Purge system for chiller system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9987568-B2
Application number	US-201414909542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2014
Priority date	Aug 9, 2013
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A purge system for removing contamination from a chiller system includes a purge chamber including a degassing membrane, the degassing membrane dividing the purge chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, the inlet portion for fluid communication with the chiller system, the degassing membrane to pass contamination from the inlet portion to the outlet portion; a valve coupled to the outlet portion of the purge chamber, the valve providing an exit for contamination from the outlet portion of the purge chamber; and a controller to open or close the valve in response to pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A purge system for removing contamination from a chiller system, the purge system comprising:
a purge chamber including a degassing membrane, the degassing membrane dividing the purge chamber into an inlet portion and an outlet portion, the inlet portion for fluid communication with the chiller system, the degassing membrane to pass contamination from the inlet portion to the outlet portion;
a valve coupled to the outlet portion of the purge chamber, the valve providing an exit for contamination from the outlet portion of the purge chamber;
a pressure sensor for sensing pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber; and
a controller to open or close the valve in response to pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber;
the controller configured to passively discharge the outlet portion of the purge chamber if the chiller system is operating; and
the controller configured to actively discharge the outlet portion of the purge chamber if the chiller system is not operating.

2. The purge system of claim 1 further comprising:
a second pressure sensor for sensing pressure in the chiller system.

3. The purge system of claim 2 wherein:
the controller opens the valve in response to pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber and pressure in the chiller system.

4. The purge system of claim 3 wherein:
the controller opens the valve in response to pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber having a predefined relationship to pressure in the chiller system.

5. The purge system of claim 2 further comprising:
a vacuum pump connected to the valve.

6. The purge system of claim 5 wherein:
the controller opens the valve and starts the vacuum pump in response to pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber and pressure in the chiller system.

7. The purge system of claim 5 wherein:
the controller opens the valve and starts the vacuum pump in response to pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber having a predefined relationship to pressure in the chiller system.

8. The purge system of claim 1 wherein:
the controller monitors an amount of contamination discharged from the outlet portion of the purge chamber; and
the controller generates an alert when a mass flow rate of contamination discharged from the outlet portion of the purge chamber exceeds a predefined criterion.

9. A method of decontaminating refrigerant in a chiller system, the method comprising:
generating a pressure differential across a degassing membrane;
passing contamination from the refrigerant through the degassing membrane to an outlet portion of a purge chamber;
monitoring pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber; and
discharging the outlet portion of the purge chamber in response to pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber;
wherein the discharging comprises determining if the chiller system is operating;
passively discharging the outlet portion of the purge chamber if the chiller system is operating; and
actively discharging the outlet portion of the purge chamber if the chiller system is not operating.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:
discharging the outlet portion of the purge chamber is in response to pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber and pressure in the chiller system.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein:
discharging the outlet portion of the purge chamber is in response to pressure in the outlet portion of the purge chamber having a predefined relationship to pressure in the chiller system.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein:
passively discharging the outlet portion of the purge chamber includes exposing the outlet portion of the purge chamber to ambient air.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein:
actively discharging the outlet portion of the purge chamber includes applying a vacuum to the outlet portion of the purge chamber.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
monitoring an amount of contamination discharged from the outlet portion of the purge chamber; and
generating an alert when a mass flow rate of contamination discharged from the outlet portion of the purge chamber exceeds a predefined criterion.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Stark Michael A
• Cordatos Haralambos
• Ranjan Rajiv

Classifications

• F25B2700/19

  Pressures · CPC title

• F25B43/04 Primary

  for withdrawing non-condensible gases · CPC title

• F25B43/043

  for compression type systems · CPC title

• B01D19/0031

  by filtration · CPC title

• F25B2700/195

  of the condenser · CPC title