With Vapor Compression System Patents (Class 62/238.6)
  • Patent number: 7310960
    Abstract: A water heater is provided by a refrigerant cycle, in which the gas cooler is utilized to heat the water. A drain is incorporated into a water circuit for draining all of the water outwardly of the circuit when the system is shut down. In a preferred embodiment, a water outlet of the gas cooler is at the vertically lowermost portion of the water circuit. A drain valve is placed in this vertically lowermost location such that the water can be easily drained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Tobias Sienel, Lili Zhang, Nicolas Pondicq-Cassou
  • Patent number: 7305841
    Abstract: A cogeneration system is disclosed. The cogeneration system includes a heat pump type air conditioner, a waste heat recoverer to recover waste heat of a drive source, a waste heat supplying heat exchanger, which is heated by the waste heat recovered by the waste heat recoverer, and a bypassing unit, which causes the waste heat supplying heat exchanger to function as an evaporator during a heating operation of the heat pump type air conditioner. In accordance with this arrangement, it is possible to enhance the heating capacity of the heat pump type air conditioner irrespective of outdoor temperature, to prevent damage of compressors, and to minimize power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yun Ho Ryu, Eun Jun Cho, Yoon Jei Hwang, Cheol Min Kim, Cheol Soo Ko
  • Patent number: 7302807
    Abstract: In a refrigerating cycle device using carbon dioxide as a refrigerant, there exists a problem that the provision of a receiver at a low-pressure side increases cost and volume due to a pressure resistance design necessary for ensuring safety. By adjusting a refrigerant holding quantity of a first heat exchanger in such a manner that a refrigerant pressure of the first heat exchanger 13 is changed by operating a first decompressor 12 and a second decompressor 15, an imbalance of a refrigerant quantity between time for space cooling and time for heating or dehumidifying can be alleviated and hence, it is possible to perform an operation of the refrigerating cycle device with high efficiency with a miniaturized receiver or without providing the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuichi Yakumaru, Masami Funakura, Fumitoshi Nishiwaki, Noriho Okaza
  • Patent number: 7296429
    Abstract: There is provided an energy recovery apparatus capable of recovering a hydraulic energy in a regenerative air-conditioning system including a pressure sustaining valve and capable of coping with a discharge change caused by variation in air-conditioning load, the air-conditioning system being capable of carrying out normal operation even in a case where the energy recovery apparatus fails. The energy recovery apparatus is configured so as to feed water from a water tank to air-conditioning loads such as a heat source or a fan coil at a higher place through a feed pipe line by a pump and to lead the water passed through the air-conditioning loads into the water tank via a return pipe line including the pressure sustaining valve, a branch pipe line is disposed so as to branch into the water tank from the return pipe line in upstream of the pressure sustaining valve, and the energy recovery apparatus is connected in to the branch pipe line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Tanaka, Yukihiro Fujita, Eiji Koyama, Kouich Satou
  • Patent number: 7296416
    Abstract: A system and method includes a vapor compression circuit having a source of waste heat. A thermoelectric device is positioned in heat-transfer relation to the source of waste heat and generates an electric current that powers a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masao Akei, Kirill M Ignatiev, Nagaraj Jayanth, Hung M Pham, Jean-Luc M Caillat
  • Patent number: 7287581
    Abstract: The integrated automotive HVAC/PTC system of the present invention includes a bi-fluidic heat exchanger between an air conditioning subsystem and a heating subsystem which enables heat extracted during dehumidification of the ventilation air to be transferred into dehumidified ventilation air. The HVAC/PTC system includes reconfigurable coolant loops and reconfigurable refrigerant loops, some of which act in concert and some of which may be isolated. Power train components, including the power supply, may be grouped by heat transfer requirements and may be cooled or heated as needed. Power train cooling is accomplished with coolant in the heating subsystem chilled by the air conditioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2007
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence P. Ziehr, Gregory A. Major, June S. Bian
  • Publication number: 20070199337
    Abstract: In a refrigeration cycle device in which heat generated by heat absorption of an evaporator is used for heating in a condenser, a disadvantage that a cooling capacity of the evaporator deteriorates owing to shortage or drop of an amount of the heat to be rejected from the condenser is securely avoided and a cooling function is maintained. In the refrigeration cycle device which is provided with a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve and an evaporator and which exhibits a heating function by the heat rejected from the condenser and which exhibits the cooling function by the heat absorption of the evaporator, an operation to secure a predetermined amount of the heat to be rejected from the condenser is executed in order to maintain the cooling function of the evaporator based on an index capable of grasping the amount of the heat to be rejected from the condenser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Inventors: Masahisa Otake, Koji Sato, Hiroshi Mukaiyama
  • Patent number: 7260952
    Abstract: A fluid machine has a compressor device for compressing refrigerant of a refrigerating cycle for an automotive vehicle, an electric rotating device operating as an electric motor for generating a rotational driving force to drive the compressor device or operating as an electric power generator, an expansion device for collecting waste heat from an engine and generating a rotational driving force to drive the electric rotating device and/or the compressor device, and a switching device for connecting or disconnecting the compressor device with or from the expansion device. In the fluid machine, the waste heat from the engine can be always collected by the expansion device, irrespectively whether or not the compressor device is operating for an air conditioning operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Takeuchi, Shigeki Iwanami, Hironori Asa, Yasushi Yamanaka, Atsushi Inaba, Hiroshi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7210303
    Abstract: Refrigerant is circulated through a vapor compression system including a compressor, a gas cooler, an expansion device, and an evaporator. An auxiliary electric heater is activated to further heat the heated water exiting the gas cooler when the heating capacity of the system is low. The auxiliary electric heater can be located on the water line exiting the gas cooler, in a water tank that stores the heated water, or on the refrigerant line proximate to the compressor discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2007
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Lili Zhang, Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 7207379
    Abstract: An automotive air conditioning system comprising a main heating unit 4 for heating air passing through an air conditioning duct 2 with cooling water of an engine E and a refrigeration cycle device 20 having a first refrigerant circulating circuit 21 which is a cooler mode and a second refrigerant circulating circuit 22 which is a heater mode and whose operation is controlled by an ECU 10, wherein while the automotive air conditioning system is operated in a heater mode functioning as auxiliary heating, in the event that a heating load is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, a refrigerant compressor 7 is kept switched off until a predetermined time T1 has elapsed after the engine E has started. In addition, a heating device is provided on the refrigerant compressor or an accumulator so that the refrigerant compressor or the accumulator is heated by the heating devices while the automotive air conditioning system is operated in the heater mode functioning as auxiliary heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Takano, Shun Kurata
  • Patent number: 7191543
    Abstract: A drying apparatus comprising a heat pump apparatus in which a refrigerant circulates through a compressor, a radiator, a throttle apparatus and an evaporator in this order, in which air heated by the radiator is introduced into a dry chamber, the air coming out from the dry chamber is cooled by a cooling apparatus, the air cooled by the cooling apparatus is dehumidified by the evaporator, and the air dehumidified by the evaporator is again heated by the radiator, wherein the drying apparatus further comprises compressor input detecting means for detecting input of the compressor, and cooling quantity control means for controlling a cooling quantity of the cooling apparatus using a value detected by the compressor input detecting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuichi Yakumaru, Tomoichiro Tamura, Fumitoshi Nishiwaki
  • Patent number: 7182129
    Abstract: A device for air-conditioning a motor vehicle has an engine-cooling loop, a heat-pump loop containing a compressor, an evaporator as cold source of the heat pump and a condenser as hot source of the heat pump. The condenser is integrated into the engine-cooling loop upstream of the air heater. An air-conditioning branch has a condenser and an evaporator with an upstream end connected to the heat-pump loop downstream of the compressor, and a downstream end connected to the heat-pump loop upstream of the compressor. Switching means make it possible to make the refrigerant fluid circulate either in the heat-pump loop, or in the heat-pump branch, in such a way as to form a heat-pump loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Valeo Climatisation
    Inventor: Stefan Karl
  • Patent number: 7159416
    Abstract: An expander controls the expansion and flow of refrigerant between high and low pressure within a vapor compression system. The expander drives a shaft that in turn drives a friction disk within a friction heat generator. Frictional contact between the friction disk and the plate generates heat. The friction heat generator transfers heat to the water circuit to elevate the temperature of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventor: Young Kyu Park
  • Patent number: 7152422
    Abstract: A vapor compression refrigerator having a refrigeration cycle (200) is disclosed. In a Rankine cycle (300), a refrigerant is circulated through a pump (310), a heater (320), an expander (330) and a condenser (220) in that order, and power is recovered by the expander 330 due to the expansion of the refrigerant from the heater (320). In a host gas cycle (500), on the other hand, the inlet of the compressor (210) can be connected from a point between the pump (310) and the heater (320) by a switching path (510) having a first restricting portion (510), the refrigerant is circulated by the compressor (210) through the heater (320) and the switching path (510) in that order, and the heater (320) exhibits the function of heating a heat generating device (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2006
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Takano, Atsushi Inaba, Koichi Ban, Koji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7143598
    Abstract: The invention relates to an energy system using as fuel natural gas stored in liquid form in at least one tank containing liquefied natural gas, the system comprising a feeder device provided with a heater device for heating liquefied natural gas and/or natural gas vapor, and making use of a thermoelectric power unit including rotary electrical machines, the system further comprises a first heat exchanger system associated with a cooler device for cooling the rotary electrical machines, and a second heat exchanger system associated with the heater device, the first heat exchanger system being coupled to the second heat exchanger in order to enable heat to be transferred from the cooler device to the heater device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignees: SNECMA, Converteam SAS
    Inventors: Damien Feger, Lionel Julliand, Abdallah Mirzaian Dehkordi
  • Patent number: 7127905
    Abstract: A method of controlling a startup operation in a heat pump water heater system prevents inadvertent shutdowns and/or low operating efficiencies via closed loop control of the system. The method includes choosing an expansion valve opening at startup near an expected steady state value to ensure high system capacity as early as possible, setting a water pump signal to a high level to maximize cycle efficiency during warm-up, and applying closed loop control over the expansion valve and the water pump to increase the pressure in the system in a controlled manner until the system reaches a steady operating state. The method provides stable startup control even if a transcritical vapor compression system is used as the heat pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Bryan A. Eisenhower, Julio Concha
  • Patent number: 7093458
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for refrigerating at least one enclosure, such as an aircraft galley cart. The system includes at least one air-to-liquid heat exchanger, an eutectic thermal battery, a liquid-to-direct heat exchanger and at least one liquid-to-direct heat pump. The air-to-liquid heat exchangers are in thermal communication with the interiors of the enclosures. The thermal battery is in fluid communication with the air-to-liquid heat exchangers via a first coolant loop. The liquid-to-direct heat exchanger and the liquid-to-direct heat pumps are in fluid communication with the eutectic thermal battery via a second coolant loop, and in thermal communication with a cold heat sink, such as an aircraft fuselage skin structure. The system can controllably operate in direct passive, indirect passive, direct active and/or an indirect active modes whereby a coolant can selectively flow in the first and/or second coolant loops to thereby refrigerate the enclosures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Ben P. Hu
  • Patent number: 7076964
    Abstract: In a heat-pump water heater with a super-critical refrigerant cycle, a valve open degree of a decompression valve is controlled to control a pressure of high-pressure side refrigerant so that a temperature difference between refrigerant flowing out from the water-refrigerant heat exchanger and water flowing into a water-refrigerant heat exchanger is set in a predetermined temperature range. Thus, the pressure of high-pressure side refrigerant in the super-critical refrigerant cycle can be controlled, thereby suitably adjusting heat-exchange performance of an internal heat exchanger, and restricting the temperature of refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant compressor from being uselessly increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Hisayoshi Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 7069983
    Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle includes a refrigerant cycle having an evaporator which is disposed in a blowing duct and cools air by refrigerant evaporation in the blowing duct; a compressor setting the evaporated refrigerant at a high temperature and high pressure; a refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger heating cooling water by heat transfer from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; and an expansion device decompressing the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger. The air conditioner also includes a cooling water cycle having a heater core which is disposed on the downstream side of the evaporator; a radiator cooling the cooling water; a pump circulating the cooling water cooled by the radiator; a power engine cooled by the cooling water fed by the pump; and the refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger. The refrigerant cycle performs cooling for dehumidification by performing the operation of heating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuichi Yakumaru, Fumitoshi Nishiwaki, Noriho Okaza
  • Patent number: 7063137
    Abstract: A chiller-condenser is disposed downstream of a condenser and a chiller-evaporator is disposed downstream of the chiller-condenser. A main three-way valve is disposed between the compressor and the condenser for directing flow from the compressor to the condenser in the air-conditioning mode and for directing flow from the compressor through a by-pass line to the chiller-condenser in the heat pump mode. A heat pump (HP) expansion device shown as an orifice tube expands the refrigerant in the heat pump mode and an by-pass valve is disposed between the chiller-condenser and the chiller-evaporator for directing flow from the chiller-condenser through the heat pump expansion device and to the chiller-evaporator in the heat pump mode. An air-conditioning (A/C) expansion device shown as orifice tube is disposed downstream of the condenser and upstream of the by-pass line for expanding the refrigerant in the air-conditioning mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Prasad Shripad Kadle, Mahmoud Ghodbane
  • Patent number: 7055590
    Abstract: An air conditioning apparatus includes a valve for selectively introducing the coolant discharged from a compressor to either a flow path for a water-coolant heat exchanger or another flow path to avoid the heat exchanger, a thermostat for detecting the temperature of a cooling water flowing into an engine and a controller for controlling the valve. When the temperature of the cooling water is equal to or less than a predetermined temperature, the controller controls the valve so that the coolant discharged from the compressor is introduced to the water-coolant heat exchanger. When the temperature of the cooling water is more than the predetermined temperature, the controller controls the valve so that the coolant discharged from the compressor avoids the water-coolant heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventor: Junichiro Hara
  • Patent number: 7048044
    Abstract: There are provided a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 for exchanging heat between refrigerant discharged from a compressor 21 and engine-cooling water circulating an engine-cooling water circuit 10, prior to being fed into the radiator 22, and a bypass 25 for guiding the refrigerant prior to being fed into the evaporator 24 to the water-coolant heat exchanger 30 while bypassing the evaporator 24 and the compressor 21. When it is desired to accelerate the warming-up of the engine 11, the bypass 25 is closed to operate the compressor 21 to heat the engine-cooling water by high-pressure refrigerant, and when it is desired to complement the capacity of the radiator 12, the bypass 25 is open to guide the liquid-phase refrigerant to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 30 to effectively cool the refrigerant by using the phase change of the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Ban, Yasushi Yamanaka, Takahisa Suzuki, Teruhiko Kameoka
  • Patent number: 7040108
    Abstract: A method and system for recovering thermal energy from an ambient environment includes an evaporator plate assembly located in the ambient environment, such as outdoors to absorb thermal energy from air. A compressor, heat exchanger, and water storage tank are located indoors. Fluid lines provide a closed circuit between the evaporator plate assembly, the compressor, and the heat exchanger. Water lines provide a flow path between the exchanger and the hot water tank. Refrigerant fluid in the evaporator plate assembly absorbs thermal energy from the ambient environment, and the fluid is then compressed by the compressor to increase the temperature thereof. The heated fluid transfers thermal energy to water in the heat exchanger, which is then stored in the tank for use. The hot water can be circulated to furnace coils wherein air is blown over the coils to absorb heat therefrom, and used to heat one or more rooms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Inventor: Kevin E. Flammang
  • Patent number: 7028490
    Abstract: A water-heating dehumidifier includes a refrigerant loop including a compressor, at least one condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator including an evaporator fan. The condenser includes a water inlet and a water outlet for flowing water therethrough or proximate thereto, or is affixed to the tank or immersed into the tank to effect water heating without flowing water. The immersed condenser design includes a self-insulated capillary tube expansion device for simplicity and high efficiency. In a water heating mode air is drawn by the evaporator fan across the evaporator to produce cooled and dehumidified air and heat taken from the air is absorbed by the refrigerant at the evaporator and is pumped to the condenser, where water is heated. When the tank of water heater is full of hot water or a humidistat set point is reached, the water-heating dehumidifier can switch to run as a dehumidifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: UT-Batelle, LLC
    Inventor: John J. Tomlinson
  • Patent number: 7024877
    Abstract: A water heating system including a water storage vessel; a water circuit; first and second heat exchangers operably disposed in the water circuit; and a vapor compression system defining a refrigerant circuit. The vapor compression system includes first and second compressor mechanisms. The first compressor mechanism compresses the refrigerant from suction pressure to intermediate pressure. The second compressor mechanism compresses the refrigerant from the intermediate pressure to a supercritical discharge pressure. The first heat exchanger is operably disposed in the refrigerant circuit between the first and second compressor mechanisms, and exchanges heat between intermediate pressure refrigerant and water. An expansion device is operably disposed in the refrigerant circuit. An evaporator is operably disposed in the refrigerant circuit between expansion device and first compressor mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: Tecumseh Products Company
    Inventor: Zer Kai Yap
  • Patent number: 6993924
    Abstract: A floating loop vehicle component cooling and air-conditioning system having at least one compressor for compressing cool vapor refrigerant into hot vapor refrigerant; at least one condenser for condensing the hot vapor refrigerant into hot liquid refrigerant by exchanging heat with outdoor air; at least one floating loop component cooling device for evaporating the hot liquid refrigerant into hot vapor refrigerant; at least one expansion device for expanding the hot liquid refrigerant into cool liquid refrigerant; at least one air conditioning evaporator for evaporating the cool liquid refrigerant into cool vapor refrigerant by exchanging heat with indoor air; and piping for interconnecting components of the cooling and air conditioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: John S. Hsu, Curtis W. Ayers, Chester Coomer, Laura D. Marlino
  • Patent number: 6986264
    Abstract: Various refrigerant system schematics incorporate the ability to bypass refrigerant around a condenser, to selectively provide refrigerant of a desired thermodynamic state to downstream system components, including a reheat coil located downstream of the condenser. In addition, the reheat coil may be utilized in combination, or independently from an economizer cycle, that is also incorporated into the system design. The economizer branch can be configured in a sequential or parallel arrangement relative to the reheat coil. Consequently, a wide spectrum of sensible and latent load demands can be satisfied. Furthermore, various schematics provide distinct benefits and flexibility in unloading and temperature and humidity control, also resulting in system performance and reliability enhancement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Michael F. Taras, Alexander Lifson
  • Patent number: 6955065
    Abstract: A first, optional second, optional third air conditioning systems employing air condensers and/or water condensers, coupled to a water source are disclosed. The water source includes a water to air heat exchanger, which is not coupled to nor provides cooling to either a habitable interior space or an attic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Inventors: Darrell Thomas Taylor, Jeffrey Edward Cantrell
  • Patent number: 6948327
    Abstract: A refrigeration system both cools and heats frozen dessert mix in at least two hoppers and at least two freezing cylinders. A liquid line solenoid valve at the inlet of each of the hoppers and the freezing cylinders controls the flow of refrigerant from the condenser. A hot gas solenoid valve at the inlet of each of the hoppers and the freezing cylinders controls the flow of hot refrigerant from the compressor. The system further includes a hot gas bypass valve that is opened when only the hoppers are being cooled to provide additional compressor load. An EPR valve proximate to the hopper discharges varies the temperature of the refrigerant exchanging heat with the mix in the hoppers. A CPR valve controls the inlet pressure of the compressor by reducing the amount of hot refrigerant flowing into the compressor suction. A TREV valve injects liquid refrigerant to the compressor suction to control excessive compressor discharge during the cool cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2005
    Assignee: Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Bischel, Kenneth Moshier, Martin Singletary, Timothy Whitney
  • Patent number: 6935421
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes a compressor for compressing refrigerant, an exterior heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between refrigerant and outside air, an interior heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between the refrigerant and air to be blown into the compartment, an ejector for decompressing high-pressure refrigerant, a heater core for heating air using a high-temperature fluid as a heating source, and a fluid-refrigerant heat exchanger that heats the fluid flowing to the heater core using high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor as a heating source. In a dehumidifying and heating operation, refrigerant in the interior heat exchanger absorbs heat from air so that the air is cooled and dehumidified, and the dehumidified and cooled air can be further heated in the heater core by indirectly using the heating source from the high-temperature refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotsugu Takeuchi, Shin Nisida
  • Patent number: 6925830
    Abstract: A well-water-type liquid cooling and heating resource system of the present invention, comprises a well, an energy lift device, a discharging pump and a suction pump sequentially connected by conduits. The well is separated into an upper portion and a lower portion by a baffle plate, and can supply constant temperature water at about 15° C. using as the low level cold and heat resources. The discharging tube and returning tube of the well is connected respectively with a liquid inlet tube and returning tube of the energy lift device. The suction pump is mounted at the lower portion of the well or on the baffle plate. The discharging tube of energy lift device, which is equipped with a discharge pump, is connected to a load such as an air conditioner. The load such as the air conditioner's returning tube is connected with the liquid inlet tube of a heat-exchanging pipeline coupling with the condenser of the energy lift device. The system costs lower and has no pollution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Inventor: Shengheng Xu
  • Patent number: 6920922
    Abstract: An air conditioner includes a compressor for compressing refrigerant, an exterior heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between refrigerant and outside air, an interior heat exchanger for performing heat exchange between the refrigerant and air to be blown into the compartment, a decompression unit for decompressing high-pressure refrigerant, and a heater that heats air using high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor as a heating source. In a dehumidifying and heating operation, refrigerant in the interior heat exchanger absorbs heat from air so that the air is cooled and dehumidified, and the heater heats air having been dehumidified and cooled by using the heating source, so that low-humidity and high-temperature air is supplied into the compartment. The heater can be disposed to indirectly heat air by heating a fluid flowing through a heater core for heating air, or to directly heat air to be blown into the compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Hirotsugu Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 6913067
    Abstract: Vehicle air-conditioning system, in particular CO2 air conditioner, the refrigerant cycle of which comprises the following components: a compressor, a refrigerant cooler, an internal heat exchanger between the refrigerant-cooler side and the evaporator side, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. To switch the air-conditioning system from cooling-mode operation to heating-mode operation, between the compressor and the refrigerant cooler there is integrated an auxiliary heat exchanger corresponding to a cooling circulation on the engine side, such that downstream of the auxiliary heat exchanger there is disposed an expansion valve by means of which during heating-mode operation the refrigerant can be throttled to a lower pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Zexel Valeo Compressor Europe GmbH
    Inventor: Ullrich Hesse
  • Patent number: 6913076
    Abstract: A high temperature heat pump comprising a low temperature heat exchanger to produce vapor of a first fluid from heat transferred from a second fluid to a mixture of liquid and vapor of the first fluid; a compressor to increase the pressure and temperature of the produced vapor; a high temperature heat exchanger to heat the second fluid to useful, high temperatures from the condensation of the first fluid; and an expander to lower the pressure and temperature of the first fluid producing a mixture of vapor and liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2005
    Assignee: Energent Corporation
    Inventor: Lance G. Hays
  • Patent number: 6910345
    Abstract: The invention relates to an air-conditioning unit (10) for a motor vehicle with a heating heat transfer unit (28) connected to a coolant circuit (42) in an internal combustion engine and comprising an evaporator (22) installed upstream in the direction of flow of a fan (36). A compressor (12) in a refrigerant circuit (32) pumps a refrigerant through a gas cooler (16) and an expansion valve (20) during a cooling operation, and pumps said refrigerant to the evaporator (22) via the expansion valve (20) by by-passing the gas cooler (16) during a heating operation. A coupled heat exchanger (30) is provided between the coolant circuit (42) and the refrigerant circuit (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Horstmann, Stephan Leuthner, Peter Satzger, Gernot Mall, Petra Kanters
  • Patent number: 6907923
    Abstract: A heat pump system includes a compressor, a heat rejecting heat exchanger, an expansion device, and a heat accepting heat exchanger. A storage tank stores the water that cools the refrigerant in the heat rejecting heat exchanger. A mechanical interface plate positioned between a hot water reservoir and a cold water reservoir in the storage tank reduces heat transfer between the hot water and the cold water. During a water heating mode, cold water from the cold reservoir flows into the heat sink to cool the refrigerant in the heat rejecting heat exchanger. As the water exchanges heat with the refrigerant, the water is heated in the heat sink, exits the heat sink, and flows into the hot reservoir of the storage tank. During a water discharge mode, the hot water in the hot reservoir is removed from the storage tank and flows into a hot water discharge. Cold water from a water source flows into the cold reservoir of the storage tank to refill the storage tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventor: Tobias H. Sienel
  • Patent number: 6889520
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide a thermal complementary (combination of heat supply and heat discharge) system which can complement heat without the restriction of area of a region to be supplied with heat. An endless multiplex helical loop is formed to complement the heat produced in a region such as plants and regional facilities on a reciprocal basis, and the water is not circulated forcibly but achieves heat transfer in the helical loop. Liquid or slurry-like water is sealed in the annular endless channel (endless loop) without forcibly circulated. Therefore, loop diameter of the annular endless channel, that means the area of the region, is not limited. The water forms temperature zones in the endless helical loop, the temperature being different per each component loop. Distributed cryogenic sources and thermal sources are thermally connected to said multiplex helical loop so that heat (i.e. water) can be taken in or discharged to or from said cryogenic or thermal sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Mayekawa Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Sano, Kuniaki Kawamura, Junji Matsuda, Katsumi Fujima, Takanori Kudo, Youichi Kawazu, Choiku Yoshikawa, Syuji Fukano
  • Patent number: 6883344
    Abstract: The invention relates to a novel structured air-conditioner with both cooling and warming functions, comprising a compressor, an out-door heat exchanger, an in-door heat exchanger and a four-way change-over valve, characterized in that it further comprises a parallel capillary device, a parallel expansion valve device or a combination of parallel capillary and expanding valve connected with the in-door and the out-door heat exchanger respectively. Said parallel capillary device, said parallel expansion valve device or the combination comprises a two-position three-way change-over valve or one-way valve with opposite direction of leading through and two groups of parallel capillary tube, two groups of parallel expanding valve, parallel capillary tube and expanding valve or a combination of two groups of series capillary tube and expansion valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2005
    Inventor: Chujun Gu
  • Patent number: 6865901
    Abstract: A system with an internal combustion engine which has a heat transfer circuit, a fuel cell and a climate control unit which is accommodated in the heat transfer circuit of the internal combustion engine. The system has a heat transfer arrangement for transferring the exhaust heat of the fuel cell to the heat transfer circuit and a bypass for bridging a segment of the heat transfer circuit which runs through the internal combustion engine so that, in the bypassed operating state, an isolated circuit is formed. In stationary operation, this enables an optimized operating mode since the internal combustion engine is no longer heated and the exhaust heat of the fuel cell is fully available for heating purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2005
    Assignee: Webasto Thermosysteme International GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Horn, Noureddine Khelifa, Alexander Kolb
  • Patent number: 6862894
    Abstract: A water-cooled auxiliary condenser device 200 receives refrigerant from an external refrigeration system 210 just downstream from its air-cooled condenser 110. The refrigerant passes through a water-cooled condenser 250, and the refrigerant state is sensed by a temperature or pressure sensor 226. If the sensed state of the refrigerant rises above a first threshold, the flow of water through the water-cooled condenser 250 is increased, e.g., turned ON, using a controllable water valve 234. When the sensed state of the refrigerant drops below a second threshold, the water flow through the water-cooled condenser 250 is decreased, e.g., turned OFF. The refrigerant returns to the refrigeration system just upstream from its liquid receiver 120. In the event that air-cooled condenser 110 fails, device 200 automatically activates the water-cooled condenser 250 to maintain safe refrigeration temperatures in the appliance. When not required, device 200 remains passive and does not use any water or electric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2005
    Inventor: Donald R. Miles
  • Patent number: 6843312
    Abstract: An air conditioning system has a refrigerant cycle, a coolant cycle, a refrigerant/coolant heat exchanger, coupling these cycles so as to transfer heat, and a valve for operating mode-dependent control of the refrigerant flow, whereby the air conditioning system can be operated not only in air conditioning mode but also in a heat pump or reheat mode. An internal combustion engine exhaust gas/coolant heat exchanger is connected upstream in series to the refrigerant/coolant heat exchanger in the coolant cycle in the heat pump mode; and/or in the reheat operating mode the refrigerant/coolant heat exchanger functions as a condenser/gas cooler, connected upstream in series on the coolant side to the supply air/coolant heat exchanger. In addition or as an alternative, a drying operating mode can be provided for drying the supply air/refrigerant heat exchanger with reversed air conveying direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2005
    Assignee: Behr GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Roland Burk, Hans-Joachim Krauss, Hagen Mittelstrass, Karl-Heinz Staffa, Christoph Walter
  • Publication number: 20040237545
    Abstract: There is provided an energy recovery apparatus capable of recovering a hydraulic energy in a regenerative air-conditioning system including a pressure sustaining valve and capable of coping with a discharge change caused by variation in air-conditioning load, the air-conditioning system being capable of carrying out normal operation even in a case where the energy recovery apparatus fails. The energy recovery apparatus is configured so as to feed water from a water tank to air-conditioning loads such as a heat source or a fan coil at a higher place through a feed pipe line by a pump and to lead the water passed through the air-conditioning loads into the water tank via a return pipe line including the pressure sustaining valve, a branch pipe line is disposed so as to branch into the water tank from the return pipe line in upstream of the pressure sustaining valve, and the energy recovery apparatus is connected in to the branch pipe line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Applicant: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Tanaka, Yukihiro Fujita, Eiji Koyama, Kouich Satou
  • Publication number: 20040237557
    Abstract: This invention relates to a water heater comprising a water tank (1) having a wall (2) formed from material having heat transfer properties and a cold water inlet (5) adjacent one end of the tank. A tube (8), adapted to carry a refrigerant fluid, is secured externally about the tank wall (2). Heat-conductive material is provided along the length of the tube, with the tube and the heat-conductive material in heat-conductive contact with the external surface of the wall of the tank to transfer heat from condensation of the refrigerant fluid in the tube through the wall to the water contained in the tank (1). An evaporator (15) is positioned so as to be exposed to ambient conditions for absorbing heat energy from the ambient conditions. The evaporator is provided with a passage for carrying the refrigerant fluid whereby the fluid may be heated by the ambient conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Publication date: December 2, 2004
    Inventors: Steve Harmon, Ying You
  • Patent number: 6810952
    Abstract: A refrigerant-fluid circuit has a compressor, a condenser serving as heat sink and a first evaporator serving as cold source. The circuit also has a second evaporator and the refrigerant fluid is made to flow either only in the first evaporator, or in the two evaporators, depending on the cooling power required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Valeo Climatisation
    Inventors: Mounir Ben Fredj, Bruno Hamery, Jean-Luc Thuez, Noureddine Khelifa
  • Patent number: 6807820
    Abstract: In a heat storage system for a vehicle, when a temperature of cooling water from a vehicle engine is high, adsorbents are heated by the cooling water, so that moisture is desorbed from the adsorbents in order to store heat. When the temperature of cooling water is low, the moisture is adsorbed in the adsorbents to heat the cooling water, while refrigerant in a vapor compression refrigerator is cooled by evaporating water. Thus, adsorption heat is generated from the adsorbents, and the cooling water is heated by using the adsorption heat. Accordingly, warm-up operation of the vehicle engine is facilitated, while motive power consumed by the vapor compression refrigerator can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasukazu Aikawa, Takahisa Suzuki, Satoshi Inoue, Hideaki Sato, Hiroshi Mieda
  • Patent number: 6796134
    Abstract: An intercooler for a vehicle engine incorporating an exhaust gas turbocharger and an air conditioning system, the intercooler comprising: a charge air cooler loop operatively connected to cool heated, pressurized air from the turbocharger before it flows into the vehicle engine; and an air conditioning system bypass loop operatively connecting the air conditioning system to the charge air cooler loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: John R. Bucknell, Marc Musial
  • Patent number: 6772826
    Abstract: A Thermal Energy Heat Exchanger, is an air conditioning system, for the exterior unit of a fully assembled and installed heat pump and, or, air conditioning system, by means of a water refrigerant, from a source of water, such as, but not limited to a river, a lake, a pond, a swimming pool, a well, a creek, or an ocean; wherein a flow of water is circulated from the source of water by means of a water pumping device, 25A, under a controlled water pressure 25B, through an intake system of piping 25C, to a plurality of evaporator coils, positioned so as to surround the exterior unit by means of attachment to the inner chamber section of a protective cover enclosure, and through the plurality of evaporator coils, to an Outlet water disposal piping system, 25D; being in effect a heat pump and, or, air conditioner for the exterior unit of a fully assembled and installed heat pump and, or, air conditioning system, by means of a water refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Inventor: Karl Vernon Lee Barnett
  • Patent number: 6769481
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an outdoor heat exchanger unit which is hardly effected adverse effects of the gas engine waste heat during the cooling operation and which can improve an efficiency of the refrigerant cycle, and which can improve the heating ability by utilizing the gas engine waste heat; an outdoor unit comprising the outdoor heat exchanger unit; and an air conditioner comprising the outdoor heat exchanger unit; in order to achieve the object, the present invention provide an outdoor heat exchanger unit for a gas heat pump type air conditioner, in which a compressor for compressing a refrigerant is driven by a gas engine, and which comprises a heat pump for utilizing waste heat of said gas engine to perform a heating and a cooling operations: wherein said outdoor heat exchanger unit comprises a radiator provided in a cooling water system in which cooling water for said gas engine circulates and an outdoor heat exchanger apparatus provided in a refrigerant circuit in which sai
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshimura, Hideaki Kasahara, Takaaki Ohtsuka, Jiro Tanaka
  • Publication number: 20040144528
    Abstract: A flash water heater using a heat pump includes a heat exchanger in which a refrigerant flow path exchanges heat with a water flow path. Tap water is led directly to the water flow path, and hot water supplied from the water flow path is used. The water heater includes at least one of the following elements: 1) a load setter for setting a heating amount in the heat exchanger, and a heating controller for regulating a heating amount in response to an amount set by the load setter; 2) a heater for heating water flowing through the water flow path in the heat exchanger and water flowing the path before and after the heat exchanger; 3) plural compressors; and 4) plural heat-pump cycles. The water heater is excellent in start-up of hot water temperature when the hot water supply starts, controllability, and efficiency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Publication date: July 29, 2004
    Inventors: Keijiro Kunimoto, Takeshi Watanabe, Ryuta Kondo, Satoshi Matsumoto, Satoshi Imabayashi
  • Publication number: 20040140082
    Abstract: A multifunctional thermal installation that includes a compressor, a switch valve, an evaporator, a condenser, a water heater, and an expansion valve is provided. The water heater has a water inlet that is connected to an underground well. Each of the evaporator and condenser includes at least a group of heat exchangers. The first group of heat exchangers is disposed in the water heater and the second group of heat exchangers and a fan associated with the second group of heat exchangers are disposed in a room.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2004
    Publication date: July 22, 2004
    Inventor: Hongsun Hua