REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONNECTION WITH A VEHICLE'S LIQUID COOLING SYSTEM

• US 20100071384A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Godecker, William, Lu, Qiao
• Granted Patent: US 9,238,398 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/3.200
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00592 Add-on devices, e.g. heat/cooling boxes, compartment dividers, upgrade sets
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/04 Galleys
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0629 with subsystems for cooling food, catering or special loads
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0212 of electric power, current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/025 Removal of heat
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0252 by liquids or two-phase fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 7/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with cascade operation, i.e. with two or more circuits, the heat from the condenser of one circuit being absorbed by the evaporator of the next circuit F25B9/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 15/00 Devices not covered by group F25D11/00 or F25D13/00, e.g. non-self-contained movable devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/06 by forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2700/12 Sensors measuring the inside temperature

Abstract

An exemplary refrigeration system for cooling food or beverages may use a liquid cooling system of a vehicle. The refrigeration system may include a compartment in which the food or beverages may be placed and removed, a chilled liquid coolant system having a connection through which liquid coolant is received from the liquid cooling system of the vehicle, and a heat exchanger operationally coupled with the chilled liquid coolant system and the compartment to transfer heat from the compartment into the liquid coolant. The refrigeration system may also include a second chilled coolant system through which a second coolant flows and a second heat exchanger operationally coupled with the second chilled coolant system and the compartment to transfer heat from the compartment. The chilled liquid coolant system and the second chilled coolant system may operate together as a cascade cooling system.

Claims

1. A refrigeration system for cooling a removable object using a liquid cooling system of a vehicle, the refrigeration system comprising:

a compartment in which an object may be placed and removed;

a chilled liquid coolant system having a connection through which liquid coolant is received from a liquid cooling system of a vehicle; and

a heat exchanger operationally coupled with the chilled liquid coolant system and the compartment to transfer heat from the compartment into the liquid coolant.

2. The refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger includes a cold wall conduction heat exchanger proximate a wall of the compartment.

3. The refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein the heat exchanger includes a liquid-to-air heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between air from the compartment to the liquid coolant.

4. The refrigeration system of claim 3, further comprising a fan positioned to circulate the air from the compartment through the liquid-to-air heat exchanger.

5. The refrigeration system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor having a sensor data output, the sensor positioned to measure a temperature of air from the compartment and output sensor data representative thereof;

a coolant control valve having a control input, the coolant control valve operationally coupled with the chilled liquid coolant system to control a flow of liquid coolant into the heat exchanger according to the control input; and

a controller coupled with the sensor data output of the sensor and the control input of the coolant control valve, the controller configured to control a temperature of the compartment according to the sensor data by transmitting a control signal to the control input of the coolant control valve.

6. A refrigeration system for cooling a removable object using a liquid cooling system of a vehicle, the refrigeration system comprising:

a compartment in which an object may be placed and removed;

a first chilled liquid coolant system having a connection through which first liquid coolant is received from a liquid cooling system of a vehicle;

a first heat exchanger operationally coupled with the first chilled liquid coolant system and the compartment to transfer heat from the compartment into the first liquid coolant;

a second chilled coolant system through which a second coolant flows; and

a second heat exchanger operationally coupled with the second chilled coolant system and the compartment to transfer heat from the compartment.

7. The refrigeration system of claim 6, wherein the first heat exchanger includes a liquid-to-air heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from air from the compartment into the first liquid coolant.

8. The refrigeration system of claim 6, wherein the second heat exchanger includes a thermoelectric device coupled with a liquid cooled thermoelectric hot side heat sink and a thermoelectric cold side heat exchanger, the liquid cooled thermoelectric hot side heat sink coupled with the second chilled coolant system to transfer heat from the compartment via the thermoelectric cold side heat exchanger.

9. The refrigeration system of claim 8, wherein the thermoelectric cold side heat exchanger includes a cold side air heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from air from the compartment to the thermoelectric device, the thermoelectric device transferring the heat to the liquid cooled thermoelectric hot side heat sink which subsequently transfers the heat into the second liquid coolant.

10. The refrigeration system of claim 8, wherein the thermoelectric cold side heat exchanger includes a cold side liquid heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from the first liquid coolant to the thermoelectric device before the first liquid coolant enters the first heat exchanger, the thermoelectric device transferring the heat to the liquid cooled thermoelectric hot side heat sink which subsequently transfers the heat into the second coolant.

11. The refrigeration system of claim 6, wherein the second chilled coolant system includes a vapor cycle system having a compressor and a condenser, the second heat exchanger including an evaporator of the second chilled coolant system.

12. The refrigeration system of claim 11, wherein the condenser includes a condenser refrigerant circuit and a condenser secondary coolant circuit by which the condenser transfers heat from the second coolant to the first liquid coolant.

13. The refrigeration system of claim 6, further comprising a fan positioned to circulate the air from the compartment through at least one of the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger.

14. The refrigeration system of claim 6, further comprising:

a sensor having a sensor data output, the sensor positioned to measure a temperature of air from the compartment and output sensor data representative thereof; and

a controller configured to couple with the sensor data output of the sensor, the first chilled liquid coolant system, and the second chilled coolant system, the controller configured to control a temperature of the compartment according to the sensor data by transmitting a control signal to at least one of the first chilled liquid coolant system and the second chilled coolant system.

15. The refrigeration system of claim 14, wherein the second chilled coolant system includes a thermoelectric device, and the controller is further configured to transmit a control signal to control the thermoelectric device.

16. The refrigeration system of claim 6, further comprising:

a sensor having a sensor data output, the sensor positioned to measure a temperature of air from the compartment and output sensor data representative thereof;

a first coolant control valve having a first control input, the first coolant control valve operationally coupled with the first chilled liquid coolant system to control a flow of first liquid coolant into the first heat exchanger according to the first control input;

a second coolant control valve having a second control input, the second coolant control valve operationally coupled with the second chilled coolant system to control a flow of second coolant into the second heat exchanger according to the second control input; and

a controller coupled with the sensor data output of the sensor, the first control input of the first coolant control valve, and the second control input of the second coolant control valve, the controller configured to control a temperature of the compartment according to the sensor data by transmitting a first control signal to the first control input of the first coolant control valve and a second control signal to the second control input of the second coolant control valve.

17. A method of cooling a refrigerated compartment using a liquid cooling system of a vehicle, the method comprising:

reducing a temperature of a refrigerated compartment to a desired temperature using a first chilled liquid coolant system coupled with a liquid cooling system of a vehicle and a second chilled coolant system together as a cascade cooling system; and

maintaining the temperature of the refrigerated compartment at approximately the desired temperature using the first chilled liquid coolant system coupled with the liquid cooling system of the vehicle without using the second chilled coolant system when the desired temperature is equal to or greater than approximately 3 degrees C.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising maintaining the temperature of the refrigerated compartment at approximately the desired temperature using the first chilled liquid coolant system coupled with the liquid cooling system of the vehicle and the second chilled coolant system together as a cascade cooling system when the desired temperature is less than approximately 0 degrees C.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising maintaining the temperature of the refrigerated compartment at approximately the desired temperature using the second chilled coolant system without using the first chilled liquid coolant system coupled with the liquid cooling system of the vehicle when the desired temperature is less than approximately 0 degrees C. and the second chilled coolant system includes a thermoelectric cooling system which is also coupled with the liquid cooling system of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising cooling refrigerant of a vapor cycle system of the second chilled coolant system using liquid coolant of the first chilled liquid coolant system in a condenser of the vapor cycle system.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising cooling liquid coolant of the first chilled liquid coolant system using a thermoelectric cooling system of the second chilled coolant system which is also coupled with the liquid cooling system of the vehicle.