EP1508004A2 - A condensation vessel and method of condensation of a refrigerant - Google Patents

A condensation vessel and method of condensation of a refrigerant

Info

Publication number
EP1508004A2
EP1508004A2 EP03746253A EP03746253A EP1508004A2 EP 1508004 A2 EP1508004 A2 EP 1508004A2 EP 03746253 A EP03746253 A EP 03746253A EP 03746253 A EP03746253 A EP 03746253A EP 1508004 A2 EP1508004 A2 EP 1508004A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
coil
refrigerant
condensation vessel
body part
vessel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP03746253A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1508004B1 (en
Inventor
Povl Kongsgaard Sorensen
Elo Nielsen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Elo Automated Stainless Steel Technologies Qingdao
Original Assignee
Ss Rustfri AS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ss Rustfri AS filed Critical Ss Rustfri AS
Priority to SI200331872T priority Critical patent/SI1508004T1/en
Publication of EP1508004A2 publication Critical patent/EP1508004A2/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1508004B1 publication Critical patent/EP1508004B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
    • F28F9/00—Casings; Header boxes; Auxiliary supports for elements; Auxiliary members within casings
    • F28F9/02—Header boxes; End plates
    • F28F9/026—Header boxes; End plates with static flow control means, e.g. with means for uniformly distributing heat exchange media into conduits
    • F28F9/027—Header boxes; End plates with static flow control means, e.g. with means for uniformly distributing heat exchange media into conduits in the form of distribution pipes
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B39/00—Evaporators; Condensers
    • F25B39/04—Condensers
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28B—STEAM OR VAPOUR CONDENSERS
    • F28B1/00—Condensers in which the steam or vapour is separate from the cooling medium by walls, e.g. surface condenser
    • F28B1/02—Condensers in which the steam or vapour is separate from the cooling medium by walls, e.g. surface condenser using water or other liquid as the cooling medium
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
    • F28D—HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT
    • F28D7/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary tubular conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall
    • F28D7/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary tubular conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall the conduits being helically coiled
    • F28D7/024—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary tubular conduit assemblies for both heat-exchange media, the media being in contact with different sides of a conduit wall the conduits being helically coiled the conduits of only one medium being helically coiled tubes, the coils having a cylindrical configuration
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
    • F25B2339/00—Details of evaporators; Details of condensers
    • F25B2339/04—Details of condensers
    • F25B2339/047—Water-cooled condensers

Definitions

  • the present invention r lates to a condensation vessel for use in a cooling system for refrigerated mobile containers in particular.
  • the invention also relates to a method of condensing a refrigerant.
  • Condensation vessels are well-known within the technological field of refrigerating.
  • the condensation vessel serves to condensate the gaseous refrigerant to liquid refrigerant before it .is recycled into the refrigerating process.
  • refrigerating systems has been adapted for use on transport units, such as vans and mobile containers.
  • transport units such as vans and mobile containers.
  • the mobile containers are extremely useful for transporting goods due to the fact that they are easily loaded from ships onto trucks or railway goods wagons and vice versa.
  • goods like foodstuff e.g. fruit and meat
  • refrigerated mobile containers has increased as well.
  • Refrigerated mobile containers are normally equipped with an individually cooling system, and the known systems are capable of providing a satisfactory cooling effect under normal conditions.
  • the known cooling systems are dependent on a condensation de- vice, which is cooled by air.
  • the air-cooled condensation device works perfectly well when the refrigerated mobile container is transported on a truck or train as one or more fans and the wind caused by the movement of the truck or train will provide satisfactory cooling for the condensation process.
  • the loading capacity and the economical demands require that the containers are loaded very closely.
  • the loading causes the air scoop and circulation of the air to be significantly reduced.
  • the temperature of the air may be very high.
  • condensation device do not work satisfactorily or fails to work, the pressure in the cooling system may rise to undesired high levels, which may cause damages to the system.
  • a condensation vessel for refrigerating systems mounted in mobile containers which condensation vessel is capable of working satisfactorily under conditions with relative high temperatures and little or no convection of air.
  • a further object of the present invention is to provide a condensation vessel, which is resistant to corrosion.
  • the condensation vessel according to the invention provides ' a condensation vessel with high capac ⁇ ity- in relation to size, and also enables efficient temperature control and minimizes the required space for condensers in a mobile refrigerating system. Moreover, the condensing vessel according to the invention can function properly in places where the air-cooled condensing devices are unsuitable for use. The invention is particularly useful for refrigerated containers when these are stored on board a container ship. In this situation the condensation vessel may be cooled by seawater and, consequently, provides a cheap and highly effective cooling for the condenser.
  • the invention relates to a condensation vessel for a cooling system for a refrigerated mobile container, comprising
  • the top part, the ' body part, and the bottom part are preferably manufactured from metallic material with a wall thickness from 1 to 5 mm and, preferably, welded together.
  • the welding provides a strong assem- bling of the parts, which makes the vessel safe for use with elevated pressure, e.g. pressures up to 30 bar.
  • the guiding plate serves to lead the gaseous refrigerant towards the periphery part of the cylin- drical body part where the refrigerant is cooled by contact with the surface of the pipe within the cylindrical body part. Furthermore, the guiding plate serves to prevent the hot gaseous refrigerant to enter the central part of the coil and cylindrical body part, which would cause contact between the hot gaseous refrigerant and the liquid condensed refrigerant. Such a contact is highly undesired as it would have a negative influence on the effect of the condensation vessel due to the fact that it would cause condensed liquid refrigerant to evaporate.
  • the pipe reeled up to form the coil is preferably made from a bendable metallic alloy, e.g. alloys comprising cupper.
  • the metallic alloy should be resistant to corrosion caused by seawater due to the fact that it would be advantageous to use seawater as cooling water for the coil on container ships.
  • the inner diameter of the pipe is preferably from 10 to 30 mm and the wall thickness between 1 and 5 mm.
  • the outer surface of the coil comprises cooling fins, which increases the surface area and the cooling capacity of the coil significantly.
  • the surface area of the coil is at least 0.25 m 2 per litre of the condensation vessel volume .
  • the spacing between the parts of the coil closest to the interior surface of the body part and the interior surface of the body part is from 0 to 3.5 mm and, preferably, between 0.1 and 3.0 mm.
  • the gaseous refrigerant will obtain good contact with the cooling surface and condensate into liquid refrigerant.
  • the liquid refrigerant is recovered from the bottom part of the vessel via the outlet for liquid refrigerant.
  • the spacing between adjacent convolutions of the coil is between 0 and 3.5 mm and, preferably, between 0.1 and 3.0 mm.
  • the cylindrical body part has a diameter between 120 and 160 mm and a height of 210 to 250 mm.
  • the embodiment is suitable to fit into cooling systems for conventional mobile containers .
  • the top part and the bottom are prefera- bly shaped as a part of a sphere. It is well-known that a spherical shape provides the best properties with regard to resisting pressure.
  • the guiding plate is formed to have an upper surface substantially paral- lei with the lower surface of the top part. Consequently, the guiding plate should be formed as a part of a sphere when the top part is formed as a part of a sphere. This embodiment provides an even distribution of the gaseous refrigerant from the inlet to the upper periphery of the condensation vessel.
  • the perimeter of the guiding plate has a diameter of 110 to 155 mm and the guiding plate should at least cover the central opening of the cooling coil.
  • conditions with elevated pressure are normally chosen and, therefore, preferred that the condensation vessel according to the invention is constructed to operate with pressures up to at least 3xl0 6 Pa (30 bar) .
  • the con- densation vessel has a product weight of less than 11 kg. Furthermore, in order to achieve high capacity per volume unit the condensation vessel preferably has a capacity of at least 2 kW per litre of volume of the condensation vessel .
  • the invention in a second aspect, relates to a method of condensing a refrigerant in a condensation vessel, which vessel includes a horizontal substantially cylindrical body part closed at the top and at the bottom end with a top part and a bottom part, said method comprises the step of: i) feeding the gaseous refrigerant to the top of the condensation vessel; ii) guiding the refrigerant towards the internal surface of the upper portion- of the body part of the condensation vessel; iii) allowing the refrigerant to pass over a cooling surface constituted by a cooling coil, from the peripheral part of the vessel to the central part of the vessel, while condensing from gaseous refrigerant to liquid refrigerant; iv) recovering the liquid refrigerant from the bottom of the condensation vessel
  • the gaseous refrigerant is guided towards the internal surface of the upper portion of the body part of the condensation vessel, preferably, by means of a guiding plate covering the upper central part of the cylindrical body part and the
  • the pressure at the periphery will be a little higher than the pressure in the central part of the vessel.
  • the difference in pressure will be a driving force for the gaseous refrigerant to move from the periphery of the vessel towards the centre while passing the cooling surface of the cooling coil, which will cause a major part of the gaseous refrigerant to condense into liquid refrigerant.
  • the liquid refrigerant is collected at the bottom of the condensing vessel, from where it is recovered for recycling in the refrigerating system.
  • a highly effective method for condensing refrigerant is obtained by the invention.
  • the pressure in the vessel is between 2 and 15 bar and the temperature of the cooling surface is between 0 and 40°C in order to achieve the best possible outcome by the method according ⁇ to the ' invention.
  • the refrigerant is condensed in a volume preferably less than 5 litres. Moreover, the refrigerant is condensed on a cooling surface of at least 0.2 m 2 per litre volume of the condensation vessel.
  • the size of the condensation vessel may by reduced to fit into known mobile refrigerating systems .
  • the cooling coil is cooled with water, which may be ordinary tap water, seawater, or water from a river or lake.
  • water which may be ordinary tap water, seawater, or water from a river or lake.
  • Types of refrigerants which may be condensed according to the method are refrigerants of type
  • Figure 1 is a horizontal section of an embodiment of a condensation vessel according to the invention.
  • a condensation vessel 1 according to the invention is seen.
  • the condensation vessel comprises a horizontal cylindrical body part 2.
  • the cylindrical body part is closed upwards with a top part 3 , and closed downwards with a bottom part 4.
  • a pipe 5 is reeled up as a horizontal coil.
  • the coil is double-winded to provide a efficient cooling.
  • the coil 5 has an inlet 6 for cooling water and an outlet 7 for spent cooling water, both placed near the bottom part of the vessel.
  • the top part 3 has an inlet 8 for the gase- ous refrigerant and an outlet 9 for recovering the liquid refrigerant.
  • the outlet 9 communicates with the interior of the bottom part 4 of the condensation vessel 1 in order to recover the liquid refrigerant, which is collected in the bottom part 4.
  • a guiding plate 10 is positioned below the inlet 8 for the gaseous refrigerant.
  • the guiding plate 10 covers the space encircled by the coil-reeled pipe 5 to direct the gaseous refrigerant, which is introduced at high pressure through the inlet 8, towards the area be- tween the coil 5 and the cylindrical body part 2.
  • the guiding plate 10 contacts the upper surface of the outer uppermost winding of the coil 5.
  • the shell material for the vessel 1 is steel alloy SA240 type 304 or 316 and the wall thickness is 3 mm.
  • the top part 3 and the bottom part 4 are connected to the cylindrical body part by weld- ing making the vessel resistant to elevated pressure.
  • the vessel is able to resist a pressure of at least 4.5x10 s Pa (45 bar).
  • the top part 3 and the bottom part 4 are shaped as a part of a sphere with a radius of 98 mm.
  • the spherical shape provides maximum pres- sure resistance.
  • the pipe 5 has an inner diameter of 19 mm and an outer diameter of 25 mm.
  • the pipe is manufactured from alloy CUNI (cupper with nickel, resistant to salt water) and reeled up to form a dou- ble-coil constituted by an outer coil and an inner coil.
  • the cooling water first enters into the inner coil via inlet 6 and to the top of the coil, where the cooling water, enters the outer coil and- flows downwards and leaves the outer coil via outlet 7.
  • This coil construction secures that the vessel is cooled intensively in the bottom part, from where the liquid refrigerant is recovered. Hereby the liquid refrigerant may be recovered at lower temperature.
  • the outer surface of the pipe 5 is provided with cooling fins to obtain a larger cooling surface.
  • the guiding plate 10 is positioned in the upper part of the vessel 1 and covers the central space of the coil.
  • This construction has the advantage that the hot gaseous refrigerant entering the vessel via inlet 8 is prevented from moving downwards into the centre of the coil 5 thereby causing the liquid refrigerant in the bottom part 4 to evaporate.
  • the guiding plate 10 directs the gaseous refrigerant from the inlet 8 to the area between coil 5 and the cylindrical body part 2 providing efficient cooling as the condensing refrigerant passes from the periphery of the vessel 1 to centre of the vessel along the surface of the cooling coil 5.
  • the spacing between the windings of the coil and the interior wall of the body part 2 is small and preferably less than 3.5 mm. Furthermore, the spacing between neighbouring windings of the coil is narrow and, preferably, less than 3.5 mm.
  • the material chosen for the construction of the coil is preferably a steel alloy resistant to corro- sive substances like seawater.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
  • Vaporization, Distillation, Condensation, Sublimation, And Cold Traps (AREA)
  • Heat-Exchange Devices With Radiators And Conduit Assemblies (AREA)

Abstract

A condensation vessel (1) for a cooling system for a refrigerated mobile container, comprising a pipe (5) reeled up as a horizontal coil placed in the body part and near the interior surface of the body part and coaxial therewith, and a guiding plate (10) positioned below an inlet for the gaseous refrigerant and above the coil, which plate covers the space encircled by the coil-reeled pipe to direct gaseous refrigerant introduced through said inlet towards the area between the coil and the cylindrical body part.

Description

TITLE
A condensation vessel and method of condensation of a refrigerant
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention r lates to a condensation vessel for use in a cooling system for refrigerated mobile containers in particular. The invention also relates to a method of condensing a refrigerant.
Condensation vessels are well-known within the technological field of refrigerating. In a refriger- ating system the condensation vessel serves to condensate the gaseous refrigerant to liquid refrigerant before it .is recycled into the refrigerating process.
Moreover, refrigerating systems has been adapted for use on transport units, such as vans and mobile containers. In particular an increased use of mobile containers has appeared as global trade are expanding. The mobile containers are extremely useful for transporting goods due to the fact that they are easily loaded from ships onto trucks or railway goods wagons and vice versa. As trade with goods like foodstuff, e.g. fruit and meat, which requires cooling during transportation and storing, has increased the need for refrigerated mobile containers has increased as well. Refrigerated mobile containers are normally equipped with an individually cooling system, and the known systems are capable of providing a satisfactory cooling effect under normal conditions. The known cooling systems are dependent on a condensation de- vice, which is cooled by air. The air-cooled condensation device works perfectly well when the refrigerated mobile container is transported on a truck or train as one or more fans and the wind caused by the movement of the truck or train will provide satisfactory cooling for the condensation process. However, when several refrigerated mobile containers are stored, e.g. in a container ship or a warehouse, it is very difficult or impossible for the air-cooled condensation devices to provide a satisfactory cooling. This is in particular true with regard to container ships . The loading capacity and the economical demands require that the containers are loaded very closely. The loading causes the air scoop and circulation of the air to be significantly reduced. Moreover, if the ship is in a tropical environment, the temperature of the air may be very high. These condi- tions reduce the capacity of the air-cooled device. If the condensation device do not work satisfactorily or fails to work, the pressure in the cooling system may rise to undesired high levels, which may cause damages to the system. As a result of the inappropriate conditions there is a need for a condensation vessel for refrigerating systems mounted in mobile containers, which condensation vessel is capable of working satisfactorily under conditions with relative high temperatures and little or no convection of air.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a condensation vessel for a cooling system for a refrigerated mobile container, which can work independently of the ambient temperature and cooling availability of the air. Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a condensation vessel, which has a minimal size compared to capacity.
Moreover, it is an object of the present inven- tion to provide a condensation vessel, which can operate with a pressure up to 30 bar.
It is furthermore • an object of the' present invention to provide a condensation vessel, which pro^- vides better options for temperature control relative to air-cooled condensation devices.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a condensation vessel, which is resistant to corrosion. These objects and other objects are achieved by the invention as defined in the claims
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The condensation vessel according to the invention provides ' a condensation vessel with high capac¬ ity- in relation to size, and also enables efficient temperature control and minimizes the required space for condensers in a mobile refrigerating system. Moreover, the condensing vessel according to the invention can function properly in places where the air-cooled condensing devices are unsuitable for use. The invention is particularly useful for refrigerated containers when these are stored on board a container ship. In this situation the condensation vessel may be cooled by seawater and, consequently, provides a cheap and highly effective cooling for the condenser.
In a first aspect, the invention relates to a condensation vessel for a cooling system for a refrigerated mobile container, comprising
- a horizontal cylindrical body part,
- a top part closing said body upwards,
- a bottom part closing said body part downwards, - a pipe reeled up as a horizontal coil placed in the body part and near the interior surface of said body part and coaxial therewith,
- an inlet through the wall of said container for supplying cooling water to said coil,
- an outlet opening for discharging spent cooling wa- ter from said coil,
- an inlet for the gaseous refrigerant in said top part, an outlet communicating with the interior of said bottom part for recovering liquid refrigerant, and - a guiding plate positioned below said inlet for the gaseous refrigerant and above said coil, which plate covers the space encircled by the coil-reeled pipe to direct gaseous refrigerant introduced through said inlet toward the area between the coil and the cylin- drical body part .
The top part, the' body part, and the bottom part are preferably manufactured from metallic material with a wall thickness from 1 to 5 mm and, preferably, welded together. The welding provides a strong assem- bling of the parts, which makes the vessel safe for use with elevated pressure, e.g. pressures up to 30 bar.
The guiding plate serves to lead the gaseous refrigerant towards the periphery part of the cylin- drical body part where the refrigerant is cooled by contact with the surface of the pipe within the cylindrical body part. Furthermore, the guiding plate serves to prevent the hot gaseous refrigerant to enter the central part of the coil and cylindrical body part, which would cause contact between the hot gaseous refrigerant and the liquid condensed refrigerant. Such a contact is highly undesired as it would have a negative influence on the effect of the condensation vessel due to the fact that it would cause condensed liquid refrigerant to evaporate.
The pipe reeled up to form the coil is preferably made from a bendable metallic alloy, e.g. alloys comprising cupper. The metallic alloy should be resistant to corrosion caused by seawater due to the fact that it would be advantageous to use seawater as cooling water for the coil on container ships. The inner diameter of the pipe is preferably from 10 to 30 mm and the wall thickness between 1 and 5 mm.
In a preferred embodiment the outer surface of the coil comprises cooling fins, which increases the surface area and the cooling capacity of the coil significantly. In order to optimize the ratio between capacity and size of the condensation vessel, it is preferred that the surface area of the coil is at least 0.25 m2 per litre of the condensation vessel volume .
Moreover in order to optimize the properties of the condensation vessel, it is preferred that the spacing between the parts of the coil closest to the interior surface of the body part and the interior surface of the body part is from 0 to 3.5 mm and, preferably, between 0.1 and 3.0 mm. Thus, it is pos- sible to secure that the gaseous refrigerant will obtain good contact with the cooling surface and condensate into liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant is recovered from the bottom part of the vessel via the outlet for liquid refrigerant. As a further feature for securing satisfactory contact between the gaseous refrigerant and the cooling surface, it is preferred that the spacing between adjacent convolutions of the coil is between 0 and 3.5 mm and, preferably, between 0.1 and 3.0 mm.
In a preferred embodiment of the condensation vessel according to the invention, the cylindrical body part has a diameter between 120 and 160 mm and a height of 210 to 250 mm. The embodiment is suitable to fit into cooling systems for conventional mobile containers .
To obtain satisfactory properties with regard to pressure the top part and the bottom are prefera- bly shaped as a part of a sphere. It is well-known that a spherical shape provides the best properties with regard to resisting pressure.
In a preferred embodiment, the guiding plate is formed to have an upper surface substantially paral- lei with the lower surface of the top part. Consequently, the guiding plate should be formed as a part of a sphere when the top part is formed as a part of a sphere. This embodiment provides an even distribution of the gaseous refrigerant from the inlet to the upper periphery of the condensation vessel.
In another preferred embodiment, the perimeter of the guiding plate has a diameter of 110 to 155 mm and the guiding plate should at least cover the central opening of the cooling coil. For cooling systems in which the refrigerants are used, conditions with elevated pressure are normally chosen and, therefore, preferred that the condensation vessel according to the invention is constructed to operate with pressures up to at least 3xl06 Pa (30 bar) .
In order to reduce the unloaded weight of the refrigerated mobile container, it is desirably to reduce the weight of the units and preferably, the con- densation vessel has a product weight of less than 11 kg. Furthermore, in order to achieve high capacity per volume unit the condensation vessel preferably has a capacity of at least 2 kW per litre of volume of the condensation vessel .
In a second aspect, the invention relates to a method of condensing a refrigerant in a condensation vessel, which vessel includes a horizontal substantially cylindrical body part closed at the top and at the bottom end with a top part and a bottom part, said method comprises the step of: i) feeding the gaseous refrigerant to the top of the condensation vessel; ii) guiding the refrigerant towards the internal surface of the upper portion- of the body part of the condensation vessel; iii) allowing the refrigerant to pass over a cooling surface constituted by a cooling coil, from the peripheral part of the vessel to the central part of the vessel, while condensing from gaseous refrigerant to liquid refrigerant; iv) recovering the liquid refrigerant from the bottom of the condensation vessel In step ii) , the gaseous refrigerant is guided towards the internal surface of the upper portion of the body part of the condensation vessel, preferably, by means of a guiding plate covering the upper central part of the cylindrical body part and the core part of the cooling coil. As the gaseous refrigerant is forced towards the periphery part of the vessel, the pressure at the periphery will be a little higher than the pressure in the central part of the vessel. The difference in pressure will be a driving force for the gaseous refrigerant to move from the periphery of the vessel towards the centre while passing the cooling surface of the cooling coil, which will cause a major part of the gaseous refrigerant to condense into liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant is collected at the bottom of the condensing vessel, from where it is recovered for recycling in the refrigerating system. A highly effective method for condensing refrigerant is obtained by the invention.
When preferred refrigerants like R134A are used, it is preferred that the pressure in the vessel is between 2 and 15 bar and the temperature of the cooling surface is between 0 and 40°C in order to achieve the best possible outcome by the method according ■ to the' invention.
As the method is highly effective, the refrigerant is condensed in a volume preferably less than 5 litres. Moreover, the refrigerant is condensed on a cooling surface of at least 0.2 m2 per litre volume of the condensation vessel. Hereby, the size of the condensation vessel may by reduced to fit into known mobile refrigerating systems .
The cooling coil is cooled with water, which may be ordinary tap water, seawater, or water from a river or lake. Thus, the method is particularly useful for refrigerated mobile containers on a container ship .
Types of refrigerants, which may be condensed according to the method are refrigerants of type
R134A and similar refrigerants.
The invention will now be described in further details with reference to the drawing illustrat- ing an embodiment of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawing :
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of an embodiment of a condensation vessel according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In Figure 1, a condensation vessel 1 according to the invention is seen. The condensation vessel comprises a horizontal cylindrical body part 2. The cylindrical body part is closed upwards with a top part 3 , and closed downwards with a bottom part 4. Within the body part 2 a pipe 5 is reeled up as a horizontal coil. The coil is double-winded to provide a efficient cooling. The coil 5 has an inlet 6 for cooling water and an outlet 7 for spent cooling water, both placed near the bottom part of the vessel. Moreover, the top part 3 has an inlet 8 for the gase- ous refrigerant and an outlet 9 for recovering the liquid refrigerant. The outlet 9 communicates with the interior of the bottom part 4 of the condensation vessel 1 in order to recover the liquid refrigerant, which is collected in the bottom part 4. Below the inlet 8 for the gaseous refrigerant a guiding plate 10 is positioned. The guiding plate 10 covers the space encircled by the coil-reeled pipe 5 to direct the gaseous refrigerant, which is introduced at high pressure through the inlet 8, towards the area be- tween the coil 5 and the cylindrical body part 2. Preferably, the guiding plate 10 contacts the upper surface of the outer uppermost winding of the coil 5. Typically, the shell material for the vessel 1 is steel alloy SA240 type 304 or 316 and the wall thickness is 3 mm. The top part 3 and the bottom part 4 are connected to the cylindrical body part by weld- ing making the vessel resistant to elevated pressure. The vessel is able to resist a pressure of at least 4.5x10s Pa (45 bar). The top part 3 and the bottom part 4 are shaped as a part of a sphere with a radius of 98 mm. The spherical shape provides maximum pres- sure resistance.
Preferably, the pipe 5 has an inner diameter of 19 mm and an outer diameter of 25 mm. The pipe is manufactured from alloy CUNI (cupper with nickel, resistant to salt water) and reeled up to form a dou- ble-coil constituted by an outer coil and an inner coil. The cooling water first enters into the inner coil via inlet 6 and to the top of the coil, where the cooling water, enters the outer coil and- flows downwards and leaves the outer coil via outlet 7. This coil construction secures that the vessel is cooled intensively in the bottom part, from where the liquid refrigerant is recovered. Hereby the liquid refrigerant may be recovered at lower temperature.
The outer surface of the pipe 5 is provided with cooling fins to obtain a larger cooling surface.
The guiding plate 10 is positioned in the upper part of the vessel 1 and covers the central space of the coil. This construction has the advantage that the hot gaseous refrigerant entering the vessel via inlet 8 is prevented from moving downwards into the centre of the coil 5 thereby causing the liquid refrigerant in the bottom part 4 to evaporate. Moreover, the guiding plate 10 directs the gaseous refrigerant from the inlet 8 to the area between coil 5 and the cylindrical body part 2 providing efficient cooling as the condensing refrigerant passes from the periphery of the vessel 1 to centre of the vessel along the surface of the cooling coil 5. In order to secure a efficient contact between the cooling surface and the condensing refrigerant, the spacing between the windings of the coil and the interior wall of the body part 2 is small and preferably less than 3.5 mm. Furthermore, the spacing between neighbouring windings of the coil is narrow and, preferably, less than 3.5 mm.
The material chosen for the construction of the coil is preferably a steel alloy resistant to corro- sive substances like seawater.

Claims

P A T E N T C L A I M S
l.A condensation vessel (1) for a cooling system for a refrigerated mobile container, comprising
- a horizontal cylindrical body part (2) ,
- a top part (3) closing said body upwards,
- a bottom part (4) closings said body part downwards, - a pipe (5) reeled up as a horizontal coil placed in the body part and near the interior surface of said body part and coaxial therewith,
- an inlet (6) through the wall of said container for supplying cooling water to said coil, - an outlet opening (7) for discharging spent cooling water from said coil,
- an inlet (8) for the gaseous refrigerant in said top part, and an outlet (9) communicating with the interior of said bottom part for recovering the liquid refrigerant , and
- a guiding plate (10) positioned below said inlet for the gaseous refrigerant and above said coil, which plate covers the space encircled by the coil- reeled pipe to direct gaseous refrigerant introduced through said inlet towards the area between the coil and the cylindrical body part.
2. A condensation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the top part and the bottom part are welded to said body part.
3. A condensation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the coil comprises cooling fins and, preferably, the surface area of the coil is at least 0.25 m2 per litre of the volume in the condensation vessel.
4. A condensation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the spacing between' the parts of the coil closest to the interior surface of the body part and the interior surface of the body part is from 0 to 3.5 mm
5. A condensation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the spacing between adjacent convolutions of the cooling coil is between 0 and 3.5 mm
6. A condensation vessel according to claim 1, wherein said vessel is constructed to operate with pressures up to 3xl06 Pa (30 bar) .
7. A condensation vessel according to claim 1, wherein the capacity is at least 2000 W per litre of volume of the condensation vessel.
8. A method of condensing a refrigerant in a condensation vessel including a substantially cylindrical body part closed at the top and at the bottom with a top part and a bottom part, said method com- prising the step of: v) feeding the gaseous refrigerant to the top of the condensation vessel; vi) guiding the refrigerant towards the internal surface of the upper portion of the body part of the condensation vessel; vii) allowing the refrigerant to pass over a cooling surface constituted by a cooling coil, from the peripheral part of the vessel to the central part of the vessel while condensing from gaseous refrigerant to liquid refrigerant; viii) recovering the liquid refrigerant from the bottom of the condensation vessel
9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the pressure is between 2xl06 and 20xl06 Pa (2 and 20 bar) when the refrigerant is R134A.
10. A method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the refrigerant is condensed in a volume of less than 5 litres and, preferably, the refrigerant is condensed on a cooling surface of at least 0.25 m2 per litre volume of the condensation vessel.
EP03746253A 2002-04-10 2003-04-08 A condensation vessel and method of condensation of a refrigerant Expired - Lifetime EP1508004B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
SI200331872T SI1508004T1 (en) 2002-04-10 2003-04-08 A condensation vessel and method of condensation of a refrigerant

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DKPA200200528 2002-04-10
DK200200528 2002-04-10
PCT/DK2003/000229 WO2003087677A2 (en) 2002-04-10 2003-04-08 A condensation vessel and method of condensation of a refrigerant

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1508004A2 true EP1508004A2 (en) 2005-02-23
EP1508004B1 EP1508004B1 (en) 2010-07-14

Family

ID=29225537

Family Applications (1)

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EP03746253A Expired - Lifetime EP1508004B1 (en) 2002-04-10 2003-04-08 A condensation vessel and method of condensation of a refrigerant

Country Status (8)

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EP (1) EP1508004B1 (en)
CN (1) CN1306234C (en)
AT (1) ATE474195T1 (en)
AU (1) AU2003226924A1 (en)
DE (1) DE60333361D1 (en)
DK (1) DK1508004T3 (en)
SI (1) SI1508004T1 (en)
WO (1) WO2003087677A2 (en)

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KR101727914B1 (en) * 2012-06-26 2017-04-18 엘지전자 주식회사 Heat exchanger
KR101679575B1 (en) * 2012-06-26 2016-11-25 엘지전자 주식회사 Heat exchanger
KR101661954B1 (en) * 2012-06-28 2016-10-10 엘지전자 주식회사 Heat exchanger
KR101384758B1 (en) 2012-07-11 2014-04-14 엘지전자 주식회사 Heat exchanger
KR101363545B1 (en) 2012-07-11 2014-02-14 엘지전자 주식회사 Heat exchanger
ES2574429T3 (en) 2013-02-01 2016-06-17 Lg Electronics, Inc. Air conditioning and heat exchanger for this one
CN104864734B (en) * 2014-02-23 2017-03-15 参化（上海）能源科技有限公司 Condenser and condensation method
CN107367181A (en) * 2017-09-08 2017-11-21 浙江康利德科技有限公司 High-efficiency tank shell heat exchanger
CN111795585A (en) * 2020-06-23 2020-10-20 倪浩 High-efficient condenser is used in industry heat exchange

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN1306234C (en) 2007-03-21
DK1508004T3 (en) 2010-10-18
AU2003226924A8 (en) 2003-10-27
AU2003226924A1 (en) 2003-10-27
EP1508004B1 (en) 2010-07-14
WO2003087677A3 (en) 2004-12-29
SI1508004T1 (en) 2010-11-30
CN1653304A (en) 2005-08-10
DE60333361D1 (en) 2010-08-26
WO2003087677A2 (en) 2003-10-23
ATE474195T1 (en) 2010-07-15

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