Refrigerant evaporator over-pressure relief system including a fluid containment vessel
First Claim
1. A fluid containment system for minimizing or preventing the loss of refrigerant fluid, comprising:
- a mechanical refrigeration system incorporating refrigerant fluid;
an evaporator within said refrigeration system, said evaporator for receiving said fluid therein; and
an over pressure containment vessel in fluid communication with said evaporator, said vessel for receiving fluid from said evaporator to reduce the pressure in said evaporator and the receipt of fluid from said evaporator being controlled by a pressure differential between said evaporator and said vessel during normal operation of said mechanical refrigerant systems.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a fluid containment system for minimizing the loss of refrigerant fluid from a refrigerant evaporator. The mechanical refrigeration system includes an evaporator for absorbing energy from the cooling media. The evaporator includes a pressurized shell, which to comply with applicable safety codes requires a pressure relief system for relieving an over-pressure condition. A sealed over-pressure containment vessel is connected in fluid communication with the evaporator. The containment vessel receives liquid refrigerant from the evaporator in order to reduce the pressure in the evaporator, and the flow of refrigerant fluid from the evaporator to the containment vessel is controlled by a pressure differential therebetween. After the over-pressure condition in the evaporator has been corrected the liquid refrigerant in the containment vessel can be returned to the evaporator. The containment vessel while receiving liquid refrigerant from the evaporator allows for the reduction of pressure in the evaporator and acts to help prevent the discharge of refrigerant into the atmosphere.
28 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A fluid containment system for minimizing or preventing the loss of refrigerant fluid, comprising:
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a mechanical refrigeration system incorporating refrigerant fluid; an evaporator within said refrigeration system, said evaporator for receiving said fluid therein; and an over pressure containment vessel in fluid communication with said evaporator, said vessel for receiving fluid from said evaporator to reduce the pressure in said evaporator and the receipt of fluid from said evaporator being controlled by a pressure differential between said evaporator and said vessel during normal operation of said mechanical refrigerant systems. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A fluid containment system for minimizing or preventing the loss of refrigerant fluid, comprising:
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a mechanical refrigeration system incorporating refrigerant fluid; an evaporator within said refrigeration system, said evaporator for receiving said fluid therein; an over pressure containment vessel in fluid communication with said evaporator, said vessel for receiving said fluid from said evaporator to reduce the pressure in said evaporator; and cooling means connected to said vessel for reducing the temperature of fluid in said vessel. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification