METHOD FOR CONTROLLING FROST ON A HEAT TRANSFER DEVICE
A method for controlling frost on a heat transfer device includes the steps of providing an air flow device adapted to provide a stream of air at a high flow rate, and using the air flow device to subject a heat transfer device to the stream of air during frosting times. The stream of air interacts with the heat transfer device to remove water droplets disposed on the heat transfer device, thereby preventing frost from accumulating on the heat transfer device.
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This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 61/481,978 filed on May 3, 2011.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to an improvement in the thermal efficiency of a heat transfer device under frosting conditions. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for controlling the accumulation of frost on the outside coil of a heat transfer device such as a heat pump.
Frost accumulation occurs during operation at low outdoor temperatures and high air relative humidity. It is a primary cause of winter peak demand when electric backup heat must replace capacity of compromised heat pumps. Ice crystals form on refrigerant-to-air heat exchangers generally when the evaporator surface temperature is below ˜28° F. Surface crystals insulate the coil and cause a reduction in refrigerant temperature, beginning the cascading formation of thick frost which in relatively short order completely blocks heat transfer.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThese and other shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by the present invention, which provides Accordingly, there is a need for a method of controlling the accumulation of frost and improving the overall thermal efficiency of a heat pump or other heat transfer device.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling frost on a heat transfer device includes the steps of providing an air flow device adapted to provide a stream of air at a high flow rate, and using the air flow device to subject a heat transfer device to the stream of air during frosting times. The stream of air interacts with the heat transfer device to remove water droplets disposed on the heat transfer device, thereby preventing frost from accumulating on the heat transfer device.
The subject matter that is regarded as the invention may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which:
Referring to the drawings, an exemplary method for controlling frost on a heat transfer device according to an embodiment of the invention is disclosed. The method removes liquid water from a heat transfer coil of a heat transfer device, such as a heat pump, during or shortly after the coil is defrosted by imposing a high velocity air flow through the coil.
Increasing the air flow rate for a short time removes liquid water from the coil. This removal of water allows the heat transfer device to operate for a longer period of time before the next defrosting is required. This increase in the operating time between thermal defrosts of the coils improves the overall thermal efficiency of the heat transfer device.
A set of experiments were conducted to remove frost from the heat transfer device using a combination of thermal defrost and increased air velocities. An additional thermal bath was added to the experimental setup. The ‘cold’ alcohol was supplied to simulate the heating mode in a heat pump, while the ‘hot’ alcohol was applied to simulate a defrost cycle of a heat pump. A valve system was employed to switch between the thermal baths.
Table 1 summarizes the test conditions for the frost reduction experiments. The base line test (1.0-D3-F0 (76)) was conducted with a constant air velocity for the entire test duration. The defrost cycles started by providing alcohol at 3° C. after each hour for 3 min. Additionally, increasing air velocities by approximately a factor of 6.5 (medium air velocity increase) were applied during the defrost cycle in tests 6.5-D3-F3 (77) and 6.5-D3-F5(79) for 3 min and 5 min, respectively. The test 6.5-D3-F180 (80) was conducted with the increased air velocity for the entire duration of the test. The duration of the test was 3 hours (three defrost cycles). The environmental conditions were kept the same as those in the previous experiments.
The refrozen water can be differentiated from frost crystals of the frosted coil, as shown in
The obvious advantage of using high air velocity is depicted in
To investigate the effect of high air velocity on defrost cycles, additional tests were carried out. The maximum pressure drops were set to 40 Pa or 60 Pa as the conditions for the defrost cycle start. The defrost time was 2 minutes for all experiments. The test 1.0-D2-F0 (96) was conducted with a constant low air velocity, and the test 6.5-D2-F2 (94) was conducted with the application of a higher air velocity for the duration of the defrost cycle.
The effect on the defrost cycle time using a pressure drop set-point of 60 Pa is much more significant, as shown in
The foregoing has described a method for controlling frost on a heat transfer device. While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications thereto can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and the best mode for practicing the invention are provided for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation.
Claims
1. A method for controlling frost on a heat transfer device, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an air flow device adapted to provide a stream of air at a high flow rate; and
- (b) using the air flow device to subject a heat transfer device to the stream of air during frosting times, such that when the stream of air interacts with the heat transfer device, water droplets disposed on the heat transfer device are removed from the heat transfer device by the stream of air, thereby preventing frost from accumulating on the heat transfer device.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the air flow device is programmed to provide the high flow rate of air during periods of time when frosting may occur and to provide a reduced flow rate of air during periods of time when frosting is unlikely to occur.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the air flow device is a variable speed fan programmed to adjust its fan speed in accordance with atmospheric conditions to prevent frost from accumulating on the heat transfer device.
4. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of installing the air flow device in the heat transfer device.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the air flow device is a variable speed fan adapted to replace the heat transfer device's fan and programmed to provide a high flow rate of air during periods of time when frosting may occur.
Type: Application
Filed: May 3, 2012
Publication Date: Nov 8, 2012
Applicant: ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC. (Charlotte, NC)
Inventors: Paul Kalinowski (Riverdale, MD), John Lawler (North Potomac, MD), Seguei Dessiatoun (Colmar Manor, MD), Amir Shooshtari (Hyattsville, MD)
Application Number: 13/463,254
International Classification: F25D 21/04 (20060101);