US 10,767,906 B2Granted

Hot gas defrost in a cooling system

AssigneeHeatcraft Refrigeration Products LLC

InventorsShitong Zha, Xi Sun

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Abstract

A system includes a high side heat exchanger, a first load, a second load, a first compressor, a second compressor, and a third compressor. The high side heat exchanger removes heat from a refrigerant. The first load uses the refrigerant to remove heat from a first space proximate the first load. The second load uses the refrigerant to remove heat from a second space proximate the second load. The first compressor compresses the refrigerant from the first load and sends the refrigerant to the first load. The refrigerant defrosts the first load. The second compressor compresses the refrigerant from the second load and the refrigerant from the first load that defrosted the first load. The third compressor compresses the refrigerant from the first compressor.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

removing heat from a refrigerant using a high side heat exchanger;
storing the refrigerant from the high side heat exchanger using a flash tank;
during a first mode of operation:
removing heat from a first space proximate a first load using the refrigerant removing heat from a second space proximate a second load using the refrigerant;
compressing the refrigerant from the first load using a first compressor;
compressing the refrigerant from the second load using a second compressor before the refrigerant from the second load reaches the flash tank;
compressing the refrigerant from the first compressor using a third compressor before the refrigerant reaches the high side heat exchanger;
during a second mode of operation:
removing heat from the second space proximate the second load using the refrigerant;
compressing the refrigerant from the first load using the first compressor;
compressing the refrigerant from the second load using the second compressor before the refrigerant from the second load reaches the flash tank;
sending the refrigerant compressed at the first compressor to the first load, wherein the refrigerant defrosts the first load;
and
compressing the refrigerant from the first load that defrosted the first load using the second compressor before the refrigerant from the first load that defrosted the first load reaches the flash tank.

11 more elements

A system comprising:

a flash tank configured to store a refrigerant;
a first load;
a second load configured to use the refrigerant to remove heat from a second space proximate the second load;
a first compressor configured to compress the refrigerant from the first load;
a second compressor;
and
a third compressor,
during a first mode of operation:
the first load is configured to use the refrigerant to remove heat from a first space proximate the first load;
the second compressor is configured to compress the refrigerant from the second load before the refrigerant from the second load reaches the flash tank;
and
the third compressor is configured to compress the refrigerant from the first compressor before the refrigerant reaches the high side heat exchanger;
and
during a second mode of operation:
the first compressor is configured to send the refrigerant to the first load, wherein the refrigerant defrosts the first load;
and
the second compressor is configured to:
compress the refrigerant from the second load before the refrigerant from the second load reaches the flash tank;
and
compress the refrigerant from the first load that defrosted the first load before the refrigerant from the first load that defrosted the first load reaches the flash tank.

17 more elements

A system comprising:

a high side heat exchanger configured to remove heat from a refrigerant;
a flash tank configured to store the refrigerant from the high side heat exchanger;
a first load;
a second load configured to use the refrigerant to remove heat from a second space proximate the second load;
a first compressor configured to compress the refrigerant from the first load;
a second compressor;
and
a third compressor,
during a first mode of operation:
the first load is configured to use the refrigerant to remove heat from a first space proximate the first load;
the second compressor is configured to compress the refrigerant from the second load before the refrigerant from the second load reaches the flash tank;
and
the third compressor is configured to compress the refrigerant from the first compressor before the refrigerant reaches the high side heat exchanger, and during a second mode of operation:
the first compressor is configured to send the refrigerant to the first load, wherein the refrigerant defrosts the first load;
and
the second compressor is configured to:
compress the refrigerant from the second load before the refrigerant from the second load reaches the flash tank;
and
compress the refrigerant from the first load that defrosted the first load before the refrigerant from the first load that defrosted the first load reaches the flash tank.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/448,278Filed 2 Mar 2017
Published: US 2018/0252441 A16 Sep 2018
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F25B 5/02
Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity: arranged in parallel
F25B 1/10
Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle: with multi-stage compression
F25B 31/002
Compressor arrangements: lubrication
F25B 43/006
Arrangements for separating or purifying gases or liquids ; Arrangements for vaporising the residuum of liquid refrigerant, e.g. by heat: accumulators

Family

US 2018/0252441 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Sep 2018
US 10,767,906 B2This patent

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

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