Compact marine air conditioning unit with optional electric heat

Abstract

A package marine air conditioning unit places an evaporator coil on the inlet side of an enclosing cabinet, an axial supply fan on an opposing outlet side of the cabinet, and a compressor disposed between the evaporator coil and the supply fan. Locating the compressor within the air stream on the leaving air side of the evaporator coil allows cold air to flow around the compressor thereby providing beneficial compressor cooling. An axial flow supply fan located downstream of the compressor functions to draw return air in a generally lineal flow path across the evaporator coil and around the compressor, for discharge in an axial direction thereby resulting in a generally linear air flow path through the unit. A cabinet is provided to enclose the components thereby allowing for the installation of electric heating elements. Enclosing the components within a cabinet avoids the need to paint or otherwise coat the enclosed components thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

1 . A marine air conditioning system comprising:
 a supply fan having an inlet for drawing air in from a first direction and an outlet and discharging air out in a second direction, said second direction being generally opposite of said first direction;   a helical water-to-refrigerant condenser having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, and a water inlet and water outlet, said water inlet in fluid communication with a water source;   a refrigerant compressor having a refrigerant inlet, and a refrigerant outlet in fluid communication with said condenser refrigerant inlet;   a evaporator coil disposed generally perpendicular to said first direction, said evaporator coil including a face area having an entering air side and a leaving air side, said evaporator coil further including a refrigerant inlet in fluid communication with said condenser outlet and a refrigerant outlet in fluid communication with said compressor refrigerant inlet;   said compressor generally disposed between said supply fan inlet and said evaporator coil leaving air side, whereby said compressor is within the air flow path of air leaving said evaporator coil and entering said fan inlet.   
     
     
         2 . A marine air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , further including a cabinet for substantially enclosing said evaporator coil, said compressor, said condenser, and said fan. 
     
     
         3 . A marine air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , further including an electric heat element. 
     
     
         4 . A marine air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein said supply fan comprises an axial fan. 
     
     
         5 . A marine air conditioning system according to  claim 4 , wherein said supply fan is disposed downstream relative to said evaporator coil in a draw thru configuration. 
     
     
         6 . A marine air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein said helical water-to-refrigerant condenser is disposed in generally surrounding relation with said supply fan. 
     
     
         7 . A marine air conditioning system according to  claim 1 , wherein said helical water-to-refrigerant condenser is disposed in generally surrounding relation with said compressor. 
     
     
         8 . A marine air conditioning system comprising:
 a vapor compression system having components including a compressor, an evaporator coil, a condenser coil, and a supply fan operatively connected to thermally condition air;   a cabinet substantially enclosing said components, said cabinet having an inlet end and an opposing discharge end;   said evaporator coil disposed in proximity to said cabinet inlet end;   said supply fan disposed in proximity to said outlet end and configured to draw air in from said cabinet inlet end across said evaporator coil and to discharge air out from the cabinet discharge end;   said compressor mounted generally between said evaporator coil and said supply fan;   said condenser coil comprising a generally helical water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger disposed in surrounding relation with said compressor.   
     
     
         9 . A marine air conditioning unit according to  claim 8 , further including an electric heat element. 
     
     
         10 . A marine air conditioning unit according to  claim 8 , wherein said supply fan comprises an axial fan. 
     
     
         11 . A marine air conditioning unit according to  claim 8 , wherein said supply fan is remotely located from said cabinet, said supply fan having an inlet connected in fluid communication with said cabinet interior via a duct. 
     
     
         12 . A marine air conditioning system for thermally conditioning air within a conditioned space, said system comprising:
 a vapor compression system having components including a refrigerant compressor, an evaporator coil, a condenser, and a supply fan, said components functioning to thermally condition air;   a cabinet substantially enclosing said components, said cabinet having an inlet end and an opposing discharge end;   said evaporator coil disposed in proximity to said inlet end, said evaporator coil having an entering air side and a leaving air side;   said supply fan having an inlet configured to draw air across said evaporator coil;   said compressor disposed between the leaving air side of evaporator coil and said supply fan inlet such that air coming of the leaving air side of said evaporator fan circulates around said compressor thereby providing beneficial compressor cooling to increase compressor efficiency; and   said condenser coil comprising a generally helical water and refrigerant heat exchanger disposed in surrounding relation with said compressor such that air coming of the leaving air side of said evaporator fan circulates around said condenser coil thereby providing beneficial condenser coil cooling to increase.