Refrigeration system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345451-B2
Application number	US-201917311276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2019
Priority date	Dec 5, 2018
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is a refrigeration system, comprising refrigeration system components, a connecting pipeline, a switch structure, and discharging channels ( 123, 124; 623, 624 ). The refrigeration system components comprise three heat exchangers ( 101; 102; 112 ). The refrigeration system components can be connected via the connecting pipeline, and are combined into different working systems via the switch structure. When two heat exchangers are selected by the switch structure to form one working system and the saturation temperature corresponding to the internal pressure of the unselected heat exchanger is higher than the medium or environment temperature of the heat exchanger, a liquid refrigerant accumulates inside the non-working heat exchanger. According to the refrigeration system, the switch structure is arranged at either end of the non-working heat exchanger, so that the non-working heat exchanger is isolated from a working system cycle, and under the condition where the pressure at a low-pressure side (C; Q) of the working system is less than the internal pressure of the non-working heat exchanger, additional discharging channels ( 123, 124; 623, 624 ) communicate with the non-working heat exchanger and the low-pressure side (C; Q) of the working system, so that the refrigerant accumulating in the non-working heat exchanger is transferred to the system cycle, avoiding a lack of refrigerant in the system cycle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigeration system, wherein the refrigeration system comprises:
refrigeration system components comprising a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, a first throttle valve and a second throttle valve;
connecting pipelines configured to connect the refrigeration system components and configured to combine the refrigeration system components in different ways to form a plurality of operating systems, wherein each operating system of the plurality of operating systems is different from one another;
a switch structure configured to connect the connecting pipelines to form an operating system of the plurality of operating systems and configured to select, from the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, two heat exchangers for connection into the operating system, and to isolate a non-selected heat exchanger from the operating system; and
a discharge path configured to be selectively arranged between the non-selected heat exchanger and a low-pressure side of the operating system; and
a control device configured to connect the non-selected heat exchanger to the low-pressure side of the operating system via the discharge path in response to:
a temperature of a medium that undergoes heat transfer with a refrigerant in the non-selected heat exchanger being lower than a saturation temperature of refrigerant in the non-selected heat exchanger; or

a temperature of an environment in which the non-selected heat exchanger is located being lower than the saturation temperature of refrigerant in the non-selected heat exchanger.

2. The refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein:
when the discharge path is arranged between the non-selected heat exchanger and the low-pressure side of the operating system, the refrigeration system is configured such that:
(i) when a pressure of the low-pressure side of the operating system is lower than a pressure in the non-selected heat exchanger, the discharge path is connected so that refrigerant in the non-selected heat exchanger flows into the low-pressure side of the operating system; and
(ii) when the pressure of the low-pressure side of the operating system is not lower than the pressure in the non-selected heat exchanger, the first throttle valve or the second throttle valve is first adjusted to lower the pressure of the low-pressure side of the operating system, so that refrigerant in the non-selected heat exchanger is able to flow into the low-pressure side of the operating system, the discharge path is then connected so that refrigerant in the non-selected heat exchanger flows into the low-pressure side of the operating system, and the discharge path is disconnected when discharge of refrigerant in the non-selected heat exchanger has taken place for a period of time.

3. The refrigeration system of claim 2 , wherein:
the discharge path comprises a discharge switch device configured to control connection and disconnection of the discharge path.

4. The refrigeration system of claim 3 , wherein:
the discharge switch device comprises a first disconnection device and a second disconnection device;
the first disconnection device is configured to connect the second heat exchanger to, or disconnect the second heat exchanger from, a respective low-pressure side of a first operating system of the plurality of operating systems formed by the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger and either one or both of the first throttle valve and the second throttle valve; and
the second disconnection device is configured to connect the third heat exchanger to, or disconnect the third heat exchanger from, a low-pressure side of a second operating system formed by the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and either one or both of the first throttle valve and the second throttle valve.

5. The refrigeration system of claim 4 , wherein the refrigeration system further comprises:
a pressure detection device configured to detect the pressure of the low-pressure side of the operating system and to provide a pressure detection signal; and
a temperature detection device configured to detect a temperature in the non-selected heat exchanger and to provide a temperature detection signal.

6. The refrigeration system of claim 5 , wherein the
control device is in communicative connection with the discharge switch device and is configured to control connection and disconnection of the discharge path according to the pressure detection signal provided by the pressure detection device and the temperature detection signal provided by the temperature detection device.

7. The refrigeration system of claim 2 , wherein:
the plurality of operating systems comprises a first operating system and a second operating system;
the first operating system is formed by connection of a first series-connected path, the first series-connected path serially connecting in sequence the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the first throttle valve and the third heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are configured to operate as condensers in the first operating system, and the third heat exchanger is configured to operate as an evaporator in the first operating system;
the second operating system is formed by connection of a second series-connected path, the second series-connected path serially connecting in sequence the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger, the first throttle valve and the second heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger are configured to operate as condensers of the second operating system, and the second heat exchanger is configured to operate as an evaporator of the second operating system; and
the switch structure comprises a path switching device, and the first operating system and the second operating system are configured to be selectively switched via the path switching device.

8. The refrigeration system of claim 7 , wherein:
the switch structure further comprises a third disconnection device, a fourth disconnection device and a fifth disconnection device; the third disconnection device is connected between the first heat exchanger and the path switching device; the fourth disconnection device is connected between the second heat exchanger and the first throttle valve; and the fifth disconnection device is connected between the third heat exchanger and the first throttle valve;
the second throttle valve comprises a first end connected between the first heat exchanger and the third disconnection device, and comprises a second end connected between the fourth disconnection device and the first throttle valve; and
the plurality of operating systems further comprises a third operating system and a fourth operating system;
the third operating system is formed by a third series-connected path, and when the third operating system is formed, the third series-connected path is configured such that: the third disconnection device and the fourth disconnection device are disconnected, the second heat exchanger in the first series-connected path is separated from the first series-connected path, and a sequential series connection of the compressor, the first heat exchanger, the second throttle valve, the first throttle valve and the third heat exchanger is maintained, wherein the first heat exchanger is configured to operate as a condenser of the third operating system, and the third heat exchanger is configured to operate as an evaporator of the third operating system; and
the fourth operating system is formed by a fourth series-connected path, and when the fourth o

Assignees

• York Guangzhou Air Conditioning And Refrigeration Co Ltd
• Johnson Controls Tech Co
• Tyco Fire & Security Gmbh

Inventors

• Yu Demao
• Wu Shuang

Classifications

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• F25B45/00

  Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant · CPC title

• F25B13/00 Primary

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02) · CPC title

• F25B41/40

  Fluid line arrangements · CPC title

• F25B41/24

  Arrangement of shut-off valves for disconnecting a part of the refrigerant cycle, e.g. an outdoor part · CPC title