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US 8,910,488 B2Granted
Display case including heat exchanger for reducing relative humidity
AssigneeHill Phoenix, Inc.
InventorKwok Kwong Fung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerated case includes a housing including an interior display volume and a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger includes a circuit defined by a heat exchanger section including a plurality of tubes that define a flow path, a reheat section including a reheat tube, and a connecting tube fluidly connecting the flow path of the heat exchanger section with the reheat tube. Air flows over the plurality of tubes of the heat exchanger section and rejects heat to a refrigerant flowing through the plurality of tubes to heat the refrigerant. The heated refrigerant then flows through the reheat tube. As the air passes over the reheat tube, the air accepts heat from the heated refrigerant flowing through the reheat tube.
Claims15
A refrigerated case comprising:
- a housing including an interior display volume;
- and
- a heat exchanger including a plurality of heat exchanger circuits that define a first number of tube passes, and at least one reheat circuit that defines a second number of tube passes, the second number of tube passes being greater than the first number of tube passes wherein the refrigerant in the at least one reheat circuit heated to a higher temperature than refrigerant in the heat exchanger circuits, the heat exchanger also including at least one reheat tube, and a connecting tube fluidly connecting the at least one reheat circuit with the at least one reheat tube, wherein the higher temperature refrigerant flows from the at least one reheat circuit of the heat exchanger section, through the connecting tube and then through the reheat tube,
- wherein an airflow flows over the plurality of heat exchanger circuits and the at least one reheat circuit and rejects heat to a refrigerant flowing therethrough to heat the refrigerant, and the airflow accepts heat from the higher temperature refrigerant that flows through the at least one reheat tube.
1 more element
A refrigerated case comprising:
- a housing including an interior display volume;
- a fan that draws an airflow into a heat exchanger;
- and
- the heat exchanger including a plurality of heat exchanger circuits that define a first number of tube passes, and at least one reheat circuit that defines a second number of tube passes, the second number of tube passes being greater than the first number of tube passes wherein the refrigerant in the at least one heated to a higher temperature than refrigerant in the heat exchanger circuits, the heat exchanger also including at least one reheat tube, and a connecting tube fluidly connecting the at least one reheat circuit with the at least one reheat tube, wherein the higher temperature refrigerant flows from the at least one reheat circuit, through the connecting tube and then through the reheat tube,
- wherein the airflow flows over the plurality of heat exchanger circuits and the at least one reheat circuit from an inlet side of the heat exchanger to an outlet side of the heat exchanger and rejects heat to a refrigerant flowing therethrough to heat the refrigerant, and
- wherein the at least one reheat tube is positioned near the outlet side of the heat exchanger, and the airflow accepts heat from the higher temperature refrigerant from the at least one reheat circuit that flows through the reheat tube before exiting the heat exchanger through the outlet side.
3 more elements
A method of cooling a display case, the method comprising the steps of:
- directing an airflow through a heat exchanger, where the heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat exchanger circuits that define a first number of tube passes, and at least one reheat circuit that defines a second number of tube passes, the second number of tube passes being greater than the first number of tube passes so that refrigerant in the at least one reheat circuit is heated to a higher temperature than refrigerant in the heat exchanger circuit, the heat exchanger is also including at least one reheat tube, and a connecting tube fluidly connecting the at least one reheat circuit with the at least one reheat tube, wherein the higher temperature refrigerant flows from the at least one reheat circuit, through the connecting tube and then through the reheat tube;
- exchanging heat between the airflow and a refrigerant in the heat exchanger circuits and the at least one reheat circuit to heat the refrigerant and cool the air in the heat exchanger;
- exchanging heat between the airflow and the higher temperature refrigerant from the at least one reheat circuit in the at least one reheat tube to heat the airflow prior to exiting the heat exchanger;
- and
- directing the airflow into an interior display volume of the display case.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.