11630 results about "Refrigerant" patented technology

A falling film evaporator includes a flow distributor for uniformly distributing a two-phase refrigerant mixture across a tube bundle. The flow distributor includes a stack of at least three perforated plates each of which are separated by nearly full-width, full-length gaps or chambers. The flow distributor may also include a suction baffle and/or a distributor baffle. The distributor baffle extends downward to provide a hairpin turn past which refrigerant travels before exiting the evaporator. This directional change helps separate liquid from a primarily gaseous refrigerant stream. The suction baffle has various size openings to ensure that the flow rate of refrigerant through the hairpin turn is generally uniform and is maintained low enough to ensure liquid disentrainment over and along the length of the tube bundle within the evaporator.

In order to improve a compressor for refrigerant, comprising an outer housing, a scroll compressor arranged in the outer housing and having a first compressor member arranged stationarily in the outer housing and a second compressor member which is movable relative to the first compressor member, the compressor members each having a base and first and second scroll ribs, respectively, which rise above the respective base and engage in one another such that the second compressor member is movable relative to the first compressor member on an orbital path about a central axis for the purpose of compressing the refrigerant, a drive unit for the second compressor member having an eccentric drive, a drive shaft, a drive motor arranged in a motor housing and having drawn-in refrigerant flowing around it as well as a bearing unit for the drive shaft which comprises a first bearing member connected to the outer housing, in such a manner that the refrigerant drawn in by the scroll compressor is free from lubricating oil to as great an extent as possible it is suggested that the refrigerant flow through an oil separator, which is arranged in the outer housing between this and the drive unit, after flowing around the drive motor and prior to entering the scroll compressor.

There is provided a means for uniformly controlling the in-plane temperature of a semiconductor wafer at high speed in a high heat input etching process. A refrigerant channel structure in a circular shape is formed in a sample stage. Due to a fact that a heat transfer coefficient of a refrigerant is largely changed from a refrigerant supply port to a refrigerant outlet port, the cross sections of the channel structure is structured so as to be increased from a first channel areas towards a second channel areas in order to make the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant constant in the refrigerant channel structure. Thereby, the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is prevented from increasing by reducing the flow rate of the refrigerant at a dry degree area where the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is increased. Further, the cross section of the channel structure is structured so as to be reduced from the second channel areas towards a third channel areas, and thereby the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant is prevented from decreasing. Accordingly, the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerant can be uniformed in the channel structure.

In an air conditioning apparatus for a vehicle, a water/refrigerant heat exchanger is disposed at a refrigerant discharge side of a compressor of a refrigerant cycle, and a cooling unit for cooling a heat-generating unit with refrigerant having an intermediate pressure of the refrigerant cycle is disposed at a downstream refrigerant side of the water/refrigerant heat exchanger. The air conditioning apparatus includes an evaporator and a hot-water type heater core disposed in an air conditioning duct. In a cooling water circuit, an engine, a radiator and an electrical pump are disposed in addition to the water/refrigerant heat exchanger and the hot-water type heater core. Thus, refrigerant absorbs heat generated in the heat-generating unit, and is heat-exchanged with cooling water in the water/refrigerant heat exchanger after passing through the compressor. As a result, the heat-generating unit can be cooled sufficiently even when outside air temperature is high in the summer, and heating capacity can be effectively improved using heat generated from the heat-generating unit in the winter.

A real-time monitoring system that monitors various aspects of the operation of a refrigerant-cycle system is described. In one embodiment, the system includes a processor that measures power provided to the refrigerant-cycle system and that gathers data from one or more sensors and uses the sensor data to calculate a figure of merit related to the efficiency of the system. In one embodiment, the sensors include one or more of the following sensors: a suction line temperature sensor, a suction line pressure sensor, a suction line flow sensor, a hot gas line temperature sensor, a hot gas line pressure sensor, a hot gas line flow sensor, a liquid line temperature sensor, a liquid line pressure sensor, a liquid line flow sensor. In one embodiment, the sensors include one or more of an evaporator air temperature input sensor, an evaporator air temperature output sensor, an evaporator air flow sensor, an evaporator air humidity sensor, and a differential pressure sensor. In one embodiment, the sensors include one or more of a condenser air temperature input sensor, a condenser air temperature output sensor, and a condenser air flow sensor, an evaporator air humidity sensor. In one embodiment, the sensors include one or more of an ambient air sensor and an ambient humidity sensor.

A method for cooling electronic equipment. The method including propagating air through a first electronic component of the electronic equipment into a first enclosed area, where propagating the air through the first electronic component cools the first electronic component, circulating a refrigerant in a cooling loop, where the cooling loop comprises a heat exchanger, and propagating the air out of the first enclosed area by passing through the heat exchanger into a second enclosed area, where the air is cooled by passing through the heat exchanger.

Recovery of electric power from low-grade waste heat/solar energy, comprising a closed-cycle charged refrigerant loop. Pressurized refrigerant fluid is pumped at ambient temperature through a heat exchanger connected to a waste heat/solar source to extract heat energy during conversion to a high pressure gas. Heated/pressurized refrigerant gas is inlet into an expander to power an output shaft during the expansion of the fluid to a cooled gas at approximately 0 psig. Cooled gaseous refrigerant is condensed to a liquid at low pressure and ambient temperature, and recycled under pressure to the heat exchanger. The expander is a reverse-plumbed gas compressor; the pressurized, hot refrigerant gas is inlet at what is ordinarily its outlet, and the normal inlet becomes the expander end. The refrigerant gas mass flow pressure/temperature drop spins the expander shaft for direct mechanical power take-off, or coupling to a synchronous or inductive generator to produce electricity.

A data center is configured using alternating rows of racks containing heat-generating electronic devices and air conditioners. Fluid, such as water or a refrigerant, for the air conditioners is supplied through pluming below a raised floor, such as those commonly found in current data centers. Attached to this plumbing are standard fluid couplings configured to couple to either air conditioners or liquid cooling units. These air conditioners and liquid cooling units use the same fluid so that they may share the plumbing. As data center migrates to liquid-cooled racks, a fraction of the air conditioners are replaced with liquid conditioning units in such a way that the data center contains both air-cooled and liquid-cooled racks without substantial reduction in efficiency of the air-cooling system. Since the air conditioners and liquid conditioning units use the same couplings and the same fluid, no infrastructure change is required.

A sealed well direct expansion geothermal heat exchange unit, whose sealed well can be placed in ground and/or in water, consisting of a conventional direct expansion, or other heat pump, system wherein the exterior refrigerant heat exchange lines are placed within an insulated and sealed container, which container is supplied with a circulating heat conductive liquid from and to a sub-surface sealed well encasement, which container liquid may be supplemented with heat from a solar heating system, and which unit's hot refrigerant vapor line may be supplementary cooled by means of condensate water evaporative cooling, as well as a means to provide any direct expansion, and any closed-loop water-source, geothermal heat pump system with an optional solar heating supplement in the heating mode, and with an optional water-cooled vapor line supplement in the cooling mode.

A vapor-compression heat exchange system for facilitating cooling of an electronics rack. The system includes employing an evaporator coil mounted to an outlet door cover, which is hingedly affixed to an air outlet side of the rack, as well as refrigerant inlet and outlet plenums and an expansion valve also mounted to the outlet door cover and in fluid communication with the evaporator coil. The evaporator coil includes at least one heat exchange tube section and a plurality of fins extending therefrom. Respective connect couplings connect the inlet and outlet plenums in fluid communication with a vapor-compression unit which includes a compressor and a condenser disposed separate from the outlet door cover. The vapor-compression unit exhausts heat from refrigerant circulating therethrough.

A method for determining airflow through an evaporator coil in a vapor compression cycle by measuring the moist air conditions entering and leaving the coil, and various temperatures and pressures in the refrigerant of the vapor compression cycle. The mass airflow rate and the volumetric airflow rate are then determined.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting performance degradation in a refrigeration system. Specifically, the present invention provides systems and methods for detecting, at a very early stage, a low refrigerant charge and degradation in condenser performance of a refrigeration system.

PCT No. PCT/US95/04262 Sec. 371 Date Sep. 21, 1995 Sec. 102(e) Date Sep. 21, 1995 PCT Filed Apr. 6, 1995 PCT Pub. No. WO96/07088 PCT Pub. Date Mar. 7, 1996A method of introducing a leak detection dye into a closed refrigeration system through circulation of the refrigerant. A predetermined amount of the leak detection dye, which is soluble in the refrigerant and the system lubricant, is installed in a component of the refrigeration system, such as in a desiccant bag placed in a dehydrator. The leak detection dye may come in various forms including as a leak detection additive having the leak detection dye implanted on and absorbed into a host swatch of a substrate material, as a powder, as a solid pellet of powdered dye concentrate and inert ingredients, or as a slurry. The refrigeration system is assembled, charged and operated, by which the refrigerant and system lubricant flowing through the component, such as a desiccant bag in the dehydrator, and mixes the dye with the refrigerant and system lubricant.

A method for the production of liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) and nitrogen is provided. The method may include the steps of: a) providing a nitrogen production facility, wherein nitrogen production facility comprises: a main heat exchanger, an air separation unit, a nitrogen recycle compressor, a first nitrogen refrigeration supply configured to provide refrigeration to the main heat exchanger for cooling a main air feed, b) providing a secondary refrigeration supply; c) liquefying a natural gas stream using refrigeration from the secondary refrigeration supply to form an LNG product stream; wherein the secondary refrigeration supply is configured to compress and expand a refrigerant to produce refrigeration, wherein the refrigerant of the secondary refrigeration supply is shared with refrigerant of the first nitrogen refrigeration supply

An accumulator for an air-conditioning (refrigeration or heat pump) system is designed to reduce flooding due to greater effective internal volume while at the same time incorporating an internal heat exchanger for better system performance, and providing better evaporation and controlled thermal properties. The accumulator embodies an outer housing that co-axially surrounds an inner liner. The inlet directs the refrigerant into the inner volume formed by the liner, wherein the liquid refrigerant and compressor oil are contained and insulated from the wall of the outer housing. A heat exchanger is arranged in the annular space between the outer housing and the inner liner and circulates a flow of condensate therethrough before delivering it to the expansion device. In this way the condensate is cooled for higher performance and at the same time refrigerant passing out of the accumulator is vaporized more completely.

Apparatus and methods for performing cryogenic ablation of tissue and adjusting the size and/or location of a cryogenic cooling region. A cooling assembly may include tubes for dispensing and exhausting a coolant or refrigerant. One or both of the tubes may be moved, e.g., slidably adjusted, in order to adjust the location or size of a cryogenic ablation region. The cooling assembly may be integrated into cryogenic ablation devices including a cryogenic balloon device that includes an inner inflatable balloon and another balloon that is at least partially wrapped around the inner balloon and carries refrigerant for performing cryo-ablation. Electrodes permit electrical mapping of tissue before or after cryo-ablation to verify success of the procedure.

A semiconductor device comprises at least a semiconductor module including a semiconductor chip, a heat sink thermally connected to the semiconductor chip and a seal member for covering and sealing the semiconductor chip and the heat sink in such a manner as to expose the heat radiation surface of the heat sink. The radiation surface is cooled by a refrigerant. An opening is formed in a part of the seal member as a refrigerant path through which the refrigerant flows.

A first evaporator is arranged on a downstream side of an ejector, and a second evaporator is connected to a refrigerant suction inlet of the ejector. A refrigerant evaporation temperature of the second evaporator is lower than that of the first evaporator. The first and second evaporators are used to cool a common subject cooling space and are arranged one after the other in a flow direction of air to be cooled.

A battery cooling/heating structure having a plate that is brought into contact with a battery to cool and heat the battery, including a medium pipe of plural arrays that are arranged substantially in parallel on the plate and through which refrigerant medium flows to cool the battery, each of the plural arrays having a straight portion, and a heater that is disposed between the straight portions of the plural arrays of the medium pipe and to which current is supplied to heat the battery through the plate, the medium pipe and the heater being integrally arranged within the same plane of the plate.

The present invention concerns an automotive HVAC system for use in a vehicle having a vehicle body that includes an engine and a battery. The HVAC system has a predetermined design cooling capacity and includes a condenser and one of an orifice tube and an expansion valve in fluid communication with the condenser. A first compressor is adapted to be mechanically driven by the engine and is in fluid communication from the evaporator and in fluid communication to the condenser. A second compressor is electrically connected to and driven by the battery bank and is in fluid communication from the evaporator and in fluid communication to the condenser. Each of the compressors is selectively operable to compress refrigerant in the HVAC system during operation of the HVAC system.

A portable cooler having one or more ice sheets including built-in refrigerant cubes. The cooler comprises an outer fabric shell and one or more sets of spaced apart refrigerant cubes encapsulated in plastic to form ice sheets that are attached to the interior walls of the cooler. The walls of the cooler may also include one or more layers of thermal insulation. The ice sheets provide a visually pleasing appearance to the inside of the cooler suggestive of cooling effects. The ice sheets may be retained along the walls of the cooler by seams sewn along the lanes passing between the refrigerant cubes, by being retained in pockets formed by sidewall liners or by being secured into chambers defined by the cooler's outer walls and a plastic insert fitted into the cooler. The cooler may include a hinged top and bottom that can be folded flat for allowing the cooler to assume a compact configuration during storage or freezing of the refrigerant cubes.

An HVAC system for heating and cooling a passenger compartment of a vehicle is provided. A first heat exchanger transfers heat between a primary loop and a secondary loop. The primary loop is a reversible loop and uses high pressure refrigerant. A compressor pressurizes the refrigerant. A second heat exchanger selectively transfers heat energy to and from the passenger compartment. The secondary loop is a low pressure liquid coolant loop that passes through the first heat exchanger. A pump moves fluid through the secondary loop. A third heat exchanger transfers heat to and from an external medium from the fluid passing through the secondary loop. A secondary heat source adds heat to the secondary loop during a heating mode. A bypass means selectively bypasses the secondary heat source during a cooling mode.

The present invention provides a unit cooler adapted for use in a refrigerated environment. The unit cooler includes a housing adapted to be positioned within the refrigerated environment and at least one microchannel evaporator coil supported by the housing. The at least one microchannel evaporator coil includes an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold. The inlet manifold has an inlet port for receiving refrigerant, and the outlet manifold has an outlet port for discharging the refrigerant.

The invention belongs to the technical field of energy conservation, and relates to a variable frequency energy-saving control method for a refrigeration system. The control method comprises the steps of: determining the mass flow of a refrigerant according to the change or change trend of cooling load, then determining consumed power of a compressor which satisfies the flow, predicting the minimum condensation pressure which ensures that the thermal load of a condenser satisfies the cooling load and the power change of the compressor through an established energy-saving control mathematical model, and gradually adjusting the power frequency of the compressor to ensure that the rotating speed of the compressor reaches a predicted value; and adjusting the opening degree of an expansion valve to ensure that the condensation pressure reaches to be lowest, realizing the minimum pressure difference operation between the condenser and an evaporator, and ensuring that the operation energy consumption of the refrigeration system is lowest. The method solves the optimizing control problem of the compressor, the expansion valve and a fan in the system, utilizes the energy-saving control mathematical model to perform joint regulation on controllable factors (such as the rotating speed of the compressor, the opening degree of the expansion valve, and the air volume of an outdoor unit) of the operation of the system, ensures that the refrigeration system operates at a best operating point, and realizes the further energy conservation of the refrigeration system based on the variable frequency regulation.

An organic rankine cycle system is combined with a vapor compression cycle system with the turbine generator of the organic rankine cycle generating the power necessary to operate the motor of the refrigerant compressor. The vapor compression cycle is applied with its evaporator cooling the inlet air into a gas turbine, and the organic rankine cycle is applied to receive heat from a gas turbine exhaust to heat its boiler within one embodiment, a common condenser is used for the organic rankine cycle and the vapor compression cycle, with a common refrigerant, R-245a being circulated within both systems. In another embodiment, the turbine driven generator has a common shaft connected to the compressor to thereby eliminate the need for a separate motor to drive the compressor. In another embodiment, an organic rankine cycle system is applied to an internal combustion engine to cool the fluids thereof, and the turbo charged air is cooled first by the organic rankine cycle system and then by an air conditioner prior to passing into the intake of the engine.

A power semiconductor module with its thermal resistance and overall size reduced. Insulating substrates with electrode metal layers disposed thereon are joined to both the surfaces of a power semiconductor chip by using, for example, soldering. Metal layers are disposed also on the reverse surfaces of the insulating substrates and the metal layers are joined to the heat spreaders by using brazing. Heat radiating fins are provided on the heat radiating surface of at least one of the heat spreaders. The heat radiating side of each of the heat spreaders is covered by a casing to form a refrigerant chamber through which refrigerant flows to remove heat transmitted from the semiconductor chip to the heat spreader.

The present invention relates to a box system for keeping medicine and other payloads at a desired temperature for prolonged periods of time. The system generally includes three or more insulating materials between a refrigerant and the payload so that the payload is not cold-shocked by the refrigerant but instead maintains a desired temperature range during shipment. An advantage of the box system of certain embodiments of the present disclosure is that the system allows a shipper to use a temperature controlled system that is effective in controlling temperature without the need for any expensive phase change materials. A box having foldable tabs for securing the materials to each other is also disclosed herein.

A fluid heat exchanger unit cools an electronic device with a cooling fluid supplied to an upper portion of a cooling housing. A refrigerant is disposed in a lower portion of the cooling housing for liquid-to-vapor transformation. A partition divides the upper portion of the cooling housing from the lower portion. A heat rejecter is disposed on and above the upper wall of the cooling housing with a first header extending from and in fluid communication with the liquid coolant outlet. A second header extends upwardly from a rejecter outlet. A plurality of first tubes extend between and in fluid communication with the first header and the second header with a plurality of first air fins disposed between the upper wall and the first tubes. A single unit defines both the cooling housing and the air cooled heat rejecter to thereby allow the manufacture of the unit in a single process with the attendant reduction in shipping, handling and installation.

The described invention relates to processes and systems for treating a gas stream, particularly one rich in methane for forming liquefied natural gas (LNG), said process including: (a) providing a gas stream; (b) providing a refrigerant; (c) compressing said refrigerant to provide a compressed refrigerant; (d) cooling said compressed refrigerant by indirect heat exchange with a cooling fluid; (e) expanding the refrigerant of (d) to cool said refrigerant, thereby producing an expanded, cooled refrigerant; (f) passing said expanded, cooled refrigerant to a first heat exchange area; (g) compressing the gas stream of (a) to a pressure of from greater than or equal to 1,000 psia to less than or equal to 4,500 psia; (h) cooling said compressed gas stream by indirect heat exchange with an external cooling fluid; and heat exchanging the compressed gas stream with the expanded, cooled refrigerant stream.

Systems and methods for storing and releasing energy comprising directing inlet air into a vertical cold flue assembly having an air inlet at or near its top into which inlet air is directed and an exit at or near its bottom. The air is cooled within the cold flue assembly and a portion of moisture is removed from the air within the cold flue assembly. The air is directed out the exit of the cold flue assembly and compressed. The remaining moisture is substantially removed and the carbon dioxide is removed from the air by adsorption. The air is cooled in a main heat exchanger such that it is substantially liquefied using refrigerant loop air, the refrigerant loop air generated by a refrigerant loop process. The substantially liquefied air is directed to a storage apparatus. The refrigerant loop air is cooled by a mechanical chiller and by a plurality of refrigerant loop air expanders. In energy release mode, working loop air warms the released liquid air such that the released liquid air is substantially vaporized, and the released liquid air cools the working loop air such that the working loop air is substantially liquefied. A portion of the released liquid air is directed to the at least one generator and used as bearing air for the at least one generator. The substantially vaporized air is directed to a combustion chamber and combusted with a fuel stream. Combustion gas may be directed from the combustion chamber to at least one expander and expanded in the expander, the expanded combustion gas split into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being relatively larger than the second portion. The first portion may be directed to a first heat exchanger, and the second portion may be directed to a second heat exchanger such that the second portion heats and substantially vaporizes the released liquid air.