Vapor compression refrigerating cycle, control method thereof, and refrigerating apparatus to which the cycle and the control method are applied

A vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising:

• a compressor, a condenser, a regeneration heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series;
• an injection device that injects liquid refrigerant;
• and
• a controller that controls refrigerating capacity,
• wherein the vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus carries out a cycle corresponding to a reversed Ericsson cycle in which isothermal heat dissipation process and isothermal heat absorption process occur overstriding a saturated vapor line and a saturated liquid line respectively, and heat exchange is carried out between isobaric heat dissipation process in a liquid zone and isobaric heat absorption process in a superheated vapor zone,
• wherein process part occurring in a superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process in the reversed Ericsson cycle is substituted by adiabatic compression process and isobaric heat dissipation process, the adiabatic compression being carried out by the compressor and the isobaric heat dissipation being carried out in the condenser together with remaining process part occurring in the superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process under isothermal and isobaric condition,
• wherein part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is carried out in the regeneration heat exchanger by releasing heat from refrigerant liquid in the liquid zone to refrigerant vapor entering the compressor,
• wherein remaining process part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is substituted by isenthalpic or isentropic expansion, the expansion being carried out by the expansion device, and expanded refrigerant is introduced to the evaporator to carry out isothermal and isobaric heat absorption and then to be sucked into the compressor,
• wherein the regeneration heat exchanger is located so that its vapor side is between the evaporator and the compressor, and its liquid side is between the condenser and the expansion device,
• wherein the controller controls the refrigerating capacity by controlling dryness of refrigerant vapor entering the vapor side of the regeneration heat exchanger, and
• wherein the adiabatic compression process and the isobaric heat dissipation process substituted for the process part occurring in the superheated zone of the high temperature side isothermal heat dissipation process of the reversed Ericsson cycle is composed of multistage adiabatic compression process and multistage isobaric heat dissipation process.

A method of controlling a vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising a compressor, a condenser, a regeneration heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series, wherein the vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus carries out a cycle corresponding to a reversed Ericsson cycle in which isothermal heat dissipation process and isothermal heat absorption process occur overstriding a saturated vapor line and a saturated liquid line respectively, and heat exchange is carried out between isobaric heat dissipation process in a liquid zone and isobaric heat absorption process in a superheated vapor zone, the method comprising the steps of:

• substituting process part occurring in a superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process in the reversed Ericsson cycle by adiabatic compression process and isobaric heat dissipation process, the adiabatic compression being carried out by the compressor and the isobaric heat dissipation being carried out in the condenser together with remaining process part occurring in the superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process under isothermal and isobaric condition;
• executing part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone in the regeneration heat exchanger by releasing heat from refrigerant liquid in the liquid zone to refrigerant vapor entering the compressor;
• substituting remaining process part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone with isenthalpic or isentropic expansion, the expansion being carried out by the expansion device, and introducing expanded refrigerant to the evaporator to carry out isothermal and isobaric heat absorption and then to be sucked into the compressor;
• and
• controlling refrigerating capacity by controlling dryness of refrigerant vapor entering the vapor side of the regeneration heat exchanger,
• wherein dryness X of refrigerant vapor at a vapor side inlet of the heat exchanger is controlled to be in a range between Xh with which the state of the refrigerant vapor at the vapor side outlet of the heat exchanger is in its dry saturated vapor state and dryness of 1 with which the temperature of the refrigerant vapor at the vapor side outlet of the heat exchanger is at the condensation temperature in the condenser, is expressed by Xh≦X≦1.

A method of controlling a vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising a compressor, a condenser, a regeneration heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series, wherein the vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus carries out a cycle corresponding to a reversed Ericsson cycle in which isothermal heat dissipation process and isothermal heat absorption process occur overstriding a saturated vapor line and a saturated liquid line respectively, and heat exchange is carried out between isobaric heat dissipation process in a liquid zone and isobaric heat absorption process in a superheated vapor zone, the method comprising the steps of:

• substituting process part occurring in a superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process in the reversed Ericsson cycle by adiabatic compression process and isobaric heat dissipation process, the adiabatic compression being carried out by the compressor and the isobaric heat dissipation being carried out in the condenser together with remaining process part occurring in the superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process under isothermal and isobaric condition;
• executing part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone in the regeneration heat exchanger by releasing heat from refrigerant liquid in the liquid zone to refrigerant vapor entering the compressor;
• substituting remaining process part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone with isenthalpic or isentropic expansion, the expansion being carried out by the expansion device, and introducing expanded refrigerant to the evaporator to carry out isothermal and isobaric heat absorption and then to be sucked into the compressor;
• and
• controlling refrigerating capacity by controlling dryness of refrigerant vapor entering the vapor side of the regeneration heat exchanger,
• wherein dryness X of refrigerant vapor at a vapor side inlet of the regeneration heat exchanger is controlled so that temperature of refrigerant at the vapor side outlet of the regeneration heat exchanger is maintained near the condensing temperature in the condenser and a liquid side outlet temperature of the regeneration heat exchanger is maintained near the evaporation temperature in the evaporator.

A method of controlling a vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising a compressor, a condenser, a regeneration heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series, wherein the vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus carries out a cycle corresponding to a reversed Ericsson cycle in which isothermal heat dissipation process and isothermal heat absorption process occur overstriding a saturated vapor line and a saturated liquid line respectively, and heat exchange is carried out between isobaric heat dissipation process in a liquid zone and isobaric heat absorption process in a superheated vapor zone, the method comprising the steps of:

• substituting process part occurring in a superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process in the reversed Ericsson cycle by adiabatic compression process and isobaric heat dissipation process, the adiabatic compression being carried out by the compressor and the isobaric heat dissipation being carried out in the condenser together with remaining process part occurring in the superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process under isothermal and isobaric condition;
• executing part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone in the regeneration heat exchanger by releasing heat from refrigerant liquid in the liquid zone to refrigerant vapor entering the compressor;
• substituting remaining process part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone with isenthalpic or isentropic expansion, the expansion being carried out by the expansion device, and introducing expanded refrigerant to the evaporator to carry out isothermal and isobaric heat absorption and then to be sucked into the compressor;
• and
• controlling refrigerating capacity by controlling dryness of refrigerant vapor entering the vapor side of the regeneration heat exchanger,
• detecting inlet and outlet temperatures of the vapor side and the liquid side of the regeneration heat exchanger;
• controlling a flow rate of high-pressure liquid refrigerant passing through the expansion device to increase the flow rate when the liquid side outlet temperature is higher than the vapor side inlet temperature in the regeneration heat exchanger, and to decrease the flow rate when the liquid side inlet temperature is higher than the vapor side outlet temperature in the regeneration heat exchanger, to maintain each of temperature differences between a lower temperature side and a higher temperature side of the heat exchanger within a prescribed value.

A vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising:

• a compressor, a condenser, a regeneration heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series;
• an injection device that injects liquid refrigerant;
• and
• a controller that controls refrigerating capacity,
• wherein the vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus carries out a cycle corresponding to a reversed Ericsson cycle in which isothermal heat dissipation process and isothermal heat absorption process occur overstriding a saturated vapor line and a saturated liquid line respectively, and heat exchange is carried out between isobaric heat dissipation process in a liquid zone and isobaric heat absorption process in a superheated vapor zone,
• wherein process part occurring in a superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process in the reversed Ericsson cycle is substituted by adiabatic compression process and isobaric heat dissipation process, the adiabatic compression being carried out by the compressor and the isobaric heat dissipation being carried out in the condenser together with remaining process part occurring in the superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process under isothermal and isobaric condition,
• wherein part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is carried out in the regeneration heat exchanger by releasing heat from refrigerant liquid in the liquid zone to refrigerant vapor entering the compressor,
• wherein remaining process part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is substituted by isenthalpic or isentropic expansion, the expansion being carried out by the expansion device, and expanded refrigerant is introduced to the evaporator to carry out isothermal and isobaric heat absorption and then to be sucked into the compressor,
• wherein the regeneration heat exchanger is located so that its vapor side is between the evaporator and the compressor, and its liquid side is between the condenser and the expansion device,
• wherein the controller controls the refrigerating capacity by controlling dryness of refrigerant vapor entering the vapor side of the regeneration heat exchanger, and
• wherein a vapor side heat transfer path in the regeneration heat exchanger is diverted from the path at a midway along the path via a flow rate regulation valve, the vapor side heat transfer path allowing the diverted refrigerant vapor to flow into a cooling-load device, and allowing the refrigerant vapor flowing out from the cooling-load device and the refrigerant flowing out from the outlet of the regeneration heat exchanger to be introduced into the compressor.

A vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising:

• a compressor, a condenser, a regeneration heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series;
• an injection device that injects liquid refrigerant;
• and
• a controller that controls refrigerating capacity,
• wherein the vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus carries out a cycle corresponding to a reversed Ericsson cycle in which isothermal heat dissipation process and isothermal heat absorption process occur overstriding a saturated vapor line and a saturated liquid line respectively, and heat exchange is carried out between isobaric heat dissipation process in a liquid zone and isobaric heat absorption process in a superheated vapor zone,
• wherein process part occurring in a superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process in the reversed Ericsson cycle is substituted by adiabatic compression process and isobaric heat dissipation process, the adiabatic compression being carried out by the compressor and the isobaric heat dissipation being carried out in the condenser together with remaining process part occurring in the superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process under isothermal and isobaric condition,
• wherein part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is carried out in the regeneration heat exchanger by releasing heat from refrigerant liquid in the liquid zone to refrigerant vapor entering the compressor,
• wherein remaining process part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is substituted by isenthalpic or isentropic expansion, the expansion being carried out by the expansion device, and expanded refrigerant is introduced to the evaporator to carry out isothermal and isobaric heat absorption and then to be sucked into the compressor,
• wherein the regeneration heat exchanger is located so that its vapor side is between the evaporator and the compressor, and its liquid side is between the condenser and the expansion device,
• wherein the controller controls the refrigerating capacity by controlling dryness of refrigerant vapor entering the vapor side of the regeneration heat exchanger, and
• wherein a vapor side heat transfer path in the regeneration heat exchanger is diverted from the path at a midway along the path via a flow regulation valve, the vapor side heat transfer path allowing the refrigerant vapor flowing out from a cooling-load device to be introduced to a midway along the vapor side heat transfer path in the regeneration heat exchanger or to the outlet of the regeneration heat exchanger.

A vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising:

• a compressor, a condenser, a regeneration heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series;
• an injection device that injects liquid refrigerant;
• and
• a controller that controls refrigerating capacity,
• wherein the vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus carries out a cycle corresponding to a reversed Ericsson cycle in which isothermal heat dissipation process and isothermal heat absorption process occur overstriding a saturated vapor line and a saturated liquid line respectively, and heat exchange is carried out between isobaric heat dissipation process in a liquid zone and isobaric heat absorption process in a superheated vapor zone,
• wherein a process part occurring in a superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process in the reversed Ericsson cycle is substituted by adiabatic compression process and isobaric heat dissipation process, the adiabatic compression being carried out by the compressor and the isobaric heat dissipation being carried out in the condenser together with remaining process part occurring in the superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process under isothermal and isobaric condition,
• wherein part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is carried out in the regeneration heat exchanger by releasing heat from refrigerant liquid in the liquid zone to refrigerant vapor entering the compressor,
• wherein remaining process part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is substituted by isenthalpic or isentropic expansion, the expansion being carried out by the expansion device, and expanded refrigerant is introduced to the evaporator to carry out isothermal and isobaric heat absorption and then to be sucked into the compressor,
• wherein the regeneration heat exchanger is located so that its vapor side is between the evaporator and the compressor, and its liquid side is between the condenser and the expansion device,
• wherein the controller controls the refrigerating capacity by controlling dryness of refrigerant vapor entering the vapor side of the regeneration heat exchanger, and
• wherein a vapor side heat transfer path in the regeneration heat exchanger is diverted from the path at a midway along the path via a flow rate regulation valve, the vapor side heat transfer path allowing the refrigerant vapor flowing out from the cooling-load device to be returned to the vapor side heat transfer path at a position downstream from the midway position from where refrigerant is diverted.

A vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising:

• a compressor, a condenser, a regeneration heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series;
• an injection device that injects liquid refrigerant;
• and
• a controller that controls refrigerating capacity,
• wherein the vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus carries out a cycle corresponding to a reversed Ericsson cycle in which isothermal heat dissipation process and isothermal heat absorption process occur overstriding a saturated vapor line and a saturated liquid line respectively, and heat exchange is carried out between isobaric heat dissipation process in a liquid zone and isobaric heat absorption process in a superheated vapor zone,
• wherein a process part occurring in a superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process in the reversed Ericsson cycle is substituted by adiabatic compression process and isobaric heat dissipation process, the adiabatic compression being carried out by the compressor and the isobaric heat dissipation being carried out in the condenser together with remaining process part occurring in the superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process under isothermal and isobaric condition,
• wherein part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is carried out in the regeneration heat exchanger by releasing heat from refrigerant liquid in the liquid zone to refrigerant vapor entering the compressor,
• wherein remaining process part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is substituted by isenthalpic or isentropic expansion, the expansion being carried out by the expansion device, and expanded refrigerant is introduced to the evaporator to carry out isothermal and isobaric heat absorption and then to be sucked into the compressor,
• wherein the regeneration heat exchanger is located so that its vapor side is between the evaporator and the compressor, and its liquid side is between the condenser and the expansion device,
• wherein the controller controls the refrigerating capacity by controlling dryness of refrigerant vapor entering the vapor side of the regeneration heat exchanger, and
• wherein the controller controls dryness X of refrigerant vapor at a vapor side inlet of the heat exchanger to be in a range between Xh with which the state of the refrigerant vapor at the vapor side outlet of the heat exchanger is in its dry saturated vapor state and dryness of 1 with which the temperature of the refrigerant vapor at the vapor side outlet of the heat exchanger is at the condensation temperature in the condenser, that is expressed by Xh≦X≦1.

A vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus comprising:

• a compressor, a condenser, a regeneration heat exchanger, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series;
• an injection device that injects liquid refrigerant;
• and
• a controller that controls refrigerating capacity,
• wherein the vapor compression refrigerating cycle apparatus carries out a cycle corresponding to a reversed Ericsson cycle in which isothermal heat dissipation process and isothermal heat absorption process occur overstriding a saturated vapor line and a saturated liquid line respectively, and heat exchange is carried out between isobaric heat dissipation process in a liquid zone and isobaric heat absorption process in a superheated vapor zone,
• wherein a process part occurring in a superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process in the reversed Ericsson cycle is substituted by adiabatic compression process and isobaric heat dissipation process, the adiabatic compression being carried out by the compressor and the isobaric heat dissipation being carried out in the condenser together with remaining process part occurring in the superheated vapor zone of the isothermal heat dissipation process under isothermal and isobaric condition,
• wherein part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is carried out in the regeneration heat exchanger by releasing heat from refrigerant liquid in the liquid zone to refrigerant vapor entering the compressor,
• wherein remaining process part of the isobaric heat dissipation process in the liquid zone is substituted by isenthalpic or isentropic expansion, the expansion being carried out by the expansion device, and expanded refrigerant is introduced to the evaporator to carry out isothermal and isobaric heat absorption and then to be sucked into the compressor,
• wherein the regeneration heat exchanger is located so that its vapor side is between the evaporator and the compressor, and its liquid side is between the condenser and the expansion device,
• wherein the controller controls the refrigerating capacity by controlling dryness of refrigerant vapor entering the vapor side of the regeneration heat exchanger, and
• wherein the controller controls dryness X of refrigerant vapor at a vapor side inlet of the regeneration heat exchanger so that temperature of refrigerant at the vapor side outlet of the regeneration heat exchanger is maintained near a condensing temperature in the condenser and a liquid side outlet temperature of the regeneration heat exchanger is maintained near an evaporation temperature in the evaporator.