Spot cooling system for open boats

Abstract

A spot cooling air conditioner system is for open boats having an open cockpit with seats. A refrigerant compressor is driven by the engine. A condenser includes a cooling water passage and a refrigerant passage in thermal communication. The condenser cooling water is supplied by the engine water pump. An evaporator includes an air passage and a refrigerant passage in thermal communication. Pressure-regulating means is an orifice tube. Drying means includes an accumulator. The compressor, condenser, and evaporator refrigerants are connected. The orifice tube is connected between the condenser and the evaporator. The accumulator is connected between the evaporator and the compressor. Air moving means includes a blower connected to the evaporator air passage. A plurality of ducts is connected to the evaporator. The ducts selectively direct cooled air toward the seats in the open cockpit, thereby spot cooling passengers in the open cockpit.

1 . A spot cooling system for open boats, comprising:
 a boat, the boat having an open cockpit, a hull, an engine, a cooling water inlet, and a cooling water outlet, the open cockpit having seats, the engine having a cooling system, a cooling water pump in fluid communication with the cooling water inlet and cooling water outlet;   a refrigerant;   a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, the compressor having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet;   a condenser for condensing the refrigerant, the condenser having a refrigerant passage and a cooling water passage in thermal communication with one another, the refrigerant passage having a condenser refrigerant inlet and a condenser refrigerant outlet, the cooling water passage having a condenser cooling inlet and a condenser cooling outlet, the condenser refrigerant inlet being connected to the compressor outlet, the condenser cooling inlet being in fluid communication with the cooling water pump;   an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant, the evaporator having a refrigerant passage and an air passage in thermal communication with one another, the refrigerant passage having an evaporator refrigerant inlet and an evaporator refrigerant outlet, the air passage having an evaporator air inlet and an evaporator air outlet;   pressure-regulating means for regulating refrigerant pressure;   drying means for drying the refrigerant, the compressor, the condenser refrigerant passage, the evaporator refrigerant passage, the pressure-regulating means, and the drying means being in fluid communication with one another,   at least one duct, the duct having a proximal end in fluid communication with the evaporator air outlet, and a distal end adjacent the seats in the open cockpit, for directing air toward the seats in the open cockpit; and   air moving means for moving air through the evaporator air passage.   
   
   
       2 . The spot cooling system for open boats of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the pressure-regulating means further comprises an orifice tube; and   the drying means further comprises an accumulator.   
   
   
       3 . The spot cooling system for open boats of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the compressor outlet is connected to the condenser refrigerant inlet;   the orifice tube is connected between the condenser refrigerant outlet and the evaporator refrigerant inlet; and   the accumulator is connected between the evaporator refrigerant outlet and the compressor inlet.   
   
   
       4 . The spot cooling system for open boats of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the pressure-regulating means further comprises a thermal expansion valve; and   the drying means further comprises a receiver-drier.   
   
   
       5 . The spot cooling system for open boats of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the compressor outlet is connected to the condenser refrigerant inlet;   the thermal expansion valve is connected between the receiver-drier and the evaporator refrigerant inlet;   the receiver-drier is connected between the condenser refrigerant outlet and the thermal expansion valve; and   the evaporator refrigerant outlet is connected to the compressor inlet.   
   
   
       6 . The spot cooling system for open boats of  claim 1 , wherein the air moving means further comprises a blower including blower blades and a motor, the blower being in fluid communication with the evaporator air passage. 
   
   
       7 . The spot cooling system for open boats of  claim 1 , wherein the condenser further comprises:
 a housing, the housing being fluid-tight, the housing defining a first passage; and   at least one conduit within the housing, the conduit defining a second passage, the first passage and the second passage being fluidly sealed from one another; and wherein   one of the passages serves as the refrigerant passage and the other passage serves as the cooling water passage.   
   
   
       8 . The spot cooling system for open boats of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator further comprises:
 a housing, the housing being fluid-tight, the housing defining a first passage; and   at least one conduit within the housing, the conduit defining a second passage, the first passage and the second passage being fluidly sealed from one another; and wherein   one of the passages serves as the refrigerant passage and the other passage serves as the air passage.   
   
   
       9 . The spot cooling system for open boats of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of ducts, each of the ducts having a proximal end in fluid communication with the evaporator air outlet, and a distal end adjacent the seats in the open cockpit, for directing air toward the seats in the open cockpit, each of the ducts being selectively directable, so as to direct cooling air for maximum passenger comfort. 
   
   
       10 . A method for spot cooling for open boats, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a boat with an open cockpit and an engine;   providing the open cockpit with seats;   providing a refrigerant;   providing a compressor, and compressing the refrigerant;   providing a condenser, connecting the compressor to a refrigerant passage of the condenser, and condensing the refrigerant;   providing an evaporator in fluid communication with the compressor and the condenser, and evaporating the refrigerant;   providing a pressure-regulating means in fluid communication with the condenser and the evaporator, and regulating refrigerant pressure;   providing a drying means in fluid communication with the evaporator and the condenser, and drying the refrigerant;   moving air through an air passage of the evaporator;   cooling the air with the evaporator, thereby creating cooled air;   providing at least one duct, and connecting a proximal end of the duct to an evaporator air outlet;   positioning a distal end of the duct adjacent the seats in the open cockpit;   directing the cooled air toward the seats in the open cockpit; and   cooling passengers in the open cockpit with the cooled air.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
 juxtaposing an evaporator refrigerant passage and an evaporator air passage in thermal communication with one another;   connecting a blower, including blower blades and a motor, in fluid communication with an air inlet of the evaporator air passage; and   moving air through the evaporator air passage with the blower.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of ducts, and connecting a proximal end of each of the ducts in fluid communication with an air outlet of the evaporator air passage;   positioning a distal end of each of the ducts adjacent the seats in the open cockpit; and   directing each of the ducts selectively toward the seats in the open cockpit, thereby directing the cooled air for maximum passenger comfort.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the steps of:
 juxtaposing a condenser refrigerant passage and a condenser cooling water passage in thermal communication with one another;   providing the cooling water passage with a condenser cooling inlet and a condenser cooling outlet;   providing a cooling water pump and a cooling water inlet;   connecting the cooling water pump in fluid communication with the condenser cooling water passage and condensing the refrigerant with cooling water.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 connecting the cooling water pump to the cooling water inlet and the condenser cooling inlet;   connecting the condenser cooling outlet to the boat engine cooling system;   driving the cooling water pump with the engine; and   driving the compressor with the engine.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 connecting the cooling water inlet to the condenser cooling inlet;   connecting the cooling water pump to the condenser cooling outlet and to the boat engine cooling system;   driving the cooling water pump with the engine; and   driving the compressor with the engine.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of driving the cooling water pump with a motor. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 using an orifice tube as the pressure-regulating means; and   using an accumulator as the drying means.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the steps of:
 connecting a compressor outlet to a condenser refrigerant inlet;   connecting the orifice tube between a condenser refrigerant outlet and an evaporator refrigerant inlet; and   connecting the accumulator between an evaporator refrigerant outlet and a compressor inlet.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 using a thermal expansion valve as the pressure-regulating means; and   using a receiver-drier as the drying means.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of:
 connecting a compressor outlet to a condenser refrigerant inlet;   connecting the thermal expansion valve between the receiver-drier and an evaporator refrigerant inlet;   connecting the receiver-drier between a condenser refrigerant outlet and the thermal expansion valve; and   connecting an evaporator refrigerant outlet to a compressor inlet.