Thermoelectric device based refrigerant subcooling
OwnerRakesh Radhakrishnan, Xiaomei Yu +4inventors
InventorsRakesh Radhakrishnan, Xiaomei Yu, Gregory M. Dobbs, David Tew, Michael K. Sahm, Chung-Yi Tsai
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Abstract
A subcooler (15) for a vapor compression cycle having a refrigerant. The subcooler (15) including a conduit (45) and one or more thermoelectric modules (17). The conduit (45) being in fluid communication with the vapor compression cycle for flow of the refrigerant therethrough. Each of the one or more thermoelectric modules (17) has a cold side in thermal communication with an inner volume of the conduit (45) for subcooling the refrigerant.
Claims19
A subcooler for a vapor compression cycle having a refrigerant, the subcooler comprising:
- a conduit in fluid communication with the vapor compression cycle for flow of the refrigerant therethrough;
- and
- one or more thermoelectric modules, wherein each of said one or more thermoelectric modules has a cold side in thermal communication with an inner volume of said conduit for subcooling the refrigerant.
A vapor compression system comprising:
- a compressor, a condensor, and an evaporator connected to each other via a conduit;
- and
- a subcooler having one or more thermoelectric modules connected to said conduit, wherein each of said one or more thermoelectric modules has a cold side in thermal communication with an inner volume of said conduit for subcooling refrigerant circulating therethrough.
A method of subcooling a vapor compression cycle comprising:
- providing a conduit for flow of a refrigerant that is in fluid communication with a compressor, a condensor, and an evaporator;
- and
- thermoelectrically subcooling an inner volume of said conduit through conduction by a plurality of thermoelectric modules each having a cold side in thermal communication with said inner volume of said conduit and a warm side in thermal isolation from said inner volume.
19-20. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.