U.S. patent application number 12/384437 was filed with the patent office on 2010-10-07 for liquid pressure cycle having an ejector.
Invention is credited to Gasper C. Occhipinti.
Application Number | 20100251759 12/384437 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 42825052 |
Filed Date | 2010-10-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100251759 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Occhipinti; Gasper C. |
October 7, 2010 |
Liquid pressure cycle having an ejector
Abstract
The liquid pressure cycle having an ejector pressurizes the
liquid refrigerant of the system with a positive displacement
rotary pump rather than pressurizing the vapor refrigerant with a
vapor compressor. This high-pressure liquid proceeds into two
pressure streams. The first stream is directed to an expansion
valve then on to an evaporator for space air or other medium
cooling. The second stream is directed to the driving force input
port of an ejector. This high-pressure input mixes with the
low-pressure output from the evaporator. The result of this mixing
provides for sufficient pressure enhancement to condense the
combination refrigerant vapor as it passes through the condenser.
The liquid flow from the condenser proceeds back to the liquid
pressure pump and the cycle is repeated.
Inventors: |
Occhipinti; Gasper C.;
(Covington, LA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GASPER C. OCCHIPINTI
72490 Goldfinch Street
Covington
LA
70435
US
|
Family ID: |
42825052 |
Appl. No.: |
12/384437 |
Filed: |
April 3, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/498 ;
417/151 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04F 5/54 20130101; F25B
1/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/498 ;
417/151 |
International
Class: |
F25B 1/00 20060101
F25B001/00; F04F 5/00 20060101 F04F005/00 |
Claims
1. A liquid pressure cycle comprising: a positive displacement
rotary liquid pump for high pressure generation; an expansion valve
disposed at the outlet side of the high-pressure liquid pump; an
evaporator for evaporating low-pressure refrigerant after being
decompressed by an expansion valve; an ejector for mixing
high-pressure and low-pressure refrigerant streams whose combined
output pressure is enhanced and sent to a condenser; a condenser
for cooling and condensing refrigerant discharged from the ejector.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a refrigeration system,
which utilizes a positive displacement rotary liquid pump for
high-pressure refrigerant generation along with corresponding
expansion valve, evaporator, ejector and condenser.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] The vapor compression refrigeration cycle is the predominate
cooling method for millions of residential and commercial
installations. The vapor compression cycle utilizes a vapor
compressor to increase a low-pressure refrigerant gas to a
high-pressure refrigerant gas. The high-pressure gas then passes
through an air or water-cooled condenser where the gas changes
state into a high-pressure liquid upon the removal of heat from the
high-pressure gas. This high-pressure liquid then passes through an
expansion valve into an evaporator. During this expansion process,
heat is absorbed in the evaporator with space air or other medium
being circulated through the evaporator. The net result is the
cooling of the conditioned space or medium.
[0005] The vapor compression cycle has only been improved on the
margins. Typical improvements include more efficient vapor
compressor designs, larger condenser and evaporator coils, use of
variable speed modulation, use of liquid centrifugal pumps for
increased expansion valve efficiency and the use of ejectors to
reduce the amount of work expended by a vapor compressor. The goal
of the liquid pressure cycle is to overcome the limited on the
margin improvements of the vapor compression cycle.
SUMMARY
[0006] The liquid pressure cycle having an ejector pressurizes the
liquid refrigerant of the system with a positive displacement
rotary pump rather than pressurizing the vapor refrigerant with a
compressor. The high-pressure liquid divides into two pressure
streams. The first stream is directed to an expansion valve then on
to an evaporator for space air or other medium cooling. The second
stream is directed to the driving force input port of an ejector.
This high-pressure input mixes with the low-pressure output from
the evaporator. The result of this mixing provides for sufficient
pressure enhancement to condense the combination refrigerant vapor
as it passes through the condenser. The liquid flow from the
condenser proceeds back to the liquid pressure pump and the cycle
is repeated.
[0007] The horsepower to pressurize a liquid for a given mass flow
of refrigerant for the liquid pressure cycle is significantly less
than the horsepower required for a vapor compression cycle of equal
mass flow.
[0008] It is an object of the invention to provide a simple
refrigeration system with significant advantages over systems in
the prior art.
[0009] Additional objects and advantages of the invention are set
forth, in part in the description which follows, and in part, will
be obvious from description or may learned by practice of the
invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be
realized in detail by means of the instrumentalities and
combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claim.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The accompanying drawing is incorporated in and form a part
of the specification and together with the descriptions serves to
explain the principles of the invention in which FIG. 1 is a
schematic diagram of the liquid pressure cycle having an
ejector.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0011] It is understood that both the foregoing general description
and following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory
only, and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The
accompanying drawing which is incorporated herein for reference,
and constitute part of the specifications, illustrate certain
embodiments of the invention, and together with the detailed
description serve to explain the principles of the present
invention.
[0012] Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiment of
the refrigeration system of the present invention. This example is
illustrative only and should not be construed to limit the
invention unnecessarily.
[0013] As shown in FIG. 1 the refrigeration cycle of the present
invention begins with increasing the pressure of a liquid
refrigerant with a high-pressure positive displacement rotary pump
10 powered by a fixed or variable speed motor 11.
[0014] This high-pressure liquid travels through conduit 12 and
enters the expansion valve 13 then into the evaporator 14. The
expansion valve 13 opens and closes depending upon the set point
temperature requirements of the evaporator 14. There are several
schemes to accomplish this control function currently in use today.
During this expansion process, heat is absorbed in the evaporator
14 with space air or other medium being circulated through the
evaporator 14.
[0015] The low-pressure gas output of the evaporator 14 proceeds
through conduit 15 to the low-pressure port 17b of the ejector 17.
Concurrently approximately fifty percent of the high-pressure flow
from the liquid pressure pump 10 proceeds through conduit 16 to the
driving force port 17a of the ejector 17. This high-pressure liquid
input decompresses and mixes with the low-pressure gas output from
evaporator 14. The ejector process results in sufficient pressure
enhancement which is required for the temperature conditions of
condenser 19. Upon leaving ejector 17, the refrigerant flow
proceeds through conduit 18 and enters condenser 19 where heat is
removed from the refrigerant thereby condensing into a liquid. The
pressure enhancement capabilities of a typical ejector is more
fully described in an early U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,660 and most
recently refined in U.S. Pat. No. 6,438,993. Upon leaving condenser
19, the liquid refrigerant then proceeds through conduit 20 to the
high-pressure liquid pressure pump 10 and the cycle is
repeated.
[0016] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various
modifications can be made in the construction and configuration of
the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of
the invention. For example, the embodiment mentioned above is
illustrative and explanatory only. Various changes can be made in
material as well as the configuration of the device to engineer the
specific desired outcome. Thus it is intended that the present
invention cover the modifications and variations of the invention,
provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and
their equivalents.
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