Refrigerant containment vessel with thermal inertia and method of use

A method of storing refrigerant in a vapor compression system, the vapor compression system including a closed fluid circuit having operably coupled thereto, in serial order, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a second heat exchanger, said method comprising:

• operably disposing a fluid vessel in the fluid circuit at a location between the second heat exchanger and the compressor;
• actively circulating a refrigerant through the fluid circuit wherein thermal energy is removed from the refrigerant in the first heat exchanger and thermal energy being added to the refrigerant in the second heat exchanger;
• providing a thermal energy storage device medium operably coupled to the fluid vessel
• ceasing the active circulation of the refrigerant through the fluid circuit;
• and
• upon ceasing active circulation of the refrigerant through the fluid circuit, the thermal energy storage medium providing the storage vessel with thermal inertia such that the refrigerant in the storage vessel is maintained at a lower temperature than the refrigerant in the second heat exchanger as the refrigerant in the storage vessel and in the second heat exchanger acquire thermal energy from the ambient environment to thereby attract refrigerant to the storage vessel so that the mass of refrigerant contained in the storage vessel increases upon cessation of the active circulation of the refrigerant through the fluid circuit.

A method of storing refrigerant in a vapor compression system, the vapor compression system including a closed fluid circuit having operably coupled thereto, in serial order, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a second heat exchanger, said method comprising:

• operably disposing a fluid vessel in the fluid circuit at a location between the second heat exchanger and the compressor;
• actively circulating a refrigerant through the fluid circuit wherein thermal energy is removed from the refrigerant in the first heat exchanger and thermal energy being added to the refrigerant in the second heat exchanger;
• ceasing the active circulation of the refrigerant through the fluid circuit;
• and
• attracting refrigerant within the fluid circuit to the fluid vessel after ceasing the active circulation of the refrigerant through the system wherein the mass of refrigerant within the fluid vessel after ceasing the active circulation of the refrigerant through the system is greater than the mass of refrigerant within the fluid vessel immediately preceding the ceasing of the active circulation of the refrigerant through the system;
• wherein the fluid vessel includes at least one port providing fluid communication to the fluid circuit and wherein the method further comprises closing the at least one port to contain refrigerant attracted to the fluid vessel after ceasing the active circulation of the refrigerant through the system within the fluid vessel until reinitiating the active circulation of the refrigerant in the fluid circuit.

A method of storing refrigerant in a vapor compression system, the vapor compression system including a closed fluid circuit having operably coupled thereto, in serial order, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a second heat exchanger, said method comprising:

• operably disposing a fluid vessel in the fluid circuit at a location between the second heat exchanger and the compressor;
• actively circulating a refrigerant through the fluid circuit wherein thermal energy is removed from the refrigerant in the first heat exchanger and thermal energy being added to the refrigerant in the second heat exchanger;
• ceasing the active circulation of the refrigerant through the fluid circuit;
• and
• attracting refrigerant within the fluid circuit to the fluid vessel after ceasing the active circulation of the refrigerant through the system wherein the mass of refrigerant within the fluid vessel after ceasing the active circulation of the refrigerant through the system is greater than the mass of refrigerant within the fluid vessel immediately preceding the ceasing of the active circulation of the refrigerant through the system;
• wherein the fluid vessel defines an interior space and wherein an inlet port provides fluid communication between the fluid circuit and the interior space of the fluid vessel, the inlet port being operably disposed between the second heat exchanger and the interior space, an outlet port provides fluid communication between the fluid circuit and the interior space of the fluid vessel, the outlet port being operably disposed between the interior space and the compressor, and wherein each of said inlet and outlet ports are closed to contain refrigerant attracted to the fluid vessel after ceasing the active circulation of the refrigerant through the system within the fluid vessel until reinitiating the active circulation of the refrigerant in the fluid circuit.