Patent ID: 8291719
Filing Date: 2012-10-23
Classification: F25B

Abstract:
1. A temperature control system employing a two-phase refrigerant and a compressor/condenser loop having an input and output for circulating refrigerant at a controllable temperature to and from a load evaporator having input and output terminals and a known thermal capacity, the temperature control system including a subsidiary heat exchange loop for enhancing the performance of the system by advantageously utilizing the different thermal energy transfer properties of the two phases of the refrigerant, comprising: a subsidiary heat exchanger coupled between the flow from the output of the compressor/condenser loop to the load evaporator input, the subsidiary heat exchanger having a smaller thermal capacity than the known thermal capacity of the load evaporator, said subsidiary heat exchanger having a first flow path including an input receiving flow from the compressor/condenser loop and an output therefrom coupled to the load evaporator input, and the subsidiary heat exchanger also including a second flow path in counterflow thermal exchange relation along the length of the first flow path, the second flow path including an input receiving flow from the load evaporator output and providing an output flow coupled back to the input to the compressor/condenser loop, at least one temperature-modifying device in series circuit with the input to the first flow path and prior to the subsidiary heat exchanger for lowering the temperature of the flow output therefrom that is input to the load evaporator and increasing the bulk density of the flow therefrom to the evaporator, whereby although the proportion of liquid in the refrigerant mix fed to the load evaporator is partially reduced, the bulk density of the mass moving through the load evaporator is thereby increased to minimize heat transfer losses in the low efficiency region of the load evaporator, and wherein the subsidiary heat exchanger is configured to transfer thermal energy between the two flow paths therein such that the refrigerant flowing in the second path is returned to the compressor/condenser loop in gaseous state.