Claims
- 1. A refrigeration system for providing cooling to a refrigeration device, comprising:
a first cooling system having a refrigerant configured to communicate with a heat exchanger to provide a primary cooling source; a second cooling system having a coolant configured to be cooled by the primary cooling source and circulated to the refrigeration device; a third cooling system configured to provide an auxiliary cooling source to the coolant; so that a pressure of the coolant does not exceed a predetermined pressure when the primary cooling source is unavailable.
- 2. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger device is configured to at least partially condense the coolant.
- 3. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein the third cooling system is a standby cooling system having a standby heat exchanger configured to condense at least a portion of the coolant.
- 4. The refrigeration system of claim 3 wherein the standby cooling system further comprises a backup power supply.
- 5. The refrigeration system of claim 3 further comprising a separator device configured to receive the coolant from the refrigeration device and direct the coolant in a vapor state to the heat exchange device and direct the coolant in a liquid state to the refrigeration device.
- 6. The refrigeration system of claim 5 wherein the standby heat exchanger and the separator are integrated as an assembly.
- 7. The refrigeration system of claim 5 wherein the standby heat exchanger and the separator and the heat exchanger device are integrated as an assembly.
- 8. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein the first cooling system is a direct expansion primary refrigeration system.
- 9. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein the coolant is carbon dioxide.
- 10. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein the coolant is circulated to the refrigeration device by a pump.
- 11. The refrigeration system of claim 10 wherein the pump is a variable speed pump controlled by a superheat condition of the coolant returning from the refrigeration device.
- 12. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein the coolant is circulated to the refrigeration device by natural circulation.
- 13. The refrigeration system of claim 1 further comprising a subcooler device communicating with the first cooling system and configured to condense at least a portion of the coolant circulated to the refrigeration device.
- 14. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein the second cooling system further comprises a charging system.
- 15. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger device is located at an elevated position.
- 16. The refrigeration system of claim 1 wherein the auxiliary cooling source has a heat removal capability that is less than a heat removal capability of the primary cooling source.
- 17. The refrigeration system of claim 10 wherein the operation of the pump is stopped when operation of the third cooling system is initiated.
- 18. A refrigeration system, comprising:
a primary cooling system configured to circulate a refrigerant to a heat exchanger; a secondary cooling system configured to circulate a coolant to the heat exchanger and at least one refrigeration device; a separator configured to direct a vapor portion of the coolant to the heat exchanger and a liquid portion of the coolant to the refrigeration device; a third cooling system configured to cool a vapor portion of the coolant from the secondary cooling system.
- 19. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the coolant comprises a compound that is found in the atmosphere.
- 20. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the coolant comprises carbon dioxide.
- 21. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the coolant comprises a carbon dioxide blend.
- 22. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the third cooling system is configured to cool at least a portion of the coolant when the primary cooling system is incapable of maintaining a temperature of the coolant below a predetermined temperature.
- 23. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the refrigerant comprises a direct expansion refrigerant.
- 24. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the refrigeration device is a low temperature device.
- 25. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the refrigeration device is a medium temperature device.
- 26. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the refrigeration device is a plurality of refrigeration devices and further comprising at least one flow control device configured to regulate a flow of the coolant to the one or more of the plurality of refrigeration devices.
- 27. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the refrigeration device comprises a cooling interface configured to receive the coolant to provide cooling to a space within the refrigeration device.
- 28. The refrigeration system of claim 27 wherein the cooling interface comprises a valve on an outlet of the cooling interface configured to permit the coolant to expand toward an inlet of the cooling interface when the valve is closed so that a liquid portion of the coolant is removed from the cooling interface prior to a defrost operation.
- 29. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the secondary cooling system comprises at least one pressure relief device.
- 30. The refrigeration system of claim 29 wherein the pressure relief device comprises a relief valve.
- 31. The refrigeration system of claim 30 wherein a discharge of the coolant from the relief valve is configured to be returned to the secondary cooling system.
- 32. The refrigeration system of claim 31 wherein the relief valve is located proximate an outlet of the refrigeration device and the discharge of the coolant is directed to a coolant return line from the refrigeration device.
- 33. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the separator is oriented in a substantially horizontal configuration.
- 34. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the third cooling system comprises one or more components of the primary cooling system.
- 35. The refrigeration system of claim 18 wherein the third cooling system comprises at least a portion of the primary cooling system and a generator.
- 36. A refrigeration system, comprising:
a primary cooling system configured to provide a first source of cooling to a coolant; a standby cooling system configured to provide a second source of cooling to the coolant; a secondary cooling system configured to circulate the coolant to at least one refrigeration device and to be cooled by the first source of cooling when the first source of cooling is operational and to be cooled by the second source of cooling when the first source of cooling is not operational; so that the temperature of the coolant does not exceed a predetermined temperature.
- 37. The refrigeration system of claim 36 wherein the coolant comprises carbon dioxide.
- 38. The refrigeration system of claim 36 wherein the primary cooling system comprises a first heat exchanger device configured to condense at least a portion of the coolant.
- 39. The refrigeration system of claim 38 wherein the secondary cooling system comprises a separator device configured to receive the coolant from the refrigeration device and direct a vapor portion of the coolant to the first heat exchanger and direct a liquid portion of the coolant to the refrigeration device.
- 40. The refrigeration system of claim 39 wherein the separator device is configured in a substantially horizontal orientation to increase a pressure of the coolant at the refrigeration device.
- 41. The refrigeration system of claim 39 wherein the separator device and the first heat exchanger are integrated as a unit.
- 42. The refrigeration system of claim 41 wherein the first heat exchanger is at least one tube-coil disposed within the separator.
- 43. The refrigeration system of claim 41 wherein the first heat exchanger is at least one plate type heat exchanger.
- 44. The refrigeration system of claim 41 wherein the first heat exchanger is a plurality of tube-coils and comprises a distributor configured to interface between a coolant supply line and the plurality of tube-coils.
- 45. The refrigeration system of claim 36 wherein the standby cooling system comprises a power source configured to operate the standby cooling system independent of the primary cooling system.
- 46. The refrigeration system of claim 39 wherein the standby cooling system comprises a second heat exchanger.
- 47. The refrigeration system of claim 46 wherein the separator device and the second heat exchanger are combined as an assembled unit.
- 48. The refrigeration system of claim 47 wherein the second heat exchanger is disposed within an upper portion of the separator device.
- 49. The refrigeration system of claim 39 wherein the separator device and the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are configured as an assembly.
- 50. The refrigeration system of claim 36 wherein the standby cooling system comprises at least one component of the primary cooling system.
- 51. The refrigeration system of claim 50 wherein the standby cooling system and the primary cooling system are configured to interface with a common heat exchanger.
- 52. The refrigeration system of claim 36 wherein the secondary cooling system comprises a coolant flow device configured for variable speed operation.
- 53. The refrigeration system of claim 52 wherein the coolant flow device is a pump.
- 54. The refrigeration system of claim 52 wherein the variable speed operation is configured for control in response to a signal representative of a temperature of the coolant.
- 55. The refrigeration system of claim 36 wherein the secondary cooling system includes at least one over-pressure protection device configured to maintain a pressure of the coolant below a predetermined pressure.
- 56. The refrigeration system of claim 55 wherein the over-pressure protection device is a relief valve configured to direct a discharge of coolant to another location within the secondary cooling system.
- 57. The refrigeration system of claim 36 wherein the refrigeration device is at least one of a refrigerator, a freezer, a cold storage room, a walk-in cooler, a reach-in cooler, an open display case, and a closed display case.
- 58. The refrigeration system of claim 36 further comprising a first coolant line configured to supply the coolant to the refrigeration device and a second coolant line configured to return the coolant from the refrigeration device, wherein the first coolant line is routed at least partially within the second coolant line.
- 59. A method of providing cooling to at least one cooling device, comprising:
circulating a refrigerant to a heat exchanger; circulating a coolant to the heat exchanger; routing the coolant to a separator; directing a vapor portion of the coolant to the heat exchanger; directing a liquid portion of the coolant to the cooling device; and directing the coolant from the cooling device to the separator.
- 60. The method of claim 59 further comprising the step of directing the vapor portion of the coolant to a pressure control device when a pressure of the coolant exceeds a predetermined pressure.
- 61. The method of claim 59 wherein the pressure control device is a condenser device configured to provide a source of cooling from an auxiliary cooling system.
- 62. The method of claim 60 wherein the pressure control device is a vessel having a volume sufficient to accommodate warming of the coolant to an ambient temperature.
- 63. The method of claim 59 wherein the coolant comprises a compound found in the atmosphere.
- 64. The method of claim 63 wherein the compound comprises carbon dioxide.
- 65. The method of claim 59 further comprising the step of providing the heat exchanger and the separator as an integrated assembly.
- 66. The method of claim 59 further comprising the step of providing the heat exchanger and the separator and the condenser device as an integrated assembly.
- 67. The method of claim 59 further comprising the step of providing a coolant flow device configured for variable speed control.
- 68. The method of claim 67 further comprising the step of providing a signal representative of a temperature of the coolant to regulate the variable speed control and wherein the coolant flow device comprises a pump.
- 69. In a refrigeration system of a type used with a refrigeration device such as a temperature controlled case used for storage and display of foods for commercial sale having a primary cooling system configured to provide a primary fluid as a refrigerant and a secondary cooling system coupled to the primary cooling system configured to provide a secondary fluid as a coolant, the improvement comprising the secondary cooling system comprising a vessel configured to provide a volume to accommodate an increase in pressure of the coolant that occurs when the temperature of the coolant is increased.
- 70. The refrigeration system of claim 69 wherein the coolant comprises a compound available from the atmosphere.
- 71. The refrigeration system of claim 69 wherein the compound comprises carbon dioxide.
- 72. The refrigeration system of claim 69 wherein the primary cooling system comprises a heat exchanger disposed at an elevated location.
- 73. The refrigeration system of claim 72 wherein the coolant is circulated to a cooling interface of the refrigeration device and the cooling interface is disposed beneath the heat exchanger.
- 74. The refrigeration system of claim 69 wherein the coolant is circulated within the secondary cooling system by natural circulation.
- 75. The refrigeration system of claim 69 wherein the coolant is circulated within the secondary cooling system by a pump.
- 76. The refrigeration system of claim 69 wherein the secondary cooling system comprises a separator device configured to direct a vapor portion of the coolant to a heat exchange device in communication with the primary cooling system and to direct a liquid portion of the coolant to a refrigeration device.
- 77. The refrigeration system of claim 76 wherein the separator device is configured to maximize the height of a liquid level of coolant.
- 78. The refrigeration system of claim 69 wherein the vessel has a volume sufficient to prevent over-pressurization of the secondary cooling system when the temperature of the coolant is approximately an ambient temperature.
- 79. A refrigeration system, comprising:
a primary cooling system configured to provide a source of cooling; a secondary cooling system configured to circulate a coolant to be cooled by the source of cooling, the coolant being in one of a liquid state, a vapor state and a liquid-vapor state; a volume inherent in the secondary cooling system and configured to accommodate expansion of the coolant in the event that the source of cooling is insufficient to maintain the temperature of the coolant below a predetermined temperature.
- 80. The refrigeration system of claim 79 wherein the coolant comprises a naturally occurring compound.
- 81. The refrigeration system of claim 79 wherein the compound comprises carbon dioxide.
- 82. The refrigeration system of claim 79 wherein the volume inherent in the secondary system includes a vessel.
- 83. The refrigeration system of claim 79 wherein the volume inherent in the secondary system includes at least one of a piping volume, a separator volume, a cooling interface volume and a heat exchanger volume.
- 84. The refrigeration system of claim 79 wherein the volume inherent in the secondary cooling system is sufficient to prevent over-pressurization of the secondary cooling system when the temperature of the coolant is approximately an ambient temperature.
- 85. The refrigeration system of claim 79 wherein the refrigeration device is one of a refrigerator, a freezer, a cold storage room, a walk-in freezer or a reach-in cooler.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present patent application claims the benefit of priority as available under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e)(1) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/422,435 titled “Refrigeration System” filed on Oct. 30, 2002.
[0002] The present patent application incorporates by reference in its entirety U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/422,435 titled “Refrigeration System” filed on Oct. 30, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60422435 |
Oct 2002 |
US |