Patent ID: 6857285

Claim:
A heat exchange refrigerant subcool system that utilizes stored condensate water from an air conditioner, refrigeration or heat pump system or other water supply that is then pumped across a heat exchanger while the cold, dry building exhaust air is passed over said heat exchanger for evaporatively subcooling a liquid refrigerant that has already passed through the condenser of said air conditioner, refrigeration or heat pump system comprising in combination: a) a subcooler serially connected in fluid communication with the output of the condenser and input to the evaporator, enabling the refrigerant to flow through said subcooler after first flowing through the condenser; b) a reservoir located below the subcooler that receives the condensate discharge from said air conditioner, refrigeration or heat pump and that also receives any needed make up water; c) said reservoir connected in fluid communication with the input of a pump that pumps stored condensate and make up water through a control system that enables the correct amount of water to flow across and wet the surface of said subcooler and then back to storage in the reservoir; d) said wetted subcooler connected in fluid communication with the cold, dry building exhaust air that subsequently cools by evaporation the water flowing over the subcooler which in turn cools the refrigerant in the subcooler; and e) a means for said water to overflow to discharge, whereby said subcooler utilizes said evaporative cooling process for providing maximum available subcooling to the liquid refrigerant of an air conditioner, refrigeration or heat pump system.