EP4109015B1 - Refrigeration system - Google Patents

Refrigeration system Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4109015B1
EP4109015B1 EP20812123.6A EP20812123A EP4109015B1 EP 4109015 B1 EP4109015 B1 EP 4109015B1 EP 20812123 A EP20812123 A EP 20812123A EP 4109015 B1 EP4109015 B1 EP 4109015B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
coolant
air cooler
temperature
pump
tubes
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP20812123.6A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP4109015C0 (en
EP4109015A1 (en
Inventor
Pedro Marcos Fuentes
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Know Ice SL
Original Assignee
Know Ice SL
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Know Ice SL filed Critical Know Ice SL
Publication of EP4109015A1 publication Critical patent/EP4109015A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP4109015C0 publication Critical patent/EP4109015C0/en
Publication of EP4109015B1 publication Critical patent/EP4109015B1/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
    • F25D17/005—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces in cold rooms
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D17/00—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces
    • F25D17/02—Arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces for circulating liquids, e.g. brine
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D13/00—Stationary devices, e.g. cold-rooms
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F25D21/00—Defrosting; Preventing frosting; Removing condensed or defrost water
    • F25D21/06—Removing frost
    • F25D21/08—Removing frost by electric heating

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a refrigeration system having an air cooler installed in a cold room that enables a certain temperature to be maintained in said cold room greater than, equal to or less than 0 °C.
  • One object of the invention is to provide a refrigeration installation that enables maximum use of a coolant, coming from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification port installation, recirculating it and supplying the right amount for maintaining the appropriate temperature, further preventing the formation of frost.
  • LNG liquefied natural gas
  • a commonly used solution to the temperature control problem is to introduce more coolant when further cooling is required and to limit the flow when the desired temperature is reached.
  • this solution does not enable the temperature to be accurately maintained inside the cold room, and it generates areas of uneven temperature, in other words, areas of non-homogeneous temperature.
  • the use of coolant at the temperature at which it is stored implies a limited efficiency, since it does not allow the entire cooling capacity thereof to be used.
  • the present invention relates to a refrigeration system, according to claim 1, having an air cooler installed in a cold room in order to maintain it at a certain temperature, whether it is a temperature above or below 0 °C.
  • the refrigeration installation of the invention enables an optimal use of a coolant, preferably Temper ® , which circulates inside it, preventing the direct introduction thereof into the cold room at an excessively low temperature, which can generate problems such as the appearance of frost.
  • the coolant is supplied by means of an external supply line at low temperature that comes from a liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification port installation.
  • LNG liquefied natural gas
  • the refrigeration installation of the invention comprises at least one air cooler.
  • the air cooler is located inside the cold room in order to enable a heat exchange between the coolant and the cold room.
  • the air cooler comprises a set of tubes, through which the coolant circulates.
  • the set of tubes comprising an inlet for the coolant and an outlet and, preferably, it may comprise a set of fins intended to increase the heat transfer between the tubes and the cold room.
  • the refrigeration installation further comprises a pipe circuit that introduces the coolant into the cold room.
  • the pipe circuit is connected to the air cooler, with the inlet and the outlet.
  • the pipe circuit recirculates the coolant that comes out of the air cooler and reintroduces it through the inlet thereof.
  • the coolant is pumped through the pipe circuit and the air cooler using a pump.
  • the refrigeration installation comprises a supply conduit for introducing coolant at a lower temperature than the coolant circulating inside the pipe circuit of the air cooler.
  • the refrigeration installation comprises an adjustable three-way valve.
  • the three-way valve is located in the pipe circuit downstream from the pump and is connected to an outlet conduit, wherein a first shut-off valve is arranged, which adjusts the amount of coolant that is evacuated from the pipe circuit. Moreover, the coolant that passes through the three-way valve is mixed with the coolant supplied by means of the supply conduit, which is connected with the pipe circuit.
  • the three-way valve enables the mixture to be adjusted, for this purpose it opens or closes proportionally depending on the inlet temperature of the coolant at the inlet of the air cooler, so that, if the inlet temperature of the coolant rises, the three-way valve opens so that coolant supplied by means of the supply conduit enters which will be mixed with the coolant that circulates through the pipe circuit, obtaining coolant at the desired temperature at the inlet of the air cooler.
  • the amount of coolant that is supplied through the supply conduit is determined by the action of a second shut-off valve.
  • the refrigeration installation further comprise one or more temperature sensors connected to the adjustable three-way valve, and to the shut-off valves in order to know the temperature of the coolant in different portions of the refrigeration installation and select the amount of coolant supplied through the supply conduit and the flow of coolant that comes out of the pump and remains in the pipe circuit, controlling the temperature of the coolant that enters the air cooler.
  • control of the three-way valve, the pump and the air cooler is carried out by means of a control unit that uses the data provided by the temperature and pressure sensors in order to determine the opening or closing thereof.
  • control unit that uses the data provided by the temperature and pressure sensors in order to determine the opening or closing thereof.
  • shut-off valves these can be controlled either by means of the control unit or manually.
  • the air cooler can further comprise one or more fans.
  • the fans generate a turbulent air stream that enables the heat transfer between the tubes and the cold room to be increased.
  • the pump of the refrigeration installation of the invention has an inverter system for adjusting the flow of coolant, for which reason the refrigeration installation further comprises one or more pressure sensors connected to the pump.
  • the refrigeration installation further comprises one or more pressure sensors connected to the pump.
  • at least one first pressure sensor can be located upstream from the pump and at least one second pressure sensor can be located downstream from the pump.
  • the refrigeration installation further comprises a defrost system, controlled by means of the control unit, which may comprise a set of resistors located inside the air cooler which, when heated, prevent the generation of frost.
  • the control unit may comprise a set of resistors located inside the air cooler which, when heated, prevent the generation of frost.
  • it can comprise a supply system by means of using solar energy and/or aerothermal energy in order to prevent said generation of frost by heating the inside of the cold room.
  • the invention comprises a refrigeration installation intended to be installed in a refrigeration room that enables said refrigeration room to be maintained at a certain temperature by means of the efficient use of a coolant, ostensibly reducing the consumption of electrical energy.
  • the coolant is supplied at a constant temperature to the cold room in order to adapt the temperature inside said cold room.
  • Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the refrigeration installation of the invention, which comprises an air cooler (1), a pipe circuit (2), a pump (3), pressure sensors (6) and temperature sensors (7, 15, 17), an adjustable three-way valve (4), a first shut-off valve (12) and a second shut-off valve (13), a supply conduit (5) for coolant, an outlet conduit (14) and a set of resistors (8).
  • Figure 2 shows the air cooler (1), which further comprises a set of tubes (9) inside of it through which the coolant circulates, such that an energy exchange occurs between the coolant and the cold room.
  • the set of tubes (9) may comprise a set of fins (11) which increase the heat transfer surface and therefore enable the capacity of the air cooler (1) to reduce the temperature of the cold room to be increased.
  • the air cooler (1) further comprises one or more fans (10) that generate a turbulent air stream that enables the heat transfer ratio between the coolant and the cold room to be increased.
  • the coolant enters the air cooler (1) from the pipe circuit (2) at -28 °C.
  • the temperature at which the cold room is intended to be maintained is usually -20 °C.
  • the coolant absorbs a portion of the heat from the cold room, cooling it. In this process, the coolant is heated to -24 °C.
  • the set of tubes (9) of the air cooler (1) delivers the coolant to the pipe circuit (2), in order to recirculate it.
  • the coolant is moved through the pipe circuit (2) and the set of tubes (9) of the air cooler (1) by means of a pump (3).
  • the pump (3) has an inverter system which enables the flow of the coolant to be controlled. To do so, it further has two pressure sensors (6), one located before the pump (3) and the other located right after, in order to obtain the pressure of the coolant before and after being pumped.
  • a temperature sensor (7) in the pipe circuit (2) that determines the temperature of the coolant at the inlet of the air cooler (1).
  • the pump (3), the air cooler (1) and the three-way valve (4) are controlled by means of a control unit (16), in this case a programmable logic controller (PLC), with the information collected by the pressure (6) and temperature (7, 15) sensors.
  • PLC programmable logic controller
  • the first shut-off valve (12) adjusts the amount of coolant at -35 °C that is supplied by means of the supply conduit (5).
  • the second shut-off valve (13) is located in an outlet conduit (14) and controls the amount of coolant that comes out of the pump (3) which is evacuated from the pipe circuit (2).
  • the shut-off valves (12, 13) can be controlled either manually or by means of the control unit (16).
  • valve (4) located downstream from the pump (3), which acts as a flow diverter valve. This valve opens/closes proportionally depending on the inlet temperature of the coolant into the air cooler (1).
  • the three-way valve (4) opens so that coolant supplied by means of the supply conduit (5) enters at -35 °C, which will be mixed with the coolant that circulates through the pipe circuit (2) at -24 °C, from this mixture coolant at -28 °C will be obtained, which enters the air cooler (1) once again.
  • a set of resistors (8) is further provided which heat the areas of the air cooler wherein frost is most likely to form.
  • FIG. 3 shows a diagram of the connections with the control unit (16).
  • the control unit (16) is connected to the pressure (6) and temperature (7, 15, 17) sensors, from which it receives information regarding the pressure and temperature at different points of the refrigeration installation and processes the information received and sends instructions to the various elements.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Thermal Sciences (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
EP20812123.6A 2020-02-20 2020-10-22 Refrigeration system Active EP4109015B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
ES202030279U ES1243969Y (es) 2020-02-20 2020-02-20 Instalacion frigorifica
PCT/ES2020/070644 WO2021165552A1 (es) 2020-02-20 2020-10-22 Instalación frigorífica

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP4109015A1 EP4109015A1 (en) 2022-12-28
EP4109015C0 EP4109015C0 (en) 2024-02-21
EP4109015B1 true EP4109015B1 (en) 2024-02-21

Family

ID=69781764

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20812123.6A Active EP4109015B1 (en) 2020-02-20 2020-10-22 Refrigeration system

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP4109015B1 (es)
ES (2) ES1243969Y (es)
WO (1) WO2021165552A1 (es)

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2001116198A (ja) * 1999-08-09 2001-04-27 Osaka Gas Co Ltd 空気冷却装置
JP2015001372A (ja) * 2013-06-17 2015-01-05 ファイン セミテック コーポレーション 半導体プロセス用冷却装置
CN205079513U (zh) * 2015-10-08 2016-03-09 中海油能源发展股份有限公司 基于液化天然气冷能的冷库制冷系统

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH01260279A (ja) * 1988-04-07 1989-10-17 Kobe Steel Ltd 脱湿装置
JPH01258725A (ja) * 1988-04-07 1989-10-16 Kobe Steel Ltd 脱湿装置
JP2840570B2 (ja) * 1995-07-12 1998-12-24 日本テクノ株式会社 ショーケース
JP3695974B2 (ja) * 1999-01-19 2005-09-14 三洋電機株式会社 ブラインを用いた冷却システム
JP4482764B2 (ja) * 2005-09-30 2010-06-16 Ｓｍｃ株式会社 外部配管保護機能をもつ恒温液循環装置

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2001116198A (ja) * 1999-08-09 2001-04-27 Osaka Gas Co Ltd 空気冷却装置
JP2015001372A (ja) * 2013-06-17 2015-01-05 ファイン セミテック コーポレーション 半導体プロセス用冷却装置
CN205079513U (zh) * 2015-10-08 2016-03-09 中海油能源发展股份有限公司 基于液化天然气冷能的冷库制冷系统

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2021165552A1 (es) 2021-08-26
EP4109015C0 (en) 2024-02-21
ES1243969U (es) 2020-03-18
EP4109015A1 (en) 2022-12-28
ES1243969Y (es) 2020-08-27
ES2976982T3 (es) 2024-08-14

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