Air conditioning systems with multiple temperature zones from independent ducting systems and a single outdoor unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9970667-B2
Application number	US-201414265896-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2014
Priority date	Jul 26, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building that includes: at least two independent ductwork systems within a building wherein each independent ductwork system directs heating and cooling to one zone within the building; a single outdoor unit a refrigerant flow pathway having a common refrigerant flow path portion, a first divergent flow path, and a second divergent flow path; at least one throttling device and at least a first indoor air handling unit providing cooling to a first independent ductwork system and a second indoor air handling unit providing cooling to a second indoor ductwork system. The compressor is incapable of simultaneously supplying both the first evaporator and the second evaporator at their full cooling capacity.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building, the air conditioning system comprising: at least two independent ductwork systems within a building wherein each independent ductwork system directs heating and cooling to one zone within the building; a single outdoor unit comprising:
a compressor;
a condenser; and
a condenser fan associated with the condenser that moves air to cool the condenser;
a refrigerant flow pathway comprised of a plurality of refrigerant conduits having a common refrigerant flow path portion and at least two divergent flow path portions, a first divergent flow path that delivers refrigerant to a first evaporator and a second divergent flow path that delivers refrigerant to a second evaporator such that the first evaporator and second evaporator are in parallel with one another;
at least one throttling device wherein the at least one throttling device is positioned along a common flow path when the at least one throttling device comprises a single throttling device and a first throttling device is positioned along the first divergent flow path and a second throttling device is positioned along the second divergent flow path when at least one throttling device comprises the first throttling device and the second throttling device; and
at least a first indoor air handling unit providing cooling to a first independent ductwork system and a second indoor air handling unit providing cooling to a second independent ductwork system and wherein the first indoor air handling unit comprises the first evaporator and a fan configured to deliver cooling to the first independent ductwork system and the second indoor air handling unit comprises the second evaporator and a fan configured to deliver cooling to the second independent ductwork system;
wherein the compressor is incapable of simultaneously supplying both the first evaporator and the second evaporator at their full cooling capacity while both indoor handling units are operating;
wherein the compressor is a dual suction compressor; and
wherein the first and the second indoor air handling units are positioned within a single room of the building and a first zone and a second zone are volumes of air within the single room and the first indoor air handling unit is configured to regulate both temperature and humidity within the first zone and the second indoor air handling unit is configured to regulate both temperature and humidity within the second zone.

2. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 1 further comprising a portioning device configured to selectively and proportionately regulate the flow of a refrigerant fluid to the first evaporator and the second evaporator, respectively in sequential manner.

3. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 1 further comprising at least one humidity sensor and at least one temperature sensor each in signal communication with a controller and used by the controller to maximize the efficiency of the overall air conditioning system.

4. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 1 , wherein the first divergent flow path and the second divergent flow path merge into the common refrigerant flow path portion within the dual suction compressor.

5. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 2 , wherein the compressor is a single speed compressor and the system further comprises at least one temperature sensor in communication with the portioning device and a controller; at least one humidity sensor in communication with the portioning device and the controller; and wherein the plurality of refrigerant conduits are free of any check valves; and wherein the portioning device is in communication with the controller.

6. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator circuit portion delivers refrigerant to the dual suction compressor via a first intake port of the dual suction compressor and a second evaporator circuit portion delivers refrigerant to the dual suction compressor via a second intake port of the dual suction compressor and the dual suction compressor delivers a refrigerant to the common refrigerant flow path and the air conditioning system further comprises a first thermal expansion device where the first thermal expansion device is positioned along the first divergent flow path and positioned to receive coolant from the condenser before the coolant is delivered to the first evaporator and a second thermal expansion device where the second thermal expansion device is positioned along the second divergent flow path and positioned to receive coolant from the condenser before the coolant is delivered to the second evaporator.

7. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 6 , wherein the first and second throttling devices are each a capillary tube.

8. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 1 further comprising a, wherein the portioning device is a portioning device chosen from the group consisting of a three way solenoid valve and a stepper motor switching valve.

9. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 1 further comprising a portioning device, wherein the portioning device is a multi-port portioning valve.

10. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is sized and configured to feed both the first indoor air handling unit and the second indoor air handling unit equally or proportionally based upon demand for a level of cooling or a level of dehumidification in a given zone at two different suction pressures.

11. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 1 , wherein the first indoor air handling unit further comprises a third evaporator configured to operate at an evaporator pressure that is different than the first evaporator wherein the third evaporator is engaged with the refrigerant flow pathway and receives refrigerant from the condenser of the single outdoor unit.

12. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 11 , wherein the second indoor air handling unit further comprises a fourth evaporator configured to operate at an evaporator pressure that is different than the second evaporator of the second indoor air handling unit wherein the fourth evaporator is engaged with the refrigerant flow pathway and receives refrigerant from the condenser of the single outdoor unit.

13. The high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flow path to a first evaporator section and a second evaporator section diverge from the common refrigerant flow path at a same diverging location.

14. A high-efficiency air conditioning system for conditioning a plurality of zones within an interior of a building comprising:
at

Assignees

• Whirlpool Co

Inventors

• Cur Nihat O
• Kuehl Steven J
• Wu Guolian

Classifications

• F25B2700/2104

  of an indoor room or compartment · CPC title

• F25B49/02

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• F25B2600/2511

  Evaporator distribution valves · CPC title

• F25B2700/135

  through the evaporator · CPC title

• F25B41/00

  Fluid-circulation arrangements · CPC title