US2014223936A1PendingUtilityA1

Refrigerant management in hvac systems

56
Assignee: TRANE INT INCPriority: Sep 26, 2011Filed: Sep 26, 2012Published: Aug 14, 2014
Est. expirySep 26, 2031(~5.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Jonathan Phillip HartfieldHarry Kenneth RingMichael William GroenStephen A. KujakRonald Maurice Cosby Ii
F25B 39/02F28F 9/0131F28D 21/0017F28D 3/04F28D 3/02F25B 2339/0242F28F 13/182F28F 13/02F28F 9/013F28D 7/16F25B 39/028F25B 39/022F28F 9/24
56
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

Generally, management of refrigerant in an evaporator of an HVAC chiller is described. Methods, systems, and apparatuses to manage refrigerant in an evaporator can include one or combination of the following approaches: (1) by use of a refrigerant displacement array to physically prevent refrigerant from residing where the array is positioned; (2) by control of the interstitial velocity of refrigerant flow within the volume of the shell of an evaporator; (3) by a phase biased distribution of the refrigerant mixture, so that a gaseous portion is uniformly distributed into the evaporator shell, while liquid refrigerant and oil is distributed into the evaporator shell at a designated area; and (4) by preventing or reducing the occurrence of foaming inside the evaporator through anti-foaming surfaces, such as by the use of refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic material(s). Refrigerant management can in turn improve the thermal performance and overall efficiency of the evaporator.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . A method of refrigerant management in an evaporator of a HVAC chiller, comprising:
 causing refrigerant to enter a volume present inside a shell of an evaporator;   wetting outer surfaces of tubes in a tube bundle with the refrigerant,   the step of wetting comprises attaining a mist or spray flow of a refrigerant mixture through the interstitial volume of the shell including between outer surfaces of the tubes of the tube bundle,   the step of attaining a spray flow of the refrigerant comprises maintaining a target interstitial velocity of refrigerant flow suitable to attain the spray flow of refrigerant above a threshold interstitial velocity that does not attain the spray flow of refrigerant; and   evaporating refrigerant inside the shell by way of heat transfer with a process fluid traveling through the tubes of the tube bundle and releasing evaporated refrigerant from the shell.   
     
     
         8 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A method of refrigerant management in an evaporator of a HVAC chiller, comprising:
 causing refrigerant to enter a volume present inside a shell of an evaporator,   wetting outer surfaces of tubes in a tube bundle with the refrigerant;   evaporating refrigerant inside the shell by way of heat transfer with a process fluid traveling through the tubes of the tube bundle;   reducing the formation of foam by one or more of the refrigerant and lubricant during the evaporating step, the step of reducing formation of foam comprises causing the refrigerant to interact with anti-foaming surfaces present within the shell; and   releasing evaporated refrigerant from the shell.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of causing the refrigerant to interact with the anti-foaming surfaces comprises causing the refrigerant to interact with refrigerant phobic surfaces and causing lubricant present with the refrigerant to interact with lubricant phobic surfaces, the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present within the shell. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present on one or more of spacers arranged and configured within the shell and of baffles having openings through which the tubes are inserted. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present on one or more of inner surfaces of the shell and of outer surfaces of the tube bundle. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and the lubricant phobic surfaces being present on a mesh placed within the shell of the evaporator. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the anti-foaming surfaces being both refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic. 
     
     
         16 . A refrigerant management system for an evaporator of an HVAC chiller, comprising:
 a shell having a volume to receive a refrigerant mixture therein;   a tube bundle disposed inside the shell, the tube bundle including tubes extending within the shell to pass a process fluid therethrough and to undergo heat transfer with the refrigerant; and   anti-foaming surfaces disposed within the volume of the shell, the anti-foaming surfaces are arranged and configured inside the shell to interact with the refrigerant mixture.   
     
     
         17 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 16 , wherein the anti-foaming surfaces comprise:
 refrigerant phobic surfaces disposed within the volume of the shell; and   lubricant phobic surfaces disposed within the volume of the shell,   wherein the refrigerant phobic surfaces and the lubricant phobic surfaces are arranged and configured inside the shell to interact, respectively, with refrigerant and lubricant present in the refrigerant mixture.   
     
     
         18 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 17 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces including thereon one or more of materials being a polymeric plastic, a galvanized material, an aluminum iron material, an inorganic coating, and an integral surface enhancement created on the surfaces. 
     
     
         19 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 17 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present on one or more of spacers arranged and configured within the shell and of baffles having openings through which the tubes are inserted. 
     
     
         20 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 17 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present on one or more of inner surfaces of the shell and of outer surfaces of the tube bundle. 
     
     
         21 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 17 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and the lubricant phobic surfaces being present on one or more a mesh surfaces and placed within the shell of the evaporator. 
     
     
         22 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 16 , wherein the anti-foaming surfaces being both refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic. 
     
     
         23 . A method of refrigerant management in a refrigerant and/or oil tank of a HVAC chiller, comprising:
 causing one or more of refrigerant and lubricant to enter a volume present inside a shell of a tank;   flashing one or more of refrigerant and lubricant inside the shell by way of pressure loss; and   reducing the formation of foam by one or more of the refrigerant and lubricant during the refrigerant flashing step,   the step of reducing formation of foam comprises causing one or more of the refrigerant to and lubricant to interact with anti-foaming surfaces present within the shell.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the step of causing one or more of the refrigerant and lubricant to interact with the anti-foaming surfaces comprises causing the refrigerant to interact with refrigerant phobic surfaces and causing lubricant present to interact with lubricant phobic surfaces, the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present within the shell. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present on one or more of inner surfaces of the shell or baffles within the shell. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present on a mesh placed within the shell of an evaporator. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the anti-foaming surfaces being both refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic. 
     
     
         28 . A refrigerant management system for a refrigerant and/or oil tank of a HVAC chiller, comprising:
 a shell having a volume to receive a refrigerant mixture therein; and   anti-foaming surfaces disposed within the volume of the shell, the anti-foaming surfaces are arranged and configured inside the shell to interact with the refrigerant mixture.   
     
     
         29 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 28 , wherein the anti-foaming surfaces comprise:
 refrigerant phobic surfaces disposed within the volume of the shell; and   lubricant phobic surfaces disposed within the volume of the shell,   wherein the refrigerant phobic surfaces and the lubricant phobic surfaces are arranged and configured inside the shell to interact, respectively, with refrigerant and lubricant present in the refrigerant mixture.   
     
     
         30 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 28 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces including thereon one or more of materials being a polymeric plastic, a galvanized material, an aluminum iron material, an inorganic coating, and an integral surface enhancement created on the surfaces. 
     
     
         31 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 28 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present on one or more of baffles arranged and configured within the shell. 
     
     
         32 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 28 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present on one or more of inner surfaces of the shell. 
     
     
         33 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 28 , wherein the refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic surfaces being present on one or more mesh surfaces within the shell. 
     
     
         34 . The refrigerant management system of  claim 30 , wherein the anti-foaming surfaces being both refrigerant phobic and lubricant phobic.

Cited by (0)

No later patents cite this yet.

References (0)

No backward citations on record.