US 11,953,243 B2
Mechanical-cooling, free-cooling, and hybrid-cooling operation of a chiller
William L Kopko, Jacobus, PA (US); and Jing Li, Red Lion, PA (US)
Assigned to TYCO FIRE & SECURITY GMBH, Neuhausen am Rheinfall (CH)
Filed by Johnson Controls Technology Company, Auburn Hills, MI (US)
Filed on May 14, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/321,098.
Prior Publication US 2022/0364776 A1, Nov. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. F25B 41/24 (2021.01); F24F 3/06 (2006.01); F25B 6/04 (2006.01); F25B 39/04 (2006.01); F25B 40/02 (2006.01); F25B 41/22 (2021.01)
CPC F25B 41/24 (2021.01) [F25B 6/04 (2013.01); F25B 40/02 (2013.01); F25B 41/22 (2021.01); F24F 3/06 (2013.01); F25B 39/04 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A chiller system, comprising:
a mechanical-cooling circuit configured to circulate a refrigerant through an evaporator of the mechanical-cooling circuit, wherein the evaporator is configured to cool a conditioning fluid with the refrigerant;
a free-cooling circuit configured to circulate the refrigerant through a heat exchanger of the free-cooling circuit, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to cool the conditioning fluid with the refrigerant;
a distribution header having a first inlet configured to receive the refrigerant from the mechanical-cooling circuit, a second inlet configured to receive the refrigerant from the free-cooling circuit, and an internal volume fluidly coupled to the first inlet and the second inlet; and
a fan coil unit comprising a fan and a coil, wherein the coil is configured to receive the refrigerant from the internal volume of the distribution header.