US20110197617A1 - Chiller - Google Patents
Chiller Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20110197617A1 US20110197617A1 US13/020,140 US201113020140A US2011197617A1 US 20110197617 A1 US20110197617 A1 US 20110197617A1 US 201113020140 A US201113020140 A US 201113020140A US 2011197617 A1 US2011197617 A1 US 2011197617A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- chiller
- liquid
- heat
- condenser
- water
- 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.)
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Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F3/00—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems
- F24F3/06—Air-conditioning systems in which conditioned primary air is supplied from one or more central stations to distributing units in the rooms or spaces where it may receive secondary treatment; Apparatus specially designed for such systems characterised by the arrangements for the supply of heat-exchange fluid for the subsequent treatment of primary air in the room units
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- 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
- F28D5/00—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, using the cooling effect of natural or forced evaporation
- F28D5/02—Heat-exchange apparatus having stationary conduit assemblies for one heat-exchange medium only, the media being in contact with different sides of the conduit wall, using the cooling effect of natural or forced evaporation in which the evaporating medium flows in a continuous film or trickles freely over the conduits
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/0007—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units
- F24F1/0059—Indoor units, e.g. fan coil units characterised by heat exchangers
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24F—AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING
- F24F1/00—Room units for air-conditioning, e.g. separate or self-contained units or units receiving primary air from a central station
- F24F1/06—Separate outdoor units, e.g. outdoor unit to be linked to a separate room comprising a compressor and a heat exchanger
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- 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
- F25B1/00—Compression machines, plants or systems with non-reversible cycle
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- 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
Definitions
- a chiller is provided.
- Chillers are known. However, they suffer from various disadvantages.
- FIG. 1 is a frontal view schematically showing a chiller in accordance with an embodiment
- FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chiller of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing an inner structure of a chiller according to an embodiment
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing an inner structure of a chiller according to another embodiment.
- FIG. 5 is a view showing an installation example of the chiller of FIG. 4 .
- a chiller (cooling apparatus) may be categorized as a water-cooled chiller or an air-cooled chiller according to a radiation method of a heat transfer medium.
- the water cooled chiller radiates heat by spraying a heat transfer medium from a cooling tower, whereas the air cooled chiller radiates heat by contacting a heat exchanger where air flows through a heat transfer medium.
- the air-cooled chiller does not require a tank that stores water to be sprayed, a tank that stores the sprayed water, or a pump, because water is not sprayed onto a heat exchanger.
- the air-cooled chiller may be repaired more simply than the water-cooled chiller. Further, because the air-cooled chiller requires no pump to supply cooling water, power consumption may be reduced.
- an air-cooled chiller may include a case 1 , a refrigerating cycle disposed within the case 1 and including a compressor 2 , one or more condenser(s) 3 , an expansion valve 4 , and an evaporator 5 , and a plurality of suction fans 6 a and 6 b disposed on an upper or side surface of the case 1 and configured to perform heat exchange with the one or more condenser(s) 3 by sucking ambient air.
- a plurality of condensers 3 may be installed in a ‘V’ shape when viewed from a side surface.
- the suction fans 6 a and 6 b may be disposed at an upper opening between adjacent condensers 3 .
- a refrigerant compressed by the compressor 2 into a high temperature and high pressure refrigerant may be radiated from the condenser(s) 3 by using air as a heat transfer medium. Then, the radiated air may be made to have a low temperature and a low pressure by the expansion valve 4 . Thereafter, the low-temperature and low-pressure air may be heat-exchanged with water at the evaporator 5 . Through these processes, generated cooling water may be supplied to a space to be cooled as a heat source for cooling.
- the air-cooled chiller does not require a cooling tower and connection pipes. Accordingly, the air-cooled chiller is advantageous with respect to an installation area and an installation cost.
- the air-cooled chiller since ambient air is used as a heat source, the air-cooled chiller has to be installed on a rooftop of a building or on the ground and has to radiate through a condenser. Accordingly, when the ambient air has a high temperature, radiation is not smoothly performed. This may lower a condensing efficiency, and thus, degrade performance.
- a chiller which may be referred to as a “hybrid type” chiller, according an embodiment will be explained in more detail.
- FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing an inner structure of a chiller according to an embodiment.
- the “hybrid type” chiller 100 may include a case 102 , which may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a plurality of bent holes 104 , which may be formed at upper parts of both sides of the case 102 .
- the bent holes 104 may be inclined upwardly to prevent the introduction of, for example, raindrops.
- the bent holes 104 are not limited to this configuration; that is, the bent holes 104 may have any configuration to perform communication with ambient air.
- a partition wall 106 configured to horizontally partition an inside of the case 102 may be installed in the case 102 .
- An inner space of the case 102 may be divided by the partition wall 106 into a radiation space 110 and a cooling space 120 .
- a blowing opening 112 may be formed at an upper portion of the radiation space 110 , and a blower or blowing fan 114 may be installed in the blowing opening 112 .
- the blower 114 may be configured to blow ambient air to a condenser 130 to be later explained, or to suck the ambient air from the condenser 130 .
- the blower 114 may form a stream of ambient air on a surface of the condenser 130 .
- the condenser 130 may be installed below the blower 114 and may extend in parallel thereto, and may constitute a cooling cycle apparatus together with an evaporator 132 , an expansion device 134 , and a compressor 136 installed in the cooling space 120 .
- a refrigerant may flow in the condenser 130 , and circulates through the expansion device 134 , the evaporator 132 , and the compressor 136 .
- a cooling water inlet 132 a and a cooling water outlet 132 b may be respectively, formed at the evaporator 132 , and cooling water used to perform a cooling operation may be introduced into or discharged from the evaporator 132 .
- the introduced cooling water may be cooled through heat exchange with a refrigerant cooled in the evaporator 132 , and then supplied to a space requiring cooling or a cooling operation. Because the refrigerant and the cooling water flow through additional channels in the evaporator 132 , they may not be mixed with each other but introduced into or discharged from the evaporator independently.
- Water may be stored at a lower part of the radiation space 110 , and a pump 140 that pumps the stored water may be installed below the radiation space 140 .
- the water pumped through the pump 140 may be supplied to a plurality of spray nozzles 144 , for example, four spray nozzles, as shown in FIG. 3 , disposed above the condenser 130 through a plurality of pipes 142 .
- the supplied water may be sprayed to the condenser 130 through a plurality of spray nozzles 144 .
- the sprayed water may be heat-exchanged with a high-temperature refrigerant passing through the condenser 130 , thereby enhancing a heat exchange performance at the condenser 130 .
- the spray nozzles 144 may be implemented as atomization nozzles to spray water in the form of minute liquid drops. Atomized water may be easily evaporated from a surface of the condenser 130 , and may absorb, from the refrigerant, heat by an amount corresponding to the evaporated amount. This may enhance a heat exchange performance. Because heat exchange performance is enhanced due to the spray nozzles 144 , a size of each of the condenser and the blower may be reduced, and thus, an entire size of the chiller may be reduced.
- the water sprayed to the condenser 130 may be collected to or at a lower part of the radiation space 110 along a surface of the condenser 130 . During this process, some of the water may be evaporated and discharged outside. Accordingly, as a usage time of the chiller becomes longer, the level of the water stored at a lower part of the radiation space 110 decreases. If the water level becomes too low, water supply to the condenser 130 may not be smoothly performed. Accordingly, the water has to be periodically supplemented.
- a water supply pipe 150 may be penetratingly installed on a side wall of the radiation space 110 .
- the water supply pipe 150 may be connected to an external water source, such as a water supply facility, and may be configured to supplement water when a water level is low.
- An ON/OFF valve 152 may be installed near an end of the water supply pipe 150 , thereby controlling water supply through the water supply pipe 150 .
- the water supply may be manually performed by a manager through periodic checks. Alternatively, the water supply may be automatically performed as shown in FIG. 3 .
- a level sensor 154 may be installed on an inner wall of the radiation space 110 .
- a water level controller using buoyancy may be utilized and applied to a water closet (flush toilet).
- the cooling water is cooled by being heat-exchanged with a refrigerant, and a refrigerant having a high temperature may be cooled by using water at or in the radiation space. Accordingly, even if an installation space of the chiller has temperature changes, the entire performance of the chiller is scarcely influenced. More specifically, in the conventional hermetic evaporation type chiller which directly heat-exchanges cooling water with ambient air, the cooling water having undergone a heat exchange process has a large temperature difference according to an ambient air temperature. On the other hand, in this embodiment, a high-temperature refrigerant passing through the condenser may be cooled by being heat-exchanged with indoor air and a water supply source. Accordingly, even if the chiller is installed indoors, radiation may be smoothly performed at the condenser.
- the water sprayed on the surface of the condenser may be evaporated by ambient air supplied by the blower, thereby enhancing a heat exchange performance. This water evaporation may be accelerated when the ambient air has a high temperature. Accordingly, a radiation performance of the chiller may be scarcely influenced by changes in ambient air.
- the conventional cooling tower has a limited installation space because a large amount of cooling water has to be delivered to a place where the cooling tower is installed, generally, a rooftop of a building.
- the cooling tower may be installed in a mechanical room, which may enhance a degree of freedom.
- the radiation space and the cooling space are provided in one case.
- embodiments are not so limited; that is, the radiation space and the cooling space may be provided in two cases.
- FIG. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing an inner structure of a chiller according to another embodiment. Like reference numbers have been used to indicate like elements, and the repetitive disclosure has been omitted.
- the chiller 200 may include a first case 210 corresponding to the radiation space of the previous embodiment, and a second case 220 corresponding to the cooling space of the previous embodiment.
- the first case 210 may include the aforementioned blower 114 , the condenser 130 , the pump 140 , the spray nozzles 144 , the water supply pipe 150 , and the ON/OFF valve 152 , and may be configured to serve as one radiation device.
- the second case 220 may include the aforementioned evaporator 132 , the expansion device 134 and the compressor 136 , and is configured to serve as one cooling unit or device.
- connection pipes 242 a and 242 b may be provided to constitute a cooling cycle apparatus with the condenser 130 , the evaporator 132 , the expansion device 134 , and the compressor 136 .
- the connection pipes 242 a and 242 b may connect an inlet and an outlet of the condenser 130 inside the first case 210 to an outlet of the compressor 136 and an inlet of the expansion device 134 inside the second case 220 , respectively.
- the first and second cases 210 , 220 of this embodiment may be disposed in the same space or in different spaces.
- the first case 210 may be installed on a rooftop (RT) of a building
- the second case 220 may be installed at or in a mechanical room (MR) of the building, the MR having a relatively lower temperature.
- the first and second cases may be connected to each other by the connection pipes 242 a and 242 b.
- the second case including the evaporator may be arranged at or in a low temperature region, thereby minimizing loss of cool air to be transferred to cooling water to high-temperature ambient air. This may enhance the efficiency of the chiller. Further, a refrigerant having a smaller flow amount than cooling water may circulate between the first and second cases. This requires no pipes having a large capacity different from a case in which cooling water directly circulates. Accordingly, the chiller may be easily installed even in a small space.
- Embodiments disclosed herein provide a chiller capable of enhancing heat efficiency.
- Embodiments disclosed herein provide a chiller that may include a case; a vapor compression type cycle apparatus installed in the case, and including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger that heat-exchange with a heat transfer medium to cool; a circulation apparatus configured to circulate the heat transfer medium via the second heat exchanger; a blower configured to supply ambient air to the first heat exchanger; and a liquid spray device configured to spray liquid to the first heat exchanger.
- not only ambient air, but also sprayed liquid may be heat-exchanged at the first heat exchanger. This may allow a larger amount of heat to be exchanged on a same surface of the heat exchanger.
- the sprayed liquid may be evaporated from the surface of the heat exchanger, and latent heat generated during this evaporation process may be supplied from the heat exchanger. This may enhance a heat-exchanging efficiency.
- heat exchange may be smoothly performed at the first heat exchanger. This may enhance a cooling performance and an apparatus efficiency, and may reduce a size of the heat exchanger, thereby enhance an installation characteristic of the chiller.
- the vapor compression type cycle apparatus may include a condenser that serves as the first heat exchanger, an evaporator that serves as the second heat exchanger, and a compressor and an expansion device disposed between the condenser and the evaporator, respectively.
- the liquid spray device may be configured to spray liquid to the condenser between the blower and the condenser.
- the liquid to be sprayed may be water.
- the liquid spray device may include one or more spray nozzles disposed between the blower and the condenser; a liquid reservoir provided on a bottom surface of the case; and a pump configured to forcibly transfer liquid stored in the liquid reservoir into the one or more spray nozzles.
- the liquid sprayed to the condenser may drop to the liquid reservoir provided on the bottom surface of the case, and the liquid collected into the liquid reservoir may be re-supplied to the spray nozzle through the pump, thus to be circulated.
- the chiller according to embodiments disclosed herein may further include a liquid supplying device configured to supply liquid to the liquid reservoir.
- the liquid supplying device may compliment liquid lost during a circulation process, and may include a level sensing device that senses a level of liquid, and an ON/OFF valve.
- the liquid supplying device may be configured to open and close the ON/OFF valve according to a level detected by the level sensing device.
- a chiller may include a radiation unit or device including a condenser configured to radiate heat outside, a blower configured to supply ambient air to the condenser, a liquid spray device configured to spray liquid to the condenser, and a first case configured to accommodate therein the condenser, the blower, and the liquid spray device; a cooling unit or device including an evaporator configured to absorb heat from cooling water, a cooling water circulation apparatus configured to circulate cooling water via the evaporator, and a second case configured to accommodate therein the evaporator and the cooling water circulation apparatus; and a vapor compression type cycle apparatus including the condenser of the radiation unit or device, the evaporator of the cooling unit or device, and an expansion unit or device and a compressor installed at one side of the first and second cases.
- Refrigerant pipes may be connected between the first and second cases.
- the vapor compression type cycle apparatus may be accommodated in two cases in a distributed manner, and may be connected to each other by the refrigerant pipes. This may allow the radiation unit and the cooling unit to be installed at different positions, which may enhance a degree of freedom. For instance, the radiation unit may be installed at or in an outdoor room, and the cooling unit may be installed at or in an indoor room having a relatively lower temperature. This may allow a peripheral temperature of the evaporator to be relatively low, which may enhance the efficiency of the chiller.
- the first and second cases may be connected to each other by the refrigerant pipes. Accordingly, an installation area may be significantly reduced when compared with a case in which pipes for cooling water are connected to and between the first and second cases.
- the chiller according to embodiments disclosed herein may have a minimized installation area, and high efficiency due to enhanced radiation performance.
- any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc. means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention.
- the appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
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Abstract
A chiller is provided that may include a case; a vapor compression type cycle apparatus installed in the case and including first and second heat exchangers that heat-exchange with first and second heat transfer mediums, respectively, the vapor compression type cycle apparatus including a condenser that serves as the first heat exchanger, an evaporator that serves as the second heat exchanger, a compressor, and an expansion device disposed between the condenser and the evaporator, respectively; a blower configured to supply air to the first heat exchanger; and a liquid spray device configured to spray liquid onto the first heat exchanger.
Description
- Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119(a), this application claims priority to Korean Application 10-2010-00013919, filed in Korea on Feb. 16, 2010, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
- 1. Field
- A chiller is provided.
- 2. Background
- Chillers are known. However, they suffer from various disadvantages.
- Embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a frontal view schematically showing a chiller in accordance with an embodiment; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chiller ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing an inner structure of a chiller according to an embodiment; -
FIG. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing an inner structure of a chiller according to another embodiment; and -
FIG. 5 is a view showing an installation example of the chiller ofFIG. 4 . - Description will now be given in detail for embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- Generally, a chiller (cooling apparatus) may be categorized as a water-cooled chiller or an air-cooled chiller according to a radiation method of a heat transfer medium. The water cooled chiller radiates heat by spraying a heat transfer medium from a cooling tower, whereas the air cooled chiller radiates heat by contacting a heat exchanger where air flows through a heat transfer medium.
- In the water-cooled chiller, high-temperature cooling water heated by being heat-exchanged with an indoor space is radiated outside, and then is heat-exchanged with ambient air. Through these processes, cooling water is cooled to a low temperature, and then re-used for cooling. The heat transfer medium can be cooled to room temperature using minimum energy in correspondence to temperature changes of ambient air. However, a hermetic evaporation type cooling tower requires a tank that stores cooling water to be sprayed, a water tank that collects the sprayed cooling water, and a pump, thus requiring a complicated structure. Further, because a source of cooling water to be sprayed is required, an installation place is limited. In a case that the water to be supplied is of a bad quality or an installation place is inferior due to, for example, dust, exhaust fumes, and/or salt, corrosion or scales may occur in the apparatus pipes. This may require regular repair.
- On the other hand, the air-cooled chiller does not require a tank that stores water to be sprayed, a tank that stores the sprayed water, or a pump, because water is not sprayed onto a heat exchanger. As a result, corrosion or scales due to spraying do not occur at the heat exchanger. Accordingly, the air-cooled chiller may be repaired more simply than the water-cooled chiller. Further, because the air-cooled chiller requires no pump to supply cooling water, power consumption may be reduced.
- As shown in
FIG. 1 , an air-cooled chiller may include acase 1, a refrigerating cycle disposed within thecase 1 and including acompressor 2, one or more condenser(s) 3, anexpansion valve 4, and anevaporator 5, and a plurality ofsuction fans case 1 and configured to perform heat exchange with the one or more condenser(s) 3 by sucking ambient air. As shown inFIG. 2 , a plurality ofcondensers 3 may be installed in a ‘V’ shape when viewed from a side surface. Thesuction fans adjacent condensers 3. - In the air-cooled chiller of
FIG. 1 , a refrigerant compressed by thecompressor 2 into a high temperature and high pressure refrigerant may be radiated from the condenser(s) 3 by using air as a heat transfer medium. Then, the radiated air may be made to have a low temperature and a low pressure by theexpansion valve 4. Thereafter, the low-temperature and low-pressure air may be heat-exchanged with water at theevaporator 5. Through these processes, generated cooling water may be supplied to a space to be cooled as a heat source for cooling. - In contrast to the water-cooled chiller which radiates heat using a cooling tower, the air-cooled chiller does not require a cooling tower and connection pipes. Accordingly, the air-cooled chiller is advantageous with respect to an installation area and an installation cost. However, since ambient air is used as a heat source, the air-cooled chiller has to be installed on a rooftop of a building or on the ground and has to radiate through a condenser. Accordingly, when the ambient air has a high temperature, radiation is not smoothly performed. This may lower a condensing efficiency, and thus, degrade performance.
- Hereinafter, a chiller, which may be referred to as a “hybrid type” chiller, according an embodiment will be explained in more detail.
-
FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing an inner structure of a chiller according to an embodiment. Referring toFIG. 3 , the “hybrid type”chiller 100 may include acase 102, which may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a plurality ofbent holes 104, which may be formed at upper parts of both sides of thecase 102. Thebent holes 104 may be inclined upwardly to prevent the introduction of, for example, raindrops. However, thebent holes 104 are not limited to this configuration; that is, thebent holes 104 may have any configuration to perform communication with ambient air. - A
partition wall 106 configured to horizontally partition an inside of thecase 102 may be installed in thecase 102. An inner space of thecase 102 may be divided by thepartition wall 106 into aradiation space 110 and a cooling space 120. A blowingopening 112 may be formed at an upper portion of theradiation space 110, and a blower or blowingfan 114 may be installed in the blowingopening 112. Theblower 114 may be configured to blow ambient air to acondenser 130 to be later explained, or to suck the ambient air from thecondenser 130. Theblower 114 may form a stream of ambient air on a surface of thecondenser 130. - The
condenser 130 may be installed below theblower 114 and may extend in parallel thereto, and may constitute a cooling cycle apparatus together with anevaporator 132, anexpansion device 134, and acompressor 136 installed in the cooling space 120. A refrigerant may flow in thecondenser 130, and circulates through theexpansion device 134, theevaporator 132, and thecompressor 136. - A
cooling water inlet 132 a and acooling water outlet 132 b may be respectively, formed at theevaporator 132, and cooling water used to perform a cooling operation may be introduced into or discharged from theevaporator 132. The introduced cooling water may be cooled through heat exchange with a refrigerant cooled in theevaporator 132, and then supplied to a space requiring cooling or a cooling operation. Because the refrigerant and the cooling water flow through additional channels in theevaporator 132, they may not be mixed with each other but introduced into or discharged from the evaporator independently. - Water may be stored at a lower part of the
radiation space 110, and apump 140 that pumps the stored water may be installed below theradiation space 140. The water pumped through thepump 140 may be supplied to a plurality ofspray nozzles 144, for example, four spray nozzles, as shown inFIG. 3 , disposed above thecondenser 130 through a plurality ofpipes 142. Then, the supplied water may be sprayed to thecondenser 130 through a plurality ofspray nozzles 144. The sprayed water may be heat-exchanged with a high-temperature refrigerant passing through thecondenser 130, thereby enhancing a heat exchange performance at thecondenser 130. - The
spray nozzles 144 may be implemented as atomization nozzles to spray water in the form of minute liquid drops. Atomized water may be easily evaporated from a surface of thecondenser 130, and may absorb, from the refrigerant, heat by an amount corresponding to the evaporated amount. This may enhance a heat exchange performance. Because heat exchange performance is enhanced due to thespray nozzles 144, a size of each of the condenser and the blower may be reduced, and thus, an entire size of the chiller may be reduced. - The water sprayed to the
condenser 130 may be collected to or at a lower part of theradiation space 110 along a surface of thecondenser 130. During this process, some of the water may be evaporated and discharged outside. Accordingly, as a usage time of the chiller becomes longer, the level of the water stored at a lower part of theradiation space 110 decreases. If the water level becomes too low, water supply to thecondenser 130 may not be smoothly performed. Accordingly, the water has to be periodically supplemented. - For this, a
water supply pipe 150 may be penetratingly installed on a side wall of theradiation space 110. Thewater supply pipe 150 may be connected to an external water source, such as a water supply facility, and may be configured to supplement water when a water level is low. An ON/OFF valve 152 may be installed near an end of thewater supply pipe 150, thereby controlling water supply through thewater supply pipe 150. The water supply may be manually performed by a manager through periodic checks. Alternatively, the water supply may be automatically performed as shown inFIG. 3 . More specifically, alevel sensor 154 may be installed on an inner wall of theradiation space 110. When a water level becomes lower than a predetermined level, this status may be detected by thelevel sensor 154, and the ON/OFF valve 152 may be opened to automatically supply water. In addition to the level sensor and the ON/OFF valve, a water level controller using buoyancy may be utilized and applied to a water closet (flush toilet). - With this embodiment, the cooling water is cooled by being heat-exchanged with a refrigerant, and a refrigerant having a high temperature may be cooled by using water at or in the radiation space. Accordingly, even if an installation space of the chiller has temperature changes, the entire performance of the chiller is scarcely influenced. More specifically, in the conventional hermetic evaporation type chiller which directly heat-exchanges cooling water with ambient air, the cooling water having undergone a heat exchange process has a large temperature difference according to an ambient air temperature. On the other hand, in this embodiment, a high-temperature refrigerant passing through the condenser may be cooled by being heat-exchanged with indoor air and a water supply source. Accordingly, even if the chiller is installed indoors, radiation may be smoothly performed at the condenser.
- The water sprayed on the surface of the condenser may be evaporated by ambient air supplied by the blower, thereby enhancing a heat exchange performance. This water evaporation may be accelerated when the ambient air has a high temperature. Accordingly, a radiation performance of the chiller may be scarcely influenced by changes in ambient air.
- The conventional cooling tower has a limited installation space because a large amount of cooling water has to be delivered to a place where the cooling tower is installed, generally, a rooftop of a building. However, in this embodiment, the cooling tower may be installed in a mechanical room, which may enhance a degree of freedom.
- In the embodiment of
FIG. 3 , the radiation space and the cooling space are provided in one case. However, embodiments are not so limited; that is, the radiation space and the cooling space may be provided in two cases. -
FIG. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing an inner structure of a chiller according to another embodiment. Like reference numbers have been used to indicate like elements, and the repetitive disclosure has been omitted. - Referring to
FIG. 4 , thechiller 200 according to this embodiment may include afirst case 210 corresponding to the radiation space of the previous embodiment, and asecond case 220 corresponding to the cooling space of the previous embodiment. Thefirst case 210 may include theaforementioned blower 114, thecondenser 130, thepump 140, thespray nozzles 144, thewater supply pipe 150, and the ON/OFF valve 152, and may be configured to serve as one radiation device. - Likewise, the
second case 220 may include theaforementioned evaporator 132, theexpansion device 134 and thecompressor 136, and is configured to serve as one cooling unit or device. - Two connection pipes 242 a and 242 b may be provided to constitute a cooling cycle apparatus with the
condenser 130, theevaporator 132, theexpansion device 134, and thecompressor 136. The connection pipes 242 a and 242 b may connect an inlet and an outlet of thecondenser 130 inside thefirst case 210 to an outlet of thecompressor 136 and an inlet of theexpansion device 134 inside thesecond case 220, respectively. - With this configuration, the first and
second cases FIG. 5 , only thefirst case 210 may be installed on a rooftop (RT) of a building, and thesecond case 220 may be installed at or in a mechanical room (MR) of the building, the MR having a relatively lower temperature. The first and second cases may be connected to each other by the connection pipes 242 a and 242 b. - With this installation configuration, the second case including the evaporator may be arranged at or in a low temperature region, thereby minimizing loss of cool air to be transferred to cooling water to high-temperature ambient air. This may enhance the efficiency of the chiller. Further, a refrigerant having a smaller flow amount than cooling water may circulate between the first and second cases. This requires no pipes having a large capacity different from a case in which cooling water directly circulates. Accordingly, the chiller may be easily installed even in a small space.
- Embodiments disclosed herein provide a chiller capable of enhancing heat efficiency.
- Embodiments disclosed herein provide a chiller that may include a case; a vapor compression type cycle apparatus installed in the case, and including a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger that heat-exchange with a heat transfer medium to cool; a circulation apparatus configured to circulate the heat transfer medium via the second heat exchanger; a blower configured to supply ambient air to the first heat exchanger; and a liquid spray device configured to spray liquid to the first heat exchanger.
- With the disclosed embodiments, not only ambient air, but also sprayed liquid may be heat-exchanged at the first heat exchanger. This may allow a larger amount of heat to be exchanged on a same surface of the heat exchanger. The sprayed liquid may be evaporated from the surface of the heat exchanger, and latent heat generated during this evaporation process may be supplied from the heat exchanger. This may enhance a heat-exchanging efficiency. With this configuration, even if ambient air has a high temperature, heat exchange may be smoothly performed at the first heat exchanger. This may enhance a cooling performance and an apparatus efficiency, and may reduce a size of the heat exchanger, thereby enhance an installation characteristic of the chiller.
- The vapor compression type cycle apparatus according to embodiments disclosed herein may include a condenser that serves as the first heat exchanger, an evaporator that serves as the second heat exchanger, and a compressor and an expansion device disposed between the condenser and the evaporator, respectively.
- The liquid spray device may be configured to spray liquid to the condenser between the blower and the condenser. The liquid to be sprayed may be water.
- The liquid spray device may include one or more spray nozzles disposed between the blower and the condenser; a liquid reservoir provided on a bottom surface of the case; and a pump configured to forcibly transfer liquid stored in the liquid reservoir into the one or more spray nozzles. The liquid sprayed to the condenser may drop to the liquid reservoir provided on the bottom surface of the case, and the liquid collected into the liquid reservoir may be re-supplied to the spray nozzle through the pump, thus to be circulated.
- The chiller according to embodiments disclosed herein may further include a liquid supplying device configured to supply liquid to the liquid reservoir. The liquid supplying device may compliment liquid lost during a circulation process, and may include a level sensing device that senses a level of liquid, and an ON/OFF valve. The liquid supplying device may be configured to open and close the ON/OFF valve according to a level detected by the level sensing device.
- According to another embodiment disclosed herein, there is provided a chiller that may include a radiation unit or device including a condenser configured to radiate heat outside, a blower configured to supply ambient air to the condenser, a liquid spray device configured to spray liquid to the condenser, and a first case configured to accommodate therein the condenser, the blower, and the liquid spray device; a cooling unit or device including an evaporator configured to absorb heat from cooling water, a cooling water circulation apparatus configured to circulate cooling water via the evaporator, and a second case configured to accommodate therein the evaporator and the cooling water circulation apparatus; and a vapor compression type cycle apparatus including the condenser of the radiation unit or device, the evaporator of the cooling unit or device, and an expansion unit or device and a compressor installed at one side of the first and second cases. Refrigerant pipes may be connected between the first and second cases.
- The vapor compression type cycle apparatus may be accommodated in two cases in a distributed manner, and may be connected to each other by the refrigerant pipes. This may allow the radiation unit and the cooling unit to be installed at different positions, which may enhance a degree of freedom. For instance, the radiation unit may be installed at or in an outdoor room, and the cooling unit may be installed at or in an indoor room having a relatively lower temperature. This may allow a peripheral temperature of the evaporator to be relatively low, which may enhance the efficiency of the chiller. The first and second cases may be connected to each other by the refrigerant pipes. Accordingly, an installation area may be significantly reduced when compared with a case in which pipes for cooling water are connected to and between the first and second cases.
- The chiller according to embodiments disclosed herein may have a minimized installation area, and high efficiency due to enhanced radiation performance.
- Any reference in this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” etc., means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of such phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with any embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the purview of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other ones of the embodiments.
- Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Claims (20)
1. A chiller, comprising:
a case;
a vapor compression type cycle apparatus installed in the case and including first and second heat exchangers that heat-exchange with first and second heat transfer mediums, respectively, the vapor compression type cycle apparatus comprising a condenser that serves as the first heat exchanger, an evaporator that serves as the second heat exchanger, a compressor, and an expansion device disposed between the condenser and the evaporator, respectively;
a blower configured to supply air to the first heat exchanger; and
a liquid spray device configured to spray liquid onto the first heat exchanger.
2. The chiller of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchange medium comprises a refrigerant and the second heat exchange medium comprises water.
3. The chiller of claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger comprises:
a circulation apparatus configured to circulate the second heat transfer medium via the second heat exchanger.
4. The chiller of claim 3 , wherein the liquid spray device is disposed between the blower and the condenser.
5. The chiller of claim 4 , wherein the liquid spray device comprises:
one or more spray nozzles disposed between the blower and the condenser;
a liquid reservoir; and
a pump configured to transfer liquid stored in the liquid reservoir to the one or more spray nozzles.
6. The chiller of claim 5 , wherein the liquid reservoir is provided at a lower portion of the case.
7. The chiller of claim 5 , further comprising:
a partition wall configured to partition an inside of the case into first and second spaces, wherein the first heat exchanger, the blower, and the liquid spray device are arranged at or in the first space.
8. The chiller of claim 7 , wherein the liquid reservoir is located at a lower portion of the first space.
9. The chiller of claim 5 , further comprising:
a liquid supplying device configured to supply liquid to the liquid reservoir.
10. The chiller of claim 9 , wherein the liquid supplying device comprises:
a water supplying pipe connected to a water supply source;
an ON/OFF valve installed at, in, or on the water supplying pipe; and
a controller configured to control an operation of the ON/OFF valve.
11. A chiller, comprising:
a first device, comprising:
a condenser configured to radiate heat;
a blower configured to supply air to the condenser;
a liquid spray device configured to spray liquid onto the condenser; and
a first case configured to accommodate therein the condenser, the blower, and the liquid spray device; and
a second device, comprising:
an evaporator configured to absorb heat from water;
a water circulation apparatus configured to circulate the water; and
a second case configured to accommodate therein the evaporator and the water circulation apparatus; and
a vapor compression type cycle apparatus including the condenser, the evaporator, an expansion device, and a compressor installed at or in one of the first and second cases, wherein refrigerant pipes connect the first and second cases.
12. The chiller of claim 11 , wherein the liquid spray device is disposed between the blower and the condenser.
13. The chiller of claim 12 , wherein the liquid spray device comprises:
one or more spray nozzles disposed between the blower and the condenser;
a liquid reservoir; and
a pump configured to forcibly transfer liquid stored in the liquid reservoir into the one or more spray nozzles.
14. The chiller of claim 13 , wherein the liquid reservoir is provided at a lower portion of the case.
15. The chiller of claim 13 , further comprising:
a liquid supplying device configured to supply liquid to the liquid reservoir.
16. The chiller of claim 15 , wherein the liquid supplying device comprises:
a water supplying pipe connected to a water supply source;
an ON/OFF valve installed at, in, or on the water supplying pipe; and
a controller configured to control an operation of the ON/OFF valve.
17. A chiller, comprising:
a refrigerant compression type cycle apparatus including first and second heat exchangers that heat-exchange with first and second heat transfer mediums, respectively; and
a cooling device configured to cool the first heat exchanger using liquid and air.
18. The chiller of claim 17 , wherein the first heat exchange medium comprises a refrigerant and the second heat exchange medium comprises water.
19. The chiller of claim 17 , wherein the cooling device comprises:
a blower configured to supply air to the first heat exchanger; and
a liquid spray device configured to spray liquid onto the first heat exchanger.
20. The chiller of claim 17 , wherein the second heat exchanger comprises a circulation device configured to circulate the second heat medium.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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KR10-2010-00013919 | 2010-02-16 | ||
KR1020100013919A KR20110094503A (en) | 2010-02-16 | 2010-02-16 | Hybrid type chiller |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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US20110197617A1 true US20110197617A1 (en) | 2011-08-18 |
Family
ID=44368672
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/020,140 Abandoned US20110197617A1 (en) | 2010-02-16 | 2011-02-03 | Chiller |
Country Status (2)
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US (1) | US20110197617A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20110094503A (en) |
Cited By (9)
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CN103123189A (en) * | 2013-02-06 | 2013-05-29 | 刘玉岭 | Evaporative-type condenser and heat source device of the same |
CN104697062A (en) * | 2015-02-28 | 2015-06-10 | 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 | Air-conditioning unit |
WO2016002023A1 (en) * | 2014-07-02 | 2016-01-07 | 三菱電機株式会社 | Heat source device and heat source system provided with heat source device |
JP2016044578A (en) * | 2014-08-21 | 2016-04-04 | 株式会社Ihi | Waste heat generating device and cooling device |
CN105972736A (en) * | 2016-07-06 | 2016-09-28 | 张舒维 | Intelligent cooling device with online mist spraying function |
US20180368289A1 (en) * | 2015-12-10 | 2018-12-20 | Guangdong Hi-1 New Materials Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. | Natural cold-source heat-dissipation system for various data centers |
US10816236B2 (en) | 2017-06-09 | 2020-10-27 | Johnson Controls Technology Company | Condensate recycling system for HVAC system |
US20200406718A1 (en) * | 2019-06-28 | 2020-12-31 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Vehicle air conditioner |
US20210400849A1 (en) * | 2017-04-06 | 2021-12-23 | Beijing Baidu Netcom Science And Technology Co., Ltd. | Cooling system employable in data center |
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KR101520914B1 (en) * | 2013-07-09 | 2015-05-18 | 주식회사 에어텍 | Heat pump of Hybrid |
KR101695437B1 (en) * | 2014-03-25 | 2017-01-12 | 주식회사 성지테크 | Packaged evaporative condensing water chiller |
KR101857126B1 (en) * | 2015-01-22 | 2018-06-19 | 엘아이지넥스원 주식회사 | Complex type temperature control apparatus for radar system |
KR101947567B1 (en) * | 2016-10-14 | 2019-02-14 | 김봉석 | Coolant tank integrated water-cooled chiller units |
KR20180079889A (en) * | 2017-01-03 | 2018-07-11 | 주식회사 파이닉스알엔디 | Shatter-proof wastewater cooling system |
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US20020017110A1 (en) * | 2000-08-02 | 2002-02-14 | Chiu Peng Chu | Separated type air conditioner with evaporative condensing apparatus |
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Cited By (10)
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CN103123189A (en) * | 2013-02-06 | 2013-05-29 | 刘玉岭 | Evaporative-type condenser and heat source device of the same |
WO2016002023A1 (en) * | 2014-07-02 | 2016-01-07 | 三菱電機株式会社 | Heat source device and heat source system provided with heat source device |
JPWO2016002023A1 (en) * | 2014-07-02 | 2017-04-27 | 三菱電機株式会社 | Heat source device and heat source system including the heat source device |
JP2016044578A (en) * | 2014-08-21 | 2016-04-04 | 株式会社Ihi | Waste heat generating device and cooling device |
CN104697062A (en) * | 2015-02-28 | 2015-06-10 | 珠海格力电器股份有限公司 | Air-conditioning unit |
US20180368289A1 (en) * | 2015-12-10 | 2018-12-20 | Guangdong Hi-1 New Materials Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. | Natural cold-source heat-dissipation system for various data centers |
CN105972736A (en) * | 2016-07-06 | 2016-09-28 | 张舒维 | Intelligent cooling device with online mist spraying function |
US20210400849A1 (en) * | 2017-04-06 | 2021-12-23 | Beijing Baidu Netcom Science And Technology Co., Ltd. | Cooling system employable in data center |
US10816236B2 (en) | 2017-06-09 | 2020-10-27 | Johnson Controls Technology Company | Condensate recycling system for HVAC system |
US20200406718A1 (en) * | 2019-06-28 | 2020-12-31 | Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha | Vehicle air conditioner |
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KR20110094503A (en) | 2011-08-24 |
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