Thermal inter-cooler
AssigneeMayer Holdings S.A.
InventorJerry W. Nivens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention comprises a non-restrictive, constant pressure refrigerant recycling and cooling unit that interrupts the normal refrigerant cycle to permit a lower temperature liquid to enter the expansion device, and thus provide a lower temperature, and therefore a lower pressure gas for delivery to the inlet side of the compressor, which acts to reduce the energy requirement and cost to operate the compressor. This reduction in pressure and temperature also results in lower operating costs and lower maintenance costs and utilizes less refrigerant quantity requirements.
Claims28
A thermal inter-cooler for use in a refrigeration system to increase efficiency of the system, comprising;
- a substantially hollow leakproof housing defining an open interior area with a cold medium line passing therethrough;
- a hot refrigerant line extending into said open interior area of the housing and at least partially surrounding the cold medium line, for receiving warmer than ambient refrigerant from said system, for cooling the refrigerant, and for discharging the refrigerant into a first unrestricted portion of the open interior area of said housing as a turbulent part liquid, part vapor refrigerant mixture;
- a discharge opening located in a second unrestricted portion of the open interior of said housing for removing cooled, condensed and calmed liquid refrigerant from the interior of said housing;
- and
- vapor buffer means occupying a portion of the open interior area of said housing for dividing the open interior area into the first unrestricted portion and the second unrestricted portion, and for reducing the turbulence of the discharged liquid and vapor refrigerant mixture as the refrigerant passes from the first unrestricted portion of the second unrestricted portion.
A thermal inter-cooler, comprising:
- an elongated housing in the form of a hollow shell having an outer wall extending between two end members to define a open interior area;
- a cold medium line extending longitudinally through the open interior of said shell and through said end members;
- a hot refrigerant line extending into the open interior of said shell and at least partially surrounding said cold medium line and terminating within the interior of said housing and adapted to spray liquid and vapor refrigerant into a first unrestricted end of the open interior of said shell;
- buffer means inserted in a portion of the open interior of said housing adjacent the first unrestricted end within the housing, for calming the sprayed liquid refrigerant passing through the buffer means, such liquid refrigerant collecting in the lower part of said housing;
- and
- a discharge opening in the housing to permit the exit of said collected refrigerant from said inter-cooler for return to said refrigeration system.
Apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a refrigeration system, comprising:
- a substantially hollow housing defining an open interior area and having an opening adjacent a first unrestricted end of the open interior area for removing collected refrigerant;
- a cold medium line passing through the housing;
- a refrigerant line extending into said housing for discharging refrigerant at one or more points into the housing;
- and
- a buffer means positioned within the open interior area of the housing adjacent the first unrestricted end, for reducing the amount of turbulence in the discharged refrigerant within the housing as refrigerant passes through the buffer means prior to removal at the opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.