Cooling unit and control system
AssigneeThermal Works LLC
InventorsDoron Shapiro, Ming Zhang, John C. Costakis, Travis Miller, Paul Tarangelo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Cooling systems, such as refrigeration or air conditioning systems, utilize a two-phase refrigerant and capture heat in one environment (e.g., the interior of a building) and move the heat into a second environment (e.g., the exterior of a building). Such systems are often energy intensive even when the second environment is relatively cold. Systems, and preferably a single system, is provided to selectively provide mechanical cooling, free cooling, and optional heating utilizing the same refrigerant and substantially the same components.
Claims20
A system for providing multi-mode cooling, comprising:
- a number of refrigerant lines comprising a closed loop and connecting:
- a compressor comprising a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet;
- a condenser exposed to a first environment and comprising a condenser inlet and a condenser outlet;
- an expansion valve connected to the condenser outlet;
- a low-pressure receiver comprising a first low-pressure receiver outlet, a second low-pressure receiver outlet, a first low-pressure receiver inlet, and a second low-pressure receiver inlet and wherein the first low-pressure receiver inlet is connected to the expansion valve;
- a refrigerant pump comprising a pump inlet, connected to the first low-pressure receiver outlet, and a pump outlet;
- an evaporator exposed to a second environment and comprising an evaporator inlet and an evaporator outlet;
- a second refrigerant line connecting the pump outlet to the evaporator inlet;
- a third refrigerant line connected to the evaporator outlet and each of a first branch and a second branch, wherein the first branch is connected to a first refrigerant line and the second branch is connected to the second low-pressure receiver inlet;
- a fourth refrigerant line connecting the second low-pressure receiver outlet to the compressor inlet;
- and
- a first valve deployed on the second branch.
A system for providing multi-mode cooling, comprising:
- a number of refrigerant lines comprising a closed loop and connecting:
- a compressor;
- a condenser exposed to a first environment;
- an expansion valve;
- a low-pressure receiver;
- a refrigerant pump;
- and
- an evaporator exposed to a second environment;
- and
- wherein a compressor outlet of the compressor is connected to a first refrigerant line connected to a condenser inlet of the condenser;
- wherein a condenser outlet of the condenser is connected to an expansion valve inlet of the expansion valve;
- wherein an outlet of expansion valve is connected to a first low-pressure receiver inlet of the low-pressure receiver;
- wherein a first low-pressure receiver outlet of the low-pressure receiver is connected to a pump inlet of the refrigerant pump;
- wherein a pump outlet is connected to a second refrigerant line connected to an evaporator inlet of the evaporator;
- wherein an evaporator outlet connects to a third refrigerant line and a first branch of the third refrigerant line is connected to the first refrigerant line;
- and
- wherein a compressor inlet of the compressor is connected to a second low-pressure outlet of the low-pressure receiver.
A method of operating a system to selectively heat or cool, comprising:
- operating the system in a mechanical cooling mode, comprising:
- compressing a refrigerant;
- thermally exposing the compressed refrigerant with a first environment;
- modulating the pressure of cooled refrigerant after exposure to the first environment;
- expanding the compressed refrigerant;
- pumping a liquid refrigerant portion of the expanded refrigerant to be exposed thermally a second environment;
- thermally exposing the expanded liquid refrigerant to the second environment and, as a result, obtaining therefrom a mixture of liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant;
- returning the liquid refrigerant and gas refrigerant returning to a receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.