Systems and methods for a refrigeration system with indirect evaporative heat exchanger
AssigneeEffecterra, Inc.
InventorsEvan Aschow, Michael May
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for controlling a condenser unit that includes an indirect evaporative heat exchanger for pre-cooling air from ambient before the air is provided to a condenser coil includes identifying a determination that the indirect evaporative heat exchanger should be activated. The method also includes obtaining a temperature of the pre-cooled air that exits the indirect evaporative heat exchanger for cooling the condenser coil and modulating a vent that controls a portion of the pre-cooled air that is recirculated through the indirect evaporative heat exchanger through multiple wet channels such that the temperature of the pre-cooled air is maintained at least a predetermined amount above a dew point temperature.
Claims20
A refrigeration system comprising:
- a condenser unit configured to receive warm refrigerant, condense and cool the warm refrigerant, and provide cooled refrigerant as an output, the condenser unit comprising:
- a condensing coil configured to receive the warm refrigerant and output the cooled refrigerant as the output;
- an indirect evaporative heat exchanger configured to receive air from ambient, and discharge cooled air to the condensing coil, the indirect evaporative heat exchanger comprising a plurality of dry channels configured to deliver outlet air to an intermediate volume, and a plurality of secondary channels configured to recirculate a portion of the outlet air and discharge exhaust air into an exhaust space;
- a fan positioned above a vent, the fan configured to draw an airflow of the portion of the outlet air through the intermediate volume, across the condensing coil, into a central inner volume, and out of the condenser unit as condenser exhaust air;
- a plurality of louvres adjustable between an at least partially open position and a closed position, the plurality of louvres defining a boundary between the exhaust space and the central inner volume;
- and
- a controller configured to operate the plurality of louvres to transition between the at least partially open position and the closed position based on a temperature reading of the ambient, and configured to modulate the plurality of louvres between the at least partially open position and a fully open position to control cooling of the refrigerant that passes through the condensing coil.
A control system for a condenser, the control system comprising:
- an actuator configured to adjust a position of a louvre, the louvre continuously adjustable between a fully closed position and a fully open position to adjust an amount of airflow that passes through a plurality of first channels and is recirculated back through a plurality of second channels of an indirect evaporative heat exchanger, the indirect evaporative heat exchanger positioned along a flow path between an external area and a cooling coil of the condenser, the indirect evaporative heat exchanger configured to discharge a first airflow of cooled air to the cooling coil, and a second airflow of exhaust air to the louvre;
- and
- processing circuitry configured to:
- obtain a temperature of air in the external area;
- responsive to the temperature of the air in the external area being greater than a threshold temperature:
- operating a water tank to provide moisture to a plurality of second channels of the indirect evaporative heat exchanger;
- and
- operating the actuator to transition the louvre into the fully open position.
A method for controlling a condenser unit that includes an indirect evaporative heat exchanger for pre-cooling air from ambient before the air is provided to a condenser coil, the method comprising:
- responsive to a determination that the indirect evaporative heat exchanger should be activated:
- obtaining a temperature of the pre-cooled air that exits the indirect evaporative heat exchanger for cooling the condenser coil;
- and
- modulating a louvre that controls a portion of the pre-cooled air that is recirculated through the indirect evaporative heat exchanger through a plurality of secondary channels such that the temperature of the pre-cooled air is maintained at least a predetermined amount above a dew point temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.