KR20200059231A - Cooling cabinet and how it works - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for operating a cooling cabinet arranged to cool material in the cabinet. The cabinet used in the method of the present invention comprises: a storage space for storing materials; A compression cooling system comprising at least a first compressor (124); A primary evaporator 122 in which at least a substantial portion is completely surrounded by a phase change material located in the container 120; Air displacement module 154 and secondary evaporator 132. The method comprises operating the primary evaporator through the compressor until the cooling cabinet reaches a predetermined state and supplying forced air flowing into the storage space along the outer surface of the container. And operating the displacement module. When the cooling cabinet reaches the predetermined state, the secondary evaporator is operated to control the state of the cooling cabinet.

Description

Cooling cabinet and how it works

Various aspects and embodiments of the invention relate to cooling cabinets and methods of operating such cooling cabinets. More specifically, these various aspects and embodiments relate to cooling cabinets that include cold storage.

In general, refrigerators and freezers operate by compression cooling, where liquid coolant is evaporated in an evaporator duct using an expansion valve. Due to the expansion, the temperature of the coolant in the evaporator duct decreases rapidly. This temperature reduction is used to cool the material in the refrigerator or freezer. After the evaporated coolant is compressed, it is supplied to a condenser and returned to the liquid state.

In general, the evaporator is installed in a space for storing materials to be kept at a low temperature or very close to the space, separated by a thin wall. To cool the article, the compressor of the cooling circuit is switched on and off. Because of this, the temperature in the space inside the refrigerator changes rapidly, which can be a problem in the case of items that need to be closely controlled.

In addition, if there is no primary power, the temperature may rise rapidly even though adequate insulation can be supplied to the housing of the refrigerator.

British patent GB 2514622 discloses a refrigerating cabinet comprising a first evaporator for cooling the air inside the cabinet. The cabinet further includes a cold thermal store capable of responding to high cooling loads. The phase change material acting as a thermal store is cooled by a second evaporator through which the refrigerant flows. To this end, the second evaporator can be partially enclosed within the phase change material. In normal operation, the first evaporator operates to cool the cabinet. When a high cooling load is generated in the refrigerator, the first evaporator and the heat reservoir can be used simultaneously to cool the air.

By basically operating the first evaporator to cool the air inside the refrigerator, the evaporator is directly exposed to the space inside the cooling cabinet, whereby the temperature can drop locally below the target temperature, which causes the material to reach too low a temperature. Cooling can affect quality.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling cabinet and a method of operating a cooling cabinet that provides a stable and relatively long cooling performance even if power is disconnected more stably.

The first aspect provides a cooling cabinet for refrigerant. The cooling cabinet stores a first storage space for storing the substance to be cooled, a first compressor for compressing the coolant, a primary evaporator for evaporating coolant compressed by the compressor, and at least a portion of the phase change material and the primary evaporator It includes a cold storage that includes a container for. The cooling cabinet is arranged to supply a first air stream that is powered by a secondary power source, a primary power source, and / or a secondary power source and has a first flow rate that flows into the first storage space along the outer surface of the container in the cold storage room. A first air displacement module; And a controller arranged to sense the insufficient power supplied by the primary power source to operate the displacement module and to supply power to the displacement module with the secondary power source.

This embodiment further comprises a secondary power source, preferably a battery or solar panel, arranged to supply power to the first displacement module when it is determined that the external power source cannot supply power to the first compressor.

Prior to actual operation of the cooling cabinet, the cold storage is first brought to a target state (e.g., in a frozen state or a temperature slightly below 0 degrees, or a temperature at which 0 degrees or at least a small portion is slightly above 0), preferably Controlling the state to be maintained allows the material in the storage space to be cooled for a long period of time by simply supplying air to the first displacement module, without the need to operate the compressor to supply compressed coolant to any evaporator. Thus, unlike some known cooling cabinets, the compressor does not require battery power. As described above, this is a significant advantage since the fan requires less power than the motor for compression cooling.

The first aspect also provides a cooling cabinet for the refrigerant. The cooling cabinet includes a first storage space for storing material to be cooled, a first compressor for compressing coolant, and a primary evaporator for evaporating coolant compressed by the primary compressor. The cooling cabinet includes a container for storing the phase change material and a first displacement that is arranged to supply a first air flow having a first flow rate flowing into the first storage space along the outer surface of the container of the cold storage container. It further includes a module. In the cooling cabinet, any evaporator included in the cooling cabinet (the cooling cabinet is arranged to operate to cool the material) has at least a substantial portion of the evaporator surrounded by the cold storage.

By embedding at least a substantial portion of the primary evaporator in the phase change material, the phase change material is first cooled and preferably converted to a solid before cooling the material inside the cooling cabinet. The advantage of this is, first, energy is injected to secure a cold reserve before cooling other materials.

In addition, putting the cooling cabinet into operation by a bare evaporator of the cooling circuit means brute force cooling. This can cause the temperature to drop below the target temperature at some specific location in the cooling cabinet. As a result, the quality of certain articles in the cooling cabinet can be severely degraded. For example, certain drugs that should not be frozen can be frozen and decay.

Compared to operating a bare tube-and-fins evaporator first, operating the primary evaporator first to operate the cold storage provides a stable source of cold air (a stable thermal energy device).

A further advantage of the cooling cabinet according to this aspect is that when the cooling cabinet is powered on, available energy is first put into the long-term cooling capacity rather than the quick operation of the cooling cabinet.

Embodiments of this aspect include a first sensor for determining the condition of the cooling cabinet, a secondary evaporator at least substantially not embedded in the phase change material, and a processing unit connected to the sensor. In this embodiment, the processing unit operates the first compressor to supply the compressed coolant to the primary evaporator, and when the sensor detects that the cooling cabinet is in a predetermined state, the compressed coolant is supplied to the secondary evaporator In order to operate the first compressor or the second compressor.

Prior to actual operation of the cooling cabinet, the cold storage is first brought to a target state (e.g., frozen or at a temperature slightly below 0 degrees, or at least 0 degrees or at least a small portion is slightly above 0). By controlling the state to be maintained, it is possible to cool the material in the storage space for a long period of time simply by forcibly supplying air to the first displacement module without having to operate the compressor to supply compressed coolant to any evaporator. Thus, unlike some known cooling cabinets, the compressor does not require battery power. As described above, this is a significant advantage since the fan requires less power than the motor for compression cooling.

A second aspect provides a method of operating a cooling cabinet arranged to cool material in a cabinet, the cabinet comprising a storage space for storing material, a compressed cooling system comprising at least a primary compressor, at least substantially a portion of the container It includes a primary evaporator surrounded by the supplied phase change material, a secondary power source and an exhaust displacement module arranged to be supplied with power by the primary and secondary power sources. The method includes operating the primary evaporator through the compressor until the cooling cabinet reaches a predetermined state, and the displacement module is driven through the primary power source to supply forced airflow to flow into the storage space along the outer surface of the container. And operating and supplying power to the displacement module with the secondary power source if it detects that the primary power source has provided insufficient power to operate the displacement module. If it detects that the primary power supply has provided insufficient power to operate the displacement module, the displacement module is powered by the secondary power supply.

In one embodiment, the cooling cabinet further comprises a secondary evaporator, the method further comprising operating the secondary evaporator to assist in controlling the condition of the cooling cabinet until the cooling cabinet reaches a predetermined state. Includes.

By operating the primary evaporator first, a cold material reservoir (thermal energy device) is first created. The construction of such a cold storage provides a basis for stably cooling the materials inside the cooling cabinet. When the cold storage reaches a target state, for example, when a certain temperature is reached or when the phase change material contained in the cold storage becomes a specific phase, the cooling cabinet is stably operated. In this stable state, the secondary evaporator, along with other parts of the cooling circuit, such as the compressor, condenser and expansion valve, can operate to supply cold air to control the temperature of the cooling cabinet, optionally with the aid of a fan. Can be.

 In the event of a power failure, preferably none of the evaporators will work unless power is supplied to one or more compressors to operate the cooling circuit. In other words, if this method is used while power is available, heat energy can be first extracted from the cold storage without going directly through the cabinet. In this way, the temperature in the cooling cabinet is kept stable or at least protected from large temperature changes, and the available energy is first put into providing a long-term cooling capacity that is not immediate. As a result, the holding time, that is, the time in which the articles in the cabinet are cooled without active cooling is prolonged.

One embodiment detects whether the primary power for supplying power to the compressor supplies power, and if the primary power is detected to be unable to supply power to the compressor, the exhaust power module is supplied to the displacement module through the secondary power included in the cooling cabinet. And supplying power.

In other embodiments, the secondary evaporator is not operated until a predetermined state is reached.

By first applying power to the cold storage rather than direct cooling, the cold storage provides a heat sink that can be used for a longer period of time. This is particularly advantageous in this embodiment because it reduces or even excludes the use of power from a secondary power source, such as a battery, for operating one or more compressors in compression cooling. Stable and continuous cooling is provided to articles stored in the storage space, preferably by supplying power to a fan rather than any coolant compressor. This is particularly advantageous because the motor of the fan consumes less energy than the electric motor of the cooling circuit compressor.

There is an effect of providing a method of operating a cooling cabinet and a cooling cabinet that more stably controls the temperature and provides stable and relatively long cooling performance even when the power is cut off.

Various aspects and embodiments will now be discussed in more detail in conjunction with the following figures.
1A shows an embodiment of a cooling cabinet.
1B shows another embodiment of a cooling cabinet.
FIG. 2 shows a first flow chart showing an embodiment of the operation of the cooling cabinet shown in FIG. 1A.
FIG. 3 shows a second flow chart showing an embodiment of the operation of the cooling cabinet shown in FIG. 1A or 1B.
FIG. 4 shows a third flow chart showing an embodiment of the operation of the cooling cabinet shown in FIG. 1A or 1B.
5 further shows an embodiment of a cooling cabinet.
6A shows a first cold storage module.
6B shows a second cold storage module.

1A shows the refrigerator 100 as a cooling cabinet. In this embodiment, the refrigerator 100 is arranged to cool the article 112 stored on the shelf 110 in the cooling space 106. Discussion of these embodiments herein does not exclude the implementation of various aspects and embodiments for freezing the article 112 rather than cooling it. An important difference between cooling and freezing is that when cooled, the temperature of the article 112 should be above 0 ° C and below 0 ° C when frozen. However, both principles are to extract thermal energy from the article to maintain the temperature of any medium in the cooling space 106 at substantially the same temperature, ie the intended temperature of the article 112.

In the refrigerator 100, an inner lining 104, preferably including an insulating layer defining an interior space of the refrigerator 100, is located. In the interior space, a separation wall 114 for dividing the interior space in the storage space 106 and the cold storage 116 is located. The storage space 106 and the cold storage 116 are preferably in fluid communication with each other at the top and bottom of the partition wall 114. The separating wall 114 may be provided as a contiguous barrier, and alternatively, the separating wall 114 may include through holes between the lower end and the upper end of the separating wall 114. , For example, to provide a mesh structure with small holes in a regular or irregular grid. This mesh structure is particularly advantageous for use in large cooling cabinets or cooling walls in places such as supermarkets.

In the cold storage 116, a container 120 for storing the phase change material is located. The phase change material can be characterized as a material having high heat of fusion that can melt and solidify at a certain temperature to store and release large amounts of energy. Phase change material is classified as a latent heat storage device because heat is absorbed or released when the material is changed from solid to liquid or vice versa. In the embodiments discussed in the present invention, the phase change material is water, and as another phase change material, for example, use of glycol may also be envisioned.

In a preferred embodiment, a container 120 is provided in which at least a substantial portion is made of a cushioning material. When the water freezes due to the decrease in temperature, the volume expands, so more space is needed to store the phase change material. The use of a cushioning material does not cause a potential destructive deformation on the wall of the container 120 when the container 120 expands upon solidification of the phase change material. The buffering agent is preferably a polymer such as, for example, an organic polymer (eg polyethylene). The advantage of using such an organic polymer is that the thermal conductivity is relatively low. As a result, a relatively large temperature drop (ΔT) may occur between the phase change material inside the container 120 and the air in the cold reservoir 116 flowing along the outer surface of the container 120. The advantage of this embodiment is that the phase change material can cool well below a certain temperature, while the air outside the container can be at a higher temperature. In other embodiments, the container may additionally or alternatively be opened at the top and / or an expansion system may be used.

The container 120 occupies at least 5%, preferably at least 10% of the space defined by the inner liner 104 and the door 108 when defined by the inner liner 104 or when the door 108 is present. If the cold storage is in a modular fashion, when two or more containers are selectively provided as their own parts of each evaporator or common evaporator, the total amount of containers having a phase change material is equal to that of the internal space of the refrigerator 100. Occupies at least 5%, preferably 10% or more.

If the door does not exist, a hole having a certain plane is located in the inner liner 104. In such a case, the space to be cooled in the cooling cabinet 100 is defined by a specific planar and inner liner 104.

In other embodiments that may be combined, the container 120 may include at least 3 m ² per cubic meter of storage space 106, preferably at least 3.5 m ² , 4 m ² , or a space defined by the inner liner 104. 5 m ² , at least 6 m ² , at least 8 m ² , at least 10 m ² , more preferably, at least 12 m ² or at least 16 m ² .

To increase the surface area of the container 120, the wall of the container 120 may have a wavy or other shaped appearance. The container 120 preferably includes openings at the top and bottom to fill and empty the container 120. In the embodiment shown in the present invention, the container is positioned along the height of the space defined by the inner liner 104. In other embodiments, the container is located above or below storage space 106.

Inside the container 120, a primary evaporator 122 for evaporation of coolant is located. Any coolant suitable for the method discussed in this description can be used. The primary evaporator 122 is embedded at least in most of the evaporator, preferably at least 65% of the container 120, and is thus surrounded by a phase change material. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the primary evaporator is 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or more, most preferably 100% surrounded by a phase change material. The primary evaporator 122 may be made of a pure metal or alloy, such as aluminum, steel, iron, or a combination thereof. The primary evaporator 122 may be positioned to directly contact the phase change material.

In a preferred embodiment, the upstream and downstream ends of the portion of the primary evaporator 122 installed in the container 120 are used to prevent or at least reduce the potential risk of leakage in the container-evaporator interface. It is located at the top of. In one embodiment, the state sensor 148 is preferably located at the downstream end of the portion of the primary evaporator 122 embedded in the container 120. Since this is the coolest part of the evaporator portion in the container 120, the health sensor 148 is located adjacent to or at the end of the phase change material that solidifies upon cooling. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when the target state of at least most of the phase change material is just below the melting point.

Alternatively or additionally, the container 120 is installed along the longitudinal portion of the container (from top to bottom as shown in FIG. 1A or 1B) for housing ducts of the primary evaporator 122. Ducts, elongate cavities, tunnels or recesses are located. The duct may be shielded circumferentially, or alternatively, may have a small opening on the side of the duct to insert the primary evaporator 122. Therefore, the primary evaporator 122 is surrounded by the outer wall of the container 120 and as such, a very large area, preferably 65% or more, is embedded in the container. This means that a small portion of the evaporator duct can be directly exposed to the cold storage 116 along the longitudinal portion of the duct, but it is desirable to keep this area as small as possible.

Thus, at least a substantial portion of the primary evaporator 122 is embedded in the container 120 and in a phase change material in the same way. Therefore, the phase change material surrounds at least a portion of the primary evaporator 122. Surrounding in this context includes, but is not limited to, the phase change material extending around the primary evaporator by at least 65% of the outer cross section of the primary evaporator, preferably when viewed in the horizontal cross section, at least 80% It should be understood that, more preferably 90% or more, most preferably whole.

The primary evaporator 122 is located in a first compression cooling circuit further comprising a first compressor 124, a first condenser 126, and a first expansion valve 128. The first expansion valve 128 is preferably disposed close to the container 120, more preferably as close as possible. The first compressor 124, the first condenser 126 and preferably the first expansion valve 128 are preferably provided outside of the interior space.

In another embodiment, the refrigerator 100 includes an additional container comprising an additional primary evaporator to further provide a cold storage. The additional cold storage 116 can be located in the cold storage 116 or, alternatively, in a separate additional cold storage space. The additional primary evaporator can be part of a separate compression cooling circuit. Alternatively, the additional primary evaporator may share one or more components of the first compression cooling circuit, the additional primary evaporator preferably being located in parallel with the primary evaporator 122, or alternatively It is located in series with the primary evaporator 122.

The refrigerator 100 further includes an optional second cooling circuit. The second cooling circuit includes a second compressor 134, a secondary evaporator 132, a second expansion valve 138, and a second condenser 136. The secondary evaporator 132 can be located in the interior space, the storage space 106 or the cold storage 116, or both. Alternatively, the secondary evaporator 132 is directly adjacent to or embedded in the inner liner 104, so that only a small layer of the inner liner 104 material is secondary from the inner space defined by the inner liner 104. The evaporator 132 can be separated.

In an alternative embodiment, the first condenser 126, the first compressor 124 and / or the first expansion valve 128 are shared by the first cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit. The coolant from the first condenser 126 is through the primary evaporator 122 and the primary evaporator 122 and secondary evaporator 132 returned to the primary compressor and a third direction valve (not shown), and / Or is distributed to the secondary evaporator (132).

The operation of the refrigerator 100 is controlled by a processing unit 140 located in the housing 102 of the refrigerator 100. The processing unit 140 is arranged to control the first compressor 124 and the second compressor 134. The processing unit 140 is located in the cold storage 116, preferably above the first temperature sensor 142, above the storage space 106, the second temperature sensor 144 and below the storage space 106. It is connected to the third temperature sensor 146. The processing unit 140 is further connected to a state sensor 148 to sense the state of the phase change material inside the container 120. The state sensor 148 may include a temperature sensor, a phase sensor for determining the phase of the phase change material, another sensor, or a combination thereof.

The processing unit 140 is also connected to an electric motor 152 or other motor for driving the fan 154 as a displacement module, and has a primary power source (preferably electrical energy) and a secondary power source (preferably internal energy). It is connected to a power inlet 162 for receiving energy from the battery 164 as a reservoir. The primary power source may be a mains power source that is 240V AC or 110V AC in some countries. Alternatively or additionally, the primary power source may be solar power generation using a solar panel located outside the refrigerator 100 or on / inside the outer wall of the housing 102 of the refrigerator 100.

The displacement module is arranged to supply airflow from top to bottom in the storage space 106 and from bottom to top in the cold storage 116. Alternatively, airflow may be supplied in the reverse direction.

Refrigerators or cooling cabinets made in this way can be manufactured in any useful size, can be used in supermarkets, portable and / or overhead (e.g. polycopters such as aircraft, helicopters, quadcopters or hexacopters), ground, It can also be manufactured in small sizes to be carried on a remote controlled unmanned vehicle that moves through the sea level.

1B shows another refrigerator 100 as another embodiment of a cooling cabinet. In the refrigerator 100 shown in FIG. 1B, the second cooling circuit is omitted and the storage space 106 is cooled alone by at least one of the primary evaporator 122 and the phase change material included in the container 120. .

1A and 1B, a solid line is indicated to indicate control lines, and a long broken line indicates a circuit for conveying the coolant. The power line is not shown, but power can travel through the control line.

To date, a cold storage module with a container 120 has been discussed as being fixed within the cold storage 116. In another embodiment, with or without the primary evaporator 122 and with or without additional components of the primary cooling circuit, the cold storage module is provided in a modular way to be associated with the refrigerator 100 Can be removed and / or replaced

FIG. 2 shows a first flow diagram 200 describing a method for operating the refrigerator 100 as shown in FIG. 1A. The various parts of the first flow diagram 200 are briefly summarized in the following list and are discussed in more detail thereafter.

202 Start process

204 Primary cooling circuit operation

206 Status sensor reading

208 Have you reached your target status?

210 Stop primary cooling circuit

212 Secondary cooling circuit operation

214 Temperature sensor reading

216 Is the temperature appropriate?

218 Secondary cooling circuit down

The procedure starts at a terminator 202 and proceeds to step 204 where the primary compressor 124 operates. Thereafter, the state sensor 148 is read in step 206 to determine the state of the phase change material in the container 120. In step 208, the reading from the state sensor 148 is compared to a predetermined value to verify that the phase change material has reached the target state. This target condition can be a specific temperature above or below 0 ° C. Alternatively or additionally, this target state may be a state where the phase change material is a solid phase, at the position of the state sensor 148.

 When the phase change material reaches the target state, the procedure continues from step 208 to step 210. If the target state has not yet been reached, the procedure returns to step 204, or, alternatively, to step 206.

In an optional step 210, the first cooling circuit is stopped. Subsequently, in step 212, the second cooling circuit is activated. In step 214, the temperature of at least one of the first temperature sensor 142, the second temperature sensor 144, and the third temperature sensor 146 is read. The read temperature or temperatures are compared in step 216 with one or more reference values. If the read temperature or temperatures are below one or more reference values, the second cooling circuit is stopped in step 218. The process then branches to step 214 to read the temperature. This may include a waiting step.

If the read temperature or temperatures are above one or more reference values, the process re-branches to step 212 to continue operating the second cooling circuit. Optionally, the process also re-branches to step 204 or 206 to restart operation of the first cooling circuit or to minimally check whether the phase change material inside container 120 is still in the target state. If not, the first cooling circuit works to bring the phase change material to the target state.

FIG. 3 shows a second flow diagram 300 describing an embodiment for operating the refrigerator 100 shown by FIG. 1A or 1B. Various parts of the second flow diagram 300 are briefly summarized in the list below and are discussed in more detail thereafter. The procedure illustrated by the second flowchart 300 may be combined with the procedure illustrated by the first flowchart 200.

302: Start the procedure

304: Primary power acceptance

306: Active component operation, including compressors

308: Battery charging

310: Primary power check

312: Is power available?

314: Fan operation on battery

The procedure starts at the starting point 302 and proceeds to step 304 where power is supplied from an external source. Such power is preferably a main electricity net or a local power source (including but not limited to an external solar panel or a generator powered by manpower, wind power, combustion engines, or the like, or a combination thereof). It is the power received from.

The procedure continues to step 306, where the refrigerator 100 is operated in a normal operating state. In this normal operating state, the procedure shown by the first flow diagram 200 can be executed. At the same time, the battery 164 is charged in step 308.

In step 310, the processing unit 140 determines whether power is still supplied from the primary power through the power inlet 162. This determination can be made, for example, in a direct way to measure the current and / or voltage of the primary power supply. Alternatively or additionally, the availability of sufficient power supplied by the primary power source can be determined indirectly. This indirect method for determining whether sufficient power is available from the primary power supply is, for example, checking the power availability from the main power supply to a clock or other timer configured by the processing unit 140. . Additionally or alternatively, the timer can be used to operate from the primary power source when a significant amount of green energy is available, or alternatively or additionally, not off peak times. Additionally or alternatively, power from the primary power source can be cut off by a manually operable switch. The lack of power from the primary power source can be detected through a switching action and / or the absence of sufficient current and / or voltage.

Based on this discrimination, in step 312, the power read or power detection signal is checked to a predetermined state or value. If the result of the check indicates that primary power is available or at least sufficient primary power is available for normal operation, steps 306 and 308 are returned. Otherwise, the operation of the first cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit is stopped, and the electric motor 152 supplying power to the fan 154 has a battery in step 314 until energy is again received from the primary power source. Use the energy stored at (164). To this end, the procedure continues from step 314 to step 310. Alternatively, at least one of the first cooling circuit and the second cooling circuit is operated through the battery 164 as a secondary power source.

4 shows a third flow diagram 400 describing an embodiment for operating the refrigerator 100 shown by FIG. 1A or 1B. Various parts of the third flow diagram 400 are briefly summarized in the list below and are discussed in more detail thereafter. The procedure depicted by the third flowchart 400 can be combined with the procedure depicted by the first flowchart 200 and the second flowchart 300. Referring to the second flow chart 300, the procedure illustrated by the third flow chart 400 may be executed while receiving power from an external source as well as using the power provided by the battery 164.

402: Start the procedure

404: Fan operation

406: Temperature reading

408: Is it too high?

410: Increased fan activity

412: Is it too low?

414: Reduced fan activity

416: Keep working

The procedure starts at the starting point 402 and continues at step 404 to step 404 of starting the electric motor 152 of the fan 154. In step 406, the temperature is read. This may be the temperature read by one or more of the first temperature sensor 142, the second temperature sensor 144, and the third temperature sensor 146.

The temperature reading is checked in step 408. In step 408, if it is determined that at least one of the sensed temperatures is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the activity amount of the fan 154 is increased in step 410. Accordingly, cooler air is supplied to the storage space 106. Thereafter, the procedure continues with step 412. If at least one detected temperature is not below a predetermined value, step 410 is skipped.

If at least one of the temperatures detected in step 412 is determined to be below a predetermined value, the activity of the fan 154 is reduced in step 414. Accordingly, less cold air is supplied to the storage space 106. Thereafter, the procedure continues with step 416. If one or more detected temperatures are not above a predetermined value, step 414 is skipped. In step 416, normal operation of the fan 156 continues as set and the procedure returns to step 406.

In this embodiment, the speed of the electric motor 152 driving the fan 154 is assumed to be controlled and can be increased or decreased. In other embodiments it may not. In this embodiment, temperature control is preferably done using hysteresis control. In certain temperature ranges, no action is taken on temperature control. If the temperature is at the top or top of the range, the fan will run and then stop until the temperature is at the bottom or bottom of the range.

5 shows another refrigerator 500 as a cooling cabinet. The refrigerator 500 includes a first storage space 512 and a second storage space 516. The storage spaces are separated from each other by a barrier 510. In the refrigerator 500, a low temperature storage space 506 for accommodating the container 520 carrying the phase change material is located. Inside the container, an evaporator 522 is located, substantially enclosed in the container, and thus completely surrounded by the phase change material in the container. The evaporator 522 forms part of a compression cooling circuit, which is not shown for the sake of simplicity of the drawing, and is present in a manner similar to that shown in FIG.

A first displacement module comprising a fan and an electric motor for supplying airflow from the cold storage space 506 to the first storage space 512 in the conduit between the cold storage space 506 and the first storage space 512 514 is located. At the lower end of the first storage space, another conduit is positioned between the first storage space 512 and the low temperature storage space 506 to supply airflow back to the low temperature storage space 506. In other embodiments, the airflow moves in different directions.

A second displacement module comprising a fan and an electric motor to supply airflow from the cold storage space 506 to the second storage space 516 in the conduit between the cold storage space 506 and the second storage space 516 518 is located. At the lower end of the second storage space, another conduit is positioned between the second storage space 516 and the cold storage space 506 to supply airflow back to the cold storage space 506. In other embodiments, the airflow moves in different directions.

By adjusting each of the flow rates of the first displacement module 514 and the second displacement module 516, the amount of cold air from the low-temperature storage space 506 can be supplied to each of the storage spaces that are operated independently of each other. Due to this, the temperatures of the first storage space 512 and the second storage space 516 can be independently controlled by the third flowchart 400 according to the procedure shown for each storage space. In this way, the first storage space 512 can be used as a freezer and the second storage space 516 can be used as a refrigerator, or in other ways.

The various embodiments discussed above can be used in combination with one or more of the following numbered aspects and examples:

1. As a cold storage module for use in cooling cabinets,

The module;

A container for storing the phase change material;

Including the detector for detecting the surface level (surface level) of the phase change material inside the container,

The detector is arranged to generate a signal when the surface of the phase change level is at a predetermined surface level,

Cold storage module.

2. In Example 1,

And a float arranged to combine with a detector to generate a signal when the surface of the phase change material is at the predetermined surface level.

3. In Example 1 or Example 2,

A cold storage module in which the horizontal cross-section of the container is narrowed toward the top of the container.

4. In Example 3,

Cold storage room with a horizontal cross-section of the container has a staircase function.

5. As a cooling cabinet.

Cold storage module according to any one of Examples 1 to 4;

An evaporator for providing compression cooling provided in the container of the cold storage module; And

A process of starting the compressor when the level of the phase change material is at a predetermined surface level and coupled to the compressor and detector of the cold storage module and when the level of the phase change material is higher or lower than the predetermined surface level A controller arranged to perform at least one of the processes of stopping the compressor operation;

Including, cooling cabinet.

6A shows a cold storage module 600 that includes a container 610 for storing phase change material. In container 610, the phase change material is provided with a level 612 surface. As the phase change material changes from solid to liquid and vice versa, the relative mass changes. And the amount of phase change material changes according to the change of the relative mass.

When the phase change material contains water or is water, the phase change amount is larger in the solid state than in the liquid state. Thus, when the phase change material is solid, level 612 is higher than when the phase change material is liquid. The container 610 can be used in any cooling cabinet as described above.

Inside the container 610, a floater 626 is located, either partially or on a phase change material. In this embodiment, the plotter is positioned through a beam connected to a container 610 or hanging from a connection point 622 that is connected to a refrigerator. As the surface level 612 of the phase change material rises or falls, the plotter 626 rises or falls.

The beam 624 is hinged accordingly, and the position of the plotter 626 may be determined by a sensor included in the connection point 622. In response, the sensor included in the connection point 622 can generate a signal that provides information about the surface level 612 of the phase change material. And it provides information on whether the state of the phase change material is liquid, liquid and solid, or completely solid. As such, the sensors included in the plotter 626 and the connection point 622 may replace the state sensor 148 shown in FIG. 1A.

Alternatively or additionally, a push button 634 located in the housing 632 with a circuit switch can be provided. When the plotter 626 is at a predetermined level, it engages the push button 634, with which the circuit switch can open or close the circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the predetermined level is consistent with the situation where all or at least most of the phase change material is solid.

In a preferred embodiment where water is used as the phase change material, the processing unit 140 operates the first compressor 124 (FIG. 1A) when the plotter 626 is at a level where all or at least most of the water is in a solid state. It is arranged to stop.

In other embodiments, other phase change materials having a higher density in the solid than in the liquid can be used. In such embodiments, operation of the first compressor 124 may be stopped upon reaching a certain low level of the phase change material surface. This can also be detected by the plotter 626 and suitable sensors.

6B shows an additional cold storage module 650 as another embodiment. The cold storage module 650 includes a container 660 with a step section 664 at the top of the container 660. The transitions can be sharp and, alternatively or additionally, can be smooth and curved like a wine bottle. In container 660, phase change material is provided up to surface level 662. In container 660, a phase change material is provided such that the surface is within a narrow portion of the top of container 660. In this way, the volume change of the phase change material results in a greater deviation in the surface level 662 compared to a container where the horizontal cross-sectional area of the container is substantially the same over the entire height of the container. As such, with the larger movement of the plotter 676 between the two phases, more accurate state detection is possible.

Plotter 676 is located on or within the phase change material. Above the plotter 676, a push button 682 for operating the switch is located on the switch of the housing 686. The push button 682 is arranged to engage the plotter 676 as discussed in relation to the embodiment of FIG. 6A.

Alternatively or additionally to the plotter structure, other devices for detecting the volume of the phase change material, as well as the surface level, may also be used. Thus, other sensors can be used to determine the volume of the phase change material, and in that way the state of the phase change material (whether liquid, liquid and solid or completely solid) can be determined. Another sensor that can be used is a conductivity sensor. Such conductivity sensors can be provided for the lowest level of phase change material reached in a particular state and, alternatively or additionally, for the highest level of phase change material.

Upon detecting a change in conductivity, a sensor may appear, contact the phase change material, or exit the phase change material. The processing unit 140 switches off the first compressor 124 when all phase change materials are determined to be solid, or all or at least a specific amount of the phase change material, for example 2%, 5%, 10% , 15% or 20% is liquid, the first compressor 124 can be switched on to take action accordingly.

In FIG. 6A, the container 610 is provided as a closed container, and in FIG. 6B, the container 660 is provided as an open container. Alternatively, all containers can be opened from the top, partially opened, or completely closed.

In the above description, when an element, such as a layer, region, or substrate, is referred to as being “above” or “above” another element, that element may exist directly on or between elements. Will be understood. It will also be understood that the values given in the above description are given as examples, and other values are possible and / or tried.

In addition, the present invention can be implemented with fewer components than those provided in the embodiments described herein, where one component performs multiple functions. The present invention can be implemented using more components than those shown in the figures, and the functions performed by one component in the provided embodiments can be distributed across multiple components.

It should be noted that the drawings are only schematic representations of embodiments of the present invention, which are provided by non-limiting embodiments. For clarity and concise description, features are described herein as part of the same or separate embodiments, but it will be understood that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having a combination of all or some of the features described. The word "include" does not exclude the presence of features or steps other than those listed in the claims. Also, the words "a" and "an" are not to be construed as being limited to "one" only, but instead are used to mean "at least one," and do not exclude plurals.

Those skilled in the art will readily understand that various parameters and values disclosed herein can be modified and various embodiments disclosed and / or claimed can be combined without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Reference numerals in the claims do not limit the scope of the claims and are only included to improve the readability of the claims.

Claims (18)

As a cooling cabinet for cooling matter (cooling matter),
A first storage space for storing material to be cooled;
A first compressor for compressing a coolant material;
A primary evaporator for evaporating the coolant compressed by the compressor;
A cold storage comprising a phase change material and a container for storing at least a portion of the primary evaporator;
Secondary power;
A first power source that is powered by the primary power source and / or the secondary power source and is arranged to supply a first air stream having a first flow rate flowing into the first storage space along the outer surface of the container in the cold storage room 1 air displacement module; And
And a controller arranged to detect insufficient power supplied by the primary power source to operate the displacement module, and to supply power to the displacement module with the secondary power source,
Cooling cabinet. As a cooling cabinet for refrigerant,
A first storage space for storing material to be cooled;
A first compressor for compressing the coolant;
A primary evaporator for evaporating the coolant compressed by the first compressor;
A cold storage chamber including a container for storing the phase change material; And
A first displacement module arranged to supply a first air flow having a first flow rate flowing into the first storage space along the outer surface of the container of the cold storage,
Any evaporator included in the cooling cabinet, wherein the cooling cabinet is arranged to operate to cool the material, has at least a substantial portion of the evaporator surrounded by the cold storage,
Cooling cabinet for refrigerant. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The cooling cabinet,
A first sensor for determining the state of the cooling cabinet;
A secondary evaporator in which at least a substantial portion is not embedded in the phase change material; And
Further comprising a processing unit connected to the sensor,
The processing unit,
Operating the first compressor to supply compressed coolant to the primary evaporator;
When the sensor detects that the cooling cabinet is in a predetermined state, the cooling cabinet is arranged to operate the first compressor or the second compressor to supply the compressed coolant to the secondary evaporator. According to claim 3,
The predetermined state,
The temperature of the storage space is below a predetermined temperature;
A state in which a predetermined amount or more of the phase change material is transferred to a predetermined phase; or
The temperature of the outer surface of the container is below the predetermined temperature;
Cooling cabinet, which is at least one of. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The container comprises a resilient material, preferably a polymer, and more preferably an organic polymer. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A second storage space; And
And a second displacement module arranged to supply a second air flow having a second flow rate flowing into the first storage space along the outer surface of the container of the cold storage. The method of claim 6,
The cooling cabinet,
A first temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the first storage space;
A second temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the second storage space; And
Further comprising a processing unit,
The processing unit;
Controlling the first displacement module by receiving a signal from the first temperature sensor to control the temperature of the first storage space;
A cooling cabinet, arranged to control the second displacement module by receiving a signal from the second temperature sensor to control the temperature of the second storage space. In any one of claims 2 to 7-to the extent dependent on claim 2-in
The cooling cabinet,
A power inlet for receiving power from an external power source and supplying power to the first compressor;
A sensor for determining whether the external power supply can supply enough power to operate the first compressor; And
A cooling cabinet further comprising an internal power source, preferably a battery or solar panel, arranged to supply power to the first displacement module when the external power source is determined to be unable to power the first compressor. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The container is provided in the container space which is at least partially separated from the storage space by a separation shield included in the cooling cabinet. The method of claim 9,
The separation shield comprises openings, a cooling cabinet. A cooling cabinet arranged to cool the material in the cabinet, the cooling cabinet comprising: a storage space for storing the material; A compression cooling system comprising at least a primary compressor; A primary evaporator in which at least a substantial portion is surrounded by a phase change material supplied from the container; Secondary power; And a displacement module arranged to be powered by the primary power source and the secondary power source, comprising:
The above method,
Operating the primary evaporator through the compressor until the cooling cabinet reaches a predetermined state;
Operating the displacement module through the primary power source to supply forced airflow to flow into the storage space along the outer surface of the container; And
Supplying power to the displacement module with the secondary power when it is detected that the primary power has supplied insufficient power to operate the displacement module;
How to include. The method of claim 11,
The method further comprises the step of not operating the compressor through the secondary power source. The method of claim 11 or 12,
The cooling cabinet further comprises a secondary evaporator,
And operating the secondary evaporator to assist in controlling, and preferably maintaining, the state of the cooling cabinet until the cooling cabinet reaches the predetermined state. The method of claim 13,
The second evaporator is not operated until the predetermined state is reached. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14,
The predetermined state,
The temperature of the storage space is below a predetermined temperature;
A state in which a predetermined amount or more of the phase change material is transferred to a predetermined phase; or
The temperature of at least a portion of the outer surface of the container-the airflow supplied along the surface-is below a predetermined temperature;
At least one of them. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 15,
Detecting whether the primary power for supplying power to the compressor supplies power, and when it is detected that the primary power cannot supply power to the compressor, through the secondary power included in the cooling cabinet And further comprising supplying power to the displacement module. The method of claim 16,
And if it is detected that the primary power supply cannot supply power to the compressor, further comprising not supplying power to the compressor. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 17,
Sensing the temperature of the storage space; And
Performing at least one of a process of increasing the activity of the displacement module when the sensed temperature is above a predetermined threshold and a process of decreasing the activity of the displacement module when the sensed temperature is below a predetermined threshold;
How to include more.

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