Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of operating a vapour compression cycle comprising a compressor (10), a cooler (11), throttling means (13) and an evaporator (14) connected in series forming an integral closed circuit operating at supercritical pressure on the high pressure side of the cycle, characterized in that the high side pressure of the cycle is regulated by variation of the instant refrigerant charge in the high pressure side of the circuit by varying the inventory of a buffer refrigerant receiver situated in the circuit, where the pressure is increased by decreasing the inventory and vice versa, thereby affecting the specific capacity of the cycle.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
102 words
A method of operating a vapour compression cycle comprising a compressor (10), a cooler (11), throttling means (13) and an evaporator (14) connected in series forming an integral closed circuit operating at supercritical pressure on the high pressure side of the cycle, characterized in that the high side pressure of the cycle is regulated by variation of the instant refrigerant charge in the high pressure side of the circuit by varying the inventory of a buffer refrigerant receiver situated in the circuit, where the pressure is increased by decreasing the inventory and vice versa, thereby affecting the specific capacity of the cycle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the supercritical pressure regulation is conducted by varying the liquid inventory of a low pressure refrigerant receiver (16) situated intermediate the evaporator (14) and the compressor (10) applying solely throttling means (13) as steering means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
Method according to claim 1, characterized in that variation of the instant refrigerant charge in the high pressure side of the flow circuit is obtained by modulating the valve (21) and the throttling means (13) to vary the supercritically pressurized refrigerant charge in a receiver (22) installed in the flow circuit between the valve (21) and the throttling means (13).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
79 words
Method according to claim 1, characterized in that variation of the instant refrigerant charge in the high pressure side of the flow circuit is obtained by continuously regulating the removal or fitting of refrigerant to or from a storage device (25) connected to the high and low pressure sides of the flow circuit by means of pipes with valves (23, 24) and keeping the pressure in the storage device (25) intermediate the high side and the low side pressures.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
Method according to claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the evaporator outlet condition is maintained as a two phase mixture of vapour and liquid providing a liquid surplus at the low pressure inlet of an additional heat exchanger (12) where the low pressure refrigerant is subjected to evaporation and superheating prior to inlet to the compressor by heat from the high pressure refrigerant.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
Method according to one or more preceding claims, characterized in that the refrigerant is carbon dioxide.