Supercritical vapor compression system and apparatus for adjusting the pressure of the high-pressure component of the refrigerant circulating in the supercritical vapor compression system

摘要

A flash tank 20 employs valves 26, 28 for use in transcritical cycles of a vapor compression system to increase the efficiency and/or capacity of the system. Carbon dioxide is preferably used as the refrigerant. The high pressure of the system (gas cooler pressure) is regulated by controlling the amount of charge in the flash tank 20 by actuating valves 26, 28 positioned on the expansion devices located at the entry and exit of the flash tank 20. If the pressure in the gas cooler is too high or too low, the valves can be adjusted to either store charge in or release charge from the flash tank. By regulating the amount of charge in the flash tank, the high pressure of the system can be controlled to achieve optimal efficiency and/or capacity. IMAGE