Falling film evaporator with vapor-liquid separator
AssigneeAmerican Standard Inc.
InventorsJon P. Hartfield, Duane F. Sanborn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Compression refrigeration apparatus for removing heat from a heat load using a falling film evaporator, operated with an azeotropic refrigerant and utilizing a vapor-liquid separator, preferably inside the evaporator vessel. In one embodiment, two types of heat exchange surfaces are utilized--one for maximizing the axial distribution of refrigerant film on a heat exchange surface, the other for encouraging liquid refrigerant in contact with a heat exchange surface to boil and evaporate. The apparatus allows for efficient recovery of lubricant deposited in the evaporator without redistributing the lubricant within the evaporator.
Claims35
An evaporator comprising:
- a flooded evaporator portion;
- a falling film evaporator portion;
- a housing including an upper portion defining the falling film evaporator portion and a lower portion defining the flooded evaporator portion;
- a first set of heat transfer tubes arranged in the upper portion of the housing and having enhancements maximizing heat transfer with a thin film;
- and
- a second set of heat transfer tubes arranged in the lower portion of the housing and having enhancements to maximize heat transfer with a thick film.
The evaporator of claim 18 wherein the separator has a narrowing `V` shape resembling an axial section of a brilliant-cut diamond.
A falling film evaporator comprising:
- a pressure vessel;
- a vapor-liquid separator positioned in said pressure vessel;
- a liquid distributor assembly positioned in said pressure vessel which communicates with said vapor-liquid separator;
- and
- a plurality of generally horizontal evaporator tubes positioned in said pressure vessel and under said liquid distributor assembly such that fluid may flow from said vapor-liquid separator, through said liquid distributor assembly and fall onto said evaporator tubes;
- wherein the vapor-liquid separator has a narrowing `V` shape resembling an axial section of a brilliant-cut diamond.
A cooling system comprising:
- a compressor having an inlet and an outlet;
- a condenser having an inlet operably connected to the compressor outlet and an outlet;
- an expansion valve having an inlet operably connected to the condenser outlet and an outlet;
- a vapor-liquid separator having an inlet operably connected to the expansion valve outlet and a liquid outlet and a vapor outlet;
- and
- an evaporator having a liquid inlet in a first upper portion of the evaporator, the liquid inlet being operably connected to the liquid outlet of the separator;
- the evaporator further including
- (a) a vapor outlet in a second upper portion of the evaporator, the vapor outlet of the evaporator being operably connected to the compressor inlet;
- (b) a liquid pool in the lower portion of the evaporator, and
- (c) a vapor inlet in the lower portion where the vapor inlet is located below the surface of the liquid pool, the vapor inlet of the evaporator being operably connected to the vapor outlet of the separator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.