Referigerant-to-air device

Abstract

A refrigerant system includes a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion valve, an accumulator or equivalent, one or more earth loops, and auxiliary heat removal means. The auxiliary means comprises a fan and fan coil and the fan forces air between multiple tubes of the fan coil to remove unwanted heat from the hot vapor exiting the compressor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerant system including a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion valve, an accumulator or equivalent, one or more earth loops, and auxiliary heat removal means, wherein said auxiliary means comprises a fan and fan coil wherein the fan forces air between multiple tubes of the fan coil to remove unwanted heat from the hot vapor exiting the compressor. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a manual on-off switch for controlling the fan motor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further providing means to automatically control the speed of the fan to modulate the amount of heat to be removed, said means including a pressure sensor and/or a temperature sensor mounted on the hot vapor conduit leaving the compressor and sending pressure and/or temperature signals to a conventional Electronic Motor Control Unit (EMCU) that regulates electrical power input to the fan in the auxiliary cooling module in response to the pressure or temperature signals, to provide that the pressure or temperature of the hot vapor conduit does not exceed a desired limit. 
     
     
         4 . A refrigerant system comprising a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, a Liquid Flow Control (LFC), an Active Charge Control (ACC), an ACM, and an EMCU, and one or more of a refrigerant earth loop or a water earth loop, wherein the ACM and EMCU serve to prevent the temperature or pressure from exceeding the desired limit, and wherein the LFC serves to maintain the condenser, herein consisting of the earth loop(s), in a fully condensing condition, and wherein the ACC serves to maintain the evaporator in a “fully wetted” condition, with the result that the LFC and ACC, working in concert serve to collect and store all inactive, non-circulating liquid refrigerant within the ACC, to provide that the optimum amount of refrigerant is in active circulation under all operating conditions, which in turn provides improved system efficiency. 
     
     
         5 . A refrigerant system comprising a compressor, an evaporator, an expansion valve, an accumulator, an Auxiliary Cooling Module (ACM), a heat exchanger, a pump, and one or more water loops buried within the earth, and further comprising a conventional electronic control module (ECMU) to automatically control the speed of the fan in the ACM to modulate the amount of heat to be removed, and wherein a pressure sensor and/or a temperature sensor mounted on the hot vapor conduit leaving the compressor sends pressure and/or temperature signals to the ECMU, to regulate the electrical power input to the fan in the ACM in response to the pressure or temperature signals, to regulate the amount of heat removed by the Auxiliary Cooling Module, to thereby prevent exceeding the desired pressure or temperature limit. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the expansion valve is an LFC and the Accumulator is an ACC, and wherein the LFC and ACC work in concert to require all non-circulating liquid refrigerant to be stored in the ACC, to provide that an optimum amount of refrigerant is in active circulation during the full range of operating conditions. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising wattage minimizing means, wherein said means consist of wattage sensor which measures the total wattage consumed by the system, and wherein the signal from the sensor is connected to the ECMU, and the ECMU is set to adjust the fan speed to minimize the total wattage drawn by the system, while preventing the compressor outlet conduit temperature or pressure from exceeding a desired limit. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4 , further comprising wattage minimizing means, wherein said means consist of wattage sensor which measures the total wattage consumed by the system, and wherein the signal from the sensor is connected to the ECMU, and the ECMU is set to adjust the fan speed to minimize the total wattage drawn by the system, while preventing the compressor outlet conduit temperature or pressure from exceeding a desired limit. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising wattage minimizing means, wherein said means consist of wattage sensor which measures the total wattage consumed by the system, and wherein the signal from the sensor is connected to the ECMU, and the ECMU is set to adjust the fan speed to minimize the total wattage drawn by the system, while preventing the compressor outlet conduit temperature or pressure from exceeding a desired limit. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising wattage minimizing means, wherein said means consist of wattage sensor which measures the total wattage consumed by the system, and wherein the signal from the sensor is connected to the ECMU, and the ECMU is set to adjust the fan speed to minimize the total wattage drawn by the system, while preventing the compressor outlet conduit temperature or pressure from exceeding a desired limit.