Compressor system for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and / or refrigeration system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and / or refrigeration (HVACamp; a system (100) for reducing the pressure of a refrigerant (R, R) includes an economizer system (104) configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant to provide a first vapor refrigerant flow and a second vapor refrigerant flow. The HVACamp; the R system (100) also includes an auxiliary compressor system (106) having a first auxiliary compressor (160) configured to receive the first stream of vapor refrigerant from the economizer system (104) and pressurize the first stream of vapor refrigerant to provide a first pressurized stream of vapor refrigerant, and a second auxiliary compressor (162) configured to receive the second stream of vapor refrigerant from the economizer system (104) and pressurize the first stream of vapor refrigerant to provide a second pressurized stream of vapor refrigerant. And a pressurizer (104) configured to receive the second stream of vapor refrigerant from the economizer system (104) and pressurize the second stream of vapor refrigerant to provide a second stream of pressurized vapor refrigerant. The auxiliary compressor system (106) is configured to flow a confluent vapor refrigerant comprising the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream to the HVACamp; a condenser (34) of the R system (100) is discharged.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 353,343, filed on June 17, 2022, entitled “COMPRESSOR SYSTEM FOR HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND / OR REFRIGERATION SYSTEM,” which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the technology that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure described below. It is believed that this discussion helps to provide the reader with background information to promote a better understanding of various aspects of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that these statements should be read in this light, rather than as an admission of the prior art.

[0004] A chiller system or vapor compression system utilizes a working fluid (e.g., a refrigerant) that changes the phase between vapor, liquid, and a combination thereof in response to different temperatures and pressures within the components exposed to the chiller system. The chiller system may allow the working fluid to be in a heat exchange relationship with a cooling fluid (e.g., water), and the cooling fluid may be delivered to a conditioning device and / or a regulated environment served by the chiller system. In some embodiments, the chiller system may include an economizer configured to improve the efficiency of the chiller system. For example, a first heat exchanger (e.g., a condenser) may cool the working fluid and direct the cooled working fluid to the economizer, which may reduce the pressure of the working fluid to further cool the working fluid and separate the working fluid into a liquid phase working fluid and a gas phase working fluid. The economizer may direct the liquid phase working fluid to a second heat exchanger (e.g., an evaporator), which is configured to allow the working fluid to be in a heat exchange relationship with the cooling fluid. The economizer may direct the gas phase working fluid to a compressor for pressurization. Unfortunately, existing cooling systems including economizers may operate inefficiently. Summary of the invention

[0005] The following describes an overview of certain embodiments disclosed herein. It should be understood that these aspects are presented only to provide the reader with a brief overview of these specific embodiments, and these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In fact, the present disclosure may cover various aspects that may not be described below.

[0006] In one embodiment, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and / or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes an economizer system configured to reduce a pressure of a first portion of a refrigerant, an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant from the economizer system, wherein the auxiliary compressor system includes a first auxiliary compressor and a second auxiliary compressor and a main compressor. The HVAC&R system also includes a condenser configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant from the auxiliary compressor system and the second portion of the refrigerant from the main compressor.

[0007] In another embodiment, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and / or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes an economizer system configured to reduce the pressure of a refrigerant to provide a first vapor refrigerant stream and a second vapor refrigerant stream. The HVAC&R system also includes an auxiliary compressor system having: a first auxiliary compressor configured to receive the first vapor refrigerant stream from the economizer system and pressurize the first vapor refrigerant stream to provide a first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream, and a second auxiliary compressor configured to receive the second vapor refrigerant stream from the economizer system and pressurize the second vapor refrigerant stream to provide a second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream. The auxiliary compressor system is configured to discharge a combined vapor refrigerant stream including the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream toward a condenser of the HVAC&R system.

[0008] In yet another embodiment, a compression system of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and / or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system includes an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive a first portion of refrigerant from an economizer system of the HVAC&R system. The auxiliary compression system includes a first auxiliary compressor and a second auxiliary compressor. The compression system also includes a main compressor configured to receive a second portion of the refrigerant from an evaporator of the HVAC&R system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Various aspects of the present disclosure may be better understood after reading the following detailed description and referring to the drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building in which an embodiment of a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and / or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system may be used in a commercial environment according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3 According to one aspect of the present disclosure Figure 2A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system;

[0013] Figure 4 According to one aspect of the present disclosure Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system;

[0014] Figure 5 According to one aspect of the present disclosure Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system;

[0015] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the vapor compression system including an economizer system and an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive a working fluid from the economizer system;

[0016] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the vapor compression system including an economizer system and an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive a working fluid from the economizer system;

[0017] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the vapor compression system including an economizer system and an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive a working fluid from the economizer system;

[0018] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the vapor compression system including an economizer system and an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive a working fluid from the economizer system;

[0019] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the vapor compression system including an economizer system and an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive a working fluid from the economizer system;

[0020] Fig.11 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the vapor compression system including an economizer system and an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive a working fluid from the economizer system;

[0021] Fig.12 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the vapor compression system including an economizer system and an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive a working fluid from the economizer system;

[0022] Fig.13 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression cycle according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0023] Fig.14 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression cycle according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

[0024] Fig.15 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression cycle according to an aspect of the present disclosure; and

[0025] Fig.16 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression cycle according to an aspect of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In order to provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all features of the actual implementation are described in the specification. It should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, a large number of implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as complying with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from implementation to implementation. In addition, it should be understood that such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but will be a routine task of design, production and manufacturing for ordinary technicians who benefit from this disclosure.

[0027] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a," "an," and "the" are intended to indicate 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 in addition to 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 are further incorporated into the recited features.

[0028] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and / or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system having a vapor compression system (e.g., a vapor compression loop). The vapor compression system may include a compressor (e.g., a main compressor) configured to pressurize a working fluid within the vapor compression system and direct the working fluid to a condenser, which may cool and condense the working fluid. The condensed working fluid may be directed toward an expansion device, which may reduce the pressure of the working fluid, thereby further cooling the working fluid. The cooled working fluid may be directed from the expansion device to an evaporator, in which the working fluid may be in heat exchange relationship with a cooling fluid to cool the cooling fluid. Subsequently, the compressor may receive the working fluid from the evaporator for pressurization, thereby restarting the vapor compression cycle.

[0029] In some embodiments, the vapor compression system may include an economizer system configured to receive a working fluid from a condenser. The economizer system may be configured to reduce the pressure of the working fluid to further cool the working fluid and separate the working fluid into a liquid working fluid and a vapor working fluid. The economizer system may guide the liquid working fluid to the evaporator so that the evaporator can make the liquid working fluid and the cooling fluid in a heat exchange relationship. The vapor working fluid may be directed to the condenser from the economizer system. However, in some cases, the vapor working fluid directed from the economizer system may not flow to the condenser easily. For example, the working fluid pressurized by the compressor may also be directed to the condenser to mix with the working fluid directed from the economizer system, but the working fluid from the compressor and the working fluid from the economizer system may be at different pressures. Such a pressure difference may disturb the flow of the working fluid to the condenser, such as by causing the working fluid to flow back to the compressor and / or to the economizer. Therefore, the working fluid may not flow effectively from the economizer to the condenser. It should be noted that reference to an element (e.g., a system, component, etc.) that directs a fluid (e.g., a refrigerant in the gas or liquid phase) to another element means that the element pressurizes, forces, directs (e.g., via pipes, valves, mechanical operations), etc., to deliver the fluid directly or indirectly to the other element.

[0030] It is now recognized that there is a need for improvements in HVAC&R systems with economizer systems. The present disclosure relates to incorporating an additional auxiliary compressor system that is configured to receive a vapor working fluid from an economizer system, pressurize the vapor working fluid, and direct the pressurized vapor working fluid to a condenser. The auxiliary compressor system can pressurize the vapor working fluid to the pressure of the working fluid pressurized by a compressor (e.g., a main compressor) to reduce the pressure difference between the corresponding working fluid flows directed to the condenser, thereby facilitating the working fluid to flow efficiently through the HVAC&R system. The auxiliary compressor system may include a plurality of auxiliary compressors that are less expensive than a single compressor capable of handling the same load. Additionally or alternatively, each auxiliary compressor may occupy a smaller physical footprint than that occupied by a single compressor, so that space can be efficiently utilized via the HVAC&R system. As further described below, the auxiliary compressors can be configured with any suitable series flow arrangement and / or parallel flow arrangement relative to the flow of the working fluid through the auxiliary compressor system to provide the desired pressurization of the vapor working fluid flowing to the condenser. Thus, the auxiliary compressor system may improve the operation of an HVAC&R system having an economizer without significantly increasing the manufacturing cost of the HVAC&R system and / or the floor space occupied by the HVAC&R system.

[0031] Turning now to the accompanying drawings, Figure 11 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 environment. The HVAC&R system 10 can include a vapor compression system 14 (e.g., a chiller) that supplies a cooling liquid that can be used to cool the building 12. The HVAC&R system 10 can also include a boiler 16 for supplying warm liquid to heat the building 12 and an air distribution system that circulates air through the building 12. The air distribution system can also include air return ducts 18, air supply ducts 20, and / or air handlers 22. In some embodiments, the air handler 22 can include a heat exchanger that is connected to the boiler 16 and the vapor compression system 14 via ducts 24. Depending on the operating mode of the HVAC&R system 10, the heat exchanger in the air handler 22 can receive heated liquid from the boiler 16 or cooled liquid from the vapor compression system 14. The HVAC&R system 10 is shown with separate air handlers on each floor of the building 12, but in other embodiments, the HVAC&R system 10 may include air handlers 22 and / or other components that may be shared between floors.

[0032] Figure 2 and Figure 3 is an embodiment of a vapor compression system 14 that may be used in the HVAC&R system 10. The vapor compression system 14 may circulate a refrigerant through a circuit starting from a compressor 32. The circuit may also include a condenser 34, an expansion valve or device 36, and a liquid cooler or evaporator 38. The vapor compression system 14 may further include a control panel 40 having an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter 42, a microprocessor 44, a non-volatile memory 46, and / or an interface board 48.

[0033] Some examples of fluids that can be used as refrigerants in the vapor compression system 14 are hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) based refrigerants, for example, R-410A, R-407, R-134a, R-1234ze, R1233zd, hydrofluoroolefins (HFO), "natural" refrigerants such as 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 can be configured to efficiently utilize a refrigerant having a normal boiling point of about 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) at one atmosphere, also known as a low pressure refrigerant, rather than a medium pressure refrigerant, such as R-134a. As used herein, "normal boiling point" can refer to the boiling point temperature measured at one atmosphere.

[0034] In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may use one or more of a variable speed drive (VSD) 52, a motor 50, a compressor 32, a condenser 34, an expansion valve or device 36, and / or an evaporator 38. The motor 50 may drive the compressor 32 and may be powered by the variable speed drive (VSD) 52. The VSD 52 receives alternating current (AC) power having a specific fixed line voltage and a 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 by an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor 50 may include any type of motor that may be powered by a VSD or directly by 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.

[0035] The compressor 32 compresses the refrigerant 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 refrigerant vapor delivered to the condenser 34 by the compressor 32 may transfer heat to a cooling fluid (e.g., water or air) in the condenser 34. As a result of the heat transfer with the cooling fluid, the refrigerant vapor may condense into a refrigerant liquid in the condenser 34. The liquid refrigerant from the condenser 34 may flow to the evaporator 38 through the expansion device 36. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment of , the condenser 34 is water-cooled and includes a tube bundle 54 connected to a cooling tower 56 that supplies cooling fluid to the condenser 34 .

[0036] The liquid refrigerant delivered to the evaporator 38 may absorb heat from another cooling fluid, which may or may not be the same cooling fluid used in the condenser 34. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 38 may undergo a phase change from liquid refrigerant to refrigerant vapor. Figure 3 As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 5 , the evaporator 38 may include a tube bundle 58 having a supply line 60S and a return line 60R connected to a cooling load 62. The cooling fluid of the evaporator 38 (e.g., water, ethylene glycol, calcium chloride brine, sodium chloride brine, or any other suitable fluid) enters the evaporator 38 via the return line 60R and leaves the evaporator 38 via the supply line 60S. The evaporator 38 may reduce the temperature of the cooling fluid in the tube bundle 58 by heat transfer with the refrigerant. The tube bundle 58 in the evaporator 38 may include multiple tubes and / or multiple tube bundles. In any case, the vapor refrigerant leaves the evaporator 38 and returns to the compressor 32 through the suction line to complete the cycle.

[0037] Figure 4is a schematic diagram of vapor compression system 14 in which intermediate loop 64 is coupled between condenser 34 and expansion device 36. Intermediate loop 64 may have an inlet line 68 directly fluidly connected to condenser 34. In other embodiments, inlet line 68 may be indirectly fluidly coupled to condenser 34. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, 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). In other embodiments, the intermediate vessel 70 may be configured as a heat exchanger or a "surface economizer." Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment of , the intermediate container 70 is used as a flash tank, and the first expansion device 66 is configured to reduce (e.g., expand) the pressure of the liquid refrigerant received from the condenser 34. During the expansion process, a portion of the liquid may evaporate, and thus the intermediate container 70 may be used to separate the vapor from the liquid received from the first expansion device 66.

[0038] In addition, the intermediate container 70 can provide further expansion of the liquid refrigerant due to the pressure drop experienced by the liquid refrigerant when entering the intermediate container 70 (e.g., due to the rapid increase in volume experienced when entering the intermediate container 70). The vapor in the intermediate container 70 can be drawn by the compressor 32 through the suction line 74 of the compressor 32. In other embodiments, the vapor in the intermediate container can be drawn to an intermediate stage (e.g., a non-suction stage) of the compressor 32. Due to the expansion in the expansion device 66 and / or the intermediate container 70, the liquid collected in the intermediate container 70 can have a lower enthalpy than the liquid refrigerant leaving the condenser 34. The liquid from the intermediate container 70 can then flow through the second expansion device 36 in line 72 to the evaporator 38.

[0039] It should be understood that any of the features described herein can be combined with the vapor compression system 14 or any other suitable HVAC&R system. For example, the present technology can be combined with any HVAC&R system having an economizer (such as the intermediate container 70) and a compressor (such as the compressor 32). The following discussion describes the present technology in combination with an embodiment of the compressor 32 configured as a single-stage compressor. However, it should be noted that the systems and methods described herein can be combined with other embodiments of the compressor 32 and the HVAC&R system 10.

[0040] The present disclosure relates to a vapor compression system, which includes an economizer system (e.g., an intermediate container) configured to receive refrigerant from a condenser and separate the refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant and a vapor refrigerant. The economizer system may guide the liquid refrigerant to the evaporator of the vapor compression system so that the evaporator can make the liquid refrigerant in a heat exchange relationship with a cooling fluid to cool the cooling fluid. The vapor compression system may include an auxiliary compressor system having a plurality of auxiliary compressors, which are configured to receive and pressurize the vapor refrigerant guided from the economizer system. The auxiliary compressor system may guide the pressurized vapor refrigerant to the condenser, which may cool the vapor refrigerant. For example, the auxiliary compressor of the auxiliary compressor system may be a series flow arrangement and / or a parallel flow arrangement, which is suitable for increasing the pressure of the vapor refrigerant to a desired level for discharge to the condenser. In addition, compared with conventional compressor embodiments (such as embodiments of the main compressor of the vapor compression system), the auxiliary compressor may be lower in cost and / or may occupy a smaller physical footprint. Thus, the auxiliary compressor system may provide desired operation without significantly increasing the manufacturing cost of the HVAC&R system and / or the physical footprint occupied by the HVAC&R system.

[0041] Considering the foregoing, Figure 5 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 100, which includes a main compressor 102 (e.g., compressor 32, single-stage compressor, multi-stage compressor), a condenser 34, an evaporator 38, and an economizer system 104 (e.g., intermediate container 70, intercooler). The main compressor 102 may include any suitable number of compressor stages, such as one compressor stage or two or more compressor stages. The vapor compression system 100 also includes an auxiliary compressor system 106 (e.g., secondary compressor system, parallel compressor system) fluidly coupled to the economizer system 104. The auxiliary compressor system 106 may draw vapor refrigerant from the economizer system 104, compress the vapor refrigerant, and discharge the compressed vapor refrigerant toward the condenser 34. As an example, the auxiliary compressor system 106, instead of the main compressor 102, may receive vapor refrigerant from the economizer system 104. The auxiliary compressor system 106 may pressurize the received vapor refrigerant and direct the pressurized vapor refrigerant to the condenser 34 and bypass the main compressor 102.

[0042] In some embodiments, the auxiliary compressor system 106 can increase the pressure of the vapor refrigerant to the pressure of the vapor refrigerant pressurized by the main compressor 102. For example, the first pressure of the vapor refrigerant directed from the main compressor 102 into the condenser 34 (e.g., via the first condenser inlet 108) can be similar or substantially the same as the second pressure of the vapor refrigerant directed from the auxiliary compressor system 106 into the condenser 34 (e.g., via the second condenser inlet 110). Pressurizing the refrigerant flows to approximately the same pressure can reduce interference with the refrigerant flow to the condenser 34 (e.g., by preventing the refrigerant from flowing back through the first condenser inlet 108 and / or through the second condenser inlet 110), which may otherwise occur due to the pressure difference between the corresponding refrigerant flows from the main compressor 102 and from the economizer system 104. In this way, the refrigerant can flow through the condenser 34 more easily. For example, a desired flow rate (e.g., a target flow rate) of the refrigerant through the vapor compression system 100 and / or a desired cooling of the refrigerant provided via the condenser 34 can be achieved. In certain embodiments or operating configurations, it should be noted that the main compressor 102 provides substantially all of the compression head from the outlet 112 of the evaporator 38 to the outlet 114 of the main compressor 102 (and from the main compressor 102 to the inlet 108 of the condenser 34). The auxiliary compressor system 106 provides a pressure boost to the refrigerant entering the condenser 34 from the economizer system 104.

[0043] The amount of pressurization provided by the auxiliary compressor system 106 may be less than the amount of pressurization provided by the main compressor 102. For example, the pressure of the vapor refrigerant directed from the economizer system 104 to the auxiliary compressor system 106 may be greater than the pressure of the refrigerant directed from the evaporator 38 to the main compressor 102. Therefore, a first pressure difference between the pressure of the refrigerant received by the auxiliary compressor system 106 and the corresponding target pressure for pressurization by the auxiliary compressor system 106 may be less than a second pressure difference between the pressure of the refrigerant received by the main compressor 102 and the corresponding target pressure for pressurization by the main compressor 102. To this end, the selected embodiment of the compressor used by the auxiliary compressor system 106 may be different from the embodiment of the main compressor 102 to provide the desired pressurization of the refrigerant flow from the economizer system 104. For example, the design specifications and / or operation of the auxiliary compressor system 106 may be different from the design specifications and / or operation of the main compressor 102. In fact, as further described herein, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may include an auxiliary compressor associated with reduced cost, reduced size, increased configurability, etc. Thus, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may provide desirable operation associated with the vapor compression system 100 , reduced manufacturing costs, improved ease of installation, and so on.

[0044] Figure 61 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 100 including an economizer system 104 and an auxiliary compressor system 106. The economizer system 104 may include a plurality of economizers (e.g., economizer stages), each of which is configured to reduce the pressure of a refrigerant stream. For example, a first economizer 140 (e.g., a first economizer stage) may receive refrigerant from a condenser 34, reduce the pressure of the refrigerant to evaporate a portion of the refrigerant, and separate the refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant and a vapor refrigerant. The first economizer 140 may direct the vapor refrigerant to the auxiliary compressor system 106 as a first vapor refrigerant stream 142, and the first economizer 140 may direct the liquid refrigerant to a second economizer 146 as a first liquid refrigerant stream 144. The second economizer 146 may reduce the pressure of the first liquid refrigerant stream 144 received from the first economizer 140 to evaporate a portion of the refrigerant and separate the refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant and a vapor refrigerant. The second economizer 146 may direct the vapor refrigerant as a second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to the auxiliary compressor system 106, and the second economizer 146 may direct the liquid refrigerant as a second liquid refrigerant stream 150 to the third economizer 152. The third economizer 152 may further reduce the pressure of the second liquid refrigerant stream 150 received from the second economizer 146 to evaporate a portion of the refrigerant and separate the refrigerant into liquid refrigerant and vapor refrigerant. The third economizer 152 may direct the vapor refrigerant as a third vapor refrigerant stream 154 to the auxiliary compressor system 106, and the third economizer 152 may direct the liquid refrigerant as a third liquid refrigerant stream 156 to the evaporator 38. By further reducing the pressure of the refrigerant, the second economizer 146 and / or the third economizer 152 may enhance the cooling of the refrigerant before the refrigerant is discharged to the evaporator 38, thereby increasing the amount of cooling provided to the cooling fluid by the refrigerant stream in the evaporator 38, and improving the efficient operation of the vapor compression system 100 to condition the cooling fluid.

[0045] In some embodiments, each economizer 140, 146, 152 may be a separate chamber, compartment, volume, or space of a common or identical economizer housing, shell, or shell 158. That is, the economizer system 104 may include a single economizer housing 158 that may enclose a plurality of economizers 140, 146, 152 configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant (e.g., via stages). For example, each economizer 140, 146, 152 may be separated from one another within the economizer housing 158 via partitions, dividers, walls, plates, etc. In additional or alternative embodiments, each economizer 140, 146, 152 may have a corresponding housing, and the economizers 140, 146, 152 may therefore be separate components from one another. Furthermore, each of the economizers 140, 146, 152 may include or be associated with one or more valves (e.g., expansion valves) to facilitate pressure drop relative to the respective economizers.

[0046] The auxiliary compressor system 106 may receive each of the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 and pressurize the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 for discharge to the condenser 34 (e.g., via the second condenser inlet 110). For example, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may increase the respective pressure of each vapor refrigerant stream 142, 148, 154 to the pressure of the main refrigerant stream 159 directed from the main compressor 102 to reduce the pressure difference between the main refrigerant stream 159 directed from the main compressor 102 to the condenser 34 and the pressurized vapor refrigerant directed from the auxiliary compressor system 106 to the condenser 34. Thus, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may facilitate the flow of refrigerant to and / or through the condenser 34. Because the auxiliary compressor system 106 receives input from each of the economizers 140 , 146 , 152 , the auxiliary compressor system 106 operates to increase the pressure of the different pressurized fluids (vapor refrigerant streams 142 , 148 , 154 ) to the main refrigerant stream 159 .

[0047] As an example, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may include a plurality of auxiliary compressors in a parallel flow arrangement. That is, each auxiliary compressor may receive a respective one of the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 from the economizer system 104. For example, the first auxiliary compressor 160 may receive the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 from the first economizer 140, the second auxiliary compressor 162 may receive the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 from the second economizer 146, and the third auxiliary compressor 164 may receive the third vapor refrigerant stream 154 from the third economizer 152. The auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 may pressurize the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154, respectively, for discharge to the condenser 110. That is, the first auxiliary compressor 160 may pressurize the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 to provide a first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 166 for discharge to the condenser 110, the second auxiliary compressor 162 may pressurize the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to provide a second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 for discharge to the condenser 110, and the third auxiliary compressor 164 may pressurize the third vapor refrigerant stream 154 to provide a third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 170 for discharge to the condenser 110. The pressurized vapor refrigerant streams 166, 168, 170 may be combined to provide a combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 172 that may be received by the condenser 34.

[0048] As described above, in some embodiments, the respective pressurization amounts provided by the auxiliary compressors 160 may be different from each other. For example, each auxiliary compressor 160, 162, 164 may pressurize the respective vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 to approximately the same target pressure (e.g., substantially equal to the pressure of the main refrigerant stream 159). However, the respective pressures of the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 received by the auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 may initially have different pressures. For example, because the third economizer 152 provides an additional pressure drop of the second liquid refrigerant stream 150 from the second economizer 146, the pressure of the third vapor refrigerant stream 154 may be less than the pressure of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148. Therefore, the pressure difference between the pressure of the third vapor refrigerant stream 154 and the target pressure may be greater than the pressure difference between the pressure of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 and the target pressure. Similarly, because the second economizer 146 provides an additional pressure drop of the first liquid refrigerant stream 144 from the first economizer 140, the pressure of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 may be less than the pressure of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142. Therefore, the pressure difference between the pressure of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 and the target pressure may be greater than the pressure difference between the pressure of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 and the target pressure. To this end, the amount of pressurization provided by the third auxiliary compressor 164 to the third vapor refrigerant stream 154 may be greater than the amount of pressurization provided by the second auxiliary compressor 162 to the second vapor refrigerant stream 148, and the amount of pressurization provided by the second auxiliary compressor 162 to the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 may be greater than the amount of pressurization provided by the first auxiliary compressor 160 to the first vapor refrigerant stream 142.

[0049] In addition, the amounts of the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 provided by the economizer system 104 may be different from one another. For example, the mass flow of the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 may be based on the pressure within the condenser 34 and / or within each of the economizers 140, 146, 152, and the volume flow of the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 may be based on the vapor density at the corresponding pressure within the economizers 140, 146, 152. In practice, the amount of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 provided by the first economizer 140 may be greater than or less than the amount of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 provided by the second economizer 146, and the amount of the second vapor refrigerant 148 provided by the second economizer 146 may be greater than or less than the amount of the third vapor refrigerant stream 154 provided by the third economizer 152. In additional or alternative embodiments, the amounts of the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 provided by the economizer system 104 may be substantially similar to one another.

[0050] The embodiments or specifications of the auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 may be selected based on the respective pressurization amounts provided by the auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 and / or the respective amounts of vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 received by the auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164. Thus, each auxiliary compressor 160, 162, 164 may have different embodiments (e.g., different sizes, different types). As an example, the first auxiliary compressor 160 may be relatively larger or smaller than the second auxiliary compressor 162 and / or the third auxiliary compressor 164 to be able to receive and pressurize a relatively larger or smaller amount of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142, respectively, and / or the third auxiliary compressor 164 may be relatively larger or smaller than the first auxiliary compressor 160 and / or the second auxiliary compressor 162 to be able to receive and pressurize a relatively larger or smaller amount of the third vapor refrigerant stream 154, respectively. In additional or alternative embodiments (such as embodiments where the amounts of vapor refrigerant streams 142 , 148 , 154 are similar to one another), the auxiliary compressors 160 , 162 , 164 may be the same or similar embodiments.

[0051] For example, each auxiliary compressor 160, 162, 164 may include an oil-free compressor to avoid increasing the cost and / or complexity associated with the management of oil and / or lubricants circulating through the vapor compression system 100 (e.g., for cooling the auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164). Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 may include a scroll compressor, a centrifugal compressor, a reciprocating compressor, or any other suitable compressor type. In any case, each auxiliary compressor 160, 162, 164 may be less expensive and / or may occupy a smaller physical footprint than the main compressor 102.

[0052] In addition, the vapor compression system 100 may include a conduit system 174 configured to control the flow of the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 to the auxiliary compressor system 106. As an example, the conduit system 174 may be operated to enable the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 to flow to the auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 at a desired or appropriate flow rate (e.g., a target flow rate, a target flow rate). For example, a first valve 176 of the conduit system 174 may control the flow of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 from the first economizer 140 to the first auxiliary compressor 160, a second valve 178 of the conduit system 174 may control the flow of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 from the second economizer 146 to the second auxiliary compressor 162, and a third valve 180 of the conduit system 174 may control the flow of the third vapor refrigerant stream 154 from the third economizer 152 to the third auxiliary compressor 164. The openings of valves 176, 178, 180 may be adjusted to direct vapor refrigerant flows 142, 148, 154 to auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164, respectively, in a suitable manner (e.g., at flow rates based on design specifications of auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164) to enable auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 to operate efficiently and / or ideally.

[0053] The vapor compression system 100 may also include a control system 182 (e.g., a control panel 40 configured to operate the main compressor 102, a control system separate from the control panel 40), which may be an automated controller and / or an electronic controller. The control system 182 may be configured to control the operation of various components of the vapor compression system 100 (such as the economizer system 104, the auxiliary compressor system 106, and / or the piping system 174). For example, the control system 182 may include a memory 184 and a processing circuit 186. The memory 184 may include a volatile memory (such as a random access memory (RAM)) and / or a non-volatile memory (such as a read-only memory (ROM), an optical drive, a hard drive, a solid-state drive, or any other non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions) that, when executed, control the operation of the vapor compression system 100. The processing circuit 186 may be configured to execute these instructions stored in the memory 184. As an example, the processing circuit 186 may include one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general-purpose processors, or any combination thereof.

[0054] As an example, the control system 182 may be configured to operate each of the economizers 140, 146, 152 to adjust the respective pressure drops provided by the economizers 140, 146, 152. As another example, the control system 182 may be configured to operate each of the auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164, such as by adjusting the stage, speed, frequency, and / or any other regulating system (e.g., mechanical system) to provide a desired pressurization (such as reaching a target pressure) of the respective vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154. As yet another example, the control system 182 may be configured to operate each of the valves 176, 178, 180, such as by adjusting the respective openings of the valves 176, 178, 180 to adjust the flow of the vapor refrigerant streams 142, 148, 154 to the respective auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164. Thus, the control system 182 may regulate the operation of the various components of the vapor compression system 100.

[0055] Although the economizer system 104 of the illustrated vapor compression system 100 includes three economizers 140, 146, 152, the auxiliary compressor system 106 of the illustrated vapor compression system 100 includes three auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164, and the piping system 174 of the illustrated vapor compression system 100 includes three valves 176, 178, 180, in additional or alternative embodiments, the economizer system 104 may include any suitable number of economizers 140, 146, 152, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may include any suitable number of auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164, and / or the piping system 174 may include any suitable number of valves 176, 178, 180. In some embodiments, the number of economizers 140, 146, 152, the number of auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164, and / or the number of valves 176, 178, 180 may correspond to or be equal to one another. For example, the vapor compression system 100 may include two economizers 140, 146, 152, two auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 and two valves 176, 178, 180, the vapor compression system 100 may include four economizers 140, 146, 152, four auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 and four valves 176, 178, 180, etc.

[0056] Figure 71 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 100 including an economizer system 104 and an auxiliary compressor system 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the economizer system 104 includes a first economizer 140 configured to direct a first vapor refrigerant stream 142 to the auxiliary compressor system 106 and a first liquid refrigerant stream 144 to a second economizer 146, and a second economizer 146 configured to direct a second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to the auxiliary compressor system 106 and a second liquid refrigerant stream 150 to the evaporator 38. The auxiliary compressor system 106 includes a first auxiliary compressor 160 configured to receive the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 from the first economizer 140, and a second auxiliary compressor configured to receive the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 from the second economizer 146. The piping system 174 of the vapor compression system 100 includes a first valve 176 configured to control the flow of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 to the first auxiliary compressor 160 , and a second valve 178 configured to control the flow of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to the second auxiliary compressor 162 .

[0057] The auxiliary compressors 160, 162 may be arranged in a series flow arrangement. For example, the second auxiliary compressor 162 may pressurize the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 received from the second economizer 146 to provide a second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 as a discharge to the first auxiliary compressor 160. The second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 may merge with the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 directed from the first economizer 140 to be sucked by the first auxiliary compressor 160. To this end, the second auxiliary compressor 162 may increase the pressure of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to the pressure of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 directed from the first economizer 140, so that the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 from the second auxiliary compressor 162 and the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 from the first economizer 140 can flow more easily to the first auxiliary compressor 160. For example, the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 and the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 at substantially the same pressure may flow to the first auxiliary compressor 160 rather than, for example, flowing back to the first economizer 140 and / or to the second auxiliary compressor 162 .

[0058] The first auxiliary compressor 160 can pressurize the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 and the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 to provide a combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 220 for discharge to the condenser 34. Therefore, the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 can be pressurized by the second auxiliary compressor 162 and further pressurized by the first auxiliary compressor 160. In this way, the auxiliary compressor system 106 can provide multi-stage compression of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 (for example, the second auxiliary compressor 162 can be the first compressor stage that provides initial pressurization, and the first auxiliary compressor 160 can be the second compressor stage that provides further pressurization). The first auxiliary compressor 160 can increase the pressure of the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 and the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 toward the pressure of the main refrigerant stream 159 to facilitate the combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 220 from the auxiliary compressor system 106 and the main refrigerant stream 159 from the main compressor 102 to flow to and / or through the condenser 34.

[0059] The first auxiliary compressor 160 and the second auxiliary compressor 162 may have different embodiments. For example, an embodiment of the first auxiliary compressor 160 may be selected so that it is capable of receiving and pressurizing both the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168. Thus, an embodiment of the first auxiliary compressor 160 may increase the refrigerant capacity or flow rate therethrough as compared to an embodiment of the second auxiliary compressor 162, which may pressurize the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 instead of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142.

[0060] In some embodiments, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may include more than two auxiliary compressors 160, 162 connected in series with each other. For example, in an embodiment where the economizer system 104 includes a third economizer 152 configured to receive the second liquid refrigerant stream 150 from the second economizer 146, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may include a third auxiliary compressor 164 configured to receive and pressurize the third vapor refrigerant stream 154 from the third economizer 152 to provide a third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 170. The third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 170 may be discharged to the second auxiliary compressor 162 and then to the first auxiliary compressor 160 for further staged pressurization. Therefore, in a series flow arrangement, certain vapor refrigerant streams from the economizer system 104 may be pressurized by multiple auxiliary compressors.

[0061] Figure 81 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 100 including an economizer system 104 and an auxiliary compressor system 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the economizer system 104 includes a first economizer 140 that can direct a first liquid refrigerant stream 144 to the evaporator 38. The first economizer 140 can also direct a first vapor refrigerant stream 250 and a second vapor refrigerant stream 252 to the auxiliary compressor system 106, which can include a first auxiliary compressor 160 and a second auxiliary compressor 162. For example, the first economizer 140 can generate vapor refrigerant by reducing the pressure of the refrigerant received from the condenser 34, and the first economizer 140 can distribute the generated vapor refrigerant to direct the first vapor refrigerant stream 250 to the first auxiliary compressor 160 and the second vapor refrigerant stream 252 to the second auxiliary compressor 162. For example, the piping system 174 may include a first valve 176 configured to control the flow of the first vapor refrigerant stream 250 to the first auxiliary compressor 160, and a second valve 178 configured to control the flow of the second vapor refrigerant stream 252 to the second auxiliary compressor 162. The control system 182 may adjust the opening of the valves 176, 178 to control the flow of the vapor refrigerant streams 250, 252 to the auxiliary compressors 160, 162.

[0062] The auxiliary compressors 160, 162 may be in a parallel flow arrangement. That is, the auxiliary compressors 160, 162 may pressurize respective vapor refrigerant streams 250, 252 for discharge to the condenser 34. As an example, the first auxiliary compressor 160 may pressurize the first vapor refrigerant stream 250 to provide a first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 and discharge the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 to the condenser 34. The second auxiliary compressor 162 may pressurize the second vapor refrigerant stream 252 to provide a second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256 and discharge the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256 to the condenser 34. The first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256 may be merged into a merged pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 258 for inhalation by the condenser 34. Thus, the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 may flow around the second auxiliary compressor 162, and / or the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256 may flow around the first auxiliary compressor 160. The auxiliary compressors 160, 162 may increase the pressure of the respective vapor refrigerant streams 250, 252 to the pressure of the main refrigerant stream 159 discharged by the main compressor 102 to facilitate directing the main refrigerant stream 159, the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254, and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256 to and / or through the condenser 34.

[0063] In additional or alternative embodiments, the vapor refrigerant provided by the first economizer 140 may be distributed to more than two auxiliary compressors 160, 162. For example, a third vapor refrigerant stream may be directed from the first economizer 140 to a third auxiliary compressor for pressurization and discharge toward the condenser 34.

[0064] Fig. 9 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 100 including an economizer system 104 and an auxiliary compressor system 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the economizer system 104 includes a first economizer 140 and a second economizer 146. The first economizer 140 can be configured to direct a first vapor refrigerant stream 142 to the auxiliary compressor system 106 and a first liquid refrigerant stream 144 to the second economizer 146. The second economizer 146 can be configured to direct a second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to the auxiliary compressor system 106 and a second liquid refrigerant stream 150 to the evaporator 38. The auxiliary compressor system 106 includes a first auxiliary compressor 160, a second auxiliary compressor 162, and a third auxiliary compressor 164. The first auxiliary compressor 160 can be configured to receive the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 from the first economizer 140, and the second auxiliary compressor 162 can be configured to receive the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 from the second economizer 146. The piping system 174 includes a first valve 176 configured to control the flow of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 to the first auxiliary compressor 160 , and a second valve 178 configured to control the flow of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to the second auxiliary compressor 162 .

[0065] The first auxiliary compressor 160 may pressurize the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 to provide a first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 166 for discharge toward the condenser 34. For example, the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 may flow around the second auxiliary compressor 162 and the third auxiliary compressor 164. The second auxiliary compressor 162 may pressurize the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to provide a second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168, and the second auxiliary compressor 162 may discharge the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 toward the third auxiliary compressor 164. The third auxiliary compressor 164 may further pressurize the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 to provide a third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 280 for discharge toward the condenser 34. Thus, the third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 280 may flow around the first auxiliary compressor 160. The first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 166 discharged by the first auxiliary compressor 160 and the third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 280 discharged by the third auxiliary compressor 164 may be combined to form a combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 282 for intake by the condenser 34. The first auxiliary compressor 160 may increase the pressure of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142, and the third auxiliary compressor 164 may increase the pressure of the second vapor refrigerant stream 168 to approximately the same pressure, such as a pressure substantially equal to the pressure of the main refrigerant stream 159.

[0066] In this manner, the second auxiliary compressor 162 and the third auxiliary compressor 164 may be arranged in series flow with one another, and the first auxiliary compressor 160 may be arranged in parallel flow with respect to the second auxiliary compressor 162 and the third auxiliary compressor 164. In effect, the second auxiliary compressor 162 and the third auxiliary compressor 164 may be operated as a multi-stage compressor for the second vapor refrigerant stream 148, wherein the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 may be pressurized by the second auxiliary compressor 162 and further pressurized by the third auxiliary compressor 164 to obtain a desired pressure for the third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 280 discharged toward the condenser 34.

[0067] Although the auxiliary compressor system 106 is shown to include a second auxiliary compressor 162 and a third auxiliary compressor 164 in a series flow arrangement, in additional or alternative embodiments, the first auxiliary compressor 160 may be arranged in series flow with an additional auxiliary compressor (e.g., a fourth auxiliary compressor). In further embodiments, more than two auxiliary compressors (e.g., the second auxiliary compressor 162, the third auxiliary compressor 164, and the fourth auxiliary compressor) may be arranged in series flow with each other and also in parallel series flow with another auxiliary compressor (e.g., the first auxiliary compressor 160).

[0068] Fig.10is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 100 including an economizer system 104 and an auxiliary compressor system 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the economizer system 104 includes a first economizer 140 configured to direct a first vapor refrigerant stream 142 to the auxiliary compressor system 106 and a first liquid refrigerant stream 144 to a second economizer 146, and a second economizer 146 configured to direct a second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to the auxiliary compressor system 106 and a second liquid refrigerant stream 150 to the evaporator 38. The auxiliary compressor system 106 may include a first auxiliary compressor 160, a second auxiliary compressor 162, and a third auxiliary compressor 164.

[0069] The first auxiliary compressor 160 may receive the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 and pressurize it to provide a first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 166, and the second auxiliary compressor 162 may receive the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 and pressurize it to provide a second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168. The first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 166 and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 may be combined to be sucked by the third auxiliary compressor 164. To this end, the pressures of the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 166 achieved by the first auxiliary compressor 106 and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 achieved by the second auxiliary compressor 162 may be substantially equal to each other to facilitate flow to the third auxiliary compressor 164. The third auxiliary compressor 164 may pressurize the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 166 and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 to provide a combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 310 for discharge to the condenser 34. For example, the third auxiliary compressor 164 may further increase the pressure of the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 166 and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 168 toward the pressure of the main refrigerant stream 159 .

[0070] As such, the first auxiliary compressor 160 and the second auxiliary compressor 162 may be arranged in parallel flow with each other, while each of the first auxiliary compressor 160 and the second auxiliary compressor 162 may be arranged in series flow with respect to the third auxiliary compressor 164. Thus, each of the auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 may be operated as one of a plurality of stages for pressurizing the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 and / or the second vapor refrigerant stream 148. For example, the first auxiliary compressor 160 may be operated as a first stage for providing initial pressurization of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142, and the second auxiliary compressor 162 may be operated in parallel as a first stage for providing initial pressurization of the second vapor refrigerant stream 148. The third auxiliary compressor 164 may be operated as a second stage for providing additional pressurization of the first vapor refrigerant stream 142 and the second vapor refrigerant stream 148 to achieve a desired pressure for the combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 310 discharged to the condenser 34.

[0071] In additional or alternative embodiments, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may include additional auxiliary compressors in a series flow arrangement. For example, a fourth auxiliary compressor may provide further pressurization to the refrigerant discharged by the third auxiliary compressor 164. As an example, the fourth auxiliary compressor may pressurize the combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 310 discharged by the third auxiliary compressor 164. In further embodiments, the auxiliary compressor system 106 may include a fourth auxiliary compressor in a parallel flow arrangement. For example, the economizer system 104 may include a third economizer 152, and the fourth auxiliary compressor may receive a third vapor refrigerant stream 154 from the third economizer 152, pressurize the third vapor refrigerant stream 154 to provide a third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 170, and discharge the third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 170 to any other auxiliary compressors (e.g., the second auxiliary compressor 162, the third auxiliary compressor 164) in the series flow arrangement.

[0072] Fig.11 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 100 including an economizer system 104 and an auxiliary compressor system 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the economizer system 104 includes a first economizer 140 that can direct a first liquid refrigerant stream 144 to the evaporator 38 and distribute a first vapor refrigerant stream 250 and a second vapor refrigerant stream 252 to the auxiliary compressor system 106. The auxiliary compressor system 106 can include a first auxiliary compressor 160, a second auxiliary compressor 162, and a third auxiliary compressor 164. The first auxiliary compressor 160 can receive and pressurize the first vapor refrigerant stream 250 to provide a first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254, and the second auxiliary compressor 162 can receive and pressurize the second vapor refrigerant stream 252 to provide a second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256. The first auxiliary compressor 160 and the second auxiliary compressor 162 can discharge the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 and the second vapor refrigerant stream 256, respectively, to the third auxiliary compressor 164. For example, the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 and the second vapor refrigerant stream 256 may be combined to be sucked by the third auxiliary compressor 164. To this end, the pressure of the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 achieved by the first auxiliary compressor 160 and the pressure of the second vapor refrigerant stream 256 achieved by the second auxiliary compressor 162 may be substantially equal to each other to facilitate flow to the third auxiliary compressor 164.

[0073] The third auxiliary compressor 164 may pressurize the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256 to provide a combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 340. As an example, the third auxiliary compressor 164 may increase the pressure of the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256 to the pressure of the main refrigerant stream 159 to facilitate the main refrigerant stream 159 and the combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 340 to flow to and / or through the condenser 34. In this manner, the first auxiliary compressor 160 and the second auxiliary compressor 162 may be arranged in parallel flow with each other, while each of the first auxiliary compressor 160 and the second auxiliary compressor 162 may be arranged in series flow with each other relative to the third auxiliary compressor 164. That is, each of the first auxiliary compressor 160 and the second auxiliary compressor 162 can be operated as a first stage to pressurize the vapor refrigerant (e.g., the first vapor refrigerant flow 250, the second vapor refrigerant flow 252) from the first economizer 140, and the third auxiliary compressor 164 can be operated as a second stage to provide additional pressurization of the vapor refrigerant from the first economizer 140.

[0074] The auxiliary compressor system 106 may also include any other suitable number of auxiliary compressors in a series flow arrangement (e.g., three or more stages of auxiliary compressors) and / or a parallel flow arrangement. In fact, an auxiliary compressor that is part of a parallel flow arrangement (e.g., the first auxiliary compressor 160) may discharge pressurized refrigerant to any auxiliary compressor in the series flow arrangement.

[0075] Fig.12is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a vapor compression system 100 including an economizer system 104 and an auxiliary compressor system 106. In the illustrated embodiment, the economizer system 104 includes a first economizer 140 that can direct a first liquid refrigerant stream 144 to a second economizer 146, a first vapor refrigerant stream 250 to the auxiliary compressor system 106, and a second vapor refrigerant stream 252 to the auxiliary compressor system 106. The second economizer 146 can direct the second liquid refrigerant stream 150 to the evaporator 38 and a third vapor refrigerant stream 370 to the auxiliary compressor system 106. The auxiliary compressor system 106 can include a first auxiliary compressor 160, a second auxiliary compressor 162, and a third auxiliary compressor 164. The first auxiliary compressor 160 may receive and pressurize the first vapor refrigerant stream 250 to provide a first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254 for discharge to the condenser 34, and the second auxiliary compressor 162 may receive and pressurize the second vapor refrigerant stream 252 to provide a second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256 for discharge to the condenser 34. The third auxiliary compressor 164 may receive and pressurize the third vapor refrigerant stream 370 to provide a third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 372 for discharge to the condenser 34. The first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 254, the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 256, and / or the third pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 372 may be combined to provide a combined pressurized vapor refrigerant stream 374 for intake by the condenser 34. The piping system 174 may include a first valve 176 configured to control the flow of the first vapor refrigerant flow 250 to the first auxiliary compressor 160 , a second valve 178 configured to control the flow of the second vapor refrigerant flow 252 to the second auxiliary compressor 162 , and a third valve 376 configured to control the flow of the third vapor refrigerant flow 370 to the third auxiliary compressor 164 .

[0076] The auxiliary compressors 160, 162, 164 may pressurize the vapor refrigerant streams 250, 252, 370 to the pressure of the main refrigerant stream 159. In addition, the vapor refrigerant streams provided by the economizers 140, 146 may be different from each other. Therefore, the total amount of the total vapor refrigerant stream (e.g., the confluence of the first refrigerant stream 250 and the second refrigerant stream 252) provided by the first economizer 140 may be greater or less than the amount of the third vapor refrigerant stream 370 provided by the second economizer 146. In addition, because the total amount of the total vapor refrigerant stream from the first economizer 140 is distributed as the first vapor refrigerant stream 250 and the second vapor refrigerant stream 252, the amount of the first vapor refrigerant stream 250 and / or the second vapor refrigerant stream may be significantly less than the total amount of the total vapor refrigerant stream. For example, although the total amount of the total vapor refrigerant stream may be greater than the amount of the third vapor refrigerant stream 370, the amounts of the first vapor refrigerant stream 250 and the second vapor refrigerant stream 252 may be approximately equal to each other and / or equal to the third vapor refrigerant stream 370. Therefore, embodiments of the first auxiliary compressor 160 and / or the second auxiliary compressor 162 may be selected so as to be capable of receiving and pressurizing a relatively small first vapor refrigerant stream 250 and a relatively small second vapor refrigerant stream 252, respectively, rather than, for example, a relatively large total amount of the total vapor refrigerant stream.

[0077] Figures 13 to 16 is a diagram of a vapor compression cycle of different vapor compression systems, which corresponds to various possible configurations of the present disclosure. For example, Figures 13 to 16 Each of includes an x-axis 302 corresponding to enthalpy ("H" or "h") and a y-axis 304 corresponding to logarithmic pressure ("p"). Fig.13 The diagram 300 corresponds to an embodiment in which the cycle includes at least a main compressor, two economizer stages, and two auxiliary compressor stages corresponding to the two economizer stages and flowing in parallel. Fig.14 The diagram 400 corresponds to an embodiment in which the cycle includes at least a main compressor, two economizer stages, and two auxiliary compressor stages corresponding to the two economizer stages, wherein the two auxiliary compressor stages flow in series (e.g., with Figure 7 The embodiments shown are similar or identical).

[0078] Fig.15 The diagram 500 corresponds to an embodiment in which the cycle includes at least a main compressor, an economizer stage, and two auxiliary compressor stages corresponding to the economizer stage, wherein the two auxiliary compressor stages flow in parallel. That is, Fig.15 The diagram 500 may correspond to Figure 8 The embodiment shown includes the above features, and / or Fig.12The illustrated embodiment includes the above features in addition to a second economizer stage and a third auxiliary compressor stage corresponding to the second economizer stage, wherein the first, second and third auxiliary compressor stages flow in parallel. Fig.16 Diagram 600 corresponds to an embodiment in which the cycle includes at least a main compressor, first and second economizer stages, first and second auxiliary compressor stages corresponding to the first and second economizer stages and flowing in series (e.g., wherein the first auxiliary compressor stage is connected between a first economizer stage (such as a low-pressure economizer) and a second economizer stage (such as a high-pressure economizer), and wherein the second auxiliary compressor stage is connected between the second economizer stage to a second condenser), and a third compressor stage flowing in parallel from the first economizer stage to the condenser.

[0079] Although only certain features and embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described, many modifications and changes (such as the size, dimensions, structure, shape and proportion of various elements, changes in parameter values ​​(e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.), installation arrangements, material use, color, orientation, etc.) may be conceived by those skilled in the art without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be changed or reordered according to alternative embodiments. Therefore, it is to be noted that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, in order to provide a concise description of the exemplary embodiments, all features of the actual implementation may not be described (i.e., those features that are not related to the best mode currently contemplated for implementing the present disclosure, or those features that are not related to the implementation of the claimed embodiments). It should be understood that in the development of such actual implementations, as in any engineering technology or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions may be made. Such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but for ordinary technicians who benefit from the present disclosure, these are routine tasks of design, manufacture and production without excessive experimentation.

[0080] The techniques presented and claimed herein refer to and apply to substantial objects and specific examples of a practical nature that improve the technical field of the invention in a demonstrable manner and are therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. In addition, if any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements expressed as "means for [performing] [the function] ..." or "steps for [performing] [the function] ...", it is expected that such elements will be interpreted in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claim containing elements specified in any other manner, it is intended that such elements will not be interpreted in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

1. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning and / or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system comprising: an economizer system configured to reduce a pressure of a first portion of the refrigerant; an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant from the economizer system, wherein the auxiliary compressor system includes a first auxiliary compressor and a second auxiliary compressor; Main compressor; as well as A condenser is configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant from the auxiliary compressor system and to receive a second portion of the refrigerant from the main compressor. 2 . The HVAC&R system of claim 1 , comprising an evaporator configured to supply the second portion of the refrigerant to the main compressor.

3. The HVAC&R system of claim 2, wherein the evaporator is configured to receive the second portion of the refrigerant in liquid form from the economizer system, and the auxiliary compressor system is configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant in vapor form from the economizer system.

4. The HVAC&R system of claim 1 , wherein the first auxiliary compressor is disposed in series with the second auxiliary compressor relative to the flow of the first portion of the refrigerant such that the first auxiliary compressor is configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant from the economizer system and the second auxiliary compressor is configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant from the first auxiliary compressor.

5. The HVAC&R system of claim 1 , wherein the first auxiliary compressor is disposed in parallel with the second auxiliary compressor relative to the flow of the first portion of the refrigerant such that the first auxiliary compressor is configured to receive a first amount of the first portion of the refrigerant from the economizer system and the second auxiliary compressor is configured to receive a second amount of the first portion of the refrigerant from the economizer system.

6. The HVAC&R system of claim 5, wherein the economizer system comprises: a first economizer, wherein the first auxiliary compressor is configured to receive the first amount of the first portion of the refrigerant from the first economizer; as well as A second economizer, wherein the second auxiliary compressor is configured to receive the second amount of the first portion of the refrigerant from the second economizer.

7. The HVAC&R system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary compressor system includes a third auxiliary compressor.

8. A heating, ventilation, air conditioning and / or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system comprising: an economizer system configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant to provide a first vapor refrigerant stream and a second vapor refrigerant stream; as well as An auxiliary compressor system comprising: a first auxiliary compressor configured to receive the first vapor refrigerant stream from the economizer system and to pressurize the first vapor refrigerant stream to provide a first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream; and a second auxiliary compressor configured to receive the second vapor refrigerant stream from the economizer system and to pressurize the second vapor refrigerant stream to provide a second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream, wherein The auxiliary compressor system is configured to discharge a combined vapor refrigerant stream including the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream toward a condenser of the HVAC&R system.

9. The HVAC&R system of claim 8, wherein the first auxiliary compressor is configured to discharge the first pressurized vapor refrigerant flow toward the condenser as a portion of the combined vapor refrigerant flow, and the second auxiliary compressor is configured to discharge the second pressurized vapor refrigerant flow toward the condenser as an additional portion of the combined vapor refrigerant flow.

10. The HVAC&R system of claim 8, wherein the second auxiliary compressor is configured to discharge the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream toward the first auxiliary compressor, and the first auxiliary compressor is configured to pressurize the first vapor refrigerant stream and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream to provide the combined vapor refrigerant stream including the first pressurized vapor refrigerant stream and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant stream for discharge toward the condenser.

11. The HVAC&R system of claim 8, wherein the economizer system comprises: a first economizer configured to receive the refrigerant from the condenser and separate the refrigerant into a first liquid refrigerant stream and the first vapor refrigerant stream; as well as A second economizer is configured to receive the first liquid refrigerant stream and separate the first liquid refrigerant stream into a second liquid refrigerant stream and the second vapor refrigerant stream.

12. The HVAC&R system of claim 8 , comprising a third auxiliary compressor, wherein the first auxiliary compressor is configured to discharge the first pressurized vapor refrigerant flow toward the condenser as a portion of the combined vapor refrigerant flow, the second auxiliary compressor is configured to discharge the second pressurized vapor refrigerant flow toward the third auxiliary compressor, and the third auxiliary compressor is configured to pressurize the second pressurized vapor refrigerant flow to be discharged toward the condenser as another portion of the combined vapor refrigerant flow.

13. The HVAC&R system of claim 8, comprising a third auxiliary compressor, wherein the first auxiliary compressor is configured to discharge the first pressurized vapor refrigerant flow to the third auxiliary compressor, the second auxiliary compressor is configured to discharge the second pressurized vapor refrigerant flow to the third auxiliary compressor, and the third auxiliary compressor is configured to pressurize the first pressurized vapor refrigerant flow and the second pressurized vapor refrigerant flow to provide the combined vapor refrigerant flow for discharge to the condenser.

14. The HVAC&R system of claim 8, wherein the economizer system includes an economizer configured to receive the refrigerant from the condenser and separate the refrigerant into liquid refrigerant and vapor refrigerant, and the economizer system is configured to distribute the vapor refrigerant into the first vapor refrigerant flow and the second vapor refrigerant flow.

15. The HVAC&R system of claim 8, comprising: an evaporator configured to receive a refrigerant flow from the economizer system and to discharge the refrigerant flow from an outlet of the evaporator; as well as A main compressor is configured to operate to pressurize the refrigerant flow from the outlet of the evaporator to a target pressure for discharge to the condenser.

16. The HVAC&R system of claim 15, wherein the first auxiliary compressor is configured to pressurize the first vapor refrigerant flow and the second auxiliary compressor is configured to pressurize the second vapor refrigerant flow to adjust the pressure of the combined vapor refrigerant flow to the target pressure.

17. The HVAC&R system of claim 8, comprising a first valve and a second valve, wherein the first valve is configured to control the flow of the first vapor refrigerant flow from the economizer system to the first auxiliary compressor, and the second valve is configured to control the flow of the second vapor refrigerant flow from the economizer system to the second auxiliary compressor.

18. A compression system for a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and / or refrigeration (HVAC&R) system, the compression system comprising: an auxiliary compressor system configured to receive a first portion of refrigerant from an economizer system of the HVAC&R system, the auxiliary compression system comprising a first auxiliary compressor and a second auxiliary compressor; as well as A main compressor is configured to receive a second portion of the refrigerant from an evaporator of the HVAC&R system.

19. The compression system of claim 18, wherein: The auxiliary compressor system is configured to output the first portion of the refrigerant toward a condenser; and The main compressor is configured to output the second portion of the refrigerant toward the condenser.

20. The compression system of claim 18, wherein: the first auxiliary compressor being disposed in series with the second auxiliary compressor relative to the flow of the first portion of the refrigerant, such that the second auxiliary compressor is configured to receive the first portion of the refrigerant from the first auxiliary compressor; or The first auxiliary compressor is arranged in parallel with the second auxiliary compressor relative to the flow of the first portion of the refrigerant, so that the first auxiliary compressor is configured to receive a first amount of the first portion of the refrigerant from the economizer system and the second auxiliary compressor is configured to receive a second amount of the first portion of the refrigerant from the economizer system.

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