EP-4739955-A1 - CHILLER ASSEMBLY SUITABLE FOR A HEATING, VENTILATING, OR AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC) SYSTEM

Abstract

A chiller assembly includes a frame, a first vapor compression circuit including a first compressor configured to circulate a first refrigerant through a first condenser coil and a first evaporator of the first vapor compression circuit, a second vapor compression circuit including a second compressor configured to circulate a second refrigerant through a second condenser coil and a second evaporator of the second vapor compression circuit, a process fluid circuit passing through the first evaporator and the second evaporator, wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are configured to place the first and second refrigerant in a heat exchange relationship with the process fluid of the process fluid circuit.

Inventors

• SCHREIBER, JEB W.
• LUTZ, Andy J.
• BORGAOKAR, Manjiri
• KULANKARA, SATHEESH
• KAUFFMAN, JUSTIN P.
• CHINNARAJ, Anand N.

Assignees

• Tyco Fire & Security GmbH

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240703

Claims (20)

1. 1. A chiller assembly for a heating, ventilating, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the chiller assembly comprising: a frame defining a longitudinal axis; a first vapor compression circuit comprising a first compressor configured to circulate a first refrigerant through a first condenser coil and a first evaporator of the first vapor compression circuit; a second vapor compression circuit comprising a second compressor configured to circulate a second refrigerant through a second condenser coil and a second evaporator of the second vapor compression circuit; and a process fluid circuit configured to pass through the first evaporator and the second evaporator, wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are configured to place the first and second refrigerant in a heat exchange relationship with the process fluid of the process fluid circuit, wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, or wherein the first evaporator defines a first length and the second evaporator defines a second length that is different than the first length, or wherein the first evaporator includes a first evaporator assembly having a first evaporator section and a second evaporator section both being arranged in parallel within the first vapor compression circuit and the second evaporator includes a second evaporator assembly having a third evaporator section and a fourth evaporator section both being arranged in parallel within the second vapor compression circuit, or wherein a manifold defining a unitary body is coupled between the first evaporator and the second evaporator.
2. 2. The chiller assembly of claim 1, wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged at the angle relative to the longitudinal axis.
3. 3. The chiller assembly of claim 1, wherein the first evaporator defines the first length and the second evaporator defines the second length that is different than the first length.
4. 4. The chiller assembly of claim 1, the manifold defines a unitary body is coupled between the first evaporator and the second evaporator.
5. 5. The chiller assembly of claim 1, wherein the unitary body is a single piece of material comprising a first fluid passageway coupled to the first evaporator and a second fluid passageway coupled to the second evaporator.
6. 6. The chiller assembly of claim 5, wherein the first fluid passageway is in communication with a first plurality of inlets for the first evaporator and a first outlet in communication with the first compressor.
7. 7. The chiller assembly of claim 6, wherein the second fluid passageway is in communication with a second plurality of inlets for the second evaporator and a second outlet in communication with the second compressor.
8. 8. The chiller assembly of claim 2, wherein the longitudinal axis extends along a length of the frame and is parallel with the first evaporator.
9. 9. The chiller assembly of claim 2, wherein the angle is an acute or oblique angle.
10. 10. The chiller assembly of claim 2, wherein the angle is between 15 degrees and 75 degrees.
11. 11. A chiller assembly for a heating, ventilating, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the chiller assembly comprising: a frame defining a longitudinal axis; a first evaporator; a second evaporator; wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, or wherein the first evaporator defines a first length and the second evaporator defines a second length that is different than the first length, or wherein the first evaporator includes a first evaporator assembly having a first evaporator section and a second evaporator section both being arranged in parallel and the second evaporator includes a second evaporator assembly having a third evaporator section and a fourth evaporator section both being arranged in parallel, or wherein a manifold defining a unitary body is coupled between the first evaporator and the second evaporator.
12. 12. The chiller assembly of claim 11, wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged at the angle relative to the longitudinal axis.
13. 13. The chiller assembly of claim 11, wherein the first evaporator defines the first length and the second evaporator defines the second length that is different than the first length.
14. 14. The chiller assembly of claim 11, the manifold defines a unitary body is coupled between the first evaporator and the second evaporator.
15. 15. The chiller assembly of claim 11, wherein the unitary body is a single piece of material comprising a first fluid passageway coupled to the first evaporator and a second fluid passageway coupled to the second evaporator.
16. 16. The chiller assembly of claim 15, wherein the first fluid passageway is in communication with a first plurality of inlets for the first evaporator and a first outlet in communication with a first compressor.
17. 17. The chiller assembly of claim 16, wherein the second fluid passageway is in communication with a second plurality of inlets for the second evaporator and a second outlet in communication with a second compressor.
18. 18. The chiller assembly of claim 12, wherein the longitudinal axis extends along a length of the frame and is parallel with the first evaporator.
19. 19. The chiller assembly of claim 12, wherein the angle is between 15 degrees and 75 degrees.
20. 20. A chiller assembly for a heating, ventilating, or air conditioning (HVAC) system, the chiller assembly comprising: a frame defining a longitudinal axis; a first tubular evaporator; a second tubular evaporator; and wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged in an angled orientation relative to the longitudinal axis, wherein each of the first evaporator and the second evaporator have a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the first evaporator is next to the first end of the second evaporator and the second end of the first evaporator is opposite to the first end of the first evaporator, and the second end of the second evaporator is opposite to the first end of the second evaporator; or wherein the first evaporator has a first length along the longitudinal axis and the second evaporator has a second length along the longitudinal axis that is different than the first length, a longitudinal axis of the first evaporator is offset with respect to a longitudinal axis of the second evaporator; or wherein the first evaporator includes a first evaporator assembly having a first evaporator section and a second evaporator section both being arranged in parallel and the second evaporator includes a second evaporator assembly having a third evaporator section and a fourth evaporator section both being arranged in parallel; or wherein a manifold defining a unitary body is coupled between the first evaporator and the second evaporator, wherein the longitudinal axis of the frame crosses the manifold.

Description

CHILLER ASSEMBLY SUITABLE FOR A HEATING, VENTILATING, OR AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC) SYSTEM CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/525,538, filed July 7, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND [0002] The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for thermal heat management and heat exchangers. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a cooling system for heating, ventilating, or air conditioning (HVAC) systems that includes one or more chillers. [0003] Building equipment, such as heating, ventilating, or cooling (HVAC) equipment, is installed and operated to change environmental conditions within one or more spaces of a building. Buildings may be occupied by equipment (e.g., computing equipment) and/or human occupants. Building occupants can contribute to a thermal load of a building. Chillers can be used to cool/condition various areas of a building. SUMMARY [0004] One implementation of the present disclosure relates to a chiller assembly for a heating, ventilating, or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The chiller assembly can include a frame defining a longitudinal axis, a first vapor compression circuit including a first compressor configured to circulate a first refrigerant through a first condenser coil and a first evaporator of the first vapor compression circuit, a second vapor compression circuit including a second compressor configured to circulate a second refrigerant through a second condenser coil and a second evaporator of the second vapor compression circuit, a process fluid circuit passing through the first evaporator and the second evaporator, wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are configured to place the first and second refrigerant in a heat exchange relationship with the process fluid of the process fluid circuit. [0005] In some embodiments, the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged in an angled orientation relative to the longitudinal axis. [0006] In some embodiments, the first evaporator defines a first length and the second evaporator defines a second length that is different than the first length. [0007] In some embodiments, the first evaporator includes a first evaporator assembly having a first evaporator section and a second evaporator section both being arranged in parallel within the first vapor compression circuit and the second evaporator includes a second evaporator assembly having a third evaporator section and a fourth evaporator section both being arranged in parallel within the second vapor compression circuit. [0008] In some embodiments, a manifold defining a unitary body is coupled between the first evaporator and the second evaporator. [0009] Some embodiments relate to a chiller assembly for a heating, ventilating, or air conditioning (HVAC) system. The chiller assembly includes a frame defining a longitudinal axis, a first vapor compression circuit including a first compressor configured to circulate a first refrigerant through a first condenser coil and a first evaporator of the first vapor compression circuit, a second vapor compression circuit including a second compressor configured to circulate a second refrigerant through a second condenser coil and a second evaporator of the second vapor compression circuit, and a process fluid circuit configured to pass through the first evaporator and the second evaporator. The first evaporator and the second evaporator are configured to place the first and second refrigerant in a heat exchange relationship with the process fluid of the process fluid circuit. The chiller assembly can have one of several arrangements including but not limited to: 1. the first evaporator and the second evaporator being arranged at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis, 2. the first evaporator defining a first length and the second evaporator defining a second length that is different than the first length, 3. the first evaporator including a first evaporator assembly having a first evaporator section and a second evaporator section both being arranged in parallel within the first vapor compression circuit and the second evaporator including a second evaporator assembly having a third evaporator section and a fourth evaporator section both being arranged in parallel within the second vapor compression circuit, or 4. the chiller assembly including a manifold defining a unitary body is coupled between the first evaporator and the second evaporator. [0010] In some embodiments, the first evaporator and the second evaporator are arranged at the angle relative to the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the first evaporator defines the first length and the second evaporator defines the second length that is different than the first length. In some embodiments, the manifold defines a unitary body is coupled between the first evapora