Refrigeration system with integrated air conditioning by a high pressure expansion valve

Abstract

A system includes a flash tank coupled to refrigeration cases, and the flash tank houses a first refrigerant. The system further includes a gas cooler to cool the first refrigerant, a heat exchanger coupled to an air conditioning system, and a first high pressure expansion valve coupled to the gas cooler. The first high pressure expansion valve reduces a pressure of the first refrigerant flowing from the gas cooler to the heat exchanger. The system includes a second high pressure expansion valve coupled to the gas cooler, which reduces a pressure of the first refrigerant flowing from the gas cooler to the flash tank. The heat exchanger is coupled to the first high pressure expansion valve, and the heat exchanger receives the first refrigerant from the high pressure expansion valve, receives a second refrigerant from an air conditioning system, and provides cooling to the second refrigerant using the first refrigerant.

1 . A system, comprising;
 a flash tank coupled to one or more refrigeration cases, the flash tank configured to house a first refrigerant;   a gas cooler configured to cool the first refrigerant to a first temperature;   a heat exchanger coupled to an air conditioning system;   a first expansion valve coupled to the gas cooler, the first expansion valve configured to reduce a pressure of the first refrigerant flowing from the gas cooler to the heat exchanger;   a second expansion valve coupled to the gas cooler, the second expansion valve configured to reduce a pressure of the first refrigerant flowing from the gas cooler to the flash tank;   wherein the heat exchanger is coupled to the first expansion valve, the heat exchanger configured to:
 receive the first refrigerant from the first expansion valve; 
 receive a second refrigerant from an air conditioning system, the second refrigerant associated with an air conditioning load; and 
 provide cooling to the second refrigerant using the first refrigerant; 
   a sensor associated with one or more compressors, the sensor configured to measure the air conditioning load of the air condition system; and   a controller coupled to the sensor and the first expansion valve, the controller configured to:
 receive air conditioning load information for the air condition system; 
 determine an amount of the first refrigerant to supply to the heat exchanger based on the air conditioning bad information; and 
 instruct the first expansion valve to direct the determined amount of the first refrigerant to the heat exchanger. 
   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a compressor coupled to the flash tank, the heat exchanger, and the gas cooler, the compressor configured to:
 receive the first refrigerant from the Hash tank and the heat exchanger;   compress the first refrigerant; and   provide the first refrigerant to the gas cooler.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first refrigeration case coupled to the flash tank, the first refrigeration case being cooled by the first refrigerant from the flash tank;   a second refrigeration case coupled to the flash tank, the second case being cooled by the first refrigerant from the flash tank;   a first compressor coupled to the first refrigeration case, the first compressor configured to compress the first refrigerant from the first refrigeration case; and   a second compressor coupled to the second refrigeration case and the first compressor, the second compressor configured to compress the first refrigerant from the second refrigeration case and the first refrigerant from the first compressor.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first expansion valve is configured to direct a flow of the first refrigerant towards the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first refrigerant comprises a carbon dioxide (CO2) refrigerant. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second refrigerant comprises glycol water. 
     
     
         8 . A method of configuring a system, comprising:
 coupling a flash tank to one of more refrigeration cases, the flash tank configured to house a first refrigerant;   coupling a first high pressure expansion valve coupled to a gas cooler, the gas cooler configured to cool the first refrigerant to a first temperature, the first high pressure expansion valve configured to reduce a pressure of the first refrigerant flowing from the gas cooler to the heat exchanger;   coupling a second high pressure expansion valve to the gas cooler, the second high pressure expansion valve configured to reduce a pressure of the first refrigerant flowing from the gas cooler to the flash tank; and   coupling a heat exchanger is the first high pressure expansion valve, the heat exchanger configured to:
 receive the first refrigerant from the first high pressure expansion valve; 
 receive a second refrigerant from an air conditioning system, the second refrigerant associated with an air conditioning load; and 
 provide cooling to the second refrigerant using the first refrigerant. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , feather comprising coupling a controller to the heat exchanger and the first high pressure expansion valve, the controller configured to:
 determine the air conditioning load associated with the second refrigerant;   based on the air conditioning: load associated with the second refrigerant, determine an amount of the first refrigerant needed to provide cooling to the second refrigerant; and   instruct the first high pressure expansion valve to reduce the pressure of the amount of the first refrigerant to the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising coupling a parallel compressor to the flash tank, the heat exchanger, and the gas cooler, the parallel compressor configured to:
 receive the first refrigerant from the flash lank and the heat exchanger;   compress the first refrigerant; and   provide the first refrigerant to the gas cooler.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , farther comprising:
 coupling a low temperature refrigeration case to the flash tank, the low temperature refrigeration case being cooled by the first refrigerant from the flash tank;   coupling a medium temperature refrigeration case to the flash tank, the medium temperature case being cooled by the first refrigerant from the flash tank;   coupling a low temperature compressor to the low temperature refrigeration case, the low temperature compressor configured to compress the first refrigerant from the low temperature refrigeration case; and   coupling a medium temperature compressor to the medium temperature refrigeration case and the low temperature -compressor, the medium temperature compressor configured to compress the first refrigerant from the medium temperature refrigeration case and the first refrigerant from the low temperature compressor.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first high pressure expansion valve is configured to direct a flow of the first refrigerant towards the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first refrigerant comprises a carbon dioxide (CO2) refrigerant. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second refrigerant comprises glycol water. 
     
     
         15 . A system, comprising:
 a high pressure expansion valve configured to reduce a pressure of a first refrigerant;   a heat exchanger coupled to the high pressure expansion valve;   a controller coupled to the high pressure expansion valve and configured to:
 determine an air conditioning load associated with a second refrigerant; 
 based on the air conditioning load associated with the second refrigerant, determine an amount of the first refrigerant needed to provide cooling to the second refrigerant; and 
 instruct the high pressure expansion, valve to reduce the pressure of the amount of the first refrigerant and direct the amount of the first refrigerant to the heat exchanger; and 
   wherein the heat exchanger is configured to:
 receive the amount of the first refrigerant from the high pressure expansion valve; 
 receive the second refrigerant from an air conditioning system; and 
 provide cooling to the second refrigerant using the first refrigerant, 
   
     
     
         1 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising a parallel compressor coupled to the flash tank, the heat exchanger, and the gas cooler, the parallel compressor configured to:
 receive the first refrigerant from the flash tank and the heat exchanger;   compress the first refrigerant; and   provide the first refrigerant to the gas cooler.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a low temperature refrigeration case coupled to the flash tank, the low temperature refrigeration case being cooled by the first refrigerant from the flash tank;   a medium temperature refrigeration case coupled to the flash tank, the medium temperature case being cooled by the first refrigerant from the flash tank;   a low temperature compressor coupled to the low temperature refrigeration case, the low temperature compressor configured to compress the first refrigerant from the low temperature refrigeration case; and   a medium temperature compressor coupled to the medium temperature refrigeration case and the low temperature compressor, the medium temperature compressor configured to compress the first refrigerant from the medium temperature refrigeration case and the first refrigerant from the low temperature compressor.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first high pressure expansion, valve is configured to direct a flow of the first refrigerant towards the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first refrigerant comprises a carbon dioxide (CO2) refrigerant. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second refrigerant comprises glycol water.