The Trane Company

American Standard Inc.

John W Leary

Mark O Bergman

Duane F Sanborn

Chester D Ware

Robert G Harold

John L Honeck, Sr

Liquid refrigerant interacts with the stream of gas flowing through in a centrifugal water chiller, downstream of the occurrence of the compression process in the compressor portion of the chiller but prior to the condensing of the gas in the chiller condenser, to reduce the acoustic energy of the gas. The noise emanating from the chiller which would otherwise result from the interaction of the discharge gas with the piping connecting the compressor portion of the chiller to the system condenser and/or with the components of the system condenser itself is thereby reduced without significantly affecting chiller performance or efficiency.

Noise control in a centrifugal chiller

A refrigeration system is disclosed which includes evaporator means of the type for producing chilled liquid and wherein a compressor of the centrifugal type is provided for compressing refrigerant which has been vaporized in the evaporator means. Both air cooled and liquid cooled condenser means are connected in parallel flow relationship to the compressor, whereby the heat of condensation and compression may be rejected either to a source of ambient air or recovered through heat exchange with a source of liquid, whereby a heated liquid is produced for use as desired. Conduit means which are provided for passing condensed refrigerant from the air cooled and liquid cooled condenser means to the evaporator means include valve means for selectively varying the flow of condensed refrigerant from each, whereby the flow of condensed refrigerant from the air cooled condenser means may be reduced so as to cause at least partial flooding thereof and thereby reduce its capacity, while the flow of condensed refrigerant from said liquid cooled condenser means may be increased so as to increase the production of heated liquid. Control means are also disclosed for operating the aforesaid valve means in response to a sensed demand for heated liquid.

Air cooled centrifugal refrigeration system with water heat recovery

An air cooled centrifugal liquid chiller is disclosed which includes an air cooled condenser exposed to ambient conditions such that, during those times when the temperature of the ambient is at a relatively low level and the chiller is inoperative, refrigerant will tend to migrate to and condense in the air cooled condenser. If this accumulated condensed refrigerant is permitted to then flow by gravity to the evaporator of the chiller, the heat exchange liquid within the tubes thereof may freeze, causing possible damage. In order to prevent this occurrence, the conduit means connecting the air cooled condenser to the evaporator are provided with a trap portion disposed at a level above the maximum level of condensed refrigerant accumulation within the air cooled condenser, which trap portion is vented to a point in the air cooled condenser above said maximum level. In this manner, during those times when the chiller is inoperative, accumulated condensed refrigerant in the air cooled condenser is prevented from passing to the evaporator. In the preferred embodiment, the conduit means connecting the air cooled condenser to the evaporator include a generally inverted U-shaped portion having a bight portion disposed above the maximum level of refrigerant accumulation in order to define the aforesaid trap.

Growing community of inventors

Onalaska, WI, United States of America

John W Leary