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US 8,769,970 B2Granted
Refrigerated case with reheat and preconditioning
AssigneeHill Phoenix, Inc.
InventorsKwok K. Fung, Neelkanth S. Gupte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerated case (20) has a housing containing an interior volume (36) for storing items. Along an air flow path (510) through the case, a refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger (60) has an evaporator section (112) and a reheat section (114). A preconditioning section (110) may be upstream of the evaporator section (112) and the evaporator section is upstream of the reheat section (114). Along a refrigerant flow path (520), the reheat section (114) is downstream of the preconditioning section (110) (if any) and upstream of the evaporator section (112) and an expansion device (62) is between the reheat (114) and evaporator (112) sections.
Claims30
A refrigerated case comprising:
- a housing containing an interior volume for storing items;
- an air inlet;
- an air flow path extending from the air inlet;
- a fan positioned to drive an air flow along the air flow path;
- an air outlet along the air flow path positioned to discharge cold air to cool the interior volume;
- a refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger disposed along the air flow path, and a refrigerant flow path having at least a portion that extends through the heat exchanger;
- and an expansion device along the refrigerant flow path, wherein:
- along the air flow path, the heat exchanger has a preconditioning section, an evaporator section, and a reheat section, the evaporator section downstream of the preconditioning section and upstream of the reheat section;
- and
- along the refrigerant flow path, the preconditioning section is upstream of the reheat section, and the reheat section is upstream of the evaporator section and the expansion device is downstream of the reheat section and upstream of the evaporator section;
- and
- in the reheat section the refrigerant flow path is defined by reheat tube sections that are disposed adjacent to the top of the heat exchanger with the refrigerant configured to flow from the preconditioning section to an upper most one of the reheat tube sections and then toward a lower most one of the reheat tube sections.
9 more elements
A method for operating a refrigerated case comprising:
- propelling an air flow along an air flow path from an inlet to an outlet;
- passing the air through a refrigerant-air heat exchanger having preconditioning, evaporator and reheat sections along the air flow path;
- passing refrigerant along a refrigerant flow path through the preconditioning section, then through an upper most tube disposed adjacent a top of the heat exchanger in the reheat section and then toward a lower most tube section in the reheat section, then through an expansion device, and then through the evaporator section.
A refrigerated case comprising:
- a housing containing an interior volume for storing items;
- an air inlet;
- an air flow path extending from the air inlet;
- a fan positioned to drive an air flow along the air flow path;
- an air outlet along the air flow path positioned to discharge cold air to cool the interior volume;
- an evaporator along the air flow path and along a refrigerant flow path;
- an expansion device along the refrigerant flow path;
- a reheating section along the air flow path and along the refrigerant flow path for reheating air exiting the evaporator to reduce a relative humidity thereof;
- and
- a preconditioning section for moderating a temperature of refrigerant in the reheating section in a winter mode and to cool the refrigerant in the reheating section in a summer mode;
- wherein along the air flow path, the preconditioning section is upstream of the evaporator;
- and along the refrigerant flow path, the reheating section is downstream of the preconditioning section and upstream of the evaporator and the expansion device is downstream of the reheating section and upstream of the evaporator;
- and
- in the reheat section the refrigerant flow path is defined by reheat tube sections that are disposed adjacent to a top of the heat exchanger with the refrigerant configured to flow from the preconditioning section to an upper most one of the reheat tube sections and then toward a lower most one of the reheat tube sections.
11 more elements
A method for operating a refrigerated case comprising:
- propelling an air flow along an air flow path through a refrigerant-air heat exchanger having in sequence preconditioning, evaporator, and reheat sections along the air flow path;
- and
- passing refrigerant along a refrigerant flow path in flow sequence through the preconditioning section, then through an upper most tube section in the reheat section and then toward a lower most tube in the reheat section, an expansion device, and the evaporator section of the heat exchanger.
A refrigerated case comprising:
- a housing containing an interior volume for storing items;
- an air inlet;
- an air flow path extending from the air inlet;
- a fan positioned to drive an air flow along the air flow path;
- an air outlet along the air flow path positioned to discharge cold air to cool the interior volume;
- a refrigerant-to-air heat exchanger along the air flow path and a refrigerant flow path through the heat exchanger;
- and an expansion device along the refrigerant flow path;
- wherein along the air flow path, the heat exchanger has an evaporator section and a preconditioning section, the evaporator section downstream of the preconditioning section and along the refrigerant flow path, the preconditioning section is upstream of the evaporator section and the expansion device is downstream of the preconditioning section and upstream of the evaporator section;
- and
- a reheat section, wherein the refrigerant flow path in the reheat section is defined by reheat tube sections that are disposed proximate a top of the heat exchanger with the refrigerant configured to flow from the preconditioning section to an upper most one of the reheat tube sections and then toward a lower most one of the reheat tube sections.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.