KR20240030402A - Variable insulated housing - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a variable insulated housing. The variable insulation housing according to the present invention includes a variable insulation part that can open and close a part of the insulation part and a condensation catcher that induces and discharges condensation. The condensation receiver may have a condensation insulator and may be formed of an upper frame and a lower frame.
The variable insulation housing according to the present invention can efficiently cool the inside of the housing by allowing the insulation performance of the housing to be adjusted through the variable insulation unit. Additionally, condensation can be induced using a condensation catcher to protect the equipment contained inside.

Description

Variable insulated housing {Variable insulated housing}

The present invention relates to a variable insulation housing, and more specifically, to a variable insulation housing having a variable insulation unit that can open and close a part of the insulation unit and a condensation catcher that induces and discharges condensation.

In general, equipment such as system controllers and batteries have different storage and operating temperatures. For example, to store equipment in a cryogenic environment such as Antarctica, an insulated housing is essential. However, as the equipment is operated, the temperature inside the insulated housing rises. In the case of a general insulated housing, the heat generated during operation is trapped inside the housing due to the insulating structure to block low-temperature external cold air. This causes a problem in which the operating efficiency of the system is reduced.

Conventionally, in order to solve this problem, a cooling system such as a thermoelectric element, a fan, and a refrigerant is installed inside the insulating housing. However, these cooling systems consume a lot of energy, so it is difficult to operate them for long periods of time. In particular, systems operating in extremely low-temperature environments such as Antarctica cannot use existing cooling systems because battery efficiency must be managed to the maximum. Therefore, there is an increasing need for the development of insulated housings that are well insulated from the outside when the equipment is not in operation and can be efficiently cooled using less energy when the equipment is in operation.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0104287

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a variable insulated housing that is well insulated from the outside when the equipment is not in operation and can be cooled efficiently using less energy when the equipment is in operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a variable insulating housing that prevents condensation generated during the cooling process from affecting equipment housed therein.

A variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a case, an insulation unit, a variable insulation unit, and a condensation receiver. The case has a storage space inside to accommodate equipment. The insulation portion is located inside the case and insulates the receiving space from the outside. The variable insulation unit is installed to enable opening and closing of a portion of the insulation unit. The condensation catcher is installed between the variable insulation unit and the equipment accommodated in the receiving space.

The condensation receiver of the variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a condensation insulation part formed on the side facing the variable insulation part.

The condensation receiver of the variable insulated housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may include an upper frame and a lower frame. The upper frame and lower frame are spaced apart from each other to allow condensation to flow between the upper frame and lower frame.

In the condensation receiver of the variable insulated housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, the upper frame and the lower frame may have inclined surfaces that are inclined to induce the flow of condensation.

The variable insulated housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a condensation discharge unit located at the bottom of the case.

The variable insulated housing according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a lower cooling unit located at the lower part of the case.

The variable insulation housing according to the present invention can open a part of the insulation unit when the equipment housed inside is operated through a variable insulation unit installed to be able to open and close a part of the insulation unit, thereby using little energy and reducing the external low temperature. You can use this to efficiently cool the inside of the case.

In addition, the variable insulated housing according to the present invention is provided with a condensation receiver, so that condensation generated during the cooling process does not affect the accommodated equipment.

1 is a diagram conceptually showing the interior of a variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram conceptually showing the variable insulation unit opening and closing a portion of the insulation unit in the variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3A is a diagram conceptually showing a condensation discharge unit and a lower cooling unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3A.
Figures 4a and 4b are diagrams showing the results of an experiment to check whether using the variable insulation unit affects the internal temperature of the variable insulation housing.
Figure 5 is a diagram conceptually showing the interior of a variable insulation housing equipped with a condensation catcher according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a block diagram showing a cooling system for a variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a flow chart showing the operation of the cooling system of the variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Terms or words used in this specification and claims should not be construed as limited to their common or dictionary meanings, and the inventor may appropriately define the concept of terms in order to explain his or her invention in the best way. It must be interpreted with meaning and concept consistent with the technical idea of the present invention based on the principle that it is.

Therefore, the embodiments described in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only one of the most preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not represent the entire technical idea of the present invention, so at the time of filing this application, they can be replaced. It should be understood that various equivalents and variations may exist.

Figure 1 is a diagram conceptually showing the inside of a variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a diagram conceptually showing the variable insulation unit opening and closing a portion of the insulation unit in the variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3A is a diagram conceptually showing a condensation discharge unit and a lower cooling unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3A, and FIGS. 4A and 4B show variable insulation using a variable insulation unit. This diagram shows the results of an experiment to check whether it affects the internal temperature of the housing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3B, the variable insulation housing 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a case 1100, an insulation unit 1200, a variable insulation unit 1300, a condensation receiver 1400, It includes a condensation discharge unit 1500 and a lower cooling unit 1600.

Case 1100 forms the exterior of the variable insulating housing 1000. In this embodiment, the case 1100 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but may have various shapes. The case 1100 has an accommodating space inside which can accommodate the equipment 100. The equipment 100 accommodated in the accommodation space of the case 1100 may be a variety of equipment, such as a battery, a controller, or a temperature control unit. Equipment 100 may be located at the bottom of case 1100. Case 1100 may be waterproof. Through this, the case 1100 can protect the equipment 100 housed inside from the outside.

Case 1100 may have a cover 1110 on the top. The cover 1110 can be opened when repairing or replacing equipment contained within the case 1100. The cover 1110 portion is also waterproofed.

The insulation portion 1200 is located inside the case 1100. In this embodiment, the insulation portion 1200 may be positioned in contact with the inner wall of the case 1100. The insulation unit 1200 insulates the receiving space and the outside. The insulation unit 1200 prevents the equipment 100 accommodated in the accommodation space from being affected by external temperature.

The variable insulation unit 1300 is installed to enable opening and closing of a portion of the insulation unit 1200. In this embodiment, the variable insulation unit 1300 is installed on the insulation unit 1200 located at the top, but is not limited to this and may be installed on the side of the insulation unit 1200, etc. The cover 1110 is located on the upper part of the variable insulation unit 1300.

In this embodiment, the variable insulation unit 1300 may include an insulation plate 1310 and a variable insulation unit driver 1320. The insulation plate 1310 can be moved by the variable insulation driving unit 1320. One side of the variable insulation portion 1300 is opened by the movement of the insulation plate 1310. The variable insulation driving unit 1320 may include a guide rail and a driving motor. The insulation plate 1310 moves along the guide rail. When the variable insulation unit 1300 is opened, the air in the receiving space comes into direct contact with the case 1100, and therefore the air near the variable insulation unit 1300 It gets cold.

In order to determine whether using the variable insulation unit 1300 affects the internal temperature of the variable insulation housing 1000, the change in temperature over time was measured under the following conditions.

Condition 1: Outside

Condition 2: Inside the housing with insulation without any equipment inside.

Condition 3: Inside the housing containing the insulation with the equipment inside.

Condition 4: Inside a housing with equipment inside, including insulation, but without insulation on the top half.

The measurement results are shown in Figures 4A and 4B. As shown in Figure 4a, in the case of condition 1, the temperature dropped to -40 degrees Celsius after measurement and was maintained at -40 degrees Celsius thereafter. In the case of condition 2, the temperature inside the housing changed gradually, and it can be inferred that after enough time, the temperature inside the housing will drop to -40 degrees Celsius, which is the external temperature. In the case of condition 3, it can be seen that heat is generated due to the operation of the internal equipment, and the temperature inside the housing continues to increase.

In the case of condition 4, as shown in FIG. 4b, it can be seen that the temperature inside the housing converges to around -7 degrees Celsius even though the equipment is operating inside the housing. Therefore, it can be seen that even in the case of a housing including an insulation part, if some of the insulation parts are missing, the inside of the housing can be cooled by heat exchange between the case and the outside. Through this, it can be seen that the same effect will appear on the internal temperature of the housing 1000 even when the variable insulation part 1300 is included as in the present invention.

A condensation receiver 1400 is located inside the case 1100. More specifically, the condensation catcher 1400 is installed within the accommodation space of the case 1100 between the variable insulation unit 1300 and the equipment 100 accommodated in the accommodation space. Therefore, when the variable insulation unit 1300 is opened, the cooled air in direct contact with the case 1100 comes into contact with the condensation receiver 1400 before contacting the equipment 100. In other words, the condensation catcher 1400 serves to prevent or delay the equipment 100 from coming into contact with cooled air. As a result, the temperature of the condensation receiver 1400 rapidly decreases, and condensation forms in the condensation receiver 1400. This can prevent condensation from forming on the equipment 100 due to cold air.

The size of the condensation catcher 1400 may vary depending on the type of equipment 100. For example, if a lot of heat is generated while the equipment 100 is in operation, the size of the condensation catcher 1400 may be reduced to increase cooling efficiency. In one embodiment, the condensation catcher 1400 is formed to a size large enough to cover all of the portions opened by the variable insulation unit 1300, so that impurities do not directly enter the equipment 100 through the variable insulation unit 1300. It is also possible to protect the equipment 100 by preventing it from falling. In one embodiment, the condensation catcher 1400 may be formed to have a variable size.

The condensation discharge unit 1500 is located at the lower part of the case 1100. The condensation discharge unit 1500 discharges condensation generated in the condensation receiver 1400 to the outside of the case 1100. The condensation discharge unit 1500 may be a hole formed from the inside of the case 1100 to the outside. The number and location of holes may vary depending on the size of the case 1100, the type of equipment 100 accommodated, etc.

The variable insulation housing 1000 may further include a lower cooling unit 1600 at the lower part of the case 1100. The lower cooling unit 1600 is located close to the equipment 100 and can cool the inside of the case 1100. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the equipment 100 can be increased. The lower cooling unit 1600 can be formed of a material with high thermal conductivity.

In this embodiment, the lower cooling unit 1600 may be formed with a cooling passage 1510 through which refrigerant passes. Due to the complexity of the structure, the cooling passage 1610 can be formed by forming a cooling groove and then attaching a cover to seal it. A condensation discharge unit 1500 may be located in the cooling passage 1610. That is, spatial efficiency can be increased by forming a hole for discharging condensation in the cooling passage 1610.

Refrigerants can be a variety of substances, including cold air and R-134a. The lower cooling unit 1600 may include a lower cooling unit driving unit for circulating refrigerant. The lower cooling unit driving unit may be, for example, a pump.

Figure 5 is a diagram conceptually showing the interior of a variable insulation housing equipped with a condensation catcher according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the condensation receiver 2400 according to another embodiment of the present invention may have a condensation insulating part 2410 formed on the side (outside) facing the variable insulating part 2300. The condensation insulator 2410 increases the temperature difference between the outside and inside of the condensation receiver 2400, thereby encouraging condensation to form more easily in the condensation receiver 2400.

The condensation catcher 2400 may include an upper frame 2420 and a lower frame 2430. The upper frame 2420 is located further outside than the lower frame 2430. The upper frame 2420 and the lower frame 2430 are spaced apart from each other and combined. A spacer 2440 may be used to separate the upper frame 2420 and the lower frame 2430. The condensation insulator 2410 may be formed by being attached to the outside of the upper frame 2420. Condensation generated in the condensation catcher 2400 may flow into the spaced gap between the upper frame 2420 and the lower frame 2430. Therefore, condensation generated in the condensation catcher 2400 does not fall into the equipment 100.

The upper frame 2420 and lower frame 2430 of the condensation receiver 2400 may each have an inclined surface to induce the flow of condensation. For example, the upper frame 2420 and the lower frame 2430 may have an inclined surface at the top and a surface perpendicular to the bottom surface of the case 2100 at the bottom. At this time, the inclined surface has an inclination that causes the condensation generated in the condensation receiver 2400 to fall away from the equipment 100. In another embodiment, the upper frame 2420 and the lower frame 2430 may be formed so that the slope of the slope changes, that is, the slope of the slope has multiple slopes.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the cooling system of the variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 7 is a flow chart showing the operation of the cooling system of the variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The cooling system 3000 of a variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a variable insulation housing as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5.

As shown in Figure 6, the cooling system 3000 of the variable insulation housing according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a temperature measuring unit 3100, a variable insulation driving unit 3200, a lower cooling unit driving unit 3300, and a heating unit. (3400), including a temperature control unit (3500).

The temperature measuring unit 3100 measures the temperature inside the case. The variable insulation unit driving unit 3200 opens and closes the variable insulation unit. The lower cooling unit driving unit 3300 drives refrigerant in the cooling passage of the lower cooling unit. The heating unit 3400 supplies heat to the inside of the case. The temperature control unit 3500 is a device for controlling the temperature inside the case, and controls the operation of each component of the cooling system 3000 of the variable insulation housing.

In order for equipment housed inside a variable insulated housing to start operating, equipment such as batteries must meet the initial operating temperature conditions. The temperature measurement unit 3100 measures the temperature inside the case, and the temperature control unit 3500 checks whether the measured temperature is the initial operating temperature of the equipment. If the inside temperature of the case is lower than the initial operating temperature of the equipment, the temperature control unit 3500 drives the heating unit 3400 (S4100). As the heating unit 3400 operates, the inside of the case becomes a temperature suitable for the initial operating temperature conditions of the accommodated equipment. When the equipment starts operating, the equipment also generates heat, so the temperature control unit 3500 can stop operating the heating unit 3400.

Even while the equipment is operating, the temperature measurement unit 3100 measures the temperature inside the case (S4200). The temperature control unit 3500 determines whether the measured temperature is higher than a temperature suitable for operating the equipment (S4300). If the temperature inside the case is higher than the temperature suitable for operating the equipment, the temperature control unit 3500 drives the variable insulation driving unit 3200 (S4400). By driving the variable insulation unit driver 3200, the variable insulation unit opens a portion of the insulation unit. The temperature value Ta for opening the variable insulation unit may be set in advance. That is, if the measured temperature (T) is higher than the temperature value (Ta) for opening the variable insulation unit, the variable insulation unit driver 3200 is driven. When the variable insulation unit is opened by driving the variable insulation unit driver 3200, the thermal conductivity increases and the air inside the case is cooled due to the low external temperature, thereby maintaining the internal temperature at a temperature suitable for driving the equipment. In the condensation trap, condensation occurs due to the cold internal air, which prevents condensation from forming in the equipment. Condensation generated in the condensation catcher is discharged to the outside of the case through the condensation discharge part.

Even while opening the variable insulation unit and operating the equipment, the temperature measuring unit 3100 measures the temperature inside the case. The temperature control unit 3500 determines whether the measured temperature is a temperature that requires operation of the lower cooling unit (S4500). The temperature value (Tb) that drives the lower cooling unit can be set in advance. That is, if the measured temperature (T) is higher than the temperature value (Tb) for driving the lower cooling unit, the lower cooling unit driving unit 3300 is driven (S4600). By driving the lower cooling unit driving unit 3300, refrigerant circulates in the cooling passage of the lower cooling unit, and the inside of the case is maintained at a temperature suitable for operating the equipment.

In this way, the present invention utilizes a variable insulation unit to adjust the insulation performance of the housing according to the operating status of the equipment and the internal and external temperature conditions of the housing, thereby efficiently cooling the inside of the housing using less energy. . Additionally, the cooling efficiency of the housing can be increased by utilizing the lower cooling part located close to the equipment.

As described above, although the present invention has been described with limited examples and drawings, it is not limited thereto, and the technical idea of the present invention and the equivalents of the claims to be described below can be understood by those skilled in the art. Of course, various modifications and variations are possible within the scope.

1000, 2000: Variable insulated housing 1100, 2100: Case
1200: insulation part 1300, 2300: variable insulation part
1400, 2400: Condensation receiver 1500, 2500: Condensation discharge unit
1600, 2600: lower cooling unit 2410: condensation insulation unit
2420: upper frame 2430: lower frame
3000: Cooling system of variable insulated housing
3100: Temperature measuring unit 3200: Variable insulation unit driving unit
3300: Lower cooling unit driving unit 3400: Heating unit
3500: Temperature control unit

Claims (6)

A case with a storage space inside to accommodate equipment;
an insulating portion located inside the case and insulating the receiving space from the outside;
A variable insulation unit installed to open and close a portion of the insulation unit; and
A variable insulation housing including a condensation receiver installed between the variable insulation unit and equipment accommodated in the accommodation space. According to paragraph 1,
The variable insulating housing is characterized in that the condensation receiver has a condensation insulating part formed on a side facing the variable insulating part. According to claim 1 or 2,
The condensation catcher has an upper frame and a lower frame,
The upper frame and the lower frame are spaced apart from each other, so that condensation flows between the upper frame and the lower frame. According to paragraph 3,
A variable insulating housing, characterized in that the upper frame and the lower frame have inclined surfaces to induce a flow of condensation. According to claim 1 or 2,
A variable insulated housing further comprising a condensation discharge unit located at the bottom of the case. According to claim 1 or 2,
A variable insulated housing further comprising a lower cooling unit located at the bottom of the case.

Images