# US 11,441,826 B2 · Condenser with external subcooler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,826 B2 - Document ID: US11441826B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/225,819 - Filed: 2021-04-08 - Published: 2021-07-22 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-21 - Assignees: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP - Applicants: Johnson Controls Technology Company - Inventors: Jeb W. Schreiber; Eric H. Albrecht; Kevin D. Krebs; Justin P. Kauffman; Brian L. Stauffer; Xiuping Su; Li Wang; Fang Xue - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441826B2 ## CPC - F25B 40/02: Subcoolers - F25B 39/04: Condensers - F28D 3/02: with tubular conduits - F28D 3/04: Distributing arrangements - F28D 5/02: in which the evaporating medium flows in a continuous film or trickles freely over the conduits - F28D 7/16: the conduits being arranged in parallel spaced relation ({F28D7/0008 - F28D7/0058 take precedence}; F28D7/02 - F28D7/10 take precedence) - F28D 7/1607: {with particular pattern of flow of the heat exchange media, e.g. change of flow direction (F28D7/1623, F28D7/1638, F28D7/1661, F28D7/1676, F28D7/1692 take precedence)} - F28D 7/163: {with conduit assemblies having a particular shape, e.g. square or annular; with assemblies of conduits having different geometrical features; with multiple groups of conduits connected in series or parallel and arranged inside common casing (F28D7/1615 takes precedence)} - F28F 9/026: {with static flow control means, e.g. with means for uniformly distributing heat exchange media into conduits} - F25B 25/005: {using primary and secondary systems} - F25B 41/39: Dispositions with two or more expansion means arranged in series, i.e. multi-stage expansion, on a refrigerant line leading to the same evaporator - F25B 2339/046: Condensers with refrigerant heat exchange tubes positioned inside or around a vessel containing water or pcm to cool the refrigerant gas - F25B 2339/047: Water-cooled condensers - F25B 2400/13: Economisers - F25B 2400/23: Separators - F25B 2600/0253: with variable speed - F28D 2021/0068: {for refrigerant cycles} - Y02B 30/70: Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a vapor compression system that includes a refrigerant loop, a compressor disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to circulate refrigerant through the refrigerant loop, a condenser disposed downstream of the compressor along the refrigerant loop and configured to condense vapor refrigerant to liquid refrigerant, a subcooler coupled to the condenser, where the subcooler is external of a shell of the condenser, and where the subcooler is configured to receive the liquid refrigerant from the condenser and to cool the liquid refrigerant to subcooled refrigerant, and an evaporator disposed downstream of the subcooler along the refrigerant loop and configured to evaporate the subcooled refrigerant to the vapor refrigerant. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vapor compression system, comprising: a refrigerant loop; a condenser disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to condense vapor refrigerant to generate liquid refrigerant, wherein the condenser comprises a first plurality of tubes, a first shell having a cylindrical shape in which the first plurality of tubes is disposed, and a refrigerant inlet coupled to the cylindrical shape of the first shell; a subcooler disposed along the refrigerant loop downstream from the condenser and configured to receive the liquid refrigerant from the condenser, wherein the subcooler comprises a second plurality of tubes and a second shell in which the second plurality of tubes is disposed, and wherein the second shell is separated from the first shell by a gap; and an intermediate conduit extending from the cylindrical shape of the first shell of the condenser to the second shell of the subcooler such that the intermediate conduit defines the gap, wherein the intermediate conduit is configured to pass the liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the subcooler, wherein the refrigerant inlet, the first shell, and the intermediate conduit are arranged such that a central axis extends through the refrigerant inlet, through a center point of the cylindrical shape of the first shell, and through the intermediate conduit, and wherein the intermediate conduit comprises a first width extending perpendicular to the central axis, the second shell comprises a second width extending perpendicular to the central axis, and the second width is greater than the first width. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vapor compression system of claim 1, comprising an additional intermediate conduit extending from the cylindrical shape of the first shell to the second shell, wherein the additional intermediate conduit is configured to pass the liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the subcooler. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vapor compression system of claim 1, wherein: the second plurality of tubes comprises a first group of tubes and a second group of tubes; and the subcooler comprises a partition plate disposed in the second shell, extending perpendicular to the central axis, and defining a first refrigerant flow path in which the first group of tubes is disposed and a second refrigerant flow path in which the second group of tubes is disposed. ### Claim 4 A vapor compression system, comprising: a condenser configured to condense vapor refrigerant to generate liquid refrigerant, wherein the condenser comprises a refrigerant inlet, a first plurality of tubes, and a first shell having a cylindrical shape in which the first plurality of tubes is disposed and to which the refrigerant inlet is coupled; a subcooler configured to receive the liquid refrigerant from the condenser, wherein the subcooler comprises a second plurality of tubes and a second shell in which the second plurality of tubes is disposed; and an intermediate conduit extending from the cylindrical shape of the first shell to the second shell, wherein the intermediate conduit is configured to pass the liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the subcooler, wherein a central axis extends through the refrigerant inlet of the condenser, through a center point of the cylindrical shape of the first shell, and through the intermediate conduit, wherein the intermediate conduit comprises a first width extending perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the second shell comprises a second width extending perpendicular to the central axis, and wherein the second width is greater than the first width. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vapor compression system of claim 4, comprising an additional intermediate conduit extending from the cylindrical shape of the first shell to the second shell, wherein the additional intermediate conduit is configured to pass the liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the subcooler. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The vapor compression system of claim 4, wherein the intermediate conduit comprises a second cylindrical shape defining a gap between the first shell and the second shell, and the gap does not include a heat exchange tube disposed therein. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The vapor compression system of claim 4, wherein: the second plurality of tubes comprises a first group of tubes and a second group of tubes; and the subcooler comprises a partition plate disposed in the second shell, extending perpendicular to the central axis, and defining a first refrigerant flow path in which the first group of tubes is disposed and a second refrigerant flow path in which the second group of tubes is disposed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The vapor compression system of claim 4, wherein the subcooler comprises a refrigerant outlet coupled to the second shell, and the central axis extends through the refrigerant outlet. ### Claim 9 A vapor compression system, comprising: a refrigerant loop; a compressor disposed along the refrigerant loop and configured to circulate refrigerant through the refrigerant loop; a condenser disposed downstream of the compressor along the refrigerant loop and configured to condense vapor refrigerant to liquid refrigerant, wherein the condenser comprises a first shell having a cylindrical shape, the cylindrical shape comprising an external surface facing outwardly from the condenser; a subcooler having a second shell directly coupled to the external surface of the cylindrical shape of the first shell of the condenser such that the subcooler is external to the first shell of the condenser, wherein the second shell comprises a cavity that is configured to receive the liquid refrigerant from the condenser and to cool the liquid refrigerant, wherein the subcooler comprises a partition plate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, wherein the first surface is configured to direct a first flow of the liquid refrigerant in a first direction directly between the first surface and the external surface of the cylindrical shape of the first shell, wherein the first surface is configured to direct a second flow of the liquid refrigerant in a second direction opposite the first direction and directly between the first surface and the external surface of the cylindrical shape of the first shell, wherein the second surface is configured to direct the first flow of the liquid refrigerant in the second direction directly between the second surface and an internal surface of the second shell, and wherein the second surface is configured to direct the second flow of the liquid refrigerant in the first direction directly between the second surface and the internal surface of the second shell; and an evaporator comprising a third shell disposed downstream of the subcooler along the refrigerant loop and configured to evaporate the liquid refrigerant into the vapor refrigerant, wherein the first shell, the second shell, and the third shell are independent of one another, such that the third shell does not enclose the first shell and the second shell. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vapor compression system of claim 9, wherein a plurality of tubes configured to flow a cooling fluid are disposed within the second shell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vapor compression system of claim 9, wherein a plurality of tubes configured to flow a cooling fluid are disposed within the second shell. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The vapor compression system of claim 9, wherein the second shell includes a curved cross section conforming to the first shell of the condenser. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The vapor compression system of claim 9, wherein the subcooler comprises a partition plate configured to direct the refrigerant entering the subcooler along a first flow path and a second flow path. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The vapor compression system of claim 9, wherein the condenser is a dual pass heat exchanger comprising a partition plate, wherein the condenser comprises a first water tank configured to direct cooling fluid into first pass tubes of the condenser and subcooler tubes of the subcooler and a second water tank configured to direct cooling fluid exiting the first pass tubes and the subcooler tubes of the subcooler into second pass tubes of the condenser. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vapor compression system of claim 14, wherein the first water tank is configured to direct the cooling fluid from the second pass tubes out of the condenser. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The vapor compression system of claim 9, wherein the partition plate comprises a curvature, and wherein the partition plate has a same radius of curvature as the first shell of the condenser.