US 4,535,603 A · Highly energy efficient heat reclamation means for food display case refrigeration systems

Abstract

A refrigeration system for food display cases is disclosed, having a heat reclamation coil, to which hot gas discharged by the system's compressors may be diverted in accordance with the conventional practice, to provide heat energy usable for heating and/or controlling the moisture content of the interior store area. An improvement in such heat reclamation systems is disclosed, in that the output of the heat reclaim coil is continuously sensed to determine whether it is in an all-liquid condition, or alternatively, a mixture of liquid and gas. If the former, valving is automatically operated to bypass the liquid output from the heat reclaim coil around the system's condenser to the liquid line downstream from the condenser, so that the heat reclaim coil functions as the system's condenser in these circumstances. If the output from the heat reclaim coil is a gas-liquid mixture, it is returned to the input side of the system's condenser to reduce the energy required for normal condenser operation.

Claims22

Dependent claims

In a refrigerating system including at least one compressor in which refrigerant is compressed into the form of a hot gas, a condenser, hot gas discharge line means extending from the compressor to the condenser, at least one evaporator, a liquid line extending from the condenser to the evaporators, and suction line means extending from the evaporator to the compressor, the improvement comprising:

(a) a heat reclaim coil;
(b) means for, at times, diverting the flow of hot gas from the discharge line means to the coil for heat-exchange with the surrounding ambient and at least a partial condensation of the refrigerant within the coil;
and
(c) means for bypassing the outflow of refrigerant from the coil around the condenser to the liquid line whenever said refrigerant has been condensed fully to a liquid form within the coil and for, alternatively, directing said outflow to the condenser for further condensation whenever the refrigerant exits the coil as a mixture of gas and liquid.

1 more element

(a) a heat reclaim coil having an inlet and an outlet;
(b) a heat reclaim coil input line extending from a junction with the hot gas discharge line means upstream from the condenser, to the coil inlet;
(c) a common outflow line extending from the coil outlet;
(d) a bypass line extending from the common outflow line past the condenser to a junction with the liquid line downstream from the condenser;
(e) a shunt line extending from the common outflow line to a junction with the hot gas discharge line means, disposed between the condenser and the junction of the heat reclaim coil inlet line and the hot gas discharge line means;
(f) means for, at times, diverting the flow of hot gas into the coil through the coil inlet line from the hot gas discharge line means, for heat exchange with the surrounding ambient and at least a partial condensation of the refrigerant within the coil;
and
(g) means for directing the outflow of refrigerant from the coil at times through the bypass and at other times through the shunt line responsive to the extent to which the refrigerant flowing through the common outflow line has been condensed within the coil.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Highly energy efficient heat reclamation means for food display case refrigeration systems

Life of this patent

Highly energy efficient heat reclamation means for food display case refrigeration systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22