Low charge chiller and free cooling

Abstract

A system includes a vapor compression assembly and a free cooling assembly. The free cooling assembly corresponds to a cooling fluid and includes an air cooled heat exchanger, an additional heat exchanger, and a valve. The system also includes a controller configured to receive data indicative of an ambient condition, an operating condition of the system, or both. The controller is also configured to actuate, based on the data, the valve between a first setting in which the cooling fluid is directed to the additional heat exchanger and blocked from a condenser of the vapor compression assembly, a second setting in which the cooling fluid is directed to the condenser and blocked from the additional heat exchanger, and a third setting in which a first portion of the cooling fluid is directed to the additional heat exchanger and a second portion of the cooling fluid is directed to the condenser.

1 . A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising:
 a vapor compression assembly;   a free cooling assembly corresponding to a cooling fluid and comprising an air cooled heat exchanger, an additional heat exchanger, a pump, and a valve; and   at least one controller configured to:
 receive data indicative of an ambient condition, an operating condition of the HVAC&R system, or both; and 
 actuate, based on the data, the valve between:
 a first setting in which the cooling fluid is directed to the additional heat exchanger and blocked from a condenser of the vapor compression assembly; 
 a second setting in which the cooling fluid is directed to the condenser and blocked from the additional heat exchanger; and 
 a third setting in which a first portion of the cooling fluid is directed to the additional heat exchanger and a second portion of the cooling fluid is directed to the condenser. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , comprising a process fluid loop configured to guide a process fluid through an evaporator of the vapor compression assembly, a load, and the additional heat exchanger. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , comprising a sensor configured to detect an ambient temperature corresponding to the ambient condition, wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive, from the sensor, the data indicative of the ambient temperature corresponding to the ambient condition. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control a fan setting of a fan of the air cooled heat exchanger based on the data. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control a compressor setting of a compressor of the vapor compression assembly based on the data. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control, based on the data, a pump setting of the pump and the pump is configured to bias the cooling fluid through the free cooling assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the additional heat exchanger comprises a plate frame heat exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive an input indicative of an operating load or cooling demand of a load corresponding to the HVAC&R system, and the input corresponds to the data indicative of the operating condition of the HVAC&R system. 
     
     
         9 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive one or more inputs indicative of a return temperature of the cooling fluid from a load corresponding to the HVAC&R system, a supply temperature of the cooling fluid to the load, or both, and the one or more inputs correspond to the data indicative of the operating condition of the HVAC&R system. 
     
     
         10 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to receive one or more inputs indicative of a target return temperature of the cooling fluid from a load corresponding to the HVAC&R system, a target supply temperature of the cooling fluid to the load, or both, and the one or more inputs correspond to the data indicative of the operating condition of the HVAC&R system. 
     
     
         11 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , comprising a heat recapture path including:
 a first heat recapture heat exchanger configured to receive the cooling fluid and a heat recapture fluid; and   a second heat recapture heat exchanger disposed downstream from the first heat recapture heat exchanger on the heat recapture path and configured to receive the heat recapture fluid and a working fluid of the vapor compression assembly.   
     
     
         12 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , comprising:
 an additional cooling loop corresponding to an additional cooling fluid; and   a wet economizer heat exchanger configured to receive the process fluid and the additional cooling fluid.   
     
     
         13 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the additional cooling loop comprises a cooling tower and a pump configured to bias the additional cooling fluid between the wet economizer heat exchanger and the cooling tower; and   the at least one controller is configured to control a fan setting of a fan of the cooling tower based on at least one of the required cooling capacity or availability of water.   
     
     
         14 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a process fluid loop configured to guide a process fluid through an evaporator of the vapor compression assembly, the additional heat exchanger, a high temperature load, and a low temperature load; and   a plurality of valves disposed in the process fluid loop; and   a controller configured to actuate the plurality of valves to control one or more flows of the process fluid to the high temperature load and the low temperature load.   
     
     
         15 . The HVAC&R system of  claim 14 , wherein the controller is configured to actuate the plurality of valves based on the data. 
     
     
         16 . A control assembly of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, the control assembly comprising:
 a sensor configured to detect an ambient condition or operating condition of the HVAC&R system; and   at least one controller configured to:
 receive, from the sensor, feedback indicative of the ambient condition or operating condition; 
 actuate, based on the feedback, a valve of a free cooling assembly between a plurality of settings, the plurality of settings including a first setting in which a cooling fluid of the free cooling assembly is directed toward a heat exchanger of the free cooling assembly and not a vapor compression assembly, a second setting in which the cooling fluid is directed toward the vapor compression assembly and not the heat exchanger, and at least one third setting in which a first portion of the cooling fluid is directed toward the heat exchanger and a second portion of the cooling fluid is directed toward the vapor compression assembly. 
   
     
     
         17 . The control assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control, based on the feedback, a fan setting of a fan of an air cooled heat exchanger of the free cooling assembly, wherein the air cooled heat exchanger is separate from the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         18 . The control assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control, based on the feedback, a compressor setting of a compressor of the vapor compression assembly. 
     
     
         19 . The control assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control, based on the feedback, a pump setting of a pump of the free cooling assembly, wherein the pump is configured to bias the cooling fluid through the free cooling assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The control assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to actuate the valve between the plurality of settings based on additional feedback separate from the feedback and indicative of an operating load or cooling demand. 
     
     
         21 . The control assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control, based on the feedback, a plurality of valves corresponding to a process fluid loop configured to guide a process fluid through an evaporator of the vapor compression assembly, the heat exchanger of the free cooling assembly, and a load. 
     
     
         22 . A method of operating a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and/or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, comprising:
 receiving, via at least one controller, first data indicative of a first value of an ambient condition or operating condition of the HVAC&R system;   controlling, via the at least one controller and based on the first data, a valve to a first setting in which a cooling fluid of a free cooling assembly is directed toward a heat exchanger of the free cooling assembly and not a condenser of a vapor compression assembly;   receiving, via the at least one controller, second data indicative of a second value of the ambient condition or operating condition of the HVAC&R system, the second value being different than the first value;   controlling, via the at least one controller and based on the second data, the valve to a second setting in which the cooling fluid is directed toward the condenser and not the heat exchanger;   receiving, via the at least one controller, third data indicative of a third value of the ambient condition or operating condition of the HVAC&R system, the third value being different than the first value and the second value; and   controlling, via the at least one controller and based on the third data, the valve to a third setting in which a first portion of the cooling fluid is directed toward the heat exchanger and a second portion of the cooling fluid is directed toward the condenser.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , comprising:
 sinking heat from a working fluid of the vapor compression assembly to the cooling fluid when the cooling fluid is present at the condenser; and   sinking heat from a process fluid of a process fluid loop to the cooling fluid when the cooling fluid is present at the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , comprising directing a process fluid of a process fluid loop between a load and an evaporator of the vapor compression assembly, the heat exchanger of the free cooling assembly, or both. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , comprising cooling the cooling fluid via an air cooled heat exchanger of the free cooling assembly. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , comprising controlling, via the at least one controller, a fan setting of a fan of the air cooled heat exchanger based on the first value at a first point in time, the second value at a second point in time different than the first point in time, and the third value at a third point in time different than the first point in time and the second point in time. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , comprising controlling, via the at least one controller, the valve based on an operating load or cooling demand of the HVAC&R system.