Automatic refill system for an air conditioning system

Abstract

An automatic recharge system (22) is provided for a transcritical cooling system (10). The recharge system (22) includes a refrigerant container (30) capable of storing a refrigerant charge at a higher pressure that can be accommodated on the low pressure side of the cooling system (10), and a control valve (34) connected between an outlet (36) of the container (30) and the low pressure side of the cooling system (10) to automatically control the release of refrigerant form the refrigerant container (30) for circulation in the cooling system (10).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to air conditioning systems, and in more particular applications, to transcritical air conditioning systems that utilize refrigerant, such as CO2.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]In cooling systems such as vapor compression type air conditioning systems, refrigerant leakage can take place over time, thereby reducing system performance and increasing the chance of damage to the compressor. While refrigerant leakage can take place in any cooling system and cause a loss of performance, such leakage can be particularly troublesome in transcritical cooling systems that utilize a variable displacement compressor. In such systems, if the refrigerant charge amount falls below a certain level due to leakage, the system will not be able to function normally and will experience a suction pressure that is below the normal operating limit, too much superheat from the evaporator, and a reduced displacement in the variable displacement compressor....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0003]In accordance with one feature of the invention, a transcritical cooling system is provided and includes a compressor to provide pressurized refrigerant to the system; a gas cooler connected downstream from the compressor to receive pressurized refrigerant therefrom and to supply cooled, pressurized refrigerant to the system; an expansion device connected downstream from the gas cooler to receive cooled, pressurized refrigerant therefrom and to supply reduced pressure, two-phase refrigerant to the system; an evaporator connected downstream from the expansion device to receive reduced pressure, two-phase refrigerant therefrom and connected upstream from

Problems solved by technology

In cooling systems such as vapor compression type air conditioning systems, refrigerant leakage can take place over time, thereby reducing system performance and increasing the chance of damage to the compressor.

While refrigerant leakage can take place in any cooling system and cause a loss of performance, such leakage can be particularly troublesome in transcritical cooling systems that utilize a variable displacement compressor.

In such systems, if the refrigerant charge amount falls below a certain level due to leakage, the system will not be able to function normally and will experience a suction pressure that is below the normal operating limit, too much superheat from the evaporator, and a reduced displacement in the variable displacement compressor.

As a result, the system will have a very small cooling capacity.

While such systems may work satisfactorily for their intended purpose, they tend to increase the system size and weight because of the required increase in the size of the accumulator to accommodate the extra refrigerant.

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