Condenser and hot water system

• US 4,305,456 A
• Filed: 07/20/1978
• Issued: 12/15/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul Mueller Company
• Original Assignee: Paul Mueller Company
• Inventors: Mueller, Paul, Prine, Ray A.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Lloyd L.
• Application Number:
  US05/925,853
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 165/145, 165/170, 62/238 E, 62/324 D
• US Class Current: 165/145
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 17/02 using heat pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 4/04 Storage heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2339/047 Water-cooled condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 29/003 of the compression type system
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/04 Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/0039 with stratification of the heat storage material
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2020/0078 Heat exchanger arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2020/0082 Multiple tanks arrangements, e.g. adjacent tanks, tank in tank
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2020/0086 Partitions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/439 Serially connected conduit assemblies, i.e. no manifold

Abstract

This invention relates to a hot water system which utilizes heat from the refrigerant of a refrigeration system to produce hot water. The utilized heat consists of the superheat of the refrigerant vapor, the latent heat of condensation, and part of the sensible heat of the liquid refrigerant. The water passing through a water-cooled condenser, which is part of the refrigeration system, is heated to a selected temperature by removal of both the superheat of refrigerant vapor, the latent heat of condensation, and part of the sensible heat of the liquid refrigerant as it passes through the condenser. The condenser has a water inlet and an outlet between which is connected to a hot water storage tank. As the water in the condenser is heated by absorption of the superheat of the refrigerant vapor, the latent heat of condensation, and part of the sensible heat of the liquid refrigerant passing therethrough, the heated water rises and flows by convection into the storage tank. Eventually the storage tank may fill completely with water of a selected temperature. A temperature responsive flow restriction device, or thermostat, is located between the water outlet of the condenser and the storage tank, which restricts the flow of water below a preselected temperature. The heated water, being lighter than the balance of the water in the tank, will remain stratified at the top of the tank and may be drawn off as needed.

Claims

1. A water type condenser comprising a housing having a water inlet, a water outlet, and a heat exchanger immersed within the water contained within said housing, said heat exchanger comprising a coiled sheet having a seamless upper surface and refrigerant passages formed therein, said passages including at least one substantially horizontal unobstructed passageway near the upper edge of said sheet.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said coiled sheet further comprises a second substantially horizontal passageway near the lower edge of said sheet.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the coiled sheet has a middle section comprising at least two sheet surfaces joined at spaced points over substantially their entire areas, said refrigerant passages of said coiled sheet being formed between said points to define a generally pillowed heat exchange surface.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the coiled sheet includes a refrigerant inlet at an upper corner and a refrigerant outlet at the lower corner of said sheet opposite said inlet, the upper passageway having an opening opposite said inlet communicating with the middle section, the lower passageway having an opening opposite said outlet communicating with the middle section so that refrigerant traverses the approximate length of the coiled sheet at least three times between said inlet and outlet.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein said upper and lower passageways are formed in the approximate shape of a tube extending substantially the entire length of the coiled sheet.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger is formed from a single sheet, said single sheet being doubled over with the folded edge of said sheet forming the upper surface of the heat exchanger to permit the top passageway to be more tubelike in shape.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein the middle section has means permitting the separation of liquified refrigerant from gaseous refrigerant to thereby improve the free flow of refrigerant through said middle section.

16. The condenser of claim 1 wherein the seamless upper surface of the heat exchanger substantially reduces the effect of corrosive forces at the upper edge thereof and the substantially horizontal unobstructed passageway provides for the increased volume and flow of superheated refrigerant into the heat exchanger.

8. A water type condenser comprising a housing having a water inlet and a water outlet, a heat exchanger having pressurized elements immersed within the water contained within said housing, said heat exchanger including a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, said heat exchanger consisting entirely of a coiled sheet having refrigerant passages and an integrally formed tubular passageway with a seamless upper surface to aid in transferring the superheat of the refrigerant to the water, said refrigerant inlet and outlet being the only points of contact between the pressurized elements of said heat exchanger and any other part of the condenser including other parts of the heat exchanger.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said tubular passageway is substantially horizontal and near the upper edge of said coiled sheet, said coiled sheet including a second integrally formed substantially horizontal tubular passageway near the lower edge of said sheet.

10. The device of claim 8 further comprising a vertical riser tube, means connecting the lower end of the vertical riser tube to the water outlet of the housing, means for sensing the water temperature within said riser tube, means for restricting the flow of water therethrough when the water at the location of the sensing means is below a preselected temperature, means defining an annular collar surrounding said riser tube and extending substantially the entire height thereof, means connecting said annular collar with said refrigerant inlet so that refrigerant may flow from said annular collar into said heat exchanger, a container within the housing, said container being fluid tight except at the lower end thereof so that water entering said container traps air in the top of said container and thereby forces water to flow around said container and over said heat exchanger.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the water outlet and the refrigerant inlet are at the top of the housing, and the water inlet and the refrigerant outlet are at the bottom of the housing so that the flow of water is generally up through the housing and the flow of refrigerant is generally down through the housing.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the heat exchanger is coiled around the container in a generally spaced manner to form a spiral between said container and housing, the refrigerant inlet being near the outer end of said spiral and the refrigerant outlet being near the inner end of said spiral.

13. The device of claim 8 further comprising means to inhibit corrosion at said only points of contact between the heat exchanger and condenser.

14. A condenser for use in producing hot water from the condensing operation of a refrigeration system, said condenser comprising a housing having a water inlet at the bottom and a water outlet at the top, said housing having generally disc shaped top and bottom walls and an annular side wall, a container within said housing, said container having a top wall and a generally annular side wall with the top and side walls of said container being spaced inwardly from the top and side walls of said housing, said container having an opening at the bottom end thereof, water passage means defined between the bottom of said housing and the bottom end of said container and within the spacings between the side and top walls of said housing and container, said container being fluid tight except at its bottom end, a heat exchanger surface within said spacing, said heat exchange surface comprising a coiled sheet having multiple windings that increase in size from its innermost winding to its outermost winding and having refrigerant passages therein, said passages including two tubular shaped horizontal passageways extending substantially the entire length of the upper edge of said sheet, said passageways communicating with each other at both ends thereof, a tubular shaped horizontal passageway extending substantially the entire length of the lower edge of said sheet, a middle section between said upper and lower passageways characterized as providing a relatively low pressure drop for the refrigerant as it passes therethrough, a refrigerant inlet at an upper corner of said sheet, a refrigerant outlet at a lower corner of said sheet opposite said refrigerant inlet, said upper and lower passageways communicating with said refrigerant inlet and outlet, respectively, and with said middle section at an end of each of said passageways opposite said refrigerant inlet and outlet so that refrigerant traverses the approximate length of the coiled sheet three times between said inlet and outlet, the condenser thereby providing for water entering the bottom of the housing, the bottom of the container trapping air in its top and directing the flow of water between the side and top walls of said housing and container and between and around the coiled sheet heat exchanger which heats the water as it moves vertically upward of the water outlet at the top of the housing with most of the superheat of the refrigerant removed in the upper tubular passageway, the heat of condensation removed in the middle section and the lower tubular passageway ensuring complete liquefaction of the refrigerant before exiting the housing through the refrigerant outlet.

15. The device of claim 14 further comprising a vertical riser tube the lower end of which is connected to the water outlet of the housing, temperature sensing means for sensing the temperature of the water in said riser tube, means restricting the flow of said water when the temperature of the water at the location of said sensor is below a preselected temperature, means defining an annular collar surrounding said riser tube and extending substantially the entire height thereof, means connecting said annular collar with said refrigerant inlet so that refrigerant may flow through said annular collar and into said heat exchanger, and wherein said housing and heat exchanger are made of stainless steel and said refrigerant inlet and outlet are made of a more highly corrosion resistant alloy.