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
  • F25B45/00—Arrangements for charging or discharging refrigerant
• • 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
  • F25B9/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point
  • F25B9/002—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point characterised by the refrigerant
  • F25B9/006—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point characterised by the refrigerant the refrigerant containing more than one component
• • 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
  • F25B2345/00—Details for charging or discharging refrigerants; Service stations therefor
  • F25B2345/001—Charging refrigerant to a 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
  • F25B2345/00—Details for charging or discharging refrigerants; Service stations therefor
  • F25B2345/003—Control issues for charging or collecting refrigerant to or from a 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
  • F25B2345/00—Details for charging or discharging refrigerants; Service stations therefor
  • F25B2345/004—Details for charging or discharging refrigerants; Service stations therefor with several tanks to collect or charge a cycle

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the filling of a refrigerant circuit, or refrigeration circuit, at a standstill (for example, a new circuit). It finds for example an application to fill a refrigeration circuit such as that of a fixed equipment, such as a heat pump, or a mobile vehicle, such as the air conditioning of an automobile, on the assembly lines .
• refrigerants commonly used today, we find, for example, R134a fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives for automobiles and heat pumps, or fluorinated mixtures such as R407 and R410 for refrigerating units and heat pumps. These refrigerants are either pure products or mixtures that do not present a risk of separation at low pressure (less than 5 bars for example).
• R134a substitution fluids envisioned for automotive air conditioning systems is HF01234yf. It is a fluorinated derivative of hydrocarbons. However, it has several disadvantages such as its flammability, its price, about 100 times higher than that of current refrigerants, and its limited availability.
• a more economical alternative is to combine conventional fluids so as to obtain a mixture whose GWP complies with the new regulation for a price closer to that of current refrigerants and which can be used without risk of degradation and without major modification of the automotive air conditioning system with at least equal performance.
• New mixtures also appear including an inorganic refrigerant such as water, carbon dioxide or ammonia.
• inorganic refrigerant such as water, carbon dioxide or ammonia.
• These mixtures are often good alternatives in terms of safety (because non-flammable) to highly flammable pure hydrocarbons such as butane, propane, pentane. They are also good alternatives to pure inorganic refrigerants which usually involve high pressures (materially incompatible with current automobile circuits).
• these mixtures do not have sufficient homogeneity during storage, which poses problems for their transfer because the proportions / compositions must be preserved during these handling of refrigerants.
• mixtures may be composed of one or more fluorinated derivatives of hydrocarbons and one or more inorganic compounds.
• An example of a particularly advantageous zeotropic mixture is the mixture combining two fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives and CO 2.
• a difficulty in the use of such mixtures lies in the definition of a process for transferring fluid to the refrigerant circuit, and the device which implements it, which finally make it possible to obtain a homogeneous mixture with the proportions and tolerances recommended by the chemist and having the desired characteristics.
• the addition of a small proportion of C02 makes the transfer operation more complex and requires significant precision of the dosage, in order to guarantee the quality of the transferred mixture to guarantee the refrigeration performance of the use circuit.
• the method must be able to be implemented by the device according to a high-speed use and / or a mobile installation such as, for example, an automobile production line.
• the refrigerant (the refrigerant) is alternately in the gaseous state and in the liquid state, its changes of states making it possible to take up or give up the energy corresponding to its latent heat. place wanted.
• Such a circuit comprises a compressor, the role of which is to supply mechanical energy to the refrigerant to enable it to evolve, a condenser in which the refrigerant condenses and gives up energy to the medium that is to be heated, a pressure reducer that lowers the boiling point of the refrigerant and an evaporator in which the refrigerant evaporates by taking the necessary energy to the medium that is to be cooled.
• the invention thus aims to solve the problems listed above. It aims to allow the filling at high speed of a refrigeration circuit at a standstill with a mixture of fluids of different natures, in particular a mixture of fluids derived fluorinated hydrocarbons, such as HFC and HFO, and carbon dioxide ( C02 or R744), so as to finally obtain a homogeneous refrigerant mixture having advantageous characteristics for a limited cost and adapted to the new environmental constraints.
• a mixture of fluids of different natures in particular a mixture of fluids derived fluorinated hydrocarbons, such as HFC and HFO, and carbon dioxide ( C02 or R744)
• the mixture fluorinated and inorganic
• This preparation is made gradually, by maintaining a buffer stock, with the characteristics required by the chemist, and thus avoids a risk of alteration of the mixture due to a phase separation ( liquid / gas) for example.
• the object of the invention is therefore, according to a first aspect, a process for filling a refrigerant circuit with fluids of different natures, comprising at least one fluorinated hydrocarbon derivative and at least one inorganic refrigerant so as to obtain in the end a refrigerant fluid in the liquid phase homogeneous at the desired temperature and pressure.
• the fluid or fluids derived from fluorinated hydrocarbons may be designated by the term first refrigerant fluid.
• first refrigerant fluid when a single fluorinated hydrocarbon derivative is used, the first refrigerant corresponds to this fluorinated hydrocarbon derivative. But when several fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives are used, the first refrigerant corresponds to the combination of these fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives.
• the subject of the invention is a method of filling a refrigerating circuit at a standstill with a refrigerant mixture in this refrigerating circuit.
• a refrigerant mixture in this refrigerating circuit.
• the first refrigerant having at least one fluorinated hydrocarbon derivative.
• the method comprises a step of in situ preparation of the refrigerant mixture in a mixing device, in which:
• the first refrigerant fluid comprises at least two fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives
• these fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives are premixed in the proportions required to obtain the refrigerant mixture so as to obtain a premix
• the first refrigerant is provided in the liquid phase
• the inorganic refrigerant is added in the liquid or gaseous phase to the first refrigerant
• the mixture of the first refrigerant and the inorganic refrigerant is injected into the refrigerant circuit.
• the method of the invention comprises one or more of the features presented below, which may be taken individually or in any technically possible combination.
• the mixture of the first refrigerant and the inorganic refrigerant is produced prior to the injection of the refrigerant mixture into the refrigerant circuit.
• This mixing is carried out by a passage at a pressure of several bars (preferably about 5 bars) above the saturation vapor pressure of the mixture.
• the dilution of the inorganic refrigerant in the mixture is carried out rapidly
• This mixing can be performed in parallel with the drawing or the emptying of the refrigerant circuit to achieve high filling rates.
• the refrigerant circuit is therefore evacuated before filling.
• the inorganic refrigerant is either in the gas phase or in the liquid phase when it is added to the first refrigerant.
• the inorganic refrigerant comprises, or is, carbon dioxide, or ammonia.
• the process can be used on new or similar circuits (purged and vacuum circuits). This process can only be used if the refrigerant circuit is stopped (except cold production), typically during the production of refrigeration units or circuits on the assembly lines.
• the subject of the invention is also, in a second aspect, a device for filling a stationary refrigerant circuit with a mixture of fluids of different natures so as to finally obtain a homogeneous mixture in the liquid phase at the temperature and at the desired pressure, able to allow the implementation of the method presented above.
• this refrigerant mixture comprising at least a first refrigerant and at least one inorganic refrigerant, the first refrigerant having at least minus a fluorinated hydrocarbon derivative.
• the device comprises a mixing device capable of allowing the mixing of a first refrigerant fluid and an inorganic refrigerant fluid so as to obtain a homogeneous refrigerant mixture in the liquid phase, a supply circuit capable of supplying the melane device first liquid phase refrigerant fluid, a supply circuit capable of allowing the addition of the inorganic refrigerant fluid to the first liquid phase refrigerant in the mixing device, and a filling device able to connect the mixing device to the circuit refrigerant so as to allow the injection of the homogeneous refrigerant mixture into the refrigerant circuit ,.
• the device of the invention comprises one or more of the features presented below, which can be taken individually or in any technically possible combination.
• the first refrigerant liquid phase feed circuit comprises at least one hydrocarbon fluorocarbon feed circuit and at least one feed circuit of another hydrocarbon fluorinated derivative.
• the mixing device comprises at least one reservoir for dissolving this inorganic gaseous refrigerant in the first coolant in the liquid state, and mixing these components before injecting the refrigerant into the refrigerant circuit.
• the mixing device comprises a recirculation circuit connected to the reservoir, able to promote the dissolution of the inorganic refrigerant in the gaseous state in the tank by regulating the pressure and the temperature of the cooling mixture, so as to increase the homogenization of this refrigerant mixture before its injection into the refrigerant circuit.
• the recirculation circuit comprises an exchanger and pressurizing means connected to regulating means, so as to maintain the cooling mixture respectively at the required temperature and pressure.
• the mixing device comprises a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor capable of supplying the respective information of pressure and temperature of the cooling mixture in the mixing device to the control means.
• a line of emptying is provided, to allow the emptying of the firgorifique circuit before filling.
• the device may comprise several filling circuits able to connect the mixing device to several refrigerating circuits so as to allow the homogeneous refrigerant mixture to be injected into these refrigerant circuits.
• the addition of a tank in the filling circuit can be used for the purpose of ensuring a permanent availability of mixture.
• the device thus makes it possible firstly to inject the first refrigerant fluid in the liquid phase, consisting of a fluorinated hydrocarbon derivative in the liquid phase, or a premix of fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives in the liquid phase, via a counter. , for example mass. Then, the device makes it possible to inject the inorganic refrigerant, such as CO 2, in the gas phase, via a meter, for example a mass counter.
• the inorganic refrigerant such as CO 2
• Obtaining or disposing of a first refrigerant fluid formed of a homogeneous mixture of several fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives is generally not a problem because they often have close physical characteristics.
• Such a premix of the two (or more) fluorinated derivatives of hydrocarbons can be realized on the spot by a dedicated equipment, in masked time. It can also be delivered on site, close to use, by a supplier of refrigerants.
• the fluorinated derivative feed circuit advantageously comprises an incondensable trap so as to guarantee the quality of the mixture.
• the injection of CO 2 after that of the fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives makes it possible to scan the common section of the supply pipe of the refrigerant circuit in which the premix of the fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives and then the CO 2, and inject the premix remaining in this section into the circuit.
• the common pipe section is then depressurized to optimize the next cycle.
• connection of the filling circuit to the refrigerant circuit can be carried out by an adapter without re-aspiration of the fluid present in the common pipe section because a CO 2 discharge into the ambient air during removal of the adapter does not pose no problem (the fluorinated hydrocarbons having been swept by CO2).
• the filling of the CO2 in the gas phase is also advantageous for reasons of safety. It is indeed used under limited pressure and, in case of leakage, it does not undergoes no liquid-gaseous phase transformation liable to generate burns to the operators.
• gaseous CO 2 under a limited pressure of less than 20 bar, rather than liquid under greater pressure, of approximately 90 bar also makes it possible to reduce overall energy consumption by reducing the energy required for compression. and the removal of the requirement to refrigerate the liquid CO 2 to maintain it at a temperature below the critical point temperature (31 ° C at 90 bar).
• this solution encourages the use of an automatic connection system to the refrigerant circuit with little dead volume between the refrigerant circuit and the isolation valves of the fluorinated fluids and C02 feed circuits if the desired dosing accuracy is important. and if the quantities to be transferred are low because then the dead volume becomes significant compared to the volume of the circuit.
• This solution eliminates the step of re-aspiration of the fluids contained in the common section and avoids multiple connections / disconnections to the circuit causing loss of time, leaks and risk of pollution of the circuit.
• the mixing device of the first refrigerant and the inorganic refrigerant such as CO 2 may comprise a buffer tank.
• the mixing device may comprise a second buffer tank so that the mixture circulates back and forth or continuously between the two tanks.
• obtaining a certain homogeneity also imposes specific pressure and temperature conditions, depending on the mixtures used in order to keep the assembly in the liquid phase and to promote the dissolution of the CO 2 in the mixture.
• the inorganic refrigerant fluid added to the mixture of fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives in the buffer tank is liquid and non-gaseous. This, however, has less advantage for example in the case of the use of CO 2, because of the safety constraints and pressure to make the injection of CO 2 in the liquid phase.
• the use of a buffer tank, possibly two buffer tanks, allows to obtain an even higher rate because the transfer of the mixture is done in a single step under pressure after its preparation in masked time of the drawdown of the refrigerant circuit .
• liquid inorganic refrigerant such as liquid CO 2 requires certain precautions. In particular, it is necessary to manage the ice risk problems and those resulting from a high pressure of about 100 bar. Some embodiments are therefore less advantageous, especially if the inorganic refrigerant is CO 2.
• the refrigerant fluid In a stationary refrigerant circuit, the refrigerant fluid is homogeneous in composition but is in the liquid phase on the normally liquid part of the circuit and in the gas phase in the gaseous part of the circuit.
• a mixture of fluorinated derivatives of hydrocarbons and CO2 when it stops, the latter partially goes into the gaseous state on the normally liquid part of the circuit, with a partial migration of CO2 towards the gaseous part of the circuit. It is therefore necessary that the mixing of the fluids in the refrigerant circuit can be achieved quickly during the commissioning of the refrigerant circuit so that the thermodynamic properties of the mixture can be reached quickly.
• the effectiveness of the air conditioning will indeed be lower as long as the dissolution of CO2 is not done and a quasi-homogeneous mixture will not be obtained.
• the refrigerant circuit since the molecule of 002 is smaller than the fluorinated hydrocarbon derivative molecules, the refrigerant circuit must be more watertight. Absolute sealing is not possible in practice, the greater leakage of 002 causes a change over time in the proportions between the constituents and a lower thermodynamic efficiency of the mixture.
• the compressor in the refrigerant circuit operates with oil that is directly dissolved in the refrigerant circuit with the fluids, it is partially entrained during refrigerant recovery. In order to reuse the fluids, it is necessary to separate the oil from the fluorinated derivatives. This operation can be carried out before or after the extraction of CO 2 from the mixture. Thus, the fluid recovered and now clean can be reinjected into the machine without further processing.
• the mixture intended to fill the refrigerant circuit 1 comprises two fluorinated hydrocarbon derivative fluids and a single inorganic fluid.
• the device comprises two fluid feed lines fluorinated derivatives of hydrocarbons 28 and 29 similar, each for connecting the device to a source of one of the fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives in the liquid state.
• references 28 and 29 are used both to designate the two feed lines 28, 29 connectable to respective sources of the two fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives in the liquid state, that these fluorinated derivatives hydrocarbons 28, 29 themselves.
• the device further comprises an inorganic fluid supply line
• reference 27 is used both to designate the supply line 27 connectable to a source of CO 2 in the gaseous state, and the CO 2 27 itself.
• the device also comprises a vacuum line 30 allowing the refrigerating circuit 1 to be emptied before filling.
• the fluorinated hydrocarbon derivatives supply lines 28 and 29 each comprise in particular a first isolation valve 60, a pressure gauge 63, a mass flow meter 65, and a second isolation valve 67.
• the CO 2 feed line 27 comprises in particular a first isolation valve 61, a flow regulator 62, a pressure gauge 64, a mass flow meter 66 and a second isolation valve 68.
• feed lines 27 to 29 are connected to a tank 31 in which mixing and dissolving the CO 2 gas 27 in the liquid fluorinated derivatives 28, 29 is carried out.
• the tank 31 is equipped with a recirculation circuit 32 contributing to the mixture of the three components.
• This recirculation circuit 32 comprises a pump 33, an isolation valve 34 and an exchanger 35 for maintaining the mixture at the required temperature.
• This tank 31 is also equipped with a pressure sensor 36 and a temperature sensor 37.
• Control means receive the pressure and temperature information respectively of the pressure sensor 36 and the temperature sensor 37, and can regulate this pressure and this temperature by acting in particular on the pump 33, the valve isolation 34 and the exchanger 35.
• the tank 31 is connected to the refrigerant circuit 1 through a filling circuit 48 comprising in particular the following organs: an isolation valve 38, a mass flowmeter 44, a pressure gauge 45, a filter 46, a distribution block 47.
• a filling circuit 48 comprising in particular the following organs: an isolation valve 38, a mass flowmeter 44, a pressure gauge 45, a filter 46, a distribution block 47.
• a valve 42 placed upstream of the mass flow meter 44, is connected to a discharge pipe 43.
• connection between the distribution block 47 and the refrigerant circuit 1 is carried out by two separate channels, a channel 50 connected to the high-pressure part of the refrigerant circuit 1 and a channel 49 connected to the low-pressure part of the refrigerant circuit 1.
• connection of the channels 49 and 50 to the refrigerant circuit 1 can be obtained by the usual means of the state of the art, depending on the type of refrigerant circuit 1 and the field of application.
• the filling circuit 48 for injecting the refrigerant mixture into the refrigerant circuit 1 after the preparation of the mixture in the mixing device 31, 32, is disconnected from the mixing device 31, 32. In this way, it is possible to desynchronize the preparation phase of the mixture and the filling phase by injection of this mixture.
• each vehicle carries a filling circuit 48 and each filling circuit 48 can be connected to a single mixing device 31, 32.
• each refrigerant circuit 1 it is also possible to add a buffer tank for each refrigerant circuit 1 to be filled, fed by the mixing device 31, 32, so as to respond immediately to a filling request without having to wait for the mixing device 31, 32 completed the preparation of the mixture in sufficient quantity.
• the invention is not limited to the above description in which it is a question of preparing a mixture comprising two fluorinated fluids hydrocarbon fluids and a single inorganic fluid, and fill the refrigerant circuit 1 with this mixture.
• the device and method of the invention allow, by adjusting the thermodynamic parameters in the proportions required for the mixture, to maintain the homogeneity of the mixture and a high filling rate.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
• Compression-Type Refrigeration Machines With Reversible Cycles (AREA)
• Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
• Air-Conditioning For Vehicles (AREA)

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• 2012
  • 2012-10-26 FR FR1260268A patent/FR2997483A3/fr active Pending
  • 2012-12-06 FR FR1261748A patent/FR2997484B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2013
  • 2013-10-25 JP JP2015538473A patent/JP2015536438A/ja active Pending
  • 2013-10-25 WO PCT/EP2013/072439 patent/WO2014064270A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2013-10-25 EP EP13783549.2A patent/EP2912388B1/fr active Active
  • 2013-10-25 CN CN201380059916.8A patent/CN104870912B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related

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