Evaporator with a closure mechanism, temperature-control device and cooling compartment

Abstract

An evaporator comprising: a thermal unit (100, 200, 300, 400); a housing (600) in which the thermal unit is accommodated, the housing having a first ventilation opening (603) and a second ventilation opening (607); a controllable fan (700) which, in an activated state, is designed to generate a gas flow (500) through the first ventilation opening (603) of the housing and the second ventilation opening (607) of the housing; and a closure mechanism (800) which is designed to restrict or to suppress the gas flow (500) when the fan (700) is deactivated and to allow the gas flow (500) to pass when the fan (700) is activated.

Description

[0001] Evaporator with locking mechanism, temperature control device and cooling chamber

[0002] Description

[0003] The present invention relates to the temperature control of a room to be temperature controlled and in particular to cold generation or heat generation and distribution in mobile or stationary refrigeration applications.

[0004] In particular, the present invention relates to methods and devices for the generation and distribution of cold or heat in mobile cold applications or heat applications and can be used in road-bound motor vehicles or trailers or semi-trailers with a refrigerated body or a heated body, a rail- or sea-bound cooled or heated body or a container, or generally in rooms to be tempered in air conditioning or air conditioning applications, which are cooled or heated, for example, by means of a compression refrigeration machine.

[0005] Furthermore, this invention can also be used in the field of comfort air conditioning in mobile applications such as buses or rail-bound passenger cars. However, from a purely technical perspective, a restriction to these areas is not necessary, as the solutions described here can also be used advantageously in stationary applications.

[0006] The compression refrigeration machine is the most common type of refrigeration machine. This design utilizes the physical effect of the latent heat of vaporization during the change of state from liquid to gaseous, or from gaseous to liquid. In a compression refrigeration machine, a refrigerant with suitable thermodynamic properties is moved in a closed circuit. In the process, it undergoes various changes of state sequentially and repeatedly. The gaseous refrigerant is first compressed by a compressor. In the subsequent heat exchanger (condenser or heat sink of the process), it is condensed (liquefied) while releasing heat. The liquefied refrigerant is then expanded to the evaporation pressure via an expansion device, e.g., an expansion valve or, in the simplest case, an orifice plate or a capillary tube, to reduce the pressure. It cools down in the process.In the downstream second heat exchanger (evaporator, or heat source of the process), the refrigerant evaporates at a low temperature while absorbing heat (evaporative cooling). The heat absorbed in this process represents the utilized cooling power of the refrigeration system. The absorbed heat flow is referred to as the cooling capacity. The evaporator is therefore advantageously located directly in the refrigerated body, in the refrigerated container, or generally in the enclosed space to be cooled in order to keep heat transfer losses to a minimum by bringing the goods to be refrigerated into direct contact with the heat source as much as possible. The cycle can now begin again. The process must be kept going from the outside by supplying mechanical work (drive power) via the compressor. The refrigerant absorbs heat at a low temperature level and releases it, usually to the environment, at a higher temperature level by supplying technical work.The identical process described is referred to as a heat pump process if, instead of the cooling capacity or energy supplied to the evaporator, the condensation heat released by the system's condenser is to be used. In the present application, this creates the possibility, with suitable process control and arrangement of the system components, of supplying energy in the form of heat to the described structure or the closed interior of the application for heating purposes. One way to achieve this is to connect the pressure-side outlet of the compressor to the heat exchanger, which is located in the closed structure, in such a way that the heat exchanger heats up during system operation. The remaining components then fulfill their function according to the described application process for generating cold.The heat supply also allows for efficient defrosting or defrosting of the heat exchanger in a closed room, which can be either time-controlled or demand-controlled.

[0007] The refrigerant circuit essentially consists of four components: compressor, condenser, expansion device, and evaporator. In a single-stage refrigeration system, a distinction is generally made between high-pressure and low-pressure sides. The high-pressure side extends from the pressure side of the compressor to the refrigerant inlet into the expansion device. The low-pressure side comprises the part of the refrigerant circuit from the refrigerant outlet from the expansion device to the compressor inlet. This also applies if the refrigerant circuit is operated as a heat pump, i.e., the heating output provided by the condenser is used rather than the cooling output of the evaporator. This heating output can be used, as described, to heat up the application or to defrost the evaporator.Regardless of the application, the refrigerant used in the cycle should have as little impact on the environment as possible, be cost-effective, and particularly energy-efficient. A key measure of the environmentally damaging effect of a refrigerant is its greenhouse potential, also known as GWP (Global Warming Potential). This value is given for refrigerants in relation to the GWP value of CO2 (carbon dioxide). CO2 has a GWP value of 1 by definition. For the F-gases frequently used as refrigerants, the greenhouse potential can reach values ​​of several thousand. This in turn means that one kilogram of F-gas released into the atmosphere during its production, use, or disposal can have the equivalent of the greenhouse effect of several tons of CO2.

[0008] The main components of F-gases are carbon, hydrogen, and fluorine. F-gases often decompose very slowly and, once released, can remain in our atmosphere for hundreds or even thousands of years. Regardless of their residence time and their global warming potential, decomposition products are produced as F-gases decompose. These substances, such as trifluoroacetic acid or hydrogen fluoride, often have long-term negative impacts on humans and the environment. For these reasons, the use of F-gases as refrigerants is increasingly being restricted or even prohibited by international legislation through regulations and ordinances.The acceptance of F-gases as refrigerants by consumers, users of refrigeration technology, and also by society as a whole is decreasing, and as a result, the manufacturing industry of refrigeration systems and heat pumps is increasingly demanding alternatives to the current refrigeration technology based on the use of F-gases.

[0009] The international patent application PCT / EP2022 / 076419 discloses a device for controlling the temperature of a room to be heated. An evaporator is arranged in the room to be heated. This evaporator is operated during a phase change of the secondary fluid, resulting in a natural circulation process or thermosiphon process. A working fluid, such as CO2, evaporates in the evaporator. This evaporated working fluid, i.e., the CO2 vapor, rises in the evaporator and leaves the evaporator via a vapor line. The vapor flows into a heat exchanger of a primary heat pump circuit, where it is liquefied again due to the corresponding control of the primary heat pump circuit, namely by heat being removed from the heat exchanger through the primary heat pump circuit.The liquefied vapor, i.e., the liquid CO2, then flows back through a liquid line and a liquid connection into the evaporator in the cold storage room, thus closing the cycle. From the cold storage room's perspective, comparatively warm air is drawn into the evaporator from below, for example, by a fan. The air then moves from bottom to top and is cooled as the secondary liquid, e.g., CO2, evaporates in the evaporator. The cold air is then blown out of the evaporator at the top and serves to cool the cold storage room, which could be a semitrailer or the loading area of ​​a truck, for example.

[0010] To defrost the evaporator, which will eventually ice over, the primary heat pump circuit is reversed. This is achieved either by reversing the flow direction or rotation direction in the case of a compressor such as a turbo compressor, or by switching the components in the primary heat pump circuit that are connected to the compressor accordingly, so that the heat exchanger, which connects the primary heat pump circuit and the secondary circuit, i.e. the evaporator, no longer functions as a heat source but as a heat sink. As a result, the primary heat pump circuit heats up the heat exchanger. This causes secondary fluid in the heat exchanger to evaporate and flow into the evaporator via the vapor line. This warms the evaporator, and the ice that has formed on the outside of the evaporator thaws. This thawing process, in turn, liquefies the vapor in the evaporator, causing it to flow downwards through the evaporator.Typically, when "normal" cooling operation is achieved by a thermosiphon circuit, a pump is activated to reverse the cycle during defrosting, pumping the liquefied secondary fluid from the evaporator back into the heat exchanger. However, alternative measures such as double-siphon applications also exist to achieve this cycle reversal, as described, for example, in German patent application 102023202885.9.

[0011] In order to achieve efficient cooling in the cold room, it is necessary that the evaporator works efficiently and at the same time can be manufactured inexpensively.

[0012] The object of the present invention is to create an improved evaporator concept.

[0013] An evaporator according to a first aspect of the invention comprises a first header and a second header as well as a plurality of connectors between the first and second headers, wherein the first header and the second header as well as the connectors are designed such that a working fluid can flow through them. Furthermore, a fin stack of spaced-apart fins is provided, which are formed in thermal connection with the connectors and are arranged in a stacking direction, and which are designed such that gas or air can flow in a fin direction between adjacent fins in the fin stack. Furthermore, a housing is provided in which the fin stack is arranged, wherein the housing and the fin stack are designed such that a gas flow in the housing can be directed from a first flow direction in the stacking direction to a second flow direction in the fin direction, e.g.is varied once or multiple times, whereby the lamella direction differs from the stacking direction.

[0014] The evaporator according to the invention makes it possible, with an easily manufactured and readily available fin stack, which actually only allows a gas flow direction in the fin direction for efficient evaporation, to achieve a gas flow in the housing that has both a fin direction and a stack direction component due to the interaction of the housing and the fin stack. In particular, this allows for the manufacture and installation of a very space-saving evaporator, for example on the end wall of a refrigerated compartment of a truck or semi-trailer. There is relatively a lot of space on the end wall in the vertical direction, but relatively little space in the depth and, in this embodiment, also in the width.The limitations regarding depth arise from the fact that in a refrigerated compartment, for example, inside a truck, the loading space should be as large as possible, and therefore the evaporator for cooling the loading space must take up very little depth. On the other hand, the height dimension is rather uncritical.

[0015] At the same time, however, fin stacks typically require a certain depth to achieve good air-liquid coupling with respect to the secondary liquid or vapor in the connectors. Again, the housing should not add a great deal of depth, but at the same time, good circulation should occur within the housing and within the fins. Good circulation is achieved by varying the gas flow within the housing through the design of the housing and / or the fin stack. One implementation is to use a zigzag fin stack shape and to house this zigzag fin stack arrangement in a straight housing. However, it is preferred to design the housing in a zigzag shape and use a straight fin stack due to its ease of manufacture.

[0016] It should be noted that the zigzag flow is merely a preferred embodiment, as it can be easily combined with a finned heat exchanger. However, a flow pattern other than zigzag can also be created through the housing and thermal unit as a varied flow pattern, as long as the air flow is generally perpendicular to the fins in the tube direction. In simple finned heat exchangers, the flow is always parallel to the fins and perpendicular to the tubes, e.g., the connectors. Therefore, alternative geometries that repeatedly push air from left to right and vice versa are also usable.

[0017] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the evaporator comprises a thermal unit and a housing in which the thermal unit is arranged, wherein the housing has a first ventilation opening and a second ventilation opening. Furthermore, the evaporator comprises a controllable fan configured to generate a gas flow through the first ventilation opening of the housing and the second ventilation opening when activated. Furthermore, the evaporator comprises a closure mechanism configured to throttle or prevent the gas flow when the fan is deactivated and to allow the gas flow to pass when the fan is activated.

[0018] According to this second aspect of the present invention, the evaporator can be designed like the evaporator in the first aspect of the present invention, i.e., with a fin stack and a housing to vary the gas flow in the housing from a first flow direction in the stack direction to a second flow direction in the fin direction. Alternatively, the evaporator in a thermal unit according to the second aspect can also have a different structure, for example a structure as described in German application 102023202885.9. The evaporator used there also comprises a first header and a second header, as well as a plurality of connectors between the two headers. However, convection elements or heat distribution elements are arranged that are not designed as fin stacks, but rather allow gas flow in the direction of the arrangement of the connectors.Still alternative implementations may be formed in the thermal unit for the evaporator according to the second aspect, as long as there is provided a closure mechanism configured to throttle or prevent the gas flow when the fan is deactivated and to allow the gas flow to pass when the fan is activated.

[0019] Preferably, the closure mechanism is a passive closure mechanism in which, for example, one or more closure flaps are opened due to the activity of the fan, i.e. due to the suction effect of the fan, and remain open solely due to the activity of the fan, i.e. the existing airflow. Due to their passive implementation, the fan flaps will then only return to the closed state when the fan is deactivated and the airflow ceases. This ensures that if an evaporator is deactivated, the fan that is supposed to draw air through it is also deactivated and no longer thermally influences the room in which it is located. This is advantageous if, for example, the evaporator needs to be defrosted.The heat supplied to the evaporator, through the reversal of the thermosiphon process and the reversal of the primary heat pump circuit, will then not heat up the space to be cooled, or only minimally. This results in significant energy savings and ensures that the goods being cooled never thaw. Only when the defrosting process is complete will the fan be activated again, and the shutter mechanism open to pump cooled air back into the cold room.

[0020] This implementation is particularly advantageous when a cold storage room contains multiple evaporators located in different compartments, all connected to the same primary heat pump circuit. Even if different target temperatures are required in the different compartments, e.g., a very low target temperature for a freezer compartment (e.g., -30°C), a medium temperature for a fresh food compartment (e.g., 1°C), and a relatively high target temperature for a simple refrigeration compartment (e.g., 10°C), if an actual temperature in one of the three compartments is above a target temperature, the fan of the evaporator located in the corresponding compartment can be activated. The primary heat pump circuit then dissipates heat from this evaporator in the corresponding compartment, while the other two compartments are not affected.For example, deep freezing can be achieved in the freezer compartment without cooling the other two compartments, simply by controlling the fans so that the fans in the other two compartments are turned off and only the fan in the freezer compartment is activated. If, on the other hand, the fresh food compartment needs to be cooled, this can also be achieved with the same primary heat pump circuit by activating only the fan in the fresh food compartment, but deactivating the fans in the other two compartments. Due to the locking mechanism, the evaporators in these compartments are thermally inactive.

[0021] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a refrigeration chamber is provided in which an evaporator is arranged on a wall of the refrigeration chamber and has a fan at one end of a housing of the evaporator, wherein the fan is configured to cause cooled air to be conveyed into the refrigeration chamber in a ventilation direction. Furthermore, a support fan is arranged in the refrigeration chamber, positioned such that at least a portion of the cooled air conveyed by the fan is sucked in by the support fan and further conveyed into the refrigeration chamber.

[0022] The use of a backup fan is particularly advantageous when the cold room is relatively long and it must be ensured that, even if the evaporator is located at the front wall of the cold room, a reliable supply is also achieved to the end of the cold room, i.e., where the cold room can be opened. Especially at the cold room door, significant thermal losses can occur due to the door being opened or due to leaks. In such a case, the fan performance in the evaporator may still be too low, and this gap is filled by the backup fan.

[0023] Preferably, a less powerful axial fan can be used as the fan. In preferred embodiments, this fan is arranged at a slight angle above the thermal unit of the evaporator and draws in air from a slightly vertical direction and expels it in a slightly vertical direction. Such an axial fan, on the other hand, has the advantage of being very narrow in depth, so that the evaporator and fan can be installed in a very space-saving manner, e.g., in the cold storage compartment of a truck, thus allowing maximum utilization of the cold storage volume for the chilled goods to be transported. On the other hand, the auxiliary fan ensures that the cooled air is blown reliably throughout the entire refrigeration compartment and, in particular, reliably toward the door of the refrigeration compartment, which requires more thermal protection.In preferred embodiments, the primary heat pump circuit is arranged above the evaporator in a niche, outside the refrigeration compartment, but in close proximity to the refrigeration compartment so that the lines penetrating the refrigeration compartment wall can be kept as short as possible. This results in a limited maximum vertical height in the area above the evaporator due to the niche. At the end of the niche, i.e., on the niche side wall, however, the maximum height of the loading space is available. The auxiliary fan is preferably arranged there in order to be optimally positioned with regard to the maximum height of the refrigeration compartment, in that there is almost the same or even more vertical height below the auxiliary fan than below the niche.This ensures that auxiliary ventilation is achieved by the auxiliary fan without the cooling device causing a disadvantage in the vertical direction for the space to be filled, e.g. in the truck or the trailer.

[0024] Preferably, the auxiliary fan is a deflection fan, i.e., a fan that draws in air in a first direction and discharges it in a second direction. Furthermore, an exhaust nozzle is arranged on the auxiliary fan to control the air flow and focus the air expelled by the auxiliary fan in the desired direction. In contrast, the fan in the evaporator is preferably designed as an axial fan to save space.

[0025] In preferred embodiments of a cold storage room with multiple compartments, it is preferable to use the evaporator with a fan and a backup fan in one compartment. In a second compartment, because, for example, a lower target temperature or less airflow is required there, an evaporator is arranged without a backup fan, i.e., with only one fan, which can be an axial fan or a bypass fan depending on the implementation. The fan concepts can be designed differently in the various compartments.

[0026] Furthermore, it is preferred to accommodate the primary housing with the primary heat pump circuit in the niche outside the cold room, wherein the primary circuit has a liquid-air heat exchanger that is arranged at an angle in the primary housing, such that air that can enter the primary housing from the front via air inlet openings flows through the inclined liquid-air heat exchanger and can exit the primary housing via air outlet openings arranged at the top of the primary housing. As a result, heat is released from the primary heat pump circuit into the ambient air. To support convection in the liquid-air heat exchanger, a fan can also be provided below the heat outlet opening and above the inclined liquid-air heat exchanger, for example.to achieve sufficient convection even when the truck is stationary and there is no air flow from the inlet opening to the outlet opening in the primary housing due to the airstream.

[0027] The first aspect of the present invention, with varied gas flow due to the zigzag housing or the zigzag fin stack, can be combined with the second aspect of the present invention, which relates to the closure mechanism in the evaporator. Both aspects, in turn, can be combined with the third aspect of the present invention, in which a support fan is arranged in the cooling chamber, preferably adjacent to the niche in which the primary housing is located. Therefore, according to the invention, all three aspects can be combined with one another.

[0028] Alternatively, however, only two of the three aspects can be combined, or all three aspects can be implemented without any other aspect. Thus, the evaporator can be used in a cold storage room with a zigzag gas flow, with or without a closure mechanism, or with or without a backup fan. Furthermore, the evaporator with a closure mechanism can be used with both a zigzag gas flow and a conventional gas flow, and with or without the assistance of a backup fan. Furthermore, the evaporator combined with the backup fan according to the third aspect of the present invention can be a conventional evaporator without a closure mechanism, an evaporator according to the present invention with a zigzag gas flow, or an evaporator according to the invention with a closure mechanism, which can be passive or active.

[0029] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. They show:

[0030] Fig. 1a is a plan view of an evaporator according to the first aspect;

[0031] Fig. 1b shows a side view of the evaporator according to the first aspect; Fig. 1c shows an implementation of the evaporator according to the first aspect with a zigzag housing;

[0032] Fig. 1d shows an implementation of the evaporator according to the first aspect with a straight housing and zigzag fins;

[0033] Fig. 2a is a detailed view of the evaporator according to the first aspect and a preferred embodiment;

[0034] Fig. 2b is a detailed side view of the evaporator according to the first aspect with an air inlet and a baffle fan;

[0035] Fig. 3a shows a detailed view of the slat stack with connectors arranged in the slat stack;

[0036] Fig. 3b shows a further detailed view of a collector with a stack of lamellae arranged on the collector;

[0037] Fig. 3c another representation of the evaporator with fin stack;

[0038] Fig. 3d is a representation of the evaporator according to a preferred embodiment of the first aspect;

[0039] Fig. 4a shows the evaporator with fin stack and opened housing;

[0040] Fig. 4b is a view of the evaporator according to the first aspect with a closed housing;

[0041] Fig. 4c is a representation of the evaporator according to the first aspect with the housing front wall removed;

[0042] Fig. 4d shows a preferred embodiment of a deflection fan with a discharge nozzle;

[0043] Fig. 4e is a top view of the evaporator with a deflection fan; Fig. 4f is a sectional view of the deflection fan with intake from below and a horizontal flow direction;

[0044] Fig. 4g is a plan view of an evaporator with axial fan;

[0045] Fig. 4h a detailed view of the axial fan;

[0046] Fig. 4i a sectional view through the axial fan with intake from diagonally below and discharge diagonally upwards;

[0047] Fig. 5 is a schematic view of an evaporator with a closure mechanism according to the second aspect of the present invention;

[0048] Fig. 6a a detailed view of the evaporator with closed closure flaps;

[0049] Fig. 6b a detailed view of the evaporator with open closure flaps;

[0050] Fig. 7a a top view of the evaporator with fan seal and closed flaps;

[0051] Fig. 7b a sectional view into the flow space below the fan seal with closed flaps;

[0052] Fig. 7c a plan view of the evaporator with the sealing ring for the fan seal and opened flaps;

[0053] Fig. 7d shows a section through the flow space below the fan seal with the flaps open;

[0054] Fig. 8a is a schematic representation of the primary heat pump circuit and the evaporator with cycle reversal;

[0055] Fig. 8b shows an alternative implementation of the cycle reversal of Fig. 8a; Fig. 9a shows a top view of a three-compartment cold room;

[0056] Fig. 9b an implementation of a cold room with three compartments and a single primary heat pump circuit;

[0057] Fig. 10a is a view of a cooling chamber with an external primary housing in a niche;

[0058] Fig. 10b shows a section through the cooling chamber of Fig. 10a with a deflection fan;

[0059] Fig. 10c is a schematic representation of a cross section through the cooling chamber of

[0060] Fig. 10a with an axial fan;

[0061] Fig. 11 a top view of the front wall with three different fan implementations;

[0062] Fig. 12 is a representation of the section of Fig. 10c with two cooling elements;

[0063] Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of a refrigeration chamber with an evaporator and a support fan according to the third aspect of the present invention; and

[0064] Fig. 14 a detailed view of the third aspect with cut-open primary housing

[0065] Fig. 1a shows an evaporator according to the first aspect of the present invention. The evaporator comprises a first header 100 and a second header 200. Furthermore, a plurality of connectors 300 are provided, which extend between the first header and the second header. In the plan view of Fig. 1a, the connectors 300 are shown as straight tubes. They extend through a fin stack 400 in the direction of construction of the evaporator from bottom to top. Alternatively, the connectors can each have an upper inclined section, as shown in the side view of Fig. 1b, which extends away from the first header 100. In the fin stack, the connectors then run parallel. At the bottom, near the second header 200, the connectors are again provided with inclined sections in order to guide the spaced-apart connectors, as can be seen in the side view of Fig. 1b, back into the single header tube.Generally, the first and second manifolds, as well as the connectors, are designed to allow the flow of a working fluid. This working fluid is preferably a non-flammable working fluid, such as CO2.

[0066] Furthermore, the fin stack 400 is formed with spaced-apart fins that are formed or arranged in thermal communication with the connectors and in a stacking direction, and that are further formed such that gas can flow in a fin direction 404 between adjacent fins 402, 403 in the fin stack 400. Furthermore, the evaporator is provided with a housing 600, which is shown in cross-section in Fig. 1c or Fig. 1d, wherein the fin stack 400 is arranged in the housing, and wherein the housing and the fin stack are formed such that a gas flow 500, which is shown in Fig. 1c and Fig. 1d, is varied in the housing from a first flow direction in the stacking direction 401 to a second flow direction in the fin direction 404.This forced variation of the gas flow direction from the stack direction 401 to the fin direction 404 and vice versa due to the structural situation of the fin stack and / or the housing is achieved by the special design and arrangement of the housing 600 and the fin stack 400. In one implementation, as shown in Fig. 1c, the zigzag flow direction is achieved by a zigzag housing 600, while the fin stack 400 is designed as a straight fin stack.

[0067] It should be noted that the gas or gas flow is typically air or an air flow. However, all concepts can also be operated in any other gaseous atmosphere other than Earth's air. Whenever a gas inlet or gas outlet is mentioned, this always also refers to an air inlet or air outlet, and vice versa.

[0068] In contrast, the same gas flow 500, as shown in Fig. 1d, can also be achieved by forming the fin stack in a zigzag shape while the housing has a straight shape. Intermediate solutions with a zigzag housing and a zigzag fin stack can also be used to achieve a gas flow 500 that changes in the housing from a first flow direction in the stack direction to a second flow direction in the fin direction.If, on the other hand, a straight fin stack and a straight housing were used, the gas flow would only take place in the stack direction from bottom to top, without the gas actually being drawn between the fins in the fin direction in order to achieve an efficient heat exchange between the gas and the liquid, which undergoes a phase change and flows in the collectors 100, 200 and the connectors 300, via the fins, for example the individual fins 402, 403.

[0069] Preferably, the housing comprises a first ventilation opening, such as an air inlet 603 shown in Fig. 2b or Fig. 4b, and a second ventilation opening, such as at 607 in Fig. 2b. The ventilation opening 607 is, for example, an air outlet from the evaporator and is arranged near the first collector 100. Furthermore, the air inlet opening 603 is formed near the second collector 200, so that air drawn by the fan 700 (shown in Fig. 2b, for example) from below through the gas or air inlet 603 into the housing 600 is drawn from there in the zigzag gas flow direction, which is schematically represented by the individual arrows 505, 506, from bottom to top. In the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 2b, the arrows 505 schematically represent the stacking direction 401 of Fig. 1b and the arrows 506 schematically represent the lamella direction 404 of Fig. 2b.It should be noted that the gas flow will be continuous, but normally, as shown in Fig. 1c, for example, it will have a component in the fin direction and a component in the stack direction, wherein the components will become larger or smaller depending on the design of the housing or the distance of the housing to the fin stack or will also reverse with regard to the fin direction, as shown by the alternating direction of the arrows 506 in Fig. 2b.

[0070] Depending on the implementation, the fan 700 can be located at the top of the evaporator on the air outlet 607. Alternatively, the fan can be located at the bottom of the evaporator to blow air into the air inlet. Furthermore, the air inlet 603 can also be located below the fan or, as shown in Fig. 4b, in front of a portion of the fan stack visible through the fan opening 603 in Fig. 4b.

[0071] Alternatively, one ventilation opening can be a passive ventilation opening and the other an active ventilation opening. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2b, the air outlet opening 607 is the active ventilation opening because the fan 700 is arranged at it. However, both openings can also be designed as active ventilation openings. In this case, two fans are provided, namely one fan for blowing into the evaporator and another fan for extracting from the evaporator. However, a single fan 700 is preferred, which is attached to the air outlet opening 607 at the top of the evaporator housing. The fan is attached via a sealing ring as a fan seal or sealing rubber 702, which surrounds the air outlet opening.Alternatively, depending on the design, the fan can also be attached to an air outlet that is not located at the top of the housing, but in the upper area, but on the side of the housing, similar to the air inlet.

[0072] Fig. 2a shows in the left part of the image the varying distance between the housing 600, which is designed as a zigzag housing, and the lamination stack 400.

[0073] Furthermore, the cross-section through the lamination stack and the housing in the right-hand part of Fig. 2a shows a large gap 405 on one side of the lamination stack and a small gap 406 on the opposite side of the lamination stack. For example, the cross-section could be taken along a line 407 in the left-hand part of Fig. 2a, with the small gap 406 then being located on the right in the left-hand part, while the large gap 405 is located on the left of the lamination stack in the left-hand part of Fig. 2a.

[0074] The shape of the housing thus ensures that the distance of the housing on one side transitions from a maximum distance 405 to a minimum distance 406 and vice versa. Preferably, the housing is further configured such that when the minimum distance 406 is arranged on one side, the maximum distance 405 is arranged on the other side with respect to the fan stack 400, as shown in the left-hand part of Fig. 2a.

[0075] However, this design is merely a preferred embodiment. If the maximum distance and the minimum distance are offset along the length of the stack 400, a gas flow is also achieved that varies from the fin direction to the stack direction and vice versa. To ensure sufficient flow, it is preferred that a region of the housing with a minimum distance 406 is opposite a region of the housing with a distance that is at least half as large as the maximum distance 405. Preferably, the minimum distance is also less than 2 cm and even more preferably less than 1 cm, so that a reliable flow reversal or a reliable forced flow in the fin direction is achieved.

[0076] In preferred embodiments of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 2b, there are three points of minimum spacing 406 along the length of the evaporator on the right-hand side and two points of minimum spacing on the left-hand side of the view in Fig. 2b, which are offset from the points of minimum spacing on the right-hand side. This achieves triple air circulation across the fin stack. In a design with a smaller vertical extent, two areas of minimum spacing on one side of the heat exchanger, offset from an area of ​​minimum spacing on the other side of the heat exchanger, would be sufficient to achieve a variation in the gas flow from the stack direction to the fin direction and vice versa. In longer evaporators, air or gas circulations of more than three times through the fin stack can also occur.

[0077] In preferred embodiments of the present invention, such as can be easily accommodated in a truck, but are also useful in other applications, the housing is at least 60 cm and more preferably at least 130 cm high, at least 60 cm wide and less than 20 cm and more preferably at least 15 cm deep in order to achieve a slim design, particularly with regard to depth, since depth is of crucial importance for loading the truck.

[0078] Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b show partial views of the evaporator with the lower collector 200 and the connectors 300, which, as shown in Fig. 1b, extend from the collector 200 over the inclined sections and then penetrate into the fin stack 400, which, for example, has the individual adjacent fins 402, 403. Furthermore, a fin holder of the fin stack is shown at 406, which can be provided either over the entire length or only at fastening sections, as shown at 407 in Fig. 3c and Fig. 3d. The reinforcement sections or fin holders 406 are connected to the fastening sections 407 in order to connect the entire heat exchanger or the thermal unit of the heat exchanger, which is shown without a housing in Fig. 3c and Fig. 3d, to a wall of a refrigerated space, such as a front wall in the loading space of a truck or a container. In the embodiment shown in Fig.In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3c, the connector 100 is closed on one side 101 and has a connection piece 102 on its other side. In some embodiments, both sides can also be open, for example if one side is the liquid connection or the vapor connection and the other side of the corresponding collector, such as the collector 100 in Fig. 3c, is connected to another collector of another evaporator, for example, as will be explained with reference to Fig. 9b.

[0079] Fig. 4a shows a detailed illustration of the evaporator with a housing rear wall 601, a fastening section 407, and a screw cap, preferably designed as a quick-release mechanism 606, for removing a front wall 602, which is shown in Fig. 4b, from the rear wall. This ensures that the evaporator can be cleaned easily and safely. By removing the front wall 602 from the rear wall via the quick-release mechanism 606, the thermal unit, in particular the fin stack 400, is directly accessible and can, for example, be sprayed with water. This enables cleaning, which is particularly important if, for example, the same truck is used to transport fish one day and vegetables another day, although this change is rather rare in practice. However, simple and thorough cleaning is also indispensable if similar goods are always loaded into the same cold storage room.In this case, safe cleaning will be necessary to avoid unpleasant odors. To ensure safe hygiene, it is also particularly important that the vaporizer is easy to clean and that the steps required to achieve this cleaning can be carried out easily, even by non-specially trained personnel.

[0080] Furthermore, the image shown in Fig. 4b also shows the arrangement of the air inlet openings 603 in the housing. Furthermore, a fan 700 is shown at the top, which is designed as a deflection fan and has an exhaust nozzle 701. Fig. 4d shows a detailed view of the fan 700 with the exhaust nozzle 701, while Fig. 4e shows a plan view of the fan, further illustrating a condensate drain 604, which is also shown in Fig. 2b. Furthermore, Fig. 2b also shows a cross-section of a condensate drain pan 605, above which the second collector 200 is located. If defrosting of the evaporator is to be achieved, warm steam is brought from a heat exchanger of the primary heat pump circuit via the first collector 100 into the connectors 300, whereby the fins of the fin stack 400 are heated.As a result, ice that has accumulated on the slats thaws and the defrost water runs along the slats to the end of the slats and then drips downwards, whereby the defrost water can easily pass through the narrow areas of the housing and thus runs from top to bottom into the collecting tray 605 to then be collected or drained away via the hose 604.

[0081] Fig. 4f shows the deflection fan, which draws air from below, from the evaporator housing within the sealing ring 702, deflects it in its direction, and then blows it out through the exhaust nozzle 701. Fig. 4g shows an alternative fan implementation of the fan 700, namely as an axial fan, which, as shown particularly in Fig. 4i, is arranged slightly obliquely, resulting in a slightly upward blow-out direction 707, which is arranged at right angles to a front side of the fan or to a front side of the housing 708. A corresponding set-back edge, which increases from bottom to top, is shown at 704 in Fig. 4h.

[0082] The axial fan shown in Fig. 4g, Fig. 4h and Fig. 4i is advantageous when the deflection fan of Fig. 4d-f cannot be used because the deflection fan has too great a depth. The axial fan in Fig. 4i has almost half the depth of the deflection fan from Fig. 4f. However, deflection fans as shown in Fig. 4f can typically achieve greater ventilation performance than axial fans as shown in Fig. 4i. However, if the lower performance is sufficient or, as will be explained with reference to the third aspect, a support fan is used, an evaporator according to the invention can be optimally designed with an axial fan 700 that has a very shallow depth.The slightly inclined installation ensures that, due to the effect of the housing, the air flow 708 is deflected from bottom to top and then by the axial fan into the blow-out direction, whereby the installation direction only needs to have a slight inclination, such as less than 10 degrees inclination upwards with respect to the blow-out direction 707, i.e. by an angle a from Fig. 4i, which can be less than 10 degrees, in order to ensure a small depth of the fan arranged on the evaporator.

[0083] Preferred embodiments of the evaporator are characterized in particular by at least one of the following features, which include the following:

[0084] - a small number of rows of pipes or connectors,

[0085] - no bends, i.e. no back and forth of the fluid flow, but straight connectors and straight collectors, - a single collector pipe at the top or a single collector pipe at the bottom, i.e. upright connector pipes, whereby a slight inclination of the entire thermal unit to the front or back can be used so that condensate would drain off better if this is feasible due to space constraints.

[0086] - Air flow in the connector or pipe direction, realized as a zigzag flow of air in serpentines.

[0087] Fig. 5 shows an evaporator according to a second aspect of the present invention, which has a thermal unit, which is shown in dashed lines in Fig. 5 and can comprise, for example, the first header 100, the second header 200, the connecting lines 300 and the fin stack 400. However, the thermal unit of the evaporator can alternatively be designed in any other known form, as described, for example, in the German application DE 102023202885.9. Generally, the thermal unit is designed as a liquid-gas or liquid-air heat exchanger. Furthermore, a housing 600 is provided in which the thermal unit is accommodated, wherein the housing has a first ventilation opening 603 and a second ventilation opening 607.Furthermore, a controllable fan 700 is provided, which, when activated, is designed to generate a gas flow 500 through the first ventilation opening 603 and the second ventilation opening 607. According to the invention, a closure mechanism 800 is further provided, which is designed to throttle or prevent the gas flow 500 when the fan is deactivated and to allow the gas flow 500 to pass when the fan 700 is activated. For example only, the closure mechanism 800 is arranged at the top of the housing 600 in the evaporator shown in Fig. 5. The closure mechanism could also be formed within the housing, as illustrated in Figs. 6a-7d. Alternatively, the closure mechanism 800 can also be arranged at the bottom, e.g., in front of or just above the inlet openings 603.

[0088] Preferably, the closure mechanism 800 is designed as a passive closure mechanism in order to release a flow space 801 for the gas flow due to the activity of the fan during the activated state of the fan, and to close the flow space 801 when the fan transitions to the deactivated state due to the decreasing gas flow. The flow space 801 is shown in Figs. 6a and 6b and is located below the seal 702 onto which the fan is placed. The flow space is located between the fan 700, which is not shown in Figs. 6a and 6b, and the thermal unit of the evaporator, for example the fin stack 400 with the upper collector 100 and the connectors 300. The passive closure mechanism is used in the embodiment shown in Fig.6a to 7d is implemented by two flaps 802, 803, which are each attached to hinges 804, 805 in the flow space 801 and are designed such that when the fan starts the gas flow 500, which is directed upwards, they fold upwards and are then in an open state, which is shown in Fig. 6b.

[0089] When the fan stops the gas flow 500, the flaps fall back due to gravity and rest on the upper collector 100, as shown, for example, in Fig. 7a and Fig. 7b. Fig. 7a shows a top view of the thermal unit housing with the seal 702 mounted thereon, arranged circumferentially. Furthermore, Fig. 7a shows that the fan flaps 802, 803 have an elongated shape across the entire width of the housing to effectively throttle or completely stop or prevent the gas flow.

[0090] Fig. 7b shows a section through the housing below the sealing ring 702, i.e., through the flow chamber 801. Fig. 7c again shows a top view of the housing with the fan flaps open, i.e., in the state of Fig. 6b, with the fin stack 400 visible past the collector 100. Fig. 7d, in turn, shows a cross-section through the flow chamber 801 below the sealing ring 702, so that the edges of the flaps 802, 803 can be seen from above in the open state.

[0091] Preferably, the flaps are attached to hinges 804, 805, shown in Fig. 6b, in such a way that the hinges are attached to the rear of the flap, i.e., on the side of the flaps where the flow does not pass. One hinge piece is attached to the flap and another hinge piece is attached to the housing, and both hinge pieces are engaged to achieve the hinge effect. Furthermore, it is ensured that the hinges themselves do not interfere with the gas flow, or only very slightly, and that, at the same time, due to the shape of the flaps and the center of gravity of the flaps, they automatically fall back without spring preload. Depending on the implementation, however, a slight spring preload in one direction or the other can also be used. However, it is preferred to allow the flaps to close completely without preload due to gravity alone when the fan 700 is deactivated.Depending on the implementation, the present invention can also be implemented with a single flap. In the example shown in Fig. 6b for the thermal unit, this would be flap 802, because the gas flow only flows through the side of flap 802 anyway. However, for reasons of symmetry, and due to the fact that the housing does not have to be completely sealed on the left and right in the plan view of Fig. 7a, it is preferred to provide both flaps, including flap 803, even though flap 802 would already achieve the effect of at least throttling the gas flow. It is preferable to completely prevent the flow by completely closing the flow chamber.

[0092] Alternative designs in which the collector 100 is not centrally located in the flow space 801 but rather at the edge would also require a single flap, such as only flap 802, if the collector were located at the very right edge of the flow space, for example, in Fig. 6a. However, the use of two flaps also ensures that the space required in the flow space can be kept small, because the flow space must accommodate the entire length of the flaps when the flaps are open, as shown in Fig. 6b.

[0093] The automatic flaps 802, 803 are therefore designed to open automatically when the fan is activated by the air flow. When the fan is switched off, they are closed again by gravity alone. When the check flaps or the closure mechanism are closed, the space around the heat exchanger element, i.e., the thermal unit, is closed, sealed off, or insulated, so that regardless of the temperature of the heat exchanger element, i.e., regardless of the temperature of the fin stack, the two collectors, and the connecting lines, no free convection can occur. Thus, the entire evaporator is thermally inactive. This function is particularly advantageous when connecting multiple elements in different cold rooms to achieve different temperatures simply by activating the fan.Furthermore, the elements can be defrosted, i.e. defrosted, with the fan stopped, i.e. with the flaps closed, by supplying warm refrigerant when the cycle in the primary heat pump circuit is reversed, without free convection conducting a heat flow into the cold room.

[0094] To reverse the cycle, a pump 8, shown, for example, in Fig. 8a and Fig. 8b, is located near the lower or second collector 200 in exemplary embodiments. Thermal cycle reversal with a lower heat source can also be achieved in ways other than pump 8, as is shown, for example, in German application 10202302885.9, where a double thermosiphon principle is used, i.e., a thermosiphon principle not only in the normal cooling functionality, as in the present invention, but also in the defrosting functionality. However, according to the invention, a double thermosiphon device can also be used, in which pump 8 is not required.

[0095] Defrosting is thus achieved by stopping the fan 700, whereupon the dampers close and render the entire evaporator thermally inactive for the compartment in the loading space, for example, of the truck. Then, by reversing the circuit in the primary heat pump circuit or primary circuit, the heat exchanger to which the evaporator is connected is heated, so that warm vapor from the heat exchanger enters the first collector 100 and from there into the connectors, thereby heating the fin stack, so that the ice on the fin stack is thawed and flows downward as condensate. The warm vapor supplied via the first collector 100 is condensed in the connectors 300 by this defrosting effect and returned to the heat exchanger by the pump, thus closing the "defrost cycle."Once the fin stack has defrosted, the fan can be activated again, the flaps open, and the gas flow 500 can again enter the room to be cooled.

[0096] Such a temperature control device with a controllable primary heat pump circuit with a compressor, a heat exchanger, and a throttle is shown in Fig. 8a or 8b. Furthermore, the evaporator is also shown at 14 in Fig. 8a, wherein the thermal unit of the evaporator has a vapor connection on the first collector 100 and a liquid connection on the second collector 200, both of which are coupled to the primary circuit, as shown at 15a and 15b. Furthermore, a controller 30 is provided to control the controllable primary circuit in a cooling mode for the evaporator or in a defrost mode for the evaporator, wherein the controller 30 is configured to activate the evaporator fans in the cooling mode and to deactivate the fans in a defrost mode, so that the closure mechanism 800 throttles or deactivates the gas flow.

[0097] Both lines, i.e. the steam connection and the liquid connection, are coupled via corresponding lines 15a, 15b, which are shown in Fig. 7a, to the heat exchanger 7, which acts as an evaporator in normal cooling mode and as a condenser of the primary circuit in heating mode.

[0098] Fig. 8a shows a device for controlling the temperature of a space 5 to be temperature-controlled (e.g., a cold storage room) with a space boundary 20 that separates the space 5 to be temperature-controlled from an environment 21. The device comprises a primary heat pump circuit 6 with an evaporator 4, a condenser 2, a compressor 1, and an expansion element 3, wherein the primary heat pump circuit has a natural primary working fluid, wherein the compressor 1, the evaporator 4, the condenser 2, the compressor 1, and the expansion element 3 are arranged outside the space 5 to be temperature-controlled. The device according to the invention further comprises a secondary circuit that is thermally coupled and fluidically decoupled from the evaporator 4 or the condenser 2 via a heat exchanger 7, and has a temperature control element 14. The temperature control element 14 is arranged in the space 5 to be temperature controlled and is connected to the heat exchanger 7 via a line arrangement 15a, 15b.The conduit arrangement contains a secondary fluid that differs from the primary fluid. Furthermore, the conduit arrangement 15a, 15b is designed to penetrate the spatial boundary.

[0099] If the secondary circuit is coupled to the evaporator 4 via the heat exchanger 7, the system is in cooling mode for the room to be tempered. The tempering is then cooling, and the tempering element 14 functions as a cooling element. If, however, the secondary circuit is coupled to the condenser 2 of the primary heat pump circuit via the heat exchanger 7, the tempering device functions as a heating device, and the tempering of the room 5 is heating, with the tempering element 14 functioning as a heating element. The heat exchanger 7 can therefore function as an evaporator or a condenser.

[0100] A controller 30 is provided in the preferred embodiment to switch the compressor 1 of the primary heat pump circuit, e.g., in its conveying direction, or generally to effect a circuit reversal, via a control signal 31 in order to switch the primary heat pump circuit with regard to the flow direction of the primary working fluid. This ensures that, while maintaining the coupling of the secondary circuit, the function of the secondary circuit is also changed, namely that the secondary circuit is in cooling mode or heating mode. If the secondary circuit is normally in cooling mode, the heating mode is used to defrost the temperature control element or evaporator 14.The initiative for outputting the control signal 31 or the control signal 32 from the controller 30 to a pump or fan element possibly arranged in the secondary circuit, such as element 8, can originate from a sensor, a clock generator, or an external signal, as represented by a control input 33. If, however, the controller is designed to be controlled via a sensor input or a clock generator, then the clock generator or the sensor input would be connected to the control input 33, or the control input 33 would not be present, and the initiative for outputting the control signal 31 / 32 would be generated from the controller 30. The controller is further designed to control the fans 700 of evaporators, for example, in the second aspect in which several evaporators are connected to one and the same heat exchanger, to control a fan in a respective compartment when a cooling effect is required in the compartment.

[0101] As shown in Fig. 8a, the secondary circuit can be provided with a pump 8 to circulate the secondary fluid in the secondary circuit, and in particular in the conduit arrangement 15a, 15b. The temperature control element 14 operates as a phase-change heat exchanger. Therefore, one part, for example, part 15a of the conduit arrangement, is the liquid-carrying part, and the other part, such as part 15b, is the steam-carrying part of the conduit arrangement in the secondary circuit.

[0102] The cold and heat generated by the refrigerant process are then transported indirectly via a suitable heat exchanger, for example, a plate heat exchanger 7, with a non-flammable, safe working fluid, a so-called secondary fluid, to the refrigerated body, refrigerated container, or generally the space to be cooled. The refrigeration system thus consists of a primary circuit for cold generation and a secondary circuit for cold and heat transport.

[0103] The secondary circuit operates through a phase change in the evaporator of the enclosed space, removing heat from it or adding heat. The secondary circuit transports the heat to the refrigerant-filled part of the machine, i.e., the primary circuit. The phase change is advantageously a liquid-to-gas phase change to ensure the pumpability of the secondary fluid.

[0104] Forced-drive secondary circuits, i.e., those using a pump, have the disadvantage that the pump requires energy to overcome the flow resistance of the secondary system. An alternative to this, which does not require the use of a pump, is to design the secondary circuit as a thermosiphon circuit. In this case, the working fluid (the secondary fluid) is liquefied in the evaporator 10 of the refrigeration part of the machine during the phase change of the secondary circuit. It enters the heat exchanger (evaporator of the primary circuit) in vapor form at the upper part 10b and exits the heat exchanger as a liquid 10a at the lower part.The liquid working fluid is then fed through suitable pipes into the enclosed space to be cooled, where it flows into an evaporator, where it enters the lower section in liquid form and exits the upper section of the evaporator / cooler in vapor form. It is then fed back to the heat exchanger 7 of the refrigeration section, where the working fluid is then liquefied again and flows back to the cooler in the cold room solely by gravity, which leads to level compensation. This self-circulation has the advantage of eliminating the need for a pump with its associated energy consumption and risk of failure. Furthermore, only a minimal number of components are required. The secondary circuit must be designed so that a driving pressure difference is created during system operation due to geodetic differences in height and / or the thermosiphon effect.It is particularly advantageous if the evaporator is flooded during cooling, as this ensures maximum utilization of the cooler's air side. This is the case with the present invention because, for example, the heat exchanger is mounted in the niche at the top of the cooling chamber, and the evaporator is mounted on the front wall of the cooling chamber below the niche.

[0105] In the application where heat must be supplied to the enclosed space or the evaporator needs to be defrosted, the process is reversed by supplying energy to the heat exchanger 7, and the liquid phase of the secondary fluid evaporates and leaves the heat exchanger as a vapor phase. It is fed through a suitable pipe to the heat exchanger 14 in the enclosed space. The refrigerant enters the heat exchanger in the enclosed space as vapor, is liquefied there, releases its heat in the process, and flows in liquid form from the "evaporator" 14, which now acts as a condenser, back into the heat exchanger 10 of the primary circuit, where the evaporation process then begins again. This cycle reversal can be achieved by the pump 8, which, however, is operated in the opposite direction of the arrow relative to Fig. 8a or 8b.

[0106] The condenser of the refrigeration part of the machine, as well as the heat exchanger in the enclosed space or container, are generally operated on the air side with forced convection generated by suitable fans. Similar to the refrigeration part of the machine, the primary circuit, care must be taken in the secondary circuit to keep the filling quantities of working fluid to a minimum and thus use a cooler that not only has a small internal volume but also a low thermal mass in order to carry out the defrosting process as quickly and as energy-efficiently as possible. Thus, heat exchangers with a low refrigerant filling and minimal material usage, for example, microchannel technologies for the heat exchanger 14 in the enclosed space, are generally suitable, as they particularly meet the required requirements. Other designs, such as finned heat exchangers, can also be used as alternatives.Both heat exchanger types are ideally operated in a flooded state.

[0107] Due to the elimination of pumps through the use of thermosiphon solutions and the resulting energy advantages, as well as the reduction in the complexity of the systems, such solutions have particular advantages over the state of the art described above in the area of ​​compact systems with spatial distances preferably of up to 10 meters and cooling or heating capacities of less than 50 kW and particularly preferably of up to 2 meters between the two heat exchangers 7 and 14 and with low cooling or heating capacities of less than 10 kW and are therefore to be preferred.

[0108] If, in a given application, it is not necessary for the refrigeration machine to also be used to heat the enclosed space when needed, it is always advantageous to arrange the heat exchanger 14 in the enclosed space 5 geodetically below the heat exchanger 7, where it is flowed through by the refrigerant. It is irrelevant how far below the heat exchanger in the enclosed space 11 is positioned compared to the heat exchanger 7, through which the refrigerant flows. This arrangement of the two heat exchangers in relation to one another ensures that the heat exchanger in the enclosed space is completely filled with the secondary fluid at every operating point, while the heat exchanger 7, through which the refrigerant flows, has its entire surface available for liquefying the vaporous refrigerant that is fed to it from the heat exchanger 14 in the cooling space 5. Fig.Figure 8b shows a further embodiment in which two changeover switches 35a, 35b are provided for reconfiguring the primary circuit. In a first state, these switches switch the heat exchanger 4, 7 as the condenser of the refrigeration circuit of the primary circuit, i.e., to heat the heat exchanger 2, 7. In the alternative configuration, the changeover switches 35a, 35b are switched such that the heat exchanger is switched as an evaporator, i.e., located on the low-pressure side of the refrigeration circuit. In the first configuration, the connections between the two ports in the control elements 35a, 35b are simply continuous, whereas in the second configuration, they switch the corresponding detours.

[0109] Accordingly, line 15a is split into two individual lines for the two control devices 35a, 35b. Furthermore, control 15 will also control the fans 700 in the various compartments of the refrigeration chamber.

[0110] An alternative implementation can be designed such that the controller 15 only controls the compressor 7a so that it reverses its direction of rotation or conveying direction and, in a sense, conveys from bottom to top. In this case, the two changeover switches 35a, 35b would not be present, the connections of the (then absent) changeover switches would be directly connected, and the controller would simply reverse the direction of rotation of the compressor 7a to switch from heating mode to cooling mode and vice versa. However, for implementation reasons, it is preferred to always run the compressor 7a in the same conveying direction and to perform the switching via fluid switches, such as the fluid switches 35a, 35b.

[0111] Depending on the implementation, the heat exchanger 4 can be integrated with the evaporator or condenser of the refrigeration circuit of the primary circuit. Alternatively, however, the heat exchanger 4 can also be connected into the process, although the refrigeration circuit itself has its own evaporator and condenser. In such a case, for example, the liquefied warm liquid from its own condenser would be fed into the heat exchanger to heat the heat exchanger 4. Alternatively, the liquid cooled in the evaporator due to evaporation could be fed into the heat exchanger 4 for cooling purposes, or the primary side 4a of the heat exchanger 4 could also be connected to a condenser or evaporator of the refrigeration circuit of the heat transport device via another heat exchanger. The heat exchanger 4 is preferably designed as a plate heat exchanger. Fig.Figure 9a shows a plan view of a cargo space with three compartments 901, 902, 903, wherein the compartments are separated from one another by intermediate partition walls. Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 9a, an evaporator 14 is arranged in each compartment. This evaporator can be designed as described in Figure 1a or can also be a conventional evaporator, as shown, for example, in Figure 5.

[0112] Fig. 9b shows a plan view of the different evaporator units 14, each of which includes fans 700 arranged at the top and intake openings 603 in the lower region. Furthermore, the upper headers and the lower headers are indicated. The upper headers are connected to each other by a connecting line 908, and the lower headers are connected to each other by a connecting line 906. A single liquid line 905 is arranged between the heat exchanger 2, 7 and the lower header of the evaporator in compartment 903. However, the single liquid line 905 could also be arranged on the lower header of the evaporator in compartment 902 or in compartment 901.

[0113] In addition, a single steam line 904 is connected between the upper collector of the evaporator in the third compartment 903 and a steam connection of the heat exchanger 2, 7, wherein the single steam line 904 may also be connected to the upper collector of the evaporator in the compartment 902 or to the upper collector of the evaporator in the first compartment 901.

[0114] Alternatively, there may be just two different compartments or even four, depending on the design. At least two compartments are connected to a single primary heat pump circuit or a single exchanger, which is used as an evaporator in cooling mode in the primary heat pump circuit.

[0115] The cooling chamber is thus divided into two or more chambers 901, 902, 903, in which different temperatures should preferably be maintained. To achieve this, each compartment contains its own evaporator containing liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant is in equilibrium between the liquid and vapor phases in all evaporators, and the evaporators are connected to each other via communicating tubes, so that the same liquid level is established in each evaporator. The communicating tubes are the liquid connectors 906 in Fig. 9b.Furthermore, the evaporators 14 in the individual compartments are each connected in such a way that in their lower part there is a connecting pipe for the liquid, the connecting pipe 906, and the lower collectors, while in the upper part, i.e. above the liquid level, the evaporators are each connected to one another by a pipe 908 through which the vapor, after the evaporation of the refrigerant, can be fed to the heat sink, i.e., the heat exchanger 2, 7 of the evaporator network. The heat sink 2, 7 of the evaporator network serves to reliquefy the refrigerant. This occurs because the primary refrigerant, i.e., preferably the flammable refrigerant, evaporates on the primary side of the heat exchanger 2, 7, thereby liquefying the secondary vapor.

[0116] In the individual compartments 901, 902, 903, the liquid refrigerant is fed to the evaporators 14 in the cooling rooms. Each evaporator is located in a closed housing, i.e., a closed casing, which has an intake opening 603 for air in the lower area and a fan or ventilator 700 in the upper part, which ensures that the air to be cooled flows through the closed housing 600. Evaporation in the respective evaporators 14 only occurs when a respective fan provides an air flow whose temperature is above the saturation temperature of the refrigerant in the respective evaporator. If a fan 700 of an evaporator module is not operated, no cooling effect occurs in the respective room.This allows the cooling effect of a room to be adjusted to the respective target value, i.e., the target temperature in that room, by switching the evaporators and thus the air flow across the evaporator surfaces. If a fan 700 of an evaporator is not operating, the housing ensures that the evaporator package, which is filled with the liquid refrigerant, is not in thermal exchange with its surroundings. Thus, switching the evaporators on and off ensures that each room operates at a different temperature.

[0117] It is also important to ensure that the refrigerant is at the temperature required to bring the coldest room to the desired target temperature. If the lowest temperature in a room is reached, switching off the fan in the room with the lowest temperature and switching on a fan in a room with a higher temperature will reset the saturation pressure in the overall system. This will then result in a refrigerant saturation pressure in the overall system that meets the requirements to achieve the desired air temperature reduction. This has the energetic advantage that the refrigerant saturation pressure in the system does not always have to correspond to the lowest required temperature.In this way, with a saturation pressure of the refrigerant in the evaporators, the corresponding target temperatures in the various separate compartments of one and the same cold room can be stably achieved by switching fans on and off, whereby only a single primary heat pump circuit is used for two compartments.

[0118] Preferably, the individual evaporators 14 in the various compartments are designed to have a locking mechanism, so that convection through the evaporator is prevented when the corresponding fan of the evaporator is deactivated.

[0119] It should be noted, however, that the closure mechanism need not be present. Then, in each of the at least two compartments, there is only one evaporator with a housing and fan, which are connected to each other by line 906 with respect to the lower collector and by line 908 with respect to the upper collector. These evaporators can be designed like conventional evaporators or like the evaporators according to the invention of the first aspect, and furthermore, with or without closure flaps.

[0120] However, it is preferred to use a locking mechanism as this ensures that in the event of the fan being stopped, no free convection occurs through the case and the top and bottom ventilation openings.

[0121] To determine the actual temperature in the respective compartment, a temperature sensor 911, 912, 913 is arranged in the respective room, as shown in the respective compartment 901, 902 or 903. Furthermore, it is preferred that corresponding target temperatures for the individual compartments 901, 902, 903 are stored in the corresponding controller, such as the controller 15 of Fig. 8b or the controller 30 in Fig. 8a, so that a target-actual comparison and a dependent activation of the respective fan can take place. With such an activation, the controller will then only activate the corresponding fan, but will not cause a circuit reversal of the primary heat pump circuit if no defrosting action is to be carried out. Furthermore, the controller 30 of Fig. 8a or 15 of Fig.8b Furthermore, the corresponding compressor capacity can be increased if a cooling request arises from the room with the coldest target temperature because the actual temperature has risen above the target temperature. Conversely, the compressor capacity can be reduced if, at a later time, a temperature request arises from the compartment with the highest target temperature because the actual temperature there has risen above the (high) target temperature.

[0122] Fig. 10a shows a side view of a truck with a niche 60 for the primary heat pump circuit. Fig. 10b shows an exemplary dimensioned variant of an arrangement of the evaporator according to the first aspect of the present invention below the niche 60, specifically at a front end thereof. In particular, the primary heat pump circuit is accommodated in a primary housing 61. Furthermore, in the implementation in Fig. 10b, the fan is designed as a reversible fan or as a fan with a greater depth in order to achieve high fan performance in the cooling compartment. Furthermore, a trolley 62 for transporting refrigerated goods is arranged in the cooling compartment. In addition, a spacer 63 is provided in the lower region of the cooling compartment. This spacer 63 ensures that the trolley has a firm stop arranged in front of the fan housing so that the trolley 62 does not damage the evaporator when fastened in the cooling compartment.

[0123] Fig. 10c shows an alternative implementation of the fan 700, which is designed here as an axial fan. The axial fan can easily be installed upside down or operated in reverse with respect to the fan impeller, so that the blowing direction can also be adjusted from top to bottom, in contrast to the normal blowing direction 64, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 10c.

[0124] From Fig. 10a it can be seen that the niche 60 is dimensioned such that all components of the primary heat pump circuit have space in the niche and yet the outer contour of the truck trailer is "undisturbed", i.e. that the primary heat pump housing essentially does not protrude beyond the ceiling of the trailer or beyond the front wall of the trailer.

[0125] An advantage of the evaporator according to the invention according to the first or second aspect is that the evaporator is more cost-effective and simple to manufacture using conventional manufacturing methods, which is achieved in particular by the vertical fin stack according to the first aspect. Furthermore, compared to conventional evaporators, less material is used and thus also a lower weight is achieved, which is particularly important for mobile applications, i.e., in trucks. Furthermore, there is a lower air-side pressure drop, thus allowing a higher volume flow to be achieved with the same fan power.

[0126] Furthermore, in particular according to the first aspect of the present invention, a defined and orderly air flow is achieved over the evaporator package, wherein the fan power is guided back and forth through the fin stack in the fin direction up to approximately three times.

[0127] In addition, the locking mechanism in particular ensures that no air flow occurs during defrosting, for example, whereby self-closing flaps in particular ensure such self-closing activity of the flaps due to gravity whenever the fan or blower is stopped.

[0128] In addition, due to the housing having air inlet openings arranged at the front, improved collection and drainage of the condensate is achieved through the collection tray and the connection piece on the collection tray at the preferably lowest point of the housing, below the air inlet opening(s).

[0129] Furthermore, the inventive division of the housing into a front and rear wall, whereby the thermal unit can be exposed by removing the front panel, leads to better cleaning options for the evaporator. Simply removing the front panel provides good access to the thermal unit and also to the front of the rear panel.

[0130] In addition, two different modular blowers or fans can be used for three different configurations with different fan power. In the fan variant shown in Fig. 10c, the fan can optionally be mounted with the air flow direction reversed, so that the air flow through the heat exchanger occurs from top to bottom in the direction of natural convection, comparable to displacement ventilation in air conditioning technology. However, in this case, the "self-closing flaps" are not installed, and no locking mechanism is used.

[0131] Preferably, a typically small-sized CO2 pump is provided at the bottom of the evaporator for reversing the natural circulation for defrosting or heating the evaporator or the evaporator's thermal unit. Fig. 11 shows a plan view of three different fan variants in three different compartments, such as the compartments in Fig. 9a. Variant 1 includes a fan with a greater depth, as shown in Fig. 10b, which, however, creates a higher fan or blower output. Furthermore, Variant 2 shows the use of an axial fan, which has a lower heat output than the deflection fan of Variant 1, but which has a smaller depth, which can be advantageous, especially when the refrigerated goods trolley 62 is very tall.

[0132] Fig. 11 shows an implementation of a cooling chamber according to a third variant or according to a third aspect of the present invention, which is illustrated in more detail with reference to Fig. 13 and Fig. 14. Fig. 12 further shows an implementation of variant 2 of Fig. 11 or variant 2 of Fig. 10c with a liquid line 905 and a vapor line 904 at a lower or upper connection of a heat exchanger 70, which is arranged in the primary housing 61 in the niche 60 at the top of the cooling chamber 900. Furthermore, Fig. 12 shows two refrigerated goods trolleys 62, and the gas flow 500 is also shown as it leaves the fan 700, which is mounted on the housing 600.

[0133] Fig. 13 shows a cooling chamber 900 according to the third aspect of the present invention, in which an evaporator 14 is mounted on a wall of the cooling chamber 900, wherein the wall is preferably the end wall, but may also be any other wall of the cooling chamber.

[0134] Furthermore, a fan 700 is attached to one end, such as the preferably upper end of a housing 600 of the evaporator 14, wherein this fan 700 is designed to convey cooled air into the cooling chamber 900 in a ventilation direction 950, which can correspond to the gas flow 500 of Fig. 12. Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, a support fan 750 is provided, which is arranged in the cooling chamber 900 such that it sucks in at least a portion of the cooled air, i.e., at least a portion of the air conveyed in the ventilation direction 950 by the fan 700, as indicated by the two different arrows 951 and 952. Furthermore, the support fan 750 causes the air sucked in by the support fan 750 to be conveyed further into the cooling chamber, as shown at 953.

[0135] As a result, a flow is achieved in the cooling chamber which preferably leads to the rear wall, i.e. to the wall which is arranged opposite the evaporator 14, and there sinks downwards due to the limitation of the rear wall and then re-enters the housing 600 of the fan either from the front, as shown by an arrow 955, or from below, as shown by an arrow 956, into the housing 600 of the evaporator 14 due to the suction power of the fan 700.

[0136] This ensures that in a case where the fan 700, which directly ensures the flow through the evaporator, cannot generate a sufficiently large air flow, a ventilation flow sufficient for a large or relatively elongated loading space is nevertheless obtained.

[0137] The auxiliary fan 750 is preferably designed to suck in air in an intake direction and to convey it in an exhaust direction that differs from the intake direction, wherein the exhaust direction is substantially the same as the conveying direction of the fan, as also shown by the arrows 950, 953 in Fig. 13.

[0138] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 14, the auxiliary fan 750 is arranged next to the ceiling niche 60, wherein the primary heat pump circuit with the primary housing 61 is arranged in the ceiling niche, as already shown with regard to Fig. 12. The auxiliary fan in Fig. 14 is designed such that it typically draws in the air flow 950 from below, which leads to a veil of cold air in the area below the auxiliary fan 750, in order to thereby create a reversal of the conveying direction from below into the conveying direction 953, which is again parallel to the conveying direction 950. At the same time, however, the space next to the niche where the auxiliary fan 953 is arranged is optimally utilized and, furthermore, does not interfere with the clear height of the cold storage room or the maximum permissible height of the refrigerated trucks 62.By arranging the auxiliary fan 750 next to the ceiling niche 60, the space next to the niche is optimally utilized, and it is further ensured that, despite the ceiling niche 60, due to the functionality of the auxiliary fan, the cold air is transported to a maximum in the upper area of ​​the cooling chamber 900, typically from the front wall to the rear to the opening flap of the cooling chamber.

[0139] The following describes in more detail the primary heat pump circuit in the primary housing 61. In particular, the primary heat pump circuit comprises the exchanger 2 or 7, which is preferably designed as a plate heat exchanger and is arranged upright in the primary housing 61. Furthermore, the steam line 904 is connected to the top of the plate heat exchanger and the liquid line 905 is arranged at the bottom of the upright heat exchanger. The primary circuit also comprises a liquid-air heat exchanger 65, an air inlet 66 at a front end of the housing and an exhaust air inlet 67 at an upper end of the housing. In addition, a compressor 69 and an expansion valve (not explicitly shown) corresponding to the expansion valve 3 of Fig. 8a or 7b of Fig. 8b are provided. In addition, piping is provided to connect the fluid switches 35a, 35b of Fig.8b to effect a cycle reversal in the primary heat pump circuit for defrosting purposes. Furthermore, a fan 70 is arranged between the exhaust air opening 67 and the liquid-to-air heat exchanger 65 to effect convection from the inlet opening 66 through the heat exchanger 65 and out of the exhaust air opening 67, even when the truck is stationary.

[0140] It should also be noted that the ventilation opening 67 located at the top does not need to be closed. Should it rain, the water will enter through the ventilation opening and then drain away again without requiring any special measures other than a water drain opening. Furthermore, the heat exchanger 2, 7 is connected to the compressor and the liquid-air heat exchanger 65 as shown in Fig. 8a or Fig. 8b.

[0141] The outer wall of the cooling chamber comprises an outer skin 970 and an inner skin 971. Depending on the implementation, the lines 904, 905 can run in the insulation of the cooling chamber, i.e., between the outer skin 970 and the inner skin 971. If this is not possible or desired, the lines 904, 905 can preferably run in the plan view, for example in Fig. 9b, next to the respective housing or next to the housing of the evaporator 14, which is arranged, for example, on the right, left, or centrally, on the inner skin 971.

[0142] Furthermore, the ceiling niche 60 comprises a niche floor 980, which is designed to abut a front wall 981 of the cooling chamber, and a niche side wall 982, which adjoins the floor 980 of the niche and runs essentially vertically. The cooling chamber further comprises a ceiling 983, which adjoins the side wall 982 of the niche and runs essentially horizontally. In particular, as shown in Fig. 14, the auxiliary fan 750 is mounted on the ceiling in the cooling chamber and arranged at a distance from the side wall 982 of the niche in order to develop an optimal suction effect. If the lines 904, 905 run in the insulation, i.e., between the outer skin 970 and the inner skin 971, then, contrary to the illustrated implementation, a single opening is preferably provided in the niche side wall 982, through which the two lines are guided through the outer skin 970.If, on the other hand, a cable routing is provided on the inner skin 971, the niche side wall 982 is preferably again completely penetrated with a single opening from the interior of the cooling chamber to the outside in order to guide the two cables to the outside, into the primary housing 61.

[0143] Fig. 11 shows a preferred implementation of the cooling chamber 900, in which the auxiliary fan 750 is provided in the compartment labeled "Variant 3," but is arranged in front of the niche side wall 982, while the fan 700 is arranged behind it. In the middle compartment, however, ventilation with only the fan 700 is sufficient without a auxiliary fan, while in the left compartment, ventilation with the axial fan 700 is not sufficient and instead a deflection fan is required, which, although deeper, is nevertheless more powerful in terms of blower performance. The deflection fan is designed, for example, as a drum fan, as found in fans, e.g., buses or similar vehicles. The deflection fan 750 can preferably also be designed as a radial fan or represents a radial fan.

[0144] Variant 3 in the third compartment will deliver the highest overall fan power, while variant 2 in the middle compartment will deliver the lowest fan power, and variant 1 in the first compartment will deliver a medium fan power. A high fan power is necessary if the compartment is very long, for example, while a lower fan power is sufficient if the compartment is shorter or smaller. This can be achieved, for example, by interior walls in the compartments if all compartments are arranged in one and the same truck trailer. According to the invention, however, the cold storage room can also be a stationary cold storage room in which compartments of different lengths with different required fan powers are arranged.

[0145] Alternatively, a situation may arise where, in addition to the fan power, a corresponding target temperature is also required. In this case, variant 3, for example, would be intended for the coldest room to ensure optimal cold air flow and thus temperature distribution even up to the wall opposite the evaporator. However, it should be noted that the heat output of the auxiliary fan must also be transported out of the compartment by the evaporator. Therefore, fans with very low heat loss and high efficiency are preferred.

[0146] The fan with variant 2 could be intended for a refrigerated compartment, with a temperature, for example, between 6 and 12 degrees, while variant 1 could be intended for a fresh food room that is intended to create temperatures just above or at freezing point, while variant 3 could be a freezer compartment that is intended to maintain temperatures at -30 degrees or similarly low temperatures. However, the assignment to the various target temperatures can also be implemented differently: If the air flow or fan power is sufficient, variant 2 is used for the coldest compartment because the fan generates the lowest power loss, while variant 3 can be intended for the warmest compartment because the power loss of the auxiliary fan is then less significant.

[0147] The cold storage room is preferably designed as a semi-trailer of a truck, as a container, as a stationary cold storage room, as a refrigerated truck, as a refrigerated wagon or as a mobile cold storage room in a land vehicle, aircraft, watercraft or spacecraft.

[0148] Further embodiments of the present invention, for example according to the first aspect, are set forth below, wherein the reference numerals in parentheses are for illustration purposes only and are not to be understood as limiting.

[0149] 1 . An evaporator comprising: a first header (100) and a second header (200); a plurality of connectors (300) between the first header (100) and the second header (200), wherein the first header (100), the second header (200), and the connectors (300) are configured such that a working fluid can flow through them; a fin stack (400) of spaced-apart fins (402, 403) arranged in thermal communication with the connectors (300) and in a stacking direction (401), wherein the fins (402, 403) of the fin stack are configured such that gas can flow in a fin direction (404) between adjacent fins in the fin stack (400);a housing (600) in which the fin stack (400) is arranged, wherein the housing (600) and the fin stack (400) are designed such that a gas flow (500) in the housing is varied from a first flow direction in the stack direction (401) to a second flow direction in the fin direction (404);

[0150] 2. Evaporator according to example 1, comprising: a first ventilation opening (607) in a vicinity of the first collector (100); a second ventilation opening (603) in the housing (600) in a vicinity of the second collector (200), wherein the first ventilation opening (607) or the second ventilation opening (603) is connectable to a fan (700), and wherein a gas flow through the respective other ventilation opening is achievable due to the fan (700), or wherein the fin stack (400) is arranged between the ventilation openings (607, 603) or the second ventilation opening (603) is arranged next to a part of the fin stack (400), or wherein the first ventilation opening (607) is arranged on a side of the first collector (100) opposite another side of the first collector (100) on which the fin stack (400) is arranged, or wherein the first ventilation opening (607) or the second ventilation opening (603) is an active ventilation opening,at which a fan is arranged, and the other ventilation opening is a passive ventilation opening through which the gas flow occurs, or wherein both ventilation openings (607, 603) are active ventilation openings, wherein a separate fan is arranged at each of these ventilation openings.

[0151] 3. Evaporator according to example 1 or 2, in which the fin stack (400) is cuboid-shaped and the housing (600) has a front side (602) and a back side (601), or wherein the front side (602) and the back side (601) have a variable distance from the fin stack along the stacking direction (401), so that due to a decreasing distance of the front wall (602) or the back wall, the gas flow (500) is deflected from the first flow direction in the stacking direction (401) into the second flow direction in the fin direction (404), or wherein the fin stack (400) and the back side (601) can be fastened to an object, and the front side (602) can be removed from the back side via a closure.

[0152] 4. The evaporator according to example 3, wherein the front side (602) has a minimum distance from the fin stack (400) at its first location along the fin stack (400) and the rear side (601) has a maximum distance or at least a distance greater than half a maximum distance of the rear side (601) from the fin stack (400) at the first location, or wherein the rear side has a minimum distance from the fin stack (400) at a second location along the fin stack (400), and the front side has a maximum distance or at least a distance greater than half a maximum distance of the front side (602) from the fin stack at the second location.

[0153] 5. Evaporator according to example 4, where the minimum distance is less than 2 cm.

[0154] 6. Evaporator according to example 3, 4 or 5, in which there are at least two locations along the fin stack (400) at which the front side has a minimum distance from the fin stack (400), and at least two further locations at which the rear side has a minimum distance from the fin stack, wherein the two locations and the two further locations are arranged in a nested manner along the fin stack.

[0155] 7. Device according to one of the preceding examples, in which the fin stack is designed such that the fins are arranged substantially parallel to one another and to the first collector or the second collector, such that the fin direction is arranged substantially perpendicular to the stacking direction and substantially perpendicular to the first collector or the second collector, and in which the housing (600) is designed to have different distances from the fin stack in cross-section along the stacking direction. 8. Evaporator according to example 7, in which the fins (402, 403) are aligned along the stacking direction (401) and the housing (600) has a zigzag shape in cross-section along the stacking direction (401).

[0156] 9. Evaporator according to one of the preceding examples, in which the housing (600) and the fin stack (400) are arranged relative to one another such that, starting from the second collector (200), the gas flow changes from the first flow direction into the second flow direction, then into the first flow direction, then into the reverse second flow direction and then into the first flow direction.

[0157] 10. Evaporator according to one of the preceding examples, in which the housing (600) is formed from flat areas which are each connected at an angle to one another in order to achieve the varied gas flow (500).

[0158] 11. Evaporator according to example 2, further comprising a fan (700) arranged at the active ventilation opening (607) for generating the gas flow (500) in the housing (600).

[0159] 12. Evaporator according to one of the preceding examples, wherein the housing (600) is at least 130 cm high, at least 60 cm wide or less than 15 cm deep.

[0160] 13. The evaporator according to example 11, wherein the fan (700) is designed to suck in gas from the housing (600) or to blow gas into the housing, or wherein the fan is designed as a deflection fan to suck in gas in the first flow direction and to blow it in a different direction, optionally the second flow direction or the reversed second flow direction, into a space in which the evaporator is arranged, wherein the deflection fan further comprises a blow-out nozzle (701), or wherein the fan (700) is an axial fan which is designed to convey gas from a rear side to a front side, wherein the axial fan is arranged obliquely in the housing (600) in order to convey the gas from the rear side to the front side at least partially in a direction which is directed away from the normal to an extension of the housing from the first collector (100) to the second collector (200) by an angle which is less than 45 degrees. 14.Evaporator according to one of the preceding examples, comprising a controllable fan (700) and a closure mechanism (800), wherein the closure mechanism (800) is designed to throttle or prevent the gas flow when the fan is deactivated and to allow the gas flow to pass when the fan (700) is activated.

[0161] 15. Evaporator according to one of the preceding examples, further comprising the following features: a condensate drain connection (604) on the housing (600) in the operating direction of the evaporator below the second collector (200), wherein the housing has a collection tray (605) in or above which the second collector (200) extends, and wherein the condensate drain connection (604) is attached to the collection tray (605), and / or wherein the ventilation opening (603) is arranged in the vicinity of the second collector (200) above the collection tray (605).

[0162] 16. A refrigeration chamber comprising: an evaporator according to any one of the preceding examples in the refrigeration chamber; and a primary heat pump circuit arranged outside the refrigeration chamber and coupled to the evaporator.

[0163] Further embodiments of the present invention, for example according to the third aspect, are set forth below, wherein the reference numerals in parentheses are for illustration purposes only and are not to be understood as limiting.

[0164] 1 . A cooling chamber comprising: an evaporator arranged on a wall (970) of the cooling chamber (900) and having a fan (700) at one end of a housing (600) of the evaporator, the fan (700) being configured to convey cooled air into the cooling chamber in a ventilation direction (950); and a support fan (750) arranged in the cooling chamber (900) to suck in at least a portion (951, 952) of the cooled air conveyed by the fan (700) and convey it further into the cooling chamber.

[0165] 2. Cooling chamber according to example 1, wherein the auxiliary fan (750) is designed to suck in air in a suction direction and to convey it in a blow-out direction (953) which is different from the suction direction, wherein the blow-out direction (953) is substantially the same as or parallel to the conveying direction of the fan (700).

[0166] 3. The refrigeration chamber according to example 1 or 2, further comprising a ceiling niche (60), wherein the evaporator is arranged below the ceiling niche on a wall (970) of the refrigeration chamber, and wherein the auxiliary fan (750) is arranged adjacent to the niche (60) away from the evaporator.

[0167] 4. Cooling chamber according to example 3, which has a controllable primary circuit in a primary housing (61), wherein the primary housing (61) is arranged outside with respect to the cooling chamber in the niche (60).

[0168] 5. The cooling chamber according to example 4, wherein the evaporator comprises a thermal unit in the housing (600), wherein the primary circuit comprises a heat exchanger (2, 7) which is thermally coupled to the evaporator, and wherein the heat exchanger (2, 7) is arranged in the primary housing (61) opposite the auxiliary fan (750).

[0169] 6. Cooling chamber according to example 5, wherein the heat exchanger (2, 7) has a primary side with two primary connections for a primary fluid and a secondary side with two secondary connections for a secondary fluid, wherein a first secondary connection is connected to a vapor outlet of the evaporator via a vapor line (904), and a second secondary outlet is connected to a liquid outlet of the evaporator via a liquid line (905), wherein the vapor outlet is arranged at the top of the thermal unit and the liquid outlet is arranged at the bottom of the thermal unit.

[0170] 7. Cooling chamber according to example 5 or 6, in which the heat exchanger (2, 7) is designed as a plate heat exchanger and is arranged upright in the primary housing (61), wherein a first primary connection is arranged at the top of the heat exchanger and is designed to conduct vaporous primary fluid and a second primary connection is arranged at the bottom of the heat exchanger (2, 7) and is designed to conduct liquid primary fluid.

[0171] 8. Cooling chamber according to example 6 or 7, in which the first secondary connection of the heat exchanger (2, 7) is connected to the vapor outlet of the evaporator via a vapor line (904), and the second secondary outlet of the heat exchanger (2, 7) is connected to the liquid outlet of the evaporator via a liquid line (905), wherein the vapor line (904) and the liquid line (905) each have a length, wherein at least half of the respective length is arranged in a wall of the cooling chamber or within the cooling chamber on the wall of the cooling chamber.

[0172] 9. The refrigeration chamber according to any one of examples 6 to 8, comprising a front wall (970), a niche floor (971) of the ceiling niche (60) which extends substantially horizontally and adjoins the front wall (970), a side wall (982) of the ceiling niche (60) which adjoins the floor (961) of the ceiling niche and extends substantially vertically, and a ceiling (983) which adjoins the side wall (982) of the niche and extends substantially horizontally, wherein the support fan (750) is mounted in the refrigeration chamber on the ceiling (983) and is mounted at a distance from the side wall (982) of the ceiling niche (60).

[0173] 10. A refrigeration chamber according to example 8 or 9, wherein the front wall (970), the niche floor (971), the side wall (982) of the niche and the ceiling (983) have an outer skin (970) and an inner skin (971), wherein the vapor line penetrates the inner skin near the vapor outlet of the evaporator, runs in the front wall, the niche floor and the side wall between the outer skin and the inner skin and penetrates the outer skin in the side wall (982), and wherein the liquid line penetrates the inner skin of the front wall near the liquid connection of the evaporator and runs in the front wall, the niche floor and optionally the niche side wall between the inner skin and the outer skin and penetrates the outer skin of the niche floor or the side wall.

[0174] 11. Cooling chamber according to one of examples 4 to 10, in which the primary housing (61) has one or more air inlet openings (66) on a front side arranged above the front wall, in which the primary circuit has a liquid-air heat exchanger (65) which is arranged obliquely in the primary housing (61), wherein a front edge of the liquid-air heat exchanger (65) is arranged above the one or more air inlet openings (66) and wherein the heat exchanger (2, 7) is arranged on an opposite wall with respect to the air inlet openings (66) of the primary housing, and in which the primary housing (61) has one or more air outlet openings on an upper wall.

[0175] 12. Cooling chamber according to example 11, in which at least the liquid-air heat exchanger (65) and the heat exchanger as well as a compressor and an expansion valve for the primary circuit are arranged, or in which a fan (70) is arranged below the one or more air outlet openings (67), or in which a control is designed in the primary housing in order to change a conveying direction of the compressor for a circuit reversal of the primary heat pump circuit, or in order to control one or more switching devices (35a, 35b) in order to change connections of the heat exchanger (2, 7) and the liquid-air heat exchanger to the compressor or the expansion element for a circuit reversal.

[0176] 13. The refrigeration chamber according to any one of examples 1 to 12, comprising two or more compartments (901, 902, 903), wherein two adjacent compartments are separated by a partition wall, wherein the evaporator and the auxiliary fan (750) are arranged in a first compartment, wherein a further evaporator with a further fan is arranged in a second compartment, wherein no auxiliary fan (750) is arranged in the second compartment, wherein a target temperature in the second compartment or a ventilation requirement in the second compartment is different from a target temperature in the first compartment or a ventilation requirement in the first compartment.

[0177] 14. The cooling chamber according to example 13, wherein the further fan of the further evaporator is an axial fan or a deflection fan with a discharge nozzle (701), or the fan of the evaporator is an axial fan, or the fan is a deflection fan with a discharge nozzle (701). 15.A cold storage room according to example 13 or 14, in which there are three compartments, the first compartment having the evaporator and the deflection fan (750), the second compartment having the further evaporator with the further fan which is designed as an axial fan, a third compartment having a third evaporator with a third fan which is designed as a deflection fan with an exhaust nozzle (701), a first target temperature in the first compartment being different from a second target temperature in the second compartment, or a second target temperature in the second compartment being different from a third target temperature in the third compartment, or a ventilation requirement in the first compartment being higher than a ventilation requirement in the second compartment, or a ventilation requirement in the third compartment being higher than a ventilation requirement in the second compartment.

[0178] 16. A refrigerated compartment according to any one of the preceding examples, which is designed as a semi-trailer of a lorry, as a container, as a stationary refrigerated compartment, as a refrigerated truck, as a refrigerated wagon or as a mobile refrigerated compartment in a land vehicle, aircraft, watercraft or spacecraft.

Claims

Patent claims 1. An evaporator comprising: a thermal unit (100, 200, 300, 400); a housing (600) in which the thermal unit is housed, the housing having a first ventilation opening (603) and a second ventilation opening (607); a controllable fan (700) configured to generate a gas flow (500) through the first ventilation opening (603) of the housing and the second ventilation opening (607) of the housing when activated; and a closure mechanism (800) configured to throttle or prevent the gas flow (500) when the fan (700) is deactivated and to allow the gas flow (500) to pass when the fan (700) is activated.

2. Evaporator according to claim 1, wherein the closure mechanism (800) is designed as a passive closure mechanism in order to release a flow space (801) in the housing (600) for the gas flow (500) due to the activity of the fan when the fan is in the activated state, and to close the flow space when the fan (700) transitions to the deactivated state of the fan (700) due to the decreasing gas flow (500).

3. Evaporator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in an operating direction of the evaporator the controllable fan (700) is mounted at an upper end of the housing (600), wherein one or more pivotable flaps (802, 803) are arranged below the fan, which in the deactivated state of the controllable fan (700) closes or closes a gas passage through the housing (600) due to gravity, and which in the activated state of the controllable fan (700) allows or allow the gas passage through the housing (600) by being pivoted upwards.

4. Evaporator according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the thermal unit comprises a first header (100), a second header (200), and a plurality of connectors (300) between the first header (100) and the second header (200), wherein the first header (100) is formed as an elongated tube extending along a width direction of the housing and arranged near the first ventilation opening (607), wherein the connectors (300) extend in a height direction of the housing (600), and wherein the closure mechanism comprises at least one pivotable flap extending in a width direction of the housing (600) and pivotally mounted on the housing, and which rests on the first header when the fan (700) is deactivated and opens towards the first ventilation opening (607) when the fan is activated.

5. Evaporator according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the one or more flaps is / are formed flat with a flap surface, wherein on a first side of the flap surface a first hinge part (804) is arranged, which engages with a second hinge part arranged on the housing (600), wherein the first side of the flap surface is directed towards the housing in the open state of the flap, and the second side of the flap surface is directed towards the gas flow.

6. Evaporator according to claim 4 or 5, wherein an interface for the fan (700) is arranged at the first ventilation opening (607), and a flow chamber (801) is arranged between the interface and the thermal unit, in which two pivotable flaps (802, 803) are arranged, wherein in the flow chamber a first flap is attached to the housing (600) on a first side and a second flap is attached to the housing on a second opposite side, wherein the first collector (100) extends through the flow chamber (801) and both flaps are deflectable in the flow chamber in the direction of the interface and, when the fan (700) is activated, essentially rest against the housing (600) and, when the fan is deactivated, rest on the first collector (100).

7. A temperature control device having the following features: a controllable primary circuit with a compressor (69), a heat exchanger (2, 7), and a throttle (3, 7b); the evaporator according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the thermal unit of the evaporator has a vapor connection and a liquid connection coupled to the controllable primary circuit; and a controller (850) for controlling the controllable primary circuit in a cooling mode for the evaporator or in a defrost mode for the evaporator, wherein the controller is configured to activate the evaporator fan in the cooling mode and to deactivate the fan in the defrost mode, so that in the defrost mode the closure mechanism (800) throttles or deactivates the gas flow.

8. Temperature control device according to claim 7, wherein the steam connection and the liquid connection are coupled to a heat exchanger (2, 7), to which the primary circuit is further coupled, wherein the heat exchanger (2, 7) acts as a primary evaporator in the primary circuit in the cooling mode, such that, due to secondary steam from the evaporator, which is supplied to the heat exchanger via the steam line, the primary liquid is evaporated in the heat exchanger, and the secondary steam is condensed in the heat exchanger (2, 7) and is guided from the heat exchanger to the evaporator via the liquid line, and wherein the heat exchanger (2, 7) acts as a primary condenser in the primary circuit in the defrost mode, such that, due to the condensation of primary steam, secondary liquid is evaporated in the heat exchanger, and the secondary steam is guided via the steam line into the thermal unit of the evaporator,to condense there and heat the thermal unit, thereby defrosting the thermal unit, with condensed secondary vapor being returned to the heat exchanger via the liquid line.

9. Temperature control device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the controller (850) is designed to effect a circuit reversal in the controllable primary circuit in order to change from the cooling mode to the defrosting mode or vice versa.

10. Temperature control device according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the evaporator has a pump (8) which is arranged in the liquid line (905), and wherein the controller (850) is designed to control the pump (8) in the defrost mode so that liquid is conveyed from the evaporator to the heat exchanger (2, 7).

11. Temperature control device according to one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the evaporator is designed in a cooling mode to operate according to the thermosiphon principle without pumping action.

12. Temperature control device according to one of claims 7 to 11, which further has the following features: a further evaporator according to one of claims 1 to 7 with a further steam connection and a further liquid connection, wherein the steam connection of the evaporator is connected to the further steam connection of the further evaporator via a line (908), and wherein the liquid connection of the evaporator is connected to the further liquid connection of the further evaporator via a pipe (906), and wherein both steam connections and both liquid connections of the evaporator and the further evaporator are connected to the heat exchanger (2, 7) of the primary circuit.

13. Temperature control device according to claim 12, wherein the evaporator is arranged in a first space (901) and the further evaporator is arranged in a second space (902), wherein the first space has a first temperature sensor (911) and the second space has a second temperature sensor (912).

14. Temperature control device according to claim 13, wherein the controller (850) is designed to activate the fan (700) of the evaporator when the first temperature sensor (911) detects a first temperature which is higher than a first target temperature for the first space (901), and to activate the fan (700) of the evaporator when the second temperature sensor (912) detects a second temperature which is higher than a second target temperature for the second room (902), to activate the fan (700) of the second room.

15. Temperature control device according to one of claims 13 or 14, wherein the controller (850) is designed to deactivate the first fan when the first temperature is less than the first target temperature, and to deactivate the second fan when the second temperature is less than the second target temperature.

16. Temperature control device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the first target temperature differs from the second target temperature.

17. Temperature control device according to one of claims 14 to 16, in which the controller (850) is designed to control the primary circuit with regard to its cooling capacity, so that depending on which temperature sensor from which room supplies an actual temperature that is higher than a target temperature for the room, the heat exchanger (2, 7) is cooled so that the target temperature can be reached in the room.

18. Temperature control device according to one of claims 14 to 17, in which the controller (850) is designed to operate the primary circuit in such a way that the heat exchanger is cooled so that the low target temperature can be reached when a temperature sensor from a room with a low target temperature supplies an actual temperature that is too high, and to operate the primary circuit in such a way that the heat exchanger (2, 7) is cooled less when a temperature sensor from another room with a higher target temperature supplies an actual temperature that is too high.

19. Temperature control device according to one of claims 12 to 18, in which the thermal unit of the evaporator has a first collector (100) and a second collector (200), in which the thermal unit of the further evaporator has a third collector and a fourth collector, wherein a first port of the first collector represents the vapor port and a second port of the first collector is connected to a first port of the third collector, wherein a first port of the second collector represents the liquid port and a second port of the second collector is connected to a first port of the fourth collector.

20. Temperature control device according to one of claims 12 to 19, wherein the compressor in the first space has a first fan (700), wherein the further compressor in the second space has a second fan which has a lower fan power than the first fan, wherein a target temperature in the second space is higher than a target temperature in the first space, or wherein a lower fan power is required in the second space than in the first space.

21. Temperature control device according to claim 20, wherein the fan is a reversible fan and has an outlet nozzle (701), and wherein the further fan is an axial fan.

22. A cooling chamber having the following features: a temperature control device according to one of claims 7 to 21; wherein the evaporator is arranged in the cooling chamber, and wherein the controllable primary circuit is arranged outside the cooling chamber.

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