Row split coil systems for hvac systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023175743-A1
Application number	US-202318104131-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 31, 2023
Priority date	Apr 20, 2017
Publication date	Jun 8, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A multiple-circuit heating and cooling system includes a first refrigeration circuit having a first condenser and a first evaporator and a second refrigeration circuit having a second condenser and a second evaporator. The first condenser and the second condenser are arranged in a first row split configuration, and the second condenser is downstream of the first condenser relative to a first air flow directed across the second condenser and the first condenser. Additionally, the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged in a second row split configuration, and the first evaporator is downstream of the second evaporator relative to a second air flow directed across the first evaporator and the second evaporator.

First claim

1 . A multiple-circuit heating and cooling system, comprising:
a first refrigeration circuit comprising a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger; and a second refrigeration circuit comprising a third heat exchanger and a fourth heat exchanger, wherein:
the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger are arranged in a first row split configuration, and the first heat exchanger is entirely downstream of the third heat exchanger relative to a first air flow directed across the third heat exchanger and the first heat exchanger;
the second heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger are arranged in a second row split configuration, and the fourth heat exchanger is entirely downstream of the second heat exchanger relative to a second air flow directed across the second heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger; and
the multiple-circuit heating and cooling system is configured to discharge the second air flow toward a conditioned space to cool the conditioned space in a cooling mode.

2 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger comprises multiple rows of tubes configured to receive refrigerant.

3 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the third heat exchanger is aligned within the first heat exchanger.

4 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 1 , wherein, during part-load operation of the multiple-circuit heating and cooling system, the multiple-circuit heating and cooling system is configured to direct the first air flow across the first heat exchanger to exchange heat with a first refrigerant flowing therethrough.

5 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 4 , wherein the first heat exchanger comprises active tubing during the part-load operation of the multiple-circuit heating and cooling system, and wherein the first air flow is configured to pass through the first heat exchanger during the part-load operation without bypassing the active tubing.

6 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger extends vertically to define a first heat exchanger height, the third heat exchanger extends vertically to define a third heat exchanger height, and the first heat exchanger height is substantially equal to the third heat exchanger height.

7 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger comprise a shared structural element, and wherein the shared structural element comprises a tubesheet or a housing.

8 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger each comprise a plate-fin heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises first fins and the third heat exchanger comprises second fins, and wherein the first fins and the second fins are conductively separated.

9 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the multiple-circuit heating and cooling system is configured to discharge the second air flow toward the conditioned space to heat the conditioned space in a heating mode.

10 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 9 , wherein:
the first heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger act as first condensers in the cooling mode and first evaporators in the heating mode; and the second heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger act as second evaportors in the cooling mode and second condensers in the heating mode.

11 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 1 , wherein a first temperature lift of the first refrigeration circuit is substantially equal to a second temperature lift of the second refrigeration circuit.

12 . A multiple-circuit heating and cooling system, comprising:
a first heat exchange coil of a first refrigeration circuit and a second heat exchange coil of a second refrigeration circuit, wherein the first heat exchange coil and the second heat exchange coil are arranged in a first slab, and the first heat exchange coil coil is entirely downstream of the second heat exchange coil relative to a first air flow directed across the first slab; and a third heat exchange coil of the first refrigeration circuit and a fourth heat exchange coil of the second refrigeration circuit, wherein the third heat exchange coil and the fourth heat exchange coil are arranged in a second slab, and the fourth heat exchange coil is entirely downstream of the third heat exchange coil relative to a second air flow directed across the second slab, wherein the multiple-circuit heating and cooling system is configured to discharge the second air flow toward a conditioned space to enable cooling of the conditioned space in a cooling mode and heating of the conditioned space in a heating mode.

13 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 12 , wherein the first slab comprises a shared structural element, and wherein the shared structural element comprises a tubesheet extending through the first heat exchange coil and the second heat exchange coil, a housing extending around the first heat exchange coil and the second heat exchange coil, or both.

14 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 12 , comprising:
a first compressor configured to circulate a first refrigerant through the first refrigeration circuit; a second compressor configured to circulate a second refrigerant through the second refrigeration circuit; and a controller communicatively coupled to the first compressor, wherein the controller is configured to activate the first compressor to circulate the first refrigerant through the first heat exchange coil and the third heat exchange coil during part-load operation of the multiple-circuit heating and cooling system.

15 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 14 , comprising:
a first expansion device configured to reduce a first pressure of the first refrigerant within the first refrigeration circuit; and a second expansion device configured to reduce a second pressure of the second refrigerant within the second refrigeration circuit, wherein, during the part-load operation of the multiple-circuit heating and cooling system, the first heat exchange coil is configured to exchange heat with the first air flow traveling through the first slab such that the first air flow contacts the first heat exchange coil with substantially no air bypass.

16 . The multiple-circuit heating and cooling system of claim 12 , wherein:
the first heat exchange coil and the second heat exchanger coil act as first condensers in the cooling mode and first evaporators in the heating mode; and the third heat exchange coil and the fourth heat exchange coil act as second evaportors in the cooling mode and second condensers in the heating mode.

17 . A multiple-circuit heating and cooling system, comprising:
a first row split heat exchanger, comprising:
a first heat exchange coil of a first refrigeration circuit; and
a second heat exchange coil of a second refrigeration circuit, wherein the first heat exchange coil is arranged entirely downstream of the second heat exchange coil relative to a first air flow directed across the first row split heat exchanger to enable the first air flow to pass sequentially through second heat exchange coil and the first heat exchange coil in series; and
a second row split heat exchanger fluidly coupled to the

Assignees

• Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP

Inventors

• Gupte Neelkanth

Classifications

• F25B2400/06

  Several compression cycles arranged in parallel · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F25B2700/2116

  of a condenser · CPC title

• F25B2500/18

  Optimization, e.g. high integration of refrigeration components · CPC title

• F25B7/00 Primary

  Compression machines, plants or systems, with cascade operation, i.e. with two or more circuits, the heat from the condenser of one circuit being absorbed by the evaporator of the next circuit (F25B9/00 takes precedence) · CPC title