Refrigeration heat reclaim

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016245572-A1
Application number	US-201615044772-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided are a refrigeration heat reclaim unit and method, comprising a heat exchanger, comprising a refrigerant inlet that receives a flow of refrigerant having a first state; a refrigerant outlet that outputs the flow of refrigerant having a second state; a water loop inlet that receives a flow of liquid at a first temperature; a water loop outlet that outputs the flow of liquid from the reclaim heat exchanger at a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature in response to the flow of refrigerant. The refrigeration reclaim unit also comprises a refrigerant flow control device having outputs to the refrigerant inlet and an air-cooled condenser, respectively for controlling the flow of refrigerant to at least one of the refrigerant inlet and the air-cooled condenser for maintaining a predetermined flow quality value at the refrigerant outlet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A refrigeration heat reclaim unit, comprising:
a heat exchanger, comprising:
a refrigerant inlet that receives a flow of refrigerant having a first state;
a refrigerant outlet that outputs the flow of refrigerant having a second state;
a water loop inlet that receives a flow of liquid at a first temperature; and
a water loop outlet that outputs the flow of liquid from the reclaim heat exchanger at a second temperature that is greater than the first temperature in response to the flow of refrigerant; and
a refrigerant flow control device having outputs to the refrigerant inlet and an air-cooled condenser, respectively for controlling the flow of refrigerant to at least one of the refrigerant inlet and the air-cooled condenser for maintaining a predetermined flow quality value at the refrigerant outlet.

2 . The refrigeration heat reclaim unit of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flow control device includes a three-way mass flow diverting valve.

3 . The refrigeration heat reclaim unit of claim 2 , wherein the three-way mass flow diverting valve is a modulating, linear valve that performs analog modulation.

4 . The refrigeration heat reclaim unit of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flow control device comprises:
an input port for receiving the flow of refrigerant from a refrigerant compressor; a first output port that outputs a first proportion of the flow of refrigerant to the heat exchanger; and a second output port that outputs a second proportion of the flow of refrigerant to the air cooled condenser.

5 . The refrigeration heat reclaim unit of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flow control device provides a mass flow balance.

6 . The refrigeration heat reclaim unit of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flow control device monitors refrigerant pressure and temperature at the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet for controlling the flow of refrigerant.

7 . The refrigeration heat reclaim unit of claim 1 , wherein the first state is a saturated vapor and the second state is a saturated liquid.

8 . The refrigeration heat reclaim unit of claim 1 , further comprising a bypass device between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet that outputs a proportion of refrigerant to an air-cooled condenser in response to high refrigerant temperature or high refrigerant pressure.

9 . The refrigeration heat reclaim unit of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flow control device controls the flow of refrigerant simultaneously to the refrigerant inlet and the air-cooled condenser for maintaining a predetermined flow quality value at the refrigerant outlet.

10 . A refrigerant mass flow system, comprising:
a refrigerant flow control device comprising:
an input port for receiving a flow of refrigerant from a refrigerant compressor;
a first output port that outputs a first proportion of the flow of refrigerant to a heat exchanger inlet; and
a second output port that outputs a second proportion of the flow of refrigerant to an air cooled condenser; and
a controller for controlling the first and second proportions of refrigerant for maintaining a predetermined flow quality value at an outlet of the heat exchanger.

11 . The refrigerant mass flow system of claim 10 , wherein the first proportion of the flow of refrigerant is output to the heat exchanger as a saturated vapor, and the flow of refrigerant at the outlet of the heat exchanger is a saturated liquid.

12 . The refrigerant mass flow system of claim 10 , further comprising a bypass device between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet that outputs the flow of refrigerant to an air-cooled condenser in response to high refrigerant temperature or high refrigerant pressure.

13 . The refrigerant mass flow system of claim 10 , wherein the refrigerant flow control device controls the flow of refrigerant simultaneously to the heat exchanger inlet and the air-cooled condenser for maintaining a predetermined flow quality value at the heat exchanger outlet.

14 . A method for controlling a flow of refrigerant at a refrigeration system, comprising:
measuring a temperature and pressure of a flow of refrigerant at a refrigerant outlet of a heat exchanger; comparing the measured refrigerant temperature and pressure to a reference pressure-temperature setpoint; and modulating a refrigerant flow control device in response to the comparison.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein modulating the refrigerant flow control device comprises controlling the flow of refrigerant to at least one of a refrigerant inlet of the heat exchanger and an air-cooled condenser for maintaining a predetermined flow quality value at the refrigerant outlet.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the refrigerant flow control device controls the flow of refrigerant simultaneously to the refrigerant inlet and the air-cooled condenser for maintaining a predetermined flow quality value at the refrigerant outlet.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein modulating the refrigerant flow control device comprises:
receiving at the refrigerant flow control device the flow of refrigerant from a refrigerant compressor; outputting from a first output port a first proportion of the flow of refrigerant to the heat exchanger; and outputting from a second output port a second proportion of the flow of refrigerant to an air cooled condenser.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising monitoring refrigerant pressure and temperature at each of the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet for controlling the flow of refrigerant.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving at a refrigerant inlet of the heat exchanger a flow of refrigerant having a first state; and outputting at a refrigerant outlet of the heat exchanger the flow of refrigerant having a second state.

20 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising coupling a bypass device between the refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant outlet that outputs a proportion of refrigerant to an air-cooled condenser in response to high refrigerant temperature or high refrigerant pressure.

Assignees

• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Mcclendon James Patrick

Classifications

• F25B45/00

  Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant · CPC title

• F25B2700/133

  through the condenser · CPC title

• F25B2700/21

  Temperatures · CPC title

• F25B2700/19

  Pressures · CPC title

• F25B6/02

  arranged in parallel · CPC title