WO2024064382A1

WO2024064382A1 - Heat exchanger for hvac&r system

Info

Publication number: WO2024064382A1
Application number: PCT/US2023/033542
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jing Li; Michael Hemi Zamalis; Jeb William SCHREIBER
Original assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
Priority date: 2022-09-23
Filing date: 2023-09-22
Publication date: 2024-03-28
Also published as: WO2024064383A1

Abstract

A HVAC&R system (10) may include a compressor (32) to motivate a working fluid through a vapor compression circuit and a condenser (34) disposed along the vapor compression circuit to transfer heat from the working fluid to one or more condenser conditioning fluids (82). The HVAC&R system (10) may also include a double bundle evaporator (92) disposed along the vapor compression circuit having a first evaporator tube bundle (58) and a second evaporator tube bundle (58). Additionally, the double bundle evaporator (92) may selectively transfer heat to the working fluid from a first evaporator conditioning fluid (84) operatively within the first evaporator tube bundle (58), a second evaporator conditioning fluid (84) operatively within the second evaporator tube bundle (58), or both. Moreover, the first evaporator tube bundle (58) may be fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a first fluid circuit, and the second evaporator tube bundle may be fluidly coupled to a heat source (62) independent of the air distribution system.

Description

HEAT EXCHANGER FOR HVAC&R SYSTEM

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/409,341, entitled “A HEAT PUMP,” filed September 23, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/409,344, entitled “A HEAT EXCHANGER FOR AN HVAC SYSTEM,” filed September 23, 2022, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

[0002] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

[0003] Chiller systems, or vapor compression systems, utilize a working fluid (e.g., a refrigerant) that changes phases between vapor, liquid, and combinations thereof in response to exposure to different temperatures and pressures within components of the chiller system. The chiller system may place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a conditioning fluid (e.g., water) and may deliver the conditioning fluid to conditioning equipment and/or a conditioned environment serviced by the chiller system. For example, the chiller system may include a heat exchanger configured to receive the working fluid and the conditioning fluid to place the working fluid in the heat exchange relationship with the conditioning fluid. The conditioning fluid may be directed from the heat exchanger to other equipment, such as air handlers, to condition other fluids, such as air in a building. The working fluid may be directed from the heat exchanger through other components of the chiller system, such as a compressor and/or a condenser, to process (e.g., pressurize, cool) the working fluid to enable the working fluid to provide conditioning of the conditioning fluid. However, in some scenarios, the conditioning capacity of the chiller system may be limited by the input/output of the conditioning fluid through components of the chiller system. For this reason, the chiller system may not efficiently operate to condition the conditioning fluid for different conditioning demands.

SUMMARY

[0004] A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented merely to provide the reader with a brief summary of these certain embodiments and that these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed, this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0005] In one embodiment, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system may include a compressor to motivate a working fluid through a vapor compression circuit and an evaporator disposed along the vapor compression circuit to transfer heat to the working fluid from one or more evaporator conditioning fluids. The HVAC&R system may also include a multi-bundle condenser, disposed along the vapor compression circuit, having at least two condenser tube bundles. Additionally, the multi-bundle condenser may selectively transfer heat from the working fluid to a first condenser conditioning fluid operatively within a first condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled to a cooling tower via a first fluid circuit, a second condenser conditioning fluid operatively within a second condenser tube bundle, or both.

[0006] In another embodiment, vapor compression system may include a multibundle condenser having at least two condenser tube bundles. Additionally, the multibundle condenser may selectively transfer heat from a working fluid to one or more condenser conditioning fluids of a set of condenser conditioning fluids. The set of condenser conditioning fluids may include a first condenser conditioning fluid operatively within a first condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled to a cooling tower via a first fluid circuit, and a second condenser conditioning fluid operatively within a second condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a second fluid circuit. The vapor compression system may also include a controller to select the one or more condenser conditioning fluids from the set of condenser conditioning fluids based on a conditioning load of the air distribution system.

[0007] In another embodiment, a multi-bundle condenser may include a shell and at least two condenser tube bundles disposed within the shell that may independently transfer heat from a working fluid of a vapor compression circuit to one or more condenser conditioning fluids of a set of condenser conditioning fluids. The set of condenser conditioning fluids may include a first condenser conditioning fluid operatively within a first condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled to a cooling tower via a first fluid circuit and a second condenser conditioning fluid operatively within a second condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled to an air distribution system cooling tower via a second fluid circuit.

[0008] In another embodiment, a HVAC&R system may include a compressor to motivate a working fluid through a vapor compression circuit and a condenser disposed along the vapor compression circuit to transfer heat from the working fluid to one or more condenser conditioning fluids. The HVAC&R system may also include a double bundle evaporator disposed along the vapor compression circuit having a first evaporator tube bundle and a second evaporator tube bundle. Additionally, the double bundle evaporator may selectively transfer heat to the working fluid from a first evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within the first evaporator tube bundle, a second evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within the second evaporator tube bundle, or both. Moreover, the first evaporator tube bundle may be fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a first fluid circuit, and the second evaporator tube bundle may be fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system. [0009] In another embodiment, a vapor compression system may include a double bundle evaporator having a first evaporator tube bundle and a second evaporator tube bundle. The double bundle evaporator may selectively transfer heat to a working fluid from one or more evaporator conditioning fluids of a set of evaporator conditioning fluids. The set of evaporator conditioning fluids may include a first evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within the first evaporator tube bundle and a second evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within the second evaporator tube bundle. Additionally, the first evaporator tube bundle may be fluidly coupled to an air distribution system, and the second evaporator tube bundle may be fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system. Furthermore, the vapor compression system may include a controller to select the one or more evaporator conditioning fluids from the set of evaporator conditioning fluids based on a conditioning load of the air distribution system.

[0010] In another embodiment, a double bundle evaporator may include a shell and at least two evaporator tube bundles disposed within the shell that independently transfer heat to a working fluid of a vapor compression circuit from one or more evaporator conditioning fluids of a set of evaporator conditioning fluids. The set of evaporator conditioning fluids may include a first evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within a first evaporator tube bundle fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a first fluid circuit and a second evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within a second evaporator tube bundle fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system, via a second fluid circuit.

DRAWINGS

[0011] Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which: [0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a building utilizing an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system in a commercial setting, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vapor compression system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a vapor compression system, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a vapor compression system including an intermediate vessel, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a vapor compression system with multiple compressor stages, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a vapor compression system with a double bundle evaporator and a double bundle condenser, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a vapor compression system with a triple bundle evaporator, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0019] FIG. 8 is a chart of example bundle combinations that may be suitable for different operating modes with associated conditioning loads;

[0020] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a double bundle evaporator, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the double bundle evaporator of FIG. 9 including fluid boxes, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 11 is a schematic view of a double bundle condenser, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; [0023] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of the double bundle condenser of FIG. 11 including fluid boxes, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a triple bundle condenser, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

[0025] FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the triple bundle condenser of FIG. 13 including fluid boxes, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers’ specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0027] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that references to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” of the present disclosure are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features.

[0028] As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “generally,” “substantially,” and so forth, are intended to convey that the property value being described may be within a relatively small range of the property value, as those of ordinary skill would understand. For example, when a property value is described as being “approximately” equal to (or, for example, “substantially similar” to) a given value, this is intended to convey that the property value may be within +/- 5%, within +/- 4%, within +/- 3%, within +/- 2%, within +/- 1%, or even closer, of the given value. Similarly, when a given feature is described as being “substantially parallel” to another feature, “generally perpendicular” to another feature, and so forth, this is intended to convey that the given feature is within +/- 5%, within +/- 4%, within +/- 3%, within +/- 2%, within +/- 1%, or even closer, to having the described nature, such as being parallel to another feature, being perpendicular to another feature, and so forth. Mathematical terms, such as “parallel” and “perpendicular,” should not be rigidly interpreted in a strict mathematical sense, but should instead be interpreted as one of ordinary skill in the art would interpret such terms. For example, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that two lines that are substantially parallel to each other are parallel to a substantial degree, but may have minor deviation from exactly parallel.

[0029] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, such as a chiller, having a vapor compression system with a heat exchanger. The vapor compression system may circulate a working fluid (e g., a heat transfer fluid, a refrigerant) through a vapor compression circuit (e g., loop) to cool and/or heat one or more conditioning fluids (e.g., water). The HVAC&R system may then direct the conditioning fluid to other equipment to condition a space and/or a component serviced by the HVAC&R system. In some embodiments, HVAC&R system may include one or more heat exchangers, such as evaporators and/or condensers, to place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the conditioning fluid, such as to increase or decrease a temperature of the conditioning fluid via heat transfer. For example, in some embodiments, a condenser may provide conditioning, such as heating, to a conditioning fluid, and/or an evaporator may provide conditioning, such as cooling to a conditioning fluid. As should be appreciated, unless specifically stated otherwise, aspects of a heat exchanger, as discussed herein, may apply to heat exchangers used as condensers and/or heat exchangers used as evaporators.

[0030] A heat exchanger of the HVAC&R system may define an internal volume that receives the working fluid of the vapor compression system. The heat exchanger may also direct the conditioning fluid through the internal volume, such as through tubes positioned within the internal volume. The working fluid may be directed across the tubes, and heat may be transferred between the working fluid directed across the tubes and the conditioning fluid directed through the tubes. The heat exchanger may also include an outlet, such as a suction outlet, configured to discharge the working fluid from the internal volume, out of the heat exchanger, and toward a different component of the vapor compression system. In this manner, the working fluid may flow along a flow path that extends across the tubes and toward the outlet.

[0031] In general, the flow path of the working fluid may include a compressor to compress and direct the working fluid to a condenser that exchanges heat with a first condenser conditioning fluid. The first condenser conditioning fluid may extract heat from the working fluid, and at least a portion of the working fluid may form condensate (e.g., liquid working fluid). After the condenser, the working fluid may be directed to one or more expansion devices (e g., expansion valves) to reduce the pressure thereof and to an evaporator. The working fluid at the reduced pressure may then be utilized within an evaporator to extract heat from a first evaporator conditioning fluid. The exchange of heat may cause a portion of the working fluid to vaporize, and the vaporized working fluid may be directed back to the compressor as part of a vapor compression circuit.

[0032] In some embodiments, the evaporator may provide the first evaporator conditioning fluid (e.g., chilled water) to other equipment of the HVAC&R system, such as an air handler, to provide conditioning (e.g., cooling) to a conditioned space, such as a building. For example, a fluid circuit may provide the chilled first evaporator conditioning fluid to an air handler to cool an air flow within a conditioned space, and return warmed (e.g., via heat exchange with the air flow) first evaporator conditioning fluid to the evaporator for chilling.

[0033] Additionally, the first condenser conditioning fluid may be directed from the condenser to a cooling tower or other system for cooling the first condenser conditioning fluid. For example, the cooling tower may exchange heat between the first condenser conditioning fluid and ambient air. The cooling tower may provide for heat dissipation of the HVAC&R system, such as to provide cooling (e.g., via the evaporator).

[0034] Additionally or alternatively, the condenser may provide heat (e.g., from the working fluid) to a second condenser conditioning fluid to provide heat to the conditioned space. For example, heated water from the condenser may be supplied, in conjunction with or independent from cooled water from the evaporator, to an air handler to condition an air flow to a conditioned space. Such operation may reduce or eliminate the use of auxiliary heating systems, such as a boiler, gas heating, and/or electrical heating. In some embodiments, the condenser may provide heat exclusively to the first condenser conditioning fluid or the second condenser conditioning fluid. However, in some embodiments, the condenser may include a double bundled collection of pipes to accommodate the first condenser conditioning fluid and the second condenser conditioning fluid to flow independently therethrough. In other words, a double bundle condenser may extract heat from a working fluid and provide the heat to the first condenser conditioning fluid via a first set of pipes (e.g., bundle) and/or the second condenser conditioning fluid via a second set of pipes. For example, in some embodiments, the double bundle condenser may extract heat from the working fluid and provide heat (e.g., via the second condenser conditioning fluid) to an air handler and/or dissipate additional heat (e.g., via the first condenser conditioning fluid) to a cooling tower.

[0035] By making available the heated second condenser conditioning fluid and/or cooled first evaporator conditioning fluid, the conditioning load of a conditioned space may be met. However, in some scenarios, the requested conditioning load may desire more heated second condenser conditioning fluid, such as relative to the chilled first evaporator conditioning fluid, than would be available during normal operation of the double bundle condenser. Reducing a flow rate of the first condenser conditioning fluid may reduce the heat dissipated to the cooling tower. However, such a reduction in flow through the same pipes (e.g., through the condenser) results in a reduced velocity, which may cause a change of a flow pattern (e.g., reduced turbulent flow, or a change to laminar flow) through the pipes of the condenser, which may further reduce heat exchange efficiency and/or lead to sediment buildup within the pipes. As such, in some embodiments, the condenser may be a triple bundle condenser, having a third set of pipes to provide heat to a third condenser conditioning fluid. The third set of pipes may be fewer in number and/or smaller in diameter than those of the first set of pipes (e.g., supplying the first condenser conditioning fluid) and coupled to the same or a separate cooling tower. Moreover, the third condenser conditioning fluid may be fluidly coupled with the first condenser conditioning fluid, such as at the cooling tower and/or one or more valves along one or more conduits between the cooling tower and the condenser. The third condenser conditioning fluid extracts a smaller amount of heat from the working fluid, thus leaving more heat to be transferred to the second condenser conditioning fluid and/or enabling a reduced operating mode (e.g., single compressor mode, reduced compressor motor state), thus increasing efficiency.

[0036] As stated above, the evaporator may provide the first evaporator conditioning fluid (e.g., chilled water) to other equipment of the HVAC&R system, such as an air handler, to provide conditioning (e.g., cooling) to a conditioned space, such as a building. Additionally or alternatively, the evaporator may extract heat (e.g., transferring the heat to the working fluid) from a second evaporator conditioning fluid to introduce additional heat to the HVAC&R system. In other words, the evaporator may be operated in a heat pump mode to introduce heat into the HVAC&R system from the second evaporator conditioning fluid. For example, a heat source fluid such as waste water, nearby lake water, river water, geothermal spring water, etc. may be provided (e.g., as the second evaporator conditioning fluid) to the evaporator to introduce heat into the HVAC&R system, such as to provide heat to the second condenser conditioning fluid. In some embodiments, the evaporator may extract heat exclusively from the first evaporator conditioning fluid or the second evaporator conditioning fluid. However, in some embodiments, the evaporator may include a double bundled collection of pipes to accommodate the first evaporator conditioning fluid and the second evaporator conditioning fluid to flow independently therethrough. In other words, a double bundle evaporator may extract heat from the first evaporator conditioning fluid via a first set of evaporator pipes and/or the second evaporator conditioning fluid via a second set of evaporator pipes and provide the heat to the working fluid. For example, in some embodiments, the double bundle evaporator may chill water (e.g., extracting heat therefrom), such as to be used by an air handling system, and/or extract heat from a heat source fluid and provide heat to a working fluid of the HVAC&R system, such as to generate heated water (e.g., via the condenser) therefrom.

[0037] Depending on the requested conditioning load (e.g., corresponding to chilled and heated conditioning fluids) of a conditioned space, different operating modes of a single bundle or double bundle evaporator may be utilized. Furthermore, the double bundle evaporator may be utilized with a single bundle, double bundle, or triple bundle condenser. Likewise, as discussed herein, the single bundle, double bundle, or triple bundle condenser may be utilized with a single bundle evaporator, and different combinations of evaporators and condensers may allow for different operating modes, which may more efficiently accommodate different conditioning loads.

[0038] Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an environment for a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system 10 in a building 12 for a typical commercial setting. The HVAC&R system 10 may include a vapor compression system 14 (e.g., a chiller) that supplies a conditioned (e.g., heated and/or chilled) liquids, which may be used to condition (e g., heat and/or cool) the building 12. In some embodiments, the HVAC&R system 10 may also include a boiler 16 to supply heated liquid to heat the building 12 and an air distribution system which circulates air through the building 12. The air distribution system can also include an air return duct 18, an air supply duct 20, and/or an air handler 22. For example, the air handler 22 may include a heat exchanger that is connected to the boiler 16 and/or the vapor compression system 14 by conduits 24. The heat exchanger in the air handler 22 may receive heated liquid from the boiler 16, chilled liquid from the vapor compression system 14, and/or heated liquid from the vapor compression system 14, depending on the mode of operation of the HVAC&R system 10. While the HVAC&R system 10 is shown with a separate air handler on each floor of building 12, as should be appreciated, the HVAC&R system 10 may include air handlers 22 and/or other components that are shared between floors and/or include multiple air handlers 22 and/or other components per floor. Furthermore, the HVAC&R system 10 may include one or more sensors 26 (e.g., temperature, humidity, and/or pressure sensors) and/or controllers 28 (e.g., thermostats) to regulate operation of the HVAC&R system 10.

[0039] FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective and schematic views, respectively, of an example vapor compression system 14 to be used in an HVAC&R system 10. The vapor compression system 14 may circulate a working fluid (e.g., a heat transfer fluid, a refrigerant) through a circuit motivated by a compressor 32. The circuit may also include a condenser 34, one or more expansion device(s) 36 (e.g., expansion valves), and an evaporator 38. The vapor compression system 14 may further include a control panel 40 that has an analog to digital (A/D) converter 42, a microprocessor 44, a non-volatile memory 46, and/or an interface board 48. In some embodiments, the control panel 40 may control operation (e.g., mode of operation, startup, stop, loading, speed, valve positions, etc.) of the HVAC&R system 10 based at least in part on the feedback from the sensors 26 and/or controllers 28 within the conditioned space (e.g., building 12).

[0040] Some examples of fluids that may be used as working fluids in the vapor compression system 14 are hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based refrigerants, for example, R- 410A, R-407, R-134a, R-1234ze, R1233zd, hydrofluoro olefin (HFO), “natural” refrigerants like ammonia (NH3), R-717, carbon dioxide (CO2), R-744, or hydrocarbon based refrigerants, water vapor, or any other suitable refrigerant. In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may be configured to efficiently utilize working fluids having a normal boiling point of about 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) at one atmosphere of pressure, also referred to as low pressure working fluids, versus a medium pressure working fluid, such as R-134a. As used herein, “normal boiling point” may refer to a boiling point temperature measured at one atmosphere of pressure.

[0041] In some embodiments, a motor 50 may drive the compressor 32 and may be powered by a variable speed drive (VSD) 52. The VSD 52 receives alternating current (AC) power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an AC power source, and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 50. In other embodiments, the motor 50 may be powered directly from an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor 50 may include any type of motor that can be powered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically commutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

[0042] The compressor 32 compresses a working fluid vapor and delivers the vapor to the condenser 34 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, the compressor 32 may be a centrifugal compressor. The working fluid vapor delivered by the compressor 32 to the condenser 34 may transfer heat to a condenser conditioning fluid (e.g., to a first, second, and/or third condenser conditioning fluid) in the condenser 34. The working fluid vapor may condense to a working fluid liquid in the condenser 34 due to thermal heat transfer with the condenser conditioning fluid. The liquid working fluid from the condenser 34 may flow through the expansion device 36 to the evaporator 38. In some embodiments, the condenser 34 includes one or more condenser tube bundles 54, such as connected to a cooling tower 56 and/or a conditioning load 60 (e.g., air handler 22), which direct the condenser conditioning fluid to and from the condenser 34 via a condenser supply 54S and a condenser return 54R. [0043] The liquid working fluid delivered to the evaporator 38 may absorb heat from an evaporator conditioning fluid (e.g., first and/or second evaporator conditioning fluids), which may or may not be the same type of conditioning fluid used in the condenser 34. The liquid working fluid in the evaporator 38 may undergo a phase change, at least in part, from the liquid working fluid to a working fluid vapor. In some embodiments, the evaporator 38 may include one or more evaporator tube bundles 58 having an evaporator supply 58S and an evaporator return 58R connected to a heat source 62 and/or a conditioning load 60, such as an air handler 22. As should be appreciated, the heat source 62 may be any suitable source of heat such as a heat source liquid (e g., waste water, ground water, geothermal spring water, sea water, etc.), ambient air, sunlight, or other heat source, which may or may not be independent of the air distribution system (e.g., the air handler(s) 22). The evaporator conditioning fluid enters the evaporator 38 via return 58R and exits the evaporator 38 via supply 58S. The evaporator 38 may reduce the temperature of the evaporator conditioning fluid in the tube bundle(s) 58 via thermal heat transfer with the working fluid. The one or more tube bundle(s) 58 may each include one or more tubes (e.g., pipes). Furthermore, the vapor working fluid exits the evaporator 38 and returns to the compressor 32 by a suction line to complete the cycle. As should be appreciated, the conditioning fluid(s) of the condenser 34 and/or evaporator 38 may be any suitable fluid such as but not limited to water, ethylene glycol, calcium chloride brine, and/or sodium chloride brine.

[0044] FIG. 4 is a schematic of the vapor compression system 14 with an intermediate circuit 64 incorporated between condenser 34 and the evaporator 38. The intermediate circuit 64 may have an inlet line 68 that is directly fluidly connected to the condenser 34. In other embodiments, the inlet line 68 may be indirectly fluidly coupled to the condenser 34. In some embodiments, the inlet line 68 includes a first expansion device 66 positioned upstream of an intermediate vessel 70. In some embodiments, the intermediate vessel 70 may be a flash tank (e.g., a flash intercooler, an economizer, etc.). In other embodiments, the intermediate vessel 70 may be configured as a heat exchanger or a “surface economizer.” In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 4, the intermediate vessel 70 is used as a flash tank, and the first expansion device 66 is lowers the pressure of (e.g., expands) the liquid working fluid received from the condenser 34. During the expansion process, a portion of the liquid may vaporize, and thus, the intermediate vessel 70 may be used to separate the vapor from the liquid received from the first expansion device 66.

[0045] Additionally, the intermediate vessel 70 may provide for further expansion of the liquid working fluid because of a pressure drop experienced by the liquid working fluid when entering the intermediate vessel 70 (e.g., due to a rapid increase in volume experienced when entering the intermediate vessel 70). The vapor in the intermediate vessel 70 may be drawn by the compressor 32 through a suction line 73 of the compressor 32. In other embodiments, the vapor in the intermediate vessel may be drawn to an intermediate stage of the compressor 32 (e g., not the suction stage from the evaporator 38). The liquid that collects in the intermediate vessel 70 may be at a lower enthalpy than the liquid working fluid exiting the condenser 34 due to expansion in the expansion device 66 and/or the intermediate vessel 70. The liquid from intermediate vessel 70 may then flow in line 72 through a second expansion device 74 to the evaporator 38. Furthermore, in some embodiments, a bypass line 76 may selectively or simultaneously (e.g., while a portion of the working fluid is provided to the intermediate vessel 70) provide the liquid working fluid to an expansion device 36 and to the evaporator 38, bypassing intermediate vessel 70.

[0046] It should be appreciated that any of the features described herein may be incorporated with the vapor compression system 14 for any suitable HVAC&R system 10. Indeed, the present techniques may be incorporated with a HVAC&R system having a single stage compressor, as discussed above, a multistage compressor, and/or multiple compressors. To help illustrate, FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a vapor compression system 14 including two compression stages. As should be appreciated, any suitable number of compression stages may be utilized depending on implementation, and the compression stages may be multiple stages of a single compressor 32 or two separate compressors (e.g., compressors 32A and 32B) run in series, parallel, or a combination thereof.

[0047] In the depicted embodiment of FIG. 5, a first compressor 32A may pressurize the working fluid to a first pressure, and a second compressor 32B may receive the working fluid at the first pressure and further increase the pressure of the working fluid to a second pressure. Moreover, in embodiments with an intermediate vessel 70, such as a flash tank, the suction line 74 may draw from the intermediate vessel 70 at the first pressure (e.g., intermediate pressure). In some embodiments, the condenser 34 may receive the working fluid at the first pressure (e.g., from the first compressor 32A), the second pressure (e.g., from the second compressor 32B), or accommodate inputs at both the first and second pressures (e.g., separately or simultaneously). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the first compressor 32A may be enabled in certain operating modes, and the second compressor 32B may be enabled for simultaneous operation with the first compressor 32A, such as to increase the conditioning capacity of the vapor compression system 14.

[0048] Additionally, in some embodiments, a portion of the working fluid may be directed from the condenser 34 to the evaporator 38 via a hot gas bypass (HGPB) line 78 regulated by HGPB valve 80. The HGPB line 78 may provide artificial load to the compressor(s) 32 to allow for maintained operation of the vapor compression system 14 with a reduced turndown.

[0049] As discussed above, the condenser 34 may transfer heat from the working fluid to one or more condenser conditioning fluids 82. For example, a condenser return 54R may provide the condenser conditioning fluid(s) 82 via one or more condenser tube bundles 54. Moreover, a condenser supply 54S may direct the condenser conditioning fluid(s) 82 (e g., heated fluid(s)) to a conditioning load 60, such as to provide heat to a conditioned space via an air handler 22, and/or cooling tower 56 to dissipate the heat to an environment (e.g., outside) of the conditioned space. [0050] Additionally, in some embodiments, the evaporator 38 may transfer heat from one or more evaporator conditioning fluid(s) 84 to the working fluid. For example, an evaporator return 58R may provide the evaporator conditioning fluid(s) 84 via one or more evaporator tube bundles 58. In some embodiments, the evaporator conditioning fluids 84 may include a return fluid from an air handler 22 and/or a heat source 62 (e.g., ambient air, sunlight (e.g., a solar heater), waste water, groundwater, geothermal spring water), such as to provide heat to the HVAC&R system 10. Furthermore, an evaporator supply 58S may direct the evaporator conditioning fluid(s) 84 (e g., chilled fluid(s)) to a conditioning load 60, such as to provide cooling to a conditioned space via an air handler 22.

[0051] In some embodiments, the evaporator 38 may include at least a portion of an oil cooling system 86 having oil supply lines 88S and oil return lines 88R. For example, the evaporator 38 may receive heated oil from the compressor(s) 32 and/or an oil reserve via the oil return lines 88R, transfer heat from oil to the working fluid, and direct cooled oil back to the compressor(s) 32. As such, the evaporator 38 may provide oil cooling for the compressor(s) 32, while sourcing heat, such as used in a heat pump mode. As discussed herein, the evaporator 38 may be a single bundle evaporator or a double bundle evaporator, and either may be utilized in conjunction with or independent from (e.g., without) an oil cooling system 86.

[0052] As discussed herein, the condenser 34 and/or evaporator 38 may each include one or more different tube bundles (e.g., one or more condenser tube bundles 54 and one or more evaporator tube bundles 58) to accommodate one or more conditioning fluids (e.g., one or more condenser conditioning fluids 82 and/or one or more evaporator conditioning fluids 84) to absorb and distribute heat within the HVAC&R system 10. To help illustrate, FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an example vapor compression system 14 having a double bundle condenser 90 and a double bundle evaporator 92. As discussed herein, single, double, and triple bundle refer to bundles of distinct (e.g., fluidly separated within the respective condenser 34 or evaporator 38 and/or conceptually separated as having different sources, destinations, and/or purposes) conditioning fluids. As should be appreciated, multiple conduits 24, and/or sets of tubes (e.g., pipes) may utilized for each distinct conditioning fluid. Additionally, while shown as operating with both the double bundle condenser 90 and the double bundle evaporator 92 in FIG. 6 and a triple bundle condenser 94 and the double bundle evaporator 92 in FIG. 7, as should be appreciated, aspects of the present disclosure apply single bundle condensers, double bundle condensers 90, triple bundle condensers 94, single bundle evaporators, double bundle evaporators 92, any combination thereof.

[0053] The double bundle condenser 90 allows for two individual condenser conditioning fluids 82 to extract heat from the working fluid. For example, a first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 may extract heat from the working fluid and be directed from the double bundle condenser 90 to a cooling tower 56 or other system for cooling the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1. For example, the cooling tower 56 may exchange heat between the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 and ambient air. As such, the cooling tower 56 may provide for heat dissipation of the HVAC&R system 10, such as to provide cooling (e.g., via the evaporator) to a first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1. As should be appreciated, while discussed herein as a cooling tower 56, any suitable heat exchange system for dissipating heat to an environment from the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 may be utilized.

[0054] Additionally, the double bundle condenser 90 may provide heat (e.g., from the working fluid) to a second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 to provide heat to the conditioned space (e.g., building 12), such as via an air handler 22. In other words, the double bundle condenser 90 may be fluidly coupled to an air handler 22 or other component of the HVAC&R system 10 to provide heat to the conditioned space. Traditionally, heated conditioning fluid from a boiler 16 or other source is directed to an air handler 22 to provide heating for a condition space. However, by utilizing heat that would otherwise be sent to the cooling tower 56 for dissipation, resource efficiency may be increased. For example, heating from a boiler 16 may be reduced or eliminated. [0055] In some embodiments, the double bundle condenser 90 may provide heat exclusively to the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 or the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2. For example, based on a mode of operation and/or a conditioning load 60 of the HVAC&R system 10, the control panel 40 may selectively open and close one or more valves of the condenser tube bundles 54 and/or conduits 24 thereto and/or enable or disable one or more pumps that circulate the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 (e.g., between the cooling tower 56 and the double bundle condenser 90) and/or the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 (e.g., between an air handler 22 and the double bundle condenser 90).

[0056] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the double bundle condenser 90 may fluidly separate the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 and the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 within the double bundle condenser 90, such as via an internal barrier 96. For example, the internal barrier 96 may prevent or reduce cross contamination between the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 and the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2. However, in some scenarios, the internal barrier 96 may be excluded.

[0057] As discussed herein, the double bundle condenser 90 may be implemented with a single bundle evaporator or a double bundle evaporator 92. The double bundle evaporator 92 may provide for heat transfer between the working fluid and a first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and/or a second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2. For example, the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 may be chilled (e.g., having heat transferred to the working fluid therefrom) and provided to other components of the HVAC&R system 10, such as an air handler 22, to provide cooling to the conditioned space (e.g., the building 12). In some embodiments, a fluid circuit may circulate the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 between the double bundle evaporator 92 and an air handler 22, providing the chilled first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 to the air handler 22, and returning warmed (e.g., via heat exchange with an air flow) first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 to the double bundle evaporator 92. [0058] Additionally, the double bundle evaporator 92 may extract heat (e.g., transferring the heat to the working fluid) from a heat source 62 via a second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2 to introduce additional heat to the HVAC&R system 10. In other words, the double bundle evaporator 92 may be operated in a heat pump mode to introduce heat into the HVAC&R system 10 (e g., in the vapor compression circuit) from a heat source 62 (e.g., independent of the air distribution system (e.g., air handler(s) 22)) via the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2. For example, in some embodiments, the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2 may extract heat from ambient air (e.g., via a dry cooler) outside of the conditioned space, a solar heater, waste water (e.g., sewer water or otherwise non-potable liquids to be disposed of), ground water (e.g., from a nearby lake, river, retention pond), geothermal spring water, sea water, etc. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2 may be a heat source fluid of the heat source 62, such as waste water, ground water, geothermal spring water, sea water, or ambient air and be provided to the double bundle evaporator 92 such that heat is transferred therefrom to the working fluid. Moreover, in some embodiments, one or more pumps of a fluid circuit (e.g., open or closed circuit) may motivate the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2 from the heat source 62, to the double bundle evaporator 92 and back to the heat source 62 or a different location for disposal thereof.

[0059] In some embodiments, the double bundle evaporator 92 may extract heat exclusively from the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 or the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2, or extract heat from both simultaneously (e.g., at the same time). For example, based on a mode of operation and/or a conditioning load 60 of the HVAC&R system 10, the control panel 40 may selectively open and close one or more valves of the evaporator tube bundles 58 and/or conduits 24 thereto and/or enable or disable one or more pumps that circulate the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 (e.g., between an air handler and the double bundle evaporator 92) and/or the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2 (e.g., between a heat source and the double bundle evaporator 92). [0060] By making available the heated second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 and/or chilled first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1, the conditioning load 60 of a conditioned space may be met. However, in some scenarios, the requested conditioning load 60 may desire more heated second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2, such as relative to the chilled first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1, than would be available during operation of the double bundle condenser 90 with both condenser tube bundles 54 in use (e.g., providing heat to both the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 and the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2). In some scenarios, the flow rate of the first condenser conditioning fluid 84-1 may be reduced to reduce the heat dissipated to the cooling tower 56. However, the condenser tube bundle 54 associated with the first condenser conditioning fluid 84-1 may be sized for efficient operation at a particular flow rate, and reducing the flow rate may decrease efficiency and/or lead to other adverse effects. For example, the reduction in flow through a condenser tube bundle 54 (e.g., through the double bundle condenser 90) results in a reduced velocity, which may cause a change of a flow pattern (e.g., reduced turbulent flow, or a change to laminar flow) through the condenser tube bundle 54, which may further reduce heat exchange efficiency and/or lead to sediment buildup within the pipes. As such, in some scenarios, the double bundle condenser 90 may be operated to exclusively heat the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2. However, depending on the conditioning load 60, operating the double bundle condenser 90 to exclusively heat the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 (e.g., to an air handler 22) may provide more heat than desired to the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 and/or the fluid circuit thereof. As such, in some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may be cycled on and off to meet the requested heating load of the conditioning load 60. However, cycling the vapor compression system 14 may increase a wear on the components therefor and/or may not provide a requested cooling load (e.g., provided via the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1) of the conditioning load 60.

[0061] As such, in some embodiments, an intermediate heat mode may be provided for by utilizing a triple bundle condenser 94, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. 7. The triple bundle condenser 94 may utilize at least three condenser tube bundles 54 to provide heat independently to the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1, the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2, and a third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3. In some embodiments, the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may be coupled to a cooling tower 56 or other heat dissipation system and be motivated through a fluid circuit between a cooling tower 56 and the triple bundle condenser 94 by one or more pumps. Furthermore, the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may utilize the same or a different cooling tower 56 as the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1, and may share one or more conduits 24 and/or pumps with the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1, while having independent condenser tube bundles 54 through the triple bundle condenser 94. In some embodiments, tubes (e.g., pipes) of the condenser tube bundle(s) 54 associated with the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may be fewer in number and/or smaller in diameter than those of the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1, such as to provide a reduced amount of heat transfer from the working fluid, relative to the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1. Moreover, the fluid circuit of the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may utilize a smaller pump than the fluid circuit of the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1. Indeed, in some embodiments, one or more condenser tube bundles 56 for the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may be added (e.g., retrofitted) to a double bundle condenser 90 to form a triple bundle condenser 94, and separate fluid circuits or a coupled fluid circuit may be utilized to transfer the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 and the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 to and from a cooling tower 56. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may be utilized in a double bundle condenser 90 with either the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 or the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2.

[0062] In some operating modes, the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may be utilized instead of the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 to dissipate a smaller amount of heat from the HVAC&R system 10, thus leaving more heat to be transferred to the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 to achieve a desired conditioning load 60, for example, without undue cycling of the vapor compression system 14. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may be utilized with a reduced operating mode of the compressor(s) 32 (e.g., single compressor mode, reduced compressor motor state), thus increasing efficiency, while maintaining the desired conditioning load 60.

[0063] FIG. 8 is a chart 100 of example bundle combinations 102 that may be suitable for different operating modes 104 with associated conditioning loads 60 (e.g., a heating conditioning load 60A and a cooling conditioning load 60B). As should be appreciated, the heating conditioning load 60A may correspond to an amount of heat (e.g., volume of water at a heated temperature) supplied via the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 to an air handler 22, and the cooling conditioning load 60B may correspond to an amount of heat extracted (e.g., via the air handler 22) via the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1, and may be relative to each other and/or a capacity of the HVAC&R system 10. Moreover, the example bundle combinations 102 and conditioning loads 60 are given as non-comprehensive examples, and different bundle combinations 102 may be utilized for different conditioning loads 60 depending on implementation, which may vary based on, for example, climate (e.g., environmental of the conditioned space), conditioned space properties (e.g., size, zones, thermal characteristics such as insulation), and/or desired conditioning within the conditioned space. Moreover, certain bundle combinations 102 may utilize a certain number of condenser conditioning fluids 82 and evaporator conditioning fluids 84, which may correspond to different types of condensers 34 and/or evaporators 38. For example, while a bundle combination 102 including the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may be implemented via a double bundle condenser 90 or triple bundle condenser 94 (e.g., generically a multi -bundle condenser), a bundle combination 102 utilizing exclusively the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 or the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 may be implemented via a single bundle condenser (e.g., condenser 34), a double bundle condenser 90, or a triple bundle condenser 94. Similarly, a bundle combination 102 utilizing exclusively the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84- 1 or the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2 may be implemented via a single bundle evaporator (e.g., evaporator 38) or a double bundle evaporator 92, while a bundle combination 102 utilizing the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2 may be implemented via a double bundle evaporator 92.

[0064] As discussed above, the evaporator 38 may be implemented as a double bundle evaporator 92 that accommodates a first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and a second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2. To help illustrate, FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional schematic view of an example double bundle evaporator 92 having a shell 110 with one or more inlets 112-1 and 112-2 (cumulatively, 112) for receiving the working fluid. In some embodiments, the number of inlets 112 may correspond to a number of the evaporator tube bundles 58 disposed in the shell 110. For example, the double bundle evaporator 92 may have one or more inlets 112 per conditioning fluid (e.g., the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2) to direct the working fluid over evaporator tube bundles 58 thereof. Additionally, the shell 110 may include a vapor outlet 114 for extracting vapor working fluid from the double bundle evaporator 92. As should be appreciated, while the shell 110 is depicted as having a circular cross section, the shell 110 may have any suitable shape.

[0065] Additionally, the double bundle evaporator 92 may include one or more first evaporator tube bundles 58-1 (e.g., for carrying the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84- 1) and one or more second evaporator tube bundles 58-2 (e.g., for carrying the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2) disposed within the shell 110. Additionally, each evaporator tube bundles 58 may include one or more tubes 116 (e.g., pipes) for carrying the evaporator conditioning fluid 84, and the number of tubes per evaporator tube bundle 58 may vary depending on implementation.

[0066] In some embodiments, the double bundle evaporator 92 includes one or more liquid diffusers 118, such as coupled to the inlets 112 to direct the working fluid over the tubes 116 within the shell 110. For example, the diffusers 118 may include holes or slots to distribute the working fluid within the shell 110. Additionally, in some embodiments, the double bundle evaporator 92 incorporates a falling fdm region 120 and a flooded region 122. The flooded region 122 may be defined at a bottom portion (e.g., relative to gravity) of the double bundle evaporator 92, and the falling film region 120 may be defined above the flooded region 122. As the working fluid enters the shell 110 (e.g., via the inlets 112) the working fluid may be directed over the tubes 116 of the falling film region 120, and a portion of the working fluid may vaporize due to heat transfer therewith. Additionally, liquid working fluid may pool in the flooded region 122 to extract heat from the tubes 116 disposed therein. Vaporized working fluid 124 may be directed from the falling film region 120 and flooded region 122 to the vapor outlet 114.

[0067] Furthermore, the double bundle evaporator 92 may include one or more hoods 126 to prevent liquid working fluid carryover. In other words, the hood(s) 126 may prevent liquid droplets of working fluid (e.g., ejected from a diffuser 118) from mixing with vapor working fluid 124 rising to the vapor outlet 114. In some embodiments, the hoods 126 may be arranged proximate to the diffusers 118 and/or between the diffusers 118 and the vapor outlet 114. Moreover, the hoods 126 may have an inclined shape such that the cross-sectional area of a flow path 128 of the vapor working fluid 124 increases toward the vapor outlet 114 (e.g., towards a top of the shell 110, relative to gravity). As such, a velocity and/or pressure of the vapor working fluid 124 may be reduced towards the vapor outlet 114, which may reduce jetting of vapor working fluid 124 and/or liquid droplet carryover.

[0068] As should be appreciated, the evaporator tube bundles 58 may be disposed in any suitable arrangement within the shell 110 that enables heat exchange with the working fluid. For example, in some embodiments, the first evaporator tube bundles 58- 1 may be arranged on a first lateral side of the shell 110 while the second evaporator tube bundle 58-2 is arranged on an opposite lateral side of the shell 110. Furthermore, the evaporator tube bundles 58 may extend down a length (e.g., axial length) of the double bundle evaporator 92 and/or include one or more passes down the length of the double bundle evaporator 92. For example, an evaporator return 58R may be supplied to the double bundle evaporator 92 and the corresponding evaporator tube bundle 58 may extend down an axial length of the double bundle evaporator 92, and the evaporator tube bundle 58 may double back through the double bundle evaporator 92 for a one or more additional passes through the length of the double bundle evaporator 92 before exiting as an evaporator supply 58S. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the evaporator returns 58R may pass through the flooded region 122 on the first pass through the double bundle evaporator 92, and through the falling film region 120 on a second pass through the double bundle evaporator 92 (e.g., before exiting as evaporator supplies 58S).

[0069] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the evaporator tube bundles 58 may be housed in and/or fluidly coupled to one or more fluid boxes 130 (e.g., fluid box 130-1 and fluid box 130-2) with or without baffles 132, such as between inlet and outlet sections. In some embodiments, the first evaporator tube bundles 58-1 may be coupled to a first fluid box 130-1 and the second evaporator tube bundles 58-2 may be coupled to a second fluid box 130-2. In some embodiments, the first evaporator tube bundle(s) 58-1 and the second evaporator tube bundle(s) 58-2 may utilize shared (e.g., with baffles 132 therebetween) one or more shared fluid boxes 130 or independent fluid boxes 130. For example, independent fluid boxes 130 may provide for reduced or eliminated cross contamination between the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2 and/or allow for independent maintenance on the first evaporator tube bundles 58-1 and the second evaporator tube bundles 58-2.

[0070] As should be appreciated, each fluid box 130 may include an inlet and an outlet, such as to couple to an evaporator return 58R (e.g., a first evaporator return 58R-1 for the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and a second evaporator return 58R-2 for the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2) and an evaporator supply 58S (e.g., (e.g., a first evaporator supply 58S-1 for the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and a second evaporator supply 58S-2 for the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2). Although the double bundle evaporator 92 is shown with two evaporator tube bundles 58 with two passes each, as should be appreciated, any number of evaporator tube bundles 58 and passes may be utilized to accommodate heat transfer with the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2.

[0071] As discussed above, the HVAC&R system 10 may utilize a double bundle condenser to provide for transferring heat to two condenser conditioning fluids 82 (e.g., two from the set of the first condenser conditioning fluids 82-1, the second condenser conditioning fluids 82-2, and the third condenser conditioning fluids 82-3). To help illustrate, FIGS. 11 and 12 are cross sectional schematic diagrams of a double bundle condenser 90 having two condenser tube bundles 54 and FIGS. 13 and 14 are cross sectional schematic diagrams of a triple bundle condenser 94 having three condenser tube bundles 54.

[0072] In the depicted example of the double bundle condenser 90, the third condenser tube bundle 54-3 (e.g., for carrying the third condenser conditioning fluid 82- 3) includes a four pass arrangement and another condenser tube bundle 54 (e.g., either a first condenser tube bundle 54-1 for carrying the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 or a second condenser tube bundle 54-2 for carrying the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2) includes a two pass arrangement. Moreover, in the depicted example of the triple bundle condenser 94 the first condenser tube bundle 54-1 (e.g., for carrying the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1) includes a two pass arrangement, the second condenser tube bundle 54-2 (e.g., for carrying the second condenser tube bundle 54-2) includes a three pass arrangement, and the third condenser tube bundle 54-3 (e.g., for carrying the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3) includes a three pass arrangement. As should be appreciated, the condenser tube bundles 54 may be disposed within respective shells 110 of the double bundle condenser 90 and triple bundle condenser 94 and extend along a length (e.g., axial length) thereof with one or more passes. Additionally, the number of condenser tube bundles 54 and/or tubes 116 associated with a condenser conditioning fluid 82 and/or the number of passes may depend on implementation. Furthermore, as discussed above, in some embodiments, the third condenser tube bundle 54-3 may include smaller and/or fewer tubes 116 than the first condenser tube bundle 54-1, such as to effect relatively less heat transfer from the working fluid.

[0073] Furthermore, although the double bundle condenser 90 shown in FIG. 6 includes a first condenser tube bundle 54-1 for carrying the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 and a second condenser tube bundle 54-2 for carrying the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2, as should be appreciated, the double bundle condenser 90 may utilize any two of the three condenser conditioning fluids 82. For example, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the double bundle condenser 90 may utilize the third condenser tube bundle 54-3 and either the first condenser tube bundle 54-1 or a second condenser tube bundle 54-2. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the same condenser tube bundle 54 may be utilized for one condenser conditioning fluid 82 at one time and utilized for a different condenser conditioning fluid 82 at another time. For example, one or more valves of the condenser conditioning fluid circuits may be adjusted (e.g., manually or regulated via the control panel 40) such that the double bundle condenser 90 is utilized to impart heat to the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 and/or the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 or such that the double bundle condenser 90 is utilized to impart heat to the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 and/or the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3, depending on the conditioning load 60. As a further example, such adjustments to which condenser conditioning fluids 82 are utilized in the double bundle condenser 90 may be based on the time of year (e.g., season) or an otherwise average expected heating load 60A and/or cooling load 60B.

[0074] The double bundle condenser 90 and triple bundle condenser 94 (e.g., generically a multi-bundle condenser) may include working fluid inlets 134 to receive the working fluid (e.g., from the compressor(s) 32) and a working fluid outlet 136 to collect the working fluid condensate (e.g., to provide to one or more expansion devices 36 in the vapor compression system 14). As the working fluid enters the shell 110 of the double bundle condenser 90 and triple bundle condenser 94, heat may be transferred from the working fluid to the condenser conditioning fluid(s) 82 in the tubes 116 of the respective condenser tube bundles 54. The cooled working fluid may form condensate that exits the shell 110 via the working fluid outlet 136. In some embodiments, the working fluid outlet 136 may be disposed at a bottom (e.g., relative to gravity) of the shell 110 to assist in collection.

[0075] In some embodiments, each condenser tube bundle 54 may be disposed within and/or fluidly coupled to one or more condenser fluid boxes 138 (e.g., condenser fluid box 138-1, 138-2, and/or 138-3) for providing the condenser conditioning fluids 82 into the tubes 1 16 of the respective condenser tube bundles 54. In some embodiments, the first condenser tube bundle(s) 54-1, second condenser tube bundle(s) 54-2, and/or third condenser tube bundle(s) may utilize one or more shared condenser fluid boxes 138 (e.g., with baffles 132 therebetween) or independent condenser fluid boxes 138, such as to reduced or eliminated cross contamination and/or to allow for independent maintenance of condenser tube bundles 54 and/or condenser fluid boxes 138. For example, the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 may be provided to a first condenser fluid box 138-1 via a first condenser return 54R-1 to supply the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 to the first condenser tube bundle 54-1. Furthermore, the same or a different first condenser fluid box 138-1 may provide the heated first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 to the first condenser supply 54S-1. Similarly, the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 may be provided to a second condenser fluid box 138-2 via a second condenser return 54R-2 to supply the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 to the second condenser tube bundle 54-2, and the same or a different second condenser fluid box 138-2 may provide the heated second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 to the second condenser supply 54S-2. Moreover, the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may be provided to a third condenser fluid box 138-3 via a third condenser return 54R-3 to supply the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 to the third condenser tube bundle 54-3, and the same or a different third condenser fluid box 138-3 may provide the heated third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 to the second condenser supply 54S-3. [0076] Additionally, in some embodiments, the condenser fluid boxes 138 may include one or more baffles 132, such as between inlets and outlets (e.g., condenser returns 54R and condenser supplies 54S). Furthermore, as stated above, some condenser tube bundles 54 may have an odd number of passes through the double bundle condenser 90 and/or triple bundle condenser 94. In some embodiments, a condenser fluid box 138 may be disposed at both of the axial ends of the double bundle condenser 90 and/or triple bundle condenser 94. For example, a condenser return 54R may supply a condenser conditioning fluid 82 to a condenser fluid box 138 at a first distal end (e.g., axial end) of the double bundle condenser 90 and/or triple bundle condenser 94, and a condenser supply 54S may receive the condenser conditioning fluid 82 from a condenser fluid box 138 at a second distal end (e.g., axial end) of the double bundle condenser 90 and/or triple bundle condenser 94, opposite the first distal end. As should be appreciated, the fluid boxes 130 of a double bundle evaporator 92, and associated evaporator returns 58R and evaporator supplies 58S, may likewise be located at either end (e.g., distal ends, axial ends) of the double bundle evaporator 92 to accommodate even or odd numbers of passes.

[0077] With the foregoing in mind, an HVAC&R system 10 may include a vapor compression system 14 having a combination of single bundle evaporator (e.g., evaporator 38) or double bundle evaporator 92 and a single bundle condenser (e.g., condenser 34), double bundle condenser 90, or triple bundle condenser 94 to provide for different operating modes for increased efficiency. Furthermore, in some embodiments, multiple evaporators (e.g., single and/or double bundle) and/or multiple condensers (e.g., single, double, and/or triple bundle) may be utilized in conjunction with one another (e.g., in the same or separate vapor compression systems 14) to achieve the benefits of the present techniques.

[0078] While only certain features and embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, many modifications and changes may occur to those skilled in the art (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters (e g., temperatures, pressures, etc.), mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or resequenced according to alternative embodiments. It is, therefore, to be noted that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the present disclosure.

[0079] Furthermore, in an effort to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not have been described (i.e., those unrelated to the presently contemplated best mode of carrying out the present disclosure, or those unrelated to enabling the claimed embodiments). It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation specific decisions may be made. Such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure, without undue experimentation.

[0080] The techniques presented and claimed herein are referenced and applied to material objects and concrete examples of a practical nature that demonstrably improve the present technical field and, as such, are not abstract, intangible or purely theoretical. Further, if any claims appended to the end of this specification contain one or more elements designated as “means for [perform]ing [a function]...” or “step for [perform]ing [a function]...”, it is intended that such elements are to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claims containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system comprising: a compressor configured to motivate a working fluid through a vapor compression circuit; a condenser disposed along the vapor compression circuit and configured to transfer heat from the working fluid to one or more condenser conditioning fluids; and a double bundle evaporator disposed along the vapor compression circuit and comprising a first evaporator tube bundle and a second evaporator tube bundle, the double bundle evaporator configured to selectively transfer heat to the working fluid from: a first evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within the first evaporator tube bundle, wherein the first evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a first fluid circuit; a second evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within the second evaporator tube bundle, wherein the second evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system via a second fluid circuit; or both.

2. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, wherein the double bundle evaporator comprises a first fluid box configured to fluidly couple the first evaporator tube bundle to the first fluid circuit.

3. The HVAC&R system of claim 2, wherein the double bundle evaporator comprises a second fluid box configured to fluidly couple the second evaporator tube bundle to the second fluid circuit, wherein the second fluid box is physically separate from the first fluid box.

4. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, wherein the double bundle evaporator is configured to direct the working fluid over the first evaporator tube bundle and the second evaporator tube bundle simultaneously.

5. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, comprising a controller configured to select from which of the first evaporator conditioning fluid, the second evaporator conditioning fluid, or both heat is transferred to the working fluid via the double bundle evaporator based on a conditioning load of the air distribution system.

6. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, wherein the condenser is configured to transfer heat from the working fluid to a condenser conditioning fluid of the one or more condenser conditioning fluids via a condenser tube bundle, wherein the condenser tube bundle is fluidly coupled to the air distribution system and configured to supply heat to the air distribution system via the condenser conditioning fluid.

7. The HVAC&R system of claim 6, wherein the double bundle evaporator is configured to supply at least a portion of the heat supplied to the air distribution system via the condenser conditioning fluid to the vapor compression circuit from the heat source.

8. The HVAC&R system of claim 7, wherein the HVAC&R system is configured to supplement, with the portion of the heat supplied to the air distribution system via the condenser conditioning fluid, a boiler configured to supply heat to the air distribution system.

9. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, comprising the air distribution system, wherein the condenser comprises a double bundle condenser or a triple bundle condenser and is configured to transfer heat to a first condenser conditioning fluid of the one or more condenser conditioning fluids via a first condenser tube bundle and to a second condenser conditioning fluid of the one or more condenser conditioning fluids via a second condenser tube bundle, and wherein the first condenser tube bundle is fluidly coupled to a cooling tower and the second condenser tube bundle is fluidly coupled to the air distribution system.

10. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, wherein the air distribution system is configured to supply conditioned air to a conditioned space of a building, and wherein the heat source comprises waste water of the building.

11. A vapor compression system comprising: a double bundle evaporator comprising a first evaporator tube bundle and a second evaporator tube bundle and configured to selectively transfer heat to a working fluid from one or more evaporator conditioning fluids of a set of evaporator conditioning fluids, wherein the set of evaporator conditioning fluids comprises: a first evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within the first evaporator tube bundle, wherein the first evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to an air distribution system; and a second evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within the second evaporator tube bundle, wherein the second evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system; and a controller configured to select the one or more evaporator conditioning fluids from the set of evaporator conditioning fluids based on a conditioning load of the air distribution system.

12. The vapor compression system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to cause the double bundle evaporator to transfer heat from the first evaporator conditioning fluid to the working fluid in response to a cooling load of the conditioning load.

13. The vapor compression system of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to cause the double bundle evaporator to transfer heat from the second evaporator conditioning fluid to the working fluid in response to a heating load of the conditioning load.

14. The vapor compression system of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to cause the double bundle evaporator to simultaneously transfer heat from the first evaporator conditioning fluid and the second evaporator conditioning fluid to the working fluid in response to a combined cooling and heating load of the conditioning load.

15. The vapor compression system of claim 11, wherein the first evaporator tube bundle, the second evaporator tube bundle, or both comprise a plurality of passes down an axial length of the double bundle evaporator.

16. The vapor compression system of claim 11, wherein the heat source comprises waste water, ground water, sea water, geothermal spring water, or any combination thereof.

17. A double bundle evaporator comprising: a shell; at least two evaporator tube bundles disposed within the shell and configured to independently transfer heat to a working fluid of a vapor compression circuit from one or more evaporator conditioning fluids of a set of evaporator conditioning fluids, wherein the set of evaporator conditioning fluids comprises: a first evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within a first evaporator tube bundle of the a least two evaporator tube bundles, wherein the first evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a first fluid circuit; and a second evaporator conditioning fluid operatively within a second evaporator tube bundle of the a least two evaporator tube bundles, wherein the second evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system, via a second fluid circuit.

18. The double bundle evaporator of claim 17, comprising a first fluid box fluidly coupled to the first evaporator tube bundle and comprising: a first inlet configured to receive the first evaporator conditioning fluid from the first fluid circuit; a first outlet configured to output the first evaporator conditioning fluid to the first fluid circuit; and a first baffle between the first inlet and the first outlet.

19. The double bundle evaporator of claim 18, comprising a second fluid box fluidly coupled to the second evaporator tube bundle and comprising: a second inlet configured to receive the second evaporator conditioning fluid from the second fluid circuit; a second outlet configured to output the second evaporator conditioning fluid to the second fluid circuit; and a second baffle between the second inlet and the second outlet.

20. The double bundle evaporator of claim 18, wherein the first fluid circuit is a closed loop circuit, and wherein the second fluid circuit is an open circuit.