Energy efficiency of room air conditioner or unitary air conditioning system by using dual suction compressor

Abstract

A high-efficiency air conditioning system for chilling an interior of a building that includes: a compressor; a condenser having a condenser fan associated with the condenser that moves air to cool the condenser; at least two evaporator sections wherein a first evaporator section operates at a first evaporator pressure and a second evaporator section operates at a second evaporator pressure that is different than the first evaporator pressure; at least a first throttling device and a second throttling device having different throttling characteristics with the first throttling device being less restrictive than the second throttling device; and a plurality of refrigerant conduits.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A high-efficiency air conditioning system for chilling an interior of a building comprising:
 a compressor;   a condenser having a condenser fan associated with the condenser that moves air to cool the condenser;   at least two evaporator sections wherein a first evaporator section operates at a first evaporator pressure and a second evaporator section operates at a second evaporator pressure that is different than the first evaporator pressure;   at least a first throttling device and a second throttling device having different throttling characteristics with the first throttling device being less restrictive than the second throttling device; and   a plurality of refrigerant conduits; and   wherein a refrigerant fluid leaves the compressor along a common refrigerant flow-path portion of a refrigerant circuit from the compressor, through the condenser and into the first and second throttling devices which split the common flow-path portion of the refrigerant circuit and deliver refrigerant fluid to a first evaporator and to a second evaporator forming a first evaporator circuit portion and a second evaporator circuit portion of the refrigerant circuit and wherein the first evaporator circuit portion operates at a higher temperature than the second evaporator circuit portion and wherein the first evaporator circuit portion and the second evaporator circuit portion merge and rejoin the common refrigerant flow-path portion.   
     
     
         2 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the compressor is a dual suction compressor and the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section are each separate evaporators. 
     
     
         3 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 2 , wherein the first evaporator circuit portion delivers refrigerant to the dual suction compressor via a first intake port of the dual suction compressor and the second evaporator circuit portion delivers refrigerant to the dual suction compressor via a second intake port of the dual suction compressor and the dual suction compressor delivers a refrigerant to the common refrigerant flow-path. 
     
     
         4 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second throttling devices are each a capillary tube. 
     
     
         5 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 2 , wherein at least two of the evaporator sections share a common evaporator fm that provides reduced conductive thermal communication between adjacent sections compared to a single continuous non-interrupted fin evaporator. 
     
     
         6 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator section proceeds the second evaporator section and are in the same air flow supply path that supplies chilled air to one or more living areas within a building. 
     
     
         7 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 2 , wherein the first evaporator section proceeds the second evaporator section and are in the same air flow supply path that supplies chilled air to one or more living areas within a building. 
     
     
         8 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator section operates to remove more latent heat than the second evaporator section and the second evaporator section removes more sensible heat than the first evaporator section. 
     
     
         9 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator circuit portion and the second evaporator circuit portion merge and rejoin the common refrigerant flow-path portion within the compressor. 
     
     
         10 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 1  further comprising a three-way valve having two refrigerant intakes and a single refrigerant outlet that delivers refrigerant fluid to the evaporator wherein the intakes individually receive refrigerant fluid from the first evaporator circuit portion and the second evaporator circuit portion after the refrigerant fluid has passed through the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section. 
     
     
         11 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 10 , wherein the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section are in the same air flow supply path that supplies chilled air to one or more living areas within a building. 
     
     
         12 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the first evaporator section is positioned within a primary air cooling path that delivers chilled air to the interior of the building and the second evaporator section is positioned between an outside air port of the building and the primary air cooling path such that the second evaporator section chills air received into the interior of the building from outside the building. 
     
     
         13 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 2 , wherein the first evaporator section is positioned within a primary air cooling path that delivers chilled air to the interior of the building and the second evaporator section is positioned between an outside air port of the building and the primary air cooling path such that the second evaporator section chills air received into the interior of the building from outside the building. 
     
     
         14 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 10 , wherein the first evaporator section is positioned within a primary air cooling path that delivers chilled air to the interior of the building and the second evaporator section is positioned between an outside air port of the building and the primary air cooling path such that the second evaporator section chills air received into the interior of the building from outside the building. 
     
     
         15 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 10 , wherein the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section are in the same air flow supply path that supplies chilled air to one or more building areas within a building and the throttling devices are each capillary tubes. 
     
     
         16 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the high efficiency air conditioning system is a forced air conditioning system and the high efficiency air conditioning system further comprises a supply fan that circulates air past at least the first evaporator section and circulates air to and from the one or more building areas within a building. 
     
     
         17 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 16 , wherein the compressor and condenser are positioned outside of the building and the first evaporator section and the second evaporator section and the supply fan are all positioned within the building. 
     
     
         18 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 2 , wherein the compressor and condenser are both positioned outside of the building. 
     
     
         19 . The high-efficiency air conditioning system of  claim 10 , wherein the compressor and condenser section are both positioned outside of the building. 
     
     
         20 . A high-efficiency air conditioning system for chilling an interior of a building comprising:
 a dual-suction compressor;   a condenser having a condenser fan associated with the condenser that moves air to cool the condenser;   at least two evaporators wherein a first evaporator operates at a first evaporator pressure and a second evaporator operates at a second evaporator pressure that is different than the first evaporator pressure;   at least a first throttling device and a second throttling device having different throttling characteristics with the first throttling device being less restrictive than the second throttling device; and   a plurality of refrigerant conduits; and   wherein a refrigerant fluid leaves the compressor along a common refrigerant flow-path portion of a refrigerant circuit from the compressor, through the condenser and into the first and second throttling devices which split the common flow-path portion of the refrigerant circuit and deliver refrigerant fluid to the first evaporator and to the second evaporator forming a first evaporator circuit portion and a second evaporator circuit portion of the refrigerant circuit and wherein the first evaporator circuit portion operates at a higher temperature than the second evaporator circuit portion and wherein the first evaporator circuit portion delivers to refrigerant fluid to a first suction port of the dual suction compressor and the second evaporator circuit portion delivers refrigerant fluid to a second suction port of the dual suction compressor and the first evaporator circuit portion and the second evaporator circuit portion merge and rejoin the refrigerant fluid into the common refrigerant flow-path portion; and   wherein the compressor, condenser are all positioned outside of the building and the first evaporator and the second evaporator are positioned within the building.