NRT.Rob
23-06-2013, 06:28 PM
Hi All,
New member... I'm a hydronic designer in the residential market. Very, very new to refrigeration.
I have become interested in figuring out how to convert traditional condenser units into chillers without a prepackaged "chiller barrel". I have seen techniques with a buffer tank and plate HX, flow switch, pump, etc... however I am curious about getting into an alternate idea to reduce points of failure.
specifically I am wondering if it would be possible to use a top-mounted steel or copper coil in a water tank as the heat rejection coil, with refrigerant in the coil. theoretically it should be similar in function as a very large "shell and tube" heat exchanger... there are even some such tanks with really large HX coils if necessary. One difference with shell and tube though is that fluid flow over the HX would be natural convective movement not forced... though on the heating side, we can usually transfer fairly large amounts of heat this way, I see no reason to expect it to be different in cooling modes.
I do not as of yet understand refrigeration nearly well enough to evaluate this from the refrigerant cycle/compressor control side. This could be a great way to get chilled water hydronics to a more viable level for clients who are not doing geothermal or air to water heat pumps/reverse cycle chillers. Condensers are, after all, much cheaper due to economies of scale in the residential market. if I can just add a coiled tank to a condensor and make chilled water reliably, I'd be a very, very happy guy.
anyone interested in batting this around a bit? Thanks in advance for even reading!
New member... I'm a hydronic designer in the residential market. Very, very new to refrigeration.
I have become interested in figuring out how to convert traditional condenser units into chillers without a prepackaged "chiller barrel". I have seen techniques with a buffer tank and plate HX, flow switch, pump, etc... however I am curious about getting into an alternate idea to reduce points of failure.
specifically I am wondering if it would be possible to use a top-mounted steel or copper coil in a water tank as the heat rejection coil, with refrigerant in the coil. theoretically it should be similar in function as a very large "shell and tube" heat exchanger... there are even some such tanks with really large HX coils if necessary. One difference with shell and tube though is that fluid flow over the HX would be natural convective movement not forced... though on the heating side, we can usually transfer fairly large amounts of heat this way, I see no reason to expect it to be different in cooling modes.
I do not as of yet understand refrigeration nearly well enough to evaluate this from the refrigerant cycle/compressor control side. This could be a great way to get chilled water hydronics to a more viable level for clients who are not doing geothermal or air to water heat pumps/reverse cycle chillers. Condensers are, after all, much cheaper due to economies of scale in the residential market. if I can just add a coiled tank to a condensor and make chilled water reliably, I'd be a very, very happy guy.
anyone interested in batting this around a bit? Thanks in advance for even reading!