WO1993023712A1

WO1993023712A1 - Joule or negative calorie regenerating device for cold accumulation module

Info

Publication number: WO1993023712A1
Application number: PCT/FR1993/000471
Authority: WO
Inventors: René Grandi
Original assignee: Grandi Rene
Priority date: 1992-05-15
Filing date: 1993-05-14
Publication date: 1993-11-25
Also published as: EP0639256A1; DE69302170T2; FR2691237B1; DE69302170D1; EP0639256B1; FR2691237A1; ES2086226T3

Abstract

Device consisting of a dual antifreeze reservoir (1, 2) for alternately supplying and receiving antifreeze fluid (3) to cool a plate-exchanger (13) in a container or moving transport trolley (14). When the reservoir (1) supplies fluid (3) by means of a pump (11) and a tube (7) to the plate-exchanger (13), the other reservoir (2) recovers the fluid flowing back from the plate (13) through the tube (9), said fluid having lost its energy. It then returns for regenerating in reservoir (2) and can then recharge another plate-exchanger, and vice versa. A cooling compressor (5) and its coil (4) cools the fluid (3) contained in the reservoirs. A four-way valve or two two-way valves serve to alternate and manage the supply and return of the fluid through tubes (7, 8, 9, 10).

Description

DEVICE FOR REGENERATING JOULES OR FRIGORIES FOR COLD ACCUMULATION MODULE

It is intended to quickly refrigerate and regenerate this refrigeration contained in a module for a "transport container.

Containers or transport trolleys are known, the refrigeration of which is effected by technical plates or pockets containing a refrigerant accumulator fluid, or else the refrigeration is effected by "direct expansion" of refrigerant gas, or alternatively by accumulator exchanger cold.

But these means require on the one hand, significant handling means which are not always respected, and secondly, for the direct expansion of refrigerant gas, this requires the use of quick couplings which risk letting the "CFC" gas escape, which is very harmful to the environment and the ozone layer. These means are generally expensive and slow to achieve the desired refrigeration.

The device which is the subject of the invention avoids these drawbacks and makes it possible to quickly cool a module intended to keep a cold, a transport container, without that this container being permanently connected to a refrigerated source.

One can imagine the device which will be described as being a container which comes to refuel or recharge in frigories, in the same way as an automobile is recharged with fuel. One of its characteristics is that it always has an available reserve of frigories to immediately start to cold load the connected container, and to recover the fluid from the latter to refrigerate it in frigories. This avoids waiting

REPLACEMENT SHEET usual cooling down of any system refrigerated directly by cold compressor.

It is made up of a whole producer ^" of frigories which remains permanently in the places of loading of the containers containing perishable foodstuffs to refrigerate them before their transport

This assembly comprises a group with cold compressor which feeds two coil exchangers immersed in an antifreeze fluid contained respectively in two separate reserves.

This specific antifreeze fluid remains fluid or fluid at very low temperatures down to minus 30 ° C.

The coils producing cold allow the temperature of this antifreeze fluid to drop. These frigory generating reserves are connected to an exchanger plate located in the transport container, by rigid and / or flexible tubes, leading the refrigerated fluid.

Each reserve has two tubes, one for the evacuation and the other for the return of the refrigerated fluid.

These conductive tubes of the refrigerated fluid are connected to the heat exchanger plate by double quick-connect valves which clip and unclip easily.

Each end of the tube has an opening and closing valve, as well as each inlet and outlet opening of the exchanger plate.

The reserves are used alternately, one being full of refrigerated fluid ready to be sent to the exchanger plate of the container and the other is empty, to receive the return of the fluid from the exchanger plate, which has been used for transporting the container and that has lost its cooling effect there

REPLACEMENT SHEET returns to regenerate in frigories for the next container.

For optimum performance, it is preferable to have two cold compressors, one for each reserve.

This alternation of reserve, one sending the fluid and the other receiving it, and vice versa, requires connection of the appropriate tubes, so that one can switch from one reserve to the other either manually or automatically. For this one can use any means and in particular a 4-way valve or two 2-way valves, motorized or not. The 4-way valve can manage alone, the tilting, by alternately operating the reserves and the tubes two by two. For 2-way valves, one manages the departure and the other the arrival of each reserve, all this in coordination between them for the alternation of the reserves.

These valves can be programmed electronically allowing control of filling, emptying and the availability of reserves.

The exchanger plate is part of the mobile container, it can be either integral or preferably disconnectable for maintenance or replacement in the event of deterioration.

It is in the form of a capacity in which the refrigerated fluid is introduced directly on the side of a wall through an orifice where the tube coming from the reserve is clipped. The capacity of this capacity of the heat exchanger plate must be identical to that of a fluid reserve.

For a better distribution and homogenization of the fluid, the interior of the exchanger plate includes baffles, such as a labyrinth, thus the fluid already loaded with frigories coming from its

REPLACEMENT SHEET reserve allows them to be redistributed, immediately without loss of time, in the container during transport.

A tube serves to introduce the fluid and the other in ^the discharging. On each reserve, the tubes have a ^" circulation pump ^" used to propel the refrigerated fluid to the heat exchanger plate and by this thrust makes it possible to drive out and return the return fluid, having lost its refrigerating force, as far as the reception reserve.

A valve on the top of the reserve and one on the exchanger plate allow the evacuation of air during the return of the fluid.

To avoid mixing in the heat exchanger plate: refrigerated fluid and return fluid, it is preferable to completely empty the plate of return fluid and then introduce the refrigerated fluid. It is then necessary to also provide on the exchanger plate a valve for the evacuation of air for the introduction of this fluid.

A second version can also be considered where. the heat exchanger plate is permanently filled with refrigerated fluid (or even with any cold storage product such as certain "flakes") and in which a coil is embedded which allows its cooling.

The rrivée ^the cold by the fluid in the coil is permamente and evacuation into the producing reserves frigories. Only one reserve is necessary for this version, the fluid of which rotates.

The tubes are also quickly connected or disconnected to the heat exchanger plate by means of double quick-connect valves, freeing the container for its transport.

REPLACEMENT SHEET However, this type of version has a drawback in that it takes a certain period of time to cool down the fluid surrounding the coils, while in the first version the fluid already arrives refrigerated in the exchanger plate. On the other hand, this second version remains more economical because it comprises a single cold compressor and a single reserve. It also has the advantage that the fluid in the reserve as well as the exchanger plate is trapped and crimped once and for all therein. Circulation can be carried out without risk of leakage.

The tubes connecting the reserves and the cold group to the mobile container are held on a ramp comprising a hoist which maintains the mobile end of the tubes, which can therefore, by the mobility of the hoist, motorized or counterweight, adapt them to n no matter what height and container capacity.

The refrigeration carried out in the container causing condensation, the latter comprises at the base of its capacity, an orifice for evacuating these condensates. Another orifice is also provided, to effect the connection of a water supply, to allow automatic washing of the container, valves distributed inside the capacity are provided for spraying any walls of this capacity, the water from washing discharging through the condensate orifice.

Strong insulation surrounds the reserves, the exchanger plate, the container, as well as the tubes, the fixed part of which is contained in an insulating capacity.

The device which is the subject of this invention will be clearly understood with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings, showing by way of non-limiting examples, several forms of execution of this device.

REPLACEMENT SHEET Figure 1 shows a sectional view of the device in its version of double refrigeration unit, it is connected to the baffle plate-exchanger of a mobile transport container. Figure 2 shows two diagrams of the alternating circulation of the refrigerant, in A the diagram is represented with a 4-way valve and in B with two 2-way valves.

Figure 3 shows a brief section of the exchanger plate in the two versions offered, in A it has baffles, in B a cooling coil.

Figure 4 shows the second version of the device with a single reserve and the coil exchanger plate.

Figure 5 shows a perspective of the entire device in a charging station with several containers.

In FIG. 1 we can see the device comprising the reserves 1 and 2 of refrigerated fluid 3 by the coils 4 of the cold compressors 5 and 6.

Each reserve comprises an outlet tube 7 and 8 and a return tube 9 and 10 of the refrigerated fluid 3.

The tubes 7 and 8 each include a pump 11 and 12 for sending the refrigerated fluid into the exchanger plate 13 of the mobile container 14, which has baffles 15 .. Here a 4-way valve 16 manages the alternation of the two reserves 1 and 2.

The flexible tubes 7, 8 of inlet and outlet 9, 10 of the refrigerated fluid are connected to the exchanger plate 13 by double valves 17 and 18 with quick coupling, these tubes are suspended by a hoist 19 with counterweight 20. A stay 21 maintains everything as well as the tubes and 4-way valve. An insulating capacity 29 makes it possible to preserve and isolate the tubes. Container 14

REPLACEMENT SHEET has at its base the orifices 22 for evacuating the condensates and 23 for connecting a water tube for cleaning.

Diagrams A and B of FIG. 2 each show the two reserves 1, 2, and their coil 4, they are placed side by side and each have their cold compressor 5, 6. The exchanger plate 13 of the container 14 contains the baffles 15, allowing good circulation and distribution of the refrigerated fluid 3. At A, the 4-way valve 16 allows the management and the alternation of the two reserves: when the reserve 1 is filled with refrigerated fluid, the reserve 2 is empty, thus the tube 7 sends by its pump 11 the fluid into the exchanger plate 13, which has been emptied or else empties of its fluid at the same time by the return tube 10 to the empty reserve 2 for reception which can then again refrigerate the fluid. The 4-way valve 16 therefore obstructed the circuit of the tubes: sending 8 and returning 9.

Thus the reserve 1 is emptied and the 2 is filled and can start refrigerating the fluid for a next charge, the same process then takes place, the tube 8 and its pump 12 send the fluid and the tube 9 returns it. The valve 16 thus obstructed the tubes 7 and 10.

In B, the alternation of the reserves as well as the circulation of the fluids is identical, each of the 2-way valves 24 and 25 allows the switching from one reserve to the other: the valve 24 manages the tubes 7 and 8, and the valve 25: 9 and 10.

At A, the exchanger plate 13 of FIG. 3 includes the baffles 15 allowing a better distribution of the refrigerated fluid 3, in this version, the fluid is renewed at each return or loading of the container.

At B, the refrigerated fluid 3 circulates in a coil 26 which cools another fluid or

REPLACEMENT SHEET refrigerant flakes 27 which is inserted and permanently enclosed in the exchanger plate 13. This second fluid may be different or equivalent to the first.

The device of FIG. 4 represents the device in its second version, it comprises only a single reserve 1 of fluid 3 refrigerated by means of the coil 4 of the cold compressor 5. Thus it only has two tubes, one for the outlet 7 with its pump 11 and the other for the return 9. The circulation of filling and emptying of the coil 26 of the heat exchanger plate 13 takes place automatically using the pump 11, the refrigerated fluid pushing the fluid return having lost its function returns to the reserve to be refrigerated again. The quick-connect valves 17 and 18 allow quick connection to the coil 26.

The container 14 contains an evacuation 22 of the condensates formed by refrigeration, it also comprises a network of nozzles and tubes 23 for sending water or steam for cleaning the container.

The container and the exchanger plate 13 are highly insulated 31 as is the network of tubes 31 '.

In FIG. 5, the device reloads a container 14 a distinction is made between the double reserve 1, 2 with the double compressor 5, 6. A recharging station 28 can thus be constituted at the places of departure and arrival of the containers by a series of devices. However, the shapes, dimensions, arrangements and the means used to produce the device which has just been described may vary within the limit of equivalents.

REPLACEMENT SHEET

Claims

1 ° Device for regeneration and translation of joules or frigories, allowing the immediate recharging in frigories of an exchanger plate intended to cool a mobile container or carriage during its transport, characterized in that it comprises at least one refrigerated permanent reserve d '' an antifreeze fluid (3) and which, coupled to a network of sending (7, 8) and return (9, 10) tubes, allows the exchanger plate (13) to be directly recharged with refrigerated fluid (3) from the container (14) and recover the return fluid in another reserve to refrigerate it again, this fluid coming from the exchanger plate has lost its frigories, it is cooled to very low temperature, by means of coils (4) permanently installed in each of the reserves and permanently refrigerated by means of a cold compressor (5 and 6) for each of the reserves.

2 ° Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the reserves (1 and 2) operates alternately to allow to refrigerate and regenerate the fluid contained (3), the first serving to cool the refrigerated fluid (3) to recharge the heat exchanger plate (13) and the second serving to recover the return fluid from the heat exchanger plate (13) this return fluid having lost its frigories will in turn be refrigerated in this second reserve so that it can be sent again to the plate-exchanger (13), or another container (14) the first reserve then receiving the return fluid and • so on.

REPLACEMENT SHEET 3 ° Device according to claims 1 and 2 _r characterized in that the alternation of use of reserves (1, 2) is managed by a 4-way valve (16) or by two 2-way valves (24, 25) manual or motorized, which channel the network of tubes by four (7, 8 _r 9, 10) or by two (7, 10) (8, 9) and allow the automatic transmission of the fluid (3) from a reserve to the plate -exchanger (13), as well as the return of the fluid from this exchanger plate to the second reserve and vice versa.

4 ° Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the exchanger plate (13) comprises baffles (15) for a better distribution and accumulation of frigories of the refrigerated fluid (3).

5 ° Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (14) contains a condensate drain (22) and a network of tubes and nozzles (23) allowing its cleaning by sending d water or steam.

REPLACEMENT SHEET