Hvac system with bypass conduit

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a vessel configured to receive refrigerant from a condenser of the HVAC system, an evaporator configured to receive the refrigerant from the vessel, a first conduit configured to direct a first flow of the refrigerant to a first inlet of the evaporator, and a second conduit configured to direct a second flow of the refrigerant to a second inlet of the evaporator. The second inlet is above the first inlet relative to a vertical axis.

1 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: 
 a vessel configured to receive refrigerant from a condenser of the HVAC system;    an evaporator configured to receive the refrigerant from the vessel;    a first conduit configured to direct a first flow of the refrigerant to a first inlet of the evaporator, wherein the first inlet is disposed at a side portion of the evaporator; and    a second conduit configured to direct a second flow of the refrigerant to a second inlet of the evaporator, wherein the second inlet is above the first inlet relative to a vertical axis.   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator comprises: 
 a first tube bundle positioned below the second inlet along the vertical axis, wherein the first tube bundle is configured to direct cooling fluid therethrough; and   a second tube bundle positioned below the first tube bundle relative to the vertical axis, wherein the second tube bundle is configured to direct cooling fluid therethrough.   
     
     
         3 . The HVAC system of  claim 2 , wherein the first inlet is disposed above the second tube bundle relative to the vertical axis. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC system of  claim 2 , wherein the first inlet is disposed at least partially below the first tube bundle relative to the vertical axis, and the first inlet is configured to direct the refrigerant over at least a portion of the first tube bundle.  
     
     
         5 . The HVAC system of  claim 4 , wherein the evaporator is hybrid falling film evaporator. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the first conduit comprises a bypass valve configured to regulate the first flow of the refrigerant through the first conduit, and the second conduit comprises an expansion valve configured to reduce a pressure of the second flow of the refrigerant directed through the second conduit. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC system of  claim 6 , comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the bypass valve and the expansion valve, wherein the controller is configured to adjust operation of the bypass valve, the expansion valve, or both based on an operating parameter indicative of a pressure differential of the refrigerant between the vessel and the evaporator.  
     
     
         8 . The HVAC system of  claim 6 , comprising a controller communicatively coupled to the bypass valve and the expansion valve, wherein the controller is configured to control the expansion valve based on a position of the bypass valve, control the bypass valve based on a position of the expansion valve, or both.  
     
     
         9 . The HVAC system of  claim 6 , comprising a compressor and a controller communicatively coupled to the bypass valve, wherein the controller is configured to: 
 receive data indicative of an ambient temperature from a sensor; compare the ambient temperature to a threshold temperature; and in response to a determination that the ambient temperature is less than the threshold temperature:     reduce power consumption of the compressor; and actuate the bypass valve to an open position.     
     
     
         10 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: 
 a condenser;   an intermediate vessel configured to receive refrigerant from the condenser;    an evaporator configured to receive the refrigerant from the intermediate vessel, the condenser, or both;    a first conduit extending between the condenser and a first inlet of the evaporator, wherein the first conduit is configured to direct the refrigerant into the evaporator via the first inlet; and    a second conduit extending between the intermediate vessel and a second inlet of the evaporator, wherein the second inlet is above the first inlet relative to a vertical axis, and the second conduit is configured to direct the refrigerant into the evaporator via the second inlet.   
     
     
         11 . The HVAC system of  claim 10 , comprising a third conduit extending between the condenser and the intermediate vessel, wherein the third conduit comprises an expansion valve configured to reduce a pressure of the refrigerant directed through the third conduit to enable separation of the refrigerant into liquid refrigerant and vapor refrigerant within the intermediate vessel.  
     
     
         12 . The HVAC system of  claim 11 , wherein the first conduit comprises a bypass valve, the second conduit comprises an additional expansion valve, the HVAC system comprises a controller communicatively coupled to the expansion valve, the additional expansion valve, and the bypass valve, and the controller is configured to adjust operation of the expansion valve, the additional expansion valve, the bypass valve, or any combination thereof to regulate flow of the refrigerant to the evaporator.  
     
     
         13 . The HVAC system of  claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust operation of the bypass valve, the expansion valve, the additional expansion valve, or any combination thereof based on an operating parameter of the intermediate vessel to control a first flow rate of a first flow of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator via the first conduit and to control a second flow rate of a second flow of liquid refrigerant to the evaporator via the second conduit. 
     
     
         14 . The HVAC system of  claim 13 , wherein the operating parameter comprises a level of liquid refrigerant in the intermediate vessel, a pressure within the intermediate vessel, a temperature within the intermediate vessel, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The HVAC system of  claim 11 , comprising a fourth conduit extending from a bottom portion of the condenser, wherein the first conduit and the third conduit extend from the fourth conduit. 
     
     
         16 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising: 
 a compressor;    a condenser;    an economizer configured to receive a refrigerant from the condenser, wherein the economizer is configured to reduce a pressure of the refrigerant;    an evaporator configured to receive the refrigerant from the economizer, the condenser, or both;    a first conduit configured to direct a first flow of the refrigerant to a first inlet of the evaporator, wherein the first conduit comprises a bypass valve;    a second conduit configured to direct a second flow of the refrigerant to a second inlet of the evaporator, wherein the second conduit comprises an expansion valve, and the second inlet is above the first inlet relative to a vertical axis; and    a controller communicatively coupled to the compressor, the bypass valve, and the expansion valve, wherein, in a free-cooling mode of the HVAC system, the controller is configured to: 
 reduce power consumption of the compressor; and  
 actuate the bypass valve to an open position. 
   
     
     
         17 . The HVAC system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to: 
 receive data indicative of an ambient temperature from a sensor; compare the ambient temperature to a threshold temperature; and   in response to a determination that the ambient temperature is less than the threshold temperature, operate the HVAC system in the free-cooling mode.   
     
     
         18 . The HVAC system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to: 
 receive data indicative of a temperature of a conditioning fluid directed through the condenser from a sensor; compare the temperature of the conditioning fluid to a threshold temperature; and in response to a determination that the temperature of the conditioning fluid is less than the threshold temperature, operate the HVAC system in the free-cooling mode.   
     
     
         19 . The HVAC system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to: 
 receive first data indicative of a first fluid temperature within the condenser from a first sensor; receive second data indicative of a second fluid temperature within the evaporator from a second sensor; compare the first fluid temperature to the second fluid temperature; and in response to a determination that the first fluid temperature is less than the second fluid temperature, operate the HVAC system in the free-cooling mode.   
     
     
         20 . The HVAC system of  claim 16 , comprising a third conduit extending from the condenser to the economizer, wherein the third conduit comprises an additional expansion valve, and the controller is configured to actuate the bypass valve, the expansion valve, the additional expansion valve, or any combination thereof, to the open position in the free-cooling mode.