阅读说明：本技术 用于hvac＆r系统的排放罐系统 (Drain tank system for HVAC & R systems ) 是由 马克克雷·威廉·蒙泰思 于 2018-09-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：本披露内容涉及一种用于蒸气压缩系统的清洗系统,其中,所述清洗系统包括被配置成接收气流的排放罐。所述气流包括蒸气压缩系统的不可冷凝气体和制冷剂的混合物。吸附剂材料设置在所述排放罐内、并且被配置成吸附所述制冷剂并使得所述不可冷凝气体能够朝向所述排放罐的排气流动,其中,所述吸附剂材料是硅凝胶。(The present disclosure relates to a purge system for a vapor compression system, wherein the purge system includes a discharge tank configured to receive a flow of gas. The gas stream comprises a mixture of non-condensable gases and refrigerant of the vapor compression system. An adsorbent material is disposed within the discharge tank and configured to adsorb the refrigerant and enable the non-condensable gases to flow toward an exhaust of the discharge tank, wherein the adsorbent material is a silica gel.)

1. A purge system for a vapor compression system, comprising:

a discharge tank configured to receive a gas stream, wherein the gas stream comprises a mixture of non-condensable gases and refrigerant of the vapor compression system; and

a sorbent material disposed within the discharge tank, wherein the sorbent material is configured to adsorb the refrigerant and enable the non-condensable gas to flow toward exhaust gas of the discharge tank, and wherein the sorbent material comprises a silica gel.

2. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the silicone gel comprises a material density of between 50 pounds per cubic foot and 80 pounds per cubic foot.

3. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the drain tank is configured to direct the airflow within the drain tank in a direction generally parallel to a central axis of the drain tank, wherein a first dimension of the drain tank along the central axis is greater than a second dimension of the drain tank that is crosswise to the central axis.

4. The cleaning system of claim 3, wherein the first size and the second size define a ratio, and wherein the ratio of the first size to the second size is greater than 3:1 or substantially equal to 3: 1.

5. The washing system of claim 1, comprising a baffled partition disposed within and extending along a central axis of the discharge tank, wherein the baffled partition comprises a plurality of fins extending radially from the central axis toward an interior surface of the discharge tank, and wherein the plurality of fins are configured to abut the interior surface of the discharge tank to divide the interior of the discharge tank into a plurality of chambers.

6. The washing system of claim 5, wherein the sorbent material is disposed within each chamber of the plurality of chambers, wherein a first chamber of the plurality of chambers is configured to receive the airflow via an inlet of the discharge tank, wherein fins of the plurality of fins that define the first chamber include an orifice, and wherein the airflow is configured to flow from the first chamber to a second chamber of the plurality of chambers via the orifice.

7. The cleaning system of claim 6, wherein the airflow is configured to flow through the plurality of chambers in a serpentine pattern about a central axis of the discharge tank.

8. The cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing of a discharge tank configured to contain the sorbent material; and

an access cover removably coupled to the housing, wherein the access cover is configured to facilitate replacement of the sorbent material.

9. The cleaning system of claim 8, wherein the housing comprises external or internal threads configured to engage with internal or external threads of the access cover, respectively, and wherein a gasket disposed between the housing and the access cover is configured to seal the drain tank when the access cover is coupled to the housing.

10. The cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising:

a conduit system coupled to the discharge tank, wherein the conduit system is configured to receive a gas flow from the vapor compression system via an inlet of the conduit system and direct the gas flow toward the discharge tank;

an additional discharge tank coupled to the conduit system; and

a plurality of valves of the conduit system, wherein the plurality of valves are configured to selectively direct the gas flow to the discharge tank during a regeneration cycle of the additional discharge tank, and the plurality of valves are configured to selectively direct the gas flow to the additional discharge tank during a regeneration cycle of the discharge tank.

11. A purge system for a vapor compression system, comprising:

a dual discharge tank system, wherein the dual discharge tank system comprises:

a first discharge tank coupled to a conduit system, wherein the conduit system comprises an inlet configured to receive a gas stream from the vapor compression system, the gas stream comprising a mixture of refrigerant and non-condensable gas;

a second discharge tank coupled to the conduit system; and

a plurality of valves of the conduit system, wherein the plurality of valves are configured to selectively direct the gas flow through the first discharge tank or the second discharge tank, wherein the plurality of valves are configured to direct the gas flow to the first discharge tank during a regeneration cycle of the second discharge tank, and the plurality of valves are configured to direct the gas flow to the second discharge tank during a regeneration cycle of the first discharge tank.

12. The cleaning system of claim 11, wherein the first drain tank, the second drain tank, or both comprise a silica gel adsorbent material.

13. The cleaning system of claim 11, wherein the conduit system includes an inlet, an outlet, and a vent of the cleaning system.

14. The purging system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said vent is in fluid communication with a first vent valve of said plurality of valves and a second vent valve of said plurality of valves, wherein said first vent valve is configured to direct or block a first flow of said non-condensable gas from said first discharge tank to ambient environment, and said second vent valve is configured to direct or block a second flow of said non-condensable gas from said second discharge tank to said ambient environment.

15. The washing system of claim 11, wherein the first and second discharge tanks are fluidly coupled to first and second inlet valves, respectively, wherein the first and second inlet valves are configured to cooperate to direct the gas flow into only the first discharge tank during a regeneration cycle of the second discharge tank.

16. The purge system of claim 15, wherein the first and second discharge tanks are fluidly coupled to first and second outlet valves, respectively, wherein the first and second outlet valves are configured to cooperate to direct the flow of refrigerant only from the second discharge tank to the vapor compression system during a regeneration cycle of the second discharge tank.

17. The cleaning system of claim 11, further comprising:

a first amount of sorbent material disposed within the first discharge tank and a second amount of sorbent material disposed within the second discharge tank, wherein the first amount of sorbent material and the second amount of sorbent material are configured to adsorb the refrigerant; and

a controller configured to determine a saturation point of the first amount of sorbent material within the first discharge tank based on feedback indicative of the weight of the first amount of sorbent material and the refrigerant within the first discharge tank, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the plurality of valves to direct the gas stream to the second discharge tank when the first amount of sorbent material within the first discharge tank reaches or exceeds the saturation point.

18. A purge system for a vapor compression system, comprising:

a drain tank system having a plurality of drain tanks;

a conduit system fluidly coupling each discharge tank of the plurality of discharge tanks to a stream of refrigerant and non-condensable gases from the vapor compression system; and

a plurality of valves coupled to the conduit system, wherein the plurality of valves are configured to selectively direct the stream of refrigerant and non-condensable gas beyond the plurality of discharge tanks, wherein the plurality of valves are configured to direct the stream of refrigerant and non-condensable gas to a first discharge tank of the plurality of discharge tanks during a regeneration cycle of a second discharge tank of the plurality of discharge tanks such that the first discharge tank undergoes a saturation cycle.

19. The cleaning system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of valves are configured to block the flow of refrigerant and non-condensable gases from reaching a third of the plurality of discharge tanks and a fourth of the plurality of discharge tanks during a saturation cycle of the first discharge tank and during a regeneration cycle of the second discharge tank to enable a desuperheating cycle of the third discharge tank and to enable a standby cycle of the fourth discharge tank.

20. The purge system of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of discharge tanks includes a sorbent material disposed therein, wherein the sorbent material is configured to separate the refrigerant from the non-condensable gases, and wherein the sorbent material comprises a silica gel.

Background

The present disclosure relates generally to heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC & R) systems. The present disclosure relates specifically to a drain tank system for HVAC & R systems.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present technology, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. It is to be understood, therefore, that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of any type.

Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC & R) systems may be used to thermally condition (e.g., heat or cool) an environment (e.g., a building, home, or other structure). The HVAC & R system may include a vapor compression system that includes heat exchangers, such as a condenser and an evaporator that transfer thermal energy (e.g., heat) between the HVAC & R system and the environment. The refrigerant may be used as a heat transfer fluid in a heat exchanger of a vapor compression system. In many cases (e.g., when low pressure refrigerant is used), non-condensable gases (e.g., air, nitrogen) may accumulate in the vapor compression system and mix with the refrigerant, which may reduce the operating efficiency of the vapor compression system.

To remove non-condensable gases from the vapor compression system, a purge system including a purge tank system may be included in the vapor compression system. The purge tank system may be configured to separate and remove non-condensable gases from the vapor compression system. That is, the discharge tank may separate the non-condensable gases from the refrigerant of the vapor compression system and collect the refrigerant separated from the non-condensable gases. Unfortunately, existing drain tank systems may quickly become saturated with refrigerant, and/or may not be able to effectively remove refrigerant from the drain tank. Furthermore, existing purge tanks may not be able to effectively remove refrigerant from the non-condensable gases.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure relates to a purge system for a vapor compression system, wherein the purge system includes a discharge tank configured to receive a flow of gas. The gas stream comprises a mixture of non-condensable gases and refrigerant of the vapor compression system. An adsorbent material is disposed within the discharge tank and configured to adsorb the refrigerant and enable the non-condensable gases to flow toward an exhaust of the discharge tank, wherein the adsorbent material is a silica gel.

The present disclosure also relates to a purge system for a vapor compression system including a dual discharge canister system. The dual discharge tank system includes a first discharge tank coupled to a conduit system, wherein the conduit system includes an inlet configured to receive a gas stream from the vapor compression system, the gas stream including a mixture of refrigerant and non-condensable gases. The cleaning system includes a second discharge tank coupled to the conduit system and a plurality of valves of the conduit system. The plurality of valves are configured to selectively direct the flow of gas through the first discharge tank or the second discharge tank. In particular, the plurality of valves are configured to direct the gas stream to the first discharge tank during a regeneration cycle of the second discharge tank and to the second discharge tank during a regeneration cycle of the first discharge tank.

The present disclosure also relates to a purge system for a vapor compression system including a discharge tank system having a plurality of discharge tanks. A conduit system fluidly couples each discharge tank of the plurality of discharge tanks to a stream of refrigerant and non-condensable gases from the vapor compression system. The purge system also includes a plurality of valves coupled to the conduit system, wherein the plurality of valves are configured to selectively direct the flow of refrigerant and non-condensable gases through the plurality of discharge tanks. In particular, the plurality of valves are configured to direct the stream of refrigerant and non-condensable gases to a first discharge tank of the plurality of discharge tanks during a regeneration cycle of a second discharge tank of the plurality of discharge tanks such that the first discharge tank undergoes a saturation cycle.

Drawings

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a building that may utilize a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC & R) system in a commercial environment according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vapor compression system according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the vapor compression system of FIG. 2, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the vapor compression system of FIG. 2, according to an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system having a purge system including a purge tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of an embodiment of a method for determining a saturation point of a sorbent disposed within a discharge tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating a relationship between temperature and weight of an adsorbent used to determine a saturation point set forth in the method of FIG. 6, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an embodiment of a scale system configured to monitor a weight of sorbent material collected within a discharge tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a dual drain tank system that may be included in a washing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a plurality of heating elements extending through a cover plate of a drain tank according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a thermal profile of the discharge tank of FIG. 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a baffled partition disposed within a drain tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a drain tank according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a baffled partition that may be disposed within a drain tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of the baffled partition of FIG. 14 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an access cover that may be included with a drain tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a cooling system for a drain tank according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of the cooling system of FIG. 17, illustrating external cooling channels disposed about an outer surface of the drain tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system having a central vacuum pump coupled with a purge system in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 21 is a partial schematic view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system having a heating element extending through a discharge tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 22 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system having a pump control system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a bilateral regeneration system of a discharge tank in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and is

FIG. 24 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a vapor compression system having an energy recovery system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below. These described embodiments are merely examples of the presently disclosed technology. In addition, in an effort to provide a concise description of these embodiments, all features of an actual implementation may not be described in the specification. It should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

A purge system including a purge canister system may be integrated with the vapor compression system and used to separate non-condensable gases that may be mixed with the refrigerant within the vapor compression system. The discharge tank may include a sorbent material configured to draw in and collect adsorbate (e.g., refrigerant) within pores of the sorbent, while non-condensable gases may continue to flow through the discharge tank and be discharged to the external environment (e.g., atmosphere). Unfortunately, it may be difficult to determine when the adsorbent material within the discharge tank becomes saturated (e.g., no longer able to adsorb the adsorbate). A typical purge tank may use time as an indicator to determine when the purge tank is saturated and/or when to initiate a regeneration cycle to release adsorbate from within the adsorbent. In addition, typical purge tanks may require a significant cool down time between regeneration cycles before reaching an operable temperature for adsorption, which may result in a temporary shutdown of the vapor compression system. In some embodiments, the purge system may bypass the purge tank during this cool down time and reduce separation of non-condensable gases from the refrigerant, which may reduce the efficiency of the purge system.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a discharge tank system that can adsorb a greater amount of adsorbate than a typical discharge tank by using a silica gel as the adsorbent material. That is, the discharge tank may adsorb a greater amount of adsorbate per a particular volume of adsorbent than a conventional discharge tank. Further embodiments of the discharge tank may include a system for determining a saturation point of the discharge tank using a temperature of the sorbent material and/or a weight of the sorbent material. Further, the purge system may include a dual purge tank system for enabling continuous operation of the vapor compression system without shutting down the purge tank when it is undergoing a regeneration cycle. Dual heating elements may be provided within the discharge tank to uniformly heat the adsorbent along a central axis of the discharge tank, which may improve the efficiency of the regeneration cycle and/or extend the useful life of the adsorbent. In some embodiments, a baffled partition may be coupled to the dual heating elements to promote more even distribution of heat throughout the sorbent. In addition, the baffled partitions may define multiple flow paths through the adsorbent, thereby increasing the exposure time between the adsorbent and the adsorbate flowing through the discharge tank. Embodiments of the present disclosure also include an access cover removably coupled to the discharge tank to enable inspection and/or replacement of the sorbent. Further embodiments of the present disclosure include a cooling system that may be coupled to the discharge tank to reduce the cool down time of the discharge tank between regeneration cycles. Still further embodiments of the present disclosure include various piping configurations and control systems that can enhance the operational efficiency of the washing system and/or facilitate regeneration of the discharge tank.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an environment for a heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC & R) system 10 in a building 12 for a typical commercial environment. HVAC & R system 10 may include a vapor compression system 14 that supplies a cooling liquid that may be used to cool building 12. The HVAC & R system 10 may also include a boiler 16 for supplying warm liquid to heat the building 12, and an air distribution system that circulates air through the building 12. The air distribution system may also include an air return duct 18, an air supply duct 20, and/or an air handler 22. In some embodiments, the air handler 22 may include a heat exchanger connected to the boiler 16 and the vapor compression system 14 by a conduit 24. The heat exchanger in the air handler 22 may receive heated liquid from the boiler 16 or cooled liquid from the vapor compression system 14, depending on the mode of operation of the HVAC & R system 10. The HVAC & R system 10 is shown with a separate air handler on each floor of the building 12, but in other embodiments the HVAC & R system 10 may include an air handler 22 and/or other components that may be shared between two or more floors.

Fig. 2 and 3 are embodiments of a vapor compression system 14 that may be used in the HVAC & R system 10. The vapor compression system 14 may circulate refrigerant through a circuit beginning with a compressor 32. The circuit may also include a condenser 34, an expansion valve or device 36, and a liquid cooler or evaporator 38. Vapor compression system 14 can further include a control panel 40 having an analog-to-digital (a/D) converter 42, a microprocessor 44, a non-volatile memory 46, and/or an interface board 48.

Some examples of fluids that may be used as the refrigerant in the vapor compression system 14 are Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) -based refrigerants (e.g., R-410A, R-407, R-134a), Hydrofluoroolefins (HFO), "natural" refrigerants (such as ammonia (NH)₃) R-717, carbon dioxide (CO)₂) R-744), or a hydrocarbon based refrigerant, water vapor, or any other suitable refrigerant. In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may be configured to efficiently utilize refrigerant having a normal boiling point of about 19 degrees celsius (66 degrees fahrenheit) at one atmosphere (relative to medium pressure refrigerant such as R-134a, also referred to as low pressure refrigerant). As used herein, "normal boiling point" may refer to the boiling point temperature measured at one atmosphere of pressure.

In some embodiments, vapor compression system 14 may use one or more of a Variable Speed Drive (VSD)52, a motor 50, a compressor 32, a condenser 34, an expansion valve or device 36, and/or an evaporator 38. Motor 50 may drive compressor 32 and may be powered by a Variable Speed Drive (VSD) 52. VSD 52 receives AC power having a particular fixed line voltage and fixed line frequency from an Alternating Current (AC) power source and provides power having a variable voltage and frequency to motor 50. In other embodiments, the motor 50 may be powered directly by an AC or Direct Current (DC) power source. The motor 50 may include any type of electric motor that may be powered by a VSD or directly from an AC or DC power source, such as a switched reluctance motor, an induction motor, an electronically commutated permanent magnet motor, or another suitable motor.

The compressor 32 compresses a refrigerant vapor and delivers the vapor to the condenser 34 through a discharge passage. In some embodiments, the compressor 32 may be a centrifugal compressor. The refrigerant vapor delivered by the compressor 32 to the condenser 34 may transfer heat to a cooling fluid (e.g., water or air) in the condenser 34. The refrigerant vapor may condense to a refrigerant liquid in the condenser 34 due to heat transfer with the cooling fluid. Liquid refrigerant from the condenser 34 may flow through an expansion device 36 to an evaporator 38. In the illustrated embodiment of fig. 3, the condenser 34 is water-cooled and includes a tube bundle 54 connected to a cooling tower 56 that supplies a cooling fluid to the condenser 34.

The liquid refrigerant delivered to the evaporator 38 may absorb heat from another cooling fluid, which may or may not be the same cooling fluid used in the condenser 34. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 38 may undergo a phase change from liquid refrigerant to refrigerant vapor. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 3, the evaporator 38 may include a tube bundle 58 having a supply line 60S and a return line 60R connected to a cooling load 62. A cooling fluid (e.g., water, ethylene glycol, calcium chloride brine, sodium chloride brine, or any other suitable fluid) of the evaporator 38 enters the evaporator 38 via a return line 60R and exits the evaporator 38 via a supply line 60S. Evaporator 38 may reduce the temperature of the cooling fluid in tube bundle 58 via heat transfer with a refrigerant. The tube bundle 58 in the evaporator 38 can include a plurality of tubes and/or a plurality of tube bundles. In any event, vapor refrigerant exits the evaporator 38 and returns to the compressor 32 through a suction line to complete the cycle.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the vapor compression system 14 with an intermediate circuit 64 coupled between the condenser 34 and the expansion device 36. The intermediate circuit 64 may have an inlet line 68 fluidly connected directly to the condenser 34. In other embodiments, the inlet line 68 may be indirectly fluidly coupled to the condenser 34. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 4, the inlet line 68 includes a first expansion device 66 positioned upstream of an intermediate vessel 70. In some embodiments, the intermediate vessel 70 may be a flash tank (e.g., a flash intercooler). In other embodiments, the intermediate vessel 70 may be configured as a heat exchanger or "surface economizer". In the illustrated embodiment of fig. 4, the intermediate vessel 70 functions as a flash tank, and the first expansion device 66 is configured to reduce the pressure (e.g., expand) of the liquid refrigerant received from the condenser 34. During the expansion process, a portion of the liquid may evaporate, and thus, the intermediate container 70 may be used to separate the vapor from the liquid received from the first expansion device 66. In addition, the intermediate container 70 may further expand the liquid refrigerant as the liquid refrigerant experiences a pressure drop upon entering the intermediate container 70 (e.g., due to a rapid increase in volume upon entering the intermediate container 70). Vapor in the intermediate vessel 70 may be drawn by the compressor 32 through a suction line 74 of the compressor 32. In other embodiments, the vapor in the intermediate vessel may be drawn to an intermediate stage (e.g., not a suction stage) of the compressor 32. The liquid collected in the intermediate container 70 may have a lower enthalpy than the liquid refrigerant exiting the condenser 34 due to expansion in the expansion device 66 and/or the intermediate container 70. Liquid from the intermediate vessel 70 may then flow into line 72 through the second expansion device 36 to the evaporator 38.

System for improved drain tank constructed of silica gel adsorbent

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the vapor compression system 14 with a purge system 100 coupled between the condenser 34 and the evaporator 38. In some embodiments, the refrigerant within a portion of the vapor compression system 14 (e.g., the evaporator 38) may be operated at a pressure lower than ambient pressure (e.g., less than 14.7 psi). In this manner, a pressure differential may be created between the refrigerant within the vapor compression system 14 and the ambient environment. In some embodiments, non-condensable gases 138 (e.g., air, nitrogen) from the ambient environment may traverse portions of the vapor compression system 14 (e.g., connections between refrigeration circuits or other components) and mix with the refrigerant. The non-condensable gases 138 may include any gases (e.g., air, nitrogen) that are non-condensable at the operating temperature of the vapor compression system 14 (e.g., the normal operating temperature of the vapor compression system that is not reached in a laboratory setting). Non-condensable gases 138 may be circulated through vapor compression system 14 via compressor 32 and accumulated in condenser 34, which may ultimately reduce the efficiency of vapor compression system 14, compressor 32, condenser 34, or any combination thereof. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may include more or fewer components than the embodiment illustrated in fig. 5.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 5, the purge system 100 may be used to purge non-condensable gases 138 from the vapor compression system 14. For example, the purge system 100 may be configured to remove and/or separate the non-condensable gases 138 from the refrigerant within the vapor compression system 14. The purge system 100 may include a heat exchanger 142 (e.g., an evaporator and/or a purge coil), an expansion valve 144, a condenser 146, and/or a compressor 148, which may be in fluid communication with one another. The compressor 148 may direct a cleaning refrigerant (e.g., a medium or high pressure refrigerant) through the cleaning system 100. The flow path of the purge refrigerant in the purge system 100 may be fluidly isolated from the refrigerant of the vapor compression system 14. In some embodiments, the purge refrigerant may flow through the compressor 148, the condenser 146, the expansion valve 144, the heat exchanger 142, and re-enter the compressor 148. In another embodiment, the washing system 100 may contain more or fewer components than the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5.

In any case, the gaseous compound 138 of refrigerant and non-condensable gases may flow from the condenser 34 of the vapor compression system 14 to the heat exchanger 142 of the purge system 100 via the inlet pipe 152. In some embodiments, the mixture 138 of refrigerant and non-condensable gases may flow into the heat exchanger 142 via a thermosiphon. Additionally or alternatively, a partial vacuum may be created within heat exchanger 142 (e.g., as incoming refrigerant condenses in heat exchanger 142). A coil 155 may be disposed within the heat exchanger 142 and may be configured to flow the purge refrigerant such that the purge refrigerant absorbs heat (e.g., thermal energy) from a mixture of the refrigerant and the non-condensable gases 138 within the discharge tank 164. In this way, the refrigerant may condense into a liquid state, and the non-condensable gases 138 may remain in a gaseous state. Liquid refrigerant may be bled from the heat exchanger 142 of the purge system 100 to the evaporator 38 of the vapor compression system 14 via an outlet line 154. A valve 156 may be coupled to outlet pipe 154 and control the flow of refrigerant exiting heat exchanger 142. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the outlet pipe 154 may be coupled to the condenser 34 instead of the evaporator 38. Accordingly, liquid refrigerant may be bled from the heat exchanger 142 to the condenser 34.

In some cases, such as when the partial pressure of the refrigerant is low, a portion of the refrigerant within heat exchanger 142 may not condense and thus remain in a gaseous state. The exhaust valve 158 and the exhaust conduit 160 may be coupled to a vacuum pump 162, which may be configured to remove the refrigerant and gaseous compounds of the non-condensable gases 138 from the heat exchanger 142 of the cleaning system 100. The vacuum pump 162 may direct the mixture into an exhaust tank 164, which may be configured to further separate gaseous refrigerant from the non-condensable gases 138.

For example, an adsorbent 166 may be disposed within the discharge tank 164 and configured to adsorb an adsorbate (e.g., a refrigerant). The adsorbent 166 can be a porous material (e.g., having a high specific surface area) that can have an electrochemical affinity with the adsorbate. As described in more detail herein, the adsorbent 166 may be a silicone gel. The adsorbate may be drawn in and collected in the pores of the adsorbent 166, while the non-condensable gases 138 may continue to flow through the discharge tank 164. As such, the discharge tank 164 may be configured to separate substantially all of the refrigerant from the non-condensable gases 138 within the discharge tank 164. Non-condensable gases 138 may then be released into the ambient environment via vent valve 168 of vent port 167.

When the adsorbate fills most of the pores of the adsorbent 166, the adsorbent 166 of the discharge tank 164 may become saturated. In some embodiments, the purge tank 164 may be regenerated when the adsorbent 166 is saturated. For example, the adsorbate may be stopped from flowing into the discharge tank 164, and the discharge tank 164 may be heated to undergo a regeneration cycle. The exhaust valve 168 may be closed during the regeneration cycle to prevent the adsorbate from escaping to the ambient environment. In some embodiments, energy may be applied to the adsorbent 166 and adsorbate (e.g., by reducing pressure, increasing temperature, or both) such that the adsorbate may be released from the pores of the adsorbent 166. For example, one or more heating elements within the discharge tank 164 may heat the adsorbent 166 and/or adsorbate within the discharge tank 164 to release the adsorbate from the adsorbent 166. The released adsorbate (e.g., refrigerant) may be bled or directed from the discharge tank 164 and back toward the vapor compression system 14 via the outlet conduit 169 (e.g., due to a pressure differential between the discharge tank 164 and the vapor compression system 14). In some embodiments, an additional vacuum pump may be in fluid communication with the outlet conduit 169 and may be configured to direct the released adsorbate from the discharge tank 164 towards the condenser 34. While the outlet conduit 169 is shown coupled to the condenser 34 in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 5, it should be noted that in other embodiments, the outlet conduit 169 may be fluidly coupled to the evaporator 38, or any other suitable portion of the vapor compression system 14. Regardless, in some embodiments, multiple regeneration cycles may be used to release the adsorbate from the adsorbent 166. In other embodiments, the saturated drain tank 164 may be replaced with an unsaturated drain tank 164 in addition to or in lieu of a regeneration cycle.

As described above, in one embodiment, silica gel may be used as the adsorbent 166 instead of a conventional material such as activated carbon or activated charcoal. The silicone gel may include a higher material density than conventional sorbent 166 materials, such that an increased mass of silicone gel may be placed in a fixed volume (e.g., discharge tank 164) as compared to conventional sorbent 166 materials. By way of non-limiting example, the material density of the silicone gel may be 10 pounds per literSquare foot (lb/ft)³) To 150lb/ft³、20lb/ft³To 100lb/ft³Or 30lb/ft³To 50lb/ft³. In this way, the use of silica gel as the adsorbent 166 in the discharge tank 164 may enable the adsorbent 166 to have a higher specific surface area (e.g., available surface area per unit mass of adsorbent 166) in a fixed volume than conventional materials. The higher specific surface area may enable the silica gel to adsorb significantly more adsorbate (e.g., refrigerant) than conventional adsorbent materials, and may increase the efficiency of the discharge tank 164. For example, the silicone gel may enable the drain tank 164 to operate for a longer period of time before needing to go through a regeneration cycle.

System and method for determining drain tank saturation point using temperature

In some embodiments, it may be useful to determine when to go through a regeneration cycle. For example, it may be desirable to determine when the adsorbent 166 (e.g., silica gel) within the discharge tank 164 has been saturated with an adsorbate (e.g., refrigerant). A typical system with a discharge tank may use time as an indicator in determining the remaining adsorption capacity of the adsorbate. For example, the second regeneration cycle may be initiated after a set amount of time has elapsed from the first regeneration cycle. Unfortunately, time may not be an accurate indication of saturation, and thus using different indicators, such as temperature, to determine when the sorbent 166 reaches the saturation point may improve the efficiency of the discharge tank 164.

For example, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a method 170 that may be used to determine the saturation point of the sorbent 166, and thus use temperature as a saturation indicator to determine when to initiate a regeneration cycle. At block 172, an initial temperature of the sorbent 166 may be measured. In some embodiments, one or more thermocouples may be coupled to the discharge tank 164 and configured to measure the temperature of the sorbent 166 and/or the overall temperature of the discharge tank 164. In other embodiments, other suitable temperature sensors, such as Infrared (IR) sensors, may be used to measure the temperature of the sorbent. The temperature of the sorbent 166 can be measured continuously or intermittently (e.g., after a predetermined time interval has elapsed). At block 174, flow of the adsorbate into the discharge tank 164 may be initiated such that the adsorbate (e.g., refrigerant) flowing into the discharge tank 164 may attach to and/or be adsorbed by the adsorbent 166 (e.g., silicone gel).

Blocks 176 and 178 relate to fig. 7, which includes an embodiment of a graph 180 for comparing the weight of the sorbent 166 with the temperature of the sorbent 166 as the sorbent 166 within the discharge tank 164 adsorbs the adsorbate. As the adsorbent 166 adsorbs the adsorbate, the weight of the adsorbent 166 may increase over time. In addition, as the adsorbent 166 adsorbs the adsorbate, the temperature of the discharge tank 164 may also increase. Thus, as shown by line 182 of FIG. 7, the weight of the sorbent 166 and the temperature of the sorbent 166 may contain a linear dependence. In other embodiments, the weight of the sorbent 166 and the temperature of the sorbent 166 may include an exponential correlation, a logarithmic correlation, or other suitable correlation with each other. In any event, measuring the temperature of the sorbent 166 may enable the saturation point of the sorbent 166 to be estimated, and thus, when the saturation point is determined based on the temperature of the discharge tank 164, a regeneration cycle may be initiated.

For example, laboratory tests may be performed using a weighing scale and thermocouple to measure the temperature and weight of the sorbent 166 (e.g., as shown in graph 180 in fig. 7). The measurements may be used to determine a correlation (e.g., line 182) between the temperature of the adsorbent 166 (e.g., silicone gel) and the weight or amount of adsorbate (e.g., refrigerant) that has been adsorbed in the adsorbent 166. In this way, the saturation point of the adsorbent 166 can be determined by experimental data. Thus, the correlation may determine that a given first quantity of adsorbent 166 reaches a saturation point (e.g., cannot take in more adsorbate) after adsorbing the first quantity of adsorbate and reaching a particular temperature. As such, a graph such as graph 180 of fig. 7 may be used to determine when the adsorbent 166 has reached a saturation point.

The particular temperature value may be used to determine when the adsorbent 166 within the discharge tank 164 has reached a saturation point. That is, the sorbent 166 may become saturated when the measured temperature of the sorbent 166 reaches or exceeds a target temperature that indicates saturation of the sorbent 166. The target temperature may be determined using experimental tests. As a non-limiting example, the experimental data previously described may determine that the first quantity of sorbent 166 may reach 100 degrees fahrenheit at the saturation point. In this example, an operator (e.g., a human operator, a computer system) may determine that a saturation point has been reached when the discharge tank 164 having the first quantity of sorbent 166 reaches 100 degrees fahrenheit or exceeds 100 degrees fahrenheit.

Returning now to blocks 184 and 186 of fig. 6, when the adsorbent 166 has reached a saturation point, the flow of adsorbate from the cleaning system 100 into the discharge tank 164 may be blocked. A regeneration cycle may be initiated to remove the adsorbate from the adsorbent 166. In some embodiments, the adsorbate (e.g., refrigerant) released during the regeneration cycle may be directed back into the vapor compression system 14. In some embodiments, additionally, the method 170 may be used to determine when a regeneration cycle has been completed. For example, the method 170 may be used to determine when a sufficient amount of adsorbate adsorbed in the adsorbent 166 has been released from the adsorbent 166. The regeneration cycle may be completed (e.g., the regeneration cycle may be terminated) when the discharge tank 164 reaches a threshold temperature indicating that the adsorbent 166 is substantially free of adsorbate. The threshold temperature may be determined by experimental data derived using the techniques discussed above. As such, the method 170 may be used to optimize the regeneration cycle and reduce the power consumption required to run the regeneration cycle, and/or extend the life of the sorbent 166.

System for determining drain tank saturation point using weight

Fig. 8 is a cross-section of an embodiment of a scale system 190 that may also be used in addition to or in place of the method 170 of fig. 6 to determine the saturation point of the sorbent 166 disposed within the discharge tank 164. In some embodiments, a flow of adsorbate (e.g., refrigerant) may enter a discharge tank 164 through a discharge conduit 160 (as shown in fig. 5). As described above, the adsorbent 166 may adsorb adsorbates during purging of the vapor compression system 14 and increase in weight as more adsorbates are adsorbed. In some embodiments, the sorbent 166 may be disposed on a base 192 coupled to one or more load cells 194. In certain embodiments, the load cells 194 are disposed evenly (e.g., symmetrically) about the central axis of the discharge tank 164. Load cell 194 may monitor the weight of sorbent 166 and send data regarding the weight to control system 196. As described in greater detail herein, the control system 196 may initiate and/or terminate a regeneration cycle based on feedback received from the load sensor 194 and/or other suitable sensors (e.g., thermocouples).

In one embodiment, the base 192 may include an insulating material that may insulate the load cell 194 from temperature fluctuations that the sorbent 166 may experience during saturation and/or regeneration cycles. A gap 200 between the base 192 and an inner surface 201 (e.g., a circumferential wall) of the drain tank 164 may reduce friction between the base 192 and the inner surface 201. For example, the gap 200 may reduce noise caused by friction between the base 192 and the inner surface 201 that may be detected by the load sensor 194 (e.g., an anomaly in weight data measured by the load sensor 194). The load sensors 194 may be supported by the platform 202 and may be coupled to the platform 202 via fasteners 204 (e.g., bolts, screws, adhesive, or other suitable coupling means). The platform 202 may be supported by a support 206 coupled with a bottom surface 207 of the drain tank 164. The support 206 may form a space 108 between the surface 207 and the platform 202. In some embodiments, an insulating mesh 205 may occupy the space 208, which may further insulate the load cell 194 from thermal fluctuations in the discharge tank 164. In some embodiments, the refrigerant may cause wear to the load cell 194. In this way, the insulating mesh 205 may additionally isolate the load cell 194 from contact with refrigerant.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 8, a seal fitting 209 may be coupled to the drain tank 164. The seal assembly 209 may allow the electrical wires 198 coupled with the load sensor 194 to enter the discharge tank 164 while blocking the adsorbate from leaking out of the discharge tank 164. The control system 196 may receive and analyze data from the load sensor 194 to determine the weight of the adsorbent 166 and adsorbate disposed above the base 192. In some embodiments, experimental data may be used to determine certain physical and/or chemical properties of the sorbent 166 (e.g., a silicone gel). For example, the experimental weight data may include a threshold weight of the sorbent 166 indicating when the sorbent 166 is saturated with the sorbent (e.g., refrigerant). In this way, the scale system 190 may be used to determine when a specified amount of the sorbent 166 within the discharge tank 164 has become saturated with adsorbate.

System for purging vapor compression system using dual vent canister

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a dual drain tank system 210 that may be used in addition to or in place of the drain tank 164 of the cleaning system 100 described above. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to purge the vapor compression system 14 (e.g., remove and/or separate the non-condensable gases 138 from the refrigerant) while the discharge tank 164 is undergoing a regeneration cycle. The purge system 100 may bypass the purge tank 164 when the purge tank 164 is undergoing a regeneration cycle, thereby reducing separation of the non-condensable gases 138 and the refrigerant. In other words, the effectiveness of the cleaning system 100 may be reduced.

In some embodiments, the vapor compression system 14 may be temporarily shut down while the regeneration cycle of the purge tank 164 is being performed. As such, the vapor compression system 14 may not be able to provide cooling capacity during the regeneration cycle. Accordingly, the dual discharge tank system 210 may increase the amount of separation between refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138 and/or avoid temporarily shutting down the vapor compression system 14 by using multiple discharge tanks. For example, the first discharge tank 212 may absorb adsorbates while the second discharge tank 214 undergoes a regeneration cycle. In this manner, the dual discharge tank system 210 may enable one discharge tank 212 and/or 214 to purge the vapor compression system 14 such that the vapor compression system 14 may operate continuously.

In some embodiments, a dual drain tank system 210 may be included in the cleaning system 100 of FIG. 5 instead of the single drain tank 164. To facilitate retrofitting the dual drain tank system 210 into the washing system 100, the dual drain tank system 210 may include a single inlet 216, a single outlet 218, and a single vent 220, which may be coupled to existing piping of the washing system 100, receiving the drain conduit 160, the outlet conduit 169, and the vent port 167, respectively. The connection of the dual drain tank 210 may also facilitate assembly of the cleaning system 100 and/or reduce the overall cost of the cleaning system 100 as compared to prior systems having more than one drain tank. Further, the configuration of the dual drain tank system 210 may facilitate coupling the dual drain tank system 210 having two drain tanks 212, 214 to a system previously configured to include a single drain tank 164. As discussed below, although two discharge tanks 212, 214 are shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 9, the dual discharge tank system 210 may be configured to include 3, 4, 5, 6, or more than 6 discharge tanks.

The flow paths of the refrigerant and the gaseous compounds of the non-condensable gases 138 may be controlled by valves of the piping system 215 of the dual vent tank system 210. The tubing system 215 may direct a flow path of the gaseous compound from the inlet 216 to the outlet 218 and/or the vent 220. In some embodiments, each drain tank 212, 214 may include an inlet valve 222, an outlet valve 224, and/or a vent valve 226 coupled to the inlet 216, the outlet 218, and the vent 220, respectively.

The inlet 216 may receive the refrigerant and gaseous compounds of the non-condensable gases 138 from the heat exchanger 142 of the cleaning system 100. Valves of the piping system 215 may direct gaseous compounds through the piping system 215 such that the first discharge tank 212 may adsorb adsorbates while the second discharge tank 214 undergoes a regeneration cycle, or vice versa. For example, the valves 222, 224, 226 may be positioned to block gaseous compounds flowing toward the first discharge tank 212 to enable the first discharge tank 212 to undergo a regeneration cycle while the second discharge tank 214 receives gaseous compounds from the heat exchanger 142 of the cleaning system 100 and adsorbs adsorbates (e.g., refrigerant). During the regeneration cycle of the first discharge tank 212, the valves 222, 224, 226 may be positioned such that the adsorbate may be directed back into the vapor compression system 14. As such, once the second discharge tank 214 is saturated, the valve may be repositioned such that the first discharge tank 212 now receives the adsorbate while the second discharge tank 214 is undergoing a regeneration cycle.

As noted above, in some embodiments, the dual drain tank system 210 may include more than two drain tanks. As a non-limiting example, the dual drain tank system 210 may include a quad drain tank system having four separate drain tanks. In some embodiments, the four discharge tanks may be configured to operate sequentially in a saturation cycle, a regeneration cycle, a cool down cycle, and a rest or standby cycle. As used herein, a cool down cycle refers to a period of time after the regeneration cycle is complete during which the discharge tank 164 may be cooled from an elevated regeneration temperature to ambient temperature or to a target temperature less than the elevated regeneration temperature. The rest or standby cycle refers to a period of time after the discharge tank 164 has been cooled to an ambient temperature or to a target temperature less than the elevated regeneration temperature (e.g., a period of time after the cool down cycle is complete) during which the discharge tank 164 does not receive adsorbates and non-condensable gases. In other words, the drain tank 164 is substantially idle or inactive during the rest or standby cycle. After a rest or standby cycle, the discharge tank 164 may then undergo a saturation cycle and receive a new flow of adsorbate and non-condensable gases 138.

In the foregoing example of a quadruple discharge tank system, a first discharge tank may be subjected to a saturation cycle while a second discharge tank may be subjected to a regeneration cycle, a third discharge tank may be subjected to a cool down cycle, and a fourth discharge tank may be subjected to a rest or standby cycle. When the first discharge tank is saturated, the flow of adsorbate and non-condensable gases 138 from the heat exchanger 142 may be directed toward a fourth discharge tank (e.g., previously undergoing a rest or standby cycle), while the flow of gas to the first discharge tank is suspended. Thus, the first discharge tank may initiate a regeneration cycle while the second, third and fourth discharge tanks are respectively subjected to a cool down cycle, a rest or standby cycle and a saturation cycle. Operating the discharge tanks in the above-described sequence may ensure that the time interval between saturation cycles for a particular discharge tank is increased, thereby enabling the discharge tank to be sufficiently cooled to ambient or target temperature between successive saturation cycles. Thus, a quadruple discharge tank system may enhance the ability of a particular discharge tank to adsorb adsorbates in subsequent regeneration cycles.

System for improving heating during regeneration cycle of discharge tank

In prior systems, the discharge tank 164 may include a heating element disposed within a center of the discharge tank 164 (e.g., along a central axis of the discharge tank 164). The heating element may extend through the sorbent 166 within the discharge tank 164 and supply energy (e.g., heat) to the sorbent 166. The supplied energy may be used to release the adsorbate embedded within the pores of the adsorbent 166 during a regeneration cycle. In one embodiment, the adsorbent 166 may be a natural insulating material and resist conductive transfer of heat. Thus, the heating element must supply a large amount of heat to sufficiently heat the portion of the adsorbate that is located furthest from the heating element. This heat may cause the sorbent 166 closest to the heating element to overheat while at the same time the portion of the sorbent 166 furthest from the heating element may not experience a temperature increase sufficient for proper regeneration. This may result in inefficient regeneration cycles and/or premature degradation of the adsorbent 166.

Thus, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, dual heating elements 230 may be used to produce a uniform temperature distribution within adsorbent 166 during a regeneration cycle (e.g., a thermal regeneration cycle), as shown in fig. 10 and 11. For example, the dual heating elements 230 may produce a more balanced temperature distribution across the sorbent 166 as compared to prior systems that included heating elements disposed within the center of the discharge tank 164. Fig. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the discharge tank 164, which may include first and second heating elements 232, 234 (collectively referred to herein as dual heating elements 232, 234), which may be evenly spaced about a central axis 236 of the discharge tank 164. That is, the dual heating elements 232, 234 may be disposed approximately equidistant from a central axis 236 of the discharge tank 164. Portions of the dual heating elements 232, 234 may extend through a lid 238 of the discharge tank 164 to receive power for heating the adsorbent 166 from one or more power sources. Although two heating elements are shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 10, it should be noted that the discharge tank 164 may include any suitable number of heating elements spaced about (e.g., circumferentially about) the central axis 236. For example, the discharge tank 164 may include 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more than 6 heating elements disposed about the central axis 236.

Fig. 11 illustrates an example of a thermal profile showing the thermal profile caused by the first and second heating elements 232 and 234. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 11, the dual heating elements 232, 234 may distribute heat evenly about the central axis 236, which may enable substantially all of the sorbent 166 to undergo regeneration without overheating portions of the sorbent 166 located closer to the heating elements 232, 234. Additionally, a larger portion of the sorbent 166 may be heated sufficiently to undergo regeneration as compared to a single heating element disposed about the central axis 236.

For example, instead of supplying heat near the central axis 236, such as in a conventional exhaust tank 164 using a single heating element, the dual heating elements 232, 234 may supply heat closer to the inner surface 239 of the exhaust tank 164. As such, the distance that the supplied heat travels from the heat source (e.g., first heating element 232, second heating element 234) to the sorbent 166 and/or from the heat source to the inner surface 239 of the discharge tank 164 is shorter. In this way, the dual heating elements 232, 234 may heat a larger portion of the adsorbent 166 to the regeneration temperature while heating the adsorbent 166 with substantially the same amount of power as compared to a single heating element. In addition, the dual heating elements 232, 234 do not overheat the sorbent 166, thereby extending the useful life of the sorbent 166.

Additionally, the dual heating elements 232, 234 may enable faster heat transfer to the sorbent 166 than conventional systems (e.g., a single heating element disposed coincident with the central axis 236). As discussed above, the dual heating elements 232, 234 reduce the distance over which heat can be transferred in the discharge tank 164 to heat substantially all of the sorbent 166. In this way, the dual heating elements 232, 234 may provide a more efficient and faster regeneration cycle of the sorbent 166 when compared to existing systems.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a baffled partition 240 that may be coupled to dual heating elements 232, 234 and facilitate heat transfer between dual heating elements 232, 234 and sorbent 166. The baffled partition 240 may extend along the length or a portion of the length of the discharge tank 164. The baffled partition 240 includes one or more fins 242 extending radially from the central axis 236 of the discharge tank 164. In certain embodiments, the fins 242 may abut or contact an inner surface 239 of the discharge tank 164, thereby dividing the interior of the discharge tank 164 into a plurality of chambers 244. Accordingly, each chamber 244 may contain a portion of the sorbent 166. However, in other embodiments, the radial gap may extend between the fins 242 and the inner surface 239 of the discharge tank 164. Accordingly, a gasket may be disposed between the radial edges of the fins 242 and the inner surface 239 of the discharge tank 164 to block the flow of adsorbate and/or non-condensable gases between the chambers 244 via the gap.

In any case, the baffled partition 240 can include a pair of channels 246, wherein each channel 246 is configured to receive one of the first and second heating elements 232, 234. In some embodiments, each channel 246 may be integrally formed within a respective fin 242 of the baffled partition 240. The inner diameter of the channel 246 may be substantially equal to the outer diameter of the respective heating elements of the dual heating elements 232, 234. Thus, the dual heating elements 232, 234 may be in physical contact with the baffled partition 240 when disposed within the channel 246, thereby enabling conductive heat transfer between the dual heating elements 232, 234 and the baffled partition 240. In certain embodiments, a thermally conductive gel or paste may be disposed within any interstitial spaces that may be formed between the dual heating elements 232, 234 and the channel 246, and thus facilitate heat transfer therebetween.

The baffled partition 240 may be constructed of any suitable thermally conductive material such as aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and the like. Accordingly, the thermal energy generated by the dual heating elements 232, 234 may be distributed by conduction across the fins 242 of the baffled partition 240. In addition, thermal energy distributed to the fins 242 of the baffled partition 240 may be transferred to the sorbent 166 in the chamber 244 by conductive heat transfer or by convective heat transfer. In this manner, the fins 242 may further facilitate the even distribution of thermal energy over the sorbent 166. As noted above, evenly distributing thermal energy to the sorbent 166 may mitigate or substantially reduce the likelihood of overheating certain portions of the sorbent 166, and thus increase the useful life of the sorbent 166. Additionally, the baffled partition 240 can reduce the time period taken to heat substantially all of the sorbent 166 to a sufficient temperature during regeneration.

Although the baffled partition 240 includes five fins 242 in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 12, it should be noted that the baffled partition 240 may include any other suitable number of fins 242. That is, the baffled partitions 240 may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or more than 8 fins 242 extending from the central axis 236 of the discharge tank 164 or arranged in any other suitable configuration. Additionally, the baffled partition 240 may include any suitable number of channels 246 configured to receive any number of heating elements. For example, the baffled partition 240 may include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more than 5 channels 246 configured to receive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more than 5 heating elements, respectively. Further, in certain embodiments, a single fin 242 of a baffled partition 240 may include more than one channel 246. That is, a single fin 242 may include two or more channels 246 configured to receive respective heating elements of the discharge tank 164.

System for improving exposure of adsorbate to a discharge tank

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a discharge tank 164 that may be configured to increase the exposure time and/or surface area that an adsorbate may contact when interacting with the adsorbent 166. For example, the drain tank 164 may include a radial dimension 250 (e.g., a diameter) and a vertical dimension 252 (e.g., a height or a length). Increasing the ratio of the height (e.g., vertical dimension 252) to the diameter (e.g., radial dimension 250) of the discharge tank 164 may increase the ability of the adsorbent 166 to adsorb adsorbates. For example, in some embodiments, the height to diameter ratio of the discharge tank 164 may be between 3:1 and 4: 1. In other embodiments, the height to diameter ratio may be any suitable ratio that achieves sufficient adsorbate adsorption.

Increasing the height to diameter ratio decreases the amount of adsorbent 166 within the discharge tank 164 that may not be in contact with the bulk adsorbate. For example, the sorbent 166 disposed proximate the edge 254 at the end 256 of the discharge tank 164 (e.g., the inner perimeter of the cover 238) may contact and/or receive less adsorbate than the sorbent 166 disposed along the central axis 236 of the discharge tank 164, and/or than the sorbent 166 axially aligned with the adsorbate inlet 247 of the discharge tank 164. In general, the surface area of the adsorbate in contact with the adsorbent 166 may be increased by increasing the height to diameter ratio of the discharge tank 164.

In addition, due to the smaller thermal resistance caused by the sorbent 166 (e.g., the width of the sorbent 166 extending in the radial direction of the discharge tank 164 may be relatively small), the increase in the ratio of the vertical dimension 252 to the radial dimension 250 may enable more efficient heating of the sorbent 166 by a single heating element and/or dual heating elements 232, 234 disposed within the discharge tank 164. For example, heat released from the dual heating elements 232, 234 may travel a shorter distance from the central axis 236 to heat the sorbent 166 positioned proximate to the inner surface 239 of the discharge tank 164.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a baffled partition 240. As noted above, the baffled partition 240 may isolate the interior of the discharge tank 164 into a chamber 244 that may extend along a vertical dimension 252 (e.g., height) of the discharge tank 164. In some embodiments, the baffled partitions 240 may be configured to sequentially direct a mixture of adsorbate and non-condensable gases 138 through each chamber 244, and thus increase the exposure time between the gas flow mixture and the adsorbent 166. Additionally, the baffled partitions 240 may increase the surface area of the sorbent 166 that is in contact with the gas stream mixture as the gas flows through the discharge tank 164. Accordingly, the baffled partition 240 may increase the interaction between the adsorbent 166 and the adsorbate flowing through the discharge tank 164. That is, the baffled partition 240 may enhance the efficiency of the discharge tank 164 by facilitating separation of adsorbate from the non-condensable gases 138.

For example, a first chamber 264 of the plurality of chambers 244 may be configured to receive a flow of adsorbate and non-condensable gases 138 from an inlet conduit 266 of the discharge tank 164. For clarity, it should be noted that the first cavity 264 is defined by a first fin 268 and a second fin 270 (e.g., adjacent fins) of the plurality of fins 242. The adsorbate and non-condensable gases 138 may flow along the central axis 236 in a first direction 276 from a first end 272 of the discharge tank 164 (e.g., an end proximate the inlet conduit 266) toward a second end 274 of the discharge tank 164 opposite the first end 272. In this manner, the adsorbate may interact with substantially all of the adsorbent 166 disposed within the first chamber 264.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment, a first aperture 278 is defined within the second fin 270 proximate the second end 274 of the discharge tank 164. First aperture 278 is configured to extend between and fluidly couple first 264 and second 280 of chambers 244. Similar to the first chamber 264, a second chamber 280 is defined between the second fin 270 and a third fin 282 (e.g., adjacent the second fin 270 relative to a counterclockwise direction 284 about the central axis 236). Accordingly, a flow of adsorbate and non-condensable gas 138 may flow from the first chamber 264 to the second chamber 280 via the first aperture 278. It should be noted that the first fins 268 do not include apertures such that airflow from the first chamber 264 through the first fins 268 is blocked.

Upon entering the second chamber 280, the adsorbate and the non-condensable gas 138 may flow along the central axis 236 in a second direction 286 (e.g., a direction opposite the first direction 276) from the second end 274 to the first end 272 of the discharge tank 164. Accordingly, the adsorbate and non-condensable gases 138 may interact with substantially all of the adsorbent 166 disposed within the second chamber 280. The third fin 282 includes a second aperture 288 configured to fluidly couple the second chamber 280 to the third chamber 290 (e.g., a chamber adjacent to the second chamber 280 relative to the counterclockwise direction 284). Accordingly, the adsorbate and non-condensable gases 138 may flow through the third chamber 290 in the first direction 276. It should be noted that each fin (except for first fin 268) includes an aperture defined therein to enable adsorbate and non-condensable gas 138 to flow from first chamber 264 through each chamber 244 sequentially and in a counter-clockwise direction 284. In particular, the apertures in subsequent fins may be located near ends 272, 274 of the discharge tank 164 opposite the ends 272, 274 of the discharge tank 164 in which the apertures of adjacent fins are located. In this manner, the adsorbate and non-condensable gases 138 travel in a serpentine pattern from the first chamber 264 sequentially through each chamber 244 around the central axis 236 and along the vertical dimension 252 of the discharge tank 164. As such, non-condensable gases 138 may be discharged from discharge tank 164 via an outlet conduit 292 coupled to a fifth chamber 294 (e.g., last chamber, end chamber) of chambers 244. Directing the flow of adsorbate and non-condensable gases 138 sequentially through the chamber 244 enables substantially all of the adsorbate to be adsorbed by the adsorbent 166. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the fins 242 may not include apertures, and the adsorbate and non-condensables gases 138 may flow through the chamber 244 in parallel.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of the baffled partition 240 near the first end 272 of the discharge tank 164. In some embodiments, the diameter 296 of the apertures (e.g., the first aperture 278, the second aperture 288, etc.) within the fin 242 may be between about 0.5 millimeters (mm) and about 5mm (e.g., within about 10% thereof, within about 5% thereof, or within about 1% thereof), between about 1mm and about 4mm, or about 3 mm. In other embodiments, the diameter 296 of the orifice may be less than 0.5mm or greater than 5 mm. In certain embodiments, each fin 242 may include a plurality of apertures disposed therein. Further, in some embodiments, the aperture may include a non-circular cross-section. For example, the aperture may comprise a quadrilateral slit, an oval, or an opening having any other suitable geometric profile.

System for facilitating drain tank maintenance

A typical drain tank generally includes an end plate (e.g., a cover plate) that is fixedly attached (e.g., by adhesive, brazing, welding, and/or a crimped connection) to a housing of the drain tank. Accordingly, a significant period of time may be taken when removing the end plate of a conventional drain tank to service components disposed within the drain tank.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an end plate or access cover 300 that may be removably coupled to drain tank 164 and thus facilitate performing maintenance operations on components disposed within drain tank 164. The access cover 300 may include internal threads 302 configured to engage external threads 304 disposed about a housing 306 of the drain tank 164. In this manner, the access cover 300 may be threaded or unthreaded with the housing 306, thereby facilitating access to the interior 308 of the discharge tank 164. It should be noted that in other embodiments, the access cover 300 may include external threads while the housing 306 of the drain tank 164 includes internal threads.

In any event, upon removal of the access cover 300, the service technician may slide the baffled partition 240 in the first direction 276 (e.g., along the central axis 236) to remove the baffled partition 240 and the sorbent 166 from the discharge tank 164. Accordingly, a service technician may inspect the sorbent 166 and/or replace the sorbent 166 with a new sorbent. Additionally, a service technician may inspect and/or replace the dual heating elements 232, 234 disposed within the baffled partition 240, or any other components disposed within the housing 306 and/or interior 308 of the discharge tank 164. In certain embodiments, a gasket 310 is disposed between the housing 306 of the drain tank 164 and the access cover 300. The gasket 310 may help form a fluid seal (e.g., a fluid-tight seal) between the housing 306 and the access cover 300 when the access cover 300 is threaded and tightened onto the housing 306. It should be noted that access cover 300 may be included in first end 272 of drain tank 164, second end 274 of drain tank 164, or both.

System for faster cool down of a discharge tank

Fig. 17 illustrates an embodiment of a cooling system 320 that may be used to thermally condition the adsorbent 166 and/or adsorbate within the discharge tank 164. In some embodiments, the adsorbent 166 may adsorb the adsorbate more efficiently when the adsorbent 166 and/or adsorbate are at a reduced temperature. During the regeneration cycle, the internal temperature of the discharge tank 164 may increase significantly (e.g., 200 degrees fahrenheit or more), and such temperatures may reduce the ability of the adsorbent 166 to adsorb the adsorbate (e.g., new adsorbate entering the discharge tank 164 from the vapor compression system 14 after the regeneration cycle is complete). Typically, the discharge tank 164 may undergo a cool down phase after the regeneration cycle has been completed and before the adsorbent 166 begins to adsorb the adsorbate. The discharge tank 164 may be insulated, and therefore a significant amount of time may elapse before the discharge tank 164 is cooled to a sufficient adsorption operating temperature. As such, it may be desirable to couple the cooling system 320 to the drain tank 164, which may reduce the cooling time of the drain tank 164 after regeneration.

The cooling system 320 may include one or more cooling passages 322 (e.g., internal cooling passages) extending from the first end 272 to the second end 274 of the discharge tank 164. For clarity, it should be noted that the cooling passages 322 may be defined by respective cooling conduits 333 (e.g., pipes, tubing, etc.) extending between the first and second ends 272, 274 of the discharge tank 164. In some embodiments, the cooling passages 322 may extend through the cover 238 (e.g., the access cover 300) of the discharge tank 164 and may be embedded within the sorbent 166 disposed within the discharge tank 164. Further, a fan 324 may be coupled to the first end 272 of the cooling passage 322 to direct a cooling fluid (e.g., air) through the cooling passage 322 from the first end 272 to the second end 274 of the discharge tank 164. The cooling fluid may absorb thermal energy (e.g., heat) from the discharge tank 164 and/or the sorbent 166 and transfer the thermal energy to the ambient environment. In this way, the cooling passage 322 may reduce the cooling time of the purge tank 164 after regeneration. Although four cooling channels 322 are shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 13, the cooling system 320 may include 1, 2, 3, 5, or more cooling channels 322. In some embodiments, the cooling passages 322 may include internal and/or external fins that may improve the ability of the cooling passages 322 to absorb thermal energy within the discharge tank 164 (e.g., by increasing the heat transfer surface area of the cooling passages 322).

FIG. 18 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of an external cooling passage 326 that may be used in addition to or in place of the cooling passage 322 shown in FIG. 17. The outer cooling passage 326 may be disposed circumferentially about an outer surface 328 of the drain tank 164. In other embodiments, a thermal insulation layer may be disposed on the outer cooling passage 326 to enhance thermal energy transfer between the outer cooling passage 326 and the outer surface 328 of the discharge tank 164. In some embodiments, the external cooling passage 326 may not extend through the lid 238 and/or the sorbent 166 of the discharge tank 164. In any event, the fan 324 may be turned off during the regeneration cycle to maintain heat within the discharge tank 164. As such, the cooling passages 322, 326 may not receive a flow of cooling fluid and will not remove heat from the drain tank 164 during regeneration.

It should be noted that any suitable cooling fluid may be directed through the cooling passages 322, 326 to remove thermal energy from the discharge tank 164 and the sorbent 166 disposed therein. For example, in certain embodiments, the fan 324 may include a pump (e.g., a centrifugal pump) or other flow-generating device configured to direct a liquid (e.g., water) through the conduit 333 of the cooling passages 322, 326. Accordingly, the liquid may absorb thermal energy from the drain tank 164. As another example, conduit 333 may be configured to flow refrigerant from vapor compression system 14 such that the refrigerant may absorb heat energy from discharge tank 164 and adsorbent 166. Further, in embodiments where the discharge tank 164 has a baffled partition 240, the cooling channels 322 may be formed within (e.g., integrally formed with) one or more of the fins 242. Accordingly, the flow of a suitable cooling fluid through the cooling channels 322 may absorb thermal energy from the baffled partition 240, thereby cooling the sorbent 166 disposed about the exterior of the baffled partition 240.

System for vacuum regeneration of a blow-down tank

Conventional cleaning systems generally include one or more vacuum pumps configured to drive operation of the cleaning system. For example, a conventional purge system may be equipped with a first vacuum pump configured to draw a mixture of refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138 through heat exchanger 142 to enable removal and/or separation of the non-condensable gases 138 from the refrigerant of the vapor compression system 14. The second vacuum pump may be configured to facilitate regeneration of the discharge tank 164 when the discharge tank 164 is saturated with refrigerant (e.g., adsorbate). For example, when the discharge tank 164 is saturated, a typical purge system activates a second vacuum pump to substantially reduce the pressure within the discharge tank 164 in order to remove the adsorbate from the adsorbent 166 and ultimately direct the adsorbate back into the vapor compression system 14. Unfortunately, including multiple vacuum pumps within the cleaning system 100 may increase the assembly costs, the operating costs, and/or the maintenance costs of the cleaning system 100.

Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the cleaning system 100 that includes a central vacuum pump 330 (e.g., a single vacuum pump) configured to facilitate removal of adsorbates from the exhaust tank 164 by vacuum regeneration. In some embodiments, the central vacuum pump 330 may also assist in drawing refrigerant into the heat exchanger 142 of the cleaning system 100 in addition to or in lieu of the thermosiphon effect created by the condensation of refrigerant within the heat exchanger 142. Accordingly, the cleaning system 100 may be operated using a single vacuum pump rather than multiple vacuum pumps.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the central vacuum pump 330 is in fluid communication with the exhaust vent 167 of the exhaust tank 164. The cleaning system 100 also includes an outlet conduit 332 that extends between and fluidly couples the central vacuum pump 330 and the evaporator 38. An outlet valve 334 is coupled to the outlet conduit 332 and is configured to enable or disable fluid flow from the discharge tank 164 through the outlet conduit 332. Accordingly, the purge valve 158, the purge valve 168, the outlet valve 334, and the central vacuum pump 330 may cooperate to enable the purge system 100 to operate in a purge mode (e.g., a saturation cycle) to purge the vapor compression system 14, and to enable the purge canister 164 to facilitate removal of the adsorbate from the adsorbent 166 through vacuum regeneration (e.g., a vacuum regeneration cycle).

For example, in a purge mode (e.g., a saturation cycle), discharge valve 158 and exhaust valve 168 are in an open position while outlet valve 334 is in a closed position. Accordingly, the central vacuum pump 330 may draw a mixture of refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138 into the heat exchanger 142 via the inlet pipe 152 and direct the mixture through the discharge conduit 160 and into the discharge tank 164. The adsorbent 166 may adsorb substantially all of the refrigerant from the mixture of refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138. In this way, central vacuum pump 330 may direct non-condensable gases 138 and exhaust them from cleaning system 100 via exhaust vent 167 of exhaust tank 164.

When the exhaust tank 164 is saturated, the central vacuum pump 330 may facilitate removal of adsorbates from the adsorbent 166 in the exhaust tank 164 by vacuum regeneration. For example, in the vacuum regeneration mode, the exhaust valve 158 and the exhaust valve 168 are adjusted to a closed position (e.g., via the control panel 40), while the outlet valve 334 is adjusted to an open position (e.g., via the control panel 40). Accordingly, the central vacuum pump 330 may create a vacuum within the discharge tank 164, or in other words, substantially reduce the pressure within the discharge tank 164 (e.g., relative to the pressure of the ambient environment and/or relative to the pressure of a portion of the vapor compression system 14). In some embodiments, reducing the pressure within the discharge tank 164 may cause the adsorbate to undergo a phase change (e.g., boiling), thereby releasing the adsorbate from the pores of the adsorbent 166. The central vacuum pump 330 may draw in the released adsorbate (e.g., via the suction side of the central vacuum pump 330) and force the adsorbate through the outlet of the central vacuum pump 330 and into the outlet conduit 332. Accordingly, the adsorbate may flow through the outlet conduit 332 and into the evaporator 38 of the vapor compression system 14. In this manner, a central vacuum pump 330 may be utilized to perform vacuum regeneration between successive saturation cycles to release adsorbates previously adsorbed by the adsorbent 166.

In some embodiments, the compressor 32 of the vapor compression system 14 may be used in addition to or in place of the central vacuum pump 330 to facilitate vacuum regeneration of the discharge tank 164. For example, fig. 20 illustrates a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a purge system 100 having a compressor 32 in fluid communication with a discharge tank 164. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, an outlet conduit 332 fluidly couples the compressor 32 (e.g., the suction side of the compressor 32) to the discharge tank 164. Accordingly, the compressor 32 may be used to depressurize (e.g., reduce the pressure within) the discharge tank 164 during a vacuum regeneration cycle of the discharge tank 164. That is, during vacuum regeneration of the discharge tank 164, the discharge valve 158 and the discharge valve 168 may be adjusted to a closed position (e.g., via the control panel 40) while the outlet valve 334 is adjusted to an open position (e.g., via the control panel 40). Accordingly, the operation of the compressor 32 may also be used to depressurize the interior 308 of the discharge tank 164 and enable the discharge tank 164 to undergo vacuum regeneration.

In some embodiments, a combined regeneration cycle may be used to increase the regeneration rate of the purge tank 164. For example, the combined regeneration cycle may involve operating one or more heating elements of the exhaust tank 164 in time with operating the central vacuum pump 330, the compressor 32, another suitable vacuum pump configured to depressurize the exhaust tank 164, or any combination thereof. That is, the combined regeneration cycle may involve simultaneous thermal regeneration and vacuum regeneration of the discharge tank 164.

For example, fig. 21 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a portion 338 of the cleaning system 100 configured to enable simultaneous vacuum regeneration and thermal regeneration of the discharge tank 164. In this combined regeneration cycle, the dual heating elements 232, 234 may be used to supply thermal energy (e.g., heat) to the exhaust tank 164 while the central vacuum pump 330 depressurizes the exhaust tank 164. As noted above, heating the adsorbent 166 can help desorb adsorbate disposed within the pores of the adsorbent 166. Thus, heating the adsorbent 166 while simultaneously depressurizing the discharge tank 164 may increase the rate at which adsorbate is released from the adsorbent 166. In this way, the time period for regeneration using the combined regeneration cycle may be reduced.

In certain embodiments, operating the vacuum pump (e.g., central vacuum pump 330) and the heating element (e.g., dual heating elements 232, 234) in tandem to regenerate the exhaust tank 164 may enable the vacuum pump and/or the heating element to operate at a reduced capacity as compared to the operating capacity of the vacuum pump alone during a conventional vacuum regeneration cycle and the operating capacity of the heating element alone during a conventional thermal regeneration cycle. That is, because both the central vacuum pump 330 and the dual heating elements 232, 234 are operated simultaneously during the combined regeneration cycle, the central vacuum pump 330 and the dual heating elements 232, 234 may each supply a portion of the energy involved in the regeneration of the exhaust tank 164, rather than supplying all of the energy involved in the regeneration of the exhaust tank 164 separately. Accordingly, the service life of the central vacuum pump 330 may be increased by reducing wear (e.g., material fatigue) of the central vacuum pump 330. Similarly, a reduction in the amount of thermal energy supplied by the dual heating elements 232, 234 may be reduced, which may extend the useful life of the sorbent 166.

Pump control system for a cleaning system

Existing purge systems typically activate the vacuum pump 162 to purge the vapor compression system 14 regardless of the pressure within the heat exchanger 142 and/or portions of the vapor compression system 14. Similarly, a typical purge system generally operates the additional vacuum pump independently of the pressure within the exhaust canister 164 and/or portions of the vapor compression system 14 during vacuum regeneration of the exhaust canister 164. Unfortunately, operating one or more vacuum pumps of the cleaning system 100 regardless of the pressure within the heat exchanger 142, the pressure within the discharge tank 164, and/or the pressure within portions of the vapor compression system 14 may result in inefficient operation of the cleaning system 100.

Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the cleaning system 100 having a pump control system 340 configured to deactivate the vacuum pump 162 based on feedback received from the vapor compression system 14 (e.g., sensors, control panel 40, or other controller of the vapor compression system 14). More specifically, the pump control system 340 may deactivate the vacuum pump 162 when the pressure differential between the condenser 34 and the ambient environment or the exhaust tank 164 is sufficient to force the refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138 from the condenser 34 through the heat exchanger 142 and the exhaust tank 164 without the assistance of the vacuum pump 162. For example, the pump control system 340 may deactivate the vacuum pump 162 when the pressure within the condenser 34 is greater than a target percentage of the pressure of the ambient environment (e.g., atmosphere) surrounding the vapor compression system 14 (e.g., the pressure at the vent 167). As described in greater detail herein, the pump control system 340 may reduce operation of the vacuum pump 162 during certain periods of operation of the cleaning system 100, and thus increase the efficiency of the cleaning system 100.

As shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 22, the pump control system 340 includes a controller 342 (e.g., control panel 40 or a separate controller) or controllers that may be used to control certain components of the vapor compression system 14 and/or the purge system 100. For example, one or more control transfer devices, such as wires, cables, wireless communication devices, etc., can communicatively couple compressor 32 (e.g., motor 50 or VSD 52), vacuum pump 162 (e.g., a motor for vacuum pump 162), vent valve 158, vent valve 168, outlet valve 334, or any other suitable component(s) of vapor compression system 14 and/or purging system 100 to controller 342. Controller 342 may include a processor 344, such as a microprocessor, that may execute software for controlling vapor compression system 14 and/or cleaning components of system 100. Further, the processor 344 may include multiple microprocessors, one or more "general-purpose" microprocessors, one or more special-purpose microprocessors, and/or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICS), or some combination thereof.

For example, the processors 344 may include one or more Reduced Instruction Set (RISC) processors. The controller 342 may also include a memory device 346 that may store information such as control software, look-up tables, configuration data, and the like. Memory device 346 may include volatile memory, such as Random Access Memory (RAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as Read Only Memory (ROM). The memory device 346 may store a variety of information and may be used for a variety of different purposes. For example, memory device 346 may store processor-executable instructions, including firmware or software for execution by processor 344, such as instructions for controlling vapor compression system 14 and/or cleaning components of system 100. In some embodiments, the memory device 346 is a tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium that may store machine-readable instructions for execution by the processor 344. The memory device 346 may include ROM, flash memory, a hard drive, or any other suitable optical, magnetic, or solid-state storage medium, or a combination thereof. Memory device 346 may store data, instructions, and any other suitable data.

In some embodiments, the controller 342 may be communicatively coupled to a first pressure sensor 350 configured to provide feedback to the controller 342 indicative of the pressure (e.g., refrigerant pressure) within the condenser 34. Additionally, the controller 342 may be communicatively coupled to a second pressure sensor 352 configured to provide feedback indicative of the ambient atmospheric pressure (e.g., the pressure at the vent 167) to the controller 342. During operation of the washing system 100, the controller 342 may compare the pressure within the condenser 34 with the pressure of the ambient environment. In some embodiments, the controller 342 may deactivate the vacuum pump 162 if the pressure within the condenser 34 exceeds the pressure of the ambient environment by some threshold amount (e.g., 0.05 bar, 0.1 bar, 0.5 bar, 2 bar) or percentage (e.g., greater than 10%, greater than 20%, greater than 30%). That is, if the purge system 100 is operating in a purge mode (e.g., a saturation cycle) and the pressure differential between the refrigerant within the condenser 34 and the ambient is sufficient to force the refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138 from the condenser 34 into the heat exchanger 142, the controller 342 may deactivate, reduce the speed of, or turn off the vacuum pump 162. Similarly, if the natural pressure differential between the heat exchanger 142 and the condenser 34 (e.g., the pressure differential created by condensing refrigerant within the heat exchanger 142) is sufficient to force refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138 from the condenser 34 into the heat exchanger 142, the controller 342 may deactivate the vacuum pump 162 or reduce the speed of the vacuum pump 162. Accordingly, a pressure differential between condenser 34 and the ambient environment and/or condenser 34 and heat exchanger 142 may force refrigerant gas and non-condensable gas 138 through purging system 100 such that adsorbent 166 within discharge tank 164 may adsorb refrigerant (e.g., adsorbate) and such that non-condensable gas 138 may be discharged into the ambient environment via vent port 167. In this manner, the pump control system 340 may reduce inefficient operation of the vacuum pump 162.

In certain embodiments, the controller 342 may estimate the pressure differential between the gases (e.g., refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138) within the condenser 34 and the ambient environment continuously or intermittently after adjusting the operation of the vacuum pump 162 (e.g., disabling, slowing down, or shutting down the vacuum pump). If the pressure within the condenser 34 falls below ambient pressure or within a threshold range of ambient pressure, the controller 342 may send a signal to re-activate the vacuum pump 162 or increase its speed to draw refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138 from the condenser 34 into the purge system 100. Accordingly, the controller 342 may maintain a pressure differential between the condenser 34 and the heat exchanger 142 sufficient to direct the flow of refrigerant and non-condensable gases 138 through the heat exchanger 142 and into the discharge tank 164.

Although in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 22, the first pressure sensor 350 is configured to monitor the pressure within the condenser 34, it should be noted that the pump control system 340 may be communicatively coupled to additional sensors in addition to or in lieu of the first pressure sensor 350. The additional sensors may be configured to measure pressure within the vapor compression system 14 and/or various other components of the cleaning system 100. For example, the pump control system 340 may be communicatively coupled to one or more pressure sensors configured to monitor the pressure of the compressor 32, the pressure of the evaporator 38, the pressure of the heat exchanger 142, the pressure of the vent tank 164, the pressure of one or more conduits of the vapor compression system 14 and/or the purge system 100, or the pressure of any other suitable component(s) of the vapor compression system 14 and/or the purge system 100. In some embodiments, the controller 342 may determine an appropriate operating period for deactivating the vacuum pump 162 based on feedback provided by these additional pressure sensors. For example, the controller 342 may be configured to deactivate the vacuum pump 162 when the pressure within the compressor 32, evaporator 38, heat exchanger 142, and/or discharge tank 164 exceeds the pressure of the ambient environment by a certain threshold amount.

In some embodiments, the pump control system 340 may be configured to adjust the flow path of the adsorbate discharged from the discharge tank 164 during the regeneration cycle based on the pressure within the discharge tank 164. For example, as noted above, the temperature within the purge tank 164 may be increased during a regeneration cycle of the purge tank 164. In some embodiments, this increase in temperature may release adsorbates trapped in the adsorbent 166 during the saturation cycle, thereby increasing the pressure within the discharge tank 164. The pump control system 340 can monitor the pressure within the discharge tank 164 using, for example, a third pressure sensor 354. The controller 342 may be configured to compare the pressure within the discharge tank 164 with the pressure of the refrigerant in the evaporator 38. If the pressure within the discharge tank 164 exceeds the pressure within the evaporator 38 by a threshold amount (e.g., 0.05 bar, 0.1 bar, 0.5 bar, 2 bar), the controller 342 may adjust the outlet valve 334 to the closed position and adjust the second outlet valve 356 to the open position. As shown in the illustrated embodiment of fig. 22, the second outlet valve 356 is coupled to a second outlet conduit 358 that extends between and fluidly couples the vaporizer 38 and the outlet conduit 332. Accordingly, the sorbate released from the discharge tank 164 may flow through a portion of the outlet conduit 332, through the second outlet conduit 358, and into the evaporator 38 of the vapor compression system 14. That is, the adsorbate may flow from the discharge tank 164 into the evaporator 38 without the use of a dedicated vacuum pump, such as the compressor 32, the central vacuum pump 330, or the like.

The controller 342 may monitor the pressure differential between the purge tank 164 and the evaporator 38 throughout the regeneration cycle of the purge tank 164. If the pressure within the discharge tank 164 falls below the pressure within the evaporator 38, or within a threshold range of the pressure within the evaporator 38, the controller 342 may adjust the outlet valve 334 to the open position and adjust the second outlet valve 356 to the open position. Accordingly, compressor 32 may create a vacuum within discharge tank 164, thereby facilitating the drawing of the adsorbate from discharge tank 164 into vapor compression system 14. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 342 may activate a vacuum pump (e.g., the central vacuum pump 330) to facilitate channeling adsorbate from the discharge tank 164 to the evaporator 38, or any other suitable component of the vapor compression system 14. By employing the techniques discussed above, the controller 342 may ensure that a sufficient pressure differential is maintained to adequately transfer the adsorbate from the discharge tank 164 to the evaporator 38.

Bilateral regeneration system for a discharge tank

Conventional discharge tanks typically include a single outlet conduit configured to enable the discharged adsorbate to be released during a regeneration cycle of the discharge tank. For example, a conventional drain tank may include an outlet conduit disposed near an upper end of the drain tank. Accordingly, during the regeneration cycle, the adsorbate released from the adsorbent 166 near the lower end of the discharge tank traverses along almost the entire length of the discharge tank (e.g., the distance between the upper end to the lower end) before being discharged through the outlet conduit. Unfortunately, this configuration may increase the duration of time the adsorbate is discharged from the discharge tank, thereby reducing the operating efficiency of the cleaning system 100. Further, since the fluid discharged from the discharge tank is restricted, discharging the released adsorbate from a single outlet conduit of the discharge tank may increase the strain on the pump or heater used to facilitate the discharge tank regeneration cycle.

In view of the foregoing, fig. 23 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a bilateral exhaust system 370 that enables simultaneous exhaust of an adsorbate from a first end 272 (e.g., an upper end) and a second end 274 (e.g., a lower end) of an exhaust tank 164 during a regeneration cycle of the exhaust tank 164. For example, the bilateral drain system 370 includes first and second connecting conduits 372, 374 coupled to the first and second ends 272, 274, respectively, of the drain tank 164. Accordingly, the first and second connecting conduits 372, 374 enable fluid to enter or be discharged from the interior 308 of the discharge tank 164. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the bilateral exhaust system 370 includes an intermediate conduit 376 fluidly coupling the exhaust conduit 160, the exhaust vent 167, and the outlet conduit 332. The dual sided exhaust system 370 also includes a regeneration valve 378 disposed along a portion of the intermediate conduit 376 extending between the exhaust conduit 160 and the outlet conduit 332.

During a saturation cycle of the discharge tank 164, the discharge valve 158 and the exhaust valve 168 are in an open position while the outlet valve 334 and the regeneration valve 378 are in a closed position. Accordingly, refrigerant and gaseous compounds of non-condensable gases 138 may flow from heat exchanger 142 through discharge conduit 160, through lower connecting conduit 374, and into discharge tank 164. In this manner, adsorbent 166 may adsorb refrigerant from the gas flow mixture such that non-condensable gases 138 may be vented to the ambient environment through first connecting conduit 372 and vent port 167. Because the regeneration valve 378 is in the closed position, the airflow mixture from the heat exchanger 142 cannot bypass the discharge tank 164.

During a regeneration cycle of the discharge tank 164, the discharge valve 158 and the exhaust valve 168 are in a closed position while the outlet valve 334 and the regeneration valve 378 are in an open position. Accordingly, adsorbates released during regeneration of the discharge tank 164 may be discharged simultaneously from the first and second ends 272, 274 of the discharge tank 164 via the first and second connecting conduits 372, 374, respectively. The released adsorbate then flows along the intermediate conduit 376 through the outlet conduit 332 and into the evaporator 38 (or another suitable component of the vapor compression system 14). In some embodiments, discharging the adsorbate from both the first end 272 and the second end 274 of the discharge tank 164 may substantially reduce the duration of removal of the released adsorbate from the discharge tank 164, and thus the duration of the regeneration cycle. Accordingly, the bilateral drain system 370 may increase the operational efficiency of the washing system 100. It should be appreciated that the bilateral drainage system 370 may be combined with any of the cleaning system 100 embodiments and/or features described herein.

Heat energy recovery system for a discharge tank

As discussed above, the discharge tank 164 may include one or more heating elements (e.g., electrical heating elements) configured to supply thermal energy (e.g., heat) to the sorbent 166 during a thermal regeneration cycle and/or a combined regeneration cycle of the discharge tank 164. These heating elements are typically operated using electrical energy supplied from the power source of the vapor compression system 14 and/or the power source of the cleaning system 100. The power consumption of the purge system 100 system may be reduced by recovering unused thermal energy from the vapor compression system 14 and using the recovered thermal energy to heat the adsorbent 166 during the regeneration cycle of the discharge tank 164.

With the above in mind, fig. 24 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the purge system 100 including an energy recovery system 400 configured to recover waste heat energy from the vapor compression system 14. In particular, the energy recovery system 400 is configured to transfer the recovered thermal energy during a regeneration cycle of the discharge tank 164 to remove the adsorbate from the discharge tank 164. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the energy recovery system 400 includes a flow generating device 402 (e.g., a centrifugal pump) fluidly coupled to the evaporator 38 and the recovery heat exchanger 404 via a recovery conduit 406. The recovery conduit 406 also fluidly couples the recovery heat exchanger 404 to a recovery coil 408 disposed within or otherwise in thermal communication with the discharge tank 164. The recovery conduit 406 also fluidly couples the recovery coil 408 to the compressor 32 (e.g., the suction side of the compressor 32) and the evaporator 38. The recovery system 400 may include a first recovery valve 420, a second recovery valve 422, a third recovery valve 424, and a fourth recovery valve 426 in fluid communication with different sections of the recovery conduit 406. As described in detail below, the first, second, third, and fourth recovery valves 420, 422, 424, 426 may cooperate during a saturation cycle of the discharge tank 164 to block the flow of heated refrigerant to the recovery coil 408 and enable the flow of heated refrigerant to the recovery coil 408 during a regeneration cycle of the discharge tank 164.

For example, during a saturation cycle of the discharge tank 164, the controller 342 may adjust the first, third, and fourth recovery valves 420, 424, 426 to respective closed positions while the second recovery valve 422 is adjusted to an open position. Controller 342 may then activate flow-generating device 402 (e.g., a motor of flow-generating device 402). Accordingly, flow-generating device 402 may draw refrigerant from evaporator 38 and direct the refrigerant toward recovery heat exchanger 404. Recovery heat exchanger 404 can be in thermal communication with motor 50 of compressor 32, VSD 52 of compressor 32, or any other suitable compressor component configured to release thermal energy (e.g., heat) during operation of vapor compression system 14. In this manner, the refrigerant circulating through the recuperative heat exchanger 404 can absorb thermal energy from, for example, the motor 50 of the compressor 32. The heated refrigerant exiting the recovery heat exchanger 404 may flow through the recovery conduit 406, the second recovery valve 422, and to the compressor 32 (e.g., the suction side of the compressor 32), which recirculates the refrigerant through the vapor compression system 14 for reuse. In this manner, the recovery system 400 may be used to cool the compressor 32 (e.g., remove thermal energy from the compressor) during operation of the vapor compression system 14.

In some embodiments, the controller 342 may switch the first and third recovery valves 420, 424 to their respective open positions upon receiving an indication that the discharge tank 164 is in a regeneration cycle (e.g., upon initiating a regeneration cycle). The controller 342 may also switch the second recovery valve 422 to a partially closed position or a fully closed position. Thus, the flow-generating device 402 may direct a portion of the heated refrigerant or all of the heated refrigerant discharged from the recovery heat exchanger 404 toward a recovery coil 408 disposed within or otherwise in thermal communication with the discharge tank 164. That is, recovery coil 408 may be in thermal communication with sorbent 166. Accordingly, the adsorbent 166 may absorb thermal energy from the heated refrigerant flowing through the recovery coil 408. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the refrigerant within the recovery heat exchanger 404 may absorb sufficient thermal energy to change phase (e.g., boil) such that the refrigerant may be discharged from the recovery heat exchanger 404 in a hot vapor phase. In such embodiments, compressor 32 may assist in drawing refrigerant from recovery heat exchanger 404 into recovery coil 408 in addition to or in place of flow generating device 402. That is, the compressor 32 may create a pressure differential within the recovery conduit 406 to draw (e.g., by suction) gaseous refrigerant discharged from the recovery heat exchanger 404 through the recovery coil 408.

In any event, the heated refrigerant may flow through the interior of the discharge tank 164 to transfer thermal energy to the adsorbent 166 disposed within the discharge tank 164. That is, the sorbent 166 may absorb heat (e.g., thermal energy) from the heated refrigerant flowing through the recovery coil 408. In some embodiments, the thermal energy supplied by the refrigerant within the recovery coil 408 may be sufficient to effect regeneration of the discharge tank 164 and release of the adsorbate from the adsorbent 166. Accordingly, the released adsorbate may be directed towards the evaporator 38 via the outlet conduit 332. In this manner, the energy recovery system 400 may enable the discharge tank 164 to undergo thermal regeneration without the use of additional heating elements, such as dual heating elements 232, 234. The cooled or partially cooled gaseous refrigerant exiting the recovery coil 408 may flow through the recovery conduit 406, the third recovery valve 424, and to the compressor 32, which recirculates the refrigerant through the vapor compression system 14 for reuse. In other embodiments, the cooled or partially cooled refrigerant exiting the recovery coil 408 may flow toward any other suitable component of the vapor compression system 14.

For example, in some embodiments, the adsorbent 166 within the discharge tank 164 may absorb sufficient thermal energy from the refrigerant such that the refrigerant may change phase or condense to a liquid state. In such embodiments, the third recovery valve 424 may be adjusted to a closed position (e.g., by the controller 342) while the fourth recovery valve 426 is adjusted to an open position (e.g., by the controller 342). Accordingly, the condensed refrigerant or partially condensed refrigerant exiting the recovery coil 408 may be directed to the evaporator 38 of the vapor compression system 14, rather than the compressor 32.

In some embodiments, the controller 342 may activate the flow generating device 402 only upon receiving an indication that the discharge tank 164 is in a regeneration cycle. That is, flow-generating device 402 may remain inactive during, for example, a saturation cycle of drain tank 164 and be activated (e.g., via a signal sent by controller 342) when a regeneration cycle is initiated. In some embodiments, the controller 342 may command the dual heating elements 232, 234 to supply thermal energy to the discharge tank 164 simultaneously with the recovery coil 408 of the energy recovery system 400. For example, the controller 342 may activate the dual heating elements 232, 234 during an initial start-up of the regeneration cycle when the temperature of the refrigerant circulating through the recovery coil 408 is insufficient to enable thermal regeneration of the discharge tank 164 alone (e.g., after an initial start-up of the flow generating device 402). In some embodiments, the controller 342 may be communicatively coupled to one or more sensors configured to provide feedback to the controller 342 indicative of the temperature of the refrigerant circulating through the recovery conduit 406 and/or the recovery coil 408. As such, the controller 342 may deactivate the dual heating elements 232, 234 upon determining that the refrigerant circulating through the recovery coil 408 is at a temperature sufficient to solely support the thermal regeneration cycle of the discharge tank 164. In this manner, the energy recovery system 400 may reduce the power consumption of conventional electric heaters used to facilitate regeneration of the drain tank 164 and, thus, increase the operating efficiency of the cleaning system 100.

The above-described embodiments of the discharge tank 164 may be used on the vapor compression system 14 and/or the purge system 100 alone, or in combination with one or more of the previously discussed embodiments. In addition, the specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should be further understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of this disclosure.