Refrigeration – With means for charging closed refrigeration producing system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-10
2001-07-24
Buiz, Michael Powell (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With means for charging closed refrigeration producing system
C062S077000, C062S195000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263691
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a refrigerant recovery system and a refrigerant recovery method for recovering a refrigerant in an air conditioner, a refrigerator or the like.
BACKGROUND ART
From the recent years' environmental point of view or the like, it has been proposed to use HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) alternative refrigerants instead of CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) or HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) conventional refrigerants. In order to replace conventional refrigerants with alternative refrigerants, it is necessary to recover conventional refrigerants.
However, since conventional refrigerant recovery systems employ a suction pump, there is a problem that the efficiency would inevitably be poor.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant recovery system and a refrigerant recovery method which are capable of recovering refrigerants with high efficiency.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a refrigerant recovery system comprising:
recovery piping;
a heat exchanger for heat exchanging with a refrigerant within the recovery piping; and
refrigerant flow regulating means for regulating a flowing direction of the refrigerant within the recovery piping in one way.
In this refrigerant recovery system, the refrigerant within the recovery piping is heated and cooled by the heat exchanger so that a fluid power is imparted to the refrigerant. This fluid power is regulated to one way by the refrigerant flow regulating means, by which the refrigerant is transferred in one direction within the recovery piping. Thus, the refrigerant can be recovered from recovery targets. According to this invention, by heating and cooling the refrigerant, the refrigerant can be recovered efficiently.
Also, a refrigerant recovery system of one aspect of the present invention comprises:
recovery piping;
a heat exchanger connected to the recovery piping; and
refrigerant flow regulating means for regulating a flowing direction of the refrigerant within the recovery piping in one way, wherein
the heat exchanger alternately iterates a suction operation of sucking in the refrigerant from the recovery piping into the heat exchanger by cooling the gas refrigerant within the heat exchanger to effectuate a pressure reduction, and a recovery operation of recovering the liquid refrigerant from the heat exchanger to a recovery container by heating the refrigerant within the heat exchanger to effectuate a pressurization.
In this refrigerant recovery system, the heat exchanger alternately iterates a suction operation of sucking in the refrigerant from the recovery piping into the heat exchanger by cooling the gas refrigerant within the heat exchanger to effectuate a pressure reduction, and a recovery operation of recovering the liquid refrigerant from the heat exchanger to a recovery container by heating the refrigerant within the heat exchanger to effectuate a pressurization. Thus, the refrigerant can be recovered from recovery targets. According to this invention, by heating and cooling the refrigerant, the refrigerant can be recovered efficiently.
Also, a refrigerant recovery system of another aspect of the present invention comprises:
recovery piping;
two heat exchangers connected to the recovery piping such that the two exchangers are parallel to each other; and
refrigerant flow regulating means for regulating a flowing direction of the refrigerant within the recovery piping in one way, wherein the heat exchangers alternately iterate, between these heat exchangers, a suction operation of sucking in the refrigerant from the recovery piping into the heat exchangers by cooling the gas refrigerant within the heat exchangers to effectuate a pressure reduction, and a recovery operation of recovering the liquid refrigerant from the heat exchangers to a recovery container by heating the refrigerant within the heat exchangers to effectuate a pressurization.
In this refrigerant recovery system, the two heat exchangers connected in parallel alternately iterate a suction operation of sucking in the refrigerant from the recovery piping into the heat exchangers by cooling the gas refrigerant within the heat exchangers to effectuate a pressure reduction, and a recovery operation of recovering the liquid refrigerant from the heat exchangers to a recovery container by heating the refrigerant within the heat exchangers to effectuate a pressurization. Thus, the refrigerant can be recovered from recovery targets. According to this refrigerant recovery system, by heating and cooling the refrigerant, the refrigerant can be recovered efficiently.
Also, one embodiment further comprises a degassing circuit for merging the gas refrigerant within the recovery container connected to the recovery piping, with the refrigerant within the recovery piping cooled by the heat exchanger.
In this refrigerant recovery system, the degassing circuit makes the gas refrigerant within the recovery container merged with the refrigerant within the recovery piping cooled by the heat exchanger, by which the recovery container can be degassed. As a result of this degassing of the recovery container, the refrigerant can be recovered to the recovery container smoothly, so that the refrigerant can be recovered efficiently.
Also, one embodiment further comprises a heating circuit for introducing, and heating, the refrigerant heated by the heat exchanger and thereby formed into hot gas, to external piping or external equipment connected to the recovery piping.
In this refrigerant recovery system, the heating circuit introduces, and heats, the refrigerant heated by the heat exchanger and thereby formed into hot gas, to external piping or external equipment connected to the recovery piping. As a result of this, by introducing the hot gas to cooled part out of the external piping or external equipment and thereby evaporating condensed refrigerant within this part, the refrigerant recovery can be facilitated.
Also, one embodiment further comprises a degassing circuit for merging the gas refrigerant within the recovery container connected to the recovery piping, with the refrigerant within the recovery piping cooled by the heat exchanger; and
a heating circuit for performing a heating operation by introducing the refrigerant heated by the heat exchanger and thereby formed into hot gas, to external piping or external equipment connected to the recovery piping.
In this refrigerant recovery system, the refrigerant is transferred in one way by the heat exchanger and the refrigerant flow regulating means. The recovery container is degassed by the degassing circuit, by which the refrigerant is recovered to the recovery container smoothly. Then, the hot gas derived from the heat exchanger is introduced to cooled part out of the external piping or external equipment by the heating circuit, by which condensed refrigerant is evaporated. As a result of these operations, the refrigerant can be recovered efficiently.
Also, one embodiment further comprises fluidizing the refrigerant by heat exchanging with a refrigerant within recovery piping by means of a heat exchanger;
regulating a flowing direction of the refrigerant in one way by means of refrigerant flow regulating means; and
recovering the refrigerant from a recovery target.
In this refrigerant recovery method, by transferring the refrigerant in one way within the recovery piping by means of the heat exchanger and the refrigerant flow regulating means, the refrigerant can be recovered from recovery targets efficiently.
Also, another embodiment further comprises accumulating the refrigerant sent from the recovery piping in a recovery container; and
degassing the recovery container by merging the gas refrigerant within the recovery container, with the refrigerant within the recovery piping cooled by the heat exchanger by means of a degassing circuit.
In this refrigerant recovery method, by degassing the recovery container by means of the degassing circuit, the refrigerant can be recovered to the recovery container smoothly
Iijima Toshihiro
Takegami Masaaki
Ueno Takeo
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Buiz Michael Powell
Daikin Industries Ltd.
Jiang Chen Wen
LandOfFree
Refrigerant recovering apparatus and refrigerant recovering... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Refrigerant recovering apparatus and refrigerant recovering..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Refrigerant recovering apparatus and refrigerant recovering... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2463526