Hydronic refrigeration system

Abstract

A hydronic refrigeration system 200 includes: a coolant cooling system 210 ; an air side cooling load system 230 for cooling of air using coolant from the coolant cooling system 210 ; and a coolant distribution system 250 for transporting coolant from the coolant cooling system 210 to the air side cooling load system 230 and from the air side cooling load system 230 to coolant cooling system 210 ; the coolant cooling system 250 comprises multiple chillers 211 a, 211 b, 211 c connected in series, with each chiller 211 a, 211 b, 211 c comprising a refrigeration circuit 212 a, 212 b, 212 c.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hydronic refrigeration system comprising:
 a coolant cooling system;   an air side cooling load system for cooling of air using coolant from the coolant cooling system; and   a coolant distribution system for transporting coolant from the coolant cooling system to the air side cooling load system and from the air side cooling load system to coolant cooling system;   wherein the coolant cooling system comprises multiple chillers connected in series, with each chiller comprising a refrigeration circuit.   
     
     
         2 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each one of the multiple chillers has the effect of reducing the temperature of the coolant by an equal proportion of the overall temperature reduction provided by the combination of chillers in the coolant cooling system. 
     
     
         3 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the overall temperature reduction of the coolant by the chillers gives a temperature range of the coolant with a difference of at least 10° C. between the upper and lower temperatures thereof. 
     
     
         4 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the overall temperature reduction of the coolant is 15° C. 
     
     
         5 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the temperature range of the coolant is 20° C. to 5° C. 
     
     
         6 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the coolant cooling system comprises at least two chillers but not more than six chillers, and wherein each of the chillers reduces the temperature of the coolant by at least 3° C. 
     
     
         7 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the coolant cooling system comprises a first chiller, a second chiller and a third chiller. 
     
     
         8 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the first chiller reduces the coolant temperature by about 5° C., the second chiller reduces the coolant temperature by about a further 5° C., and the third chiller reduces the coolant temperature by about a further 5° C. 
     
     
         9 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air side cooling load system is for cooling building air. 
     
     
         10 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air side cooling load system contains multiple air handling units connected in parallel. 
     
     
         11 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air side cooling load is arranged to operate as an air conditioning system. 
     
     
         12 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the air handling units reduce the temperature of the air by at least 5° C. 
     
     
         13 . A hydronic refrigeration system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each one of the multiple chillers comprises a refrigeration circuit comprising a compression device, a heat rejecting heat exchanger, an expansion device and a heat absorbing heat exchanger with the coolant being cooled via the heat absorbing heat exchanger. 
     
     
         14 . A method for operating the hydronic refrigeration system of  claim 1 , the method comprising;
 arranging the coolant cooling system and the air side cooling load system for cooling of air using coolant from the coolant cooling system, and using the coolant distribution system for transporting coolant from the coolant cooling system to the air side cooling load system and from the air side cooling load system to coolant cooling system in series to form a hydronic loop of the hydronic refrigeration system;   wherein the coolant cooling system comprises multiple chillers connected in series, with each chiller comprising a refrigeration circuit, and the method comprises flowing coolant sequentially through the series connected chillers.