Liquid over-feeding refrigeration system and method with integrated accumulator-expander-heat exchanger

Patent · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:870906

Mei, Viung C ^[1]; Chen, Fang C ^[2]

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1. Oak Ridge, TN
2. Knoxville, TN

A refrigeration system having a vapor compression cycle utilizing a liquid over-feeding operation with an integrated accumulator-expander-heat exchanger. Hot, high-pressure liquid refrigerant from the condenser passes through one or more lengths of capillary tubing substantially immersed in a pool liquid refrigerant in the accumulator-expander-heat exchanger for simultaneously sub-cooling and expanding the liquid refrigerant while vaporizing liquid refrigerant from the pool for the return thereof to the compressor as saturated vapor. The sub-cooling of the expanded liquid provides for the flow of liquid refrigerant into the evaporator for liquid over-feeding the evaporator and thereby increasing the efficiency of the evaporation cycle.

• Research Organization: LOCKHEED MARTIN ENRGY SYST INC
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• Assignee: Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Oak Ridge, TN)
• Patent Number(s): US 5622055
• OSTI ID: 870906
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/62/
accumulator-expander-heat
accumulator-expander-heat exchanger
capillary
compression
compression cycle
compressor
condenser
cycle
efficiency
evaporation
evaporator
exchanger
expanded
expanding
flow
heat exchange
heat exchanger
high-pressure
hot
immersed
increasing
integrated
integrated accumulator-expander-heat
lengths
liquid
liquid over-feeding
liquid refrigerant
method
operation
over-feeding
over-feeding operation
passes
pool
pressure liquid
provides
refrigerant
refrigeration
return
saturated
saturated vapor
simultaneously
sub-cooling
substantially
tubing
utilizing
vapor
vapor compression
vaporizing
vaporizing liquid