Refrigeration system controlled by refrigerant quality within evaporator
AssigneePDX Technologies LLC
InventorsJohn S. Scherer, Ralph G. Tator
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for cooling a refrigerant includes (a) an evaporator comprising one or more lengths of tubing each having an upstream first cross-sectional area and a second downstream cross-sectional area, the second cross-sectional area being greater than the first cross-sectional area, the expansion in cross-sectional area between the first circular cross-sectional area and the second circular cross-sectional area being smooth and continuous; and (b) a compressor and a condenser for converting the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid for introduction into the evaporator.
Claims26
A system for cooling a refrigerant comprising:
- (a) an evaporator having a flow path for flow of refrigerant therethrough, the evaporator having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, wherein the refrigerant is in a two-phase state along at least a portion of the flow path;
- (b) a compressor and a condenser for converting the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid for introduction into the evaporator;
- (c) two refrigerant condition sensors disposed within the evaporator, the two refrigerant conditions sensors disposed upstream of the outlet opening and downstream of the inlet opening each of the condition sensors being adapted to sense a measured condition of the refrigerant within the evaporator, the measured condition being the ratio of the volume of vapor to the volume of liquid in the refrigerant in a two-phase state within the evaporator;
- and
- (d) a controller for controlling the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator based upon the measured conditions of the refrigerant.
A method of controlling a refrigeration system, the refrigeration system comprising:
- (i) an evaporator having a flow path for flow of refrigerant therethrough, the evaporator having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, wherein the refrigerant is in a two-phase state along at least a portion of the flow path;
- (ii) a compressor and a condenser for converting the refrigerant from a gas to a liquid for introduction into the evaporator;
- (iii) two refrigerant condition sensors disposed within the evaporator, the two refrigerant conditions sensors disposed upstream of the outlet opening and downstream of the inlet opening, the condition sensors being adapted to sense a measured condition of the refrigerant within the evaporator, the measured condition being the ratio of the volume of vapor to the volume of liquid in the refrigerant in a two-phase state within the evaporator;
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- (iv) a controller for controlling the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator based upon the measured condition of the refrigerant;
- the method comprising:
- (a) compressing refrigerant in a gaseous state within the compressor and cooling the refrigerant within the condenser to yield refrigerant in a liquified state;
- (b) flowing the refrigerant in a liquified state into the evaporator;
- (c) reducing the pressure of the refrigerant within the evaporator to yield refrigerant in a two-phase state;
- (d) reducing the pressure of the refrigerant in a two-phase state in the evaporator yield a refrigerant in a gaseous state;
- (e) flowing refrigerant in a gaseous state from the evaporator to the compressor;
- (f) repeating steps (a)-(e);
- (g) measuring the ratio of the measured volume of vapor to the volume of liquid in refrigerant in a two-phase state with the two refrigerant condition sensors disposed within the evaporator upstream of the outlet opening and downstream of the inlet opening;
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- (h) controlling the flow rate of refrigerant to the evaporator in step (b) based upon the measured ratio from step (g) to a flow rate required to wet at least most of the entire surface of the evaporator tubes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.