Evaporator and Climate Cabinet

Abstract

An evaporator for a climate chamber, in particular for a constant climate chamber with temperature- and humidity control, comprising a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet for a refrigerant, wherein the first inlet, the second inlet, and the outlet are connected with one another by a duct, and wherein the second inlet is disposed between the first inlet and the outlet, and a climate chamber with an evaporator.

Claims

1. An evaporator for a climate chamber, comprising: a temperature and humidity control, a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet for a refrigerant, wherein the first inlet, the second inlet and the outlet are connected with one another by a duct, and wherein the second inlet is disposed between the first inlet and the outlet.

2. The evaporator as in claim 1, wherein the duct comprises a first end zone and a second end zone and that the first inlet is disposed in the first end zone and the outlet is disposed in the second end zone.

3. The evaporator as in claim 1, wherein the duct has a first line length between the first inlet and the outlet and a second line length between the second inlet and the outlet, wherein the second line length is less than the first line length.

4. The evaporator as in claim 1, wherein the evaporator is developed as a plate evaporator.

5. The evaporator as in claim 1, wherein the first inlet, the second inlet, the outlet and the duct are disposed in a common plane.

6. The evaporator as in claim 1, further comprising: a frame; and two plates, wherein the two plates are disposed on opposing sides of the frame and wherein the frame and two plates encompass the duct and that the duct is guided in meander form between the two plates.

7. The evaporator as in claim 1, wherein the duct is formed by diversion projections alternatingly projecting from opposing sides of the frame.

8. The evaporator as in claim 1, wherein the diversion projections are disposed spaced apart from one another.

9. The evaporator as in claim 1, wherein at a free end of at least one of the at least one diversion provisions a diversion section is disposed.

10. The evaporator as in claim 1, wherein the second inlet is disposed in a diversion section.

11. The evaporator as in claim 1, wherein a duct cross section between the first inlet and the second inlet is less than a second duct cross section between the second inlet and the outlet.

12. A climate chamber, comprising: a temperature and humidity control that provides a constant climate chamber, a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet for a refrigerant, wherein the first inlet, the second inlet and the outlet are connected with one another by a duct, wherein the second inlet is disposed between the first inlet and the outlet, wherein the climate chamber has an interior volume and a refrigeration circuit, configured for setting temperature and humidity in the interior volume, with a compressor and an evaporator.

13. The climate chamber as in claim 12, wherein the compressor is connected at a compressor input side with the outlet and at a compressor output side is connected in parallel with the first inlet and the second inlet.

14. The climate chamber as in claim 12, wherein the compressor is a piston compressor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] In the following an embodiment example of a refrigeration circuit of a climate chamber with an evaporator according to the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing. Therein depict:

[0030] FIG. 1 a simplified and exemplary refrigeration circuit with an evaporator according to the patent application and

[0031] FIG. 2 a highly simplified, partially sectioned and perspective representation of an evaporator for a refrigeration circuit according to FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 3 a climate chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Like or functionally like structural parts are identified by like reference symbols. Furthermore, in the Figures not all like or functionally like structural parts are provided with a reference number.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary refrigeration circuit 3 of a climate chamber 1 comprising a compressor 5, a first heat exchanger 8, valves 6, an evaporator 2, and lines 4 that connect the components of the refrigeration circuit 3 with one another. The coolant coming from the compressor 5 at the output side is conducted across the line 4 to a heat exchanger 8. The heat exchanger 8 can output heat to the surroundings of the climate chamber 1 and, for this purpose, can be developed as a fin-tube heat exchanger with axial fan. Due to the heat output to the surroundings, the refrigerant can preferably be liquified. The line 4 connects across a T-branch the heat exchanger 8 with two parallel-connected valves 6 which, in turn, as will be described below, are connected with the evaporator 2. The evaporator 2 in the refrigeration circuit 3 is an expansion element as well as also a heat exchanger which can transfer heat from the interior volume 14 of the climate chamber 1 onto the refrigerant.

[0035] As is already evident based on the refrigeration circuit 3 according to FIG. 1, the evaporator 2 for the coolant comprises a first inlet 31 and a second inlet 32 as well as a common outlet 35, wherein the coolant flowing through the common outlet 35 as well as the coolant flowing through the first inlet 31 as well as also the coolant flowing through the second inlet 32 can flow out of the evaporator 2 again and be guided across line 4 at the input side to the compressor 5.

[0036] The first inlet 31 and the second inlet 32 are connected at the output side with the compressor 5, wherein the compressor 5 can be a piston compressor. The coolant coming from the compressor 5 is conducted across the T-branch to the parallel-connected first inlet 31 and second inlet 32, wherein upstream of each particular inlet 31, 32 one valve 6 is located which can regulate a coolant flow to each inlet 31, 32.

[0037] The refrigeration circuit 3 can furthermore comprise filters 9, wherein upstream of the T-branch or the valves 6 or the evaporator 2 a fixed-bed filter can be disposed and downstream of evaporator 2 a fluid filter can be disposed.

[0038] For control and regulation purposes, furthermore, a bypass can be provided which returns the refrigerant at the input side to the compressor 5 in front of the T-branch to valves 6.

[0039] Furthermore, a valve 6 can be disposed between the fluid filter 9 and the opening of the bypass on the input side of the compressor 5.

[0040] With reference to FIG. 2 it is evident that the evaporator 2 is developed as a plate evaporator with a housing 10, wherein the housing 10 can comprise a frame 11 and two plates 12, 13, which are disposed on opposing sides of the frame 11 and, together with the frame 11, can encompass a duct 20 in the interior of the housing 10 through which the coolant can flow from the first inlet 31 and the second inlet 32 to the common outlet 35. In the perspective representation according to FIG. 2 the plate 12 is not depicted.

[0041] The housing 10 or the plates 12, 13 can preferably be produced of special steel.

[0042] In the housing 10 a multiplicity of diversion means 15 are disposed in cascades whereby the duct 20 is developed in meander form in housing 10. The diversion means 15 are preferably connected with the plates 12, 13 such that they are liquid- and/or gas-tight and are furthermore disposed in parallel and spaced apart. The diversion means 15 project alternatingly from opposing sides and form at their free ends 16 a diversion section 25. For greater clarity only selected diversion means 15 and diversion sections 25 are provided with a reference number. In the diversion section 25 duct 20 is diverted by 180°, wherein the coolant is diverted by 180° in the diversion section 25 from an input-side duct section on a first side of the particular diversion means 15 about the free end 16 to a second side, opposite to the first side, of the particular diversion means 15 into an output-side duct section.

[0043] Duct 20 extends as a closed single-flow line from a first end zone 21 (in FIG. 2 upper right) as far as a second end zone 22 (in FIG. 2 lower right). In the first end zone 21 the first inlet 31 is disposed and in the second end zone 22 is disposed the common outlet 35, whereas the second inlet 32 opens out into duct 20 between the first inlet 31 and the common outlet 35.

[0044] A first stretch of way of duct 20 between the first inlet 31 and the second inlet 32 is of a first line length L1 and a second stretch of way between the second inlet 32 and the common outlet 35 is of a line length L2. As is directly evident in FIG. 2, the first line length L1 is considerably greater than the second line length L2.L1≥L2 preferably applies. In the depicted embodiment example L1≅4.Math.L2.

[0045] The second inlet 32 also opens out into duct 20, whereby a refrigerant flow, conducted through the first inlet 31 into duct 20, can mix with a second refrigerant flow through the second inlet 32 and can be conducted jointly to the common outlet 35 through duct 20.

[0046] The second inlet 32 is disposed in one of the diversion sections 25, wherein the second inlet 32 is disposed in the diversion section 25 such that the second inlet 32 is oriented toward the output-side duct section of diversion section 25. It is, in particular, preferred if the second inlet 32 is oriented aligned to the output-side duct section.

[0047] In the first stretch of way of duct 20 between the first inlet 31 and the second inlet 32 the duct has a first duct cross section A1 which, according to the depicted embodiment example, is constant. However, the first duct cross section A1 can increase between the first inlet 31 and the second inlet 32, which increase can be realized, for example, thereby that the distance between the diversion means 15 increases with the goal of accounting for the density changes in the coolant so that the velocity of the coolants along the duct 20 between the first inlet 31 and the second inlet 32 is approximately constant.

[0048] A second duct cross section A2 can also be developed so as to be constant and can correspond to the first duct cross section A1; however, it is also feasible for the second duct cross section A2 to be dimensioned greater than the duct cross section A1. Through the second duct cross section A2 flows a coolant mass flow from the first inlet 31 as well as also a coolant mass flow from the second inlet 32, for which reason the second duct cross section A2 can be dimensioned greater than the first duct cross section A1 in order to attain a low flow rate due to the increased coolant mass flow.

[0049] The climate chamber 1 shown in FIG. 3 is developed as a constant climate chamber and comprises cooling as well as also dehumidification functions, wherein in the interior volume 14 of the climate chamber 1 defined climate conditions can be set under the aspect of air humidity and temperature. Across the evaporator 2 heat can be withdrawn from the interior volume 14, wherein for the removal of heat from the interior volume 14 the refrigerant can flow through the first inlet 31 into the evaporator 2, and across the entire evaporator 2 a high cooling capacity can be achieved. In humidity operation of the climate chamber 1 a specific humidity value is to be set in the interior volume 14 of climate chamber 1, wherein it is advantageous for the difference between the dew point on one of the surfaces of the housing 10 of evaporator 2 and the temperature in the interior volume 14 of climate chamber 1 to be small in order to avoid unnecessary condensation on evaporator 2. In case dehumidification of the air mixture in the interior volume 14 of climate chamber 1 is to take place, further coolant can be introduced through the second inlet 32 into duct 20 whereby the temperature between the second inlet 32 and the common outlet 35 is lowered below the dew point, which is the reason the humidity condenses out on the evaporator plate and can be drained in the form of a liquid medium from the interior volume 14 of climate chamber 1.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0050] 1 Climate chamber

[0051] 2 Evaporator

[0052] 3 Refrigeration circuit

[0053] 4 Line

[0054] 5 Compressor

[0055] 6 Valve

[0056] 8 Heat exchanger

[0057] 9 filter

[0058] 10 Housing

[0059] 11 Frame

[0060] 12 Plate

[0061] 13 Plate

[0062] 14 Interior volume

[0063] 15 Diversion means

[0064] 16 Free end

[0065] 20 Duct

[0066] 21 First end zone

[0067] 22 Second end zone

[0068] 25 Diversion section

[0069] 31 First inlet

[0070] 32 Second inlet

[0071] 35 Outlet

[0072] A1 First duct cross section

[0073] A2 Second duct cross section

[0074] L1 First line length

[0075] L2 Second line length