Heating system including a refrigerant boiler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11029040-B2
Application number	US-201815925058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2018
Priority date	Nov 18, 2011
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A heating system includes a refrigerant boiler including a heat source for heating a refrigerant from a liquid state to a vapor state, a boiler outlet and a boiler inlet; a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the refrigerant boiler, the heat exchanger including a upper manifold having a heat exchanger inlet coupled to the boiler outlet, a lower manifold having a heat exchanger outlet coupled to the boiler inlet and a plurality of tubes connecting the upper manifold and the lower manifold, wherein refrigerant passes from the upper manifold to the lower manifold via gravity; and a fan moving air over the heat exchanger to define supply air for a space to be heated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating system comprising:
a refrigerant boiler including a heat source for heating a refrigerant from a liquid state to a vapor state, a boiler outlet and a boiler inlet, a first section and a second section arranged in counterflow manner with respect to flue gas flow from the boiler:
a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the refrigerant boiler, the heat exchanger including an upper manifold having a heat exchanger inlet coupled to the boiler outlet, a lower manifold having a heat exchanger outlet coupled to the boiler inlet and a plurality of tubes connecting the upper manifold and the lower manifold, wherein refrigerant passes from the upper manifold to the lower manifold via gravity;
a liquid-vapor separator positioned between the first section and the second section, a vapor portion of the liquid-vapor separator being coupled to an inlet of the heat exchanger, a liquid portion of the liquid-vapor separator being coupled to an inlet of the first section;
a fan moving air over the heat exchanger to define supply air for a space to be heated;
a first valve downstream of the boiler and upstream of the heat exchanger controlling flow of vapor refrigerant to the heat exchanger inlet;
a second valve downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the boiler controlling flow of liquid refrigerant to the boiler inlet;
and a controller for selectively opening and closing the first valve and second valve to control flow of refrigerant between the boiler and heat exchanger.

2. The heating system of claim 1 further comprising:
an accumulator positioned between the outlet of the heat exchanger and the inlet of the boiler.

3. The heating system of claim 2 further comprising:
a check valve is positioned upstream of the accumulator.

4. The heating system of claim 1 further comprising:
a receiver positioned between the outlet of the heat exchanger and the inlet of the boiler.

5. The heating system of claim 4 further comprising:
a check valve is positioned downstream of the receiver.

6. The heating system of claim 1 further comprising:
a temperature sensor positioned to monitor temperature of the supply air; and
the controller receiving a temperature signal from the temperature sensor and controlling a speed of the fan in response to the temperature signal.

7. The heating system of claim 1 further comprising:
a sensor detecting an operational parameter of the refrigerant boiler;
a flue gas fan directing flue gas over a boiler heat exchanger of the refrigerant boiler; and
the controller for controlling at least one of the heat source of the refrigerant boiler and the flue gas fan in response to the sensor.

8. The heating system of claim 7 wherein:
the heat source is a staged burner having a burner stage valve to control fuel flow to an additional burner stage;
the controller controls the burner stage valve in response to the sensor.

9. The heating system of claim 7 further comprising:
a fuel flow control device to control fuel flow to the heat source;
the controller controlling the fuel flow control device in response to the sensor.

10. The heating system of claim 9 wherein:
the controller controls the fuel flow control device to one of modulate or pulsate fuel to the heat source.

11. The heating system of claim 1 further comprising:
a trap positioned between the lower manifold and the heat exchanger outlet, the trap holding liquid refrigerant.

12. The heating system of claim 1 wherein:
the heat exchanger inlet and the heat exchanger outlet are coupled to a single pipe carrying both vapor refrigerant and liquid refrigerant.

13. The heating system of claim 12 further comprising:
an internal tube coupled to the heat exchanger outlet, the internal tube positioned inside a portion of the single pipe.

14. A heating system comprising:
a refrigerant boiler including a heat source for heating a refrigerant from a liquid state to a vapor state, a boiler outlet and a boiler inlet, a first section and a second section arranged in counterflow manner with respect to flue gas flow from the boiler;
a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the refrigerant boiler, the heat exchanger including an upper manifold having a heat exchanger inlet coupled to the boiler outlet, a lower manifold having a heat exchanger outlet coupled to the boiler inlet and a plurality of tubes connecting the upper manifold and the lower manifold, wherein refrigerant passes from the upper manifold to the lower manifold via gravity;
a liquid-vapor separator positioned between the first section and the second section, a vapor portion of the liquid-vapor separator being coupled to an inlet of the heat exchanger, a liquid portion of the liquid-vapor separator being coupled to an inlet of the first section;
a fan moving air over the heat exchanger to define supply air for a space to be heated;
a first valve downstream of the boiler controlling flow of vapor refrigerant to the heat exchanger inlet;
a second valve upstream of the boiler controlling flow of liquid refrigerant to the boiler inlet;
and a controller for selectively opening and closing the first valve and second valve to control flow of refrigerant between the boiler and heat exchanger;
wherein in a first state the first valve and second valve are closed, the controller opening the first valve in response to at least one of temperature and pressure in the boiler.

15. The heating system of claim 14 wherein:
the controller opens the second valve after the first valve is opened.

16. The heating system of claim 15 wherein:
the controller closes the first valve and closes the second valve after a predetermined period of time.

17. A heating system comprising:
a refrigerant boiler including a heat source for heating a refrigerant from a liquid state to a vapor state, a boiler outlet and a boiler inlet;
a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the refrigerant boiler, the heat exchanger including an upper manifold having a heat exchanger inlet coupled to the boiler outlet, a lower manifold having a heat exchanger outlet coupled to the boiler inlet and a plurality of tubes connecting the upper manifold and the lower manifold, wherein refrigerant passes from the upper manifold to the lower manifold via gravity;
a fan moving air over the heat exchanger to define supply air for a space to be heated;
a first valve downstream of the boiler controlling flow of vapor refrigerant to the heat exchanger inlet;
a second valve upstream of the boiler controlling flow of liquid refrigerant to the boiler inlet;
and a controller for selectively opening and closing the first valve and second valve to control flow of refrigerant between the boiler and heat exchanger;
wherein the boiler includes a first section and a second section arranged in a counterflow manner with respect to flue gas flow from the boiler, the second heat exchanger section including a tray for collecting flue gas condensate and a condensate drain coupled to the tray; and a liquid-vapor separator positioned between the first section and the second section, a vapor portion of the liquid-vapor separator being coupled to an inlet of the heat exchanger, a liquid portion of the liquid-vapor separator being coupled to an inlet of the first section.

18. A heating system comprising:
a refrigerant boiler including a heat source for heating a refrigerant from a liquid state to a vapor state, a boiler outlet and a boiler inlet, a first section and a second section arranged in counterflow manner with respect

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Lord Richard G
• Taras Michael F
• Lifson Alexander
• Daddis Jr Eugene Duane
• Dieujuste Ludgina Fils
• Nieva Kenneth J

Classifications

• F22B35/00 Primary

  Control systems for steam boilers (for regulating feed-water supply F22D5/00; for controlling superheat temperature F22G5/00) · CPC title

• F24D2200/04

  Gas or oil fired boiler · CPC title

• F25B23/006

  boiling cooling systems · CPC title

• F24D7/00

  Central heating systems employing heat-transfer fluids not covered by groups F24D1/00 - F24D5/00, e.g. oil, salt or gas (district heating systems F24D10/00; central heating systems using heat accumulated in storage masses F24D11/00) · CPC title

• F24D2200/046

  Condensing boilers · CPC title