With Vapor Compression System Patents (Class 62/238.6)
  • Publication number: 20020038555
    Abstract: A vapor-compression distiller includes a rotary heat exchanger. A reciprocating compressor (26) maintains a pressure difference between the compressor's evaporation chambers (46) and its condensation chambers (44). The compressor is assembled in a common rotating assembly with the compressor, so the distiller does not need rotating seals between the compressor and heat exchanger. The compressor includes two pistons (56 and 58) driven in opposite directions in a rotating piston chamber (54). The directions in which they thereby reciprocate are substantially parallel to the rotating assembly's axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: April 4, 2002
    Inventor: William H. Zebuhr
  • Patent number: 6357245
    Abstract: An apparatus for making hot-water by an air conditioner/heater is provided. The apparatus comprises a heat recovery device so that the apparatus can make hot-water by utilizing exhaust heat in air conditioning or heating cycle. Further, the apparatus can make hot-water independently. The apparatus can increase thermal efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Cohand Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Lian Weng, Jing-Wen Weng
  • Patent number: 6347527
    Abstract: An integrated compression based heating/cooling, humidification and mid or high efficiency heat recovery ventilation system is provided. The integrated system is a centralized apparatus that offers a very efficient method for heating/cooling with more winter and summer humidity control plus offering heat recovery ventilation in a structure having a regulated indoor temperature and specific ventilation/energy recovery rate. The heating and cooling section of the apparatus would most commonly be configured as a forced air geothermal or air-to-air heat pump. The heat recovery ventilation section of the apparatus will incorporate a heat recovery chamber complete with a primary passive cross flow heat recovery core. Plus, a secondary refrigeration based high efficiency reversible energy recovery evaporator/condenser coil. The integrated system will also incorporate a humidification system designed to operate during the winter heating season.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2002
    Inventors: Louis J. Bailey, Ralph Haan
  • Publication number: 20020017107
    Abstract: An integrated compression based heating/cooling, humidification and mid or high efficiency heat recovery ventilation system is provided. The integrated system is a centralized apparatus that offers a very efficient method for heating/cooling with more winter and summer humidity control plus offering heat recovery ventilation in a structure having a regulated indoor temperature and specific ventilation/energy recovery rate. The heating and cooling section of the apparatus would most commonly be configured as a forced air geothermal or air-to-air heat pump. The heat recovery ventilation section of the apparatus will incorporate a heat recovery chamber complete with a primary passive cross flow heat recovery core. Plus, a secondary refrigeration based high efficiency reversible energy recovery evaporator/condenser coil. The integrated system will also incorporate a humidification system designed to operate during the winter heating season.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: LOUIS J. BAILEY, RALPH HAAN
  • Publication number: 20020002834
    Abstract: In a hot-water supply system with a heat pump cycle, a control unit controls operation of an expansion valve based on a temperature difference between a refrigerant temperature at an outlet side of a refrigerant passage in a water heat exchanger and a water temperature at an inlet side of a water passage in the water heat exchanger. When the expansion valve is controlled in a direction increasing a valve opening degree, the control unit sets an upper limit opening degree of the expansion valve, for obtaining a refrigerant pressure corresponding to a target hot-water temperature, and controls the expansion valve in an opening degree range smaller than the upper limit opening degree.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Publication date: January 10, 2002
    Inventors: Jyouji Kuroki, Hisayoshi Sakakibara, Tomohisa Yoshimi, Tomoaki Kobayakawa, Kazutoshi Kusakari, Michiyuki Saikawa
  • Publication number: 20020000094
    Abstract: In a heat-pump water heater, a control unit has a heat-radiation determining means for determining a heat radiation from refrigerant to outside air in an air heat exchanger based on a water temperature flowing into a water heat exchanger, and the control unit selectively performs a general cycle operation and a bypass operation in accordance with a determination result of the heat-radiation determining means. That is, when the water temperature flowing into the water heat exchanger is lower than 60° C., the general cycle operation is performed. On the other hand, when the water temperature is equal to or higher than 60° C., the bypass operation is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Inventors: Jyouji Kuroki, Hisayoshi Sakakibara, Tomoaki Kobayakawa, Kazutoshi Kusakari, Michiyuki Saikawa
  • Publication number: 20010052238
    Abstract: An air-conditioning system is designed at least for an air-conditioning mode for cooling a thermal control medium (13) and a heat-pump mode for heating the thermal control medium. The system comprises a refrigerant circuit with a compressor (1) and an evaporator (8), a coolant circuit with a heat-generating unit (10) to be cooled and a heater (12) for heating the thermal control medium, and also a first refrigerant/coolant heat exchanger (3) functioning on the refrigerant side as a condenser/gas cooler. The evaporator is formed by a second refrigerant/coolant heat exchanger (8). A cooling body (14) for cooling the thermal control medium is connected downstream of heat exchanger (8) on the coolant side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2001
    Publication date: December 20, 2001
    Applicant: BEHR GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Roland Burk, Hans-Joachim Krauss, Christoph Walter, Marcus Weinbrenner
  • Publication number: 20010045102
    Abstract: In a hot water supply system with a heat pump cycle, an oil separator for separating refrigerant and oil flowing from a compressor from each other is provided, and oil separated from refrigerant in the oil separator returns to the compressor through an oil returning passage after passing through an oil passage of a water heat exchanger. The water heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanging portion in which refrigerant from the oil separator and water from a tank are heat-exchanged, and a second heat exchanging portion in which oil from the oil separator and water from the tank are heat-exchanged. In the heat exchanger, a flow direction of water is set opposite to that of refrigerant and oil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2001
    Publication date: November 29, 2001
    Inventors: Shinya Noro, Hisayoshi Sakakibara, Tomoaki Kobayakawa, Kazutoshi Kusakari, Michiyuki Saikawa
  • Patent number: 6293119
    Abstract: A self-contained air conditioner cools a building's air using a water-cooled economizer coil and two refrigerant evaporators. The two evaporators are provided by two separate refrigeration circuits, each having its own water-cooled condenser. A water circuit interconnecting the economizer and the two condensers is reconfigureable to selectively operate the air conditioner in a normal mode or, if conditions permit, in an energy-saving economizer mode. In the normal mode, the water circuit conveys cooling water in series through both condensers while bypassing the economizer coil. In the economizer mode, the water flows in series through the economizer and one of the condensers while bypassing the other. The refrigerant circuit whose condenser is bypassed can thus be deactivated to save energy. The economizer coil and the condenser it bypasses have generally the same flow resistance to water flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: American Standard International Inc.
    Inventor: Glenn E. Wenzel
  • Patent number: 6289685
    Abstract: A compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, an indoor heat exchanger, and the like are connected to each other with refrigerant piping to form a refrigerant circuit in a closed loop configuration. The refrigerant circuit is provided with a four-way switch valve such that the direction of circulation of a refrigerant is reversible. The refrigerant circuit is provided with a refrigerant heater. During a cooling operation, an electromagnetic valve is closed so that the outdoor heat exchanger serves as a condenser to perform a refrigeration cycle operation. During a heating operation, natural gas is caused to burn in the refrigerant heater to heat and evaporate the refrigerant with high-temperature combustion gas. The evaporated refrigerant flows into the indoor heat exchanger, exchanges heat with indoor air, and is condensed, whereby the indoor air is heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masato Utsumi, Katsuhiro Kawabata, Keisuke Tanimoto
  • Publication number: 20010020529
    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: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Publication date: September 13, 2001
    Inventor: Stefan Karl
  • Patent number: 6279333
    Abstract: A self-contained mobile air-cooling apparatus that can be moved to specific areas for auxiliary or primary cooling as needed. The cooling apparatus has a refrigeration compressor interconnected to an expansion evaporator coil and a condenser coil. A blower draws in ambient air via a return opening and through the evaporator coil giving off cooled air. Refrigerant from the evaporator coil is circulated through a water cooled condenser coil in an enclosure giving up its heat to the water. The water is circulated over the condenser coil in the enclosure and selectively to a storage tank via an outlet control valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Industry Heating and Cooling, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc A. Cilli, Gabriel P. Cilli
  • Publication number: 20010013409
    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 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 at least 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 at least 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: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Applicant: Behr GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Roland Burk, Hans-Joachim Krauss, Hagen Mittelstrass, Karl-Heinz Staffa, Christoph Walter
  • Patent number: 6263964
    Abstract: A heat exchanging apparatus in cooperation with a refrigeration system. The apparatus comprises water lines, a thermos tank for storing water, a thermostat, heat collecting tanks in communication with the water lines having a refrigerant line passed therethrough for water to absorb the heat released by refrigerant transferred from the compressor to the condenser of the refrigeration system, a pump, and drive a controller wherein the pump pumps heated water to the thermos tank for storage. The drive controller is electrically connected to the thermos tank for measuring the temperature of the water for determining whether to stop an operation of the pump as compared to a predetermined temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Inventor: Cheng-Fu Yang
  • Patent number: 6253564
    Abstract: A heat transfer system for use in cooling and dehumidifying an interior space while rejecting heat to several alternative sources. The system incorporates three primary heat transfer coils in a mechanical refrigeration cycle to provide comfort cooling to an interior space while rejecting heat to one of the two primary condensing mediums. In addition the beat transfer system of the present invention functions by transferring heat from the atmosphere to a pool, thereby functioning as a pool heater. In a first operating mode heat transferred from an interior space to the ambient atmosphere. In a second operating mode heat is transferred from an interior space to pool water. In a third operating mode heat is transferred from the ambient atmosphere to pool water. A refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger is disclosed having a gas trap for isolating corrosive gases from the metallic heat exchanger components, and further including a sacrificial zinc anode for corrosion protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Peregrine Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Merrill A. Yarbrough, Russell E. Lambert
  • Patent number: 6237353
    Abstract: Related components of a refrigeration system are cooled by refrigerant drawn from the system condenser by a pump which serves to raise the pressure of the condensate and move the condensate through the system related component. The condensate is reduced to a vapor as it absorbs parasitic heat losses in the components and is returned to the condenser where the parasitic heat losses are carried out of the system by the condenser coolant so that the system performance is not adversely effected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: Carrier Corporation
    Inventors: Vishnu M. Sishtla, Michael A. Stark
  • Patent number: 6233951
    Abstract: A heat management system for a building having at least one cooling device is provided. The heat management system includes a refrigeration system in heat exchange contact with a cooling system for providing cooling energy to the cooling system and to the cooling device. The cooling system includes at least two independent flow paths in heat exchange contact with the cooling device for cooling the cooling device. In addition, the heat management system includes a defrost system in heat exchange contact with the cooling device through the independent flow paths wherein the defrost system can be operated to independently defrost each flow path of the cooling system. The system is efficient to operate in conjunction with a geothermal system and provides effective building atmosphere de-humidification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Inventor: Daniel Cardill
  • Patent number: 6230505
    Abstract: A heat pump type air conditioning system (A) for an automotive vehicle. The heat type air conditioning system (A) comprises a first unit (10) including a heater core (11) through which an engine coolant of an engine flows, and a first heat exchanger (12) which forms part of a refrigeration cycle including a compressor (1) and a first condenser (3), in which a refrigerant circulates in the refrigeration cycle. A second unit (20) is provided including a second condenser (21) and a second heat exchanger (22) which are fluidly connected in parallel with the first heat exchanger (12). A valve (V2) is fluidly connected in series with the second condenser (21) and disposed such that a part of the refrigerant is introduced through the valve into the second condenser (21) and the second heat exchanger (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Calsonic Kansei Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshitoshi Noda, Hiroyuki Yamaguchi, Toshio Ohashi, Kaoru Kamiyama, Tadayoshi Tajima, Toshiharu Watanabe, Yasuhito Okawara, Hiroki Yoshioka
  • Patent number: 6230514
    Abstract: An energy transfer system is provided for a household or commercial refrigeration appliance. The energy transfer system includes a fluid passage disposed in the housing of the appliance for enabling the transfer of a fluid into, through, and out of the housing. The fluid is circulated through a heat exchanger which can be disposed outside of a home or commercial building or underground so that the fluid is cooled by the outside air or by the ground. The cooling fluid is also utilized to cool the compressor of an air conditioning unit. A heat exchanger is also utilized for transferring heat from the cooling fluid to an interior of a building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Inventors: Edward R. Schulak, J. Benjamin Horvay, Joseph A. Pietsch
  • Patent number: 6216481
    Abstract: A heat pump system installed on the discharge line of a refrigeration system with floating head pressure (condensing temperature as low as 60° F.) to extract the total rejected heat by the refrigeration system and to elevate the temperature level of the total rejected heat to a value usable in heat reclaim coils with the purpose to provide comfort heating of the building during the cold periods of the year. When no heat reclaim is required, the heat pump system is used for air conditioning and subcooling purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2001
    Inventor: Jordan Kantchev
  • Patent number: 6212894
    Abstract: A microprocessor based control system monitors and controls a heat pump water heater system and interfaces the water heating system with an external centralized control system. The microprocessor control system includes sensors, safety switches, device interface relays, user interface devices and precanned software to provide versatile monitoring and control over a heat pump type water heating system. The system generally involves a typical heat pump coupled with a domestic water heater, hot water retention tank or other body of water. The control system provides operational control over the heat pump to maintain the hot water stored in the domestic water heater in a predetermined setpoint and controls the use of electric resistance heating elements in the domestic water heater for added heating capacity for quick heat recovery type operation. The control system receives a centralized signal typically from a utility company to disable heat pump water heating operation during peak demand time periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2001
    Assignee: Waterfurnace International Inc.
    Inventors: Robert R. Brown, Christopher C. Mann, R. Todd Zeplin
  • Patent number: 6205803
    Abstract: A thermal control method and apparatus flows refrigerant of a vapor compression system through a plate of an avionics pod so as to provide a compact and efficient cooling technique for aircraft performing a variety of missions. The plate can serve as an evaporator in a heat pump loop or a heat exchanger in a pumped coolant loop. As a result, the same components can be used for convection cooling and compressor-assisted cooling. At lower temperatures, the pump is operational whereas under less favorable conditions the compressor is operable. A bypass can be provided to provide thermal control where ambient temperature is excessively low. A water boiler can also be utilized when, for short periods, the ambient temperature is higher than the desired temperature for the electronics package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Mainstream Engineering Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Peter Scaringe
  • Patent number: 6202427
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a refrigerating air-conditioning system which can be used to reduce and reuse waste energy. The system includes a fan motor which is used to supply a variable wind rate to an intermediate heat exchanger. In such a manner, when the cold making requirement is greater than the heat making requirement, the intermediate heat exchanger functions as an auxiliary condenser so as to variably change the waste heat needed to be drained from the refrigerating air-conditioning system. When the heat making requirement is greater than the cold making requirement, the intermediate heat exchanger functions as an evaporator so as to variably change the heat needed to be absorbed by the refrigerating air-conditioning system. When the cold and heat making requirements exist synchronously, the intermediate heat exchanger functions as an auxiliary condenser so as to change the waste heat needed to be drained from the refrigerating air-conditioning system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2001
    Assignee: Yiue Feng Enterprise Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuo-Liang Weng
  • Patent number: 6173578
    Abstract: Air conditioning which is designed to cool a vehicle engine and provide air conditioning inside the vehicle is comprised of a condenser (5) cooled by air (6). The condenser (5) is installed in the vehicle and separated from the vehicle radiator (18) so that hot air coming out from the condenser will not pass over the vehicle radiator. The condenser (5) will be placed in some place other than next to the radiator and a fan (4-A) will be installed to provide it with fresh air. A cold low-pressure suction pipe (20) coming from the evaporator (13) is placed inside the vehicle radiator in an area in which water cooling the radiator accumulates in the radiator. The high pressure liquid pipe (7) is split after the receiver in a way that connects to a pipe (16) leading back to the vehicle radiator and connects to another pipe leading to the evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Inventor: Saidan Sh. M. Al-Otaibi