It’s important for storing refrigerant fluid to supply the evaporator during thermal loading peaks.
The liquid tank is located immediately at the condenser’s outlet and acts as a refrigerant fluid reservoir for the refrigeration system, ensuring a safe quantity during high thermal load periods and pump down operations (charge recovery). Its presence is recommended when using the expansion valve.
If it’s necessary to perform maintenance on the cooling circuit at the low pressure line, the fluid tank can also be used to store the refrigerant. Furthermore, if there’s a momentary lack of condensation, it will keep the liquid line entirely filled with refrigerant fluid.
Care in operation
During the initial charge, it’s recommended to take advantage of the vacuum in the system to charge the liquid tank with the highest possible quantity of refrigerant fluid, following the recommended gas charge procedures.
All tanks with diameters equal to or greater than 6″ are supplied with a safety valve calibrated to 25 bar. For tanks with a smaller diameter, the safety valve is optional.
Liquid tanks are selected based on the cooling system’s application and should be able to store up to 90% of its volume in refrigerant fluid. The liquid tank used for R22 or R404A, for example, can be the same.
The tanks may also contain a support base, for mounting the compressor, a technical solution that represents time savings and mounting space.