System and method of controlling passage of refrigerant through eutectic plates and an evaporator of a refrigeration system for a container of a vehicle

• US 10,654,341 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2019
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Corporation LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Vehr, Shawn W., Rozsnaki, Joseph J., Siefker, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Ciric, Ljiljana V.
• Application Number:
  US16/420,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20190275866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/005 Regenerative cooling means, e.g. cold accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3205 Control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3211 for increasing the efficiency of a vehicle refrigeration cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3226 Self-contained devices, i.e. including own drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3255 related to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3266 related to the operation of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3272 to control the revolving speed of a compressor
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3277 to control the air flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3282 to control the air flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3283 to control the refrigerant flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3289 Additional cooling source

Abstract

A system including mode, engine, and battery modules, where the mode module determines whether to operate in an engine mode or a battery mode based on parameters. The engine module, while operating in the engine mode, runs a compressor at a first speed based on a temperature within a temperature controlled container of a vehicle and permits passage of refrigerant through eutectic plates independent of the temperature. A battery, while in the engine mode, is charged based on power received from an electrical source. The battery module, while operating in the battery mode and based on the temperature, runs the compressor at a second speed and prevents passage of the refrigerant through the eutectic plates. While in the battery mode, the battery is not being charged based on power from a shore power source and the electrical source from which power is received during the engine mode.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mode module configured to determine whether to operate in an engine mode or a battery mode based on a plurality of parameters;

an engine module configured to, while operating in the engine mode, (i) run a compressor of a vehicle at a first speed, and (ii) permit passage of refrigerant through eutectic plates independent of the temperature within a temperature controlled container of the vehicle; and

a battery module configured to, while operating in the battery mode and based on the temperature within the temperature controlled container of the vehicle, (i) run the compressor at a second speed, and (ii) prevent passage of the refrigerant through the eutectic plates,

wherein the second speed is less than or equal to the first speed,

wherein, while operating in the engine mode, a battery of the vehicle is charged using power received from at least one of a first electrical source driven by an engine of the vehicle or of a second electrical source driven by a solar panel, wherein the first electrical source is an alternator or a generator, and

wherein, while operating in the battery mode, the battery is not being charged from either the first electrical source or a shore power source.