Hybrid air handler cooling unit with bi-modal heat exchanger
AssigneeVertiv Corporation
InventorZhiyong Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hybrid air handler cooling unit has a bi-modal heat exchanger. In a direct expansion mode or a pumped refrigerant economization mode, the bi-modal heat exchanger is in a refrigerant path in parallel with first and second condenser coils and functions as a condenser coil. In a mixed direct expansion/pumped refrigerant economization mode, the bi-modal heat exchanger is in a refrigerant path in series between an outlet of a pump and an inlet of the first condenser coil and functions as a pre-cooler evaporator coil with return air first flowing across the bi-modal heat exchanger and then across an evaporator coil of an evaporator.
Claims5
A hybrid air handler cooling unit comprising:
- a refrigerant circuit having a compressor, a condenser having first and second condenser coils, a pump, an expansion valve, an evaporator having an evaporator coil and a bi-modal heat exchanger;
- the hybrid air handler cooling unit having a direct expansion mode in which the compressor is running, the pump is off and the refrigerant circuit has a direct expansion only refrigerant flow path with the bi-modal heat exchanger in parallel with the first and second condenser coils and refrigerant flows from the compressor in parallel through the first and second condenser coils and bi-modal heat exchanger with the bi-modal heat exchanger functioning as a condenser coil, from the first and second condenser coils and bi-modal heat exchanger through the expansion valve and from the expansion valve to the compressor and the hybrid air handler cooling unit has a return air flow path in which return air flows across the evaporator coil but not across the bi-modal heat exchanger;
- the hybrid air handler cooling unit having a pumped refrigerant economization mode in which the compressor is off, the pump is running and the refrigerant circuit has a pumped refrigerant economization only refrigerant flow path with the bi-modal heat exchanger in parallel with the first and second condenser coils and refrigerant flows from the pump through the evaporator coil and from the evaporator coil through a valve around the compressor and from the compressor in parallel through the first and second condenser coils and bi-modal heat exchanger with the bi-modal heat exchanger functioning as a condenser coil, and back to the pump and the hybrid air handler cooling unit has a return air flow path in which return air flows across the evaporator coil but not across the bi-modal heat exchanger;
- and
- the hybrid air handler cooling unit having a mixed direct expansion/pumped refrigerant economization mode in which the compressor and pump are both running and the refrigerant circuit has a mixed direct expansion refrigerant flow path and a mixed pumped refrigerant economization refrigerant flow path that are independent flow paths with the bi-modal heat exchanger in the pumped refrigerant economization refrigerant flow path in series between an outlet of the pump and an inlet of the second condenser coil and functions as a pre-cooler evaporator coil with refrigerant flowing in the mixed pumped refrigerant economization refrigerant flow path from the pump through the bi-modal heat exchanger and from the bi-modal heat exchanger through the second condenser coil and back to the pump, and refrigerant flowing in the mixed direct expansion refrigerant flow path from the compressor through the first condenser coil and from the first condenser coil through the expansion valve and from the expansion valve to the compressor, and the hybrid air handler unit also has a return air flow path in the where return air first flows across the bi-modal heat exchanger and then across the evaporator coil.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.