Supercritical pressure regulation of economized refrigeration system by use of an interstage accumulator

Abstract

Refrigerant is circulated through an economized refrigeration system including a compressor, a gas cooler, a main expansion device, an economizer heat exchanger and an evaporator. After cooling, the refrigerant splits into an economizer flow path and a main flow path. Refrigerant in the economizer flow path is expanded to a low pressure and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the main flow path in the economizer heat exchanger. The refrigerant in the main flow path is then expanded and heated in the evaporator and enters the compressor, completing the cycle. An accumulator positioned between the economizer heat exchanger and the compressor stores excess refrigerant in the system, regulating the amount of refrigerant in the system and the high pressure in the system. The amount of refrigerant in the accumulator is controlled by regulating the economizer expansion device. By adjusting the amount of refrigerant in the accumulator, the amount of refrigerant in the system, and therefore the high pressure of the system, can be regulated.

1 . A refrigeration system comprising: 
 a compressor for compressing a refrigerant to a high pressure, said compressor including a suction port and an economizer port;    a heat rejecting heat exchanger for cooling said refrigerant;    an economizer heat exchanger, said refrigerant being split into a main passage and an economized passage, and said refrigerant in said economized passage is reduced to a low pressure in an economizer expansion device and exchanges heat with said refrigerant in said main passage in said economizer heat exchanger, said economized passage returning to said economizer port of said compressor along an economizer return line;    an accumulator positioned between said economizer heat exchanger and said compressor for storing an amount of charge, and said accumulator is located on said economizer return line;    a main expansion device for reducing said refrigerant in said main passage to a low pressure;    a heat accepting heat exchanger for evaporating said refrigerant, and said refrigerant from said heat accepting heat exchanger enters said compressor through said suction port; and    a control that monitors the high pressure and adjusts the amount of charge stored in the accumulator to regulate the high pressure of the refrigeration system.    
   
   
       2 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said refrigerant is carbon dioxide.  
   
   
       3 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said high pressure increases as said amount of charge in said accumulator decreases.  
   
   
       4 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said high pressure decreases as said amount of charge in said accumulator increases.  
   
   
       5 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein an amount of said refrigerant flowing through said heat accepting heat exchanger increases when said main expansion device is opened.  
   
   
       6 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein an amount of said refrigerant flowing through said heat accepting heat exchanger decreases when said main expansion device is closed.  
   
   
       7 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said amount of charge in said accumulator is controlled by a degree that said refrigerant in said economizer flow path is heated.  
   
   
       8 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said amount of charge in said accumulator is controlled by said economizer expansion device.  
   
   
       9 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said amount of charge in said accumulator increases when said refrigerant in said economizer flow path is not superheated, decreasing said high pressure.  
   
   
       10 . The system as recited in  claim 9  wherein said refrigerant in said accumulator is liquid.  
   
   
       11 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said amount of charge in said accumulator decreases when said refrigerant in said economizer flow path is superheated, increasing said high pressure.  
   
   
       12 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said control opens said economizer expansion device when said control detects that said high pressure in said system is above a desired high pressure to decrease said high pressure.  
   
   
       13 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said control closes said economizer expansion device when said control detects that said high pressure in said system is below a desired high pressure to increase said high pressure.  
   
   
       14 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said control controls said economizer expansion device.  
   
   
       15 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said accumulator adjusts said amount of said charge in the refrigeration system.  
   
   
       16 . The system as recited in  claim 1  wherein said accumulator is positioned between said economizer heat exchanger and said economizer port of said compressor.