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Title: Refrigeration system with a compressor-pump unit and a liquid-injection desuperheating line

Abstract

The refrigeration system includes a compressor-pump unit and/or a liquid-injection assembly. The refrigeration system is a vapor-compression refrigeration system that includes an expansion device, an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and a liquid pump between the condenser and the expansion device. The liquid pump improves efficiency of the refrigeration system by increasing the pressure of, thus subcooling, the liquid refrigerant delivered from the condenser to the expansion device. The liquid pump and the compressor are driven by a single driving device and, in this regard, are coupled to a single shaft of a driving device, such as a belt-drive, an engine, or an electric motor. While the driving device may be separately contained, in a preferred embodiment, the liquid pump, the compressor, and the driving device (i.e., an electric motor) are contained within a single sealable housing having pump and driving device cooling paths to subcool liquid refrigerant discharged from the liquid pump and to control the operating temperature of the driving device. In another aspect of the present invention, a liquid injection assembly is included in a refrigeration system to divert liquid refrigerant from the discharge of a liquid pressure amplification pump to a compressor discharge pathway within amore » compressor housing to desuperheat refrigerant vapor to the saturation point within the compressor housing. The liquid injection assembly includes a liquid injection pipe with a control valve to meter the volume of diverted liquid refrigerant. The liquid injection assembly may also include a feedback controller with a microprocessor responsive to a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor both positioned between the compressor to operate the control valve to maintain the refrigerant at or near saturation.« less

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Thornton, CO
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
873542
Patent Number(s):
US 6185944
Assignee:
Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-83CH10093
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
refrigeration; compressor-pump; unit; liquid-injection; desuperheating; line; assembly; vapor-compression; expansion; device; evaporator; compressor; condenser; liquid; pump; improves; efficiency; increasing; pressure; subcooling; refrigerant; delivered; driven; single; driving; regard; coupled; shaft; belt-drive; engine; electric; motor; separately; contained; preferred; embodiment; sealable; housing; cooling; paths; subcool; discharged; control; operating; temperature; aspect; injection; included; divert; discharge; amplification; pathway; desuperheat; vapor; saturation; pipe; valve; meter; volume; diverted; feedback; controller; microprocessor; responsive; sensor; positioned; operate; maintain; near; compressor housing; electric motor; preferred embodiment; operating temperature; feedback control; pressure sensor; temperature sensor; liquid refrigerant; control valve; expansion device; refrigerant vapor; compressor discharge; liquid injection; single shaft; injection assembly; improves efficiency; refrigerant discharge; compressor-pump unit; injection pipe; discharge path; /62/

Citation Formats

Gaul, Christopher J. Refrigeration system with a compressor-pump unit and a liquid-injection desuperheating line. United States: N. p., 2001. Web.
Gaul, Christopher J. Refrigeration system with a compressor-pump unit and a liquid-injection desuperheating line. United States.
Gaul, Christopher J. 2001. "Refrigeration system with a compressor-pump unit and a liquid-injection desuperheating line". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/873542.
@article{osti_873542,
title = {Refrigeration system with a compressor-pump unit and a liquid-injection desuperheating line},
author = {Gaul, Christopher J},
abstractNote = {The refrigeration system includes a compressor-pump unit and/or a liquid-injection assembly. The refrigeration system is a vapor-compression refrigeration system that includes an expansion device, an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and a liquid pump between the condenser and the expansion device. The liquid pump improves efficiency of the refrigeration system by increasing the pressure of, thus subcooling, the liquid refrigerant delivered from the condenser to the expansion device. The liquid pump and the compressor are driven by a single driving device and, in this regard, are coupled to a single shaft of a driving device, such as a belt-drive, an engine, or an electric motor. While the driving device may be separately contained, in a preferred embodiment, the liquid pump, the compressor, and the driving device (i.e., an electric motor) are contained within a single sealable housing having pump and driving device cooling paths to subcool liquid refrigerant discharged from the liquid pump and to control the operating temperature of the driving device. In another aspect of the present invention, a liquid injection assembly is included in a refrigeration system to divert liquid refrigerant from the discharge of a liquid pressure amplification pump to a compressor discharge pathway within a compressor housing to desuperheat refrigerant vapor to the saturation point within the compressor housing. The liquid injection assembly includes a liquid injection pipe with a control valve to meter the volume of diverted liquid refrigerant. The liquid injection assembly may also include a feedback controller with a microprocessor responsive to a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor both positioned between the compressor to operate the control valve to maintain the refrigerant at or near saturation.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/873542}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001},
month = {Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2001}
}