Direct expansion evaporator with vapor ejector capacity boost
OwnerGreg Derosier, Shridhar Gopalaninventors
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Abstract
A system and method for increasing the refrigeration capacity of a direct expansion refrigeration system having a vapor separator and a vapor ejector. After the throttling process at the expansion device, the mixture of liquid and vapor enters the inlet separator. The vapor separator generates vapor to power the ejector through flashing of warm refrigerant liquid from a higher temperature and pressure to a lower pressure. The cooler refrigerant liquid then goes to the evaporator coil inlet. Furthermore, the system stabilizes the superheat of the outlet vapor and reduces fluctuations in outlet superheat caused by excess unevaporated liquid flowing from the outlets of the tubes due to maldistribution at the inlet.
Claims9
An apparatus for improving the performance of a direct expansion refrigeration system, the apparatus comprising:
- an inlet separator adapted to be connected to an expansion device outlet of said direct expansion refrigeration system,
- an evaporator connected to a liquid outlet of said inlet separator,
- an ejector connected to a vapor outlet of said inlet separator,
- a first refrigeration line connecting an outlet of said evaporator to a liquid inlet of said ejector,
- a second refrigeration line connecting said outlet of said evaporator to a compressor,
- said inlet separator configured to simultaneously and continuously deliver refrigerant vapor to said ejector and refrigerant liquid to said evaporator,
- said ejector configured to deliver refrigerant vapor and refrigerant liquid to said evaporator.
A direct expansion refrigeration system comprising:
- a refrigerant line connecting the following, in order:
- an expansion device,
- an inlet separator,
- an evaporator, and
- a compressor,
- said refrigeration system further comprising
- an ejector connected to an outlet of said inlet separator and to an outlet of said evaporator, and
- an ejector outlet connected to said evaporator,
- said inlet separator configured to simultaneously and continuously deliver refrigerant vapor to said ejector and refrigerant liquid to said evaporator,
- said ejector configured to deliver refrigerant vapor and refrigerant liquid to said evaporator.
A method for increasing the refrigeration capacity of a direct expansion refrigeration system without risking liquid refrigerant damage to a compressor comprising the following steps, simultaneously:
- taking liquid from an outlet of an evaporator and delivering it to an ejector,
- taking refrigerant vapor from an inlet separator located upstream of an evaporator and delivering it to said ejector,
- using said ejector to warm said refrigerant liquid received from said evaporator with said vapor received from said inlet separator, and
- taking all liquid and vapor from said ejector and delivering it to said evaporator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.