Cold plate refrigeration method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of refrigeration comprising the steps of:
- providing a single refrigerant circuit having a volume of refrigerant, a compressor means, a condenser means, a cold storage means, and a tube assembly means comprising an upper heat exchanger means in thermal communication with said cold storage means and a lower heat exchanger means joined by a plurality of tubes to said upper heat exchanger;
charging said cold storage means by activating said compressor means such that said refrigerant circuit operates as a conventional refrigeration machine and said refrigerant absorbs heat from said cold storage means and substances in thermal communication with said lower heat exchanger;
deactivating said compressor means; and
allowing said refrigerant to condense in the portion of said tube assembly means in said upper heat exchanger and to evaporate in the portion of said tube assembly means in said lower heat exchanger;
whereby said plurality of tubes of said tube assembly means act as a series of heat pipes, transferring heat from said lower heat exchanger means to said cold storage means without any external input of power.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved cold storage refrigeration system and method is presented. A first heat exchanger located in a cold storage unit is connected by means of a series of vertical pipes to a second heat exchanger located below the first heat exchanger within a refrigerated space, forming an integrated tube assembly. To charge the cold storage unit, the tube assembly is operated as the evaporator of a conventional refrigeration circuit. During non-powered cooling, a portion of refrigerant is sealed within the tube assembly. The refrigerant vaporizes in the second heat exchanger and condenses in the first heat exchanger, thereby transferring heat from the refrigerated space to the cold storage unit. Defrosting of the second heat exchanger is accomplished by removing refrigerant from the second heat exchanger and circulating air above 0 degrees centrigrade around it.
64 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of refrigeration comprising the steps of:
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providing a single refrigerant circuit having a volume of refrigerant, a compressor means, a condenser means, a cold storage means, and a tube assembly means comprising an upper heat exchanger means in thermal communication with said cold storage means and a lower heat exchanger means joined by a plurality of tubes to said upper heat exchanger; charging said cold storage means by activating said compressor means such that said refrigerant circuit operates as a conventional refrigeration machine and said refrigerant absorbs heat from said cold storage means and substances in thermal communication with said lower heat exchanger; deactivating said compressor means; and allowing said refrigerant to condense in the portion of said tube assembly means in said upper heat exchanger and to evaporate in the portion of said tube assembly means in said lower heat exchanger; whereby said plurality of tubes of said tube assembly means act as a series of heat pipes, transferring heat from said lower heat exchanger means to said cold storage means without any external input of power. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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2. A method of refrigeration for the transfer of heat from a refrigerated space maintained at a first temperature to a cold sink maintained at a second temperature below said first temperature, said method comprising the steps of:
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placing said cold sink at an elevation above the elevation of said refrigerated space; interconnecting said refrigerated space and said cold sink by means of a plurality of continuous loops of tubing means; and introducing a refrigerant into said tubing means such that said tubing means is partially filled with said refrigerant in liquid form, and partially with refrigerant vapor, said liquid refrigerant collecting in said tubing means adjacent to said refrigerated space and said vapor collecting in said tubing means adjacent to said cold sink, whereby said liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from said refrigerated space and is thereby vaporized, and refrigerant vapor transfers heat to said cold sink and is thereby condensed and encouraged by gravity to flow toward said refrigerated space; and
,on occasion, chilling said cold sink through a powered refrigeration cycle using the same refrigerant and tubing means. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for transfer of heat from a space to be cooled to a cold storage device maintained at a lower cold storage temperature, said method comprising the steps of:
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placing said cold storage device at an elevation above the elevation of said space to be cooled; interconnecting said space to be cooled and said cold storage device by means of a plurality of interconnected tubing means; and introducing refrigerant into said tubing means such that said tubing means is partially filled with said liquid refrigerant, and partially with refrigerant vapor, said liquid refrigerant collecting in said tubing means adjacent to said space to be cooled and said vapor collecting in said tubing means adjacent to said cold storage device; whereby said liquid refrigerant absorbs heat from said space to be cooled and is thereby vaporized, and refrigerant vapor transfers heat to said cold sink and is thereby condensed; and
,on occasion, chilling said cold sink through a powered refrigerant cycle using the same said refrigerant and tubing means. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification