US 10,690,389 B2Granted

CO2 refrigeration system

AssigneeToromont Industries Limited

InventorSerge Dube

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Abstract

A CO2 refrigeration system for an ice-playing surface comprises an evaporation stage in which heat is absorbed from an ice-playing surface. CO2 compressors in a compression stage compress CO2 refrigerant subcritically and transcritically. A gas cooling stage has a plurality of heat-reclaim units reclaiming heat from the CO2 refrigerant. A pressure-regulating device is downstream of the gas cooling stage, to control a pressure of the CO2 refrigerant in the gas cooling stage. A reservoir is downstream of the pressure-regulating device for receiving CO2 refrigerant in a liquid state. A controller operates the pressure-regulating device to control the pressure of the CO2 refrigerant in the gas cooling stage as a function of the heat demand of the plurality of heat-reclaim units, the controller causing the pressure of the CO2 refrigerant to reach a transcritical level as a function of a heat demand of the plurality of heat-reclaim units.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A CO2 refrigeration system for an ice-playing surface, comprising:

a compression stage in which CO2 refrigerant is compressed and an evaporation stage in which heat is absorbed from the ice-playing surface;
a plurality of CO2 compressors in the compression stage for compressing the CO2 refrigerant subcritically and transcritically;
a gas cooling stage includes at least a plurality of heat-reclaim units reclaiming heat from the CO2 refrigerant compressed in the compression stage;
a pressure-regulating device downstream of the gas cooling stage, the pressure-regulating device operable to control a pressure of the CO2 refrigerant in the gas cooling stage as a function of a heat demand of the plurality of heat-reclaim units;
and
a reservoir downstream of the pressure-regulating device for receiving the CO2 refrigerant in a liquid state,
a controller operating the pressure-regulating device to control the pressure of the CO2 refrigerant in the gas cooling stage as a function of the heat demand of the plurality of heat-reclaim units, the controller, via its operating of the pressure-regulating device, causing the pressure of the CO2 refrigerant to reach a transcritical level as a function of a heat demand of the plurality of heat-reclaim units.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/831,170Filed 20 Aug 2015 · continuation
Priority: 23 Oct 2008
Published: US 2015/0354882 A110 Dec 2015
Granted: 23 Jun 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

F25C 3/02
Processes or apparatus specially adapted for producing ice or snow for winter sports or similar recreational purposes, e.g. for sporting…: for ice…
F24F 3/1417
By absorbing or adsorbing water, e.g. using an hygroscopic desiccant: with liquid hygroscopic desiccants
F25B 5/02
Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity: arranged in parallel
F25B 9/008
Characterised by the refrigerant: the refrigerant being carbon dioxide

Family

Application61/107,689Us provisional application · filed 23 Oct 2008
Application61/166,884Us provisional application · filed 6 Apr 2009
Application61/184,021Us provisional application · filed 4 Jun 2009
PCT/CA2009/001536Parent of this continuation · filed 23 Oct 2009
US 2015/0354882 A1Pre-grant publication · published 10 Dec 2015
Application13/124,894Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0055182 A1Published application
US 10,690,389 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.