COOLING SYSTEM

• US 20120125022A1
• Filed: 07/30/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Hille, Andreas, Campbell, Timothy R., Maybury, Daniel M., Drucker, Alan S., Liao, XuQiang, Czechowicz, Belin G., Blight, Gavin R.
• Application Number:
  US13/388,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20120125022A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/113
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/04 Refrigeration circuit bypassing means
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 25/005 using primary and secondary systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/021 Inverters therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/655 Solid structures for heat exchange or heat conduction
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A cooling system for a heat source includes a heat source loop, a refrigerant loop, and a controller. The heat source loop provides a closed fluid path for a process fluid and fluidly connects a valve, a bypass leg and/or a heat exchange leg having a heat exchanger, and a pump. The process fluid is disposed within a portion of the loop and is subject to heat transfer from the heat source. The valve is disposed downstream of the heat source portion of the loop, wherein the valve is selectively operable to direct process fluid to the bypass leg and/or the heat exchanger leg. The refrigerant loop provides a closed fluid path for a fluid refrigerant and fluidly connects the heat exchanger, a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant condenser, and a refrigerant regulator. The controller is in communication with the valve and is adapted to control the valve to regulate an amount of process fluid entering the bypass leg and the heat exchanger leg.

Claims

1. A cooling system for a heat source, comprising:

a heat source loop that provides a closed fluid path for a process fluid, which loop fluidly connects a valve, at least one of a bypass leg and a heat exchange leg having a heat exchanger, and a pump, wherein the process fluid disposed within a portion of the loop is subject to heat transfer from the heat source, and the valve is disposed downstream of the heat source portion of the loop, wherein the valve is selectively operable to direct process fluid to at least one of the bypass leg and the heat exchanger leg;

a refrigerant loop that provides a closed fluid path for a fluid refrigerant, which refrigerant loop fluidly connects the heat exchanger, a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant condenser, and a refrigerant regulator; and

a controller in communication with the valve and adapted to control the valve to regulate an amount of process fluid entering the bypass leg and the heat exchanger leg.

2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the heat source is a battery.

3. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the heat source is an electrical component.

4. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the heat source loop further includes a second heat exchange leg having an ambient air heat exchanger.

5. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the valve includes a plurality of valves.

6. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the valve is a three-way valve.

7. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the pump is a variable speed pump.

8. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant compressor is a variable speed compressor.

9. The cooling system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured in communication with the variable speed compressor for regulating operational performance thereof.

10. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a processor in signal communication with an inverter.

11. The cooling system of claim 10, wherein the inverter is electrically coupled to the refrigerant compressor.

12. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant regulator is configured as a thermal expansion valve.

13. The cooling system of claim 1, further comprising a fan configured to facilitate airflow through the refrigerant condenser.

14. The cooling system of claim 13, wherein the fan is a variable speed fan.

15. The cooling system of claim 4, further comprising a fan configured to facilitate airflow through the ambient air heat exchanger.

16. The cooling system of claim 15, wherein the fan is a variable speed fan.

17. A method for regulating temperature of a heat source, comprising:

providing a cooling system having a heat source loop, a refrigerant loop and a controller, which heat source loop includes a heat transfer portion thermally coupled to the heat source, a bypass leg, and a heat exchanger, which refrigerant loop includes the heat exchanger, a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant condenser, and a refrigerant regulator;

circulating process fluid through the heat source loop;

selectively directing the process fluid from the heat transfer portion of the heat source loop to at least one of the bypass leg and the heat exchanger to regulate the temperature of the heat source within a predetermined temperature range; and

circulating fluid refrigerant through the refrigerant loop when at least a portion of the process fluid is directed to the heat exchanger.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the predetermined temperature range is between sixty degrees and one hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the process fluid is selectively directed using a valve.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising controlling the valve using the controller.