Refrigerating plant

Abstract

A refrigerating plant includes a coolant fluid, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, a collecting receptacle for collecting the coolant fluid, and a control device for piloting the expansion valve. The collecting receptacle is interposed between an outlet of the evaporator and an inlet of the compressor.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
   
   
       26 . A refrigerating plant comprising a coolant fluid, a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, at least one evaporator, a collecting receptacle for collecting said coolant fluid, and a control device for piloting said expansion valve, wherein said collecting receptacle is interposed between an outlet of said evaporator and an inlet of said compressor. 
   
   
       27 . A plant according to  claim 26 , wherein said coolant fluid exits said evaporator in a humid saturated steam state. 
   
   
       28 . A plant according to  claim 27 , wherein said humid saturated steam has a titre not less than approximately 0.9. 
   
   
       29 . A plant according to  claim 26 , wherein said collecting receptacle is provided with an inlet connected to a conduit that connects said outlet of said evaporator to said inlet, with a first outlet placed in an upper part of the collecting receptacle and with a second outlet located in a lower part of the receptacle. 
   
   
       30 . A plant according to  claim 29 , wherein said conduit and said inlet are arranged so that said coolant fluid enters said collecting receptacle in a noticeably tangential direction. 
   
   
       31 . A plant according to  claim 29 , wherein said first outlet is connected to a first outlet conduit and said second outlet is connected to a second outlet conduit, said first outlet conduit and said second outlet conduit flowing into a conduit connected to a suction conduit of said compressor. 
   
   
       32 . A plant according to  claim 31 , wherein said second outlet conduit is provided with a flow adjusting element. 
   
   
       33 . A plant according to  claim 32 , wherein said flow adjusting element comprises a diaphragm having a calibrated passage hole. 
   
   
       34 . A plant according to  claim 32 , wherein said flow adjusting element comprises a valve, the control signal of which is the overheating of the steam at the outlet of the exchanger, or another signal suitable for assuring the protection of the compressor against the risk of taking in liquid. 
   
   
       35 . A plant according to  claim 26 , wherein said collecting receptacle is associated with a level detecting device. 
   
   
       36 . A plant according to  claim 35 , wherein said level detecting device comprises a level sensor arranged at the lower part of the receptacle. 
   
   
       37 . A plant according to  claim 36 , wherein said level sensor is an infrared-ray sensor, or a float sensor, or a capacitive sensor. 
   
   
       38 . A plant according to  claim 36 , wherein said level sensor is operationally associated with a control device suitable for driving said expansion valve. 
   
   
       39 . A plant according to  claim 31 , wherein between said collecting receptacle and said compressor there is interposed a heat exchanger through which the coolant fluid coming from said receptacle through said conduit passes and the coolant fluid coming from the outlet of the condenser through a further conduit passes. 
   
   
       40 . A plant according to  claim 29 , wherein said collecting receptacle is provided with a first separating element and with a second separating element, arranged respectively in said upper part and in said lower part of the receptacle, said first separating element and said second separating element being suitable for promoting a separation of the liquid phase of said coolant fluid from the gas phase. 
   
   
       41 . A plant according to  claim 40 , wherein said first separating element and said second separating element comprise a net. 
   
   
       42 . A plant according to  claim 40 , wherein said first separating element and said second separating element comprise radial deflectors associated with the internal surface of said collecting receptacle. 
   
   
       43 . A plant according to  claim 29 , wherein said collecting receptacle is provided with a narrowing arranged between said upper part and said lower part. 
   
   
       44 . A plant according to  claim 29 , wherein said collecting receptacle is associated with an auxiliary receptacle having an upper part that communicates with the upper part of the collecting receptacle and a lower part that communicates with the lower part of the collecting receptacle. 
   
   
       45 . A plant according to  claim 29 , wherein the liquid coolant fluid collected in the receptacle supplies an exchanger by gravity inside which pipes traversed by the liquid condensate coming from said condenser are submerged by the liquid coming from said receptacle that evaporates to cool said condensate. 
   
   
       46 . A plant according to  claim 45 , wherein the fluid evaporated in said exchanger returns to said receptacle by a conduit. 
   
   
       47 . A refrigerating and heat pump plant, comprising a coolant fluid, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a two-way expansion valve, a second heat exchanger, an inversion valve of the flow of said coolant, and a control device suitable for piloting said expansion valve, characterized in that said first heat exchanger and second heat exchanger are associated with respective collecting receptacles that, when the respective heat exchanger acts as an evaporator, receive said coolant fluid leaving the respective heat exchanger in the form of humid saturated steam. 
   
   
       48 . A plant according to  claim 47 , wherein each of said collecting receptacles is associated with a respective level sensor. 
   
   
       49 . A plant according to  claim 48 , wherein each of said level sensors is operationally associated with said control device.