IP Library Granted Patent US 10,465,959
Granted Patent B2
US 10,465,959 · App. 14/914,519 · Granted Nov 5, 2019

Refrigerant circulation device, method for circulating refrigerant and method for suppressing isomerization

Inventors: Kenji Ueda (Tokyo, JP); Naoki Kobayashi (Tokyo, JP); Yoshinori Akamatsu (Tokyo, JP); Fuyuhiko Sakyu (Tokyo, JP); Yoshio Nishiguchi (Saitama, JP)
Assignees: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.; CENTRAL GLASS CO., LTD.
F25B49/005C09K5/044C09K5/045F25B43/00C09K2205/122C09K2205/126F25B30/02F25B2400/121
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,465,959
App. No.
14/914,519
Granted
Nov 5, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A heat pump device and an organic Rankine cycle device that are capable of maintaining a stable thermal cycle even when an HFO or HCFO is used as the refrigerant. The refrigerant circulation device uses a refrigerant, wherein the refrigerant includes a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within the molecular structure, and a reaction suppression unit which suppresses an isomerization reaction of the refrigerant is provided within the refrigerant circulation circuit.

Claims (55)

1. A refrigerant circulator, comprising:

a refrigerant including a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure;

a refrigerant circulation circuit including:

a compressor that compresses the refrigerant,

a condenser that condenses the compressed refrigerant,

an expansion valve that expands the condensed refrigerant, and

an evaporator that evaporates the expanded refrigerant; and

a reaction suppressor which suppresses an isomerization reaction of the refrigerant and which is provided within the refrigerant circulation circuit,

wherein the reaction suppressor includes a reaction-suppressing material containing at least one material selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, aluminum, titanium, metallic silicon, silicon steel, tin, magnesium and zinc, and

the reaction-suppressing material is disposed to enable contact with the refrigerant.

2. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , wherein

the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure as a main component.

3. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , wherein

the refrigerant comprises a cis isomer of a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure as a main component.

4. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , wherein

the reaction suppressor suppresses an isomerization reaction of a cis isomer of the refrigerant to a trans isomer.

5. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , wherein

the reaction-suppressing material comprises a structure containing a mixture of copper, iron and stand-alone aluminum.

6. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , wherein

the reaction-suppressing material is a porous structure, a mesh structure or a corrugated structure.

7. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , wherein

the refrigerant circulation circuit has a region where a temperature of the refrigerant reaches 175° C. or higher, and

the reaction suppressor is provided in the region where the temperature of the refrigerant reaches 175° C. or higher.

8. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , wherein

the reaction suppressor is provided in a region from the compressor to the condenser.

9. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , comprising

an evaporator which evaporates the expanded refrigerant, wherein

the reaction suppression unit is provided in a region from the condenser to the expansion valve.

10. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 9 , wherein

the reaction suppression unit is integrated within the condenser.

11. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , comprising

a pump which force feeds the refrigerant,

the reaction suppression unit is provided in the region from the evaporator to the expansion device.

12. The refrigerant circulator according to claim 1 , wherein

the reaction-suppressing material comprises stand-alone aluminum.

13. A method for suppressing isomerization, comprising:

providing a refrigerant circulation circuit that includes, a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve that expands the condensed refrigerant, and an evaporator that evaporates the expanded refrigerant;

providing a refrigerant that includes a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure;

providing, in the refrigerant circulation circuit, a reaction suppressor including

a reaction-suppressing material that contains at least one material selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, aluminum, titanium, metallic silicon, silicon steel, tin, magnesium and zinc, and that suppresses an isomerization reaction of the refrigerant is provided within a refrigerant circulation circuit, and

bringing the refrigerant into contact with the reaction-suppressing material.

14. The method for suppressing isomerization according to claim 13 , wherein

the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure as a main component.

15. The method for suppressing isomerization according to claim 13 , wherein

the reaction suppressor contains a reaction-suppressing material that suppresses an isomerization reaction of a cis isomer of the refrigerant to a trans isomer.

16. A method for circulating a refrigerant, comprising:

providing a refrigerant circulation circuit that includes, a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the compressed refrigerant, an expansion valve that expands the condensed refrigerant, and an evaporator that evaporates the expanded refrigerant;

providing a

refrigerant that includes a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within the molecular structure;

providing a reaction suppressor including a reaction-suppressing material that contains at least one material selected from the group consisting of copper, iron, aluminum, titanium, metallic silicon, silicon steel, tin, magnesium and zinc, and that suppresses an isomerization reaction of the refrigerant is provided within a refrigerant circulation circuit, and

bringing the refrigerant into contact with the reaction-suppressing material.

17. The method for circulating a refrigerant according to claim 16 , wherein

the refrigerant comprises a hydrofluoroolefin or hydrochlorofluoroolefin having a carbon-carbon double bond within a molecular structure as a main component.

18. The method for circulating a refrigerant according to claim 16 , wherein

the reaction suppressor contains a reaction-suppressing material that suppresses an isomerization reaction of a cis isomer of the refrigerant to a trans isomer.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2017
From: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES THERMAL SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 043152/0511 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 26, 2016
From: UEDA, KENJI; KOBAYASHI, NAOKI; AKAMATSU, YOSHINORI; SAKYU, FUYUHIKO; NISHIGUCHI, YOSHIO
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.; CENTRAL GLASS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 037840/0127 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-222325 · Oct 25, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160200955A1 · Jul 14, 2016