hand to the storage reservoir.

17. A railway vehicle having a compartment, and having an air conditioning device for the compartment, said air conditioning device comprising:

a primary heat pump circuit, comprising at least one primary heat exchanger with the air from the compartment, a primary compressor, a second primary heat exchanger with the outside air, and a primary expander device,

a secondary heat pump circuit, comprising a first secondary heat exchanger with the air from the compartment, a secondary compressor, a second secondary heat exchanger with the air from the outside, and a secondary expander device,

a heat storage reservoir, connected to the primary circuit, in parallel with said primary heat exchanger with the air from the compartment, and connected to the secondary circuit, in parallel with said first secondary heat exchanger with the air from the compartment.