Thermo King Corporation

Stanley Oscar Hoium

Jay L Hanson

Steven Bruce Helgeson

A method for continuously operating a multi-temp refrigeration system at a high compressor speed is provided. Such refrigeration systems include a compressor for compressing a refrigerant at a high speed and a low speed, a condenser coil for receiving and liquefying gaseous refrigerant, first and second evaporator coils for heating or cooling two different conditioned spaces, a hot gas valve for admitting hot gaseous refrigerant to one of the evaporator coils in order to heat its associated conditioned space, and a condenser inlet valve for rerouting a flow of hot gaseous refrigerant from the condenser coil to the evaporator coils. In the method of the invention, the evaporator hot gas valve is first opened to heat one of the conditioned spaces, and the condenser inlet valve is then closed to direct a flow of hot gaseous refrigerant to the opened hot gas valve. Instead of continuously maintaining the condenser inlet valve in a closed position, this valve is periodically opened and reclosed in the method of the invention to maintain a refrigerant head pressure in the system below a level associated with a system shut-down condition. The method obviates the need for operating a multi-temp refrigeration system at a low compressor speed when the system is used to simultaneously heat and cool different conditioned spaces.

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W. St. Paul, MN, United States of America

Stanley Oscar Hoium