Distributor for a refrigeration system (10-Mar-2010)

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Distributor for a refrigeration system

The invention concerns a distributor for a refrigeration
system, the refrigeration system comprising two or more

⁵ evaporator paths, a controller, sensors for collecting
data for the controller, the distributor distributing
fluid to the evaporator paths, and comprising a common
housing, an inlet and two or more outlets.

¹⁰ Such a refrigeration system is known from DE 195 47 744 A1.
The known refrigeration system has one single compressor
and one single condenser; however, two separately formed
evaporators. After the condenser and before the expansion
valves, the refrigerant flow supplied by the compressor is

¹⁵ divided into two partial flows by means of a 3/2-way valve,
the position of the 3/2-way valve being controlled by a
control unit. With this embodiment, however, the
refrigerant flow can only be divided into two evaporation
paths.

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In order to be able to provide several evaporation paths,
US 5,832,744 shows a refrigeration system, in which the
distributor has a valve between a refrigerant inlet and
several refrigerant outlets, a rotating turbine disc being

²⁵ connected after said valve. The purpose of the turbine
disc is to ensure that the refrigerant is distributed
evenly on all outlets of the distributor and thus evenly
on all evaporators.

³⁰ Theoretically, such a distributor ensures an even
distribution of the refrigerant on the individual
evaporators. However, even small deviations in the
dimensions, which could, for example, occur in production,

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cause that the refrigerant is distributed unevenly on the
individual evaporators. Additionally, in connection with
such distributors, it is required that the individual
evaporators have basically the same thermal load and also

⁵ the same flow resistance. If this is not the case, it may
happen that an evaporator receives too much refrigerant,
so that the refrigerant has not evaporated completely
before having passed the evaporator. Another evaporator,
which is connected to the same distributor, can receive

¹⁰ too little refrigerant, so that the evaporator cannot
provide the desired refrigeration performance. The over-
supply or the under-supply of the evaporator may
particularly cause trouble, if temperature sensors located
at the evaporators or other parts of the refrigeration

¹⁵ system are controlling an expansion valve. Under
unfavourable conditions, the expansion valve can be
exposed to natural oscillation, which further reduces the
capacity and the efficiency of the refrigeration system.

²⁰ In the following, the term "refrigeration system" is to be
interpreted broadly. It particularly refers to
refrigeration systems, freezer systems, air-conditioning
systems and heat pumps. The term "refrigeration system"
has merely been chosen for reasons of simplicity. The

²⁵ evaporator paths can be located in different evaporators.

For reasons of simplicity, the invention is described in
connection with several evaporators. However, the
invention can also be use...