Waste heat recovery system

A waste heat transfer system for use with refrigeration means and a hot water reservoir, said refrigeration means including a condenser and a compressor having a discharge outlet for circulating a compressible refrigerant through said condenser, said waste heat transfer system comprising, in combination:

• a heat exchanger means having a refrigerant passage and a water passage mutually coupled in heat exchange relation,
• a heat exchange circulation conduit coupling said heat exchanger water passage in fluid communication with said reservoir to permit water to be circulated from said reservoir through said heat exchanger and return,
• a by-pass conduit connected in parallel fluid circuit relation with said refrigerant passage, said by-pass conduit having its inlet in fluid communication with the discharge outlet of said compressor and its outlet in fluid communication with the inlet to said condenser, thereby enabling refrigerant exiting the discharge outlet of the compressor to flow through both the heat exchanger refrigerant passage and the by-pass conduit to said condenser, and
• a fluid flow restrictor disposed within said by-pass conduit, said restrictor effective to impede, but not prevent, refrigerant flow through said by-pass conduit.

In combination

• a hot water reservoir;
• a pump;
• a heat exchanger having a refrigerant passage and a water passage mutually coupled in heat exchange relation;
• a water circulation conduit coupled to said water reservoir connecting said pump and said water passage in series fluid circuit relation for circulating water from said reservoir through said heat exchanger and return;
• refrigeration means including a condenser and a compressor having an outlet port for discharging a compressible refrigerant into said condenser;
• conduit means connecting the refrigerant passage of said heat exchanger in series fluid circult relation intermediate the outlet port of said compressor and the inlet port of said condenser,
• a by-pass conduit connected in parallel fluid circuit relation with said refrigerant passage and having its inlet in fluid communication with the outlet port of said compressor and its outlet in fluid communication with the inlet port of said condenser, thereby enabling refrigerant exiting the outlet port of said compressor to flow through both the heat exchanger refrigerant passage and the by-pass conduit to the inlet port of said condenser, and
• fluid flow restricting means disposed within said by-pass conduit for impeding, but not preventing, refrigerant flow therein and for shunting a predetermined fraction of refrigerant discharged from said compressor directly into said condenser with the remainder of said refrigerant flowing to said condenser through said refrigerant passage.

In a waste heat recovery system for use with refrigeration means and a hot water reservoir, said refrigeration means including a condenser and a compressor having an outlet port through which superheated refrigerant is discharged, the improvement comprising:

• a heat exchanger having a refrigerant passage and a water passage mutually coupled in heat exchange relation, said refrigerant passage being connected in series fluid circuit relation intermediate said compressor outlet port and said condenser, said water passage being coupled in fluid circulating relation with said hot water reservoir, and said heat exchanger being adapted for recovering substantially only the superheat energy associated with said superheated refrigerant whereby refrigerant discharged from said refrigerant passage is substantially at its boiling point as it enters said condenser,
• a by-pass conduit connected in parallel fluid circuit relation with said refrigerant passage, said by-pass conduit having its inlet in fluid communication with the outlet port of said compressor and its outlet in fluid communication with the inlet to said condenser, thereby enabling said superheated refrigerant to flow through both the refrigerant passage and the by-pass conduit, and
• fluid flow restricting means disposed within said by-pass conduit for impeding, but not preventing, refrigerant flow therethrough and for producing a predetermined pressure differential between said compressor outlet and said condenser, thereby inducing the flow of a predetermined fraction of said superheated refrigerant through the refrigerant passage of said heat exchanger.