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US 10,557,653 B1Granted
Suction stabilizer control circuit for a heat pump system
OwnerJerome Buschurinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a heat pump system, a suction stabilizer control circuit (SSCC) reduces or eliminates subcooling at the condenser and reduces superheating needed for compressor protection at the evaporator. The SSCC includes a bypass line that bypasses a predetermined portion of flow through a refrigerant liquid transport line around a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV).
Claims19
A suction stabilizer control circuit (SSCC) for a heat pump system, the SSCC comprising:
- a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) including
- a valve body defining a valve flow path extending between a TXV inlet and TXV outlet, the valve body including a TXV head portion having a sensing connection and an equalization connection;
- a throttling element extending into the valve flow path and movable to variably restrict refrigerant flow passing from the TXV inlet to the TXV outlet;
- a diaphragm positioned in the TXV head portion and connected to the throttling element such that increased pressure from the sensing connection will urge the throttling element to increase refrigerant flow restriction;
- and
- a biasing element arranged in the valve body operable to urge the throttling element to decrease refrigerant flow restriction;
- TXV inlet and outlet lines extending from the TXV inlet and the TXV outlet, respectively;
- a TXV bypass line having a bypass inlet and a bypass outlet connected to the TXV inlet line and TXV outlet line, respectively, such that a predetermined portion of refrigerant flow passing between the TXV inlet and outlet lines passes through the TXV bypass line;
- first and second side connection lines for connecting in a liquid refrigerant transport line between heat exchangers of the heat pump system;
- first side inlet and outlet lines branching from the first side connection line and connected with the TXV inlet line and TXV outlet line, respectively;
- first side inlet and outlet check valves arranged in the first side inlet and outlet lines, respectively, the first side inlet check valve oriented to block flow from the TXV inlet line toward the first side connection line, the first side outlet check valve oriented to block flow from the first side connection line toward the TXV outlet line;
- and
- second side inlet and outlet check valves arranged in the second side inlet and outlet lines, respectively, the second side inlet check valve oriented to block flow from the TXV inlet line toward the second side connection line, the second side outlet check valve oriented to block flow from the second side connection line toward the TXV outlet line;
- wherein the bypass inlet connects to the TXV inlet line downstream of the first and second side inlet lines and the bypass outlet connects to the TXV outlet line upstream of the first and second side outlet lines.
11 more elements
A heat pump system comprising:
- an evaporator having an evaporator inlet and outlet;
- a condenser having a condenser inlet and outlet;
- a refrigerant vapor transport line extending between the evaporator outlet and the condenser inlet;
- a compressor arranged in the refrigerant vapor transport line between a compressor inlet and outlet and operable to compress the refrigerant vapor passing therethrough;
- a refrigerant liquid transport line extending between the condenser outlet and the evaporator inlet;
- and
- a suction stabilizer control circuit (SSCC) arranged in the refrigerant liquid transport line, the SSCC including:
- a thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) including
- a valve body defining a valve flow path extending between a TXV inlet and TXV outlet, the valve body including a TXV head portion having a sensing connection and an equalization connection;
- a throttling element extending into the valve flow path and movable to variably restrict refrigerant flow passing from the TXV inlet to the TXV outlet;
- a diaphragm positioned in the TXV head portion and connected to the throttling element such that increased pressure from the sensing connection will urge the throttling element to increase refrigerant flow restriction;
- and
- a biasing element arranged in the valve body operable to urge the throttling element to decrease refrigerant flow restriction;
- TXV inlet and outlet lines extending from the TXV inlet and the TXV outlet, respectively, and connected in the refrigerant liquid transport line;
- a TXV bypass line having a bypass inlet and a bypass outlet connected to the TXV inlet line and TXV outlet line, respectively, such that a predetermined portion of refrigerant flow passing through the refrigerant liquid transport line between the TXV inlet and outlet lines passes through the TXV bypass line;
- and
- a sensing line extending from the sensing connection to a distal end in thermal contact with the refrigerant vapor transport line proximate the evaporator outlet;
- first and second side connection lines for connecting in a liquid refrigerant transport line between heat exchangers of the heat pump system;
- first side inlet and outlet lines branching from the first side connection line and connected with the TXV inlet line and TXV outlet line, respectively;
- first side inlet and outlet check valves arranged in the first side inlet and outlet lines, respectively, the first side inlet check valve oriented to block flow from the TXV inlet line toward the first side connection line, the first side outlet check valve oriented to block flow from the first side connection line toward the TXV outlet line;
- and
- second side inlet and outlet check valves arranged in the second side inlet and outlet lines, respectively, the second side inlet check valve oriented to block flow from the TXV inlet line toward the second side connection line, the second side outlet check valve oriented to block flow from the second side connection line toward the TXV outlet line;
- wherein the bypass inlet connects to the TXV inlet line downstream of the first and second side inlet lines and the bypass outlet connects to the TXV outlet line upstream of the first and second side outlet lines.
20 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.