Refrigeration system with purge using enrivonmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant

Abstract

Refrigeration systems with a purge for removing non-condensables from an environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant are provided. The refrigeration systems utilize an environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant with a 100 year direct global warming potential (GWP) of less than 150. The refrigeration systems further include a remover to remove refrigerant-harmful gases from the chiller refrigerant.

What claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigeration system, comprising:
 a compressor;   a condenser;   an expansion device;   an evaporator;   the compressor, the condenser, the expansion device, and the evaporator are fluidly connected to form a refrigeration circuit; and   a purge fluidly connected to the condenser to receive a chiller refrigerant flowing through the refrigeration system from the condenser, the purge configured to remove non-condensable gases from the chiller refrigerant, and the chiller refrigerant including an environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant that has a 100 year direct global warming potential (GWP) of less than 150.   
     
     
         2 . The refrigeration system of  claim 1 , wherein the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant has a composition comprising:
 at least one chemical of 1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (E), 1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (Z), 2-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,1,dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,3,3,3 tetrafluoropropene (E), 1,3,3,3 tetrafluoropropene (Z), 1,2 dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (E), 1,2 dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (Z), 1,1,3 trichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,2 dichloroethylene (E), 1,2 dichloroethylene (Z), 1,1 dichloroethylene, 1,1,1,4,4,4 hexafluorobutene (Z), 1,1,1,4,4,4 hexafluorobutene (E), 1,1,1,2,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,3,3 pentafluoropropane, Isopentane, and Pentane.   
     
     
         3 . The refrigeration system of  claim 2 , wherein the amount of the chemical in the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant is in a range of about 40% to about 100% by weight. 
     
     
         4 . The refrigeration system of  claim 1 , wherein the chiller refrigerant further comprises at least one of a lubricant, a compatibilizer, a stabilizer, a surfactant, an inhibitor, and a solubilizing agent. 
     
     
         5 . The refrigeration system of  claim 1 , wherein the purge uses a purge refrigerant capable of creating a relatively lower evaporative temperature than the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant. 
     
     
         6 . A system for removing undesired materials from a chiller refrigerant received from a refrigeration system, comprising:
 a purge including an inlet to receive the chiller refrigerant from a condenser of the refrigeration system, the purge configured to remove one or more non-condensable gases from the chiller refrigerant, the purge further including an outlet to return the chiller refrigerant to the refrigeration system; and   a remover operatively connected to the purge, the remover configured to remove one or more refrigerant-harmful gases from the chiller refrigerant.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the remover includes a scrubber. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the remover includes at least one of a dry scrubber and a wet scrubber. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the remover includes one or more scrubber materials that are relatively more reactive with the refrigerant-harmful gases than with the chiller refrigerant. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the scrubber materials include at least one of:
 a noble metal, a sodium sulfite (Na 2 SO 3 ) material, a hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ) material, a quinone material, a cobalt salt, a lithium salt, an oxygen reactive metal, and activated aluminum oxide.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the refrigerant-harmful gases include at least one of oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, a hydroxyl radical, a chlorine radical, and a nitrous oxide. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the inlet of the purge is fluidly connected to a supply line and the outlet of the purge is fluidly connected to a return line, and the remover is located on at least one of the supply line and the return line. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the chiller refrigerant includes an environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant that has a 100 year direct global warming potential (GWP) of less than 150, the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant has a composition comprising:
 at least one chemical of 1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (E), 1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene,1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (Z), 2-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,1,dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,2 dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (E), 1,2 dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (Z), 1,3,3,3 tetrafluoropropene (E), R1234ze (E), 1,3,3,3 tetrafluoropropene (Z), 2,3,3,3, tetrafluoropropene, 1,1,2 trichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,2 dichloroethylene (E), 1,2 dichloroethylene (Z), 1,1 dichloroethylene, 1,1,1,4,4,4 hexafluorobutene (Z), 1,1,1,4,4,4 hexafluorobutene (E), 1,1,3,3 tetrafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,2,3,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,3,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,2 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,2,3 hexafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,3,3 hexafluoropropane, 1,1,1,3,3,3 hexafluoropropane, isopentane, pentane, cyclopentane, 1,1 difluoroethane, 1,2-difluoroethane, difluoromethane, 1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane, 1,1 difluoroethene, 1,2 difluoroethene (E), and 1,2 difluorethene (Z).   
     
     
         14 . A method of conducting a refrigeration cycle, comprising:
 directing an environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant to a compressor;   directing the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant from the compressor to a condenser;   directing the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant from the condenser to a purge, and removing one or more non-condensable gases from the chiller refrigerant;   directing the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant back to the condenser;   directing the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant from the condenser to an expansion device;   directing the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant from the expansion device to an evaporator; and   directing the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant from the evaporator back to the compressor,   wherein the compressor, the condenser, the expansion device, the evaporator, and the purge are fluidly connected to form a refrigeration circuit to conduct the refrigeration cycle, and   the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant has a 100 year direct global warming potential (GWP) of less than 150.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant having a composition comprising:
 at least one chemical of 1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (E), 1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene,1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (Z), 2-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,1,dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,2 dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (E), 1,2 dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (Z), 1,3,3,3 tetrafluoropropene (E), R1234ze (E), 1,3,3,3 tetrafluoropropene (Z), 2,3,3,3, tetrafluoropropene, 1,1,2 trichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,2 dichloroethylene (E), 1,2 dichloroethylene (Z), 1,1 dichloroethylene, 1,1,1,4,4,4 hexafluorobutene (Z), 1,1,1,4,4,4 hexafluorobutene (E), 1,1,3,3 tetrafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,2,3,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,3,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,2 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,2,3 hexafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,3,3 hexafluoropropane, 1,1,1,3,3,3 hexafluoropropane, isopentane, pentane, cyclopentane, 1,1 difluoroethane, 1,2-difluoroethane, difluoromethane, 1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane, 1,1 difluoroethene, 1,2 difluoroethene (E), and 1,2 difluorethene (Z).   
     
     
         16 . A method of removing undesired materials from a chiller refrigerant of a refrigeration system, comprising:
 receiving the chiller refrigerant from a condenser of the refrigeration system;   removing, via a remover, one or more refrigerant-harmful gases from the chiller refrigerant;   removing, via a purge, one or more non-condensable gases from the chiller refrigerant; and   directing the chiller refrigerant back to the refrigeration system.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the remover includes a scrubber, and removing the refrigerant-harmful gases from the chiller refrigerant includes reacting the refrigerant-harmful gases with one or more scrubber materials within the scrubber that are relatively more reactive with the refrigerant-harmful gases than with the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the scrubber materials include at least one of:
 a noble metal, a sodium sulfite (Na 2 SO 3 ) material, a hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ) material, a quinone material, a cobalt salt, a lithium salt, an oxygen reactive metal, and activated aluminum oxide.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the refrigerant-harmful gases include at least one of oxygen, ozone, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydroxyl radicals, chlorine radicals, and nitrous oxides. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the chiller refrigerant includes an environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant that has a 100 year direct global warming potential (GWP) of less than 150, the environmentally-suitable chiller refrigerant has a composition comprising:
 at least one chemical of 1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (E), 1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene,1-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (Z), 2-chloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,1,dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,2 dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (E), 1,2 dichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene (Z), 1,3,3,3 tetrafluoropropene (E), R1234ze (E), 1,3,3,3 tetrafluoropropene (Z), 2,3,3,3, tetrafluoropropene, 1,1,2 trichloro-3,3,3 trifluoropropene, 1,2 dichloroethylene (E), 1,2 dichloroethylene (Z), 1,1 dichloroethylene, 1,1,1,4,4,4 hexafluorobutene (Z), 1,1,1,4,4,4 hexafluorobutene (E), 1,1,3,3 tetrafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,2,3,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,3,3 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,2 pentafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,2,3 hexafluoropropane, 1,1,1,2,3,3 hexafluoropropane, 1,1,1,3,3,3 hexafluoropropane, isopentane, pentane, cyclopentane, 1,1 difluoroethane, 1,2-difluoroethane, difluoromethane, 1,1,1,2 tetrafluoroethane, 1,1 difluoroethene, 1,2 difluoroethene (E), and 1,2 difluorethene (Z).