Refrigeration system and the lubrication method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11965681-B2
Application number	US-201716332903-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2017
Priority date	Sep 14, 2016
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A refrigeration system and a lubricating method thereof. The refrigeration system ( 100 ) includes: a compressor ( 110 ), a condenser ( 120 ), an evaporator ( 130 ), and a lubrication circuit ( 200 ), the lubrication circuit including a post-lubrication flow path ( 230,240,260 ) connected from the compressor into the condenser and the evaporator respectively; and a pre-lubrication flow path ( 210,220,250 ) connected from the condenser and the evaporator into the compressor respectively; wherein after flowing from the condenser via the pre-lubrication flow path to the compressor for lubrication, a part of refrigerant for lubrication can flow back to the evaporator via the post-lubrication flow path; or after flowing from the evaporator via the pre-lubrication flow path to the compressor for lubrication, the part of refrigerant for lubrication can flow back to the condenser via the post-lubrication flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigeration system, comprising:
a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and a lubrication circuit, the lubrication circuit comprising a post-lubrication flow path connected from the compressor into the condenser and the evaporator respectively, wherein the lubrication circuit is distinct from a refrigeration circuit of the refrigeration system; and
a pre-lubrication flow path connected from the condenser and the evaporator into the compressor respectively;
wherein the pre-lubrication flow path comprises a first branch connected to the condenser and a second branch connected to the evaporator respectively; and the post-lubrication flow path comprises a third branch connected to the condenser and a fourth branch connected to the evaporator, respectively;
the pre-lubrication flow path and the post-lubrication flow path are configured such that:
after flowing from the condenser via the first branch to the compressor for lubrication, a part of refrigerant for lubrication can flow back to the evaporator via the fourth branch;
and after flowing from the evaporator via the second branch to the compressor for lubrication, the part of refrigerant for lubrication can flow back to the condenser via the third branch.

2. The refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein the first branch, the second branch, the third branch and the fourth branch are provided with a first control valve, a second control valve, a third control valve and a fourth control valve respectively.

3. The refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-lubrication flow path comprises a first common flow path connected to the first branch and the second branch respectively, and the post-lubrication flow path comprises a second common flow path connected to the third branch and the fourth branch respectively.

4. The refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein the first branch and the third branch are connected to a liquid storage chamber of the condenser.

5. The refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein the second branch is connected to a liquid storage chamber of the evaporator; and the fourth branch is connected to the bottom of the evaporator.

6. The refrigeration system of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid level switch arranged in a liquid storage chamber of the condenser.

7. A lubricating method of a refrigeration system, wherein the refrigeration system comprises a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and a lubrication circuit, wherein the lubrication circuit is distinct from a refrigeration circuit of the refrigeration system, the lubrication circuit comprising a post-lubrication flow path connected from the compressor into the condenser and the evaporator respectively; and a pre-lubrication flow path connected from the condenser and the evaporator into the compressor respectively,
wherein the pre-lubrication flow path comprises a first branch connected to the condenser and a second branch connected to the evaporator respectively; and
the post-lubrication flow path comprises a third branch connected to the condenser and a fourth branch connected to the evaporator respectively,
wherein the method includes operating the lubrication circuit in a first lubrication mode and a second lubrication mode:
in the first lubrication mode, after flowing from the condenser via the first branch to the compressor for lubrication, a part of refrigerant for lubrication is enabled to flow back to the evaporator via the fourth branch; and
in the second lubrication mode, after flowing from the evaporator via the second branch to the compressor for lubrication, the part of refrigerant for lubrication is enabled to flow back to the condenser via the third branch.

8. The lubricating method of a refrigeration system of claim 7 , wherein, the first lubrication mode is executed in a running working condition.

9. The lubricating method of a refrigeration system of claim 7 , wherein the second lubrication mode is executed in any one of a power-up working condition, a standby working condition or a chiller-off working condition.

10. The lubricating method of a refrigeration system of claim 9 , wherein the execution of the second lubrication mode is stopped when a liquid level in a liquid storage chamber of the condenser is greater than a preset power-up liquid level value.

11. The lubricating method of a refrigeration system of claim 10 , wherein the execution of the second lubrication mode is stopped when the liquid level in the liquid storage chamber of the condenser is greater than the preset power-up liquid level value and execution duration of the second lubrication mode is greater than a first preset time value.

12. The lubricating method of a refrigeration system of claim 11 , wherein the first preset time value is 2 minutes.

13. The lubricating method of a refrigeration system of claim 11 , wherein the execution of the second lubrication mode is stopped when a liquid level in a liquid storage chamber of the condenser is less than a preset power-up liquid level value and execution duration of the second lubrication mode is greater than a second preset time value.

14. The lubricating method of a refrigeration system of claim 13 , wherein the second preset time value is 5 minutes.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Stark Michael A
• Li Hsihua
• Zhang Haitao
• Shu biao
• Deng Kai
• Ding Haiping

Classifications

• F25B31/002 Primary

  Lubrication · CPC title

• F25B31/004 Primary

  oil recirculating arrangements · CPC title

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• F25B2339/0242

  having tubular elements · CPC title

• F25B2500/16

  Lubrication · CPC title