Anti-sweat heater control system and method

Abstract

An improved anti-sweat heater control system is disclosed for reducing and/or eliminating sweat on cooled surfaces of a refrigerated container. A method for reducing or eliminating sweat from forming on cooled surfaces of a refrigerated container is also disclosed. A refrigerated container incorporating the anti-sweat heater control is also disclosed.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims provisional priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 559,113, filed 2 Apr. 2004.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a system and method for heating outer surfaces of a cooled container to prevent condensation or sweat. [0004] More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for heating outer surfaces of a cooled container to prevent condensation or sweat, where the apparatus includes a container, a cooling system and a heating system, where the heating system maintains the outer surfaces above a dew point temperature of a lowest temperature point on the outer surfaces for which anti-sweat protection is desired. [0005] 2. Description of the Related Art [0006] Many refrigerated display cases require electric strip heaters to be installed in the materials near the interface between the refrigerated zone and the ambient zone to pr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010] The present invention provides a system designed to minimize and / or eliminate condensation on desired outer surfaces of cooled containers, where the system includes a container having at least one outer surface for which anti-sweat protection is desired, a cooling system adapted to cool an interior of the container, a sensing subsystem for determining a temperature of at least one point on an outer surface of the container, a heating subsystem adapted to heat the at least one outer surface and a control subsystem adapted to supply power to the heating subsystem to maintain the outer surfaces at a temperature above a dew point temperature associated with a coldest temperature location on the at least one outer surface.

Problems solved by technology

Glass door coolers and freezers in particular require a large amount of “anti-sweat” heat.

The cost of electricity to operate these anti-sweat heaters can be significant.

In addition to the direct cost of the electricity applied to the anti-sweat heaters, roughly half of the heat put into the frames ends up in the refrigerated space and adds a significant load to the compressor.

Although numerous sweat-free solutions to the problem of refrigerated display cases or for preventing condensation on outer surfaces of cooled containers have been tried and commercialized, none of these solutions provided an adequate and energy efficient protection against case or outer surface sweating.

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