Refrigeration – Intermediate fluid container transferring heat to heat... – Flow line connected transfer fluid supply and heat exchanger
Patent
1998-08-18
2000-09-19
Doerrler, William
Refrigeration
Intermediate fluid container transferring heat to heat...
Flow line connected transfer fluid supply and heat exchanger
F25D 1762
Patent
active
061194786
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus operable to transfer heat between two refrigerant circuits and to a method of manufacturing such a refrigeration apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
Compression heat pumps, which employ an HCFC-family refrigerant such as an R22 refrigerant, have been used widely in refrigeration apparatus of air conditioning systems or the like. Such a refrigeration apparatus has a refrigerant circuit formed of a combination of a compressor, a heat source side heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and a use side heat exchanger that are connected together by refrigerant piping.
In recent years, there have been strong demands for air conditioning (cooling and heating), especially for large-scale air conditioning systems for office buildings or the like (hereinafter referred to as the building air conditioning system). A typical building air conditioning system usually comprises a single outdoor unit and a plurality of indoor units installed in individual rooms of a building. The outdoor unit and the indoor units are linked together by refrigerant lines (piping) that extend from the outdoor unit to every room throughout the building.
Recently, a great concern has developed for global environmental protection, requesting environmentally friendly refrigerants (e.g., HFC-family refrigerants) be utilized as a replacement refrigerant for a currently used refrigerant of the HCFC family (e.g., an R22 refrigerant). This will give rise to the necessity of replacing a currently used refrigerant with an environmentally friendly refrigerant in building air conditioning systems.
In cases where HFC-family refrigerants are utilized, a synthetic oil, such as ester oil and ether oil, is employed as a refrigeration oil. These synthetic oils compare poorly in stability with a mineral oil conventionally used in an HCFC refrigeration apparatus, so that it is likely that a sludge-like solid material (contamination) is deposited. The use of an ester or ether oil therefore requires severe moisture and contamination control.
A large-scale building air conditioning system requires extensive refrigerant piping work because it is necessary to arrange a great number of refrigerant lines from the outside to each room of the building. Such piping work is time and cost consuming. If the existing refrigerant piping can be reused when replacing HCFC with HFC, this favorably achieves reductions in construction cost and time in comparison with cases where a new air conditioning system is constructed. PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED
In the case an existing refrigerant circuit is reused, replacing an HCFC-family refrigerant with an HCF-family refrigerant in the foregoing refrigeration apparatus produces the following problems.
Large-scale building air conditioning requires lengthy refrigerant piping. Therefore, moisture and contamination should be controlled extremely severely over a wide range. The exertion of such control is very difficult.
The existing refrigerant piping requires a thorough cleaning. This is considerably time and cost consuming.
In some cases, a refrigeration oil, used as a compressor lubricating oil, is deposited on the inside wall of a refrigerant line. When replacing a refrigerant of one type in a refrigerant circuit with a refrigerant of a different type, it will become necessary to thoroughly clean each refrigerant line.
Conventional HCFC refrigeration apparatus use a mineral oil as a refrigeration oil. On the other hand, an HFC refrigeration apparatus uses a synthetic oil (e.g., an ester oil and ether oil) as a refrigeration oil. These synthetic oils compare poorly in stability with a mineral oil, and a contamination is deposited when mixed with a mineral oil. This means that a slight amount of mineral oil left in a refrigerant line results in deposition of a contamination, therefore exerting undesirable effects on the refrigeration operation. In the case an HCFC-family refrigerant is replaced by an HFC-family refrigerant, the refrigerant lines must be thoroughly cleaned.
Complete
REFERENCES:
patent: 2779171 (1957-01-01), Lindenblad
patent: 2893218 (1959-07-01), Harnish
patent: 3881323 (1975-05-01), Porter
patent: 4843832 (1989-07-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 5607013 (1997-03-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 5784893 (1998-07-01), Furuhama et al.
Sada Shinri
Tanaka Osamu
Daikin Industries Ltd.
Doerrler William
Peabody LLP Nixon
Studebaker Donald R.
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