Heat transfer processes and equipment for industrial applications

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention permit the transfer of heat energy from one process fluid to another in an industrial process without the need for an energy field or centralized energy storage. Preferred embodiments include one or more heat transfer modules that draw heat from one process fluid into circulating refrigerant in an evaporator heat exchanger and supply that heat to a different process fluid in a condenser heat exchanger. In some embodiments, adjustments are made to one or more parameters of one or more process fluids to ensure the desired heat transfer is accomplished with the heat transfer module's compressor operating near optimum efficiency.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A system for transferring energy from one process fluid to another in a process, comprising:
 (a) a heat transfer module that includes a compressor, a condenser heat exchanger, and an evaporator heat exchanger;   (b) a refrigerant sensing mechanism configured to regularly measure a suction pressure value and a discharge pressure value for the compressor during operation of the heat transfer module; and   (c) a compressor controller configured to (i) receive the suction pressure value and the discharge pressure value from the refrigerant sensing mechanism, (ii) compare the suction pressure value to the discharge pressure value to determine an operational pressure differential, and (iii) maintain the operational pressure differential within a predetermined range.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 38 , further comprising (d) a cooling fluid controller, wherein the compressor controller is configured to cause the pressure and/or the flow rate of the cooling fluid to be adjusted by communicating instructions to the cooling fluid controller, which is configured to cause adjustment to a cooling fluid inlet pump. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 38 , further comprising (d) a warming fluid controller, wherein the compressor controller is configured to cause the pressure and/or the flow rate of the warming fluid to be adjusted by communicating instructions to the warming fluid controller, which is configured to cause adjustment to a warming fluid inlet pump. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , further comprising (e) a cooling fluid controller, wherein the compressor controller is configured to cause the pressure and/or the flow rate of the cooling fluid to be adjusted by communicating instructions to the cooling fluid controller, which is configured to cause adjustment to a cooling fluid inlet pump. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34 , wherein
 one of the warming fluid controller or the cooling fluid controller is configured to cause adjustment to the warming fluid inlet pump or the cooling fluid inlet pump, respectively, at a first rate of speed;   the other of the warming fluid controller or the cooling fluid controller is configured to cause adjustment to the warming fluid inlet pump or the cooling fluid inlet pump, respectively, at a second rate of speed, which is slower than the first rate of speed; and   the compressor controller is configured to communicate instructions to the warming fluid controller and/or the cooling fluid controller at a third rate of speed, which is slower than the second rate of speed.   
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein the compressor controller is configured to cause the temperature of the cooling fluid and/or the temperature of the warming fluid to be adjusted by communicating instructions to a system controller, which is configured to cause adjustment to one or more portions of the process. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the heat transfer module further includes an expansion valve. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the compressor is configured to maintain the operational pressure differential within the predetermined range by causing one or more of the following to be adjusted:
 the temperature and/or pressure and/or flow rate of a cooling fluid entering the evaporator heat exchanger,   the temperature and/or pressure and/or flow rate of a warming fluid entering the condenser heat exchanger.   
     
     
         39 . A method of efficiently transferring energy from one process fluid to another in a process, comprising:
 (a) providing a heat transfer module that includes a compressor, a condenser heat exchanger, and an evaporator heat exchanger;   (d) regularly measuring a suction pressure value and a discharge pressure value for the compressor during operation of the heat transfer module;   (c) comparing the suction pressure value to the discharge pressure value to determine an operational pressure differential of the compressor; and   (d) maintaining the compressor's operational pressure differential within a predetermined range.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein maintaining the compressor's operational pressure differential within the predetermined range includes adjusting one or more of the following:
 the temperature and/or pressure and/or flow rate of a cooling fluid entering the evaporator heat exchanger,   the temperature and/or pressure and/or flow rate of a warming fluid entering the condenser heat exchanger.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein adjusting the pressure and/or the flow rate of the cooling fluid includes adjusting a cooling fluid inlet pump. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein adjusting the pressure and/or the flow rate of the warming fluid includes adjusting a warming fluid inlet pump. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein adjusting the pressure and/or the flow rate of the cooling fluid includes adjusting a cooling fluid inlet pump. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein:
 adjusting the warming fluid inlet pump includes making adjustments at a first rate of speed, and   adjusting the cooling fluid inlet pump includes making adjustments at a second rate of speed that differs from the first rate of speed.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein adjusting the temperature of the cooling fluid and/or the temperature of the warming fluid includes instructing a system controller to adjust one or more portions of the process. 
     
     
         46 . A compressor controller for ensuring that a compressor operates at as close to optimum efficiency as possible in a process as part of a heat transfer module that also includes a condenser heat exchanger and an evaporator heat exchanger, the compressor controller comprising:
 (a) a compressor controller input to receive a suction pressure value and a discharge pressure value from a refrigerant sensing mechanism, the refrigerant sensing mechanism configured to regularly measure the suction pressure value and the discharge pressure value for the compressor during operation of the compressor;   (b) a compressor controller comparator to compare the suction pressure value to the discharge pressure value to determine an operational pressure differential of the compressor; and   (c) a compressor controller output to maintain the compressor's operational pressure differential within a predetermined range.   
     
     
         47 . The compressor controller of  claim 46 , wherein the compressor controller output is configured to maintain the compressor's operational pressure differential within the predetermined range by causing one or more of the following to be adjusted:
 the temperature and/or pressure and/or flow rate of a cooling fluid entering the evaporator heat exchanger,   the temperature and/or pressure and/or flow rate of a warming fluid entering the condenser heat exchanger.   
     
     
         48 . The compressor controller of  claim 47 , wherein the compressor controller output is configured to cause:
 the pressure and/or the flow rate of the cooling fluid to be adjusted by communicating instructions to a cooling fluid controller, which is configured to cause adjustment to a cooling fluid inlet pump, and   the pressure and/or the flow rate of the warming fluid to be adjusted by communicating instructions to a warming fluid controller, which is configured to cause adjustment to a warming fluid inlet pump.   
     
     
         49 . The compressor controller of  claim 48 , wherein the compressor controller output is configured to communicate instructions to the warming fluid controller and/or the cooling fluid controller at a rate of speed that differs from the rate(s) of speed at which the warming fluid controller causes adjustment to the warming fluid inlet pump and/or the cooling fluid controller causes adjustment to the cooling fluid inlet pump. 
     
     
         50 . The compressor controller of  claim 47 , wherein the compressor controller output is configured to cause the temperature of the cooling fluid and/or the temperature of the warming fluid to be adjusted by communicating instructions to a system controller, which is configured to cause adjustment to one or more portions of the process.