Cooling equipment and tank containers

Abstract

The present invention provides a cooling device, comprising a heat exchange coil, a first cooling pipeline connecting the inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchange coil, a second cooling pipeline connecting the inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchange coil and connected in parallel with the first cooling pipeline, and a refrigeration circuit. A refrigerant is provided in the heat exchange coil, the first cooling pipeline, and the second cooling pipeline. The refrigeration circuit is used to cool the first cooling pipeline, and the second cooling pipeline uses air cooling and / or water cooling to cool the air. The cooling device of the present invention, by providing the second cooling pipeline, can cool the refrigerant in the heat exchange coil when the temperature in the heat exchange coil is high, thereby avoiding the problem of excessive exhaust temperature in the refrigeration circuit being too high due to the high refrigerant temperature, which could cause the compressor to shut down.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to cooling equipment and a tank container. Background Art

[0002] Temperature-sensitive, low-temperature cargo requires refrigeration to maintain its temperature when shipped in tank containers. Currently, the vast majority of tank containers are insulated using side-mounted or end-mounted refrigeration units, which circulate a refrigerant to cool the tank. However, a problem with refrigerated transportation of many goods (beer, juice, milk, etc.) is that tank containers must be sterilized at high temperatures before loading, and the manhole covers must not be opened to prevent internal contamination. In this case, the tank container cannot cool naturally within a short period of time due to external insulation. Furthermore, when the refrigerant's temperature is high, the refrigeration system cannot operate normally. For example, when the refrigerant glycol temperature is above 50°C, the exhaust gas temperature in the refrigeration system is too high, causing the compressor to shut down. The refrigeration system cannot be properly activated until the glycol temperature drops below 50°C.

[0003] In view of this, it is necessary to improve the existing tank container cooling equipment to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a cooling device to solve the problem that the refrigeration system of the existing tank container cannot work when the internal temperature is high.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a cooling device, which includes a heat exchange coil, a first cooling pipeline connecting the inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchange coil, a second cooling pipeline connecting the inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchange coil and connected in parallel with the first cooling pipeline, and a refrigeration circuit. A refrigerant is provided in the heat exchange coil, the first cooling pipeline and the second cooling pipeline. The refrigeration circuit is used to cool the first cooling pipeline, and the second cooling pipeline is cooled by air cooling and / or water cooling.

[0006] As a further improvement of the present invention, the refrigeration circuit includes a connected compressor, an evaporator, a throttle and a condenser, and the evaporator is in contact with the first cooling pipeline to cool the first cooling pipeline.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, the refrigeration circuit includes a fan, which is directed toward the condenser and the second cooling pipeline to cool the condenser and the second cooling pipeline.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the condenser has a first condensation pipeline connected to the compressor and the throttle, and a second condensation pipeline connected between the second cooling pipelines.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cooling device further includes a flow switch and a cold accumulator arranged on the first cooling pipeline, and the cold accumulator is arranged between the evaporator and the inlet end of the heat exchange coil.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cooling device further includes a check valve arranged between the cold storage device and the inlet end of the heat exchange coil.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cooling device also includes a first three-way valve, which connects the cold storage device, the inlet end of the heat exchange coil, and the inlet end of the first cooling pipeline, and is used to control the cold storage device to connect to the inlet end of the heat exchange coil or the inlet end of the first cooling pipeline.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cooling equipment also includes a second three-way valve for connecting the outlet end of the heat exchange coil, the first cooling pipeline and the second cooling pipeline, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant. The temperature sensor is arranged between the second three-way valve and the outlet end of the heat exchange coil.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the cooling device further includes a stop valve, a heating element and a circulation pump sequentially connected between the outlet end of the heat exchange coil and the second three-way valve.

[0014] The present invention also provides a tank container, which includes a box body, a tank body arranged in the box body, and a cooling device as described above, wherein the heat exchange coil of the cooling device is wound around the tank body, and the first cooling pipeline, the second cooling pipeline and the refrigeration circuit are arranged between the box body and the tank body.

[0015] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the tank container and cooling equipment of the present invention, by providing the second cooling pipeline, can cool the refrigerant in the heat exchange coil when the temperature in the heat exchange coil is high, thereby avoiding the problem of the compressor shutting down due to the exhaust temperature in the refrigeration circuit being too high due to the refrigerant temperature being too high. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the tank container and the cooling equipment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a side structural schematic diagram of the tank container of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are intended solely to facilitate and simplify the description of the present invention. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0020] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be internal communication between two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances. In addition, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0021] like Figures 1 to 2 As shown, the tank container 100 of the present invention includes a box body 1, a tank body 2 arranged in the box body 1, a cooling device 3, and a control unit 4 connected to the cooling device 3.

[0022] The control unit 4 is fixed on the box body 1 or the tank body 2 .

[0023] The cooling device 3 includes a heat exchange coil 31, a first cooling pipeline 32 connecting the inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchange coil 31, a second cooling pipeline 33 connecting the inlet and outlet ends of the heat exchange coil 31 and connected in parallel with the first cooling pipeline 32, a refrigeration circuit 34, a flow switch 35 and a cold accumulator 36 provided on the first cooling pipeline 32, a check valve 37 provided between the cold accumulator 36 and the inlet end of the heat exchange coil 31, a first three-way valve 38, a second three-way valve 39, a temperature sensor 40 for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant, a stop valve 41 connected in sequence between the outlet end of the heat exchange coil 31 and the second three-way valve 39, a heating element 42 and a circulation pump 43.

[0024] The heat exchange coil 31 of the cooling device 3 is wound around the tank body 2, and the first cooling pipeline 32, the second cooling pipeline 33, and the refrigeration circuit 34 are disposed between the housing 1 and the tank body 2. The housing 1 has a rectangular cross-section, and the tank body 2 is cylindrical. Except for the heat exchange coil 31, all other structures are disposed between the housing 1 and the tank body 2, achieving an integrated installation. This compact structure meets ISO tank container standards and is suitable for installation in larger tank containers 100.

[0025] The heat exchange coil 31, the first cooling pipeline 32 and the second cooling pipeline 33 are provided with a coolant. The refrigeration circuit 34 is used to cool the first cooling pipeline 32, and the second cooling pipeline 33 is cooled by air cooling and / or water cooling. The coolant can be ethylene glycol.

[0026] The outlet end of the heat exchange coil 31 is connected to an expansion tank 311 to discharge the refrigerant. The refrigerant in the heat exchange coil 31 exchanges heat with the box body 1, thereby increasing the temperature of the refrigerant in the first cooling pipeline 32 and the second cooling pipeline 33. According to different working conditions, the refrigerant in the first cooling pipeline 32 or the second cooling pipeline 33 is selected to be cooled, thereby achieving the effect of cooling the tank body 2.

[0027] The refrigeration circuit 34 includes a compressor 341 , an evaporator 342 , a throttle 343 , a condenser 344 and a fan connected to each other.

[0028] The evaporator 342 contacts the first cooling pipe 32 to cool the first cooling pipe 32. In this embodiment, the evaporator 342 and the first cooling pipe 32 exchange heat using a plate exchange method.

[0029] The second three-way valve 39 is used to connect the outlet end of the heat exchange coil 31 , the first cooling pipeline 32 and the second cooling pipeline 33 , thereby controlling the coolant to flow through the first cooling pipeline 32 or the second cooling pipeline 33 .

[0030] A stop valve 41 , a heating element 42 , a circulation pump 43 and a temperature sensor 40 are sequentially connected between the outlet end of the heat exchange coil 31 and the second three-way valve 39 .

[0031] The stop valve 41 is used to cut off the pipeline when the equipment is repaired to prevent the coolant on the side of the tank body 2 from leaking out.

[0032] The heating element 42 serves as a backup heating function of the device and does not work when the refrigeration circuit 34 is working, but is turned on when the secondary refrigerant needs to be heated.

[0033] The circulation pump 43 is used for circulating the brine to maintain the flow of the brine in the heat exchange coil 31 , the first cooling pipeline 32 , and the second cooling pipeline 33 .

[0034] The temperature sensor 40 is disposed between the second three-way valve 39 and the outlet of the heat exchange coil 31. The temperature sensor 40 detects the brine temperature, thereby controlling the flow direction of the brine passing through the second three-way valve 39 according to the brine temperature.

[0035] When the temperature in the tank body 2 is low, the refrigerant, under the action of the circulation pump 43, passes through the second three-way valve 39 from the heat exchange coil 31 and enters the first cooling pipeline 32, and exchanges heat with the evaporator 342 of the refrigeration circuit 34 to cool the refrigerant. The cooled refrigerant enters the heat exchange coil 31, completing a cycle.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cooling device 3 is provided with a cold storage device 36 to utilize low-priced electricity at night, and the check valve 37 is used to prevent the coolant from flowing back and damaging the cooling device 3 after the circulation pump 43 stops working.

[0037] The flow switch 35 is used to control the flow of coolant passing through the cold accumulator 36, which is located between the evaporator 342 and the inlet of the heat exchange coil 31. The first three-way valve 38 connects the cold accumulator 36, the inlet of the heat exchange coil 31, and the inlet of the first cooling pipeline 32, and controls whether the cold accumulator 36 is connected to the inlet of the heat exchange coil 31 or the inlet of the first cooling pipeline 32.

[0038] When the temperature inside the tank body 2 is low and the first cooling pipeline 32 flows normally, the coolant passes through the cold accumulator 36, and the first three-way valve 38 controls the coolant to pass through the cold accumulator 36 and the check valve 37, and then directly enters the heat exchange coil 31.

[0039] During off-peak hours at night, the first three-way valve 38 is controlled to divert the coolant from entering the heat exchange coil 31 and instead flow directly to the circulation pump 43, continuously storing cold energy in the cold accumulator 36. During the day, the coolant is diverted to flow to the heat exchange coil 31, and the refrigeration cycle is not activated. The cold energy in the cold accumulator 36 is used for a primary cooling of the tank before the refrigeration cycle is restarted. This allows the cooling system 3 to take advantage of the lower nighttime electricity prices, reducing peak power loads. This allows for the cooling system 3 to store some of the cold energy during nighttime operation for daytime use, improving its economical operation.

[0040] The fan is directed toward the condenser 344 and the second cooling pipe 33 to cool the condenser 344 and the second cooling pipe 33 .

[0041] In this embodiment, the condenser 344 includes a first condensing line connected to the compressor 341 and the throttle 343, and a second condensing line connected between the second cooling line 33. The first condensing line is used to pass the refrigerant, such as Freon, in the refrigeration circuit 34, and the second condensing line is used to pass the brine. With this arrangement, the cooling effect of the second cooling line 33 can be achieved by only utilizing the fan of the refrigeration circuit 34, thereby reducing costs and saving space.

[0042] In other embodiments, the second cooling pipeline 33 may also be provided with an independent cooling device for cooling. The cooling device may be an air cooling device or a water cooling device.

[0043] When the temperature inside the tank body 2 is high, the temperature sensor 40 detects that the temperature of the refrigerant is high. Under the action of the circulating pump 43, the refrigerant passes through the second three-way valve 39 from the heat exchange coil 31 and enters the second cooling pipeline 33. The fan of the refrigeration circuit 34 cools the refrigerant. The cooled refrigerant enters the heat exchange coil 31, completing a cycle. This can avoid the problem of the compressor 341 shutting down due to the exhaust temperature in the refrigeration circuit 34 being too high due to the refrigerant temperature being too high.

[0044] The operation of the second three-way valve 39 is switched by the control unit 4 , and the switching temperature is also controlled by the control unit 4 , and the switching temperature can be set to 50 degrees Celsius.

[0045] The tank container 100 and cooling device 3 of the present invention, by providing the second cooling pipeline 33, can cool the refrigerant in the heat exchange coil 31 when the temperature inside the heat exchange coil 31 is high, thereby avoiding the problem of excessive exhaust temperature in the refrigeration circuit 34 being too high due to the high refrigerant temperature, which could cause the compressor 341 to shut down. The cold storage device 36 also allows for the use of low-cost nighttime electricity, improving the operating efficiency of the cooling device 3. The tank container 100 and cooling device 3 of the present invention are safe to use, compact in structure, and low in operating cost.

[0046] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0047] The above-described embodiments merely illustrate several implementations of the present invention, and while their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art would be able to make numerous variations and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the patent for this invention shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cooling device for a tank container, wherein the tank container comprises a tank body and a tank body disposed within the tank body, characterized in that: The cooling device includes a heat exchange coil, a first cooling pipe connecting the inlet and outlet of the heat exchange coil, a second cooling pipe connecting the inlet and outlet of the heat exchange coil and connected in parallel with the first cooling pipe, a refrigeration circuit, a flow switch and a cold accumulator arranged on the first cooling pipe, a refrigerant is provided in the heat exchange coil, the first cooling pipe and the second cooling pipe, the refrigeration circuit is used to cool the first cooling pipe, the second cooling pipe adopts air cooling to cool, the heat exchange coil of the cooling device is wound on the tank body, and the refrigeration circuit is used to cool the first cooling pipe. The circuit includes a connected compressor, evaporator, throttle, condenser and fan. The evaporator is in contact with the first cooling pipeline to cool the first cooling pipeline. The cold storage device is arranged between the evaporator and the inlet end of the heat exchange coil. The fan is directed toward the condenser and the second cooling pipeline to cool the condenser and the second cooling pipeline. When the temperature in the tank body is higher than the set value, the refrigerant enters the second cooling pipeline, and the fan of the refrigeration circuit cools the refrigerant in the second cooling pipeline. The cooled refrigerant enters the heat exchange coil.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The condenser includes a first condensation pipeline connected to the compressor and the throttle, and a second condensation pipeline connected between the second temperature-lowering pipelines.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling device further includes a check valve disposed between the cold storage device and the inlet end of the heat exchange coil.

4. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling device also includes a first three-way valve, which connects the cold storage device, the inlet end of the heat exchange coil, and the inlet end of the first cooling pipeline, and is used to control the cold storage device to connect to the inlet end of the heat exchange coil or the inlet end of the first cooling pipeline.

5. The cooling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling equipment also includes a second three-way valve for connecting the outlet end of the heat exchange coil, the first cooling pipeline and the second cooling pipeline, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant. The temperature sensor is arranged between the second three-way valve and the outlet end of the heat exchange coil.

6. The cooling device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cooling device further includes a stop valve, a heating element, and a circulation pump, which are sequentially connected between the outlet end of the heat exchange coil and the second three-way valve.

7. A tank container, characterized by: The tank container includes a box body, a tank body arranged in the box body, and a cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the heat exchange coil of the cooling device is wound around the tank body, and the first cooling pipeline, the second cooling pipeline and the refrigeration circuit are arranged between the box body and the tank body.

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