Patent ID: 11874035
Assignee: THERMA-STOR LLC
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 0:
1. A Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
a condenser configured to:
receive a refrigerant in a gaseous state;
condense the refrigerant from the gaseous state into a liquid state; and
output a first condensed refrigerant in the liquid state;

a fixed expansion device fluidly coupled to the condenser, the fixed expansion device comprising a tubular structure with an opening that is configured to:
receive the first condensed refrigerant from the condenser;
output a first portion of the first condensed refrigerant at a fixed flow rate, wherein the fixed flow rate is proportional to a diameter of the opening of the tubular structure;

a sensing bulb comprising:
a hollow chamber; and
a capillary tube fluidly coupled to the hollow chamber; and

wherein the sensing bulb is configured to:
sense a temperature of a primary evaporator; and
output a fluid from the hollow chamber via the capillary tube based on the sensed temperature of the primary evaporator;

and
a variable expansion device fluidly coupled to the condenser, wherein
the variable expansion device comprises:
a flexible diaphragm fluidly coupled to the capillary tube of the sensing bulb configured to:
receive the fluid from the sensing bulb; and
apply a first force to a pin based on the received fluid from the sensing bulb;

the pin operably configured to apply a second force to a valve based on the first force, wherein the size of the pin is proportional to a ratio between a maximum variable flow rate of the variable expansion device and a total flow rate that is equal to the fixed flow rate plus the maximum variable flow rate of the variable expansion device; and
the valve is fluidly coupled to the condenser and configured to:
receive the first condensed refrigerant from the condenser;
output a second portion of the first condensed refrigerant at a variable flow rate, wherein the variable flow rate is proportional to the sensed temperature of the evaporator.