Heat Reclaiming Refrigeration System Using Compound Multi Heat Sink Condenser

Abstract

A method, and or process, of achieving a double-wall heat recovery refrigeration condenser system, capable, within a single compound condenser, of energy transfer to a heat recovery heat sink, or multiple heat recovery heat sinks, as well as a heat rejection sink, in, any combination of, or all of, the individual heat sinks, in any ratio, requiring no change in the amount of active working fluid, typically a refrigerant, charge requirement. The compound condenser thus eliminates the need for working fluid storage, and controls for controlling said storage, found in typical multi heat sink condenser systems, and also, thus eliminates the complexity associated with said controls and storage. This manner of condenser is used as part of a vapor compression refrigeration system to typically, but not exclusively, reclaim heat from a refrigeration process, for the purpose of heating water.

1 . A heat reclaiming refrigeration system for receiving a working fluid therein and for cooling a target fluid, the system comprising:
 a compressor device arranged to compress the working fluid from a compressor inlet to a compressor outlet of the compressor device;   a condenser including a working passage arranged to communicate the working fluid therethrough from a condenser inlet to a condenser outlet of the working passage of the condenser, the condenser inlet being in communication with the compressor outlet so as to be arranged to receive the working fluid therefrom;   an expansion device arranged to produce a drop in pressure in the working fluid from an expansion device inlet to an expansion device outlet, the expansion device inlet being in communication with the condenser outlet so as to be arranged to receive the working fluid therefrom; and   an evaporator device including a working passage arranged to communicate the working fluid from an evaporator inlet to an evaporator outlet of the working passage of the evaporator, the evaporator inlet being in communication with the expansion device outlet so as to be arranged to receive the working fluid therefrom and the evaporator outlet being in communication with the compressor inlet such that the compressor inlet is arranged to receive the working fluid from the evaporator outlet;   the working passage of the evaporator device being in heat exchanging relationship with the target fluid so as to be arranged to transfer heat from the target fluid to the working fluid in the working passage of the evaporator device;   the working passage of the condenser comprising a constant passage between the condenser inlet and the condenser outlet in which at least a section of the constant passage is in concurrent heat exchanging relationship with:
 i) at least one heat reclaiming passage receiving a respective heat reclaiming fluid therein; and 
 ii) a heat rejection fluid maintained separate from the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the working passage includes a double wall boundary between the working passage and said at least one heat reclaiming passage across which heat is arranged to be transferred from the working fluid to the heat reclaiming fluid, the double wall boundary comprising a pair of boundary walls defining an externally vented safety passage therebetween. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the condenser is operable in a heat rejection mode in which a system control is arranged to:
 maintain the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage in a passive and non-flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser; and 
 maintain the heat rejection fluid in an active and flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser. 
 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the condenser is operable in a heat reclaiming mode in which a system control is arranged to:
 maintain the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage in an active and flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser; and 
 maintain the heat rejection fluid in a passive and non-flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser. 
 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the condenser is operable in a combined heat rejection and heat reclaiming mode in which a controller of the system is arranged to:
 maintain the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage in an active and flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser; and maintain the heat rejection fluid in an active and flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser. 
 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the working passage is in concurrent heat exchanging relationship with both the heat rejection fluid and the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage along a full length of the working passage. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein a common section of the working passage is in concurrent heat exchanging relationship with both the heat rejection fluid and the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage and at least one auxiliary section of the working passage is in heating relationship with only one of the heat rejection fluid and the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the heat rejection fluid and the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage are arranged in heat exchanging relationship through different boundary walls of the working passage of the condenser. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8  wherein the working passage of the condenser comprises a generally annular passage defined between an outer tubular wall assembly and at least one inner tubular wall assembly extending longitudinally within the outer tubular wall assembly, and wherein the heat rejection fluid and the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage are arranged such that the heat rejection fluid is in heat exchanging relationship with the working fluid through one of the outer tubular wall assembly and said at least one inner tubular wall assembly and the heat reclaiming fluid is in heat exchanging relationship through another one of the outer tubular wall assembly and said at least one inner tubular wall assembly which is different than the heat rejection fluid. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 8  wherein the heat rejection fluid comprises air in heat exchanging relationship with the working fluid through an outermost boundary of the working passage of the condenser. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein:
 the working passage of the condenser includes a generally annular portion defined between an outer tubular wall assembly and at least one inner tubular wall assembly extending longitudinally within the outer tubular wall assembly; 
 said at least one inner tubular wall assembly defining a respective first auxiliary passage bound by said at least one inner tubular wall assembly; 
 the condenser further comprises an auxiliary tubular wall receiving the outer tubular wall assembly substantially concentrically therethrough to define a second auxiliary passage bound between the auxiliary tubular wall and the outer tubular wall assembly; and 
 the heat rejection fluid and the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage being arranged such that the heat rejection fluid is in heat exchanging relationship with the working fluid through one of the outer tubular wall assembly and said at least one inner tubular wall assembly and the heat reclaiming fluid is in heat exchanging relationship through another one of the outer tubular wall assembly and said at least one inner tubular wall assembly which is different than the heat rejection fluid. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one heat reclaiming passage comprises a plurality of heat reclaiming passages, each receiving a respective heat reclaiming fluid therein, and wherein the heat rejection fluid and each heat reclaiming fluid are arranged in heat exchanging relationship through respective different boundaries of the working passage of the condenser. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12  further comprising an outer tubular wall assembly and a plurality of independent inner tubular wall assemblies extending alongside one another longitudinally within the outer tubular wall assembly such that:
 the working passage of the condenser is defined between the outer tubular wall assembly and the plurality of independent inner tubular wall assemblies extending longitudinally within the outer tubular wall assembly; 
 the heat rejection fluid is in heat exchanging relationship with the working fluid through the outer tubular wall assembly; and 
 each heat reclaiming fluid is located in a respective one of the inner tubular wall assemblies so as to be in heat exchanging relationship with the working fluid through the respective inner tubular wall assembly. 
 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising a heat reclaiming circuit in communication between said at least one heat reclaiming passage of the condenser and a storage device for storing heat reclaiming fluid therein which has been circulated through said at least one heat reclaiming passage by the heat reclaiming circuit. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 14  in combination with a plurality of usage devices, each usage device including a usage circuit in communication with the storage device and a controller for controlling circulation of the usage circuit between the storage device and the respective usage device according to a respective heat demand of the respective usage device. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one heat reclaiming passage includes a heat reclaiming fluid mover associated therewith and arranged to induce a flow of the heat reclaiming fluid through the heat reclaiming passage, a reclaim temperature sensor device for determining a temperature of the heat reclaiming fluid prior to entering the condenser, and a system control arranged to increase operation of the heat reclaiming fluid mover in response to the temperature of the heat reclaiming fluid sensed by the reclaim temperature sensor device being below a prescribed target temperature. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16  further comprising a condensing condition sensor device arranged to determine a condensing condition of the working fluid, a system control being arranged to decrease operation of the heat reclaiming fluid mover in response to the condensing condition being below a prescribed lower limit. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16  further comprising a heat rejection fluid mover associated with the heat rejection fluid and arranged to induce a flow of the heat rejection fluid across a boundary of the working passage of the condenser and a condensing condition sensor device arranged to determine a condensing condition of the working fluid, a system control being arranged to increase operation of the heat rejection fluid mover in response to the condensing condition being above a prescribed upper limit. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 18  wherein the prescribed upper limit is greater than a target condensing condition corresponding to optimal cooling efficiency. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising a heat rejection fluid mover associated with the heat rejection fluid and arranged to induce a flow of the heat rejection fluid across a boundary of the working passage of the condenser and a condensing condition sensor device arranged to determine a condensing condition of the working fluid, a system control being arranged to increase operation of the heat rejection fluid mover in response to the condensing condition being above a prescribed upper limit if a heating demand on the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage has been met. 
     
     
         21 . A method of reclaiming heat from a refrigeration system using a working fluid for cooling a target fluid, the method comprising:
 i) providing a refrigeration system comprising:
 a) a compressor device arranged to compress the working fluid from a compressor inlet to a compressor outlet of the compressor device; 
 b) a condenser including a working passage arranged to communicate the working fluid therethrough from a condenser inlet to a condenser outlet of the working passage of the condenser, the condenser inlet being in communication with the compressor outlet so as to be arranged to receive the working fluid therefrom; 
 c) an expansion device arranged to produce a drop in pressure in the working fluid from an expansion device inlet to an expansion device outlet, the expansion device inlet being in communication with the condenser outlet so as to be arranged to receive the working fluid therefrom; and 
 d) an evaporator device including a working passage arranged to communicate the working fluid from an evaporator inlet to an evaporator outlet of the working passage of the evaporator, the evaporator inlet being in communication with the expansion device outlet so as to be arranged to receive the working fluid therefrom and the evaporator outlet being in communication with the compressor inlet such that the compressor inlet is arranged to receive the working fluid from the evaporator outlet, and the working passage of the evaporator device being in heat exchanging relationship with the target fluid so as to be arranged to transfer heat from the target fluid to the working fluid in the working passage of the evaporator device; 
   ii) providing the working passage of the condenser in the form of a constant passage between the condenser inlet and the condenser outlet which is in concurrent heat exchanging relationship with:
 a) at least one heat reclaiming passage receiving a respective heat reclaiming fluid therein; and 
 b) a heat rejection fluid maintained separate from the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage; 
   iii) arranging the condenser to be operable in a heat reclaiming mode when heating demands on the heat reclaiming fluid are sufficient to maintain efficient operation of the condenser by maintaining the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage in an active and flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser, and by maintaining the heat rejection fluid in a passive and non-flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser;   iv) arranging the condenser to be operable in a heat rejection mode when heating demands on the heat reclaiming fluid have been met by maintaining the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage in a passive and non-flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser, and maintaining the heat rejection fluid in an active and flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser; and   v) arranging the condenser to be operable in a combined heat rejection and heat reclaiming mode when heating demands on the heat reclaiming fluid have not been met but are insufficient alone to maintain efficient operation of the condenser by maintaining the heat reclaiming fluid of said at least one heat reclaiming passage in an active and flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser, and maintaining the heat rejection fluid in an active and flowing condition in heat exchanging relationship with the working passage of the condenser.   
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 21  including maintaining a fixed active charge of working fluid throughout operation in either the heat reclaiming mode, the heat rejection mode, or the combined heat rejection and heat reclaiming mode regardless of the ratio of heat transfer to the heat rejection fluid and heat transfer to the heat reclaiming fluid in the combined heat rejection and heat reclaiming mode.