US3365899A - Refrigerant flow control - Google Patents

Refrigerant flow control Download PDF

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Publication number
US3365899A
US3365899A US576993A US57699366A US3365899A US 3365899 A US3365899 A US 3365899A US 576993 A US576993 A US 576993A US 57699366 A US57699366 A US 57699366A US 3365899 A US3365899 A US 3365899A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
refrigerant
machine
liquid refrigerant
pressure side
chamber
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US576993A
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English (en)
Inventor
James N Cuny
Gordon L Mount
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.)
Carrier Corp
Original Assignee
Carrier Corp
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 Carrier Corp filed Critical Carrier Corp
Priority to US576993A priority Critical patent/US3365899A/en
Priority to GB35343/67A priority patent/GB1197295A/en
Priority to DE19671551292 priority patent/DE1551292C/de
Priority to SE12106/67A priority patent/SE317392B/xx
Priority to BE703405D priority patent/BE703405A/xx
Priority to NL6712056A priority patent/NL6712056A/xx
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3365899A publication Critical patent/US3365899A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • 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
    • 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
    • F25B41/00—Fluid-circulation arrangements
    • F25B41/30—Expansion means; Dispositions thereof
    • F25B41/31—Expansion valves
    • F25B41/315—Expansion valves actuated by floats
    • 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
    • F25B49/00—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices
    • F25B49/02—Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices for compression type machines, plants or systems

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a refrigeration machine. More particularly, this invention relates to refrigerant flow in a refrigeration machine. Still more particularly, this invention relates to a refrigeration machine having means therein to control the flow of refrigerant from the high side to the low side thereof.
  • a compressor In high tonnage refrigeration machines, a compressor is arranged to extract gaseous refrigerant from an evaporator and deliver it at a higher pressure to a condenser where the refrigerant is cooled and condensed.
  • the condensed refrigerant to a temperature below condensing temperature before it is passed to the evaporator.
  • This can be accomplished by providing a tube bundle in the bottom of the condenser or in a separate enclosure located so that condensed refrigerant can be passed over the tubes in heat transfer relation with cooling Water passing therethrough.
  • sufficient liquid refrigerant must be maintained in the subcooler to completely cover the tube bundle.
  • the subcooled refrigerant is passed from the subcooler through a metering device to the evaporator.
  • the evaporator contains a tube bundle through which the medium to be cooled is passed in heat transfer relation with the refrigerant in the evaporator.
  • the heat supplied to the refrigerant from the medium being cooled causes the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator to boil vigorously.
  • the boiling refrigerant wets all the tubes in the evaporator, providing optimum heat transfer between the medium and the refrigerant.
  • efficiency drops as the number of heat exchange tubes wetted by the refrigerant is reduced.
  • Still another object of this invention is to provide a refrigerant metering device having provisions therein for maintaining a minimum pressure differential across the machine.
  • the objects of this invention are attained by providing a control chamber between the high and low sides of the refrigeration machine, means being provided in the chanr ber responsive to the refrigerant level therein to actuate a metering device to pass refrigerant from the high side to the low side, said chamber having a refrigerant supply line communicating with the high side of the machine and a drain line communicating with the low side thereof, the level of refrigerant in the chamber being determined by the relative refrigerant flow rates through said lines.
  • FIGURE 1 is a schematic view of a refrigeration machine incorporating the preferred embodiment of the refrigerant flow control mechanism forming the subject of this invention.
  • FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, and partially in perspective of a portion of the evaporatorcondenser illustrating important details of the flow control mechanism.
  • FIGURE 3 is a perspective view, partially in section, of the evaporator-condenser showing portions of the flow control mechanism.
  • a refrigeration machine 1 having a condenser 3, an evaporator 5 and a motor-compressor 7.
  • the evaporator-condenser is formed by a shell 9 having a partition 11 therein separating condenser 3 from evaporator 5.
  • a subcooler chamber 13 is defined, on the top by partition 11, on the bottom by bottom plate 14, on one side by upstanding wall 15, and on the other side by a section of shell 9.
  • Tube bundles 4, 6 and 12 disposed in condenser 3, evaporator 5 and subcooler 13 respectively, are provided for passing heat transfer fluids therethrough, 4 and 12 being a circuit separate from the circuit including bundle 6.
  • a float box or control chamber 17 is provided for regulating refrigerant flow from the high side to the low side of the machine.
  • the float box 17 has a top plate 19, a bottom plate 21, side plates 23 and 25, and cover plate 27.
  • Shell 9 provides a back wall for the control chamber.
  • An upstanding partition 29 divides the control chamber 17 into a float compartment 31 and a metering compartment 33, metering compartment 33 being divided by horizontal partition 35.
  • a shaft 37 extending through compartments 31 and 33, has a float 34 attached thereto by means of an arm 39 in compartment 31 and a throttle plate 41 attached thereto in compartment 33, both elements having pivotal movement relative to the shaft.
  • An opening 43 is provided in partition 35, throttle plate 41 being aligned therewith to form a valve.
  • An opening 45 is provided in partition 11 at one end thereof to allow refrigerant from the condenser to pass to the subcooler.
  • a conduit 47 communicating between the other end of the subcooler at the bottom thereof and the top of metering compartment 33 provides a passageway for refrigerant between the subcooler and the metering compartment.
  • a conduit 50 between the bottom section of compartment 33 and evaporator provides a passageway for refrigerant therebetween.
  • a control chamber supply tube 52 is utilized to supply refrigerant from condenser 3 to float compartment 31.
  • a control chamber drain tube 54 preferably smaller than tube 52, is provided to drain refrigerant from float compartment 31 to evaporator 5.
  • Supply tube 52 communicates with condenser 3 at a location corresponding to the desired collected refrigerant level therein so that if an excess of collected refrigerant is present in the condenser, a portion thereof will flow through tube 52 into chamber 31.
  • a secondary supply tube 56 communicates between float chamber 31 and the high pressure side of the machine at the bottom of subcooler 13. Valves 53, and 57 are provided in lines 52, 54 and 56 respectively.
  • valves 53 and 55 are opened and valve 57 is closed. If an excess of liquid refrigerant is collected in condenser 3, a portion thereof will flow through tube 52, into chamber 31. Due to the fact that drain tube 54 is smaller than line 52, refrigerant will not drain from chamber 31 as fast as it is supplied thereto, the refrigerant build-up in chamber 31 raising fioat 34 which causes throttle plate 41 to open further to pass more refrigerant therethrough, reducing the amount of refrigerant in condenser 3.
  • valve 55 is closed and valve 57 is opened. This causes liquid refrigerant from the high side of the machine to enter chamber 31 and remain there, raising float 34 to the top of the chamber and opening throttle plate 41 to the fullest extent. This rapidly drains any liquid refrigerant from the high side of the machine and then allows high pressure gas to pass to the evaporator to agitate the liquid refrigerant therein.
  • valves 53 and 57 may be closed and valve 55 opened, causing chamber 31 to drain, lowering the float and closing throttle plate 41. This allows high side pressure to build up more rapidly than would be the case if the throttle plate were positioned as explained heretofore under normal operating conditions.
  • this invention is not limited to a refrigeration system as described having a subcooler therein but is applicable to any system when it is desirable to maintain a predetermined refrigerant level in the high side thereof and to obtain forced feed of refrigerant through any device between the high and low sides of the system.
  • a method of controlling the flow of refrigerant from the high pressure side of a refrigeration machine to the low pressure side of the machine which consists in the steps of collecting liquid refrigerant in the high pressure side of the machine, continuously supplying a portion of liquid refrigerant in excess of a predetermined amount of the collected refrigerant to a control chamber, utilizing the level of refrigerant in said control chamber to regulate passage of liquid refrigerant from the high pressure side of the machine to the low pressure side of the machine and thereby vary the accumulation of collected liquid refrigerant, continuously draining the liquid refrigerant from the control chamber to the low pressure side of the machine while supplying said excess refrigerant thereto, the rate of drainage being related to the rate of supply, as governed by the variation in accumulation, so that passage of liquid refrigerant from the high side to the low side is regulated in accordance with the load on the machine throughout the normal operating range of the machine.
  • the method set forth in claim 1 including the step of draining the liquid refrigerant from the control chamber to the low pressure side of the machine while preventing flow of refrigerant thereto from the high side at a predetermined low head condition thereby sealing the high pressure side from the low pressure side of the machine.
  • a refrigerant flow control device for maintaining a predetermined level of collected refrigerant on the high side of a refrigeration machine under normal operating conditions comprising a control chamber, means mounted in said chamber responsive to the refrigerant level therein, a metering valve, operably associated with said means, said metering valve being disposed between the high and low sides of the refrigeration machine to regulate refrigerant flow to the low side thereof, a control line for passage of refrigerant between the high side of the machine and said control chamber, the high side end of said control line being disposed at a location corresponding to the predetermined level of collected refrigerant therein, a control chamber drain line having a flow capacity less than said control line, said drain line communicating between the low side of the refrigeration machine and said control chamber so that a portion of the refrigerant in excess of the predetermined collected refrigerant will flow into said control chamber faster than it can drain therefrom, opening said metering valve and draining the excess refrigerant to the low side of the machine to establish said predetermined level.
  • a refrigerant flow control device further including a second control line for passage of refrigerant between the high side of the machine and said control chamber, the high side end of said second control line being disposed at a location below said control line, first valve means for preventing fluid flow through said second control line under normal operating conditions and second valve means for preventing fluid flow through said drain line so that under low load conditions, said first valve means can be opened and said second valve means can be closed simultaneously to flood said control chamber, open said metering valve and pass gaseous refrigerant to the low side of the machine to agitate the liquid refrigerant therein.
  • a refrigerant flow control device further including third valve means for preventing fiow of refrigerant through said control line under low head conditions so that by maintaining said first and third 'valve means closed and said second valve means open, said control chambers will drain, closing said metering valve, causing an increase in the pressure differential UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,791,105 5/1957 Aronson 62-504 X 3,315,481 4/1967 Check et a1. 62504 X LLOYD L. KING, Primary Examiner.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
US576993A 1966-09-02 1966-09-02 Refrigerant flow control Expired - Lifetime US3365899A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US576993A US3365899A (en) 1966-09-02 1966-09-02 Refrigerant flow control
GB35343/67A GB1197295A (en) 1966-09-02 1967-08-01 Refrigerant Flow Control
DE19671551292 DE1551292C (de) 1966-09-02 1967-08-26 Verfahren und Vorrichtung zum Steuern des Durchflusses von Kältemittel von der Hoch- zur Niederdruckseite einer Kältemaschine
SE12106/67A SE317392B (en, 2012) 1966-09-02 1967-08-31
BE703405D BE703405A (en, 2012) 1966-09-02 1967-09-01
NL6712056A NL6712056A (en, 2012) 1966-09-02 1967-09-01

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US576993A US3365899A (en) 1966-09-02 1966-09-02 Refrigerant flow control

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3365899A true US3365899A (en) 1968-01-30

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US576993A Expired - Lifetime US3365899A (en) 1966-09-02 1966-09-02 Refrigerant flow control

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3365899A (en, 2012)
BE (1) BE703405A (en, 2012)
GB (1) GB1197295A (en, 2012)
NL (1) NL6712056A (en, 2012)
SE (1) SE317392B (en, 2012)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3534565A (en) * 1969-03-11 1970-10-20 Carrier Corp Refrigeration apparatus including unitary condenser,subcooler,evaporator structure
US4226089A (en) * 1978-06-30 1980-10-07 Barrow Billy E Waste heat recovery device
US4437322A (en) 1982-05-03 1984-03-20 Carrier Corporation Heat exchanger assembly for a refrigeration system
WO1992003718A1 (en) * 1990-08-23 1992-03-05 Clive Gregory Waller A differential float means and sensor means incorporating same
US20110185757A1 (en) * 2010-02-03 2011-08-04 Hill Phoenix, Inc. Refrigeration system with multi-function heat exchanger
US20170176066A1 (en) * 2015-12-21 2017-06-22 Johnson Controls Technology Company Condenser with external subcooler

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4475354A (en) * 1983-04-18 1984-10-09 Carrier Corporation System for draining liquid refrigerant from a subcooler in a vapor compression refrigeration system
CN106907882B (zh) * 2017-02-23 2022-10-11 广州市粤联水产制冷工程有限公司 制冷系统

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2791105A (en) * 1955-08-24 1957-05-07 Worthington Corp Refrigeration apparatus
US3315481A (en) * 1966-02-16 1967-04-25 Carrier Corp Apparatus and method for controlling refrigerant flow in a refrigeration machine

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2791105A (en) * 1955-08-24 1957-05-07 Worthington Corp Refrigeration apparatus
US3315481A (en) * 1966-02-16 1967-04-25 Carrier Corp Apparatus and method for controlling refrigerant flow in a refrigeration machine

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3534565A (en) * 1969-03-11 1970-10-20 Carrier Corp Refrigeration apparatus including unitary condenser,subcooler,evaporator structure
US4226089A (en) * 1978-06-30 1980-10-07 Barrow Billy E Waste heat recovery device
US4437322A (en) 1982-05-03 1984-03-20 Carrier Corporation Heat exchanger assembly for a refrigeration system
WO1992003718A1 (en) * 1990-08-23 1992-03-05 Clive Gregory Waller A differential float means and sensor means incorporating same
US5369395A (en) * 1990-08-23 1994-11-29 Refrigerant Monitoring Systems Pty. Ltd. Differential float means and sensor means incorporating same
US20110185757A1 (en) * 2010-02-03 2011-08-04 Hill Phoenix, Inc. Refrigeration system with multi-function heat exchanger
US8590328B2 (en) 2010-02-03 2013-11-26 Hill Phoenix, Inc. Refrigeration system with multi-function heat exchanger
US20170176066A1 (en) * 2015-12-21 2017-06-22 Johnson Controls Technology Company Condenser with external subcooler
US11441826B2 (en) 2015-12-21 2022-09-13 Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP Condenser with external subcooler

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE703405A (en, 2012) 1968-02-01
DE1551292A1 (de) 1971-12-16
SE317392B (en, 2012) 1969-11-17
NL6712056A (en, 2012) 1968-03-04
GB1197295A (en) 1970-07-01

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