METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A VAPOUR COMPRESSION SYSTEM WITH AN EJECTOR

Abstract

A method for controlling a vapour compression system (1) is disclosed, the vapour compression system (1) comprising an ejector (5). The method comprises controlling a compressor unit (2) in order to adjust a pressure inside a receiver (6), on the basis of a detected pressure of refrigerant leaving an evaporator (8). The portion of refrigerant leaving the evaporator (8) which is supplied to a secondary inlet (15) of the ejector is maximised and the portion of refrigerant supplied directly to the compressor unit (2) is minimised, while ensuring that the pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator (8) does not decrease below an acceptable level.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a vapour compression system, the vapour compression system comprising a compressor unit comprising one or more compressors, a heat rejecting heat exchanger, an ejector, a receiver, an expansion device and an evaporator arranged in a refrigerant path, wherein an outlet of the heat rejecting heat exchanger is connected to a primary inlet of the ejector, an outlet of the ejector is connected to the receiver and an outlet of the evaporator is selectively connected to a secondary inlet of the ejector and/or to an inlet of the compressor unit, and wherein a gaseous outlet of the receiver is connected to an inlet of the compressor unit, the method comprising the steps of: detecting a pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator, detecting a state of the compressor unit, said state of the compressor unit indicating whether or not refrigerant is supplied from the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor unit, in the case that the step of detecting a state of the compressor unit reveals that refrigerant is supplied from the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor unit, operating the compressor unit in order to decrease a pressure inside the receiver, in the case that the step of detecting a state of the compressor unit reveals that refrigerant is not supplied from the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor unit, comparing the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator to a lower threshold value and to an upper threshold value, and operating the compressor unit in order to: increase a pressure inside the receiver in the case that the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator is below the lower threshold value, decrease a pressure inside the receiver in the case that the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator is above the upper threshold value, and maintain a pressure inside the receiver in the case that the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator is between the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compressor unit comprises one or more main compressors and one or more receiver compressors, the main compressor(s) being connected to the outlet of the evaporator, and the receiver compressor(s) being connected to the gaseous outlet of the receiver, and wherein the step of detecting a state of the compressor unit comprises detecting whether or not one or more of the main compressor(s) is/are operating.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the steps of operating the compressor unit to increase or decrease the pressure inside the receiver comprises operating the receiver compressor(s) to adjust the pressure inside the receiver.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of detecting whether or not one or more of the receiver compressor(s) is/are operating, and operating the compressor unit in order to decrease a pressure inside the receiver in the case that the receiver compressor(s) is/are not operating.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compressor unit comprises one or more valves arranged to control whether the inlet of the compressor unit is connected to the gaseous outlet of the receiver or to the outlet of the evaporator, and wherein the step of detecting a state of the compressor unit comprises detecting a state of the one or more valves.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of operating the compressor unit to decrease the pressure inside the receiver, in the case that refrigerant is supplied from the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor unit, comprises switching at least one of the one or more valves to a position where the inlet of the compressor unit is connected to the gaseous outlet of the receiver.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the steps of operating the compressor unit to decrease or increase the pressure inside the receiver, in the case that refrigerant is not supplied from the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor unit, comprises increasing or decreasing a compressor capacity of the compressor unit.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of operating the compressor unit comprises the steps of: adjusting a setpoint value for the pressure inside the receiver, in accordance with the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator, and operating the compressor unit in accordance with the adjusted setpoint value.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vapour compression system further comprises a high pressure valve interconnecting an outlet of the heat rejecting heat exchanger and an inlet of the receiver, the high pressure valve being arranged in parallel to the ejector, and wherein refrigerant leaving the heat rejecting heat exchanger is divided into a flow passing through the high pressure valve and a flow passing through the ejector, via the primary inlet of the ejector.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vapour compression system is arranged to have a transcritical refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant path.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the heat rejecting heat exchanger is a gas cooler.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the vapour compression system further comprises a bypass valve arranged in a refrigerant path interconnecting the gaseous outlet of the receiver and the inlet of the compressor unit, and wherein the method further comprises the step of opening the bypass valve in the case that the pressure inside the receiver decreases below a minimum value.

13. A vapour compression system comprising a compressor unit comprising one or more compressors, a heat rejecting heat exchanger, an ejector, a receiver, an expansion device and an evaporator arranged in a refrigerant path, wherein an outlet of the heat rejecting heat exchanger is connected to a primary inlet of the ejector and an outlet of the ejector is connected to the receiver, wherein the vapour compression system further comprises one or more valves arranged to control whether an inlet of the compressor unit is connected to a gaseous outlet of the receiver and/or to an outlet of the evaporator, and wherein the outlet of the evaporator is connected to the one or more valves and to a secondary inlet of the ejector.

14. The vapour compression system according to claim 13, wherein the one or more valves is or comprises a three way valve being switchable between a position where refrigerant is supplied from the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor unit, and a position where refrigerant is supplied from the gaseous outlet of the receiverto the inlet of the compressor unit.

15. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of detecting whether or not one or more of the receiver compressor(s) is/are operating, and operating the compressor unit in order to decrease a pressure inside the receiver in the case that the receiver compressor(s) is/are not operating.

16. The method according to claim 6, wherein the steps of operating the compressor unit to decrease or increase the pressure inside the receiver, in the case that refrigerant is not supplied from the outlet of the evaporator to the inlet of the compressor unit, comprises increasing or decreasing a compressor capacity of the compressor unit.

17. The method according to claim 2, wherein the steps of operating the compressor unit comprises the steps of: adjusting a setpoint value for the pressure inside the receiver, in accordance with the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator, and operating the compressor unit in accordance with the adjusted setpoint value.

18. The method according to claim 3, wherein the steps of operating the compressor unit comprises the steps of: adjusting a setpoint value for the pressure inside the receiver, in accordance with the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator, and operating the compressor unit in accordance with the adjusted setpoint value.

19. The method according to claim 4, wherein the steps of operating the compressor unit comprises the steps of: adjusting a setpoint value for the pressure inside the receiver, in accordance with the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator, and operating the compressor unit in accordance with the adjusted setpoint value.

20. The method according to claim 5, wherein the steps of operating the compressor unit comprises the steps of: adjusting a setpoint value for the pressure inside the receiver, in accordance with the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator, and operating the compressor unit in accordance with the adjusted setpoint value.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0070] The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which

[0071] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vapour compression system being controlled using a method according to a first embodiment of the invention,

[0072] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a vapour compression system being controlled using a method according to a second embodiment of the invention, and

[0073] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a vapour compression system being controlled using a method according to a third embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vapour compression system 1 being controlled using a method according to a first embodiment of the invention.The vapour compression system 1 comprises a compressor unit 2, a heat rejecting heat exchanger 3, a high pressure valve 4, an ejector 5, a receiver 6, an expansion device 7, in the form of an expansion valve, and an evaporator 8 arranged in a refrigerant path. The receiver 6 comprises a liquid outlet 9 and a gaseous outlet 10. The liquid outlet 9 is connected to the expansion device 7, i.e. the liquid part of the refrigerant in the receiver 6 is supplied to the evaporator 8, via the expansion device 7.

[0075] The compressor unit 2 comprises two main compressors 11 and a receiver compressor 12. The inlets of the main compressors 11 are connected to an outlet of the evaporator 8. Thus, the main compressors 11 are dedicated for compressing refrigerant received from the outlet of the evaporator 8.

[0076] The inlet of the receiver compressor 12 is connected to the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6. Thus, the receiver compressor 12 is dedicated for compressing refrigerant received from the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6.

[0077] The vapour compression system 1 further comprises a bypass valve 13 arranged in a refrigerant path interconnecting the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6 and the inlets of the main compressors 11. Thus, when the bypass valve 13 is open, gaseous refrigerant from the receiver 6 is supplied to the main compressors 11.

[0078] Refrigerant leaving the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3 is divided between the high pressure valve 4 and a primary inlet 14 of the ejector 5, in such a manner that some of the refrigerant may pass through the high pressure valve 4, and at least some of the refrigerant passes through the ejector 5, via the primary inlet 14, before being supplied to the receiver 6.

[0079] A secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5 is connected to the outlet of the evaporator 8. Thus, refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 can selectively be supplied to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5, or to the main compressors 11.

[0080] The vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 1 may be operated in the following manner. Refrigerant is compressed by the compressors 11, 12 of the compressor unit 2 before being supplied to the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3. In the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3 heat exchange takes place between the refrigerant and the ambient, in such a manner that heat is rejected from the refrigerant flowing through the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3.

[0081] The refrigerant leaving the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3 is supplied to one or both of the high pressure valve 4 and the primary inlet 14 of the ejector 5, as described above, where the refrigerant undergoes expansion before being supplied to the receiver 6.

[0082] In the receiver 6 the refrigerant is separated into a liquid part and a gaseous part. The liquid part of the refrigerant is supplied to the expansion device 7, via the liquid outlet 9. The expansion device 7 expands the refrigerant before it is supplied to the evaporator 8. The refrigerant being supplied to the evaporator 8 is in a mixed liquid and gaseous state.

[0083] In the evaporator 8 the liquid part of the refrigerant is at least partly evaporated, while heat exchange takes place between the refrigerant and the ambient in such a manner that heat is absorbed by the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator 8. The refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is either supplied to the main compressors 11 or to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5, where the pressure of the refrigerant is increased due to work performed by the refrigerant received at the primary inlet 14 of the ejector 5 from the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3.

[0084] The gaseous part of the refrigerant in the receiver 6 is supplied directly to the receiver compressor 12. Thereby the gaseous part of the refrigerant does not undergo the expansion introduced by the expansion device 7, and the work required by the receiver compressor 12 in order to compress the refrigerant is thereby reduced.

[0085] It is desirable to direct as much refrigerant as possible from the outlet of the evaporator 8 to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5. In fact, it is preferable that the main compressors 11 are not operating at all, and that all of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is thereby directed to the primary inlet 15 of the ejector 5. However, it must still be ensured that the pressure of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 does not decrease below an acceptable level, or increase above an acceptable level.

[0086] To this end, it is initially detected whether or not at least one of the main compressors 11 is operating. If this is the case, then at least some of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is supplied to the main compressors 11. If none of the main compressors 11 is operating, then all of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is supplied to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5.

[0087] In the case that it is revealed that at least one of the main compressors 11 is operating, it is desirable to cause a larger portion of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 to be supplied to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5. In order to obtain this, the speed of the receiver compressor 12 is increased. This causes the mass flow of gaseous refrigerant from the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6 to the receiver compressor 12 to increase, thereby decreasing the pressure inside the receiver 6.

[0088] As described above, the mass flow of refrigerant from the outlet of the evaporator 8 to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5 is, in principle, determined by the following equation:

K={dot over (m)}.Math.Δp,

where K is a constant, {dot over (m)} is the mass flow of refrigerant being supplied from the outlet of the evaporator 8 to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5, and Δp is the difference between the pressure inside the receiver 6 and the pressure of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8. Accordingly, the decrease in pressure inside the receiver 6 described above results in a decrease in the pressure difference, Δp, and thereby in an increase in the mass flow, {dot over (m)}. Eventually this will cause the pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 to decrease to a level which causes the main compressors 11 to stop operating.

[0089] In the case that it is revealed that none of the main compressors 11 is operating, the pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is detected, and the detected pressure is compared to a lower threshold value and to an upper threshold value.

[0090] In the case that the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is below the lower threshold value, there is a risk that the pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 decreases to an unacceptable level. It is therefore desirable to increase the pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 in this case. This may be obtained by decreasing the mass flow of refrigerant supplied from the outlet of the evaporator 8 to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5.

[0091] In order to obtain this, the speed of the receiver compressor 12 is decreased. Thereby the mass flow of gaseous refrigerant from the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6 to the receiver compressor 12 is decreased, and the pressure inside the receiver 6 is increased accordingly. Referring to the equation above, this causes the pressure difference, Δp, to increase, and thereby the mass flow, {dot over (m)}, to decrease.

[0092] In the case that the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is above the upper threshold value, there is a risk that the pressure of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 increases to a level which causes one or more of the main compressors 11 to start operating. It is therefore desirable to decrease the pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 in this case. This may be obtained by increasing the mass flow of refrigerant supplied from the outlet of the evaporator 8 to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5.

[0093] In order to obtain this, the speed of the receiver compressor 12 is increased. Thereby the mass flow of gaseous refrigerant from the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6 to the receiver compressor 12 is increased, and the pressure inside the receiver 6 is decreased accordingly. Referring to the equation above, this causes the pressure difference, Δp, to decrease, and thereby the mass flow, {dot over (m)}, to increase.

[0094] In the case that the detected pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is between the lower threshold value and the upper threshold value, the pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is within a suitable range, and no adjustments are therefore made to the operation of the receiver compressor 12.

[0095] In the case that the pressure inside the receiver 6 decreases below a predefined threshold value, the amount of gaseous refrigerant in the receiver 6 is no longer sufficient to allow the receiver compressor 12 to operate properly. Therefore, in this case the receiver compressor 12 is stopped and the bypass valve 13 is opened. Thereby the gaseous refrigerant from the receiver 6 is supplied to the refrigerant path interconnecting the outlet of the evaporator 8 and the inlet of the main compressors 11. Thus, the gaseous refrigerant from the receiver 6 is mixed with the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8, and the mixed refrigerant flow is supplied to the main compressors 11 and compressed by means of the main compressors 11 before being supplied to the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3.

[0096] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a vapour compression system 1 being controlled using a method according to a second embodiment of the invention. The vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 2 is very similar to the vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 1, and it will therefore not be described in detail here.

[0097] In the vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 2, the compressor unit 2 comprises two compressors 16 and a three way valve 17 which is switchable between a position where refrigerant is supplied from the outlet of the evaporator 8 to the compressors 16, and a position where refrigerant is supplied from the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6 to the compressors 16. Accordingly, the compressors 16 of the compressor unit 2 may selectively operate as ‘main compressors’ or as ‘receiver compressors’.

[0098] The vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 2 is operated essentially as described above with reference to FIG. 1. However, in the vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 2, the position of the three way valve 17 is initially detected, instead of detecting whether or not at least one main compressor is operating. Thus, it is essentially detected whether the compressors 16 operate as ‘main compressors’ or as ‘receiver compressors’.

[0099] If the three way valve 17 is in a position where the outlet of the evaporator 8 is connected to the inlet of the compressors 16, i.e. the compressors 16 operate as ‘main compressors’, then the three way valve 17 is switched to a position where the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6 is connected to the inlet of the compressors 16. Thus, the compressors 16 are caused to operate as ‘receiver compressors’. This will cause an increase in mass flow of gaseous refrigerant from the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6 to the inlet of the compressors 16, leading to a decrease in the pressure difference, Δp, and a corresponding increase in the mass flow, {dot over (m)}, essentially as described above.

[0100] If, on the other hand, the three way valve 17 is in a position where the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6 is connected to the inlet of the compressors 16, i.e. the compressors 16 operate as ‘receiver compressors’, then the pressure of refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is detected and compared to a lower threshold value and to an upper threshold value, as described above. The mass flow, {dot over (m)}, is then adjusted essentially as described above with reference to FIG. 1, by adjusting the capacity of the compressors 16, e.g. by adjusting the speed of the one or both of the compressors 16 and/or by switching one of the compressors 16 on or off.

[0101] In the case that the pressure inside the receiver 6 decreases below a minimum value, the amount of gaseous refrigerant in the receiver 6 is no longer sufficient to allow one of the compressors 16 of the compressor unit 2 to operate properly, when the three way valve 17 is in the position where the gaseous outlet 10 of the receiver 6 is connected to the compressors 16. Therefore, in this case the three way valve 17 is switched to the position where the outlet of the evaporator 8 is connected to the compressors 16, and the bypass valve 13 is opened. Thereby the gaseous refrigerant from the receiver 6 is supplied to the refrigerant path interconnecting the outlet of the evaporator 8 and the compressors 16. Thus, the gaseous refrigerant from the receiver 6 is mixed with the refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8, and the mixed refrigerant flow is supplied to the compressors 16 where it is compressed before being supplied to the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3.

[0102] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a vapour compression 1 system being controlled using a method according to a third embodiment of the invention. The vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 3 is very similar to the vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 1, and it will therefore not be described in detail here.

[0103] The vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 3 comprises an additional ejector 5a . The primary inlet 14a of the additional ejector 5a is connected to the outlet of the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3, and the outlet of the additional ejector 5a is connected to the receiver 6. Accordingly, refrigerant leaving the heat rejecting heat exchanger 3 is distributed between the primary inlet 14 of the ejector 5, the primary inlet 14a of the additional ejector 5a and the high pressure valve 4.

[0104] The vapour compression system 1 further comprises an additional receiver 18, or separator, arranged to receive refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8, and in which the refrigerant is separated into a liquid part and a gaseous part. A liquid outlet 19 of the additional receiver 18 is connected to a secondary inlet 15a of the additional ejector 5a.

[0105] A first gaseous outlet 20 of the additional receiver 18 is connected to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector, and a second gaseous outlet 21 of the additional receiver 18 is connected to the main compressors 11.

[0106] Accordingly, refrigerant leaving the evaporator 8 is supplied to the additional receiver 18, where it is separated into a liquid part and a gaseous part. The liquid part of the refrigerant is supplied to the secondary inlet 15a of the additional ejector 5a , where it undergoes expansion before being supplied to the receiver 6. The gaseous part of the refrigerant in the additional receiver 18 is either supplied to the secondary inlet 15 of the ejector 5, or to the main compressors 11.

[0107] The vapour compression system 1 of FIG. 3 is controlled essentially as described above with reference to FIG. 1.

[0108] While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to this disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.