U.S. patent application number 11/523035 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-23 for more energy efficient cooling system by utilizing defrosting water.
Invention is credited to Zhihan Huang.
Application Number | 20080256970 11/523035 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39929529 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080256970 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Huang; Zhihan |
October 23, 2008 |
More energy efficient cooling system by utilizing defrosting
water
Abstract
Utilizing condensing/defrosting water as additional coolant to
cool the condenser coil makes cooling systems such as refrigerator,
air conditioner, etc more energy efficient and reduces the
possibility of condensing/defrosting water overflow from condensate
collection pan. The compressed media flowing from bottom to top of
the condenser coil makes more water evaporate. By introducing the
working interval of cooling system makes the cooling system more
energy efficient by optimally utilizing the low temperature
condensing/defrosting water.
Inventors: |
Huang; Zhihan; (Arcadia,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Zhihan Huang
736 Val Street
Arcadia
CA
91007
US
|
Family ID: |
39929529 |
Appl. No.: |
11/523035 |
Filed: |
September 19, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/272 ;
62/330 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 13/222 20130101;
F25D 21/14 20130101; F25B 2500/01 20130101; F24F 2013/225 20130101;
F25B 2339/047 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/272 ;
62/330 |
International
Class: |
F25D 21/00 20060101
F25D021/00; F25B 45/00 20060101 F25B045/00 |
Claims
1. Utilize the waste water such as condensing or defrosting water
as additional coolant to cool the condenser coil of a cooling
system.
2. Waste water may introduce to any level from top to bottom of
condenser coil, or direct into water collection reservoir to let
the condenser coil partially soak in the water.
3. The high temperature of compressed media going through the
condenser coil from bottom to top results in more water evaporating
and more heat exchanged which results in more energy efficient.
4. The working interval of the compressor varies based on the
models, purposes, and loading capacity of each cooling system.
5. Claims from 1 to 4 apply to any cooling system by using
expansion of compressed media, such as refrigerator, air
conditioner, etc.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The condensing/defrosting water generated by cooling system
such as refrigerator, air conditioner, etc was captured in the
collection reservoir under the bottom of the system. This water was
open to atmosphere and slowly evaporated naturally or was
introduced to drainage system. Heavily using the cooling system may
cause excess water overflow for no drainage systems. The water has
much higher heat capacity (more than 100 times of air) and high
latent heat of vaporization. Using water as additional coolant to
cool the condenser coil is much more efficient than air only.
Therefore the present invention is to improve the cooling system
more energy efficient, especially in light of ever increasing
energy cost and encouraging people to use more energy efficient
appliances. Additionally, it will improve the overflow problem for
the cooling systems without drainage system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Waste water generating by cooling system, such as condensing
or defrosting water was introduced as additional coolant to cool
the condenser coil. It not only makes the cooling system more
energy efficient but also reduces the possibility of water
overflow. To optimally utilize the condensing water to cool the
condenser coil, it is better to have the cooling system to work in
intervals which make the condensing water have more low temperature
and closer to the freezing point while it reaches the condenser
coil. Compressed media flowing from bottom to top of radiator will
bring more heat away due to water evaporating.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] A typical cooling system in a schematic diagram. Compressed
media and water flow were indicated in different arrows.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0004] While the air passes the evaporator coil the water vapor
will be condensed, frozen or frosted on coil. The water vapor in a
cool container will be condensed, frozen or frosted on the
container wall as well. As the temperature goes up, the ice or
frost will be melting to form as condensing or defrosting water.
This water is then treated as waste water and is introduced to
drainage system or let it evaporate slowly from collection pan.
This water has the low temperature close to frozen point.
Introducing this water to condenser coil makes the high temperature
condenser coil have more heat exchange. Since the heat capacity of
water is 100 times more than air, using this water as additional
coolant will make heat exchange more efficient compared to a
radiator which is only cooled by using a fan to force the
environmental temperature air passing it. The water will bring away
extra heat by two ways: 1) when the water temperature rise from
above frozen point to environmental temperature and 2) when the
water evaporate which absorb more heat based on high latent heat of
vaporization of water. To utilize the waste water as additional
coolant, it is required that the condenser coil must be at least
lower than the evaporator coil or under the evaporator coil as
shown in FIGURE. Due to the temperature gradient between the
surfaces of evaporator coil and the top of frost, the temperature
on the top of frost will be increased as the thickness of frost
increases. To advance utilizing low temperature water the cooling
system needs shut down for a short period for certain working
intervals, e.g. shut down compressor 1 minute for every 10 minutes
working. The compressor operating periodically can be easily
controlled in the electrical box of cooling system. This procedure
makes the frost on the evaporator coil melt to water and flow to
the condenser coil. One benefit is water temperature is close to
the frozen point when it reaches the condenser coil while the
compressor starts to work again. If the shut down period is too
long, the temperature of water will increases as the time passes
due to water exchanges heat with others such as air, metal sheet,
or plastic materials. The second benefit is to increase the cooling
effect of the heat exchange with air due to less or no frost on
evaporate coil. While the compressed media flow through the
condenser coil, the temperature is very high in the entry and low
in the exit. The high temperature of compressed media going through
the condenser coil from bottom to top as shown in FIGURE makes more
water evaporate from the collection pan. This improvement makes
more heat exchange from both water temperature increasing and water
evaporation, and it reduces the water in collection pan since more
water became as water vapor.
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