Air conditioning system with pre-cooler

Abstract

The air conditioning system with pre-cooler includes a compressor; a condenser; an evaporator; a condensate reservoir to collect condensed water discharged from the evaporator; and a condensate pump associated with the condensate reservoir. In one embodiment, the system includes a single pre-cooler that uses condensate to precool air before it reaches the evaporator. In a second embodiment, the system includes a sub-cooler between the condenser and an expansion valve that uses the condensate to pre-cool the refrigerant before it reaches the evaporator. In a third embodiment, the system includes a first pre-cooler that uses condensate to precool air before it reaches the evaporator; a sub-cooler between the condenser and an expansion valve that uses the condensate to pre-cool the refrigerant before it reaches the evaporator; and a second pre-cooler that uses the condensate to pre-cool air before it reaches the condenser.

1 . An air conditioning system, comprising:
 a compressor;   a condenser;   an expansion valve;   an air flow conduit having an air inlet and an air outlet;   an evaporator coil disposed in the air flow conduit;   refrigerant conduit connecting the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator coil;   refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant conduit in a continuous cycle from the compressor to the condenser to the expansion valve to the evaporator coil and back to the compressor;   a condensate tank disposed to receive water condensing from air onto the evaporator coil as hot, humid air flows through the air flow conduit;   a first pre-cooler, including:
 a condensate pump connected to the condensate tank; 
 a first heat exchanger disposed in the air flow conduit between the air inlet and the evaporator coil; and 
 a pre-cooler conduit connected between the condensate pump and the heat exchanger, whereby cool condensate collected in the condensate tank is circulated through the first heat exchanger to pre-cool air before the air reaches the evaporator coil, thereby reducing cooling load on the air conditioning system; 
   a sub-cooler disposed between the condenser and the expansion valve, the sub-cooler having a counter-flow heat exchanger having a first conduit passing refrigerant flow from the condenser to the expansion valve and a counter-flow conduit passing condensate collected from the evaporator coil through the condensate pump, the sub-cooler, and back to the condensate tank in a direction opposite the refrigerant in order to cool the refrigerant; and   a second pre-cooler disposed adjacent the condenser, the second pre-cooler having a second heat exchanger receiving condensate from the condensate pump and conduit connecting the condensate pump with the second heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 - 3 . (canceled)