Means and method for the recovery of expansion work in a vapor compression cycle device
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorHimanshu B. Vakil
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Recovery of substantially all of the work associated with the expansion of a multi-component working fluid mixture in a vapor compression cycle device is enabled by conveying working fluid in a liquid phase from a condenser to a coldest portion of an evaporator assembly in a countercurrent heat exchange relationship with fluid flowing through the evaporator assembly.
Claims13
A method for the recovery of expansion work in a vapor compression cycle device employing a multiple component miscible working fluid mixture and including an evaporator assembly having a coldest portion and a warmest portion, said method comprising the steps of:
- transferring mixture vapor from said evaporator assembly and
- compressing said vapor
- condensing at least a portion of said compressed vapor
- conveying condensed mixture through a heat transfer passage to the coldest portion of said evaporator assembly, maintaining the mixture in a liquid phase during substantially all of said conveyance, and removing heat from the mixture during said conveyance
- evaporating at least a portion of said conveyed mixture while conducting said conveyed mixture from a point adjacent said coldest portion towards said warmest portion of said evaporator assembly in a countercurrent heat exchange relationship with the mixture conveyed through said heat transfer passage whereby at least a portion of the heat removed from said conveyed mixture is added to said evaporating mixture.
A means for the recovery of expansion work in a vapor compression cycle device employing a multiple component miscible working fluid mixture and having a condensing heat exchanger in flow communication with an outlet of a compressor, said compressor including a suction line, said means comprising:
- an evaporator assembly having a warmest portion and a coldest portion and including a flow path extending from said coldest portion to said warmest portion, said flow path being disposed in flow communication with said suction line;
- and
- a means for conveying a restricted flow of mixture from said condensing heat exchanger to said evaporator assembly flow path, said conveying means including a heat transfer passage having at least a portion disposed in a countercurrent heat exchange relationship with at least a portion of said flow path extending from a point adjacent said coldest portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.