Vapor compression system and method for controlling conditions in ambient surroundings

Abstract

A vapor compression system including an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser interconnected in a closed-loop system and a method of operating such a system. The method includes the conversion of expanded liquid heat transfer fluid from a liquid form to a high quality liquid vapor mixture before delivery to the evaporator. In one embodiment, the heat transfer surface of the evaporator coil is smaller than that required to obtain an equivalent evaporator capacity when the expanded liquid heat transfer fluid is not converted from a liquid form to a high quality liquid vapor mixture

1 . A method of operating a vapor compression system, comprising: 
 compressing a heat transfer fluid in a compressor;    condensing the heat transfer fluid in a condenser;    expanding the heat transfer fluid in an expansion device to form an expanded heat transfer fluid;    supplying the expanded heat transfer fluid to a first evaporative line of an evaporator, wherein the evaporator comprises the first evaporative line and an evaporator coil and wherein the expansion device is in fluid communication with the evaporator coil via the first evaporative line;    converting a portion of a liquid form of the expanded liquid heat transfer fluid to a high quality liquid vapor mixture within the first evaporative line;    supplying the high quality liquid vapor mixture to the evaporator coil, converting a portion of a liquid form of the high quality liquid vapor mixture to a vapor form within the evaporator coil; and    returning the heat transfer fluid to the compressor by a suction line.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is received by the evaporator coil as a saturated vapor.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is received by the evaporator coil in a turbulent state.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expansion device forms part of a multifunctional valve.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the multifunctional valve is adjacent to the evaporator.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the evaporator further comprises a portion of the multifunctional valve.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the expansion device forms part of a recovery valve.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a temperature sensor is mounted to the suction line and is operatively connected to the expansion device.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the heat transfer fluid undergoes expansion at the expansion device at a rate determined by a temperature of the suction line at the temperature sensor.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer fluid expanded within the expansion device is not passed through a distributor before delivery to the evaporator coil.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, at a fixed cooling load, the heat transfer fluid within the expansion device and the heat transfer fluid within the evaporator are at a temperature within 20 deg F.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein, at a fixed cooling load, the heat transfer fluid within the multifunctional valve and the heat transfer fluid within the evaporator are at a temperature within 20 deg F.  
     
     
         13 . A method of operating a vapor compression system, comprising: 
 compressing a heat transfer fluid in a compressor;    condensing the heat transfer fluid in a condenser;    expanding the heat transfer fluid in an expansion device to form an expanded heat transfer fluid;    supplying the expanded heat transfer fluid to an evaporator comprising an evaporator coil having a heat transfer surface;    converting a portion of a liquid form of the expanded heat transfer fluid to a high quality liquid vapor mixture prior to delivery to the evaporator coil;    converting a portion of a liquid form of the high quality liquid vapor mixture to a vapor form within the evaporator coil; and    returning the heat transfer fluid to the compressor by a suction line.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein, at a fixed cooling load, the heat transfer surface of the evaporator coil is smaller than that required to obtain an equivalent evaporator capacity when the portion of the liquid form of the expanded heat transfer fluid is not converted from the liquid form to the high quality liquid vapor mixture prior to delivery to the evaporator coil.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein, at a fixed cooling load, the conversion of the portion of the liquid heat transfer fluid from a liquid form to a high quality liquid vapor mixture prior to delivery to the evaporator coil results in a decreased variation in refrigerated air temperature when compared to a method in which the portion of the liquid form of the expanded heat transfer fluid is not converted from the liquid form to the high quality liquid vapor mixture prior to delivery to the evaporator coil.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein, at a fixed cooling load, less power is required to power the compressor than is required when the portion of the liquid form of the expanded heat transfer fluid is not converted from the liquid form to the high quality liquid vapor mixture prior to delivery to the evaporator coil.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein, at a fixed cooling load, the heat transfer fluid within the expansion device and the heat transfer fluid within the evaporator are at a temperature within 20 deg F.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the expansion device forms part of a multifunctional valve.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the multifunctional valve is adjacent to the evaporator.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the evaporator further comprises a portion of the multifunctional valve.