US-12623173-B2 - Device for refrigeration system

Abstract

A device for reducing gas density in a liquid phase refrigerant in a refrigeration system is provided, the device comprising; a fluid inlet; a first outlet; a second outlet; a conduit, linking the fluid inlet to the first and second outlets; and a baffle, arranged within the conduit between the accelerator and the first outlet; wherein, the accelerator is configured to accelerate fluid from the fluid inlet towards the outlets, thereby separating out saturated gas in the fluid to reduce the gas density in the fluid; and the baffle is configured to direct the flow of lower gas density fluid towards the second outlet, and allows higher gas density fluid to pass around the baffle towards the first outlet. By providing a device in this manner, the energy efficiency and quality of refrigeration in a refrigeration system is improved.

Inventors

• Bernard KILLINGBECK

Assignees

• TREE ASSOCIATES LTD

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20211203

Priority Date

20201204

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A device for reducing gas density in a liquid phase refrigerant, the device comprising: a fluid inlet; a first outlet; a second outlet; a conduit, linking the fluid inlet to the first outlet and the second outlet; an accelerator, arranged within the conduit between the fluid inlet and both the first outlet and the second outlet, wherein the accelerator is configured to accelerate a fluid from the fluid inlet towards the first outlet and the second outlet, thereby separating out saturated gas in the fluid to reduce the gas density in the fluid; a baffle, arranged within the conduit between the accelerator and the first outlet, wherein the baffle is configured to direct lower gas density fluid to flow towards the second outlet and allow higher gas density fluid to pass around the baffle towards the first outlet; wherein a compressor of a refrigeration system comprising the device is fluidly connected to the first outlet and the second outlet of the device; wherein an evaporator of the refrigeration system is arranged between the compressor and the second outlet of the device; wherein, in use, the fluid from the second outlet passes through the evaporator before entering the compressor and the fluid from the first outlet does not pass through the evaporator before entering the compressor; and wherein a buffer tank of the refrigeration system is arranged between the compressor and the first outlet of the device, and the buffer tank is arranged between the compressor and the evaporator.
2. 2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the baffle is a solid component through which the fluid cannot pass.
3. 3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the conduit comprises a branching channel leading from the baffle to the second outlet.
4. 4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the accelerator comprises a plurality of valves, wherein a first inner diameter of a first valve is greater than a second inner diameter of a second valve, and wherein the first valve is upstream from the second valve.
5. 5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of baffles sequentially arranged along the conduit between the accelerator and the first outlet; wherein each baffle of the plurality of baffles is configured to direct the lower gas density fluid to flow towards the second outlet and allow the higher gas density fluid to pass around the baffle towards the first outlet.
6. 6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein each baffle of the plurality of baffles is a solid component through which the fluid cannot pass.
7. 7 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the conduit further comprises: a manifold arranged between the plurality of baffles and the second outlet; and a plurality of branching channels, wherein each branching channel of the plurality of branching channels leads from one of the plurality of baffles to the manifold.
8. 8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein: the second outlet comprises an inner conduit and an outer conduit; the outer conduit is arranged around the inner conduit; and the inner conduit comprises walls having a membrane permeable to gas and impermeable to liquid.
9. 9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the membrane extends across a length and a circumference of the walls of the inner conduit.
10. 10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to reduce the gas density of a pure refrigerant.
11. 11 . A refrigeration system comprising: a device that comprises: a fluid inlet; a first outlet; a second outlet; a conduit, linking the fluid inlet to the first outlet and the second outlet; an accelerator, arranged within the conduit between the fluid inlet and both the first outlet and the second outlet, wherein the accelerator is configured to accelerate a fluid from the fluid inlet towards the first outlet and the second outlet, thereby separating out saturated gas in the fluid to reduce the gas density in the fluid; and a baffle, arranged within the conduit between the accelerator and the first outlet, wherein the baffle is configured to direct lower gas density fluid to flow towards the second outlet and allow higher gas density fluid to pass around the baffle towards the first outlet; a compressor fluidly connected to the first outlet and the second outlet of the device; and an evaporator arranged between the compressor and the second outlet of the device, the evaporator comprising: evaporator pipework comprising: an outer conduit arranged around an inner conduit, wherein the inner conduit comprises walls having a membrane permeable to gas and impermeable to liquid; wherein, in use, the fluid from the second outlet passes through the evaporator before entering the compressor and the fluid from the first outlet does not pass through the evaporator before entering the compressor.
12. 12 . The refrigeration system of claim 11 , wherein the membrane of the evaporator pipework extends across a length and a circumference of the walls of the inner conduit of the evaporator pipework.
13. 13 . The refrigeration system of claim 11 , further comprising a buffer tank; wherein the buffer tank is arranged between the compressor and the first outlet of the device, and the buffer tank is arranged between the compressor and the evaporator.
14. 14 . The refrigeration system of claim 11 , wherein the refrigeration system is a closed refrigeration system such that fluid cannot leave the refrigeration system.
15. 15 . A refrigeration system comprising: a device that comprises: a fluid inlet; a first outlet; a second outlet; a conduit, linking the fluid inlet to the first outlet and the second outlet; an accelerator, arranged within the conduit between the fluid inlet and both the first outlet and the second outlet, wherein the accelerator is configured to accelerate a fluid from the fluid inlet towards the first outlet and the second outlet, thereby separating out saturated gas in the fluid to reduce the gas density in the fluid; and a baffle, arranged within the conduit between the accelerator and the first outlet, wherein the baffle is configured to direct lower gas density fluid to flow towards the second outlet and allow higher gas density fluid to pass around the baffle towards the first outlet a compressor fluidly connected to the first outlet and the second outlet of the device; and an evaporator arranged between the compressor and the second outlet of the device; wherein, in use, the fluid from the second outlet passes through the evaporator before entering the compressor and the fluid from the first outlet does not pass through the evaporator before entering the compressor; and a buffer tank, wherein the buffer tank is arranged between the compressor and the first outlet of the device, and the buffer tank is arranged between the compressor and the evaporator.
16. 16 . The refrigeration system of claim 15 , wherein the evaporator comprises evaporator pipework, wherein the evaporator pipework comprises an outer conduit arranged around an inner conduit, and wherein the inner conduit comprises walls having a membrane permeable to gas and impermeable to liquid.
17. 17 . The refrigeration system of claim 16 , wherein the membrane of the evaporator pipework extends across a length and a circumference of the walls of the inner conduit of the evaporator pipework.
18. 18 . The refrigeration system of claim 16 , wherein the membrane of the evaporator pipework is arranged in sections across a length and a circumference of the walls of the inner conduit of the evaporator pipework.
19. 19 . The refrigeration system of claim 18 , wherein the walls of the inner conduit comprise support sections, wherein the support sections of the walls reinforce the membrane of the evaporator pipework.
20. 20 . The refrigeration system of claim 15 , an expansion valve, wherein the expansion valve is fluidly connected to the fluid inlet of the device.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION The present application is a national stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/GB2021/053172, filed Dec. 3, 2021, which claims priority to Great Britain Patent Application No. 2019145.8, filed Dec. 3, 2020. The above referenced applications are hereby incorporated by reference. FIELD The present invention relates to a device for reducing the gas density in a liquid phase refrigerant in a refrigeration system, together with a related refrigeration system. A wide variety of refrigeration systems are known and a common form employs vapour-compression refrigeration. Such a system circulates a refrigerant fluid through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve (or similar component), and an evaporator in order to remove heat from an enclosed space nearby the evaporator. The expansion valve abruptly reduces the pressure of the condensed liquid refrigerant, producing a gas-liquid fluid mixture that is cooler than the enclosed space. The fluid absorbs heat from the surrounding enclosed space as it passes through the evaporator towards the compressor, where it is compressed and driven through the system to begin the cycle again. Refrigeration systems are required to operate continuously for extended periods of time and so are driven by a need to minimise energy consumption while providing high refrigeration efficiency. Existing attempts to minimise energy consumption often focus on improving the compressor, but these can be expensive and difficult to maintain. The present invention seeks to provide a device that improves the efficiency of refrigeration systems and the quality of the refrigeration, and yet is simple and easy to maintain. SUMMARY According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for reducing gas density in a liquid phase refrigerant in a refrigeration system, the device comprising: a fluid inlet; a first outlet; a second outlet; a conduit, linking the fluid inlet to the first and second outlets; an accelerator, arranged within the conduit between the fluid inlet and both the first and second outlets; and a baffle, arranged within the conduit between the accelerator and the first outlet; wherein, the accelerator is configured to accelerate fluid from the fluid inlet towards the outlets, thereby separating out saturated gas in the fluid to reduce the gas density in the fluid; and the baffle is configured to direct the flow of lower gas density fluid towards the second outlet, and allows higher gas density fluid to pass around the baffle towards the first outlet. In this way, the device is able to reduce gas density from the fluid refrigerant and return it to a compressor (or equivalent component in the refrigeration system) separate from the higher liquid density fluid that will be directed from the second outlet to an evaporator. This reduces the work required for the compressor to drive the fluid through the refrigeration system, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the system. In addition, the device improves the quality of refrigeration (as the liquid density of the fluid in the evaporator will be greater than in a system without the device). The simple design of the device's inlet and outlets means that it can be easily introduced to a refrigeration system, replaced or removed for maintenance. Preferably, the device has no moving components in order to increase its service life. Preferably, the baffle is a solid component that does not allow fluid to pass through the baffle, thereby better redirecting fluid around the baffle towards the first and/or second outlet. Preferably, the device is configured to reduce gas density of a pure refrigerant (i.e., a refrigerant fluid without contaminants). The conduit may comprise a branching channel leading from the baffle to the second outlet. The accelerator may comprise a plurality of valves, wherein the inner diameter of a first valve is greater than the inner diameter of the second valve, and wherein the first valve is upstream from the second valve. Using a series of narrowing valves as the accelerator allows the fluid to be accelerated in a controlled manner without requiring additional work to be introduced to the system. The device may further comprise a plurality of baffles sequentially arranged along the conduit between the accelerator and first outlet; wherein each baffle of the plurality of baffles is configured to direct the flow of lower gas density fluid towards the second outlet, and allow higher gas density fluid to pass around the baffle towards the first outlet. In this way, a greater degree of gas density/liquid density separation may be provided by the device, as each additional baffle further separates gas density and liquid density of the fluid. Preferably, each baffle of the plurality of baffles is a solid component that does not allow fluid to pass through said each baffle, thereby better redirecting fluid around the plurality of baffles tow