Refrigeration apparatus

The present invention claims its benefits based on US Preliminary Application No. 60 / 511,952 "High Performance Heat Storage Cooling System Using Refrigerant" filed October 15, 2003. All disclosures are referenced here as citations.

The present invention relates to a system that supplies stored energy as ice, particularly an ice heat storage system for cooling during peak power demand.

Ice heat storage is an environmentally friendly method that has been used to shift air conditioning power loads to off-peak hours and discounts as peak electricity demand increases. As well as load shifting from peak hours to off-peak hours, there is also a need to improve the capacity and efficiency of the air conditioning unit. Current air conditioning units with heat storage systems have the drawback of relying on water coolers, which are only practical in large commercial buildings, resulting in limited results and difficulty in improving efficiency. To realize the benefits of thermal energy storage in large and small commercial buildings, minimize the cost of manufacturing and designing thermal energy storage systems and maintain maximum efficiency under variable operating conditions. It is required to do so, to simplify the refrigerant management structure, and to maintain versatility for various cooling or air conditioning applications.

The stored energy supply system is already considered in US Pat. Nos. 4,735,064 and 4,916,916, both by Harry Fischer, and in US Pat. No. 5,647,225 by Fischer et al. All of these patents produce economic benefits by using ice heat storage to shift the air conditioning load from the on-peak electricity tariff to the off-peak electricity tariff. All of these teachings and disclosures are referenced herein by reference.

<p> The present invention overcomes the inconveniences and limitations of the prior art by providing an efficient cooling device that stores and cools heat using a refrigerant. The system is connected to a condensing unit to store energy capacity in the first period and cool from the stored energy in the second period. In either period, the energy required for this system is extremely small, and by using any refrigerant pump, only a small portion of the energy required to operate the system in the first period is required. The system can be up and running in two periods.</p>

<p> Accordingly, one embodiment of the present invention includes a condensing unit with a compressor and a condenser and a heat storage exchanger with a lower and upper recovery headers connected to each other by at least one heat conductive member, at least one. A heat storage unit including an insulating tank whose part is filled with a phase change liquid, a load heat exchanger, the condensation unit, the heat storage unit, a cooling management unit connected to the load heat exchanger, and the cooling management unit. The general refrigerant management container is provided with a general refrigerant management container and a solenoid valve connected to the general refrigerant management container and the load heat exchanger to adjust the refrigerant supply to the load heat exchanger, and the general refrigerant management container contains refrigerant. A discharge port connecting portion that returns to the condensing unit, and an inlet connecting portion that receives refrigerant from the load heat exchanger, the mixing phase adjuster, the oil distiller / refrigerant surge container combined device, and the upper recovery header of the heat storage exchanger. A two-way refrigerant flow is formed between the lower recovery header of the heat storage exchanger and the discharge port for supplying the liquid solvent so as to be connected to the load heat exchanger and the oil distiller / refrigerant surge container combined device. It constitutes a cooling device including a first bottom port to be used and a second bottom port connected to the oil distiller / refrigerant surge container combined device.</p><p> Further, one embodiment of the present invention includes a heat storage unit including a condenser and a condenser, a heat storage exchanger, and a heat storage unit including an insulating tank at least partially filled with a phase change liquid, and a load heat exchanger. An electronic relay type controller that works with the cooling management unit, the cooling management unit connected to the condensing unit, the heat storage unit, and the load heat exchanger, and adjusts the control operation of the cooling device using environmental data. It constitutes a cooling device characterized by being provided with a provided refrigerant management control device.</p><p> Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, in the first period, the refrigerant is condensed by the condensing unit to generate the first condensed refrigerant, and at least a part of the first condensed refrigerant is phase-changed. A large amount of the phase-changing liquid is frozen in the tank by expanding the first condensed refrigerant in the evaporation unit in the step of supplying to the evaporation unit in the tank filled with the liquid and in the first period. In the second period, the step of generating ice to generate the first expanding refrigerant, the step of returning at least a part of the first expanding refrigerant to the condensing unit, and the second period, the second expanding refrigerant is applied to the ice block. A step of circulating the second expansion refrigerant to the evaporation unit to condense the second expansion refrigerant to generate a second condensed refrigerant, and a step of circulating at least a part of the second condensed refrigerant from the general refrigerant management container to the load heat exchanger. A step of additionally generating the second expansion refrigerant by expanding the second condensed refrigerant in the load heat exchanger and performing the cooling during the second period, and refrigerant management using external environmental data. A cooling method using a cooling device is configured, which comprises a step of controlling the operation of the cooling device using a control device.</p>

<p> The disclosed embodiments offer the advantage that utilities use their most efficient equipment and utilize their power during off-peak hours, which are usually low demand hours. For example, water-powered high-performance generators typically generate about 8,900 BTU of heat per kilowatt hour (KWH). In contrast, high-capacity generators for peak hours, such as gas turbines, generate as much as 14,000 BTU of heat to generate equivalent KWH power. In addition, since the temperature of the transmission line drops at night, energy can be used efficiently. Further, in the air-cooled air-conditioning system, the temperature of the condensing unit is lowered by the night operation, so that the efficiency is improved.</p><p> The heat storage cooling system using the refrigerant disclosed herein has the advantage of operating with high efficiency, improving the power generation efficiency during off-peak hours and the refrigerant cooling efficiency using the compressor during off-peak hours, and the total energy of each operating unit. It provides a comprehensive system that shifts power usage without causing significant total energy loss while achieving a net reduction in consumption.</p>

The present invention may include various forms of embodiments, the specific embodiments thereof will be described in detail herein with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure merely illustrates the principles of the invention and is not limited to the following specific embodiments.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a high-performance refrigerant refrigeration cooling system. In the embodiments described herein, additional components are minimized and little more energy is used than the energy used by the condensing unit to store heat. The configuration of the refrigerant refrigeration system is designed to be versatile so that it can be used in various applications. In this embodiment, the stored energy is used to provide cold water for large-scale commercial use, or direct refrigerant air conditioning is performed on a plurality of evaporators. In this configuration, a plurality of operation modes are adopted. It is also possible to add any component and incorporate a smart control that allows energy to be stored and released with maximum efficiency. This system is connected to the condensing unit and stores cooling energy in the first period, and cools using the stored energy in the second period. It is also possible to operate both the condensing unit and the refrigerant refrigeration system at the same time to perform cooling in the third period.

As shown in FIG. 1, an embodiment of a high-performance heat storage cooling system using a refrigerant will be described together with four main components built into the system. The air conditioning unit 102 is a conventional condensing unit that uses a compressor 110 and a condenser 111 to generate a high pressure liquid refrigerant that is sent to the cooling control unit 104 via the high pressure liquid supply line 112. The cooling control unit 104 has an ice making coil 142 and is connected to a heat storage unit 106 including an insulating tank 140 containing a phase change liquid such as water or other eutectic material. The air conditioning unit 102, the cooling control unit 104, and the heat storage assembly 106 work together to efficiently cool the load heat exchanger 108 (indoor cooling coil assembly), thereby performing the main operation of the system. Performs the function of the mode.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the compressor 110 produces a high-pressure liquid refrigerant that is sent to the cooling control unit 104 via the high-pressure liquid supply line 112. The high pressure liquid supply line 112 is branched to supply the oil distiller / surge vessel 116 and the pressure actuated slide valve 118. The oil distiller / surge vessel 116 is used to concentrate the oil in the low pressure refrigerant and return it to the compressor 110 via the dry suction return 114. Without the oil distiller / surge vessel 116, oil would remain in the storage vessel, causing the compressor 110 to eventually shut down due to lack of oil, weakening the effectiveness of the heat exchanger due to fouling. Steam rises to the top of the oil distiller / surge vessel 116, is discharged from the exhaust capillary 128, and is wet suction. return) Reintroduced to 124. This is done to drive the steam flow from the heat exchanger in the preferred direction within the oil distiller / surge vessel 116. The length of the exhaust capillary 128 or a similar regulating bleeder is used to control the pressure in the oil distiller / surge vessel 116, and thus the boiling rate and the amount of refrigerant in the system. The pressure-operated slide valve 118 secondarily supplies the high-pressure liquid refrigerant to the liquid refrigerant pump 120 without passing through other parts of the refrigerant management system 104, and directly supplies the load unit 108.

When the system is activated, the liquid refrigerant pump 120 supplies the liquid refrigerant to the evaporator coil of the load heat exchanger 122 in the load unit 108 of the heat storage cooling system. The low pressure refrigerant is returned from the evaporator coil of the load heat exchanger 122 via the wet suction return pipe 124 to the storage device or the internal heat exchanger consisting of the integrated refrigerant control container (URMV) 146 and the ice making / ice draining coil 142. The low-pressure steam is discharged from the upper part of the URM V146 and returned to the air conditioning unit 102 via the dry suction return pipe 114 together with the distillation oil-rich refrigerant flowing from the bottom of the oil distiller / surge vessel 116 via the oil return capillary 148. .. The reintroduction capillary 148 controls the rate at which oil is reintroduced into the system. The oily liquid refrigerant passes through the P-trap 150. This eliminates (blocks) unnecessary refrigerant paths and empties the oil distiller / surge vessel 116.

The wet suction return tube 124 is connected to the turnout 130 prior to being connected to the URM V146. The turnout supplies the low pressure refrigerant from the mixed phase regulator 132 (TRVT). The multiphase adjuster 132 regulates the refrigerant flow in the system by having a valve (orifice) that opens and discharges the mixed phase refrigerant only when a sufficient amount of liquid is accumulated in the condenser 111. In this way, the compressor 110 that drives the system need only be operated to supply the high-pressure refrigerant that matches the cooling load. The mixed phase regulator 132 prevents steam from flowing into the low pressure side (heat load section) of the system, effectively preventing steam from being supplied from the compressor 110 to the URM V146. On the other hand, the required pressure is lowered from the capacitor pressure to the evaporator saturation pressure. As a result, the overall efficiency of the system is improved and the liquid oversupply characteristics of the refrigerant management unit are simplified.

The insulated tank 140 has an ice-making / ice-draining coil 142 (a spiral coil that is geometrically designed on the surface). The coil is arranged for natural circulation and liquid refrigerant discharge, with the upper side connected to the upper header assembly 154 and the lower side connected to the lower header assembly 156. The upper header assembly 154 extends outward from the insulation tank 140 to the cooling control unit 104. As the refrigerant flows through the ice / ice removal coils 142 and the header assemblies 154 and 156, the coils act as evaporators in the first period and the fluid 152 in the insulating tank 140 solidifies. The ice making / ice removal coils 142 and header assemblies 154 and 156 are connected to the low pressure side of the refrigerant circuit and are arranged for natural circulation or pump circulation and liquid refrigerant discharge. In the second period, the warm air phase refrigerant circulates through the ice making / effluent coils 142 and the header assemblies 154 and 156 to melt the ice 152, thereby performing the refrigerant condensing function.

In one embodiment, the insulating tank 140 used in this system is a double-walled plastic tank molded by the rotomolding method, with insulation values at the lid, wall and bottom of the tank ranging from R13 to R35. Since the system usually performs the heat storage and heat cycle daily rather than weekly, even higher insulation values do not significantly improve overall performance. The insulating tank 140 has a connection point for an external refrigerant management component and forms an outlet for the refrigerant piping. The tank is filled with water or eutectic material and is equipped with a drainage pipe to maintain the water level of the fluid during fluid expansion.

The central device of the refrigerant management unit 104 is a comprehensive refrigerant management container, that is, a storage container called URMV146. The URMV146 is on the low pressure side of the refrigerant circuit and performs several functions. The URMV146 separates the liquid refrigerant from the refrigerant vapor during the refrigerant heat storage and cooling periods. The URMV146 forms a columnar liquid refrigerant during the refrigerant heat storage period and maintains natural circulation through the ice making / ice removal coil 142 in the insulating tank 140. The URMV146 is also a steam separation vessel, which stores refrigerant. The dry suction return pipe 114 leading to the compressor 110 of the air conditioning unit 102 is formed by the discharge port on the upper part of the URMV container 140 during the heat storage period. The dry suction return pipe 114 is arranged to prevent the liquid refrigerant from returning to the compressor. The wet suction return pipe 124 is provided so as to connect to the evaporator (load heat exchanger 122) from the inlet at the top of the URMV146 while the refrigerant heat storage system cools.

The first period is the refrigerant heat storage period, that is, the period for storing energy in ice. The output of the compressor 110 is high pressure refrigerant vapor condensed into a high pressure liquid (HPL). A valve (not shown) at the outlet of the refrigerant pump 120 is energized to close the connection with the load unit 108. The high pressure liquid is surrounded by the low pressure liquid refrigerant in another refrigerant container, the oil distiller / surge container combined device 116, which is connected to the underside of the refrigerant system.

During the first period (heat storage period), the oil distiller / surge vessel 116 is an oil distiller and functions as a refrigerant surge vessel during the cooling period. During the heat storage period, the internal heat exchanger through which the high pressure liquid refrigerant from the air conditioning unit 102 flows prevents most but a few low pressure liquid solvents from entering the oil distiller / surge vessel 116. The refrigerant in the container boils at a rate defined by two capillary tubes. One is the exhaust capillary 128 that controls the refrigerant water level in the oil distiller / surge vessel 116. The other is an oil return capillary 148 that returns an oil-rich refrigerant to the compressor 110 in the air conditioning unit 102 at a predetermined speed. The cylindrical liquid refrigerant in URMV146 is affected by gravity. By arranging the oil distiller / surge container 116 near the bottom of the cylindrical URMV146, the liquid refrigerant supply flow to the oil distiller / surge container 116 is kept constant. This container is connected to a low pressure liquid supply line 144 equipped with a P-trap 150 to prevent vapors from entering the URM V146 or liquid refrigerant pump 120. Due to the surge function, excess refrigerant is discharged from the ice making / draining coil 142 in the insulating tank 140 during the cooling period, and the surface area for condensing the refrigerant is maintained at the maximum. The physical arrangement of the oil distiller / surge vessel 116 is one of the factors that influence the performance of the distiller and surge vessel. The oil distiller / surge vessel 116 further forms a path for returning the oil moving with the refrigerant to be returned to the compressor 110. The slightly subcooled (lower than the gas phase-liquid phase temperature of the refrigerant) high pressure liquid refrigerant discharged from the oil distiller / surge vessel 116 is the mixed phase regulator 132 (thermodynamic refrigerant steam) that causes a pressure drop. Pass through the trap).

As described above, the high-pressure liquid refrigerant is sent from the air conditioning unit to the refrigerant management unit 104 via the high-pressure liquid supply line 112. The high-pressure liquid refrigerant passes through the heat exchanger in the oil distiller / surge vessel 116, is subcooled, and flows to the mixed phase regulator 132 in which the refrigerant pressure drops. The use of the mixed phase adjuster 132 provides various preferred functions in addition to the liquid refrigerant pressure drop. A large amount of refrigerant passing through the mixing phase regulator 132 during the heat storage period matches the refrigerant boiling rate at the ice making coil 142. This eliminates the need to control the refrigerant water level. The multiphase adjuster 132 allows the subcooled liquid refrigerant to pass through, but closes when it senses vapor (or poorly subcooled liquid) at the inlet. The pulse action of the refrigerant by opening and closing the mixed phase regulator 132 produces a standing wave in a closed cylinder, thus providing a hammer effect on the liquid refrigerant. As a result, the liquid refrigerant in the ice making coil 142 is agitated during the heat storage period to improve heat exchange, and the separation of the liquid phase refrigerant and the vapor phase refrigerant is promoted. The mixing phase regulator 132 works in conjunction with the URM V146 to discharge the liquid refrigerant from the air conditioning unit 102, making its surface area available for condensation. The mixed phase regulator 132 allows the pressure of the air-cooled condensing unit to fluctuate with ambient temperature. The system does not require the overheating and subcooling circuits that are essential for the majority of condensing units that are directly connected to the inflatable cooling system.

By adjusting the mixed phase regulator 132, the refrigerant heat storage cooling system uses a standard four-degree approach to make ice. The low-pressure liquid refrigerant discharged from the mixing phase adjuster 132 passes through the turnout 130 and reaches the ejector (or injection nozzle) located between the inlet to the URMV146 and the upper header assembly 154 of the ice making coil 142, and the refrigerant. Promotes the natural circulation of. The turnout 130 reduces the pressure and flow rate of the liquid refrigerant. During the refrigerant heat storage period, the ejector causes a pressure drop as the refrigerant is discharged from the turnout 130. As a result, the refrigerant circulation speed in the ice making coil 142 is increased, and the system performance is improved.

The mixing phase regulator 132 also changes the refrigerant flow rate according to the evaporator load by maintaining the constant pressure of the URMV146. As a result, the condensation pressure fluctuates with the ambient temperature. As the ambient temperature decreases, the pressure on the compressor 110 decreases. The mixing phase regulator 132 allows the liquid refrigerant to pass through, but shuts off when it senses vapor. That is, the two-phase mixture is held in the "trap". The mixed phase regulator allows a liquid (concentrated) to pass through, but closes when a low density gas passes through. The vapor is returned to the capacitor 111 and further condensed into a liquid. The multiphase adjuster 132 is self-regulating (once calibrated) and does not cause parasitic loss (adiabatic expansion). Further, the mixed phase regulator 132 removes vapor from the liquid and exerts a pulse action on the low pressure side to improve the heat exchange efficiency in the coil of the heat exchanger. As described above, the mixed phase regulator 132 is opened to allow the low pressure liquid to pass through and closed to confine the vapor on the high pressure side and generate a pulsing effect on the low pressure side of the regulator. This pulsing action further moistens the inner wall of the branch circuit during the boiling stage, facilitating heat exchange.

The low pressure liquid enters URMV146 and is separated into a liquid component and a vapor component. The liquid component fills the URMV146 to a predetermined water level, and the vapor component is returned to the compressor of the air conditioning unit 102. In a typical direct expansion cooling system, the vapor components circulate throughout the system, reducing efficiency. In this embodiment, the vapor component is immediately returned to the compressor 110. The cylindrical liquid refrigerant in URMV146 is affected by gravity and has two paths during the heat storage period. One is the path to the oil distiller / surge vessel 116, where the outflow rate is regulated by capillaries 128 and 148. Another path for the columnar liquid refrigerant is through the ice making coil 142 and the upper header assembly 154 to the lower header assembly 156, through the URMV146 and back to the compressor 110. Due to such natural circulation, energy is stored in the state of ice when the tank is filled with a phase changing fluid such as water. The columnar liquid refrigerant in the URMV146 becomes less dense in the ice making coil 142 as the refrigerant becomes vapor. This difference maintains the natural circulation. The refrigerant first becomes vapor, then liquids and vapors in the accumulation cycle, and then returned to URMV146. The liquid becomes cylindrical again and the vapor is returned to the compressor 110 of the air conditioning unit 102. Ice making is carried out uniformly and reliably by natural circulation. As one of the ice making coils 142 produces more ice, its heat flow velocity decreases. Then, the coil next to it will receive more refrigerant until it has the same heat flow velocity.

The configuration of the ice making coil 142 creates an ice making pattern for keeping the compressor suction pressure high during the ice making accumulation period. At the final stage of the heat storage period, rapid ice making takes place and the suction pressure drops dramatically. This means full heat storage, and an adjustable refrigerant pressure switch automatically shuts down the condensing unit.

When the air conditioning unit is turned on during the heat storage period, the slide (piston) of the pressure-operated slide valve shuts off the free flow of the refrigerant to the load heat exchanger 122 due to the action of the high-pressure liquid refrigerant. When the heat storage system is sufficiently stored and the air conditioning unit 102 is shut down, the mixing phase regulator 132 quickly equalizes the pressure in the refrigerant system. When the high-pressure liquid no longer presses the slide in the closing direction, the spring returns the slide to its open position, allowing unlimited flow of refrigerant into the load heat exchanger 122. In one embodiment, the load heat exchanger 122 is located below the heat storage system. The refrigerant receives gravity and flows to the evaporator in a full-liquid manner, operating as a thermal siphon.

In summary, when the tank is filled with water and the refrigerant circulates through the coil, in the first period the coil acts as an evaporator, making ice and storing heat. In the second period, the refrigerant circulates in the coil to melt the ice and perform the refrigerant condensing function. This heat storage and heat dissipation principle system is known as ice-on-coil, internal melting. Each period is determined by any smart control built into or attached to the end user, utility or system.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a high performance refrigerant refrigeration cooling system configured for air conditioning with multiple evaporators (including a mini split system well known in Europe and the Far East). As shown in Figure 2, various effective options can be added to this refrigerant refrigeration and cooling system. As described above, the liquid refrigerant pump 120 in the refrigerant management unit 104 is added downstream of the pressure actuated slide valve 118 to circulate the refrigerant to the load shown as the mini-split evaporator 160 in this embodiment. can do. Refrigerant is directly supplied to the coil of the heat exchanger of the mini split evaporator 160 by the liquid oversupply technology. In the wet suction return line 124, both liquid and vapor are returned to the heat storage unit 106. The vapor is condensed by the discharge coil 142 in the ice 152 and the liquid refrigerant is returned to the inlet of the liquid refrigerant pump 120. The excess refrigerant that was available during the heat storage period is stored in the oil distiller / surge vessel 116. With the refrigerant path options shown with the pressure actuated slide valve in Figure 2, both the air conditioning unit 102 and the heat storage unit 106 will condense for the mini split evaporator 160 of the load unit 108. This is called "Push" mode and works in the third period.

The plurality of coils constituting the ice making / ice draining coil 142 are provided with a passive drain pipe 164 that makes physical contact with the ice making / ice draining coil 142 and forms a path for draining water outside the ice boundary. It may have a passive drainage system. These passive drain pipes 164 mechanically protect the coils in transit along with struts that maintain adequate spacing between the coils. Any air bubbler, water pump, stirrer, circulator, etc. can be incorporated to actively discharge the fluid that promotes flow in any direction. Passive drain fins 162 may be used on the upper header assembly 154, lower header assembly 156 or other heat exchange surfaces within the heat storage unit 106 for further drainage and heat exchange between the fluid / ice 152.

The plurality of coils may further have a passive drainage system with tubes that make physical contact with the coils and form a path for draining water outside the ice boundaries. These tubes mechanically protect the coils in transit along with struts that maintain adequate spacing between the coils. Any air bubbler, water pump, stirrer, circulator, etc. can be incorporated to actively discharge the fluid that promotes flow in any direction.

FIG. 3 is a table showing the state of the components of an embodiment of a high performance refrigerant refrigeration system that operates in three periods and modes. As shown in FIG. 3, the states of the air conditioning unit 102, the oil distiller / surge vessel 116, the ice making / ice draining coil 142 and the pressure actuated slide valve 118 in the three periods and modes are described, respectively. For example, during the refrigerant refrigeration mode in the first period, the air conditioning unit 102 is in the ON state, the oil distiller / surge container 116 operates as an oil distiller, and the ice making / ice evacuating coil 142 transfers the refrigerant flowing from bottom to top. Ice is made using this, and the pressure-operated slide valve 118 is in the closed state.

During this ice making (heat storage) cycle, the air conditioning unit 102 supplies the system with a hot liquid refrigerant. The circulation path follows a path that begins with the high pressure liquid from the capacitor 111, passes through the multiphase regulator 132 (float) that turns the refrigerant into a low pressure liquid, and flows into the URMV146. In this system, the cold liquid is fed to the lower header assembly 156 of the heat exchanger of the heat storage unit 106, where most of the water in the insulating tank 140 is gradually frozen. The gas phase refrigerant is discharged from the upper header assembly and returns to URMV146. The remaining liquid falls to the bottom of the URMV146 and circulates again through the ice / ice removal coil 142. The resulting "dry" low pressure steam is discharged from the URMV146 and the cycle resumes.

During the cooling mode in the second period, that is, during the cooling or ice melting (radiation) cycle, the air conditioning unit 102 is OFF, the oil distiller / surge vessel 116 operates as a surge vessel, and the ice making / ice removal coil 142 Condensation is performed using the refrigerant flowing from top to bottom, and the refrigerant pump 120 and the pressure-operated slide valve 118 are in the open state.

At peak energy, the air conditioning unit 102 connected to the system is turned off and the system discharges the ice produced in the ice making cycle. The system releases an ice energy sink for cooling. In the disclosed embodiments, there are two cooling cycle methods with system modules: load shift and load leveling. The load shift uses a single cooling circuit, a system that is connected to a normal evaporator coil to perform both sensible and latent cooling. In load leveling mode, there are two separate cooling circuits: a sensible heat evaporator circuit for sensible heat cooling (removing heat from circulating air) and another ice evaporation for latent heat cooling (humidity removal). Cool using a vessel. A normal air conditioning unit 102 and a large evaporator coil (load unit 108) form a sensible heat evaporator circuit, and a second evaporator coil and a heat storage unit 106 form an ice evaporator circuit. It is also possible to reverse these in other embodiments of the load leveling system.

The cooling circuit in the load shift mode and the ice evaporator circuit in the load leveling mode are both basically similar in that they are connected to the evaporator coil (load unit 108). The difference between the two is that the load unit 108 performs both sensible heat cooling and latent heat cooling in the load shift mode, whereas the load unit 108 mainly performs latent heat cooling in the load leveling mode. As a result, different functions can be performed by coils having the same basic structure in various configurations.

In the ice melting cycle, the refrigerant pump 120 serves as a driving force for sending the refrigerant to the load unit 108. Compared to standard air conditioning systems, the peculiarity of this system is that there can be as much as 150 feet between the indoor unit (air handler and load unit 108) and the heat storage unit 106 (). Usually up to 80 feet). This is because the oil distiller / surge vessel 116 acts as a liquid receptor and regulates the amount of additional liquid refrigerant required to traverse the long line. In a standard air conditioning system, such distances can lead to liquid shortages and poor performance. This allows the disclosed system to be applied to much larger buildings than conventional split air conditioners.

The main use of this type of cooling device is to shift the load of peak power demand by air conditioning during the daytime. There are two main ways to avoid high electricity demand during peak summer months. One is a method called load limiting, in which the compressor is stopped at peak times and cooling is performed using stored energy such as ice. The other is a method called load leveling, which is a method of continuously operating a small compressor. Thermal energy is stored as ice during periods of low cooling demand. When demand is moderate, a small compressor unit will meet the load demand. When there is a high demand that the required energy cannot be supplied by a small compressor, the difference is compensated by melting ice and replenishing the system capacity. The ice making period during low air conditioning demand may be as long as 12-14 hours compared to 3 or 10 hours during peak demand.

The refrigerant flow for the ice evaporation circuit in the load shift mode and the load leveling mode will be described below. In the ice melting (heat dissipation) cycle, the ice making / ice draining coil of the heat storage unit 106 acts as a capacitor to take in the gas phase refrigerant from the load unit 108 and condense it. The low temperature liquid refrigerant (32 ° F to 58 ° F) circulates to the load unit 108 via the liquid refrigerant pump 120. If the load unit 108 is below and close enough to the cooling control unit 106, this cycle operates with a complete density difference (as a thermal siphon). Therefore, in this case, the liquid refrigerant pump 120 becomes unnecessary, and energy consumption can be reduced (system efficiency is improved). This circuit uses only low pressure liquid refrigerant and vapor phase refrigerant.

The process in the ice evaporation circuit is as follows: 1. The liquid refrigerant is pumped from the URMV146 and guided to the load unit 108 via the liquid refrigerant pump 120. 2. The liquid refrigerant is boiled and evaporated in the load unit 108. 3. The gas and liquid mixture is returned from the load unit 108 to the URM V146 via the wet suction return tube 124. 4. Liquid refrigerant falls to the bottom of URMV146. 5. Most of the vapor phase refrigerant does not enter the URMV146, but enters the heat exchanger of the heat storage unit 106 by the suction pressure of the condensed refrigerant in the cooling subunit (coil). 6. The gas phase refrigerant enters the ice / ice removal coil 142 and is condensed into a liquid at the lower header assembly 156. 7. Liquid refrigerant is discharged from the lower header assembly 156 and collected at the bottom of the URMV146. 8. The cycle is repeated.

In the load shift mode, only the thermal energy unit 106 is the cooling system that uses energy during the peak hours. Therefore, most of the energy utilization (up to 100%) can be shifted during other off-peak hours. The purpose of the load shift function is to shift power demand during off-peak hours. The air conditioning unit operates at low ambient temperatures, shifting power demand from peak to off-peak, reducing overall demand and improving efficiency.

In load leveling mode, two separate cooling circuits are used for cooling. The first circuit is preferably supplied by another cooling system for sensible heat cooling. The embodiments disclosed herein are used as part of an ice evaporator circuit, which is a second cooling circuit. The disclosed system provides highly effective latent heat cooling. This is because it supplies the load unit 108 with a much cooler (low pressure) refrigerant compared to the most standard air conditioning systems. The resulting low dew point gives more moisture (latent heat energy) to the air. By using this system in load leveling mode for latent heat cooling, the size of the air conditioning system dedicated to sensible heat cooling can be reduced. It is also possible to use a small air treatment system. Ideally, dehumidification (latent heat cooling) in the first coil should be eliminated and it should be done only in the second coil. By improving the efficiency of the first cooling circuit and supplying cooling to the second circuit using this system, peak demand is reduced and overall efficiency is improved according to the cooling demand (conventional single air conditioning system). Compared to).

In a load leveling structure, the system can provide full cooling load to further reduce peak power demand even before and after peaks set by the energy management system or when the cooling load is minimal. it can.

Finally, in the "Push" mode of period 3, the air conditioning unit 102 is in the ON state, the oil distiller / surge container 116 operates as an integrated oil distiller / surge container, and the ice making / ice removal coil 142 is from above. Condensation is performed using the refrigerant flowing downward, and the refrigerant pump 120 and the pressure-operated slide valve 118 are in the open state. In "Push" mode, the compressor 110 attached to the system (for ice making) cools (ices) the load unit 108 directly. This has the benefits of cooling after the ice has been used up, adding more capacity (in addition to the ice) during peak hours, and leaving the ice behind for further cost savings.

The timing of ice making is calculated to cover only energy costs, such as the price per kWh. However, this calculation can also address system efficiency at each time of the night, which indirectly affects total energy costs. Nighttime efficiency depends on ambient temperature and weather conditions. Nighttime temperatures usually follow statistical data (lowest just before sunrise), which can be used to optimize ice making times. However, it is also possible to optimize ice making times using weather forecasts and other feedforward mechanisms. In optimizing the ice making time, various constraints and factors such as noise, convenience, and maximum consumption threshold are taken into consideration.

Ice making can also be optimized according to the projected cooling demand. That is, it is economically beneficial not to make ice when calculations or criteria indicate that it is not necessary (for the next cycle or for a period of time). The system need not be configured solely for cooling the facility, but may be configured for human comfort. The system can be cooled for any purpose and can also cool other liquids in the process. The resulting capacity (velocity) can be adjusted via a valve that bypasses the evaporator or load unit 108 (eg, from a liquid refrigerant pump) and supplies a portion of the output directly to the system.

The system produces a sufficient amount of water by condensation so that the insulation tank 140 does not need to be refilled for evaporation. Excess water produced by the condensation is drained through a tube leading from above the ice to the ground. A water trap or other valve system may be placed on the tube to prevent this path from becoming a source of hot air flow to the tank.

The ice block 152 formed in the insulating tank 140 is melted from top to bottom (due to refrigerant evaporation) and from the inner part to the outer part where each ice making / ice draining coil 142 is provided (coil). The ice in contact with is melted first). When all the ice in contact with the ice-making / ice-draining coil 142 melts, water, not ice, comes into contact with the coil, but a "layer" of water around this coil blocks its outflow at the top or bottom. You may. This water layer reduces the heat transfer rate from the coil to the ice, but efficiency and operating conditions are improved by circulating water in layers. Two things need to be met for this flow to work. That is, the unfrozen region (open) that follows each ice making / ice removal coil 142. To form a complete pathway from water) to the unfrozen region and to provide means for facilitating flow. To form this path, passive discharge tubes 164 (heat conductors such as copper tubes) are placed side by side in the vertical direction of the coil assembly and physically coupled to each ice / ice removal coil 142 in the longitudinal direction. .. The passive discharge pipe 164 extends through the ice making area to the unfrozen area. A plurality of such conductors may be added. Each conductor forms a complete path by forming a "layer" of water that begins in the unfrozen region and binds to the water layer of each coil. An additional passive drain pipe 164 is added to the top of each coil to form another layer of water that passes through the top of the ice. The conductors may have different configurations, may be four shafts extending upward from the header, or may be thin conductor fins provided over the entire length of each coil assembly. This method is optimized so that the water surface is inside the tank and there is an unfrozen area above the ice when the water is completely iced (the ice is less dense so the water level is real during ice making). The water level does not have to be above the coil assembly from the beginning). Since the water path is provided so as to continue from the unfrozen region to each coil and further to the upper part of the ice block, the problem of water flow promotion is solved. Both passive and active methods are available. In the passive method, natural flow can be formed by stratification of temperature and density. In active systems, blisters can be introduced into the tank or each coil, or pumped and circulated to facilitate flow.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the cooling device as a refrigerating cooling system using the solenoid valve 166. The solenoid valve 166 is configured as an alternative to the pressure actuated slide valve 118 of FIG. 1 and is opened during the ice melting cycle and closed during the ice making cycle. When using a pressure actuated slide valve, the pressure of the high pressure liquid supply line 112 discharged from the compressor is high in the ice making cycle, which exceeds the force of the spring of the pressure actuated slide valve. The valve piston then moves to the farthest position that closes the inlet line to the liquid refrigerant pump 120, impeding liquid flow. In the ice melting cycle, the pressure of the high pressure liquid supply line 112 is low, so the piston is in the closest position. In this situation, both the valve inlet and outlet are opened and the refrigerant flows into the liquid supply pump 120 and then into the load unit 108 as shown in FIG.

By eliminating the direct access line from the pressure actuated slide valve 118 and the high pressure liquid supply line 112, the refrigerant will always flow from the URMV146 to the liquid refrigerant pump 120, but the flow will be solenoid valve 166 (in this embodiment). It is regulated by (on the downstream side of the liquid refrigerant pump). With this configuration, a ready-made valve can be used, and the flow can be accurately controlled by using an electronic relay type control device instead of relying on a pressure switch to adjust the flow. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the complete control of the cooling device may be performed by the refrigerant management control device 168 used to control the system operation in conjunction with the cooling management unit 104. The refrigerant control controller 168 may be driven by a PC-type board or IC chip built in as a programmable logic controller (PLC) or programmable microcontroller using analog, digital and relay inputs and outputs. This greatly improves the versatility of the system and reduces manufacturing costs. It also enables "smart control" of a variety of other applications and devices.

The refrigerant management control device 168 receives real-time data and environmental information by communicating with the environmental sensor 172. These environmental sensors 172 are variables such as time, temperature, humidity (dew point), power consumption, power cost, energy circuit state, or various other things that may be useful in determining when and how the cooling system should operate. Measure variables. These factors change other factors such as the time and speed of the ice-making cycle that may optimize performance and when noise from a particular operation or unit is an issue. The refrigerant control controller 168 may also have a data recovery unit 170 in which historical and environmental data as well as performance are stored. This data may be utilized by an external human or refrigerant control controller 168 to change performance based on the unit's historical data. For communication with the refrigerant control controller 168, telecommunications 180 or communication equipment 174 facilitating a wireless link 176 to the network / Internet or a hard wire link may be used. In this way, the recovered historical data may be downloaded from the system, or specific control functions such as weather data and forecasts, sun tables, etc. may be programmed into the device. Externally controlled inputs or data to Refrigerant Control Controller 168 based on the latest general or anticipated conditions outside the direct sensing capabilities of Controller 168, such as partial energy supply, cost or consumption data. You may communicate. Notable for historical data (captured by the controller or external), environmental data, past and present forecasts, weather, energy, cost, or efficiency or desired performance and optimization of ice / melting time Other influential data can be used to optimize the performance of the device in many application conditions.

In these disclosed embodiments, various applications of heat loading can be applied in combination with the embodiments. Cooling requirements that are substantially transmitted through the refrigerant piping can be utilized with these systems. This type of system is useful, for example, in routine cooling, cooling during plastic injection molding, cooling of freshly caught fish, inlet cooling in turbine power generation, ship cooling and air conditioning, and various process cooling applications.

<figref num="1">FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a high performance refrigerant refrigeration cooling system in a mode used when cooling a process fluid.</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a high-performance refrigerant refrigerating and cooling system configured to air-condition using a plurality of evaporators.</figref><figref num="3">FIG. 3 is a table showing the states of the components of the embodiment of the high-performance refrigerant refrigerating and cooling system.</figref><figref num="4">FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of a cooling device that stores and cools heat.</figref>