A hierarchical cascade energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method

Abstract

This invention discloses a graded, tiered, energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method. By constructing a graded, tiered refrigeration architecture, it employs a combination of multiple independent fixed-frequency refrigeration modules to form a multi-level, continuously covering refrigeration capacity. This is combined with mid-range heat pump supplementation and precise fine-tuning of electric heating to form a three-level tiered collaborative control logic. Through coarse adjustment of the graded, tiered refrigeration, precise cooling capacity matching is achieved under a wide range of operating conditions, significantly reducing the energy waste caused by the heat-cooling offsetting in traditional fixed refrigeration schemes. Simultaneously, it avoids the shortcomings of variable frequency refrigeration systems, such as poor long-term operational stability and high failure rate. This technology aims to fill the gap in general graded, tiered refrigeration technology in the industry, offering significant energy-saving effects, high operational reliability, and a wide range of operating condition adaptability. It also significantly extends the service life of traditional electric heaters and can be widely applied to various scenarios requiring high-precision constant temperature and humidity control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of high-precision constant temperature and humidity refrigeration control technology, specifically to a graded and stepped energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method. Background Technology

[0002] High-precision constant temperature and humidity environment control is a key supporting technology in modern industrial testing, precision manufacturing, pharmaceutical cleanroom, electronic processing and scientific research. Its core is the precise matching of cooling capacity and heat load. As the core component of constant temperature and humidity control, the operation mode of the refrigeration system directly determines the system's energy consumption level, operational stability and adaptability to operating conditions.

[0003] The first type of refrigeration system uses fixed-capacity refrigeration technology, employing one or more fixed-power refrigeration units to continuously output a constant cooling capacity. Excess cooling capacity is then offset by high-power electric heating to maintain a stable ambient temperature. Although this solution has a simple structure, the cooling capacity output cannot dynamically match the ambient heat load, resulting in severe energy imbalance between cooling and heating, extremely low energy utilization, and huge energy consumption during long-term operation. It can only adapt to a single fixed operating condition and cannot cope with scenarios with fluctuating heat loads.

[0004] The second type of refrigeration system uses variable frequency refrigeration technology. By adjusting the cooling capacity output through a variable frequency compressor, it achieves a certain degree of dynamic matching between cooling capacity and heat load, reducing the conflict between cooling and heating. However, this solution has fatal flaws: the variable frequency compressor has a complex structure, and long-term continuous operation is prone to problems such as parameter drift, reduced compressor cooling efficiency, and high equipment failure rate, resulting in extremely high maintenance costs; at the same time, the variable frequency system is prone to frequent start-stop and adjustment oscillations under low load conditions, with poor temperature control stability, making it unsuitable for long-term continuous operation.

[0005] Although the industry has been continuously researching and developing energy-saving refrigeration technologies, there is currently no mature, universal control technology for graded and cascaded refrigeration. It is impossible to achieve the three core requirements of precise graded matching of cooling capacity, low energy consumption operation, and high reliability and stable operation through the graded combination of fixed-frequency refrigeration modules, thus forming a clear technological gap in the industry.

[0006] Therefore, developing a graded and stepped energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control technology has core technical value and engineering application significance for filling the industry's technological gap, reducing the total life cycle cost of constant temperature and humidity systems, and improving the operational reliability of refrigeration systems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention proposes a graded, tiered, energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method. By tiered combination of fixed-frequency refrigeration modules, it achieves precise tiered matching of cooling capacity, low energy consumption operation, long lifespan, and high reliability and stability.

[0008] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: A tiered, energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method includes the following steps: Step 1: Construct a graded and tiered cooling architecture, including a graded cooling execution unit, a heat pump temperature control unit, an electric heating fine-tuning unit, a temperature and humidity detection unit, a humidification unit, and a supporting control unit, all housed in a sealed cavity; the graded cooling execution unit includes multiple independently configured fixed-frequency cooling modules, each corresponding to a different rated cooling output, forming a graded and tiered cooling capability with multiple levels and continuous coverage of the entire operating temperature range; Step 2: Calculate the target cooling capacity required to match the current operating conditions based on the difference between the target temperature and the real-time ambient temperature. Select the module combination and cooling level from the multi-stage fixed-frequency cooling modules according to the target cooling capacity, and quickly and smoothly adjust the ambient temperature T2 of the closed cavity to the near target temperature range to complete the coarse adjustment of cooling. Step 3: After completing the initial cooling adjustment, start the heat pump temperature control unit to perform basic heat replenishment, so that the ambient temperature of the closed cavity is closer to the target temperature. Step 4: Activate the electric heating fine-tuning unit to precisely fine-tune the ambient temperature of the sealed cavity, eliminate residual deviations, and stabilize the temperature to the target value; Throughout the entire process of staged cooling operation, the ambient humidity is synchronously adjusted through the humidification unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the heat pump temperature control unit adopts an air source heat pump component to undertake the basic heat replenishment load for regulating the controlled ambient temperature, and achieves stable and continuous heating and heat replenishment through heat pump reverse circulation.

[0010] Furthermore, the electric heating fine-tuning unit uses an electric heating component.

[0011] Furthermore, the control unit is connected to each stage of the fixed-frequency refrigeration module, heat pump temperature control unit, electric heating fine-tuning unit, and humidification unit, respectively. It receives operating data from the temperature and humidity detection unit, and adjusts the start and stop of the staged refrigeration execution unit and the speed matching according to the target temperature and humidity requirements. At the same time, it coordinates the collaborative operation of the heat pump temperature control unit, electric heating fine-tuning unit, and humidification unit. Beneficial effects

[0012] 1. This patent fills the gap in the industry for general control technology of graded and tiered refrigeration. The core adopts a graded and tiered refrigeration architecture with multi-level fixed frequency modules. Combined with artificial intelligence technology, it achieves precise matching between cooling capacity and environmental heat load through the graded start-stop and flexible combination of refrigeration modules. This avoids the serious energy waste caused by the clash between cooling and heating in traditional fixed refrigeration solutions, improves energy-saving effect, and solves the core pain points of high energy consumption and poor adaptability of traditional refrigeration technology.

[0013] 2. This technology uses a fully fixed-frequency staged refrigeration module to replace the traditional variable-frequency refrigeration system, avoiding the fatal defects of variable-frequency compressors that are prone to parameter drift, efficiency decay, high failure rate and high maintenance cost during long-term operation. The system structure is simpler, the operation is more reliable and the service life is longer. It can perfectly adapt to the use requirements of long-term continuous operation, while avoiding the problem of low control accuracy of variable-frequency refrigeration when the heat load output of the controlled environment changes.

[0014] 3. This technology adopts a three-level coordinated control logic of staged cooling coarse adjustment + heat pump mid-range heat supplementation + electric heating precision fine adjustment. It achieves precise control of cooling capacity through staged cooling, achieves energy saving by replacing high-power electric heating with heat pump heat supplementation, and ensures temperature control stability through low-power electric heating, thus taking into account energy saving, stability and temperature control accuracy.

[0015] 4. This technology is a general-purpose refrigeration control technology. The number of stages and the cooling capacity gradient of the staged refrigeration module can be flexibly configured according to the usage requirements. It can be adapted to various constant temperature and humidity scenarios with different sizes, loads and precision requirements. It can be widely used in many fields such as industrial production, precision manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, scientific research experiments, and commercial buildings. It has a wide range of applications, strong engineering implementation and high general value. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 is a flowchart of the refrigeration stage adjustment process of the graded energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control technology described in this patent.

[0017] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the tiered refrigeration principle of the tiered energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control technology described in this patent.

[0018] In the diagram, 1 is a sealed cavity, 2 is a fixed-frequency refrigeration module, 3 is a heat pump temperature control unit, 4 is an electric heating fine-tuning unit, 5 is a temperature and humidity detection unit, and 6 is a humidification unit. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. This detailed description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention, but rather as a more detailed description of certain aspects, features, and embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] It should be understood that the terminology used in this invention is merely for describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, with respect to numerical ranges in this invention, it should be understood that each intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of the range is also specifically disclosed. Every smaller range between any stated value or intermediate value within a stated range, and any other stated value or intermediate value within said range, is also included in this invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range.

[0021] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. While only preferred methods and materials have been described herein, any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the implementation or testing of this invention. All references to this specification are incorporated by way of citation to disclose and describe methods and / or materials associated with those references. In the event of any conflict with any incorporated reference, the content of this specification shall prevail.

[0022] Various modifications and variations can be made to the specific embodiments described in this specification without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Other embodiments derived from this specification will also be obvious to those skilled in the art. This application specification and embodiments are merely exemplary.

[0023] The terms “include,” “including,” “have,” “contain,” etc., used in this article are all open-ended terms, meaning that they include but are not limited to.

[0024] A tiered, energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method includes the following steps: Step 1: Construct a tiered cooling architecture. A tiered cooling architecture can intelligently adjust the temperature and humidity requirements of the enclosed cavity, the ambient temperature and humidity outside the enclosed cavity, and the heat release rate and form of the heat load inside the enclosed cavity to achieve tiered cooling control.

[0025] More specifically, the graded cascade refrigeration architecture includes a sealed cavity, and a graded refrigeration execution unit, a heat pump temperature control unit, an electric heating fine adjustment unit, a temperature and humidity detection unit, a humidification unit, and supporting control units and their auxiliary structures (such as air ducts, diffusers, ventilation holes, etc.) located in the sealed cavity.

[0026] The staged cooling actuator is the core component of this technology and the core carrier for realizing staged cooling. The staged cooling actuator contains multiple independently configured fixed-frequency cooling modules. Unlike variable-frequency cooling, each fixed-frequency cooling module corresponds to a different rated cooling output capacity, ultimately forming a staged cooling capacity with multiple levels that continuously cover the entire operating temperature range.

[0027] For example, a graded cooling execution unit can be configured with multiple levels of fixed-frequency cooling modules, with rated cooling capacities of A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. This indicates that it can form a continuous gradient of cooling output capacity within the range of A to E. The cooling capacity of each level is highly constant and unaffected by the ambient temperature. It can accurately match the cooling demand of different environmental control spaces, achieving high-precision temperature and humidity control. The control unit selects the optimal energy-saving fixed-frequency cooling level to cover the entire operating condition test temperature range. This application solves the core problems of excessive cooling capacity and severe heat and cold offset in traditional fixed cooling solutions by configuring multiple levels of fixed-frequency cooling modules. At the same time, all cooling modules are fixed-frequency structures, avoiding the defects of variable-frequency compressors such as parameter drift, efficiency degradation, and high failure rate, resulting in stronger operational stability, longer service life, and lower maintenance costs.

[0028] The heat pump temperature control unit uses an air source heat pump component to undertake the basic heat supplement load for regulating the controlled ambient temperature. Through the reverse circulation of the heat pump, it achieves stable and continuous heating and heat supplementation, and accurately regulates the ambient temperature to within the minimum deviation range of the target temperature.

[0029] The electric heating fine-tuning unit uses a low-power, high-response electric heating component, which is used only for closed-loop precision fine-tuning of ambient temperature.

[0030] The humidification unit is used to compensate for the humidity deviation caused by the dehumidification effect generated during the cooling process of the staged refrigeration unit in the sealed cavity, and to maintain the ambient humidity stable within the target range.

[0031] The temperature and humidity detection unit is deployed in the target environment to collect real-time temperature and humidity data of the target environment and feed the collected data back to the control unit, providing basic data support for matching the graded cooling levels.

[0032] The control unit is a supporting control component of the system. It is connected to the signals of each stage of fixed-frequency refrigeration module, heat pump temperature control unit, electric heating fine adjustment unit, and humidification unit. Its function is to receive the operating data of the temperature and humidity detection unit, adjust the module start-up and shutdown and gear matching of the staged refrigeration execution unit according to the target temperature and humidity requirements, and coordinate the collaborative operation of the heat pump temperature control unit, electric heating fine adjustment unit, and humidification unit.

[0033] Step 2: Gradual adjustment of tiered cooling system.

[0034] After the system starts up, the control unit calculates the target cooling capacity required for the current operating conditions based on the difference between the target temperature and the real-time ambient temperature, combined with the maximum variation range of the output heat load and humidity of the controlled environmental equipment. From the multi-stage cooling modules of the tiered cooling execution unit, it selects the optimal module combination and cooling level, controlling the corresponding modules to start operating at a fixed frequency. Through tiered cooling output, the ambient temperature is quickly and smoothly adjusted to a range close to the target temperature, completing the coarse cooling adjustment with a slightly higher cooling capacity than required. This step, through the precise combination of tiered, fixed-frequency modules, fundamentally avoids energy waste caused by excessive cooling capacity.

[0035] Step 3: Mid-range heat pump adjustment.

[0036] After the initial coarse adjustment of the cooling system is completed, the control unit drives the heat pump temperature control unit to start operation. The heat pump temperature control unit uses an air-source heat pump assembly to handle the basic heat load for regulating the controlled ambient temperature. Through reverse circulation, it achieves stable and continuous temperature rise and heat replenishment, precisely adjusting the ambient temperature to within a minimal deviation range from the target temperature. The temperature difference should be lower than the output heat load of the controlled environment equipment, completing the mid-range regulation. This stage replaces traditional high-power electric heating with heat pump heat replenishment, completely avoiding the energy loss from direct conflict between cooling and heating, and significantly improving system energy efficiency.

[0037] Step 4: Precision fine-tuning of electric heating.

[0038] After the heat pump's mid-range adjustment is completed, the intelligent control unit drives the electric heating fine-tuning unit to start operation. The electric heating fine-tuning unit is a low-power, high-response electric heating component, used only for closed-loop precision fine-tuning of ambient temperature. It does not bear any basic supplementary heating load. Through minute and stable temperature compensation, it eliminates residual temperature deviation, achieves stable control of ambient temperature, completes the precision fine-tuning process, and extends the service life of the electric heater in previous equipment.

[0039] Step 5, Humidity Coordination and Regulation: Throughout the entire process of staged cooling operation, the intelligent control unit synchronously drives the humidification unit to operate, compensate for the humidity deviation caused by the dehumidification effect generated during the cooling process of the staged cooling execution unit, maintain the ambient humidity stable within the target range, and eliminate parameter disturbances caused by temperature and humidity coupling, thereby achieving coordinated and stable control of temperature and humidity.

[0040] To fully illustrate the feasibility and technical effects of the present invention, this embodiment uses a specific experimental environment as an example: For example, consider a laboratory with a refrigerator-type external environment. The laboratory temperature control range is 0-48℃, and the cascading cooling is in increments of 0.05 horsepower (e.g., 0.05 horsepower, 0.1 horsepower, 0.15 horsepower, etc.) to achieve precise temperature control within the laboratory (e.g., a 60 cubic meter laboratory space with three refrigerators of different power levels, operating for a long time (e.g., 45 days), with a temperature control accuracy of ±0.2℃). Multiple refrigerators operate simultaneously at different frequencies and power levels under different power environments. The external environment refers to the environmental changes of the laboratory location during spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

[0041] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A graded, stepped energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step 1: Construct a graded and tiered cooling architecture, including a graded cooling execution unit, a heat pump temperature control unit, an electric heating fine-tuning unit, a temperature and humidity detection unit, a humidification unit, and a supporting control unit, all housed in a sealed cavity; the graded cooling execution unit includes multiple independently configured fixed-frequency cooling modules, each corresponding to a different rated cooling output, forming a graded and tiered cooling capability with multiple levels and continuous coverage of the entire operating temperature range; Step 2: Calculate the target cooling capacity required to match the current operating conditions based on the difference between the target temperature and the real-time ambient temperature. Select the module combination and cooling level from the multi-stage fixed-frequency cooling modules according to the target cooling capacity, and quickly and smoothly adjust the ambient temperature T2 of the closed cavity to the near target temperature range to complete the coarse adjustment of cooling. Step 3: After completing the initial cooling adjustment, start the heat pump temperature control unit to perform basic heat replenishment, so that the ambient temperature of the closed cavity is closer to the target temperature. Step 4: Activate the electric heating fine-tuning unit to precisely fine-tune the ambient temperature of the sealed cavity, eliminate residual deviations, and stabilize the temperature to the target value; Step 5: Throughout the entire process of staged cooling operation, the ambient humidity is synchronously adjusted through the humidification unit.

2. The graded and stepped energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat pump temperature control unit uses an air source heat pump component to undertake the basic heat replenishment load for regulating the ambient temperature. It achieves stable and continuous heating and heat replenishment through heat pump reverse circulation.

3. The graded and stepped energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electric heating fine-tuning unit uses an electric heating component.

4. The graded and stepped energy-saving constant temperature and humidity control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control unit is connected to each stage of the fixed-frequency refrigeration module, heat pump temperature control unit, electric heating fine-tuning unit, and humidification unit. It receives operating data from the temperature and humidity detection unit and adjusts the start and stop of the staged refrigeration execution unit and the speed matching according to the target temperature and humidity requirements. At the same time, it coordinates the collaborative operation of the heat pump temperature control unit, electric heating fine-tuning unit, and humidification unit.

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