The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 24, 1998
Filed:
Apr. 16, 1996
Mikhail Boiarski, Moscow, RU;
Oleg Podcherniaev, Moscow, RU;
APD Cryogenics Inc., Allentown, PA (US);
Abstract
A precooled vapor-liquid refrigeration cycle includes a basic vapor-liquid cycle and an auxiliary regenerative vapor-liquid cycle having a heat exchange relationship between them. The basic cycle includes a compressor connected in series with a condenser, throttle device, and evaporator. The auxiliary cycle includes a compressor, condenser, throttle device, and a counterflow heat exchanger, successively connected. The cycles each have condensers that are cooled by ambient air; the basic cycle is able to operate independently of the auxiliary cycle. To maximize the coefficient of performance, the basic cycle operates with a small pressure differential between compressor discharge and return. In the heat exchanger, refrigerant flow from the basic cycle condenser is further cooled in a counterflow arrangement by the low temperature refrigerant from the auxiliary cycle until the refrigerant in the basic cycle has been precooled from near ambient temperature to near the intended refrigeration temperature. Efficiency of the basic cycle and the system COP are improved. The refrigerant leaving the condenser in the auxiliary cycle, after passing through the auxiliary throttle device, flows through the heat exchanger in the counterflow arrangement with the very same refrigerant stream. The basic vapor-liquid cycle may operate using a single refrigerant or an azeotropic mixture. The auxiliary regenerative vapor-liquid cycle operates with a zeotropic mixture refrigerant. The basic cycle may operate when the auxiliary cycle is deactivated.