Heat exchanger for hvacr system

Abstract

The invention relates to an HVACamp; an R system (10) may include a compressor (32) to drive a working fluid through a vapor compression circuit, and a condenser (34) disposed along the vapor compression circuit to transfer heat from the working fluid to one or more condenser conditioning fluids (82). The HVACamp; the R system (10) may also include a dual-beam evaporator (92) having a first evaporator tube bundle (58) and a second evaporator tube bundle (58) disposed along the vapor compression circuit. In addition, the two-beam evaporator (92) may selectively transfer heat to the working fluid from a first evaporator conditioning fluid (84) operably located within the first evaporator tube bundle (58), a second evaporator conditioning fluid (84) operably located within the second evaporator tube bundle (58), or both. Further, the first evaporator tube bundle (58) may be fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a first fluid circuit, and the second evaporator tube bundle may be fluidly coupled to a heat source (62) independent of the air distribution system.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 409,341, entitled "A HEAT PUMP", filed on September 23, 2022, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 409,344, entitled "A HEAT EXCHANGER FOR AN HVAC SYSTEM", filed on September 23, 2022, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0003] This section is intended to introduce to the reader various aspects of the technology that may be related to the various aspects of the present disclosure described below. It is believed that this discussion will help to provide the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements should be read in this light and not as an admission of prior art.

[0004] Chiller systems or vapor compression systems utilize a working fluid (e.g., a refrigerant) that changes phase between vapor, liquid, and combinations thereof in response to exposure to different temperatures and pressures within components of the chiller system. The chiller system can place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with a conditioning fluid (e.g., water) and can deliver the conditioning fluid to conditioning equipment and / or conditioned environments served by the chiller system. For example, the chiller system can include a heat exchanger configured to receive the working fluid and the conditioning fluid to place the working fluid in a heat exchange relationship with the conditioning fluid. The conditioning fluid can be directed from the heat exchanger to other equipment, such as an air handler, to condition other fluids, such as air in a building. The working fluid can be directed from the heat exchanger through other components of the chiller system, such as a compressor and / or a condenser, to process (e.g., pressurize, cool) the working fluid so that the working fluid can provide conditioning of the conditioning fluid. However, in some cases, the conditioning capacity of the chiller system can be limited by the input / output of the conditioning fluid through the components of the chiller system. For this reason, the chiller system may not operate efficiently to condition the conditioning fluid for different conditioning requirements. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0005] An overview of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. It should be understood that these aspects are presented only to provide a brief summary of certain embodiments to the reader and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Indeed, the present disclosure may cover various aspects that may not be set forth below.

[0006] In one embodiment, a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system may include a compressor configured to drive a working fluid through a vapor compression loop, and an evaporator disposed along the vapor compression loop and configured to transfer heat from one or more evaporator conditioning fluids to the working fluid. The HVAC&R system may further include a multi-bundle condenser disposed along the vapor compression loop and having at least two condenser tube bundles. Additionally, the multi-bundle condenser may selectively transfer heat from the working fluid to a first condenser conditioning fluid operably disposed within a first condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled via a first fluid loop to a cooling tower, a second condenser conditioning fluid operably disposed within a second condenser tube bundle, or both.

[0007] In another embodiment, a vapor compression system may include a multi-bundle condenser having at least two condenser tube bundles. Additionally, the multi-bundle condenser may selectively transfer heat from the working fluid to one or more condenser conditioning fluids within a group of condenser conditioning fluids. The group of condenser conditioning fluids may include a first condenser conditioning fluid operably disposed within a first condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled via a first fluid loop to a cooling tower, and a second condenser conditioning fluid operably disposed within a second condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled via a second fluid loop to an air distribution system. The vapor compression system may further include a controller configured to select one or more condenser conditioning fluids from the group of condenser conditioning fluids based on an adjustment load of the air distribution system.

[0008] In another embodiment, a multi-bundle condenser may include a housing and at least two condenser tube bundles disposed within the housing, the condenser tube bundles being configured to independently transfer heat from the working fluid of the vapor compression loop to one or more condenser conditioning fluids within a group of condenser conditioning fluids. The group of condenser conditioning fluids may include a first condenser conditioning fluid operably disposed within a first condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled via a first fluid loop to a cooling tower, and a second condenser conditioning fluid operably disposed within a second condenser tube bundle fluidly coupled via a second fluid loop to an air distribution system cooling tower.

[0009] In another embodiment, the HVAC&R system can include a compressor for driving a working fluid through a vapor compression loop, and a condenser disposed along the vapor compression loop for transferring heat from the working fluid to one or more condenser conditioning fluids. The HVAC&R system can also include a dual-bundle evaporator having a first evaporator tube bundle and a second evaporator tube bundle disposed along the vapor compression loop. Additionally, the dual-bundle evaporator can selectively transfer heat from a first evaporator conditioning fluid operably located within the first evaporator tube bundle, a second evaporator conditioning fluid operably located within the second evaporator tube bundle, or both, to the working fluid. Further, the first evaporator tube bundle can be fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a first fluid circuit, and the second evaporator tube bundle can be fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system.

[0010] In another embodiment, the vapor compression system can include a dual-bundle evaporator having a first evaporator tube bundle and a second evaporator tube bundle. The dual-bundle evaporator can selectively transfer heat from one or more evaporator conditioning fluids in a group of evaporator conditioning fluids to the working fluid. The group of evaporator conditioning fluids can include a first evaporator conditioning fluid operably located within the first evaporator tube bundle and a second evaporator conditioning fluid operably located within the second evaporator tube bundle. Additionally, the first evaporator tube bundle can be fluidly coupled to an air distribution system, and the second evaporator tube bundle can be fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system. Further, the vapor compression system can include a controller to select one or more evaporator conditioning fluids from the group of evaporator conditioning fluids based on a conditioning load of the air distribution system.

[0011] In another embodiment, the dual-bundle evaporator can include a housing and at least two evaporator tube bundles disposed within the housing, which can independently transfer heat from one or more evaporator conditioning fluids in a group of evaporator conditioning fluids to the working fluid of the vapor compression loop. The group of evaporator conditioning fluids can include a first evaporator conditioning fluid operably located within a first evaporator tube bundle fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a first fluid circuit, and a second evaporator conditioning fluid operably located within a second evaporator tube bundle fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system via a second fluid circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Aspects of the present disclosure may be better understood after reading the following detailed description and with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building in an embodiment utilizing a heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC&R) system in a commercial environment;

[0013] Figure 2is a perspective view of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 3 is a schematic view of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 4 is a schematic view of a vapor compression system including an intermediate vessel according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 5 is a schematic view of a vapor compression system having a multi - stage compressor according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 6 is a schematic view of a vapor compression system having a dual - bundle evaporator and a dual - bundle condenser according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 7 is a schematic view of a vapor compression system having a triple - bundle evaporator according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 8 is a chart of an exemplary bundle combination applicable to different operating modes with associated regulated loads;

[0020] Figure 9 is a schematic view of a dual - bundle evaporator according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 10 is according to one aspect of the present disclosure, including a fluid tank Figure 9 schematic view of a dual - bundle evaporator;

[0022] Figure 11 is a schematic view of a dual - bundle condenser according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 12 is according to one aspect of the present disclosure, including a fluid tank Figure 11 schematic view of a dual - bundle condenser;

[0024] Figure 13 is a schematic view of a triple - bundle condenser according to one aspect of the present disclosure; and

[0025] Figure 14 is according to one aspect of the present disclosure, including a fluid tank Figure 13 schematic view of a triple - bundle condenser. Detailed Description

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

[0027] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a / an" and "the" are intended to mean that there is one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising," "including," and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that additional elements may exist 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 construed as excluding the existence of additional embodiments incorporating the recited features.

[0028] As used herein, terms such as "about," "substantially," "substantially," etc. are intended to convey that the property value being described can be within a relatively small range of that property value, as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, when a property value is described as "about" equal to (or, for example, "substantially similar" to) a given value, this is intended to convey that the property value can be within + / -5%, + / -4%, + / -3%, + / -2%, + / -1% of the given value, or even closer. Similarly, when a given feature is described as "substantially parallel" to another feature, "substantially perpendicular" to another feature, etc., this is intended to convey that the given feature has the described property, such as being parallel to another feature, perpendicular to another feature, etc., within + / -5%, + / -4%, + / -3%, + / -2%, + / -1% or even closer. Mathematical terms (such as "parallel" and "perpendicular") should not be strictly interpreted in a strict mathematical sense, but should be interpreted as would be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that two lines that are substantially parallel to each other are largely parallel, but may have a slight deviation from being perfectly parallel.

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

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

[0031] Generally, the flow path of the working fluid can include a compressor to compress and direct the working fluid to a condenser that exchanges heat with a first condenser conditioning fluid. The first condenser conditioning fluid can extract heat from the working fluid, and at least a portion of the working fluid can form condensate (e.g., liquid working fluid). After passing through the condenser, the working fluid can be directed to one or more expansion devices (e.g., expansion valves) to reduce its pressure and directed to an evaporator. The working fluid at reduced pressure can then be used within the evaporator to extract heat from a first evaporator conditioning fluid. The heat exchange can cause a portion of the working fluid to evaporate, and the evaporated working fluid can be directed back to the compressor as part of the vapor compression loop.

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

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

[0034] Additionally or alternatively, the condenser may supply heat (e.g., from the working fluid) to a second condenser conditioning fluid to provide heat to the conditioned space. For example, hot water from the condenser may be supplied to the air handler, either together with or independently of the chilled water from the evaporator, to condition the air stream flowing to the conditioned space. Such operation may reduce or eliminate the use of auxiliary heating systems, such as boilers, gas heating, and / or electric heating. In some embodiments, the condenser may specifically supply heat to the first condenser conditioning fluid or the second condenser conditioning fluid. However, in some embodiments, the condenser may include a dual-bundle tube assembly to accommodate the first condenser conditioning fluid and the second condenser conditioning fluid flowing through it independently. In other words, the dual-bundle condenser may extract heat from the working fluid and supply the heat to the first condenser conditioning fluid via a first set of tubes (e.g., a bundle) and / or supply the heat to the second condenser conditioning fluid via a second set of tubes. For example, in some embodiments, the dual-bundle condenser may extract heat from the working fluid and supply the heat to the air handler (e.g., via the second condenser conditioning fluid) and / or dissipate additional heat to the cooling tower (e.g., via the first condenser conditioning fluid).

[0035] By providing heated second condenser conditioned fluid and / or cooled first evaporator conditioned fluid, the conditioning load of a conditioned space can be met. However, in some cases, the requested conditioning load may require more heated second condenser conditioned fluid (such as relative to the cooled first evaporator conditioned fluid) than is available during normal operation of the dual-bundle condenser. Reducing the flow rate of the first condenser conditioned fluid can reduce the heat dissipated to the cooling tower. However, this reduction in the flow rate through the same pipe (e.g., through the condenser) can result in a reduced velocity, which may cause a change in the flow pattern through the pipes of the condenser (e.g., reduced turbulence or a change to laminar flow), which may further reduce heat exchange efficiency and / or cause deposits to build up within the pipes. Thus, in some embodiments, the condenser can be a triple-bundle condenser having a third set of pipes to provide heat to a third condenser conditioned fluid. The third set of pipes can be fewer in number and / or smaller in diameter than the first set of pipes (e.g., supplying the first condenser conditioned fluid) and coupled to the same or a separate cooling tower. Additionally, the third condenser conditioned fluid can be fluidly coupled to the first condenser conditioned fluid, such as at the cooling tower and / or at one or more valves along one or more pipes between the cooling tower and the condenser. The third condenser conditioned fluid extracts a lesser amount of heat from the working fluid, thus leaving more heat to be transferred to the second condenser conditioned fluid and / or enabling a degraded operating mode (e.g., single-compressor mode, compressor motor frequency-down state), thereby improving efficiency.

[0036] As described above, the evaporator can supply a first evaporator conditioning fluid (e.g., chilled water) to other devices of the HVAC&R system, such as an air handler, to provide conditioning (e.g., cooling) to a conditioned space (such as a building). Additionally or alternatively, the evaporator can extract heat from a second evaporator conditioning fluid (e.g., transfer heat to a working fluid) to introduce additional heat into the HVAC&R system. In other words, the evaporator can operate in a heat pump mode to introduce heat from the second evaporator conditioning fluid into the HVAC&R system. For example, a heat source fluid (such as wastewater, nearby lake water, river water, geothermal spring water, etc.) can be supplied to the evaporator (e.g., as the second evaporator conditioning fluid) to introduce heat into the HVAC&R system, such as providing heat to a second condenser conditioning fluid. In some embodiments, the evaporator can specifically extract heat from either the first evaporator conditioning fluid or the second evaporator conditioning fluid. However, in some embodiments, the evaporator can include a dual-bundle tube assembly to accommodate the first evaporator conditioning fluid and the second evaporator conditioning fluid flowing through it independently. In other words, the dual-bundle evaporator can extract heat from the first evaporator conditioning fluid via a first set of evaporator tubes and / or extract heat from the second evaporator conditioning fluid via a second set of evaporator tubes, and supply the heat to the working fluid. For example, in some embodiments, the dual-bundle evaporator can cool water (e.g., extract heat from it), such as used by an air handling system, and / or extract heat from a heat source fluid and supply the heat to the working fluid of the HVAC&R system, such as generating hot water from it (e.g., via a condenser).

[0037] Depending on the conditioning load of the requested conditioned space (e.g., the conditioning fluid corresponding to cooling and heating), different operating modes of a single-bundle evaporator or a dual-bundle evaporator can be utilized. Additionally, the dual-bundle evaporator can be used with a single-bundle condenser, a dual-bundle condenser, or a triple-bundle condenser. Similarly, as described herein, a single-bundle condenser, a dual-bundle condenser, or a triple-bundle condenser can be used with a single-bundle evaporator, and different combinations of the evaporator and the condenser can allow different operating modes, which can more effectively accommodate different conditioning loads.

[0038] Turning now to the drawings, Figure 1Is a perspective view of an embodiment of the environment of 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 may include a vapor compression system 14 (e.g., a chiller) that supplies conditioned (e.g., heated and / or cooled) liquid, which may be used to condition (e.g., heat and / or cool) the building 12. In some embodiments, the HVAC&R system 10 may further include a boiler 16 for supplying heated liquid to heat the building 12 and an air distribution system for circulating air through the building 12. The air distribution system may also include an air return duct 18, an air supply duct 20, and / or an air handler 22. In some embodiments, the air handler 22 may include a heat exchanger that is connected to the boiler 16 and / or the vapor compression system 14 via a duct 24. Depending on the operating mode of the HVAC&R system 10, the heat exchanger in the air handler 22 may receive heated liquid from the boiler 16, cooled liquid from the vapor compression system 14, and / or heated liquid from the vapor compression system 14. Although the HVAC&R system 10 is shown as having a separate air handler on each floor of the building 12, it should be understood that the HVAC&R system 10 may include air handlers 22 and / or other components that are shared between floors, and / or each floor may include multiple air handlers 22 and / or other components. Additionally, the HVAC&R system 10 may include one or more sensors 26 (e.g., temperature, humidity, and / or pressure sensors) and / or a controller 28 (e.g., a thermostat) to regulate the operation of the HVAC&R system 10.

[0039] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Are respectively a perspective view and a schematic diagram of an exemplary vapor compression system 14 used in the HVAC&R system 10. The vapor compression system 14 may circulate a working fluid (e.g., a heat transfer fluid, a refrigerant) through a circuit driven by a compressor 32. The circuit may further include a condenser 34, one or more expansion devices 36 (e.g., expansion valves), and an 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. In some embodiments, the control panel 40 may control the operation of the HVAC&R system 10 (e.g., operating mode, start, stop, load, speed, valve position, etc.) based at least in part on feedback from sensors 26 and / or a controller 28 within a conditioned space (e.g., the building 12).

[0040] Some examples of fluids that can be used as the working fluid in the vapor compression system 14 are hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-based refrigerants (e.g., R-410A, R-407, R-134a, R-1234ze, R1233zd, hydrofluoroolefin (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 effectively utilize a working fluid having a standard boiling point of about 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) at one atmosphere, which is also referred to as a low-pressure working fluid relative to a medium-pressure working fluid such as R-134a. As used herein, “standard boiling point” can refer to the boiling point temperature measured at one atmosphere.

[0041] In some embodiments, the motor 50 can drive the compressor 32 and can be powered by a variable speed drive (VSD) 52. The VSD 52 receives AC power having a specific fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an alternating current (AC) power source and supplies power having a variable voltage and frequency to the motor 50. In other embodiments, the motor 50 can be powered directly by an AC or direct current (DC) power source. The motor 50 can include any type of motor that can 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.

[0042] The compressor 32 compresses the working fluid vapor and delivers the vapor to the condenser 34 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, the compressor 32 can be a centrifugal compressor. The working fluid vapor delivered to the condenser 34 by the compressor 32 can transfer heat to a condenser conditioning fluid (e.g., a first condenser conditioning fluid, a second condenser conditioning fluid, and / or a third condenser conditioning fluid) in the condenser 34. Due to the heat transfer with the condenser conditioning fluid, the working fluid vapor can condense into a working fluid liquid in the condenser 34. The liquid working fluid from the condenser 34 can flow through the expansion device 36 to the evaporator 38. In some embodiments, the condenser 34 includes one or more condenser tube bundles 54, such as connected to a cooling tower 56 and / or a conditioning load 60 (e.g., an air handler 22), and the condenser tube bundle guides the condenser conditioning fluid to and from the condenser 34 via a condenser supply 54S and a condenser return 54R.

[0043] The liquid working fluid delivered to the evaporator 38 can absorb heat from the evaporator regulating fluid (e.g., the first evaporator regulating fluid and / or the second evaporator regulating fluid), and the evaporator regulating fluid may or may not be the same type of regulating fluid used in the condenser 34. The liquid working fluid in the evaporator 38 can at least partially undergo a phase change from the liquid working fluid to the working fluid vapor. In some embodiments, the evaporator 38 can include one or more evaporator tube bundles 58 having an evaporator supply 58S and an evaporator return 58R connected to a heat source 62 and / or a regulating load 60 (such as the air handler 22). It should be understood that the heat source 62 can be any suitable heat source, such as a heat source liquid (e.g., wastewater, groundwater, geothermal spring water, seawater, etc.), ambient air, sunlight, or other heat sources, which can be independent or not independent of the air distribution system (such as the air handler 22). The evaporator regulating fluid enters the evaporator 38 via the return 58R and exits the evaporator 38 via the supply 58S. The evaporator 38 can reduce the temperature of the evaporator regulating fluid in the tube bundle 58 via heat transfer with the working fluid. Each of the one or more tube bundles 58 can include one or more tubes (e.g., pipes). Additionally, the vapor working fluid exits the evaporator 38 via a suction line and returns to the compressor 32 to complete the cycle. It should be understood that the regulating fluid for the condenser 34 and / or the evaporator 38 can be any suitable fluid, such as but not limited to water, ethylene glycol, calcium chloride brine, and / or sodium chloride brine.

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

[0045] Additionally, due to the pressure drop experienced by the liquid working fluid when entering the intermediate container 70 (e.g., due to the rapid increase in volume experienced when entering the intermediate container 70), the intermediate container 70 can provide further expansion of the liquid working fluid. The vapor in the intermediate container 70 can be drawn into the compressor 32 through the suction line 73 of the compressor 32. In other embodiments, the vapor in the intermediate container can be pumped to an intermediate stage of the compressor 32 (e.g., a suction stage other than from the evaporator 38). Due to the expansion in the expansion device 66 and / or the intermediate container 70, the liquid collected in the intermediate container 70 can be at a lower enthalpy than the liquid working fluid leaving the condenser 34. Then, the liquid from the intermediate container 70 can flow through the second expansion device 74 in the line 72 to reach the evaporator 38. Additionally, in some embodiments, the bypass line 76 can selectively or simultaneously (e.g., when a portion of the working fluid is provided to the intermediate container 70) supply the liquid working fluid to the expansion device 36 and the evaporator 38, thereby bypassing the intermediate container 70.

[0046] It should be recognized that any of the features described herein can be combined with the vapor compression system 14 for any suitable HVAC&R system 10. In fact, the present technology can be combined with HVAC&R systems having a single-stage compressor (as described above), a multi-stage compressor, and / or multiple compressors. For purposes of illustration, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a vapor compression system 14 including two compression stages. It should be understood that any suitable number of compression stages can be used depending on the implementation, and the compression stages can be multiple stages of a single compressor 32 or two separate compressors (e.g., compressor 32A and 32B) in series, parallel, or a combination thereof.

[0047] In Figure 5 the illustrated embodiment, the first compressor 32A can pressurize the working fluid to a first pressure, and the second compressor 32B can receive the working fluid at the first pressure and further increase the pressure of the working fluid to a second pressure. Additionally, in embodiments having an intermediate container 70 (such as a flash tank), the suction line 74 can draw from the intermediate container 70 at a first pressure (e.g., an intermediate pressure). In some embodiments, the condenser 34 can receive the working fluid at the first pressure (e.g., from the first compressor 32A), the working fluid at the second pressure (e.g., from the second compressor 32B), or accommodate inputs at the first pressure and the second pressure simultaneously (e.g., separately or simultaneously). Additionally, in some embodiments, the first compressor 32A can be turned on in certain operating modes, and the second compressor 32B can be turned on and operate simultaneously with the first compressor 32A to improve the regulation ability of the vapor compression system 14.

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

[0049] As described above, the condenser 34 may transfer heat from the working fluid to one or more condenser conditioning fluids 82. For example, the condenser return 54R may provide the condenser conditioning fluid 82 via one or more condenser tube bundles 54. Additionally, the condenser supply 54S may direct the condenser conditioning fluid 82 (e.g., heated fluid) to the conditioning load 60 to provide heat to the conditioned space via the air handler 22 and / or the cooling tower 56 to dissipate the heat to the environment (e.g., exterior) of the conditioned space.

[0050] Additionally, in some embodiments, the evaporator 38 may transfer heat from one or more evaporator conditioning fluids 84 to the working fluid. For example, the evaporator return 58R may provide the evaporator conditioning fluid 84 via one or more evaporator tube bundles 58. In some embodiments, the evaporator conditioning fluid 84 may include return fluid from the air handler 22 and / or the heat source 62 (e.g., ambient air, sunlight (e.g., solar heater), wastewater, groundwater, geothermal spring water) to provide heat to the HVAC&R system 10. Additionally, the evaporator supply 58S may direct the evaporator conditioning fluid 84 (e.g., cooled fluid) to the conditioning load 60 to provide cooling to the conditioned space via the air handler 22.

[0051] In some embodiments, the evaporator 38 may include at least a portion of an oil cooler system 86 having an oil supply line 88S and an oil return line 88R. For example, the evaporator 38 may receive heated oil from the compressor 32 and / or an oil reservoir via the oil return line 88R, transfer heat from the oil to the working fluid, and direct the cooled oil back to the compressor 32. Thus, the evaporator 38 may provide oil cooling to the compressor 32 while generating heat, such as when operating in heat pump mode. As described herein, the evaporator 38 may be a single-bundle evaporator or a dual-bundle evaporator, and either may be used in combination with or independently of the oil cooler system 86 (e.g., not in combination with the oil cooler system).

[0052] As described herein, the condenser 34 and / or the evaporator 38 may each include one or more different tube bundles (e.g., one or more condenser tube bundles 54 and one or more evaporator tube bundles 58) to accommodate one or more conditioning fluids (e.g., one or more condenser conditioning fluids 82 and / or one or more evaporator conditioning fluids 84) to absorb and distribute heat within the HVAC&R system 10. For purposes of illustration,Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary vapor compression system 14 having a dual-bundle condenser 90 and a dual-bundle evaporator 92. As described herein, single-bundle, dual-bundle, and triple-bundle refer to different (e.g., fluidly and / or conceptually separated within the respective condenser 34 or evaporator 38 into bundles of conditioned fluid having different sources, destinations, and / or purposes) bundles of conditioned fluid. It should be understood that multiple conduits 24 and / or tube sets (e.g., pipes) may be used for each different conditioned fluid. Additionally, although Figure 6 shown is the operation using a dual-bundle condenser 90 and a dual-bundle evaporator 92, and Figure 7 shown is the operation using a triple-bundle condenser 94 and a dual-bundle evaporator 92, it should be understood that aspects of the present disclosure apply to single-bundle condensers, dual-bundle condensers 90, triple-bundle condensers 94, single-bundle evaporators, dual-bundle evaporators 92, and any combination thereof.

[0053] The dual-bundle condenser 90 allows two separate condenser conditioned fluids 82 to extract heat from the working fluid. For example, a first condenser conditioned fluid 82-1 may extract heat from the working fluid and be directed from the dual-bundle condenser 90 to a cooling tower 56 or other system for cooling the first condenser conditioned fluid 82-1. For example, the cooling tower 56 may exchange heat between the first condenser conditioned fluid 82-1 and ambient air. Thus, the cooling tower 56 may be used for heat rejection in the HVAC&R system 10, such as providing cooling to a first evaporator conditioned fluid 84-1 (e.g., via the evaporator). It should be understood that although the cooling tower 56 is discussed herein, any suitable heat exchange system may be used to dissipate heat from the first condenser conditioned fluid 82-1 to the environment.

[0054] Additionally, the dual-bundle condenser 90 may provide heat (e.g., from the working fluid) to a second condenser conditioned fluid 82-2 to provide heat to a conditioned space (e.g., building 12), such as via an air handler 22. In other words, the dual-bundle condenser 90 may be fluidly coupled to the air handler 22 or other components of the HVAC&R system 10 to provide heat to the conditioned space. Conventionally, heated conditioned fluid from a boiler 16 or other source is directed to the air handler 22 to heat the conditioned space. However, by utilizing heat that would otherwise be sent to the cooling tower 56 for dissipation, resource efficiency can be improved. For example, heating from the boiler 16 may be reduced or eliminated.

[0055] In some embodiments, the dual-bundle condenser 90 may specifically provide heat to the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1 or the second condenser regulating fluid 82-2. For example, based on the operating mode of the HVAC&R system 10 and / or the regulation load 60, the control panel 40 may selectively open and close one or more valves of the condenser tube bundle 54 and / or the conduits 24 leading thereto, and / or enable or disable one or more pumps that circulate the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1 (e.g., between the cooling tower 56 and the dual-bundle condenser 90) and / or the second condenser regulating fluid 82-2 (e.g., between the air handler 22 and the dual-bundle condenser 90).

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

[0057] As described herein, the dual-bundle condenser 90 may be implemented with a single-bundle evaporator or a dual-bundle evaporator 92. The dual-bundle evaporator 92 may provide heat transfer between the working fluid and the first evaporator regulating fluid 84-1 and / or the second evaporator regulating fluid 84-2. For example, the first evaporator regulating fluid 84-1 may be cooled (e.g., transferring heat therefrom to the working fluid) and provided to other components of the HVAC&R system 10, such as the air handler 22, to provide cooling to a conditioned space (e.g., building 12). In some embodiments, a fluid circuit may circulate the first evaporator regulating fluid 84-1 between the dual-bundle evaporator 92 and the air handler 22, thereby providing the cooled first evaporator regulating fluid 84-1 to the air handler 22 and returning the warmed (e.g., via heat exchange with the air stream) first evaporator regulating fluid 84-1 to the dual-bundle evaporator 92.

[0058] Additionally, the dual-bundle evaporator 92 can extract heat from the heat source 62 via the second evaporator regulating fluid 84-2 (e.g., transfer heat to the working fluid) to introduce additional heat into the HVAC&R system 10. In other words, the dual-bundle evaporator 92 can operate in a heat pump mode to introduce heat from the heat source 62 (e.g., independent of the air distribution system (e.g., the air handler 22)) via the second evaporator regulating fluid 84-2 into the HVAC&R system 10 (e.g., in the vapor compression loop). For example, in some embodiments, the second evaporator regulating fluid 84-2 can extract heat from ambient air outside the conditioned space (e.g., via a dry cooler), a solar heater, wastewater (e.g., sewer water or other non-potable liquid to be treated), groundwater (e.g., from a nearby lake, river, reservoir), geothermal spring water, seawater, etc. Additionally, in some embodiments, the second evaporator regulating fluid 84-2 can be the heat source fluid of the heat source 62, such as wastewater, groundwater, geothermal spring water, seawater, or ambient air, and is supplied to the dual-bundle evaporator 92 such that heat is transferred from it to the working fluid. Further, in some embodiments, one or more pumps of the fluid circuit (e.g., open or closed loop) can drive the second evaporator regulating fluid 84-2 from the heat source 62 to the dual-bundle evaporator 92 and back to the heat source 62 or for treatment at its different locations.

[0059] In some embodiments, the dual-bundle evaporator 92 can specifically extract heat from the first evaporator regulating fluid 84-1 or the second evaporator regulating fluid 84-2, or simultaneously (e.g., at the same time) from both. For example, based on the operating mode of the HVAC&R system 10 and / or the regulation load 60, the control panel 40 can selectively open and close one or more valves of the evaporator tube bundle 58 and / or the conduits 24 leading to it, and / or enable or disable one or more pumps that circulate the first evaporator regulating fluid 84-1 (e.g., between the air handler and the dual-bundle evaporator 92) and / or the second evaporator regulating fluid 84-2 (e.g., between the heat source and the dual-bundle evaporator 92).

[0060] By providing heated second condenser regulated fluid 82-2 and / or cooled first evaporator regulated fluid 84-1, the conditioning load 60 of the conditioned space can be met. However, in some cases, the requested conditioning load 60 may require more heated second condenser regulated fluid 82-2 (such as relative to the cooled first evaporator regulated fluid 84-1) than the dual-bundle condenser 90 can provide when both condenser tube bundles 54 are in use (e.g., heating both the first condenser regulated fluid 82-1 and the second condenser regulated fluid 82-2 simultaneously). In some cases, the flow rate of the first condenser regulated fluid 84-1 can be reduced to reduce the heat dissipated to the cooling tower 56. However, the size of the condenser tube bundle 54 associated with the first condenser regulated fluid 84-1 can be designed to operate effectively at a specific flow rate, and reducing the flow rate may reduce efficiency and / or cause other adverse effects. For example, a reduction in the flow rate through the condenser tube bundle 54 (e.g., through the dual-bundle condenser 90) results in a velocity reduction, which may cause a change in the flow pattern through the condenser tube bundle 54 (e.g., a reduction in turbulence or a change to laminar flow), which may further reduce heat exchange efficiency and / or cause deposits to build up within the pipes. Thus, in some cases, the dual-bundle condenser 90 can be operated to specifically heat the second condenser regulated fluid 82-2. However, depending on the conditioning load 60, operating the dual-bundle condenser 90 to specifically heat the second condenser regulated fluid 82-2 (e.g., to the air handler 22) may provide more heat to the second condenser regulated fluid 82-2 and / or its fluid circuit than is required. Therefore, in some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 can be cycled on and off to meet the required heating load of the conditioning load 60. However, cycling the vapor compression system 14 may increase wear on its components and / or may not provide the cooling load required by the conditioning load 60 (e.g., provided via the first evaporator regulated fluid 84-1).

[0061] Thus, in some embodiments, an intermediate heating mode can be provided by utilizing a triple-bundle condenser 94, as Figure 7As shown in the schematic diagram. The three-bundle condenser 94 can independently supply heat to the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1, the second condenser regulating fluid 82-2, and the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 by using at least three condenser tube bundles 54. In some embodiments, the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 can be coupled to the cooling tower 56 or other heat dissipation systems and is driven by one or more pumps through a fluid circuit between the cooling tower 56 and the three-bundle condenser 94. In addition, the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 can use the same or different cooling tower 56 as the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1, and can share one or more conduits 24 and / or pumps with the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1, while having an independent condenser tube bundle 54 passing through the three-bundle condenser 94. In some embodiments, the tubes (e.g., pipes) of the condenser tube bundle 54 associated with the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 can be fewer in number and / or smaller in diameter than the tubes of the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1, so as to provide a reduced amount of heat transfer from the working fluid relative to the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1. In addition, the fluid circuit of the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 can use a smaller pump than the fluid circuit of the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1. In fact, in some embodiments, one or more condenser tube bundles 56 for the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 can be added (e.g., retrofitted) to the two-bundle condenser 90 to form the three-bundle condenser 94, and the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1 and the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 can be transferred to and from the cooling tower 56 using separate fluid circuits or coupled fluid circuits. In addition, in some embodiments, the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 can be used in the two-bundle condenser 90 together with the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1 or the second condenser regulating fluid 82-2.

[0062] In certain operating modes, the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 can be used instead of the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1 to dissipate a smaller amount of heat from the HVAC&R system 10, so as to leave more heat to be transferred to the second condenser regulating fluid 82-2 to achieve the required regulation load 60, for example, without over-circulating the vapor compression system 14. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3 can be used together with a degraded operating mode of the compressor 32 (e.g., single-compressor mode, compressor motor frequency reduction state), thereby improving efficiency while maintaining the required regulation load 60.

[0063] Figure 8FIG. 100 is a diagram of an exemplary bundle combination 102 that may be applicable to different operating modes 104 with associated modulating loads 60 (e.g., heating modulating load 60A and cooling modulating load 60B). It should be understood that the heating modulating load 60A may correspond to the heat (e.g., the amount of water at a heating temperature) supplied to the air handler 22 via the second condenser modulating fluid 82-2, while the cooling modulating load 60B may correspond to the heat extracted via the first evaporator modulating fluid 84-1 (e.g., via the air handler 22), and may be related to each other and / or to the capacity of the HVAC&R system 10. Additionally, the exemplary bundle combination 102 and modulating load 60 are given as non-exhaustive examples, and different bundle combinations 102 may be used for different modulating loads 60 depending on the implementation, which may vary based on, for example, climate (e.g., the environment of the conditioned space), conditioned space attributes (e.g., size, area, thermal characteristics such as insulation), and / or the desired conditioning within the conditioned space. Further, certain bundle combinations 102 may utilize a certain number of condenser modulating fluids 82 and evaporator modulating fluids 84, and the bundle combination may correspond to different types of condensers 34 and / or evaporators 38. For example, while a bundle combination 102 including a third condenser modulating fluid 82-3 may be implemented via a dual-bundle condenser 90 or a triple-bundle condenser 94 (e.g., generally a multi-bundle condenser), a bundle combination 102 that utilizes only the first condenser modulating fluid 82-1 or the second condenser modulating fluid 82-2 may be implemented via a single-bundle condenser (e.g., condenser 34), a dual-bundle condenser 90, or a triple-bundle condenser 94. Similarly, a bundle combination 102 that utilizes only the first evaporator modulating fluid 84-1 or the second evaporator modulating fluid 84-2 may be implemented via a single-bundle evaporator (e.g., evaporator 38) or a dual-bundle evaporator 92, while a bundle combination 102 that utilizes the first evaporator modulating fluid 84-1 and the second evaporator modulating fluid 84-2 may be implemented via a dual-bundle evaporator 92.

[0064] As described above, the evaporator 38 may be implemented as a dual-bundle evaporator 92 that houses the first evaporator modulating fluid 84-1 and the second evaporator modulating fluid 84-2. For purposes of illustration, Figure 9is a cross-sectional schematic view of an exemplary dual-bundle evaporator 92 having a housing 110 with one or more inlets 112-1 and 112-2 (collectively 112) for receiving a working fluid. In some embodiments, the number of inlets 112 may correspond to the number of evaporator tube bundles 58 disposed in the housing 110. For example, the dual-bundle evaporator 92 may have one or more inlets 112 for each conditioning fluid (e.g., a first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and a second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2) to direct the working fluid onto its evaporator tube bundle 58. Additionally, the housing 110 may include a vapor outlet 114 for extracting the vapor working fluid from the dual-bundle evaporator 92. It should be understood that although the housing 110 is depicted as having a circular cross-section, the housing 110 may have any suitable shape.

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

[0066] In some embodiments, the dual-bundle evaporator 92 includes one or more liquid diffusers 118, such as being coupled to the inlets 112 to direct the working fluid onto the tubes 116 within the housing 110. For example, the diffuser 118 may include holes or slots to distribute the working fluid within the housing 110. Additionally, in some embodiments, the dual-bundle evaporator 92 includes a falling film region 120 and a flooded region 122. The flooded region 122 may be defined at the bottom of the dual-bundle evaporator 92 (e.g., relative to gravity), and the falling film region 120 may be defined above the flooded region 122. When the working fluid enters the housing 110 (e.g., via the inlet 112), the working fluid may be directed onto the tubes 116 in the falling film region 120, and a portion of the working fluid may evaporate due to heat transfer therewith. Additionally, the liquid working fluid may collect in the flooded region 122 to extract heat from the tubes 116 disposed therein. The evaporated working fluid 124 may be directed from the falling film region 120 and the flooded region 122 to the vapor outlet 114.

[0067] In addition, the dual-bundle evaporator 92 may include one or more covers 126 to prevent the residue of the liquid working fluid. In other words, the cover 126 may prevent the droplets of the working fluid (e.g., ejected from the diffuser 118) from mixing with the vapor working fluid 124 rising to the vapor outlet 114. In some embodiments, the cover 126 may be disposed near the diffuser 118 and / or between the diffuser 118 and the vapor outlet 114. Additionally, the cover 126 may have an inclined shape such that the cross-sectional area of the flow path 128 of the vapor working fluid 124 increases toward the vapor outlet 114 (e.g., toward the top of the housing 110, relative to gravity). Accordingly, the velocity and / or pressure of the vapor working fluid 124 may decrease toward the vapor outlet 114, which may reduce the ejection and / or droplet residue of the vapor working fluid 124.

[0068] It should be understood that the evaporator tube bundle 58 may be disposed within the housing 110 in any suitable arrangement to enable heat exchange with the working fluid. For example, in some embodiments, the first evaporator tube bundle 58-1 may be disposed on the first lateral side of the housing 110, while the second evaporator tube bundle 58-2 is disposed on the opposite lateral side of the housing 110. Additionally, the evaporator tube bundle 58 may extend downward along the length (e.g., the axial length) of the dual-bundle evaporator 92 and / or include one or more channels extending downward along the length of the dual-bundle evaporator 92. For example, the evaporator return 58R may be supplied to the dual-bundle evaporator 92, and the corresponding evaporator tube bundle 58 may extend downward along the axial length of the dual-bundle evaporator 92, and the evaporator tube bundle 58 may fold back through the dual-bundle evaporator 92 to be able to pass through the dual-bundle evaporator 92 one or more times along the length of the dual-bundle evaporator 92 before leaving as the evaporator supply 58S. Additionally, in some embodiments, the evaporator return 58R may pass through the flooded region 122 during the first pass through the dual-bundle evaporator 92 and through the falling film region 120 during the second pass through the dual-bundle evaporator 92 (e.g., before leaving as the evaporator supply 58S).

[0069] In addition, in some embodiments, the evaporator tube bundle 58 can be housed in one or more fluid tanks 130 (e.g., fluid tank 130-1 and fluid tank 130-2) and / or fluidly coupled to the one or more fluid tanks, which may or may not have baffles 132, such as between the inlet and outlet portions. In some embodiments, the first evaporator tube bundle 58-1 can be coupled to the first fluid tank 130-1, while the second evaporator tube bundle 58-2 can be coupled to the second fluid tank 130-2. In some embodiments, the first evaporator tube bundle 58-1 and the second evaporator tube bundle 58-2 can utilize one or more shared fluid tanks 130 (e.g., with a baffle 132 therebetween) or separate fluid tanks 130. For example, separate fluid tanks 130 can be provided to reduce or eliminate cross-contamination between the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2 and / or to allow for independent maintenance of the first evaporator tube bundle 58-1 and the second evaporator tube bundle 58-2.

[0070] It should be understood that each fluid tank 130 can include an inlet and an outlet for coupling to an evaporator return 58R (e.g., a first evaporator return 58R-1 for the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and a second evaporator return 58R-2 for the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2) and an evaporator supply 58S (e.g., a first evaporator supply 58S-1 for the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and a second evaporator supply 58S-2 for the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2). Although the dual-bundle evaporator 92 is shown having two evaporator tube bundles 58, each evaporator tube bundle having two channels, it should be understood that any number of evaporator tube bundles 58 and channels can be utilized to accommodate heat transfer with the first evaporator conditioning fluid 84-1 and the second evaporator conditioning fluid 84-2.

[0071] As described above, the HVAC&R system 10 can utilize a dual-bundle condenser to provide heat transfer to two condenser conditioning fluids 82 (e.g., two from the group of a first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1, a second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2, and a third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3). For purposes of illustration, Figure 11 and Figure 12 are cross-sectional schematic views of a dual-bundle condenser 90 having two condenser tube bundles 54, and Figure 13 and Figure 14 are cross-sectional schematic views of a triple-bundle condenser 94 having three condenser tube bundles 54.

[0072] In the illustrated example of the dual-bundle condenser 90, the third condenser tube bundle 54-3 (e.g., for carrying the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3) includes a four-way arrangement, while another condenser tube bundle 54 (e.g., the first condenser tube bundle 54-1 for carrying the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1 or the second condenser tube bundle 54-2 for carrying the second condenser regulating fluid 82-2) includes a two-way arrangement. Additionally, in the depicted example of the triple-bundle condenser 94, the first condenser tube bundle 54-1 (e.g., for carrying the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1) includes a two-way arrangement, the second condenser tube bundle 54-2 (e.g., for carrying the second condenser tube bundle 54-2) includes a three-way arrangement, and the third condenser tube bundle 54-3 (e.g., for carrying the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3) includes a three-way arrangement. It should be understood that the condenser tube bundles 54 can be disposed within respective housings 110 of the dual-bundle condenser 90 and the triple-bundle condenser 94 and extend along their lengths (e.g., axial lengths) with one or more channels. Additionally, the number and / or the number of channels of the condenser tube bundles 54 and / or tubes 116 associated with the condenser regulating fluid 82 can depend on the implementation. Further, as described above, in some embodiments, the third condenser tube bundle 54-3 can include smaller and / or fewer tubes 116 than the first condenser tube bundle 54-1, thereby achieving relatively less heat transfer from the working fluid.

[0073] Additionally, although Figure 6 the dual-bundle condenser 90 shown in includes the first condenser tube bundle 54-1 for carrying the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1 and the second condenser tube bundle 54-2 for carrying the second condenser regulating fluid 82-2, it should be understood that the dual-bundle condenser 90 can utilize any two of the three condenser regulating fluids 82. For example, as Figure 11 and Figure 12 shown, the dual-bundle condenser 90 can utilize the third condenser tube bundle 54-3 and either the first condenser tube bundle 54-1 or the second condenser tube bundle 54-2. Additionally, in some embodiments, the same condenser tube bundle 54 can be used for one condenser regulating fluid 82 at one time and a different condenser regulating fluid 82 at another time. For example, one or more valves of the condenser regulating fluid circuit can be adjusted (e.g., manually or via the control panel 40) such that the dual-bundle condenser 90 is used to transfer heat to the first condenser regulating fluid 82-1 and / or the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3, or such that the dual-bundle condenser 90 is used to transfer heat to the second condenser regulating fluid 82-2 and / or the third condenser regulating fluid 82-3, depending on the regulating load 60. As a further example, such adjustment of the condenser regulating fluid 82 used in the dual-bundle condenser 90 can be based on the time of year (e.g., season) or other average expected heating load 60A and / or cooling load 60B.

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

[0075] In some embodiments, each condenser tube bundle 54 may be disposed within one or more condenser fluid tanks 138 (e.g., condenser fluid tank 138-1, condenser fluid tank 138-2, and / or condenser fluid tank 138-3) and / or fluidly coupled to one or more condenser fluid tanks for providing the condenser conditioning fluid 82 into the tubes 116 of the respective condenser tube bundle 54. In some embodiments, the first condenser tube bundle 54-1, the second condenser tube bundle 54-2, and / or the third condenser tube bundle may utilize one or more shared condenser fluid tanks 138 (e.g., with baffles 132 therebetween) or separate condenser fluid tanks 138 to reduce or eliminate cross-contamination and / or allow for independent maintenance of the condenser tube bundle 54 and / or the condenser fluid tank 138. For example, the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 may be provided to the first condenser fluid tank 138-1 via the first condenser return 54R-1 to supply the first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 to the first condenser tube bundle 54-1. Additionally, the same or a different first condenser fluid tank 138-1 may provide the heated first condenser conditioning fluid 82-1 to the first condenser supply 54S-1. Similarly, the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 may be provided to the second condenser fluid tank 138-2 via the second condenser return 54R-2 to supply the second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 to the second condenser tube bundle 54-2, and the same or a different second condenser fluid tank 138-2 may provide the heated second condenser conditioning fluid 82-2 to the second condenser supply 54S-2. Additionally, the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 may be provided to the third condenser fluid tank 138-3 via the third condenser return 54R-3 to supply the third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 to the third condenser tube bundle 54-3, and the same or a different third condenser fluid tank 138-3 may provide the heated third condenser conditioning fluid 82-3 to the second condenser supply 54S-3.

[0076] Additionally, in some embodiments, the condenser fluid box 138 may include one or more baffles 132, such as between the inlet and outlet (e.g., condenser return 54R and condenser supply 54S). Further, as described above, some condenser tube bundles 54 may have an odd number of channels passing through the dual-bundle condenser 90 and / or the triple-bundle condenser 94. In some embodiments, the condenser fluid box 138 may be disposed at both axial ends of the dual-bundle condenser 90 and / or the triple-bundle condenser 94. For example, the condenser return 54R may supply the condenser conditioning fluid 82 to the condenser fluid box 138 at a first distal end (e.g., axial end) of the dual-bundle condenser 90 and / or the triple-bundle condenser 94, and the condenser supply 54S may receive the condenser conditioning fluid 82 from the condenser fluid box 138 at a second distal end (e.g., axial end) of the dual-bundle condenser 90 and / or the triple-bundle condenser 94 opposite the first distal end. It should be understood that the fluid box 130 of the dual-bundle evaporator 92 and the associated evaporator return 58R and evaporator supply 58S may similarly be located at either end (e.g., distal end, axial end) of the dual-bundle evaporator 92 to accommodate an even or odd number of channels.

[0077] In view of the foregoing, the HVAC&R system 10 may include a vapor compression system 14 having a combination of a single-bundle evaporator (e.g., evaporator 38) or a dual-bundle evaporator 92 and a single-bundle condenser (e.g., condenser 34), a dual-bundle condenser 90, or a triple-bundle condenser 94 to provide different operating modes for improving efficiency. Further, in some embodiments, multiple evaporators (e.g., single-bundle and / or dual-bundle) and / or multiple condensers (e.g., single-bundle, dual-bundle, and / or triple-bundle) may be used in combination with each other (e.g., in the same or separate vapor compression systems 14) to realize the benefits of the present technology.

[0078] Although only certain features and embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, many modifications and variations (e.g., changes in the size, dimensions, structure, shape, and proportions of various elements, changes in parameter values (e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.), mounting arrangements, material uses, colors, orientations, etc.) may be envisioned by those skilled in the art without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited in the claims. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be altered or re-ordered according to alternative embodiments. Accordingly, it is noted that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and variations that fall within the true spirit of the present disclosure.

[0079] 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 relevant to implementing the currently contemplated best mode of the present disclosure, or those features that are not relevant to implementing the claimed embodiments). It should be understood that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions may be made. Such development work may be complex and time-consuming, but for those of ordinary skill in the art who benefit from the present disclosure, these are routine tasks of design, fabrication, and production without undue experimentation.

[0080] The techniques presented and claimed herein refer to and apply to substantial objects and specific instances of a practical nature, which substantially improve the technical field of the present invention in an arguable manner and are thus not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. Additionally, if any claim appended to the end of this specification contains one or more elements expressed as "means for [performing] [function]..." or "step for [performing] [function]...", such elements are intended to be interpreted in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claim containing elements specified in any other manner, such elements are not intended to be interpreted in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

Claims

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

2. The HVAC&R system according to claim 1, wherein the dual-bundle evaporator includes a first fluid tank configured to fluidly couple the first evaporator tube bundle to the first fluid circuit.

3. The HVAC&R system according to claim 2, wherein the dual-bundle evaporator includes a second fluid tank configured to fluidly couple the second evaporator tube bundle to the second fluid circuit, wherein the second fluid tank is physically separated from the first fluid tank.

4. The HVAC&R system according to claim 1, wherein the dual-bundle evaporator is configured to simultaneously direct the working fluid through the first evaporator tube bundle and the second evaporator tube bundle.

5. The HVAC&R system according to claim 1, which includes a controller configured to select, based on an adjustment load of the air distribution system, which one of the first evaporator conditioning fluid, the second evaporator conditioning fluid, or both to transfer heat to the working fluid via the dual-bundle evaporator.

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

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

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

9. The HVAC&R system according to claim 1, comprising the air distribution system, wherein the condenser comprises a two-bundle condenser or a three-bundle condenser and is configured to transfer heat to a first condenser regulating fluid among the one or more condenser regulating fluids via a first condenser tube bundle, and transfer heat to a second condenser regulating fluid among the one or more condenser regulating fluids via a second condenser tube bundle, and wherein the first condenser tube bundle is fluidly coupled to a cooling tower, and the second condenser tube bundle is fluidly coupled to the air distribution system.

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

11. A vapor compression system, which comprises: A two-bundle evaporator, comprising a first evaporator tube bundle and a second evaporator tube bundle, and configured to selectively transfer heat from one or more evaporator regulating fluids among a group of evaporator regulating fluids to a working fluid, wherein the group of evaporator regulating fluids comprises: A first evaporator regulating fluid, operably located within the first evaporator tube bundle, wherein the first evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to an air distribution system; and A second evaporator regulating fluid, operably located within the second evaporator tube bundle, wherein the second evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system; and A controller, configured to select the one or more evaporator regulating fluids from the group of evaporator regulating fluids based on a regulating load of the air distribution system.

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

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

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

15. The vapor compression system according to claim 11, wherein the first evaporator tube bundle, the second evaporator tube bundle, or both comprise a plurality of channels extending downward along an axial length of the two-bundle evaporator.

16. The vapor compression system according to claim 11, wherein the heat source comprises wastewater, groundwater, seawater, geothermal spring water, or any combination thereof.

17. A two-bundle evaporator, which comprises: A housing; At least two evaporator tube bundles, which are disposed within the housing and are configured to independently transfer heat from one or more of a set of evaporator conditioning fluids to a working fluid of a vapor compression circuit, wherein the set of evaporator conditioning fluids includes: A first evaporator conditioning fluid, which is operably located within a first evaporator tube bundle of the at least two evaporator tube bundles, wherein the first evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to an air distribution system via a first fluid circuit; And A second evaporator conditioning fluid, which is operably located within a second evaporator tube bundle of the at least two evaporator tube bundles, wherein the second evaporator tube bundle is fluidly coupled to a heat source independent of the air distribution system via a second fluid circuit.

18. The dual-bundle evaporator according to claim 17, which includes a first fluid tank, the first fluid tank being fluidly coupled to the first evaporator tube bundle and Comprising: A first inlet, which is configured to receive the first evaporator conditioning fluid from the first fluid circuit; A first outlet, which is configured to output the first evaporator conditioning fluid to the first fluid circuit; And A first baffle between the first inlet and the first outlet.

19. The dual-bundle evaporator according to claim 18, which includes a second fluid tank, the second fluid tank being fluidly coupled to the second evaporator tube bundle and Comprising: A second inlet, which is configured to receive the second evaporator conditioning fluid from the second fluid circuit; A second outlet, which is configured to output the second evaporator conditioning fluid to the second fluid circuit; and A second baffle between the second inlet and the second outlet.

20. The dual-bundle evaporator according to claim 18, wherein the first fluid circuit is a closed-loop circuit, and wherein the second fluid circuit is an open-loop circuit.

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