Low charge packaged refrigeration system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016178257-A1
Application number	US-201514791033-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A packaged, pumped liquid, recirculating refrigeration system with charges of 10 lbs or less of refrigerant per ton of refrigeration capacity. The compressor and related components are situated in a pre-packaged modular machine room, and in which the condenser is mounted on the machine room and the evaporator is close coupled to the pre-packaged modular machine room. Prior art large receiver vessels may be replaced with a single or dual phase cyclonic separator also housed in the pre-packaged modular machine room.

First claim

1 . A refrigeration system comprising:
a refrigerant evaporator coil, vapor/liquid separation structure connected to an outlet of said evaporator coil via refrigerant line configured to separate low pressure refrigerant vapor from low pressure refrigerant liquid; a refrigerant compressor connected to an outlet of said liquid-vapor separation device via refrigerant line and configured to compress refrigerant vapor from said vapor liquid separation structure; a refrigerant condenser connected to an outlet of said refrigerant compressor via refrigerant line and configured to condense refrigerant vapor produced in said compressor to refrigerant liquid, a high pressure-side expansion device connected to an outlet of said refrigerant condenser via refrigerant line and configured to reduce pressure of refrigerant liquid received from said refrigerant condenser; a collection vessel connected to an outlet of said high pressure-side expansion device via refrigerant line for receiving refrigerant liquid from said high pressure-side expansion device; a low pressure-side expansion device connected to an outlet of said collection vessel via refrigerant line and configured to reduce pressure of refrigerant liquid received from said collection vessel; refrigerant line connecting an outlet of said low pressure-side expansion device to an inlet of said vapor/liquid separation structure and configured to deliver refrigerant liquid to said separation structure; said vapor/liquid separation structure having a liquid outlet that is connected via refrigerant line to an inlet of said evaporator; wherein said vapor/liquid separation structure, said compressor, said high pressure side expansion device, said collection vessel, and said low pressure side expansion device are situated inside a pre-packaged modular machine room; wherein said refrigeration system requires less than six pounds of refrigerant per ton of refrigeration capacity.

2 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said refrigerant is ammonia.

3 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said vapor/liquid separation structure comprises a cyclonic separator.

4 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said vapor/liquid separation structure comprises a recirculator vessel.

5 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said collection vessel comprises a cyclonic separator.

6 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said collection vessel comprises an economizer.

7 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said evaporator coil has internal enhancements to improve the flow of liquid/vapor therein and improve heat exchange and refrigerant charge.

8 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said condenser comprises coils having internal enhancements.

9 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said condenser comprises a microchannel heat exchanger.

10 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , further comprising a liquid to vapor mass ratio sensor situated inside refrigerant line connecting said evaporator coil and said vapor/liquid separation structure.

11 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , further comprising a liquid to vapor mass ratio sensor situated inside refrigerant line connecting said vapor/liquid separation structure and said compressor.

12 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , further comprising an oil separator vessel configured to separate compressor oil from refrigerant vapor received from said compressor.

13 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said condenser is an air-cooled condenser comprising coil and condenser fans located on top of said pre-packaged modular machine room.

14 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein said condenser is located inside said pre-packaged modular machine room.

15 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , which requires less than four pounds of refrigerant per ton of refrigeration capacity.

16 . A refrigeration system according to claim 1 , which requires less than two pounds of refrigerant per ton of refrigeration capacity.

17 . A refrigeration system comprising:
a refrigerant condenser; and a pre-fabricated modular machine room containing:
vapor/liquid separation structure configured to be connected to an outlet of an evaporator via refrigerant line;
a refrigerant compressor connected to an outlet of said separation structure via refrigerant line; and connected to an inlet of said condenser via refrigerant line;
a collection vessel connected to an outlet of said refrigerant condenser via refrigerant line;
refrigerant line connecting an outlet of said collection vessel to an inlet of said vapor/liquid separation structure;
wherein said vapor/liquid separation structure has an outlet that is configured to be connected via refrigerant line to an inlet of an evaporator; and wherein said refrigeration system requires less than six pounds of refrigerant per ton of refrigeration capacity.

18 . A refrigeration system according to claim 17 , further comprising an evaporator connected to an inlet of said vapor/liquid separation structure and connected to an outlet of said vapor/liquid separation structure.

19 . A refrigeration system according to claim 18 , wherein said evaporator is mounted in a pre-fabricated modular evaporator room.

20 . A refrigeration system according to claim 18 , wherein said evaporator is mounted in a refrigerated space adjacent to or below said pre-fabricated modular machine room.

21 . A refrigeration system according to claim 17 , further comprising a recirculator pump situated in a refrigerant flow path between a fluid outlet of said vapor/liquid separation structure, and an inlet of an evaporator.

22 . A refrigeration system according to claim 17 , wherein said condenser is an air-cooled condenser comprising coils and a fan that are configured to be mounted on top of said pre-fabricated modular machine room.

23 . A method for reducing the amount of refrigerant per ton of refrigeration capacity in a refrigeration system having an evaporator, liquid/vapor separator, a compressor, a condenser, and a collection vessel, said method comprising packaging said compressor, said liquid vapor separator and said collection vessel in a pre-fabricated modular machine room, mounting said condenser on a roof of said pre-fabricated modular machine room in the case of an air-cooled condenser, and connecting said evaporator to said pre-fabricated modular machine room via refrigerant line.

24 . A method according to claim 23 , wherein said evaporator is mounted in a pre-fabricated modular evaporator room.

25 . A method according to claim 24 , wherein said pre-fabricated modular evaporator room is installed adjacent to said pre-fabricated modular machine room.

26 . A method according to claim 23 , wherein said evaporator is mounted in a refrigerated space directly beneath said pre-fabricated modular machine room.

27 . A method for reducing the amount of refrigerant per ton of refrigeration capacity in a refrigeration system having an evaporator, liquid/vapor separator, a compressor, a condenser, and a collection vessel, said method comprising installing a pre-fabricated modular machine room including said compressor, said liquid vapor separator and said collection vessel,

Assignees

• Evapco Inc

Inventors

• Liebendorfer Kurt
• Derosier Gregory S
• Hegg Trevor

Classifications

• F25B40/00

  Subcoolers, desuperheaters or superheaters · CPC title

• F25B2700/1933

  Suction pressures · CPC title

• F25B5/02

  arranged in parallel · CPC title

• F25D13/00

  Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms · CPC title

• F25B2700/21151

  at the suction side of the compressor · CPC title