JP6768266B2 - Systems and methods of operating the cooling system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to cooling systems in general, and more specifically to methods of operating the cooling system more efficiently.

Cooling systems are commonly used to cool, store, and store products such as milk, juice, and fruits. Traditional cooling systems typically use a closed loop process in which the refrigerant is constantly circulated through condensers, expansion valves, evaporators, and compressors. The condenser cools the refrigerant and condenses it into a saturated liquid. The saturated liquid refrigerant then travels through the pressure of the refrigerant and the expansion valve, which also reduces the temperature. The refrigerant then passes through the evaporator, at which point the saturated liquid refrigerant extracts or absorbs heat from the external fluid (eg milk, air, water), thereby cooling the external fluid. Extraction or absorption of heat from an external fluid evaporates the refrigerant and turns it into a superheated gas refrigerant. The superheated gas refrigerant then flows into a compressor that raises the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant. The vapor refrigerant then returns through the condenser and the cycle begins again.

However, there are many problems associated with this conventional cooling system. For example, these conventional cooling systems may form ice on the surface of the evaporator at low flow rates and / or when the external fluid should be cooled to near freezing temperatures. The formation of ice can damage the evaporator, reducing the cooling capacity of the system and increasing energy consumption instead. In addition, the components of these traditional cooling systems are usually switched on immediately after switching off, leading to inefficiencies and increased energy consumption. For example, a compressor usually turns on and off based on the temperature of the coolant. Not only is this cycling inefficient, but in practice the coolant temperature can be very unstable, which can make it very difficult to maintain the desired product temperature. .. In addition, the capacity of the condenser depends on the state of the evaporator (eg, the desired temperature of the product being cooled), so if the temperature of the product to be cooled is high, this limits the available system capacity. Thus, the duration of the cooling cycle is increased and energy consumption is increased as well.

One aspect of the disclosure provides a method of operating a cooling system that cools a product. The cooling system comprises a condenser, an evaporator downstream of the condenser, a compressor downstream of the evaporator, and a refrigerant flowing through the cooling system. The method comprises obtaining a first temperature of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator from a first transducer connected to a cooling system. The method involves obtaining a first pressure of refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator from a second transducer connected to the cooling system. The method also comprises obtaining a second pressure of refrigerant or temperature of the product being cooled downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the compressor from a third transducer connected to the cooling system. The method is between a condenser and an evaporator based on a first temperature and a first pressure in order to maintain a predetermined cooling set value for the cooling system by a processor communicatively coupled to the cooling system. A second of the cooling system connected to the compressor based on the second pressure or the temperature of the product to control the opening degree of the first valve arranged and to optimize the capacity of the compressor. It further includes controlling the valve.

Another aspect of the disclosure provides a cooling system for cooling the product. The cooling system includes a condenser, an evaporator located downstream of the condenser, a compressor located downstream of the evaporator, first, second and third converters, and a controller. The first transducer is located just downstream of the condenser and is configured to obtain the first temperature of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator. The second transducer is located just downstream of the condenser and is configured to obtain the first pressure of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator. The third transducer is located just downstream of the evaporator and is configured to obtain a second pressure of refrigerant or temperature of the product to be cooled downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the compressor. The controller is communicably coupled to the first, second, and third transducers. The controller is located downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator based on the obtained first temperature and first pressure to maintain a preset cooling setting. It is configured to control the control valve and controls the second control valve connected to the compressor based on the obtained second pressure or product temperature to optimize the compressor capacity. It is configured as follows.

Yet another aspect of the present disclosure provides a method of operating a cooling system to cool a product, where the cooling system is a condenser, an evaporator downstream of the condenser, a compressor downstream of the evaporator. , And a refrigerant flowing through the cooling system. The method is to obtain the first temperature of the refrigerant from the first converter connected to the cooling system, downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator, from the second converter connected to the cooling system. Obtaining the first pressure of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator, and from the third converter connected to the cooling system, the first of the refrigerant downstream of the evaporator and downstream of the compressor. Includes obtaining a pressure of 2 or the temperature of the product to be cooled. The method evaporates with the compressor so that the evaporator is flooded with liquid refrigerant by a processor communicatively coupled to the cooling system based on temperature and pressure to maintain a given cooling setting for the cooling system. To control the opening of the electronic stepper valve located between the vessel and to the pressure or product temperature to optimize the capacity of the compressor by a processor communicatively connected to the cooling system. Based on this, it further includes controlling the electromagnetic valve connected to the compressor.

It is the schematic of the cooling system assembled according to the teaching of this disclosure. It is the schematic of the intelligent control board which can be connected to the cooling system shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram explaining the intelligent control board shown in FIG. 2 communicatively connected to the cooling system shown in FIG. It is a process flow diagram which shows one form of the method of operating a cooling system according to this disclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a cooling system 100 assembled according to the teachings of the present disclosure. The cooling system 100 is a closed loop system in which a refrigerant or coolant constantly circulates as part of a freezing or cooling cycle. The cooling system 100 of this embodiment can be installed, for example, on a dairy farm and used to cool or cool milk, but instead can be used in commercial facilities (eg in supermarkets), industrial facilities (eg in power plants). , Or milk and / or other products (eg, juice, yogurt, meat, cheese, etc.) can be used anywhere else to cool or cool.

The closed-loop cooling system 100 generally includes a condenser 104, a first control valve 108, an evaporator 112, an accumulator / heat exchanger 116, a second control valve 120, a compressor 124, and a condenser fan 128. As illustrated, conventional piping 101 generally extends between each of these components to carry the refrigerant in a conventional manner. The condenser 104 is generally configured to condense the refrigerant into a high pressure liquid and supercool it. The supercooled high-pressure liquid flows from the condenser 104 to the first control valve 108 through the conduit 132 of the pipe 101. The first control valve 108 is an electronic stepper valve capable of moving between a closed position and a plurality of different open positions (eg, different positions from 0 to 2500) in this embodiment to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant. 136, which converts the refrigerant from a high pressure liquid to a low pressure liquid. The low pressure liquid refrigerant then flows from the electronic stepper valve 136 to the evaporator 112 through the conduit 140 of the pipe 101. As described in more detail below, the opening through the first control valve 108 ensures that the refrigerant exiting the condenser 104 is sufficiently supercooled so that the evaporator 112 overflows with liquid refrigerant. As a result, saturated suction is provided.

When the cooling system 100 of the illustrated form is installed on a dairy farm, the evaporator 112 is attached to a milk cooler 114 used to collect and cool milk from the milking process. Therefore, as the liquid refrigerant passes through the evaporator 112, the saturated liquid refrigerant extracts or absorbs heat from the milk cooler, thereby cooling the milk and evaporating the refrigerant. However, unlike conventional evaporators that completely evaporate the refrigerant, the evaporator 112 overflows with the liquid refrigerant and provides saturated suction, thus evaporating the refrigerant only partially. Therefore, when the refrigerant exits the evaporator 112, the refrigerant partially occupies a liquid / partially gaseous phase.

To prevent the liquid from reaching the compressor 124, the liquid / gas mixture flows from the evaporator 112 to the accumulator / heat exchanger 116 through conduit 144 of pipe 101. As shown in FIG. 1, the accumulator / heat exchanger 116 is thermally communicative with the conduit 132 from the condenser that carries the supercooled refrigerant. Thus, conduit 132 cools the liquid / vapor mixture carried through conduit 144, and the cooled liquid falls to the bottom of the accumulator / heat exchanger 116. The steam flows to the compressor 124. At this point, the refrigerant is in the form of vapors or gases, but at a lower superheat temperature (eg, 1-5 degrees Fahrenheit) than is typically found in conventional cooling systems. The vapor refrigerant then flows from the accumulator / heat exchanger 116 to the compressor 124 through conduit 148 of pipe 101. The second control valve can be a solenoid valve 150 in this embodiment, and is connected to the compressor 124 by conduits 121 and 123. As described in more detail below, the second valve 120 can be controlled to unload or load the compressor 124 in order to change the capacity of the compressor 124, if desired. The advantage of using a solenoid valve is that the solenoid valve has a very immediate effect due to the short movement distance and time of the valve element between the open position and the closed position.

The compressor 124 compresses the vapor refrigerant, thereby increasing the pressure and temperature of the vapor refrigerant. The vapor refrigerant then returns from the compressor 124 to the condenser 104 through the conduit 152 of the pipe 101, allowing air) to pass through the condenser 104, thereby cooling the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 104. It is placed adjacent to or close to the condenser 104 so as to. The condenser fan 128 is driven by a condenser fan motor 156 connected to the condenser fan 128. The condenser fan motor 156 is itself controlled (eg, driven) by a fan control drive 160 communicatively coupled to the fan motor 156. As described in more detail below, the fan control drive 160 is controlled to control the condenser fan motor 156 to maintain or achieve the desired condensation temperature, thereby controlling the speed of the condenser fan 128. can do.

With reference to FIG. 1, the cooling system 100 is generally configured to obtain (eg, detect, sense) data such as pressure, temperature, flow rate, etc., indicating the operation and performance of the cooling system 100. Further includes a converter (eg, a sensor) of. In this embodiment, the cooling system 100 includes a first pressure transducer 204, a first temperature transducer 208, a second pressure transducer 212, and a second temperature converter 216. It will be appreciated that the temperature and pressure transducers 204-216 may generally be any commercially available sensor, such as the 2CP5 sensor manufactured by Sensata Technologies.

The first pressure transducer 204 is located downstream of the condenser 104 in or in the conduit 132 between the condenser 104 and the first control valve 108 (ie, in the high pressure area of system 100). Arranged in this way, the first pressure transducer 204 is configured to obtain the pressure of the refrigerant exiting the condenser 104 (referred to herein as the first pressure of the refrigerant). In the illustrated embodiment of system 100, the first temperature transducer 208 is also a conduit (ie, in the hot zone of system 100) between the condenser 104 and the first control valve 108 downstream of the condenser 104. It is placed at or in the middle of 132. Further, in this embodiment, the first temperature converter 208 is upstream of the first pressure converter 204, but in other embodiments, the converter 208 may be downstream of the converter 204. Arranged in this way, the first temperature transducer 208 is configured to obtain the temperature of the refrigerant exiting the condenser 104 (referred to herein as the first temperature of the refrigerant). The second pressure transducer 212 is located downstream of the evaporator 112 at or in the conduit 144 between the evaporator 112 and the accumulator / heat exchanger 116 (ie, in the low pressure area of system 100). Arranged in this way, the second pressure transducer 212 is configured to obtain the pressure of the refrigerant exiting the evaporator 112 (referred to herein as the second pressure of the refrigerant). The second temperature transducer 216, also referred to herein as a product temperature converter, is generally located near the product to be cooled in order to obtain the temperature of the product to be cooled (eg, milk). Placed in or in the product. Since the cooling system 100 of this embodiment is used to cool milk, the product temperature converter 216 of this embodiment is placed near, above, or in a milk cooler containing the milk to be cooled.

It should be understood that the cooling system 100 described in FIG. 1 can vary and can still be included within the principles of the present disclosure. In other embodiments, the cooling system 100 may include additional, different, or fewer components than the above components. The first control valve 108 can be, for example, an expansion valve or any other suitable control valve. In some embodiments, the cooling system 100 may include a conventional evaporator that produces a superheated vapor refrigerant instead of the disclosed evaporator 112 that produces a mixed vapor-liquid refrigerant. The evaporator 112 does not have to be mounted inside the milk cooler 114. Alternatively, the evaporator 112 can be attached to the outer surface of the milk condenser 114 or otherwise connected to the milk cooler 114 (eg, via a conduit or conduit). If the cooling system 100 is used to cool something other than milk or in addition to milk, the evaporator 112 is mounted in a different external environment, such as a display case containing one or more products to be cooled. Or it can be linked. In the form in which the cooling system 100 includes a conventional evaporator, the refrigerant is completely evaporated in the evaporator before reaching the compressor 124, so that the cooling system 100 does not include the accumulator / heat exchanger 116. Good. In some embodiments, the cooling system 100 may not include a second control valve 120, in which case the cooling system 100 will not allow adjustment of the capacity of the compressor 124. In other forms, the cooling system 100 may include additional, different, or fewer converters. As an example, the cooling system 100 may not include both the second pressure transducer 212 and the second temperature transducer 216. As another example, the cooling system 100 can include an additional temperature transducer adjacent to or near the second pressure transducer 212. In addition, any of the transducers 204-216 can be located elsewhere to still perform the intended function described above.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of an intelligent control board 250 that can be communicably connected or connected to the cooling system 100 to improve the performance of the cooling system 100. The intelligent control board 250 generally includes a controller 254 configured to monitor and control the operation of the cooling system 100 and a panel 258 containing one or more indicators that provide visual feedback on the operation of the cooling system 100. ..

As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 254 includes a processor 262, a memory 266, a communication interface 270, and a calculation logic 274. The processor 262 can be a general processor, a digital signal processor, an ASIC, a field programmable gate array, a graphics processing unit, an analog circuit, a digital circuit, or any other known processor or a processor developed later. .. The processor 262 operates according to the instructions in the memory 266. The memory 266 can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory. The memory 266 can include one or more of a read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, electronically erasable program read-only memory (EEPROM), or other type of memory. The memory 266 can include optical, magnetic (hard drive), or any other type of data storage device.

Communication interface 270 is provided to facilitate electronic communication between the controller 254 and the components of the cooling system 100. The communication interface 270 may be, for example, one or more universal serial bus (USB) ports, one or more Ethernet® ports, and / or one or more other ports or interfaces. Can include. Electronic communication occurs via any known communication protocol, including, for example, USB, RS-232, RS-485, WiFi, Bluetooth®, and / or any other suitable communication protocol. sell.

Logic 274 generally includes one or more control routines and / or one or more subroutines embodied as computer-readable instructions stored in memory 266. Control routines and / or subroutines can perform PID (proportional / integral / differential), fuzzy logic, non-linear, or any other suitable type of control. Processor 262 generally executes logic 274 to perform actions related to the operation of cooling system 100. Logic 274, when executed, causes processor 262 to (i) obtain data (eg, pressure data, temperature data) from one or more converters 204-216, and (ii) provide a predetermined level of supercooling. Controlling the first control valve 108 of the cooling system 100 based on the obtained data to maintain, (iii) cooling based on the obtained data to optimize the capacity of the processor 124. It controls the second control valve 120 of the system 100. (Iv) Control the fan control drive 160 and thus the condenser fan 128 based on the data obtained to adjust the condensation temperature of the condenser 104, and (v) detect a fault condition or error in the cooling system 100. And / or let them perform other desired functions.

Although not shown herein, the controller 254 is likewise one or more bit switches so that the user of the cooling system 100 can choose from a number of different programmed options related to the various functions of the cooling system 100. May include. The programmed options are, for example, an anti-short cycle that prevents premature cycling of the compressor 124, and an alarm or failure that provides visual feedback (eg, by panel 258) when an alarm or failure condition is detected. It may include the output of the state. By selecting the bits corresponding to the desired option, the user of the cooling system 100 can activate (or stop) one or more different functions of the cooling system 100.

As shown in FIG. 2, the panel 258 of this embodiment includes two light emitting diodes (LEDs) 278, 282 configured to provide visual feedback on the operation of the cooling system 100. When the controller 254 detects a failure or alarm condition in the cooling system 100, the LED 278 emits red light (ie, light having a wavelength in the range of 620 to 750 nm) through the holes 286 of the control board 250. The LED 278 can emit a single red light or a series of red lights (ie, blinking red light) depending on the detected failure condition. The LED 278, for example, has one red light when the failure state is a bit switch setting error, two flashes of red light when the failure state is related to the converter 208, and the failure state is related to the converter 212. 3 blinks of red light if there is, 4 blinks of red light if the fault condition is for the temperature converter 220, and red light if the fault condition is for the fan control drive 160 It can emit blinking 7 times. On the other hand, the LED 282 emits green light (that is, light having a wavelength in the range of 490 to 570 nm) through the hole 290 of the control board 250. The LED 282 can emit one green light or a series of green lights (that is, blinking green light) depending on the operating state. The LED 282 always emits a continuous green light, for example, as long as the cooling system 100 is in operation and is operating normally, but can emit a single flash of green light when the anti-cycle option is enabled.

Although not described herein, the components of the intelligent control board 250 can be arranged in any known way. Those skilled in the art will likewise appreciate that the control board 250 may include additional or different components. For example, the controller 254 may include additional components, such as repeaters, converters, or instruments, which are not explicitly shown herein. For example, panel 258 provides more or fewer LEDs, LEDs that emit different colors of light, LEDs that emit different patterns of light (eg, corresponding to different failure conditions), and visual feedback. Various light sources, user interfaces, and / or some other means of providing visual feedback on the operation of the cooling system 100 can be included.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an intelligent control board 250 connected or connected to the cooling system 100. As shown, the control board 250 is connected to the fan control drive device 160 by the communication network 300, to the first control valve 108 by the communication network 304, to the second control valve 120 by the communication network 308, and to the second control valve 120 by the communication network 312. Connected to the pressure converter 204 of 1, to the first temperature converter 208 by the communication network 316, to the second pressure converter 212 by the communication network 320, and to the second temperature converter 216 by the communication network 324, respectively. Or be connected. As used herein, the terms "in communication" and "concatenated" are meant to mean directly connected or indirectly connected through one or more intermediate components. Defined. Such intermediate components may include hardware and / or software-based components.

Networks 300-324 may be a wireless network, a wired network, or a combination of wired and wireless networks (eg, a mobile phone network and / or an 802.1x compliant network), a publicly accessible network such as the Internet, me. It should be understood that the network, or a combination thereof, may be included. The types and configurations of networks 300-324 are implementation dependent and any type currently available or later developed that facilitates the communication described between the intelligent control board 250 and the components of the cooling system 100. Communication network can be used.

Along with the intelligent control board 250 connected or connected to the cooling system 100 in this way, the controller 254 may be any of the fan control drive 160, the first control valve 108, the second control valve 120, and the transducers 204-216. It is configured to send signals (eg, control signals, data requests) and receive signals (eg, data) from them. The controller 254 can communicate with the transducers 204 to 216 in this way to control the fan control drive device 160, the first control valve 108, and the second control valve 120.

When the cooling system 100 is operational and the refrigerant circulates through the components of the cooling system in the manner described above, the converters 204-216 are associated with the operation of the cooling system 100 (ie, the cooling cycle) of the cooling system 100. Data showing the operation can be obtained. Specifically, the first pressure converter 204 obtains (eg, detects and measures) the pressure of the refrigerant (ie, the first pressure of the refrigerant) downstream of the condenser 104 and upstream of the valve 108. The first temperature converter 208 can obtain the temperature of the refrigerant (ie, the first temperature of the refrigerant) downstream of the condenser 104 and upstream of the valve 108, and the second pressure converter 212. Is downstream of the evaporator 112 and upstream of the accumulator / heat exchanger 116 to obtain the pressure of the refrigerant (ie, the second pressure of the refrigerant), and the second temperature converter 216 determines the temperature of the product to be cooled. It may be obtained or a combination thereof. The above data can be obtained automatically when the cooling system 100 is operational and / or in response to a request received from the controller 254. The above data can be obtained simultaneously (eg, the first temperature and the first pressure can be obtained at the same time), at different times, or in combination thereof (eg, when some data are obtained at different times). While you can get it, you can get some of the data at the same time).

The controller 254 can then obtain the data obtained by one or more of the converters 204-216 via their respective networks 312 to 328. Data can be automatically sent to controller 254 and / or can be sent to controller 254 in response to a request received from controller 254. Once the data is obtained, it can be stored in memory 266 or other memory.

Based on or utilizing the data obtained, the controller 254 is a component of the cooling system 100, in particular the first control valve 108, the second control valve 120, and / or the fan control drive 160. Can be controlled (eg, adjusted). The controller 254 is generally configured to control the components of the cooling system 100 so that the cooling system 100 operates in the preferred manner described herein.

The controller 254 controls (eg, closes or adjusts the opening degree) a first control valve in the form of an electronic stepper valve 136 in the illustrated embodiment, based on a first temperature and a first pressure. Can be done. This is done to maintain a predetermined (eg, factory programmed) cooling setting for the cooling system 100. The predetermined cooling set value corresponds to the desired supercooling level for the refrigerant as it exits the condenser 104. The desired supercooling level corresponds to the supercooling level at which the evaporator 112 preferably overflows with liquid refrigerant. Saturation suction exiting the evaporator 112 by flooding the evaporator 112 in this way provides the evaporator 112 in a liquid / vapor state in which the refrigerant is mixed and at a lower temperature normally found in conventional cooling systems. Will result in leaving. Beneficially, this improves the efficiency of the evaporator 112, keeps the motor of the compressor 124 cooler, and improves the volumetric efficiency of the compressor 124.

To determine whether the cooling system 100 is operating at this predetermined cooling set value, below or above the cooling set value, the controller 254 controls the first pressure and the first temperature. Based on, the current supercooling level of the refrigerant as it exits the condenser 104 can be calculated. In some embodiments, the controller 254 associates the first pressure with the expected temperature and then compares the expected temperature with the measured temperature, i.e. the first temperature, to supercool the current. You can calculate the level. The controller 254 can now compare the calculated refrigerant supercooling level with a predetermined cooling set value. So that the controller 254 does not need to control (eg, adjust) the first control valve when the calculated supercooling level is at least substantially equal (eg, equal) to the predetermined cooling set value. The controller 254 determines that the cooling system 100 is substantially operating at this predetermined cooling set value. However, if the calculated current supercooling level is determined to be less than or greater than the predetermined cooling set value, until the controller 254 determines that the current supercooling level is substantially equal to the predetermined cooling set value ( For example, controller 254 adjusts the first control valve 108 (eg, opens, closes) until the desired level of supercooling is achieved and maintained). By opening the valve 108 further, more refrigerant will flow through and the result of supercooling in the condenser 104 will be a higher temperature refrigerant. On the other hand, closing the valve 108 or reducing the opening of the valve 108 reduces the flow through the conduit 132, resulting in a reduction in the pressure and temperature of the supercooled refrigerant exiting the condenser 104. It should be understood that the control of the first control valve 108 is a continuous process of repetition. In this embodiment, the control valve 108 is an electronic stepper valve 136 having 2500 different positions to facilitate fine-tuning, or includes an electronic stepper valve 136. Of course, other types of adjustable port valves may be used.

The controller 254 can control the second control valve 120, which in the form of the solenoid valve 150 in the illustrated form, is based on the second pressure and / or the temperature of the product to be cooled. This is done to control the capacity of the compressor 124. As briefly discussed above, when the system capacity is too low (eg, when the temperature of the product being cooled is higher than expected), conventional systems compensate by increasing the duration of the cooling cycle, thereby , Increase energy consumption. Conversely, when the system capacity is too high (eg, when the temperature of the product being cooled is lower than expected, under low flow conditions), the product being cooled may freeze. The system 100 disclosed herein conveniently prevents either situation by controlling (eg, adjusting) the capacity of the compressor 124 according to the operating state of the cooling system 100.

To determine if the capacity of the compressor 124 needs to be adjusted, the controller 254 programs a second pressure (refrigerant pressure exiting the evaporator 112) or product temperature to a given (eg, factory). It can be compared with the second pressure set value or the product temperature set value. This predetermined setting corresponds to the, if not ideal, desirable capacity of the compressor 124. When the second pressure or product temperature is substantially equal to a given second pressure set or product temperature set, the controller 254 is capable of the current compressor 124 (until not ideal). Also), in which case the controller 254 does not control the solenoid valve 150. However, when the second pressure or product temperature is less than or greater than the predetermined second pressure or product temperature set value, the control unit 254 controls the capacity of the compressor 124 with a controlled reduction or a controlled increase (capacity in advance). Solenoid valve 150 can be controlled to provide (if reduced).

In particular, when the second pressure or product temperature is less than the predetermined second pressure or product temperature set value, the controller 254 energizes the solenoid valve 150 to open the solenoid valve 150, thereby removing the load and removing the load from the compressor 124. Reduces the ability of. The controller 254 energizes the solenoid valve 150 for at least a minimum predetermined time (eg, 1 second), while the controller 254 energizes the solenoid valve 150 for a maximum predetermined time (eg, 9 seconds) to protect the compressor 124. The solenoid valve 150 can be energized until the second pressure or product temperature is greater than a predetermined second temperature or product temperature set value, except that the solenoid valve 150 can be energized. The controller 254 may suspend the control of the first control valve 108 and the condenser fan 128 at the same time when the solenoid valve 150 is energized.

Conversely, when the second pressure or product temperature is greater than the predetermined second pressure set value or product temperature set value, the controller 254 de-energizes the solenoid valve 150 and closes the solenoid valve 150, thereby loading. The capacity of the Kake compressor 124 is improved. The controller 254 de-energizes the solenoid valve 150 for at least a minimum predetermined time (eg, 3 seconds) until the second pressure or product temperature is less than the predetermined second pressure or product temperature set value. The 150 can be de-energized.

In the description so far, the solenoid has been described as being opened when energized, but itself constitutes a normally closed solenoid. One advantage of the normally closed closed solenoid is that energy is required only to remove the load on the compressor 124. However, in other forms, a normally open solenoid that closes when energized can be used.

It should be understood that the control of the solenoid valve 150, like the electronic stepper valve 136, is a continuous process of repetition. In fact, how fast the second pressure (the pressure obtained by the second pressure converter 212) drops when the compressor 124 is loaded, provided that such controls follow the minimum and maximum periods described above. The controller 254 can self-adjust the control of the solenoid valve 150 based on how fast the second pressure rises when the compressor 124 is unloaded.

At least at the beginning (eg, when the controller 254 first receives the activation signal), the fan control drive 160 operates the condenser fan 128 in a short time (eg, 3 seconds) full time. However, after this short period of time, the controller 254 can control the fan control drive 160 based on the first pressure to control (eg, adjust) the speed of the condenser fan 128. When the first pressure has risen to a predetermined pressure point (eg 170 psi), the fan control drive 160 can control the fan 128 to operate at a predetermined minimum speed. The fan control drive 160 can increase the speed of the fan 128 when the first pressure exceeds this predetermined pressure point and until the first pressure reaches a predetermined maximum pressure point (eg, 230 psi). When the first pressure reaches a predetermined maximum pressure point, the fan 128 is operating at maximum speed, and any pressure above this predetermined maximum pressure does not affect the speed of fan 128. Controlling the speed of the fan 128 in this way allows the cooling system 100 to operate in a more stable manner during lower or colder ambient conditions.

In this embodiment, the controller 254 can simultaneously control the electronic stepper valve 136, the solenoid valve 150, and the fan control drive device 160. As such, the controller 254 can open the electronic stepper valve 136 and at the same time energize the solenoid valve 150. However, in other embodiments, the controller 254 may only control two or more of the electronic stepper valve 136, the solenoid valve 150, and the fan control drive 160 at different times. In a further embodiment, the controller 254 may only control one or two rather than all of the electronic stepper valve 136, solenoid valve 150, and fan control drive 160.

Controller 254 can instruct panel 258 to provide visual feedback on the operation of the cooling system 100. As described above, when the controller 254 detects one or more failure or warning conditions, the controller 254 can instruct the LED 278 of the panel 258 to emit one or a series of lights. In some cases, the controller 254 can detect one or more failure or warning states based on the data obtained. Pressure and / or temperature data can indicate, for example, that converter 204, transducer 208, transducer 212, and / or transducer 216 are not functioning properly. The controller 254 can detect that the condenser fan 128, the fan motor 132, and / or the fan control drive 160 is not functioning properly by connecting to the fan control drive 160. In some cases, the controller 254 can detect a problem in one of the networks 300-324 that connects the controller 254 to the various components of the cooling system 100. Alternatively or in addition to the above, the controller 254 can detect that the bitswitch is not functioning properly or is not set properly. In place of or in addition to the above, controller 254 directs LED 282 on panel 258 to emit a continuous green light when the cooling system 100 is operating normally, with the anti-cycle option enabled. At some point, the LED 282 on the panel 258 can be instructed to emit a single flash of green light. The panel 258, in turn, can provide the requested visual feedback as directed by the LEDs 278,282. Therefore, the user of the cooling system 100 can easily and quickly confirm the problem related to the control process of the cooling system 100.

Similarly, as described in FIG. 3, in some cases, the communication network 354 can connect or connect the portable diagnostic tool 350 to or connect to the intelligent control board 250. The communication network 354 can be a wireless network, a wired network, or a combination thereof. The portable diagnostic tool 350 can include a processor, memory, one or more input devices (eg, a keyboard), a display, and / or other components known in the art. In any case, the portable diagnostic tool 350 allows the user of the cooling system 100 to install the intelligent control board 250, set various components of the system 100 (eg, controller 254), and operate the cooling system 100 in real time. Allows you to monitor.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method or mode of processing for operating the cooling system 100 of the present disclosure. The methods or processes are described below as performed by or using transducers 204-216 and controllers 254, but the methods or processes may instead be performed by some other component. The method or process is described as including various tasks that are performed in sequence, but some of the tasks in the method or process may be performed simultaneously and some or all may be performed in a different order. That should be understood. In other forms, the method or process can include additional, fewer, or different tasks, or a different sequence of tasks. As an example, one or more of the tasks (eg, the task of obtaining the first temperature, the task of obtaining the first pressure, the task of obtaining the second pressure) may be repeated many times.

In one embodiment, referring to the "block" of FIG. 4, the method is (i) from a first converter (eg, converter 208) connected to the cooling system 100 to a condenser (eg, condenser 104). Obtaining the first temperature of the refrigerant exiting the condenser (block 400), (ii) the first pressure of the refrigerant exiting the condenser from a second converter (eg, converter 204) connected to the cooling system 100. (Block 404), and (iii) a second of refrigerant exiting the evaporator (eg, evaporator 112) from a third converter (eg, converter 212 or 216) connected to the cooling system 100. Includes obtaining the pressure of the product or the temperature of the product to be cooled (block 408). In some forms, obtaining a second pressure or product temperature involves obtaining a second pressure (eg, by a transducer 212), while in other forms, obtaining a second pressure or product temperature. Obtaining includes obtaining the temperature of the product (eg, by transducer 216). In yet another embodiment, obtaining a second pressure or product temperature can include obtaining a second pressure and obtaining product temperature.

In one embodiment, the method also uses a processor (eg, processor 262) communicatively coupled to the cooling system 100 to maintain a predetermined cooling set value for the cooling system 100 to provide a first temperature and a first temperature. Includes controlling a first valve (eg, valve 108) of the cooling system 100 based on the pressure of (block 412). In one form, the first valve can be an electronic stepper valve (eg, stepper valve 136) located between the condenser and the evaporator. In some embodiments, the method further comprises calculating the current cooling level of the refrigerant leaving the condenser based on a first temperature and a first pressure by the processor. In these embodiments, controlling the first valve may include controlling the first valve based on the calculated current cooling level. In some embodiments, controlling the first valve involves opening or closing the first valve when the calculated current cooling level differs from a predetermined cooling set value. In one form, the method further comprises comparing the current cooling level of the refrigerant with a predetermined cooling set value, which is the desired cooling level for the refrigerant as it exits the condenser. Controlling the first valve includes controlling the first valve based on comparison.

In one embodiment, the method also uses a processor to optimize the capacity of the compressor (eg, compressor 124) of the cooling system 100, based on a second pressure or product temperature. Includes controlling 2 valves (eg, valve 120) (block 416). In one form, the second valve can be a solenoid valve (eg, solenoid valve 150) located between the evaporator and the compressor. In some embodiments, the method further comprises comparing the resulting second pressure or product temperature with a predetermined second pressure or product temperature set value. In these embodiments, controlling the second valve of the cooling system may include controlling the second valve based on comparison. In some embodiments, such as when the second valve is a solenoid valve, controlling the second valve causes the second pressure or product temperature to be less than a predetermined second pressure or product temperature set value. When the solenoid valve is energized, and when the second pressure or product temperature is greater than a predetermined second pressure or product temperature set value, the solenoid valve is de-energized. In one form, the method further comprises suspending control of the first control valve when the solenoid valve is de-energized.

Based on the above description, it should be understood that the devices, systems, and methods described herein facilitate a more efficient cooling system for cooling the product. It is based on obtaining data related to the operation of the cooling system, controlling the first control valve based on the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant leaving the condenser of the cooling system, and the pressure of the refrigerant leaving the evaporator. This is achieved by controlling the second control valve based on the temperature of the product to be cooled or cooled.

By controlling the first control valve in this way, a predetermined cooling set value for the cooling system can be maintained. This ensures that the refrigerant leaving the condenser is sufficiently cooled so that the evaporator overflows with the liquid refrigerant and as a result saturated suction is provided. Then, when leaving the evaporator, the refrigerant is in a lower overheated state that would otherwise have been (in a conventional cooling system), which keeps the compressor motor cooler and the compressor volume. Improve efficiency. The capacity of the compressor can be controlled by controlling the second control valve in the manner outlined above. Under low load conditions and / or low set temperatures, the capacity of the compressor can be reduced in a controlled manner. Such controlled reductions allow the product to cool closer to the freezing temperature, reduce the likelihood of ice formation on the evaporator, and help maintain the desired evaporator condition. However, when large volumes of products should be cooled, or when the desired temperature of the products is higher, the capacity of the compressor can be increased in a controlled manner. In this way, it improves product quality and reduces energy consumption without the need to increase the duration of the cooling cycle (as in traditional cooling systems). Furthermore, by controlling the capacity of the compressor in such a controlled manner, the compressor no longer needs to be turned on and off repeatedly, and the stabilization of the coolant temperature for the condenser is more stable. Ultimately, it will make it easier to maintain the desired product temperature.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein, including the best modes known to the inventor for carrying out the present disclosure. Although many examples have been illustrated and described herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the details of the various embodiments do not need to be mutually exclusive. Instead, one of ordinary skill in the art who has read the teachings herein should be able to combine one or more functions of one embodiment with one or more functions of the remaining embodiments. Moreover, it should be similarly understood that the embodiments described are only representative and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order, unless otherwise stated herein or explicitly denied by the context. The use of any and all examples or representative wording (eg, "etc.") provided herein is only intended to further clarify aspects of the representative embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it does not limit the scope of this disclosure. The wording in the specification should not be construed as indicating that any non-claimed element is essential to the practice of this disclosure.

Claims (33)

A method of operating a cooling system to cool a product,
The cooling system
Condenser and
The evaporator located downstream of the condenser and
A first valve located between the condenser and the evaporator,
An accumulator or heat exchanger
A first conduit between the condenser and the first valve,
To the evaporator, the accumulator or the heat exchanger second conduit in fluid communication with, and the accumulator or heat exchanger, a third conduit in fluid communication with the compressor downstream of the evaporator With an accumulator or heat exchanger that thermally communicates with
With a refrigerant flowing through the cooling system
The method is
Obtaining the first temperature of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator from the first transducer connected to the cooling system.
Obtaining a first pressure of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator from a second transducer coupled to the cooling system.
Obtaining a second pressure of the refrigerant or a temperature of the product to be cooled downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the compressor from a third transducer coupled to the cooling system.
The first of the cooling system, based on the first temperature and the first pressure, to maintain a predetermined cooling set value for the cooling system by a processor communicatively coupled to the cooling system. By controlling the opening degree of the valve , the liquid and gas are mixed when the refrigerant leaves the evaporator, and the second pressure is used to optimize the capacity of the compressor. or on the basis of the said temperature of the product, and to control the opening degree of the second valve of the cooling system coupled to the compressor,
Including methods. Wherein it is carried out at the same time to be and controls the opening of the second valve controlling the opening of the first valve, the method according to claim 1. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first temperature, the first pressure, and the temperature of the product or the second pressure are obtained at the same time. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein controlling the opening degree of the first valve includes controlling the opening degree of an electronic stepper valve arranged between the condenser and the evaporator. The method according to item 1. The processor further comprises calculating the current cooling level of the refrigerant exiting the condenser based on the first temperature and the first pressure, and the opening of the first valve of the cooling system. The degree of control according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein controlling the degree includes controlling the opening degree of the first valve of the cooling system based on the calculated current cooling level. the method of. Controlling the opening degree of the first valve of the cooling system means that the opening degree of the first valve of the cooling system when the calculated cooling level is different from the predetermined cooling set value. 5. The method of claim 5, comprising increasing or decreasing. The processor further comprises comparing the calculated cooling level of the refrigerant with the predetermined cooling set value, which is the desired cooling level of the refrigerant as it exits the condenser. The fifth aspect of the present invention, wherein controlling the opening degree of the first valve of the cooling system includes controlling the opening degree of the first valve of the cooling system based on the comparison. the method of. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein controlling the opening degree of the second valve includes controlling a solenoid valve connected to the compressor. Controlling the opening degree of the second valve of the cooling system further includes comparing the obtained second pressure or product temperature with a predetermined second pressure or product temperature set value. The method of any one of claims 1-8, comprising opening or closing the second valve based on comparison. To control the opening degree of the second valve , when the second pressure or the product temperature is smaller than the predetermined second pressure or the product temperature set value, the solenoid valve coupled to the compressor is energized. The method of claim 9, comprising setting the open position and de-energizing the solenoid valve when the second pressure or product temperature is greater than the predetermined second pressure or product temperature set value. .. 10. The method of claim 10, further comprising suspending control of the opening degree of the first solenoid valve when the solenoid valve is de-energized. Obtaining the second pressure or the temperature of the product includes obtaining the second pressure of the refrigerant downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the compressor, and the opening degree of the second valve . The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein controlling includes controlling the second valve based on the second pressure of the refrigerant. Obtaining the second pressure or the temperature of the product includes obtaining the temperature of the product, and controlling the opening degree of the second valve is based on the temperature of the product. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, which comprises controlling the valve of the above. The method of any one of claims 1-13, further comprising adjusting the speed of an electric fan coupled to the condenser based on the first pressure by the processor. The method of any one of claims 1-14, further comprising generating a visual indicator when the processor detects a failure condition in the cooling system. A cooling system that cools the product
Condenser and
An evaporator arranged downstream of the condenser and
A first control valve located between the condenser and the evaporator,
An accumulator or heat exchanger
A first conduit between the condenser and the first control valve,
To the evaporator, a third that second conduit, and the accumulator or heat exchanger, fluidly communicates the compressor located downstream of the evaporator in fluid communication with the accumulator or heat exchanger With an accumulator or heat exchanger that thermally communicates with the conduit of
A first transducer located immediately downstream of the condenser and configured to obtain a first temperature of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator.
A second transducer located immediately downstream of the condenser and configured to obtain a first pressure of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator.
With a third transducer located immediately downstream of the evaporator and configured to obtain a second pressure of the refrigerant or a temperature of the product to be cooled downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the compressor. ,
It comprises a controller communicably linked to the first, second, and third converters, the controller being liquid as the refrigerant exits the evaporator to maintain a predetermined cooling set value. The controller is configured to control the opening degree of the first control valve based on the obtained first temperature and the first pressure so as to be in a mixed state of gas and gas. To control the opening degree of the second control valve connected to the compressor based on the obtained second pressure or the temperature of the product in order to optimize the capacity of the compressor. Is composed of,
Cooling system. 16. The cooling system of claim 16, wherein the first control valve comprises an electronic stepper valve configured to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant. The cooling system according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the second control valve includes a solenoid valve configured to load or remove the load from the compressor. Further comprising a fan arranged to attract the cooling medium across the condenser and a fan drive configured to control the speed of the fan, the controller is at the first pressure obtained. The cooling system according to any one of claims 16 to 18, which is configured to control the fan drive device based on the above. Any of claims 16-19, further comprising a portable device communicatively coupled to the controller, the portable device being configured to allow a user to remotely monitor the cooling system. The cooling system according to item 1. The controller is configured to calculate the current cooling level of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator based on the obtained first temperature and first pressure. The cooling system according to any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein is configured to control the opening degree of the first control valve of the cooling system based on the calculated cooling level. The controller is configured to compare the current cooling level of the refrigerant with the predetermined cooling set value, which is the desired cooling level of the refrigerant upon exiting the condenser. The cooling system according to claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to control the opening degree of the first control valve of the cooling system based on the comparison. The controller is configured to compare the obtained second pressure or the temperature of the product with a predetermined second pressure or temperature set value, and the controller is the first of the cooling system based on the comparison. The cooling system according to any one of claims 16 to 22, which is configured to control the opening degree of the control valve of 2. When the obtained second pressure or the temperature of the product is smaller than the predetermined second pressure or temperature set value, the controller energizes an electromagnetic valve coupled to the compressor to open the position. 23. The cooling system according to claim 23, wherein the electromagnetic valve is configured to be de-energized when the second pressure or temperature applied is greater than the predetermined second pressure or temperature set value. A method of operating a cooling system to cool a product,
The cooling system
Condenser and
The evaporator located downstream of the condenser and
An electronic stepper valve arranged between the condenser and the evaporator,
An accumulator or heat exchanger
A first conduit between the condenser and the electronic stepper valve,
To the evaporator, the accumulator or the heat exchanger second conduit in fluid communication with, and the accumulator or heat exchanger, a third conduit in fluid communication with the compressor downstream of the evaporator With an accumulator or heat exchanger that thermally communicates with
Containing refrigerant flowing through the cooling system
The method is
Obtaining the first temperature of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator from the first transducer connected to the cooling system.
Obtaining a first pressure of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator from a second transducer coupled to the cooling system.
Obtaining a second pressure of the refrigerant or a temperature of the product to be cooled downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the compressor from a third transducer coupled to the cooling system.
The evaporator is a liquid refrigerant based on the first temperature and the first pressure in order to maintain a predetermined cooling set value for the cooling system by a processor communicatively coupled to the cooling system. Controlling the opening degree of the electronic stepper valve arranged between the condenser and the evaporator so as to overflow and to be in a mixed state of liquid and gas when the refrigerant leaves the evaporator. Or, by a processor communicatively coupled to the cooling system, the compressor was coupled to the compressor based on the second pressure or the temperature of the product in order to optimize the capacity of the compressor. Controlling the opening of the electromagnetic valve and
Including methods. The processor further comprises calculating the current cooling level of the refrigerant exiting the condenser based on the first temperature and the first pressure, and the opening degree of the electronic stepper valve of the cooling system. 25. The method of claim 25, wherein controlling the electronic stepper valve comprises controlling the opening degree of the electronic stepper valve based on the calculated current cooling level. Controlling the opening degree of the electronic stepper valve of the cooling system controls the opening degree of the electronic stepper valve of the cooling system when the calculated current cooling level is different from the predetermined cooling set value. 26. The method of claim 26, comprising increasing or decreasing. The processor further comprises comparing the current cooling level of the refrigerant with the predetermined cooling set value, which is the desired cooling level of the refrigerant as it exits the condenser. 26. The method of claim 26, wherein controlling the opening degree of the electronic stepper valve of the cooling system comprises controlling the opening degree of the electronic stepper valve of the cooling system based on the comparison. 25-28, further comprising adjusting the speed of an electric fan coupled to the condenser based on the first temperature and / or the first pressure by the processor. The method described. Controlling the opening degree of the solenoid valve of the cooling system further includes comparing the obtained second pressure or the temperature of the product with a predetermined second pressure or product temperature set value. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 29, which comprises controlling the solenoid valve based on comparison. Controlling the opening degree of the solenoid valve is to energize the solenoid valve when the second pressure or the temperature of the product is smaller than the predetermined pressure or the temperature set value, and the second pressure or the temperature of the product. 30. The method of claim 30, wherein the solenoid valve is de-energized when the temperature is greater than the predetermined pressure or temperature set value. Obtaining the second pressure of the refrigerant or the temperature of the product includes obtaining the second pressure of the refrigerant, and controlling the opening degree of the solenoid valve is the second pressure of the refrigerant. The method of any one of claims 25-31, comprising controlling the solenoid valve based on pressure. Obtaining the second pressure of the refrigerant or the temperature of the product includes obtaining the temperature of the product, and controlling the opening degree of the solenoid valve is the electromagnetic based on the temperature of the product. The method of any one of claims 25-31, comprising controlling the valve.