Refrigeration – With means preventing or handling atmospheric condensate...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-19
2003-07-15
Jones, Melvin (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
With means preventing or handling atmospheric condensate...
C062S080000, C062S275000, C062S283000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06591626
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Summary of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water removal device for refrigeration system, more particularly, an evaporator designed by using the method of electrohydrodynarnics (EHD) in refrigeration system, a device that swiftly removes the condensation water, which is of polar molecule, on the evaporator through the influence of the electric effect, thus enhancing the water removal function.
DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
FIG. 5
shows the cycling circuit of a conventional refrigeration system like an air conditioner or a dehumidifier, which usually comprises a compressor
11
, a condenser
12
, an expansion valve
13
and an evaporator
14
, wherein the compressor
11
compresses the low-temperature gaseous refrigerant into a high-pressure and high-temperature gaseous refrigerant, which, exchanging heat with the outer fluid via the condenser
12
, is to be condensed into a high-pressure and mid-temperature liquid refrigerant; and then, such high-pressure and mid-temperature liquid refrigerant is to flow through the fin-pipe type evaporator
14
to absorb the outer heat so as to produce a cold chamber effect; finally, the low-pressure and mid-temperature liquid refrigerant will become a low-pressure and low-temperature gaseous refrigerant inside the evaporator
14
; thus the whole refrigerant cycle is completed.
The main structure of the fin-pipe type evaporator
14
includes a zigzag type of copper pipe used for carrying refrigerant, a plurality of fins closely attached to the copper pipe, and a fan to provide air flow; the fins are used for increasing the heat-exchanging area of the evaporator
14
. The fan is used for blowing air to flow among the fins so as to provide heat exchange between the fins and the copper pipe. Since the fins and the copper pipe have a considerable low temperature, the moisture in the air will be condensed on the fins; as soon as the moisture is condensed to a given weight, it will drop and flow to the bottoms of the fins to be drained, wherein most of the draining process of the condensed water is to be done at the bottoms of the fins.
Nevertheless, since the spacing between the fins is extremely congested, the aforementioned process of using gravitational force to drain off the condensed water becomes considerably slow, thus the condensed water that is to be drained off slowly shall curb the air flow passage, increase the wind resistance force, and decrease the volume of air flow; eventually the workload of the fan motor shall damage the heat-transferring function of the evaporator, thus adversely affecting the operational efficiency of the overall system.
For the purpose of energy saving, developing smaller, more efficient and energy-saving refrigeration system is the ongoing trend up to now, a goal that can be furthered achieved by shortening the attaching time of the condensed water on the evaporator.
The R.O.C. U.S. Pat. No. 159,545, owned by the Applicant, relates to a water removal device for refrigeration system that is designed for shortening the attaching time of the condensed water on the evaporator. The U.S. Pat. No. 159,545 utilizes the EHD technique which, through the electric effect produced by the positive and negative electrodes, swiftly removes the condensed water condensed on the evaporator of the refrigeration system, thus thoroughly taking advantage of the heat transfer function of the evaporator, and increasing the operational efficiency of the overall system.
Furthermore, the R.O.C. U.S. Pat. No. 159,545 not only comprises the conventional cycling circuit that includes a compressor
11
, a condenser
12
, an expansion valve
13
and an evaporator
14
, but it mainly includes also a base plate
32
that, mounted at the bottom of the evaporator
14
, can be of metal conductive wire or other conductive material. In addition, such base plate
32
is to be connected with a positive high-voltage generator
33
to produce the positive pole. At the same time, the evaporator
14
is to be connected with a negative high-voltage generator
31
, thus making the evaporator
14
a negative pole, shown in FIG.
6
.
The positive and negative high-voltage continuous-current generators
33
and
31
are devices that utilize the flyback transformers and related circuits to produce high-voltage low electric current, and these two generators
33
and
31
respectively connect the base plate
32
and the evaporator
14
to form an electric field. Since water is a high dielectric constant material, the condensed water formed on the evaporator
14
is charged with negative electricity by the evaporator
14
. Therefore, the electrified negative condensed water, gravitated by the electric field containing positive and negative electricity, is to be attracted by the base plate
32
containing positive electricity, thus is pulled away from the evaporator
14
, and then the condensed water is to drip down to the bottom and is drained. Principally, the stronger the influence of the electric field is, the more effective the draining of the condensed water will be. However, the R.O.C. U.S. Pat. No. 159,545, when being actually applied, shall cause electricity-discharging sparks or short circuit, for the positive and negative electricity high voltage become too high, or the distance of the positive and negative electricity between the base plate
32
and the evaporator is too short, a result that would seriously affect the normal operation of the whole system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main object of the present invention is to provide a water removal device for refrigeration system; by installing under the evaporator an electric pole connecting the voltage source, the condensed water of polar molecule is to be pulled away from the evaporator by the electric field, thus effectively overcoming the drawbacks of producing electricity-discharging sparks to affect the normal operation of the whole system caused by the conventional art, thoroughly taking advantage of the electricity-conducting function of the evaporator, and assuring the normal operation of the refrigeration system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a water removal device for refrigeration system; by installing a time controller to control the electricity supply cycle of the voltage source, and a controlling unit to control the time controller and the voltage source, thus creating an electricity-saving device to save energy during the condition of not having much condensed water to be drained.
The aforementioned objects are to be achieved by a water removal device for refrigeration system comprising an electrode, mounted under the evaporator, and a voltage source, connected to the electrode for providing voltage to the electrode; between the electrode and the evaporator an electric potential difference is formed to create an electric field, thus the condensed water, being of polar molecule from the evaporator, is to be attracted by the electric field and therefore to be pulled away swiftly. There will be no electricity-discharging sparks between the evaporator and the electrode,
The aforementioned electric field can be either positive or negative electric field; when the electric field is a positive field, the electrode then is to be positive and the voltage source is to be a positive voltage source also; when the electric field is a negative field, the electrode then is to be negative and the voltage source is to be a negative voltage source as well.
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patent: 4651806 (1987-03-01), Allen et al.
patent: 6298679 (2001-10-01), Cheng et al.
patent: 6332331 (2001-12-01), Cheng et al.
patent: 6374909 (2002-04-01), Jeter et al.
patent: 6397619 (2002-06-01), Cheng et al.
patent: 406317366 (1994-11-01), None
Cheng Wei-Yueh
Lin Shih-Pei
Bacon & Thomas PLLC
Industrial Technology Institute
Jones Melvin
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