Patent Application
20240035752
Conventional refrigerant cycling air conditioning systems commonly incorporate an electric motor-powered gas compressor. Such compressor components typically include a multiplicity of moving parts including a pair of rotating bearings which support an electric motor's rotor, a rotary bearing which interconnects a crank shaft and a piston connecting rod, a pivot bearing interconnecting a piston with on opposite end of the connecting rod, a sliding interface between the wall of a cylinder and the piston's radially outer wall, and a pair of mechanical back flow checking valves which coordinate flows of gas refrigerant in the cylinder with the reciprocating movements of the piston.
All moving parts of such gas compressor are subject to frictional wear, and the compressor's multiplication of such parts results in frequent mechanical failures of such compressors. Mechanical failures due to wear and degradation of multiple moving parts often causes conventional air conditioning systems to fail.
The instant inventive refrigerant cycling air cooling system advantageously avoids or reduces such compressor parts wear related mechanical failures by eliminating the compressor component, and by replacing the compressor with a specialized refrigerant heating and pressurizing component. In the instant invention, the multiple moving parts of a compressor are replaced by a heating chamber which has as few as zero moving parts. By eliminating multiple moving parts, the instant inventive system has enhanced reliability and is less prone to mechanical failure.
A first structural component of the instant inventive refrigerant cycling air cooling system comprises a matrix of refrigerant conveying tubes, lines, or conduits. In a suitable embodiment, the refrigerant conveying conduits comprise copper tubing which is clad by a durable plastic insulating sleeve. In a typical application and use of the instant inventive assembly, the matrix of refrigerant conveying conduits comprises at least two sub-matrixes including an outdoor conduit matrix and an indoor conduit matrix. Such conduit matrixes necessarily connect with and communicate with each other for cycling refrigerant into and out of a building structure for processing by other components of the assembly which are situated within the structure and outside or outdoors with respect to the structure. According to the scope of the instant invention, such structures are considered to broadly include fixed buildings and mobile vehicles having passenger compartments.
The instant invention's outdoor matrix of conduits preferably comprises a heated pressure vessel and a condenser unit which is positioned downstream from the heated pressure vessel. The indoor matrix of conduits preferably incorporates an evaporator unit.
A further component of the instant inventive refrigerant cycling air cooling assembly comprises an electric motor driven pump which is operatively incorporated within the matrix of refrigerant conveying conduits. In operation, the electric motor-powered pump drives the refrigerant into and out of the building structure, cycling the refrigerant through all of the matrix's conduit components. In a preferred embodiment, the pump is positioned within the systems to impel refrigerant condensate or liquid refrigerant directly toward the evaporator unit within the building structure.
Further structural components of the instant inventive refrigerant cycling air cooling assembly comprise indoor and outdoor electric motor driven fans. In a preferred embodiment, such fans are respectively positioned for impelling flows of ambient air through and over the coils of the condenser unit, and through and over the coils of the evaporator unit. Air flowing over the condenser unit emits into ambient outdoor air, carrying heat from the outdoor conduit matrix into the out of doors. Correspondingly, air flowing over the coils of the evaporator unit is cooled by such coils prior to emission into the interior of the building or vehicle structure, effectively cooling and air conditioning the structurer's interior.
In the operation and function of the instant inventive assembly, evaporated or gaseous refrigerant, such as R-22 freon or EPA approved hydrofluorocarbon R-410A refrigerant is pressurized within the refrigerant cycling matrix by the heated pressure vessel component. In a preferred embodiment, the heated pressure vessel component has very few, and preferably zero moving parts. The elimination of moving parts achieved by provision of the heated pressure vessel, advantageously avoids mechanical wear, and advantageously avoids wear related air conditioning system breakdowns and malfunctions.
To provide a pressure and volume transition between the portion of the outdoor conduit matrix which resides downstream from the heated pressure vessel and the indoor evaporator unit, the indoor conduit matrix preferably further incorporates a first capillary tube which is positioned immediately upstream from the evaporator unit. In the preferred embodiment, the inside diameter of the first capillary tube is markedly less than the inside diameter of conduit tubes situated immediately upstream from the first capillary tube. Liquid refrigerant coursing at high pressure within the first capillary tube emits into the higher volume and lower pressure interior space of the evaporator unit, resulting in instantaneous cooling of the evaporated and evaporating refrigerant.
In a preferred embodiment of the instant inventive assembly, a second capillary tube is provided as a component of the indoor conduit matrix, the second capillary tube having an inside diameter markedly less than refrigerant tubes extending downstream from the second capillary tube. The differential of inside diameters of the second capillary tube and such downstream refrigerant tubes advantageously resists counter-cycling flows of pressurized refrigerant which may be undesirably impelled by the heated pressure vessel toward the evaporator unit.
Operation of the electric motor driven pump component of the instant inventive assembly maintains a cyclical flow of the refrigerant wherein the heated pressure vessel is always downstream from the evaporator unit and is always upstream from condenser. The position of the pump within the system also must assure that the refrigerant is pumped while it is in its liquid condensate phase. Accordingly, the electric motor driven pump is necessarily situated within the conduit matrix at a location downstream from the condenser unit and upstream from the evaporator unit. In a preferred embodiment, the electric motor driven pump is mounted for operation within the out of doors portion of the system so that heat from the liquid refrigerant may emanate from the pump's surfaces into the outdoor environment. The electric motor driven pump may suitably be alternatively mounted upon the portion of the indoor conduit matrix which is upstream from the evaporator unit.
In a preferred embodiment of the instant inventive assembly, an outdoor air plenum case is provided for housing at least the heated pressure vessel, the condenser unit and the outdoor electric motor driven fan. Further components which may be suitably housed within the outdoor air plenum case comprise the electric motor driven pump and a liquid refrigerant reservoir.
A further preferred component of the instant inventive assembly comprises an indoor air plenum case which at least houses the system's evaporator unit and indoor electric motor driven fan. In a preferred embodiment the indoor air plenum unit additionally houses the first and second capillary tubes.
In a preferred embodiment of the instant inventive assembly, the heated pressure vessel comprises a heavy duty and durable steel tank which internally houses an electric resistance heater. Such internal heater suitably comprises a hermetically sealed copper cylinder which houses an electric resistance heater which preferably comprises a tungsten-halogen lamp. The heated pressure vessel may be vertically lengthened or oblongated in order to vertically separate the tank's upper input and lower output port. Such vertical oblongation of the pressure vessel advantageously establishes a gravity induced pressure differential wherein the output port has a higher pressure than the input port. Such pressure differential in addition to the backflow resistance provided by the second capillary tube prevents undesirable counter-cyclical flows of pressurized gas from the heated pressure vessel into the condenser unit.
Accordingly, objects of the instant invention include the provision of a refrigerant cycling air cooling assembly which incorporates structures as described above, and which arranges those structures in relation to each other in manors described above for the performance of beneficial functions as described above.
Other and further objects, benefits, and advantages of the instant invention will become known to those skilled in the art, upon review of the detailed description which follows, and upon review of the appended drawings.
The instant invention relates to air conditioning systems. More particularly, the invention relates to such systems which cyclically drive a refrigerant into and out of a structure to be cooled, and incorporate evaporation and condensation components.
Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to drawing
The matrix of refrigerant conveying conduits preferably comprises an outdoor conduit submatrix 2 which includes a downstream portion of conduit 20, an upstream portion of conduit 14, conduits 8,10, and 12, and other conduit components discussed below.
The matrix of refrigerant conveying conduits preferably further comprises an indoor conduit matrix 4 which includes an upstream portion of conduit 14, a downstream portion of conduit 21, conduits 16 and 18, and other conduit components described below.
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In a preferred embodiment, electric voltage is applied at electric terminals 37, a 440 volt electric potential difference preferably being established across such terminals. The voltage applied to the tungsten filaments 34 causes them to heat above 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, such temperature being below the tungsten filament's 6,000-degree Fahrenheit melting point. Upon such heating, tungsten atoms sublimate into a halogen gas atmosphere within the interior of bulb 34. The sublimated tungsten atoms temporarily chemically combine with the halogen atoms forming tungsten-halogen molecular gas. Such gas glows and transmits heat energy through bulb 33 and through the copper housing 35.
During operation of the heated pressure vessel 30, relatively cool gaseous refrigerant preferably continuously flows from tube 20 through input port 21, downwardly through upper interior space 31 over the copper housing 35, and toward the lower interior space 32 of the vessel 30. The refrigerant then emits at output port 11 into tube 8. A continuous flow of the refrigerant over the heater housing 35 maintains the copper composition of the housing below its approximate 1,900-degree melting point. The heated refrigerant gas within the pressure vessel 30 advantageously exits at its lower port 11 as a high gas pressure. Such source of gas pressure advantageously drives the refrigerant toward and through an evaporator unit, as explained below.
Pressure provided by the heated pressure vessel 30 drives high pressure and high temperature refrigerant through tube 8 and, as explained above, into the condenser unit 40. Refrigerant entering the condenser unit 40 is thereby converted from a high pressure and high temperature gas to a high pressure and relatively cooled gas. The cooled and pressurized liquid refrigerant may then exit the condenser 40 through tube 10 to enter a refrigerant reservoir 50 where a supply of liquid refrigerant is maintained and stored for consistent operation of the system.
The reservoir's supply tube 10 suitably includes a shut off valve 54, and an output tube 12 may be similarly adapted to include a shut off valve 56. A purge or relief shut off valve 58 may be additionally associated with the reservoir 50.
The indoor matrix of conduits 4 preferably comprises an evaporator unit 70. Referring to
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Referring simultaneously to all figures, it may be seen that the only moving parts of the instant inventive air conditioning system are associated with the electric motor driven fans 44 and 72 and the electric motor driven pump 60,61. The instant inventive assembly omits the gas compressor of a conventional air conditioning system. Accordingly, the instant inventive assembly advantageously eliminates a multiplicity of moving parts which are incorporated within a conventional air conditioner compressor, such moving parts being associated with the compressor's crank shaft, connecting rod, sliding piston, and intake and output check valves. Air conditioning system mechanical failures associated with mechanical wear and degradation of the multiple moving parts of such conventional compressors are advantageously avoided by the instant inventive air-cooling system.
While the principles of the invention have been made clear in the above illustrative embodiment, those skilled in the art may make modifications to the structure, arrangement, portions and components of the invention without departing from those principles. Accordingly, it is intended that the description and drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in the limiting sense, and that the invention be given a scope commensurate with the appended claims.
