ULT freezer with heater

• US 10,047,978 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2017
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reflect Scientific Inc.
• Original Assignee: Reflect Scientific Inc.
• Inventors: Moon, William, Tran, Bao
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules, Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mendoza-Wilkenfe, Erik
• Application Number:
  US15/708,143
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00014 for load cargos on load transporting vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3202 using evaporation, i.e. not including a compressor, e.g. involving fuel or water evaporation B60H1/3235 takes precedence; in general F25B19/00, F25D7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 49/00 Means in or on valves for heating or cooling heating or cooling of pipes or pipe systems F16L53/00; thermal insulation in connection with pipes or pipe systems F16L59/16
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 19/005 the refrigerant being a liquefied gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/01 Heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/30 Quick freezing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0283 Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06

Abstract

A device includes a plurality of evaporators coupled to a payload bay with a multiplicity of coolant tubes in each evaporator, wherein each tube enters and then exits the payload bay, further comprising one or more cryogenic valves coupled to the coolant tubes; a pump to force coolant flowing through the evaporators; and a thermal box immediately outside the evaporators and payload bay to thermally seal the payload bay from the outside environment and reduce heat gain, the thermal box including high strength open cell panels and a vacuum or Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs) with polyurethane foam to fill the voids.

Claims

1. A device for ultra low temperature (ULT) freezing, comprising:

a plurality of evaporators coupled to a payload bay with a multiplicity of coolant tubes in each evaporator, and further comprising one or more cryogenic valves coupled to the coolant tubes;

a pump to force coolant flowing through the plurality of evaporators;

a thermal box immediately outside the plurality of evaporators and payload bay to thermally seal the payload bay from the outside environment and reduce heat gain, the thermal box including high strength open cell panels and a vacuum or Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIPs) with polyurethane foam to fill the voids;

sensors coupled to the plurality of evaporators to monitor vital parameters of the device;

a processor;

a wireless telemetry system to communicate one or more measured characteristics of the device in accordance with a service level agreement, to a remote computer; and

at least one notification component that provides a notification associated with a specific customer, responsive to the one or more measured characteristics of a service, crossing a pre-defined threshold,

wherein the one or more measured characteristics includes a temperature level and a humidity level, and the pre-defined threshold is a minimum liquid nitrogen level necessary for delivery of the service.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the service is a temperature service.

3. The device of claim 1, comprising a maintenance prediction component to predict when maintenance is needed.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the notification component sends a message addressed to the specific customer to notify the specific customer about the measured characteristic crossing the pre-defined threshold.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the notification component sends a notification message addressed to a service to notify the service provider about the measured characteristic crossing the pre-defined threshold.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of a trouble ticket and a billing credit associated with a specific customer is generated in response to a notification message.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the notification device sends a message addressed to a monitoring entity that is independent of a service provider providing the service.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the device'"'"'s performance based on a comparison of the device'"'"'s performance of a plurality of device assets in comparison to performance of a reference population of devices.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is part of a plurality of Ultra Low Temperature assets, and wherein measurements are captured at the plurality of Ultra Low Temperature assets by a plurality of sensors configured to communicate the measurements through a routable communications network.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is configured to communicate statistical information based on measurements of performance or energy consumption of a refrigeration system associated with the at least one sensor.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensors is configured to communicate analytical information based on a statistical analysis of measurements of performance of the device associated with the at least one sensor of the plurality of sensors.

12. The device of claim 1, comprising a heater.

13. The device of claim 1, comprising a circulation fan.

14. The device of claim 1, comprising a gas diverter.

15. The device of claim 1, comprising insulated dividers.

16. The device of claim 1, comprising dividers dividing the payload bay into compartments.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein each compartment contains an evaporator of the plurality of evaporators to maintain a different temperature.

18. The device of claim 1, comprising insulated partitions that retract.