Air turbo-refrigeration unit, method for operating same, and turbo-expander

Abstract

An air turbo-refrigeration unit includes a compressor on die same shaft as a turbo-expander, an electric motor, a two-cavity heat exchanger, a recuperator, a water trap, and a refrigeration chamber with a cooler and a fan. The unit has a two-cavity heat exchanger/cooler and second and third water traps. The compressor is connected by its outlet to the first cavity of the heat exchanger, which connects to the first cavity of the heat exchanger/cooler. The first cavity of the heat exchanger/cooler is connected via the second water trap to the first cavity of the recuperator, which communicates with the inlet of the turbo-expander via the first water trap. The turbo-expander is connected by its outlet via the third water trap to the second cavity of the heat exchanger/cooler, which communicates with the cooler and, via the cooler, with the second cavity of the recuperator, which communicates with the compressor inlet.

1 . An air turbo-refrigerating plant comprising:
 a compressor directly coupled to a centrifugal expander,   a double-cavity heat exchanger,   a recuperator,   a moisture separator,   a refrigerating chamber with a chiller and a blower,   wherein:
 an inlet and an outlet of a second cavity of the double-cavity heat exchanger opens to the atmosphere, 
 the outlet is via the blower, and 
 in that the plant further includes a double-cavity heat-exchanging chiller, the second and third moisture separators, the second motor-driven compressor and the second double-cavity heat exchanger, with the compressor outlet connected to the first cavity of the double-cavity heat exchanger, the said first cavity being connected to the first cavity of the double-cavity heat-exchanging chiller, the said first cavity connected via the second moisture separator to the first recuperator cavity connected via the first moisture separator to the centrifugal expander's inlet, while the centrifugal expander's outlet is connected via the third moisture separator to the second cavity of the heat-exchanging chiller, the said second cavity being connected to the chiller and, via the chiller, to the second cavity of the recuperator, the latter second cavity connected to the inlet of the second compressor, while the latter opens with its inlet via the valve member to the atmosphere and with the outlet—via the first cavity of the second double-cavity heat exchanger connected to the compressor inlet, and the inlet and outlet of the second double-cavity heat exchanger open to the atmosphere, with the inlet being connected via the second blower. 
   
     
     
         2 . The plant, according to  claim 1 , further comprising an air dryer package, the latter opening via its inlet to the atmosphere, and connected via its outlet to the inlet of the second compressor. 
     
     
         3 . The plant, according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second electric motor, the shaft of which is coupled to the shaft of the compressor and centrifugal expander. 
     
     
         4 . The plant, according to  claim 1 , wherein the double-cavity heat exchanger is equipped with Peltier thermoelectric modules. 
     
     
         5 . A method of using the air turbo-refrigerating plant of  claim 1  comprising:
 supplying compressed air with the compressor into a first cavity of the double-cavity heat exchanger in which compressed air is cooled with ambient air fed with the blower via the second cavity of the double-cavity heat exchanger, 
 cooling the compressed air in the recuperator with cold air supplied from the cooler of the refrigerating chamber, 
 separating compressed air from moisture in the moisture separator and feeding dried compressed air into the centrifugal expander, where air, by way of expansion and transformation of its pressure energy into mechanical energy of rotation of wheels of the centrifugal expander and compressor is cooled and fed under reduced pressure into the cooler of the refrigerating chamber for removal of heat from, and cooling of, the chamber, and 
 feeding the cooler air is into the second cavity of the recuperator where compressed air is cooled, after which air is fed from the recuperator to the compressor inlet, 
 wherein:
 the compressed air, before being fed in the first cavity of the recuperator, is cooled in the double-cavity heat exchanging chiller with air fed through it from the centrifugal expander and is separated from moisture in the second moisture separator, and 
 the air cooled in the centrifugal expander, before it is fed via the double-cavity heat-exchanging chiller into the cooler of the refrigerating chamber, is separated from moisture in the third moisture separator, with temperature in the refrigerating chamber and cooling capacity of the air turbo-refrigerating plant being regulated by changing rotation speed of the blower in the double-cavity heat exchanger. 
 
 
     
     
         6 . The method, according to  claim 5 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by changing the rotation speed of the blower in the air cooler. 
     
     
         7 . The method, according to  claim 5 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by cooling of compressed air in the double-cavity heat exchanger by installing of Peltier thermoelectric modules. 
     
     
         8 . The method, according to  claim 5 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by cooling of compressed air in the double-cavity heat exchanger, by feeding water through the double-cavity heat exchanger. 
     
     
         9 . The method, according to  claim 5 , wherein that temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by changing rotation speed of the electric motor directly coupled to the compressor and centrifugal expander. 
     
     
         10 . A method of using the air turbo-refrigeration plant of  claim 1 , comprising:
 supplying compressed air into a first chamber of the double-chamber heat exchanger in which compressed air is cooled with ambient air fed by the blower via the second chamber,   cooling the compressed air in the recuperator with cold air from the cooler of the refrigerating chamber,   separating the compressed air from moisture in the moisture separator and feeding dried compressed air into the centrifugal expander where air, by way of expansion and transformation of its pressure energy into mechanical energy of rotation of wheels of the centrifugal expander and compressor, is fed at reduced pressure into the cooler of the refrigerating chamber in order to remove heat from the said chamber and cool it, and   from the chiller, air is fed into the second chamber of the recuperator where the compressed air is cooled,   wherein:
 the compressed air, before being fed into the first cavity of the recuperator, is cooled in the double-cavity heat-exchanging chiller with air fed through it from the centrifugal expander and is separated from moisture in the second moisture separator, 
 air cooled in the centrifugal expander, before being fed via the double-cavity heat-exchanging chiller into the cooler of the refrigerating chamber, is separated from moisture in the third moisture separator, 
 air from the second chamber of the recuperator air is fed into the inlet of the second compressor which compresses air and delivers it into the first chamber of the double-cavity heat exchanger, in the latter compressed air is cooled feeding ambient air via the second chamber of the second double-cavity heat exchanger with the second blower, and 
 while from the first chamber of the second double-cavity heat exchanger air is fed into the compressor, where temperature in the refrigerating chamber and cooling capacity of the air turbo-refrigerating plant is performed by regulation of rotation speed of the blower of the double-cavity heat exchanger. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein additional regulation of temperature in the refrigerating chamber is performed by regulation of rotation speed of the blower of the second double-cavity heat exchanger. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein additional regulation of temperature in the refrigerating chamber is performed by regulation of rotation speed of the electric motor of the second compressor. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein additional regulation of temperature in the refrigerating chamber and cooling capacity of the refrigerating plant is performed simultaneously by changing the rotation speed of the electric motor of the second compressor and changing rotation speed of the blower in the second double-cavity heat exchanger and chiller blower. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by cooling of the second double-cavity heat exchanger with Peltier thermoelectric modules. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by additional simultaneous cooling of the first and the second double-cavity heat exchangers using Peltier thermoelectric modules. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by additional cooling of the second double-cavity heat exchanger with water. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by additional simultaneous cooling of the first and the second double-cavity heat exchangers with water. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by changing rotation speed of the chiller blower. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by changing rotation speed of the second electric motor, the shaft of which is coupled to the shaft of the compressor and centrifugal expander. 
     
     
         20 . An air turbo-refrigerating plant comprising:
 a compressor,   a centrifugal expander directly coupled with the compressor,   a double-cavity heat exchanger,   a recuperator,   a moisture separator and   a refrigerating chamber with a chiller and a blower,   wherein:
 an inlet and an outlet of the second cavity of the double-cavity heat exchanger opens to the atmosphere, 
 the inlet is via the blower, and 
 the plant further includes a double-cavity heat-exchanging chiller, second and third moisture separators, and the second and third compressors being directly coupled, electric motor, the shaft of which is coupled to the shaft of the second and third compressors, and with the second double-cavity heat exchanger, with the compressor inlet connected to the inlet of the second compressor which is connected with its outlet via the first cavity of the second double-cavity heat exchanger to inlet of the third compressor, the outlet of which is connected via the first cavity of the double-cavity heat exchanger to the first cavity of the heat-exchanging chiller, the said chiller's cavity connected via the second moisture separator to the first cavity of the recuperator connected via the first moisture separator to the outlet of the centrifugal expander, while the latter with its outlet is connected to the second cavity of the heat-exchanging chiller, the latter cavity connected to the chiller and, via the latter, to the second cavity of the recuperator, the latter cavity being connected to the compressor inlet, with the latter's inlet opening to the atmosphere via the valve member while the second cavity of the second double-cavity heat exchanger opens to the atmosphere on the side of both the inlet and outlet, and on the side of the inlet—via the second blower. 
   
     
     
         21 . A plant, according to  claim 20 , further comprising an air dryer package which opens via inlet to the atmosphere and is connected with its outlet via the second valve member to the compressor inlet. 
     
     
         22 . A plant, according to  claim 20 , wherein the first and second double-cavity heat exchangers are equipped with Peltier thermoelectric modules. 
     
     
         23 . A plant, according to  claim 20 , further comprising a second electric motor, the shaft of which is coupled to the shaft of the compressor and centrifugal expander. 
     
     
         24 . A method of using the air turbo-refrigerating plant of  claim 20 , comprising:
 supplying compressed air into a first cavity of the double-cavity heat exchanger, in which compressed air is cooled with ambient air supplied with the blower via the second cavity of the double-cavity heat exchanger,   cooling the compressed air in the recuperator with cold air fed from the cooler of the refrigerating chamber,   separating the compressed air from moisture in the moisture separator and feeding dried compressed air in the centrifugal expander where it is cooled by way of expansion and transformation of its pressure energy into mechanical energy of rotation of wheel of the centrifugal expander and compressor and fed under reduced pressure into the cooler of the refrigerating chamber for heat removal from the latter and cooling, and   feeding the cooler air into the second cavity of the recuperator where compressed air is cooled,   wherein:
 the compressed air, before being fed into the first cavity of the recuperator, is cooled in the double-cavity heat-exchanging chiller with air fed via this chiller from the centrifugal expander and is separated from moisture in the second moisture separator, 
 air cooled in the centrifugal expander, before being fed via the double-cavity heat-exchanging chiller into the cooler of the refrigerating chamber, is separated from moisture in the third moisture separator, 
 from the second cavity of the recuperator air is fed into the inlet of the compressor which compresses air and feeds it into the second compressor, from which additionally compressed air is fed into the first cavity of the second double-cavity heat exchanger, while in the latter compressed air is cooled by feeding ambient air with the second blower via the second cavity of the second double-cavity heat exchanger, and 
 from the first cavity of the second double-cavity heat exchanger air is fed into the third compressor, from which compressed air is fed into the first cavity of the double-cavity heat exchanger, while regulation of temperature in the refrigerating chamber and cooling capacity of the air turbo-refrigerating plant is performed by regulation of rotation speed of the blower of the double-cavity heat exchanger. 
   
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by regulating rotation speed of the blower which feeds air into the refrigerating chamber through the cooler. 
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by additional cooling of compressed air in the double-cavity heat exchanger by installing Peltier thermoelectric modules in that heat exchanger. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber is additionally regulated by additional cooling of compressed air in the double-cavity heat exchanger with water fed through that heat exchanger. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein temperature in the refrigerating chamber and cooling capacity of the air turbo-refrigerating plant are regulated by changing rotation speed of the blower in the second double-cavity heat exchanger. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein additional regulation of temperature in the refrigerating chamber is performed by additional cooling of compressed air in the second double-cavity heat exchanger by installing Peltier thermoelectric modules in that heat exchanger. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein additional regulation of temperature in the refrigerating chamber is performed by additional cooling of compressed air in the second double-cavity heat exchanger with water fed through that heat exchanger. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein additional regulation of cooling capacity and temperature in the refrigerating chamber is performed by regulation of rotation speed of the electric motor, the shaft of which is coupled to the shaft of the second and third compressors. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 24 , wherein additional regulation of cooling capacity and temperature in the refrigerating chamber is performed by regulation of rotation speed of the second electric motor, the shaft of which is coupled to the shaft of the compressor and centrifugal expander.