Recuperated superheat return trans-critical vapor compression system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11035595-B2
Application number	US-201815974280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2018
Priority date	Aug 18, 2017
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Methods and systems for recuperated superheat return are provided. A coolant is supplied in a vapor state to a compressor. The coolant compressed by the compressor is cooled with a gas cooler. The coolant cooled by the gas cooler is supplied to an inlet of a high pressure side of a recuperator. The coolant from an outlet of the high pressure side of the recuperator is supplied to a portion of a coolant circuit. The coolant is supplied back from the portion of the coolant circuit to an inlet of a low pressure side of the recuperator. The coolant in the low pressure side of the recuperator is heated with thermal energy transferred by the recuperator from the coolant in the high pressure side of the recuperator. The coolant in the vapor state from an outlet of the low pressure side of the recuperator is supplied to the compressor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system comprising:
a coolant circuit comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion including a recuperator, a gas cooler, and a compressor, the second portion comprising a mixer and a liquid-vapor separator;
wherein the compressor is configured to compress a coolant supplied to the compressor in a vapor state;
wherein the gas cooler is configured to cool the coolant compressed by the compressor;
wherein the recuperator has a high pressure side and a low pressure side;
wherein the vapor-liquid separator has a liquid outlet and a vapor outlet;
wherein the mixer is configured to form a liquid-vapor mixture from a vapor portion of the coolant supplied by the vapor outlet of the vapor-liquid separator and a liquid portion, only in a liquid phase, of the coolant received from the liquid outlet of vapor-liquid separator; and
wherein the recuperator is configured to:
receive the coolant cooled by the gas cooler at an inlet of the high pressure side,
supply the coolant to a second portion of the coolant circuit from an outlet of the high pressure side, wherein the second portion of the coolant circuit is configured to return the coolant to the low pressure side of the recuperator as the vapor-liquid mixture from the mixer,
receive the vapor-liquid mixture at an inlet of the low pressure side of the recuperator,
transfer heat from the coolant on the high pressure side to the coolant on the low pressure side, and
supply the coolant to the compressor from an outlet of the low pressure side.

2. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the coolant circuit includes a means for creating a pressure drop, the means includes an inlet and an outlet, wherein the means is configured to create the pressure drop between the inlet and the outlet of the means, and wherein the inlet of the means is configured to receive the vapor portion of the coolant through the vapor outlet of the vapor-liquid separator, and wherein the means is configured to supply the vapor portion of the coolant through the outlet of the means.

3. The cooling system of claim 2 , wherein the means for creating the pressure drop includes a venturi valve configured to create the pressure drop, and the venturi valve includes the mixer.

4. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the coolant circuit further includes a liquid return valve, and the liquid return valve is configured to control a flow of the liquid portion of the coolant.

5. The cooling system of claim 4 , wherein a processor is configured to cause the liquid return valve to adjust the flow of the second portion of the coolant based on a temperature of the coolant supplied to the compressor.

6. The cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the liquid return valve to decrease the flow of the liquid portion in response to a decrease in a thermal load cooled by the coolant.

7. The cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the liquid return valve to increase the flow in response to an increase in a thermal load cooled by the coolant.

8. The cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the liquid return valve to increase the flow in response to a temperature of the coolant supplied to the compressor exceeding a threshold value.

9. The cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the liquid return valve to decrease the flow in response to a temperature of the coolant supplied to the compressor falling below a threshold value.

10. The cooling system of claim 4 , wherein a processor is configured to cause the liquid return valve to adjust the flow of the second portion of the coolant such that a temperature of the coolant supplied to the compressor indicates that the coolant is supplied to the compressor in the vapor state.

11. A cooling system comprising:
a compressor configured to compress a coolant supplied to the compressor in a vapor state;
a gas cooler configured to cool the coolant compressed by the compressor; and
a recuperator having a high pressure side and a low pressure side, wherein the recuperator is configured to receive the coolant cooled by the gas cooler at an inlet of the high pressure side, supply the coolant in the vapor state to the compressor from an outlet of the low pressure side, and transfer heat from the high pressure side to the low pressure side;
a thermal expansion valve configured to receive the coolant from an outlet of the high pressure side of the recuperator;
an evaporator configured to receive the coolant from the thermal expansion valve and to cool a thermal load with the coolant;
a vapor-liquid separator configured to receive the coolant from the evaporator and to separate the coolant into a vapor portion and a liquid portion;
a liquid return valve configured to control a flow of the liquid portion out of the vapor-liquid separator;
a pressure drop element configured to cause a pressure of the vapor portion of the coolant that exits the vapor-liquid separator to drop to a decreased pressure; and
a mixer configured to form a mixture of the vapor portion of the coolant at the decreased pressure and the liquid portion, only in a liquid phase, of the coolant received through the liquid return valve, wherein the recuperator is further configured to receive the mixture at an inlet of the low pressure side.

12. The cooling system of claim 11 , wherein the pressure drop element and the mixer are integral components of an eductor or an ejector.

13. The cooling system of claim 11 , wherein the thermal load is imposed by a directed-energy weapon.

14. The cooling system of claim 11 , wherein the evaporator is configured to cool at least two independent coolant loops with a single set of conduits that transport the coolant through sections of the evaporator that correspond to the at least two independent coolant loops.

15. The cooling system of claim 14 , wherein the at least two independent coolant loops comprise a hotel coolant loop and a primary coolant loop.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Jansen Eugene C
• Donovan Eric S

Classifications

• F25B40/00 Primary

  Subcoolers, desuperheaters or superheaters · CPC title

• F41B6/006

  Rail launchers · CPC title

• F25B2400/23

  Separators · CPC title

• F25B41/00

  Fluid-circulation arrangements · CPC title

• F25B2600/2515

  Flow valves · CPC title