Systems and methods for air conditioner subcooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025035324-A1
Application number	US-202418753245-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2024
Priority date	Jul 25, 2023
Publication date	Jan 30, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An air conditioning system includes a condenser configured to condense gaseous refrigerant into liquid refrigerant. A sub-cooling conduit may be fluidically coupled to the condenser and configured to receive and sub-cool the liquid refrigerant. A base pan may collect condensate formed from ambient moisture. A condenser fan may blow air in a flow direction toward the condenser. The condenser fan may be positioned relative to the base pan to cause the condenser fan to direct a volume of condensate from the base pan onto the sub-cooling conduit. A method of sub-cooling refrigerant for air conditioning may include condensing refrigerant, and collecting condensate formed from ambient moisture in a base pan. The method may further include directing a volume of condensate from the base pan onto a sub-cooling conduit fluidically coupled to the condenser, and sub-cooling condensed liquid refrigerant in the sub-cooling conduit.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . An air conditioning system comprising:
a condenser configured to condense gaseous refrigerant into liquid refrigerant; a sub-cooling conduit fluidically coupled to the condenser and configured to receive and sub-cool the liquid refrigerant; a base pan configured to collect condensate; and a condenser fan configured to blow air in a flow direction toward the condenser, wherein the condenser fan is positioned relative to the base pan to cause the condenser fan to direct a volume of condensate from the base pan onto the sub-cooling conduit.

2 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling conduit extends along a conduit axis that is substantially transverse to the flow direction.

3 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the conduit axis extends along a direction that is vertical relative to gravity.

4 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising a housing defining opposed sidewalls, wherein the base pan extends in a direction between the opposed sidewalls.

5 . The air conditioning system of claim 4 , wherein the conduit axis extends along a direction substantially parallel to a sidewall of the opposed sidewalls.

6 . The air conditioning system of claim 5 , wherein the sub-cooling conduit is between the condenser fan and the sidewall.

7 . The air conditioning system of claim 6 , wherein a bottom portion of the housing defines the base pan.

8 . The air conditioning system of claim 7 , wherein the base pan is spaced from a bottom surface of the housing.

9 . The air conditioning system of claim 7 , wherein the base pan rests on a bottom surface of the housing.

10 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling conduit comprises a plurality of undulations.

11 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling conduit is positioned to be partially immersed in condensate in the base pan.

12 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling conduit is positioned above at least a portion of the base pan to cause at least a volume of condensate to fall from the sub-cooling conduit into the base pan.

13 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the condenser fan comprises a slinger ring configured to contact and sling the volume of fluid toward the sub-cooling conduit.

14 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising a compressor fluidically coupled to the condenser and configured to compress expanded gas into compressed gas.

15 . The air conditioning system of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the condenser or the condenser fan is positioned between the sub-cooling conduit and the compressor.

16 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , further comprising an evaporator coil coupled to the condenser and configured to receive liquid refrigerant from the condenser and expand the liquid refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant, wherein the sub-cooling conduit is between the condenser and the evaporator coil.

17 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling conduit extends along a conduit axis, and wherein the conduit axis extends along a direction that is substantially vertical relative to gravity.

18 . The air conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the sub-cooling conduit is positioned above at least a portion of the base pan to cause at least a volume of the condensate to fall from the sub-cooling conduit into the base pan.

19 . A method of sub-cooling refrigerant for air conditioning, the method comprising:
condensing, in a condenser, gaseous refrigerant into liquid refrigerant; collecting condensate formed from ambient moisture in a base pan; blowing, by the condenser fan, a volume of air toward the condenser; directing, by the condenser fan, a volume of condensate from the base pan onto a sub-cooling conduit fluidically coupled to the condenser; and sub-cooling the liquid refrigerant received from the condenser in the sub-cooling conduit.

20 . An air conditioning system comprising:
a sub-cooling conduit; a base pan configured to collect condensate; and a slinger ring configured to contact and sling the condensate towards the sub-cooling conduit.

Assignees

• Rheem Mfg Co

Inventors

• Vasudevan Geethakrishnan

Classifications

• F25B41/00

  Fluid-circulation arrangements · CPC title

• F25B40/00

  Subcoolers, desuperheaters or superheaters · CPC title

• F24F13/222

  for evacuating condensate · CPC title

• F24F13/20

  Casings or covers · CPC title

• F24F1/42 Primary

  characterised by the use of the condensate, e.g. for enhanced cooling · CPC title