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US 5,214,932 AGranted
Hermetically sealed electric driven gas compressor - expander for refrigeration
OwnerFawzy T. Abdelmalekinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Hermetically sealed electric driven gas compressor-expander for use in refrigeration system where low temperature waste energy rejected from the condenser is recovered and used to produce kinetic energy to assist driving the compressor, and thus reducing the electric power required for refrigeration.
Claims6
In combination with a direct expansion/heat pump system wherein the improvement allows the heat rejected in the condenser to be recovered and utilized to actuate a positive displacement gas expander mounted on a common drive shaft of electrically driven positive displacement gas compressor, and a positive displacement liquid pump, the improvement which comprises:
- a hermetically sealed housing which encloses a positive displacement gas compressor-expander-liquid pump assemblies mounted on a common drive shaft driven by an electric motor;
- a refrigeration cycle closed circuit, and power cycle closed circuit having a common heat exchanger adapted to exchange heat between a refrigeration fluid and a power fluid;
- a refrigeration-working fluid contained in said closed refrigeration circuit;
- a power-working fluid contained in said closed power circuit;
- an evaporator adapted to effect heat transfer between the refrigeration fluid and a secondary fluid;
- means for directing relatively low pressure, relatively warm refrigerant fluid flowing from said evaporator into said gas compressor to pressurize the refrigeration fluid upon actuating the compressor;
- an expansion valve;
- means for directing the relatively high pressure, relatively cold refrigeration fluid flowing from said heat exchanger through said expansion valve simultaneously substantially reduce the pressure and temperature of said refrigeration fluid;
- a conduit for directing the relatively high pressure, relatively hot vapor of the power fluid flowing from said heat exchanger through said gas expander simultaneously substantially reduce the vapor pressure and temperature of said power fluid;
- a conduit for directing the expander vapor of the power fluid from said expander outlet to said condenser inlet;
- a liquid filter/accumulator;
- a conduit for directing the relatively low pressure condensate of the power fluid flowing from said condenser to enter said liquid filter/accumulator;
- a conduit to direct said condensate of the power fluid from said filter/accumulator to the inlet of said pump, simultaneously substantially pressurizing the condensate of said power fluid;
- a conduit for directing said pressurized condensate of said power fluid flowing from said pump to said heat exchanger substantially to heat and evaporate said power fluid.
11 more elements
A direct expansion refrigeration/heat pump system comprising:
- a hermetically sealed housing enclosing a positive displacement gas compressor connected to a closed refrigeration circuit, a positive displacement gas expander and a positive displacement liquid pump connected to a closed thermal power circuit, and an electric motor assemblies all mounted on a common drive shaft;
- a power circuit working fluid;
- a condenser;
- a conduit for directing the power fluid flowing from said condenser to said liquid pump to substantially pressurize said power fluid;
- a heat exchanger;
- a conduit for directing the pressurized power fluid flowing from said liquid pump to said heat exchanger to exchange heat with relatively hot refrigerant fluid of the refrigeration circuit and to substantially heat and evaporate said power fluid;
- a conduit for directing the evaporated power fluid flowing from said heat exchanger to expand through said gas expander;
- a conduit for directing the expanded vapor of the power fluid flowing from the outlet of said gas expander to said condenser;
- a refrigeration circuit refrigeration fluid;
- a conduit for directing the compressed refrigeration fluid flowing from the discharge of said gas compressor to said heat exchanger to substantially cool and condense said refrigerant fluid;
- means to affect direct expansion of the high pressure condensate of the refrigeration fluid;
- a conduit for directing said condensate of the refrigeration fluid flowing from said heat exchanger through said direct expansion means, to substantially reduce it's pressure, and temperature;
- an evaporator to effect heat transfer between the relatively low pressure, relatively low temperature refrigerant fluid flowing from said direct expansion means, and a secondary fluid to heat and evaporate said refrigerant fluid, and to cool said secondary fluid;
- a conduit for directing the vapor of said refrigerant fluid flowing from said evaporator outlet to said compressor inlet;
- a solid state digital controller to electronically switch ON-OFF and to affect change of speed of the drive motor corresponding to the temperature control signals of said refrigeration system.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.