1. An air conditioner, comprising:
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant;
a condenser configured to perform exchange heat with refrigerant received from the compressor;
an expansion device configured to decompress refrigerant passing through the condenser;
an evaporator configured to perform heat exchange with refrigerant decompressed by the expansion device, wherein at least one of the condenser or the evaporator comprises:
at least one heat exchange tube formed of an aluminum material and configured to guide refrigerant therethrough; and
at least one fin coupled to the at least one heat exchange tube, the at least one fin being formed of the same material as that of the heat exchange tube; and
a plurality of refrigerant tubes connecting the compressor, the condenser, the expansion device and the evaporator to guide refrigerant therebetween, wherein at least one of the plurality of refrigerant tubes comprises a combination tube in which an aluminum tube and a copper tube are coupled.
2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of connectors provided between the condenser and the evaporator, wherein refrigerant tubes connecting the evaporator and the plurality of connectors are combination tubes in which and aluminum tube and a copper tube are coupled.
3. The air conditioner of claim 2, further comprising:
a service valve that guides refrigerant from the expansion device to the evaporator or that guides refrigerant from the evaporator to the compressor; and
a copper tube connected between the service valve and one of the plurality of connectors.
4. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of refrigerant tubes extends between the condenser and the expansion device, and wherein the refrigerant tube extending between the condenser and the expansion device is a combination tube.
5. The air conditioner of claim 4, further comprising a refrigerant injector that injects refrigerant into the plurality of refrigerant tubes, wherein the refrigerant injector is provided at the copper tube of the combination tube.
6. The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a distributor provided at the condenser or the evaporator to distribute refrigerant to the corresponding at least one heat exchange tube, wherein the distributor is formed of an aluminum material.
7. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the combination tube further comprises:
a welding layer provided between the aluminum tube and the copper tube; and
a coupling tube provided at an outside of the aluminum tube and the copper tube.
8. The air conditioner of claim 7, wherein an end of the copper tube is received in a corresponding end of the aluminum tube such that the welding layer is provided between an outer circumferential surface of the copper tube and an inner circumferential surface of the corresponding end of the aluminum tube.
9. The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising a coupling tube that couples the aluminum tube and the copper tube, wherein the coupling tube comprises:
a first metal tube formed of the same material as that of the aluminum tube; and
a second metal tube formed of the same material as that of the copper tube.
10. The air conditioner of claim 9, wherein the aluminum tube and the copper tube are aligned end to end with a space formed between corresponding ends, and wherein the first metal tube surrounds the aluminum tube and does not directly contact the copper tube, and the second metal tube surrounds the copper tube and does not directly contact the aluminum tube.
11. The air conditioner of claim 10, further comprising:
a seal that surrounds the first and second metal tubes; and
an adhesive layer provided between the first and second metal tubes and the seal.
12. An air conditioner, comprising:
a plurality of components; and
a refrigerant tube configured to connect the plurality of components to form a refrigerant cycle therebetween, one of the plurality of components comprising a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger comprising:
a heat exchange tube formed of a metal material; and
at least one fin coupled to the heat exchange tube and formed of the same material as that of the heat exchange tube, wherein at least a portion of the heat exchange tube is defined by a portion of the refrigerant tube, and at least a portion of the refrigerant tube comprises an aluminum tube.
13. The air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the refrigerant tube further comprises:
a copper tube; and
a coupling tube configured to connect the aluminum tube and the copper tube.
14. The air conditioner of claim 13, wherein corresponding ends of the aluminum tube and the copper tube are received in the coupling tube, with a gap formed between the corresponding ends of the aluminum tube and the copper tube.
15. The air conditioner of claim 14, further comprising:
a seal provided around the coupling tube, wherein the seal prevents permeation of moisture into the aluminum tube or the copper tube; and
an adhesive layer provided between the seal and the coupling tube.
16. The air conditioner of claim 15, wherein the seal heat shrink seal that presses the coupling tube toward the aluminum tube and the copper tube.
17. The air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the refrigerant tube further comprises:
a copper tube; and
an welding layer provided between an inner circumferential surface of the aluminum tube and an outer circumferential surface of the copper tube to fix the aluminum tube and the copper tube.
18. The air conditioner of claim 17, wherein the copper tube is inserted into the aluminum tube, and the welding layer is provided in a gap formed along an overlap length of the copper and aluminum tubes, and wherein the welding layer protrudes out along the outer circumferential surface of the copper tube beyond the end of the aluminum tube.
19. The air conditioner of claim 17, wherein the copper tube is inserted into the aluminum tube such that an overlap of the copper tube and the aluminum tube is greater than or equal to 9 mm, with the welding layer positioned therebetween.
20. The air conditioner of claim 17, wherein one of the aluminum tube or the copper tube comprises:
a main tube body that defines a refrigerant flow passage; and
an enlarged tube body formed at an end of the main tube body, wherein a diameter of the enlarged tube body is greater than that of the main tube body, wherein the other of the aluminum tube or the copper tube is coupled to the enlarged tube body.
21. The air conditioner of claim 17, further comprising a cover provided around the aluminum tube and the copper tube to prevent permeation of moisture.
22. The air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the heat exchange tube comprises a plurality of heat exchange tubes, and the air conditioner further comprises a distributor to distribute refrigerant to the plurality of heat exchange tubes, wherein the distributor comprises a first welding area to which a copper tube is connected and a second welding area to which the aluminum tube is connected, and wherein the first and second welding areas are spaced apart from each other by a distance of greater than or equal to 30 mm.
23. The air conditioner of claim 12, wherein the aluminum tube comprises a bent portion having a preset radius of curvature, wherein the preset radius of curvature of the bent portion is greater than twice a diameter of the aluminum tube, and wherein a thickness of the aluminum tube is greater than 0.1 times the diameter of the aluminum tube.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An established segregated area having support means and is created within a: reactor basin for treating of polluted waste water in which a mixed liquid and solids of a biological nature enter into said segregated area from the said reactor basin via a hydraulic communication means and said solids floc to settle out of the said liquid and return back to said reactor basin via gravity and non-mechanical hydraulic communication means while said liquid enters at least one filtration means for purification prior to said liquid exiting the segregated area and reactor basin as a purified water.
2. The segregated area of claim 1 may be referred to as a biological filtration module.
3. The biological filtration module of claim 1 offers accelerated clarification utilizing an plate clarification technology of a pro-pack media unit having a 60% sloped passages to cause enhanced clarification to occur allowing for a reduction of conventional industry standard settle rate time periods of at least five (5\xd7) times.
4. The biological filtration module of claim 1 which offers sufficient liquid solids separation to allow incorporation of filtration means through which the liquid passes to be of a non-pollutant nature as a new water resource of a minimum quality of 100% removal of colloids and particulates larger than 10 nano meters, turbidity less than 0.1 NTU, over log 6 removal of (99.9999%) of bacteria, over log 4 removal of (99.9999%) of viruses and removal of large molecular weight organic compounds (above 1000,000 Daltons) before exiting said reactor so as to eliminate any discharge of said pollutants, this resulting in a produced water that meets the treated drinking water quality standards of the published United States Environmental protection Agency’s Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLG) prior to exiting said reactor.
5. The biological filtration module of claim 1 which activated sludge is return back to the reactor basin requiring no mechanical assistance.
6. The biological filtration module of claim 1 which will prevent overflow of process solids and process biomass out of a reactor basin during peak hydraulic flow periods such as a storm flow thereby keeping the process biomass retained within the reactor basin during said storm flow periods thereby providing for the immediate continued treatment of the incoming waste water following the said storm flow period.
7. A biological filtration module of claim 1 for use within a reactor tank associated with a wastewater treatment system comprising: a container module having side walls; an enclosed top section; an open ended bottom section; and support means; said container module having therein at least one pro-pack biological filtration unit, said pro-pack biological filtration unit having a cone-shaped cap attached thereon, said cone-shaped cap providing an internal passage, said internal passage having an open end for delivering a clarified water there through and into a conduit,
whereby:
when a mixed liquor contained with a reactor tank is directed in it flows upwardly into said container module via said open bottom section, said mixed liquor is then directed into said pro-pack biological filtration unit, said mixed liquor is then clarified and filtered therein by attached growth biological filtration, namely, solid liquid separation is incurred as the solids due to biological growth and reaction accumulate thereon within said pro-pack biological filtration unit until gravity causes said solids to fall returning back to the reactor basin, simultaneously mixed liquid is forced into said pro-pack resulting in clarified water which is then diverted into said internal passage and then delivered to said conduit for further processing.
8. The biological filtration module of claim 7 is suited for retrofit and is usable with any pre-existing wastewater treatment system having an aeration basin.
9. The biological filtration module of claim 7 is integrally formed within said reactor basin utilizing at least one reactor basin wall.
10. The biological filtration module of claim 7 wherein said further processing includes a micro-filter having a solids outlet and a supernatant outlet,
whereby:
said micro-filter extracts all particulate matter greater than the micron size of a filter selected, said solids may then be directed back via said solids outlet into said reactor or to a solids management source and said supernatant which is now treated and micro filtered exits said module via said supernatant outlet.
11. The biological filtration module of claim 7 wherein said further processing includes a micro-filter having a solids outlet and a supernatant outlet, whereby:
said micro-filter extracts all particulate matter greater than the micron size of a filter selected, said solids may then be directed back via said solids outlet into said reactor or to a solids management source and said supernatant which is now treated and micro filtered passes through a ultra violet purification channel and then exits said module via said supernatant outlet.
12. A biological filtration module for use within a reactor tank associated with a wastewater treatment system comprising: a container module having side walls; an open top section; an open ended bottom section; and support means; said module having therein at least one pro-pack biological filtration unit
whereby:
when a mixed liquor contained with a reactor tank is directed in from bottom section, it flows upwardly into said module via said open bottom section, said mixed liquor is then directed into said pro-pack biological filtration unit, said mixed liquor is then clarified and filtered therein by attached growth biological filtration, namely, solid liquid separation is incurred as the solids due to biological growth and reaction accumulate thereon within said pro-pack biological filtration unit until gravity causes said solids to fall, simultaneously mixed liquid is forced into said pro-pack resulting in clarified water which is then diverted into said internal passage and then delivered to said conduit for further processing by a micro-filter and said micro-filter having a solids outlet and a supernatant outlet,
whereby:
said micro-filter extracts all particulate matter greater than the micron size of a filter selected, said solids may then be directed back via said solids outlet into said reactor or to a solids management source and said supernatant which is now treated and micro filtered exits said module via said supernatant outlet,
whereby:
said biological filtration module providing a process of initiating clarificationparticle management within said reactor which is not subject to disruption from the aeration process occurring within said reactor and provides for sludge return as a result of said particle management eliminating any need for a mechanical or mechanically motivated means, wherein this allows for a reduction of industry standard overflow rates of at least five (5\xd7), said particle management prevents particle from exiting said reactor during excessive storm flow periods thus prevents passing of pollutants to a controlled level of 100% removal of colloids and particulates larger than 10 nano meters, turbidity less than 0.1 NTU, over log 6 removal of (99.9999%) of bacteria, over log 4 removal of (99.9999%) of viruses and removal of large molecular weight organic compounds (above 1000,000 Daltons) before exiting said reactor so as to eliminate any discharge of said pollutants, this resulting in a reclaimed and purified water that meets the treated drinking water quality standards of the published United States Environmental protection Agency’s Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLG) prior to exiting said reactor.
13. A biological filtration module for use within a reactor tank associated with a wastewater treatment system comprising: a container module having side walls; an open top section; an open ended bottom section; and support legs; said container module having therein at least one pro-pack biological filtration unit, said pro-pack biological filtration unit having a cone-shaped cap attached thereon, said cone-shaped cap providing an internal passage, said internal passage having an open end for delivering a clarified water there through and into a conduit,
whereby:
when a mixed liquor contained with a reactor tank is directed in between said support legs it flows upwardly into said container module via said open bottom section, said mixed liquor is then directed into said pro-pack biological filtration unit, said mixed liquor is then clarified and filtered therein by attached growth biological filtration, namely, solid liquid separation is incurred as the solids due to biological growth and reaction accumulate thereon within said pro-pack biological filtration unit until gravity causes said solids to fall, simultaneously mixed liquid is forced into said pro-pack resulting in clarified water which is then diverted into said internal passage and then delivered to said conduit for further processing by a micro-filter and said micro-filter having a solids outlet and a supernatant outlet,
whereby:
said micro-filter extracts all particulate matter greater than the micron size of a filter selected, said solids may then be directed back via said solids outlet into said reactor or to a solids management source and said supernatant which is now treated and micro filtered exits said module via said supernatant outlet,
whereby:
said biological filtration module providing a process of initiating clarificationparticle management within said reactor which is not subject to disruption from the aeration process occurring within said reactor and provides for sludge return as a result of said particle management eliminating any need for a mechanical or mechanically motivated means, wherein this allows for a reduction of industry standard overflow rates of at least five (5\xd7), said particle management prevents particle from exiting said reactor during excessive storm flow periods thus prevents passing of pollutants to a controlled level of 100% removal of colloids and particulates larger than 10 nano meters, turbidity less than 0.1 NTU, over log 6 removal of (99.9999%) of bacteria, over log 4 removal of (99.9999%) of viruses and removal of large molecular weight organic compounds (above 1000,000 Daltons) before exiting said reactor so as to eliminate any discharge of said pollutants, this resulting in a process that meets the limit for treated drinking water quality standards of the published United States Environmental protection Agency’s Maximum Contaminant Level Goals (MCLG) prior to exiting said reactor thus producing reclaimed and purified water, a resource of value, which may be used for all beneficial uses common for any other treated water for potable household domestic uses.