Refrigeration – With vehicle feature – Occupant-type vehicle
Patent
1992-01-22
1993-05-18
Tapolcai, William E.
Refrigeration
With vehicle feature
Occupant-type vehicle
62305, B60H 132
Patent
active
052110273
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to temperature control systems for vehicles, for example air conditioning systems for railway carriages.
There is an increasing demand for the air conditioning of railway carriages in order to improve passenger comfort. In view of the very substantial number of carriages in operation and the long life of such carriages, it is essential that any such system must be comparatively inexpensive and with a reasonable life expectancy and easy maintenance.
There have previously been two main proposals for air conditioning such carriages In one proposal, a complete air-cooled air conditioning unit is slung beneath a floor of the carriage in the ambient air and the cooled air produced by the system is ducted into the carriage. This system has the disadvantage, however, that the necessary air ducting is bulky and expensive to install.
A second previously proposed system mounts a refrigerating circuit of the air conditioning system on the roof of the carriage within the space to be cooled. The refrigerant is then led by pipes to a refrigerant/air heat exchanger slung beneath the floor of the carriage in the ambient air. This arrangement has the disadvantage that the refrigerant must be conveyed by pipes between the roof and the floor of the carriage. There is a strong possibility that, in time, refrigerant will leak from these pipes and such leaks, in view of the refrigerants currently used, have an adverse effect on the environment. In addition, such leaks are difficult to trace and repair.
The present invention seeks to overcome or reduce one or more of the above disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided in a vehicle a system for controlling the temperature of the interior of the vehicle by supplying air through one or more outlets into the interior, characterized in that it comprises a refrigerant circuit which is thermally linked to a second liquid-containing circuit which incorporates a liquid/air heat exchanger, the refrigerant circuit being carried by or adjacent to either the roof or the floor of the vehicle, and the heat exchanger being carried by or adjacent to the other of the roof and floor of the vehicle and the second liquid-containing circuit comprising pipes to and from the heat exchanger which extend over a substantial part of the height of the vehicle.
When the vehicle is being cooled, the heat exchanger is in the form of a heat rejection unit.
In one preferred arrangement the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is thermally linked to the second liquid-containing circuit by means of a condenser, said pipes extending from the condenser to the heat exchanger, and the refrigerant circuit comprises an evaporator over which air is passed to said outlets. The condenser may be replaced by any convenient liquid/refrigerant heat exchanger.
In another preferred arrangement the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is thermally linked to the second liquid-containing circuit by means of a second heat exchanger, said pipes extending from the second heat exchanger to the first heat exchanger, and the air being passed from the first heat exchanger to said outlets, the refrigerant circuit further comprising a refrigerant/air heat exchanger
Thus when the vehicle is being cooled, the refrigerant is air-cooled and the first heat exchanger may be in the form of a chilled liquid coil.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic cut-away side view of a railway carriage (shown in broken lines) incorporating a temperature control system in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a plan view from above of the refrigerant circuit of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the liquid/air heat exchanger of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 illustrates the principal of operation of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 illustrate
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patent: 3498072 (1970-03-01), Stiefel
patent: 3926000 (1975-12-01), Scofield
patent: 3959675 (1976-05-01), Lautner et al.
patent: 3995443 (1976-12-01), Iversen
patent: 4926655 (1990-05-01), King
Burlison James G.
Lofting Alan R.
Holland Donald S.
Tapolcai William E.
Temperature Limited
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