HYBRID COOLING SYSTEM HAVING A FREON HEAT EXCHANGER

• US 20180160571A1
• Filed: 01/21/2017
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Power Design, Inc
• Original Assignee: Electronic Power Design, Inc
• Inventors: BAKER, BRENT, SUTHERLAND, CHARLES
• Granted Patent: US 10,455,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/32 Means for protecting converters other than automatic disconnection
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/327 against abnormal temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/32 comprising DC/AC inverter means associated with the PV module itself, e.g. AC modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 40/42 Cooling means cooling means directly associated or integrated with the PV cell H01L31/052
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20945 Thermal management, e.g. inverter temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A hybrid cooling system is disclosed including but not limited to an array of solar cells electrically connected to inverters for producing electricity from the sun; a chiller controller processor in data communication with the inverters and a non-transitory computer readable medium; a chiller in data communication with the chiller controller processor and in thermal communication with inverters in a sealed enclosure, wherein the inverters are cooled by an inverter coolant fluid; an array of solar cells attached to the inverters for producing power from the sun; a free cooler in data communication with the chiller controller processor and in thermal communication with the inverter cooling fluid; a Freon loop positioned a water pipe carrying the inverter cooling fluid from the invert to the chiller; and a temperature sensor apparatus in thermal communication with the inverter cooling fluid; a switch for controlling an on off state for the chiller and the cooler, where in the processor for turns the chiller on and the cooler off when the inverter cooling fluid is above a predetermined temperature. A method is disclosed for using the system.

Claims

1. A hybrid cooling system, the system comprising:

an array of solar cells electrically connected to inverters for producing electricity from the sun;

a chiller controller processor in data communication with the inverters and a non-transitory computer readable medium;

a chiller in data communication with the chiller controller processor and in thermal communication with inverters in a sealed enclosure, wherein the inverters are cooled by an inverter coolant fluid;

an array of solar cells attached to the inverters for producing power from the sun;

a free cooler in data communication with the chiller controller processor and in thermal communication with the inverter cooling fluid;

a Freon loop positioned a water pipe carrying the inverter cooling fluid from the invert to the chiller; and

a temperature sensor apparatus in thermal communication with the inverter cooling fluid;

a switch for controlling an on off state for the chiller and the cooler, where in the processor for turns the chiller on and the cooler off when the inverter cooling fluid is above a predetermined temperature.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to control a fan speed for the chiller to use substantially a least amount to power to produce energy from the sun.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to current limit the inverters to a net energy production level.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to stage in the inverters one at a time to achieve a net energy production level.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to stage the inverters for a given net energy production from the solar array.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to control coolant temperature for the inverters by controlling a speed for fans on the free cooler.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to control coolant temperature for the inverters by controlling a speed for fans on the chiller.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to de-rate the inverters to a reduced level of energy production when a coolant temperature exceeds a maximum level.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

instructions to control coolant temperature for the inverters by modulating exhaust gas from the compressor to heat the fluid to avoid condensation of water in air inside the sealed enclosure onto the inverters.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program in the non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising:

a neutral network for automatically controlling the system for substantially maximum energy production for a current ambient temperature and solar array energy supplied to the inverters.

11. A method for controlling a hybrid cooling system for substantially net maximum energy production, the method comprising:

monitoring at a chiller processor controller, energy output from an array of solar cells electrically connected to inverters for producing electricity from the sun;

controlling at the chillier controller processor, a chiller in data communication with the chiller controller processor and in thermal communication with inverters in a sealed enclosure, wherein the inverters are cooled by an inverter coolant fluid, for net maximum energy production from an array of solar cells attached to the inverters for producing power from the sun;

controlling at the chiller controller processor, a free cooler in data communication with the chiller controller processor and in thermal communication with the inverter cooling fluid;

passing hot Freon gases from the chiller though a Freon to water heat exchanger in the inverter cooling fluid;

and

monitoring at the chiller controller processor a temperature sensor apparatus in thermal communication with the inverter cooling fluid; and

controlling at the chiller controller processor, a switch for controlling an on off state for the chiller and the cooler, where in the processor for turns the chiller on and the cooler off when the inverter cooling fluid is above a predetermined temperature.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising control at the chiller controller processor, a fan speed for the chiller to use substantially a least amount to power to produce energy from the sun.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising

current limiting at the chiller controller processor the inverters to a substantially maximum net energy production level.

14. The method of claim 11, further compressors, staging a the chiller controller processors the inverters one at a time to achieve a net energy production level.

15. the method of claim 11, further comprising staging at the chiller controller processor, the inverters for a given net energy production from the solar array.

16. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising, controlling at the chiller controller processor, a coolant temperature for the inverters by controlling a speed for fans on the free cooler.

17. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising, control coolant temperature for the inverters by controlling at the chiller controller processor a speed for fans on the chiller.

18. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising, de-rating at the chiller controller processor, the inverters to a reduced level of energy production when a coolant temperature exceeds a maximum level.

19. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising, controlling at the chiller controller processor, a coolant temperature for the inverters by modulating exhaust gas from the compressor to heat the fluid to avoid condensation of water in air inside the sealed enclosure onto the inverters.

20. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising, using a neutral network at the chiller controller process for automatically controlling the system for substantially maximum energy production for a current ambient temperature and solar array energy supplied to the inverters.