Ejector refrigeration circuit
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorSascha Hellmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ejector refrigeration circuit 1 including: a two-phase circuit 2 including: a heat rejection heat exchanger 12 including an inlet 12a and an outlet 12b; and an ejector 14 including a high pressure inlet 14a, a low pressure inlet 14b and an outlet 14c; the ejector high pressure inlet 14a is coupled to the heat rejection heat exchanger outlet 12b; and an evaporator 18 including an inlet 18a and an outlet 18b; the outlet 18b of the evaporator 18 is coupled to the low pressure inlet 14b of the ejector 14; and the ejector refrigeration circuit 1 further including a vapour quality sensor 20 positioned at the outlet 12b of the heat rejection heat exchanger 12.
Claims11
An ejector refrigeration circuit comprising:
- a circuit configured to operate as a two-phase circuit in use including:
- a heat rejection heat exchanger comprising an inlet and an outlet, and an ejector comprising a high pressure inlet, a low pressure inlet and an outlet, wherein the ejector high pressure inlet is coupled to the heat rejection heat exchanger outlet, and wherein the circuit is configured such that, in use, an amount of vapor is present in the circuit between the outlet of the heat rejection heat exchanger and the high pressure inlet of the ejector;
- and
- an evaporator comprising an inlet and an outlet, wherein the outlet of the evaporator is coupled to the low pressure inlet of the ejector;
- and
- wherein the ejector refrigeration circuit further comprises a vapor quality sensor positioned at the outlet of the heat rejection heat exchanger;
- wherein the vapor quality sensor is an optical sensor, a camera, a microscope, a dielectric sensor, a capacitance probe, a wire mesh sensor, an electrical resistance sensor or electrical impedance sensor;
- a controller configured to receive signals from the vapor quality sensor, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the capacity of the ejector based on the received signals to ensure that a required pressure uplift through the low pressure inlet of the ejector is achieved.
A method of operating an ejector refrigeration circuit, the ejector refrigeration circuit comprising:
- a controller;
- a circuit configured to operate as a two phase circuit in use comprising a heat rejection heat exchanger comprising an inlet and an outlet, and an ejector comprising a high pressure inlet, a low pressure inlet and an outlet, wherein the ejector high pressure inlet is coupled to the heat rejection heat exchanger outlet, and wherein the circuit is configured such that, in use, an amount of vapor is present in the circuit between the outlet of the heat rejection heat exchanger and the high pressure inlet of the ejector;
- an evaporator comprising an inlet and an outlet, wherein the outlet of the evaporator is coupled to the low pressure inlet of the ejector, and
- a vapor quality sensor positioned at the outlet of the heat rejection heat exchanger,
- wherein the method comprises monitoring the vapor quality in the two phase circuit;
- providing a signal to the controller indicative of vapor quality;
- and
- the controller adjusting a capacity of the ejector in response to the signals indicative of the vapor quality in the two phase circuit to ensure that a required pressure uplift through the low pressure inlet of the ejector is achieved;
- wherein the vapor quality sensor is an optical sensor, a camera, a microscope, a dielectric sensor, a capacitance probe, a wire mesh sensor, an electrical resistance sensor or electrical impedance sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.