Enhanced cooling system
AssigneeCarrier Corporation
InventorsMichel K. Grabon, Xavier Girod, Kenneth J. Nieva, Philippe Rigal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air conditioning system is disclosed which takes advantage of low ambient temperature conditions so as to activate a refrigerant flow that bypasses the compressor. The activation of the refrigerant flow is achieved by the intelligent control of a pump positioned between the outlet of the condenser and the inlet of an expansion device upstream of the evaporator. The refrigerant flow produced by the pump does not require any particular positioning of the condenser and evaporator components with respect to each other. The evaporator preferably absorbs heat from water circulating in a secondary loop which is used to remove heat from a building by one or more fan coil units.
Claims13
A system for cooling one or more parts of a building, said system including a refrigerant circuit having a condenser with an outlet, compressor, expansion device having an inlet, and an evaporator with and inlet and outlet for chilling a medium having a heat exchange relationship with refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit, said system further comprising:
- a refrigerant pump having an inlet, said pump positioned downstream of the outlet of said condenser and upstream of the inlet to said evaporator
- a control for activating said refrigerant pump when a sensed outdoor temperature is less than a sensed temperature of the medium having the heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant;
- and
- a check valve positioned upstream of said expansion device so as to prevent the refrigerant from said condenser from directly entering the expansion device when said refrigerant pump is activated.
A cooling system including a refrigerant circuit having a condenser with an outlet, an expansion device having an inlet, and an evaporator, having an inlet and an outlet, for chilling a medium having a heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant circulating in refrigerant circuit, said system further comprising:
- a refrigerant pump having an inlet, said pump positioned downstream of the outlet of said condenser and upstream of the inlet to said evaporator
- a control for activating said refrigerant pump when a sensed outdoor temperature is less than a sensed temperature of the heat exchange medium having the heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant;
- and
- a check valve positioned upstream of said expansion device so as to prevent the refrigerant from said condenser from directly entering the expansion device when said refrigerant pump is activated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.