Patent Application
20250137683
This application is directed, in general, to heating, ventilating, and cooling (HVAC) systems, and more specifically, to condensate discharge trays.
The following discussion of the background is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present disclosure only. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was part of the common general knowledge at the priority date of the application.
Heating, ventilating, and cooling (HVAC) systems can be used to regulate the environment within an enclosed space. Typically, an air blower is used to pull air (i.e., return air) from the enclosed space or pull air from an outside source into the HVAC system through ducts and push the air into the enclosed space through additional ducts after conditioning the air (e.g., heating, cooling or dehumidifying the air). Unless otherwise indicated, as used throughout this document, “or” does not require mutual exclusivity. Various types of HVAC systems may be used to provide conditioned air for enclosed spaces or other purposes.
These HVAC systems include a number of heat exchangers, notably one or more condensers. The HVAC systems may take a variety of sizes and styles including small residential units and large-scale roof-top units for commercial applications. In the typical HVAC system, the one or more condensers receive compressed, gaseous refrigerant from one or more compressors and condense the refrigerant into liquid form. The condenser discharges compressed, liquid refrigerant, which is then delivered to one or more evaporators, or evaporator coils, to cool air to be provided to the building or for other use. The liquid refrigerant is evaporated as it passes through the evaporator producing the gaseous refrigerant that is delivered to one or more compressors to produce a compressed gas refrigerant that is delivered to the one or more condensers. In some systems, condensate is produced that is collected in a drain pan and removed through a drain plug in the drain pan.
According to an illustrative embodiment, a heating, ventilating, and cooling (HVAC) system includes a closed refrigeration circuit and a condensate distribution tray. The closed refrigeration circuit includes a plurality of conduits, a compressor fluidly coupled to the plurality of conduits for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser fluidly coupled to the plurality of conduits for receiving refrigerant from the compressor and cooling the refrigerant, an evaporator, and an expansion valve fluidly coupled to the plurality of conduits between the evaporator and condenser. The evaporator receives refrigerant from the expansion valve, and the evaporator is fluidly coupled to the compressor for delivering the refrigerant to the compressor. A condensate collection pan is proximate the evaporator for receiving condensate, which forms on the evaporator. The condensate discharge tray is coupled to a top portion of the condenser. The system also includes a condensation collection conduit that is fluidly coupled to the condensate collection pan and the condensate discharge tray.
The condensate discharge tray includes a longitudinal body formed with a plurality of longitudinal tanks for receiving condensate. The condensate discharge tray also includes a plurality of longitudinal spillways formed adjacent to the plurality of longitudinal tanks and aligned to deliver condensate in a dispersed fashion on the condenser.
According to another illustrative embodiment, a condensate discharge tray for coupling to a top portion of a condenser in an HVAC system includes a longitudinal body formed with at least a first longitudinal spillway, a first tank, a second longitudinal spillway, a second tank, and a third longitudinal spillway. In a lateral cross section and going from a portion aligned with an outward portion of a condenser when installed, the first longitudinal spillway is adjacent to an external wall, the first longitudinal spillway is adjacent on one side to the first tank, the first tank is also adjacent to the second longitudinal spillway, the second longitudinal spillway is adjacent to the second tank, the second tank is also adjacent to the third longitudinal spillway. The condensate discharge tray further includes a plurality of apertures formed in the first longitudinal spillway, second longitudinal spillway, and third longitudinal spillway for providing a flow path for condensate to exit the first longitudinal spillway, second longitudinal spillway, and third longitudinal spillway and be directed onto the condenser.
According to still another illustrative embodiment, a heating, ventilating, and cooling (HVAC) system includes a closed refrigeration circuit comprising a condenser and an evaporator and includes a condensate distribution tray. The system further includes an evaporator and a condensate collection pan proximate the evaporator for receiving condensate which forms on the evaporator. The condensate discharge tray is fluidly coupled to the condensate collection pan and coupled to a top portion of the condenser.
The condensate discharge tray includes at least one longitudinal tank for receiving condensate from the condenser and at least one longitudinal spillway fluidly coupled to the at least one longitudinal tank for receiving condensate therefrom. The condensate discharge tray is formed with a plurality of apertures in the at least one longitudinal spillway for allowing condensate to discharge from the condensate discharge tray onto the condenser. Other systems, devices, and methods are presented below.
Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated by reference herein and wherein:
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which is shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and that logical structural, mechanical, electrical, and chemical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. To avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims. Unless otherwise indicated, as used throughout this document, “or” does not require mutual exclusivity.
According to an illustrative embodiment, condensate produced by a heating, ventilating, and cooling (HVAC) system is directed by a condensate discharge tray over the condenser in a manner to evaporate the condensate such that draining is not required or minimally required and the efficiency of the condenser may be improved.
Some HVAC systems are all-in-one heating and cooling systems. Such systems integrate components into a unit that may be used on an exterior wall. These are often used for condominiums and multifamily properties. In such units, the evaporator is above the condenser and a condensate discharge tray may be readily used. The condensate discharge tray may be used in other embodiments as well.
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The HVAC system 100 may further include condensate collection pan 152 proximate the evaporator 112 for receiving condensate 156, which forms on the evaporator 112. A condensate collection conduit 128 fluidly couples the condensate collection pan 152 to the condensate discharge tray 104. The air handler 124 may pull air across the evaporator 112. A fan or blower 160 may move air across the condenser 116 and condenser fins 120. The side of the condenser 116 receiving the air is an upstream or outboard side 168 and the other side is an inboard side 172. An additional collection pan 176 may be included in some embodiments that would capture any condensate that has not been evaporated and provided to a drain.
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The diameters or area of the apertures 228 may vary by spillway and position. In one illustrative embodiment, the first plurality of apertures 232 have a diameter D1268. The first spillway 200 aligns with an outboard portion of the condenser 116. The second plurality of apertures 236 have a diameter D2272. The third plurality of apertures 240 have a diameter D3276. In one embodiment, D2>D1>D3. D3 is on the inner side of the condenser when installed. In one illustrative embodiment, the diameter ratios are D2:D1:D3=1:0.8:0.6. In one illustrative embodiment, the longitudinal length of the condensate discharge tray is 15.5 inches. In instance, 0.4′ max for larger side and 10.5″ max×0.4″ max for shorter tray. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other dimensions may be used.
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In some embodiments, an interior of the plurality of longitudinal tanks may be formed features or texture for increasing surface area and surface tension with liquids therein. For example, the condensate tanks may have parallel lines or texture formed thereon to increase the surface area of the compartment surfaces. This in turn may increase the water surface tension which helps hold back the condensate until a certain load of condensate has been added.
In one illustrative embodiment that uses an HVAC system with a two-row condenser coil, the condensate distribution tray may have two coupled compartments, or tanks, to receive condensate. Upon reaching a specified level of condensate, the condensate overflows through spillways on two sides and at the center of the condenser. The tray is positioned over the condenser fins.
The spillways on the condensate distribution tray may be inverted V-shaped ribs with a gap between two ribs in the lower end. The spillways are connected on the top to enable the overflow condensate to streamline over the condenser fins. A laminar flow may be particularly useful. The center separation wall may have apertures to assist in making the condensate level in the two tanks the same.
In some embodiments, the condensate distribution tray may have an edge stopper along the long edges and ribs along the shorter walls. The stoppers along the long edges direct condensate to flow only in the desired ways. The ribs help streamline the water flowing. The gap between two ribs in the bottom may also help in timing the water flow into the condenser fins.
In some embodiments, apertures (e.g., 228) may be formed in the spillways, or other drains to the condenser provided. The one or more apertures are formed at the end of the spillways. The apertures allow the condensate to reach the condenser coil and associated fins. The size and distribution of the apertures may be used to control the flow of condensate as desired. In one embodiment, the aperture in the center spillway is larger than the other apertures to move more volume of condensate to that location. The outermost spillways may have the second largest aperture size and the inner most aperture the least. This arrangement is to facilitate evaporative capacity of the different positions.
The center spillway may be aligned to direct the most condensate between the two coils of the condenser because more heat is available to evaporate the condensate. The second largest apertures are associated with a location that has low pressure from the fan (e.g., 160) and air flowing from outside to inside and can handle a middle range of condensate. The inner most spillway has the smallest apertures in some embodiments to direct the least condensate there. This is because condensate at that location may be pushed out due to the air flow away from the condenser coil.
The apertures in the condensate distribution tray in the various sections are not in the same line in some embodiments. The apertures may be offset with each other-staggered-so that all the condensate does not flow in the same region. The offset also helps in scattering the spill of condensate.
According to one illustrative embodiment, an HVAC system develops condensate that is collected in a condensate distribution tray from a drain tube. The condensate distribution tray is positioned over the condenser fins/condenser. Condensate is dripped on the condenser coils at regular intervals or at regular pace so that the droplets evaporate completely before the next drop arrives. As condensate is collected in a tank, the overflow may be continuous and even across the length of the tank. While two coils are referenced here, it should be understood that other coil counts may be used; e.g., one row coil has two spillways and the two-row coil design has three spillways, etc.
According to some illustrative embodiments, a number of beneficial results may be realized by using a condensate distribution tray, such as those shown and described above. For example, an HVAC unit may remain fully dry by evaporating all the condensate. The lower temperature condensate delivered onto the condenser may improve efficiency of the condenser since the condensate functions as an additional cooling system. In some embodiments, an HVAC unit may be installed without requiring plumbing connections. Other possible benefits may be realized.
Although the present invention and its advantages have been disclosed in the context of certain illustrative, non-limiting embodiments, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, permutations, and alterations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. It will be appreciated that any feature that is described in a connection to any one embodiment may also be applicable to any other embodiment.
