초록 ▼

A dual refrigerant refrigerating system provides a refrigeration cycle in which a primary refrigerant cools a secondary refrigerant in a primary evaporator into a partially frozen state, in which a fusion portion thereof is frozen. The primary refrigerant thus absorbs a secondary latent heat from se

A dual refrigerant refrigerating system provides a refrigeration cycle in which a primary refrigerant cools a secondary refrigerant in a primary evaporator into a partially frozen state, in which a fusion portion thereof is frozen. The primary refrigerant thus absorbs a secondary latent heat from secondary refrigerant, including a latent heat of fusion required for freezing the fusion portion. Secondary refrigerant is subsequently at least partially thawed, in a secondary evaporator, by re-absorption thereby of secondary latent heat from material proximal to secondary evaporator. Evaporation in secondary evaporator requires at least partial thawing of fusion portion, and thus latent heat of fusion is at least partially re-absorbed by secondary refrigerant, thus increasing secondary heat absorbed from material and facilitating refrigeration thereof. The system also provides defrost and heat reclaim capabilities.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A dual refrigerant refrigeration system comprising: at least one compressor for compressing a primary refrigerant, as a primary refrigerant vapor, said compressor being engageable in a refrigeration cycle; a refrigerant condenser operatively connected to said at least one compressor fo

We claim: 1. A dual refrigerant refrigeration system comprising: at least one compressor for compressing a primary refrigerant, as a primary refrigerant vapor, said compressor being engageable in a refrigeration cycle; a refrigerant condenser operatively connected to said at least one compressor for condensing, after said compressing, said primary refrigerant vapor into a primary refrigerant liquid; a spray primary evaporator operatively connected to said at least one compressor and having at least one secondary refrigerant tube through which a secondary refrigerant circulates in said primary evaporator and at least one perforated tube operatively connected to said refrigerant condenser and through which said primary refrigerant liquid flows, said primary refrigerant liquid being sprayed through perforations in said perforated tube onto said at least one secondary refrigerant tube and absorbing thereby a secondary latent heat of said secondary refrigerant and cooling said secondary refrigerant therein to a partially frozen state in which a fusion portion thereof is frozen, said secondary latent heat comprising a latent heat of fusion absorbed during freezing of said fusion portion and said primary refrigerant liquid refrigerant being evaporated into said primary refrigerant vapor by absorbing said secondary latent heat; and at least one secondary evaporator operatively connected to said primary evaporator and engageable in said refrigeration cycle for receiving said partially frozen secondary refrigerant for at least partial thawing of said partially frozen secondary refrigerant, including said fusion portion thereof, into a partially thawed state by at least partial re-absorption of said secondary latent heat, and thereby of said latent heat of fusion, from material refrigerated by said secondary evaporator, said fusion portion increasing said secondary latent heat re-absorbed from said material by said secondary refrigerant during said refrigeration cycle. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a defrost heat exchanger operatively connected to said at least one compressor and said at least one secondary evaporator, said defrost heat exchanger and said at least one secondary evaporator being engageable when said secondary evaporator accumulates frost, thereby becoming a frosted secondary evaporator, in a defrost cycle in which said primary refrigerant vapor compressed and heated by said compressor and said secondary refrigerant are circulated in said defrost heat exchanger for heating said secondary refrigerant therein with said primary refrigerant vapor and said secondary refrigerant is circulated subsequent to said heating to said frosted secondary evaporator for melting said frost and defrosting said frosted secondary evaporator. 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a secondary refrigerant tank operatively connected to said primary evaporator and to said at least one secondary evaporator for storing said secondary refrigerant, said secondary refrigerant being circulated to said secondary refrigerant tank from said primary evaporator after being cooled therein into said partially frozen state and being circulated from said secondary refrigerant tank to said at least one secondary evaporator during said refrigeration cycle for said at least partial thawing. 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a secondary refrigerant pump operatively connected to said primary evaporator and to said secondary evaporator by at least one secondary refrigerant line, said secondary refrigerant pump pumping said secondary refrigerant through said at least one secondary refrigerant line for circulating said secondary refrigerant in said partially frozen state therethrough from said primary evaporator to said at least one secondary evaporator. 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a re-circulating pump operatively connected to said at least one refrigerant condenser and said primary evaporator, said re-circulating pump receiving said primary refrigerant liquid from said condenser and pumping said primary refrigerant liquid into said primary evaporator for circulation and evaporation therein into said primary refrigerant vapor. 6. The system of claim 2, further comprising a secondary refrigerant tank operatively connected to said primary evaporator and to said at least one secondary evaporator for storing said secondary refrigerant, said secondary refrigerant being circulated to said secondary refrigerant tank when said at least one secondary evaporator is said frosted said secondary evaporator after being re-circulated thereto for said defrost cycle, said secondary refrigerant being subsequently circulated from said secondary refrigerant tank to said primary evaporator for cooling therein into said partially frozen state. 7. The system of claim 2, further comprising at least one input secondary refrigerant line, having a modulating valve disposed thereupon, for operatively connecting said at least one secondary evaporator to said primary evaporator and through which a portion of said secondary refrigerant may circulate to said at least one secondary evaporator, said portion being modulated by said modulating valve. 8. The system of claim 2, further comprising a primary defrost outlet line, operatively connecting said at least one compressor to said heat exchanger and through which said primary refrigerant vapor is circulated to said defrost heat exchanger after being compressed by said at least one compressor. 9. The system of claim 2, further comprising a primary defrost outlet line, operatively connecting said at least one compressor to said heat exchanger and through which said primary refrigerant vapor is circulated to said defrost heat exchanger after being compressed by said at least one compressor. 10. The system of claim 3, wherein said secondary refrigerant is further circulated from said at least one secondary evaporator after said at least partial thawing to said secondary refrigerant tank and circulated thereafter from said secondary refrigerant tank to said primary evaporator for cooling therein into said partially frozen state. 11. The system of claim 3, further comprising a tank secondary refrigerant pump operatively to said secondary refrigerant tank and to said secondary evaporator by at least one secondary refrigerant line, said tank secondary refrigerant pump pumping said secondary refrigerant through said at least one secondary refrigerant line for circulating said secondary refrigerant in said partially frozen state therethrough from said secondary refrigerant tank to said at least one secondary evaporator. 12. The system of claim 7, wherein said modulating valve is at least partially opened for allowing said portion to flow therethrough to said secondary evaporator when said at least one secondary evaporator is engaged in said refrigeration cycle. 13. The system of claim 7, further comprising: a defrost outlet secondary refrigerant line operatively connected to said defrost heat exchanger and to each said input secondary refrigerant line; and for each said input secondary refrigerant line, a respective defrost inlet secondary refrigerant line operatively connected thereto, at a position between said modulating valve and said at least one secondary evaporator, and to said heat exchanger, wherein, during said defrost cycle, said modulating valve on said input secondary refrigerant line operatively connected to said frosted secondary evaporator is closed for causing said portion therefor to circulate through said defrost outlet secondary refrigerant line to said defrost heat exchanger for heating therein, said portion being circulated from said defrost heat exchanger after heating therein to said respective defrost inlet secondary refrigerant line operatively connected to said input secondary refrigerant line operatively connected to said frosted secondary evaporator for defrosting thereof. 14. The system of claim 13, further comprising, for each said respective defrost inlet secondary refrigerant line, a respective secondary solenoid valve disposed thereupon, said respective secondary solenoid valve being opened when said secondary evaporator operatively connected by said input secondary refrigerant is engaged, as said frosted secondary evaporator, in said defrost cycle to allow said portion to circulate through said input secondary refrigerant line after heating thereof in said defrost heat exchanger to said frosted secondary evaporator. 15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a defrost solenoid valve disposed upon said primary defrost outlet line, said defrost solenoid valve being opened during said defrost cycle to enable circulation of said primary refrigerant vapor through said defrost primary outlet line to said defrost heat exchanger, said defrost solenoid valve being otherwise closed. 16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a primary heat exchange outlet line, operatively connecting said defrost heat exchanger to said refrigerant condenser and through which said primary refrigerant vapor is circulated from said defrost heat exchanger to said refrigerant condenser for condensing therein after said primary refrigerant vapor has circulated from said at least one compressor to said defrost heat exchanger for heating said secondary refrigerant during said defrost cycle. 17. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one compressor comprises: a first compressor engageable in a heat reclaim cycle, for, during said heat reclaim cycle, compressing said primary refrigerant vapor to a first pressure level, said primary refrigerant vapor being discharged from said first compressor through a first discharge outlet line operatively connected thereto and to said refrigerant condenser; a second compressor engageable in said refrigeration cycle for compressing said primary refrigerant vapor to a second pressure level, said primary refrigerant vapor being discharged from said second compressor through a second discharge outlet line operatively connected thereto and to said refrigerant condenser; and a heat reclaim means having at least one heat reclaim inlet line operatively connected to said first discharge outlet line for absorbing primary latent heat from said primary refrigerant vapor discharged therein during said heat reclaim cycle, thereby reclaiming said primary latent heat, wherein said first pressure level is greater than said second pressure level, said primary refrigerant vapor at said first pressure level having an increased evaporating temperature for increasing said primary latent heat reclaimable therefrom by said heat reclaim means. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein said first compressor is further engageable in said refrigeration cycle and, when engaged in the refrigeration cycle, compresses said primary refrigerant vapor to said second pressure level, said primary refrigerant vapor being discharged from said first compressor through said first discharge outlet line to said refrigerant condenser for condensing into said primary refrigerant liquid. 19. The system of claim 17, wherein said heat reclaim means comprises: at least one indoor liquid-cooled condenser, connected to said heat reclaim inlet line, containing cool liquid for condensing said primary refrigerant vapor into said primary refrigerant liquid and thereby releasing said latent heat for absorption by said cool liquid for heating said cool liquid into heated liquid; and at least one liquid-to-air heat reclaim coil operatively connected to said indoor liquid-cooled condenser, said liquid-to-air heat reclaim coil being exposed to cool air which causes said heated liquid to release said latent heat which is absorbed by said cool air through said liquid-to-air heat reclaim coil, thereby cooling said heated liquid into said cool liquid and heating said cool air into heated air, thereby reclaiming said primary latent heat. 20. The system of claim 17, wherein said refrigerant condenser comprises an indoor glycol-cooled condenser, operatively connected to said first and to said second compressors, and an outdoor air-cooled glycol cooler, operatively connected to said indoor glycol-cooled condenser, said indoor glycol-cooled condenser circulating cooled glycol therein from said outdoor air-cooled glycol cooler for said condensing of said primary refrigerant vapor at said second pressure level into said primary refrigerant liquid, said cooled glycol being thereby heated into heated glycol and re-circulated to outdoor air-cooled glycol cooler for cooling said heated glycol with cool air into said cooled glycol. 21. The system of claim 19, wherein said indoor liquid-cooled condenser is a glycol-cooled condenser and said liquid-to-air heat reclaim coil is a glycol-to-air heat reclaim coil, said cool liquid and said heated liquid being glycol. 22. The system of claim 19, wherein said liquid-cooled condenser is a water-cooled condenser and said liquid-to-air heat reclaim coil is a water-to-air heat reclaim coil, said cool liquid and said heated liquid being water.