Refrigeration – Structural installation – Geographic – e.g. – subterranean feature
Utility Patent
1998-10-06
2001-01-02
Doerrler, William (Department: 3743)
Refrigeration
Structural installation
Geographic, e.g., subterranean feature
C062S324600, C165S046000
Utility Patent
active
06167715
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a direct refrigerant geothermal heat exchange subcool system for the liquid refrigerant and if required, a secondary (or more) fluid(s) supplementary refrigerant subcool system coupled with a conventional air source or water source refrigerant condenser of increased refrigerant capacity for use with any air conditioner, heat pump in the cooling mode or refrigeration system. The present invention also relates to a direct refrigerant geothermal subcool/postheat heat exchange system and if required, a secondary (or more) fluid(s) supplementary refrigerant subcool/postheat system which has a liquid to suction line heat exchange subcool/postheat system that couples with a heat pump air source or water source evaporator (heat pump in the heating mode) of increased refrigeration capacity for use with any heat pump system.
The present invention further relates to a direct refrigerant geothermal heat exchange postheat, precool system and if required, a secondary (or more) fluid(s) supplementary postheat, precool system that precools or postheats the refrigerant between the reversing valve and outdoor coil of an air source heat pump or the water source coil of a water source heat pump, for providing increased capacity and efficiency to said heat pump both in the heating and cooling mode.
Finally, the present invention relates to a direct refrigerant geothermal heat exchange precool system and if required, a secondary (or more) fluid(s) supplementary precool system that precools the hot gas refrigerant before the condenser of an air conditioner or refrigeration system, for providing increased capacity and efficiency to said air conditioning or refrigeration system.
This invention more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising a geothermal and if necessary, a secondary (or more) fluid(s) cooled subcooler positioned between a conventional air source or water source condenser and the evaporator. This invention also more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising a geothermal postheater (suction line heat source) coupled with a liquid line to suction line heat reclaim heat exchanger and if necessary, a secondary (or more) fluid(s) heat exchanger positioned so that the liquid line coming from the indoor condenser of a heat pump is in direct heat exchange contact with the suction line coming off of the outdoor air source or water source evaporator before the reversing valve of a heat pump in the heating mode and said heat exchanger is also in direct contact with the ground for direct geothermal heat exchange and if necessary, a secondary (or more) fluid(s) heat exchanger.
Further, this invention more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising a geothermal and if required, secondary (or more) fluid(s) postheater, precooler, positioned between the reversing valve and outdoor coil of an air source heat pump or the water source coil of a water source heat pump so that the refrigerant flowing through the heat exchanger has heat added to it in the heating mode of a heat pump and has heat removed from it in the cooling mode of said heat pump, by said heat exchanger being in direct contact with the ground for direct geothermal heat exchange and if necessary in contact with a secondary (or more) fluid(s) heat exchanger.
Finally, this invention also more particularly pertains to an apparatus and method comprising a geothermal and if necessary, a secondary (or more) fluid(s) cooled precooler positioned between a conventional air source or water source condenser and the discharge of the compressor of an air conditioning, heat pump in the cooling mode, or refrigeration system so that when refrigerant flows through the heat exchanger, heat energy is removed from it.
2. Description of the Background Art
Presently there exist many types of devices designed to operate in the thermal transfer cycle. The vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is the pattern cycle for the great majority of commercially available refrigeration systems. This thermal transfer cycle is customarily accomplished by a compressor, condenser, throttling device and evaporator connected in serial fluid communication with one another. The system is charged with refrigerant, which circulates through each of the components. More particularly, the refrigerant of the system circulates through each of the components to remove heat from the evaporator and transfer heat to the condenser. The compressor compresses the refrigerant from a low-pressure superheated vapor state to a high-pressure superheated vapor state thereby increasing the temperature, enthalpy and pressure of the refrigerant. A superheated vapor is a vapor that has been heated above its boiling point temperature. It leaves the compressor and enters the condenser as a vapor at some elevated pressure where the refrigerant is condensed as a result of the heat transfer to cooling water and/or to ambient air. The refrigerant then flows through the condenser condensing the refrigerant at a substantially constant pressure to a saturated-liquid state. The refrigerant then leaves the condenser as a high pressure liquid. The pressure of the liquid is decreased as it flows through the expansion valve causing the refrigerant to change to a mixed liquid-vapor state. The remaining liquid, now at low pressure, is vaporized in the evaporator as a result of heat transfer from the refrigerated space. This vapor then enters the compressor to complete the cycle. The ideal cycle and hardware schematic for vapor compression refrigeration is shown in
FIG. 1
as cycle
1
-
2
-
3
-
4
-
1
. More particularly, the process representation in
FIG. 1
is represented by a pressure-enthalpy diagram, which illustrates the particular thermodynamic characteristics of a typical refrigerant. The P-h plane is particularly useful in showing the amounts of energy transfer as heat. Referring to
FIG. 1
, saturated vapor at low pressure enters the compressor and undergoes a reversible adiabatic compression,
1
-
2
. Adiabatic refers to any change in which there is no gain or loss of heat. Heat is then rejected at constant pressure in process
2
-
3
. An adiabatic pressure change occurs through the expansion device in process
3
-
4
, and the working fluid is then evaporated at constant pressure, process
4
-
1
, to complete the cycle. However, the actual refrigeration cycle may deviate from the ideal cycle primarily because of pressure drops associated with fluid flow and heat transfer to or from the surroundings. It is readily apparent that the temperature of the liquid refrigerant plays an important role in the potential for removing heat in the evaporator phase of the thermal cycle. The colder the liquid refrigerant entering the evaporator, the greater the possible change in enthalpy or heat energy absorbed per unit mass of liquid available for vaporization and the colder the liquid refrigerant entering the expansion device leading to the evaporator, the lower the flash gas loss, which means a higher portion or percentage of mass is available for vaporization through the evaporator. It is also readily apparent that the amount of heat available to the evaporator plays an important role in the amount of heat available for discharge from the condenser of a heat pump in the heating mode. Finally, it is readily apparent that rapid precooling of the hot gas discharge from a compressor lowers power consumption, improves compressor efficiency and improves the primary condenser's performance. Many such devices and methods currently exist that are designed to accomplish this subcooling, postheating and precooling.
However, these known methods and devices have drawbacks. The drawbacks include high cost of accomplishing the subcooling, postheating, and/or precooling, and/or the ineffectiveness or degrading effectiveness of the subcooling, postheating, and/or precooling, postheating and/or precooling method and/or device.
In response to the realized inadequacies of earlier methods and devices
Doerrler William
Holland & Knight
Shulman Mark
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