Chiller system using cda

Abstract

To solve the problem described above, an air chiller system according to various embodiments of the present invention is disclosed. The air chiller system comprises: a supply pipe for transferring supplied CDA to a target unit; a cooling unit provided to exchange heat with one region of the supply pipe in order to change the temperature of the CDA to a low temperature through heat exchange with the CDA; and a temperature control unit for changing the temperature of the CDA through heat supply, wherein the supply pipe includes a first supply pipe provided to exchange heat with the cooling unit, and an auxiliary pipe connected to the first supply pipe in a parallel manner, and a control valve for controlling a supply amount of the CDA is provided to correspond to a branch unit to which the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe are connected.

Description

Chiller system using CDA

[0001] The present invention relates to a wide range chiller for wide temperature control required in industrial facilities (e.g., semiconductor manufacturing facilities, semiconductor testing facilities, lasers, injection molding machines, medical devices, and chemical process facilities, etc.), and more specifically, to a chiller system that can be effectively utilized in both high and low temperature environments by changing air in a gaseous state rather than a liquid state into low and high temperatures.

[0002]

[0003] In general, a chiller system is a cooling or freezing device that supplies chilled water or refrigerant to a cooling demand source such as an air conditioner or refrigerator, and may include a cooling unit, a fluid circulation device, a cooling target, and a fluid transfer pipe. For example, the cooling unit, the fluid circulation device, and the cooling target may be interconnected through a fluid transfer pipe, and a cooling fluid with high heat transfer efficiency may be circulated through the connected fluid transfer pipes to supply a low temperature to the cooling target, thereby cooling it. In other words, the cooling target can be maintained at a low temperature through heat exchange utilizing the cooling fluid.

[0004] Meanwhile, in cooling systems, deionized water (DI) or coolant is typically used as a cooling fluid. However, due to limitations in freezing point and electrical conductivity, DI water is not suitable for advanced processes or sub-zero temperature control, limiting its use. Consequently, while coolants are widely utilized in cooling systems, the limitations of their freezing and boiling point ranges make them difficult to use across a wide range of cooling targets. For example, in semiconductor processes, the process temperature may be -40°C to -50°C, but the typical temperature range is 120°C to 150°C, making the temperature range very wide. Therefore, when a coolant with a limited temperature range is used as a cooling fluid, heat exchange efficiency rapidly deteriorates as the coolant freezes or evaporates at certain temperatures. In other words, the process temperature range is -40°C to 150°C, limiting the coolant usability, necessitating the use of separate, isolated channels.

[0005] In particular, some fluorochemicals (PFAS) contained in coolants pose potential environmental problems and are therefore globally regulated, restricting their use. Furthermore, their use requires the establishment of separate treatment systems to prevent coolant spills and dispose of them. This can lead to environmental pollution and reduced system operational efficiency.

[0006] Accordingly, there may be a need in the industry for research and development of a chiller system that performs temperature control using CDA (Clean Dry Air), which is harmless to the human body, rather than a cooling fluid such as coolant or DI water.

[0007] [Prior Art Literature]

[0008] [Patent Document]

[0009] (Patent Document 1) Republic of Korea Publication No. 10-2018-0121606

[0010]

[0011] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to solve the above-described problem, and to provide a chiller system that performs a temperature control operation corresponding to a wide temperature range (e.g., -60°C to 150°C) through air in a gaseous state rather than a liquid fluid.

[0012] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the problems mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0013]

[0014] An air chiller system according to various embodiments of the present invention for solving the above-described problem is disclosed. The air chiller system includes a supply pipe for delivering supplied CDA to a target section, a cooling unit provided to exchange heat with a region of the supply pipe to change the temperature of the CDA to a low temperature through heat exchange with the CDA, and a temperature control unit for changing the temperature of the CDA through heat supply, wherein the supply pipe includes a first supply pipe provided to exchange heat with the cooling unit and an auxiliary pipe connected in parallel to the first supply pipe, and a control valve for controlling the supply amount of the CDA is provided corresponding to a branch section where the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe are connected.

[0015] In an alternative embodiment, the branch section may include a first branch section related to a front end region where the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe are initially connected, and a second branch section related to a rear end region where the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe are reconnected, and the control valve may be characterized in that it is provided corresponding to the first branch section.

[0016] In an alternative embodiment, the control valve may be characterized by adjusting the amount of CDA discharged to each of the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe based on temperature control information of the target section.

[0017] In an alternative embodiment, the temperature control unit may be provided in connection with the supply pipe and may be characterized by adjusting the temperature of the CDA supplied to the target unit based on temperature control information of the target unit.

[0018] In an alternative embodiment, the supply pipe may further include a second supply pipe through which the CDA heat-exchanged in the target section is recovered, and the first supply pipe may be characterized in that it is provided to be heat-exchangeable with each of the cooling section and the second supply pipe.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment, the first supply pipe may be characterized in that it is provided to enable heat exchange with the CDA in each of a first region corresponding to a section connecting the evaporator section of the cooling section to the compression section and a second region corresponding to the evaporator section.

[0020] In an alternative embodiment, the first supply pipe may be characterized in that it is provided to be heat-exchangeable with the second supply pipe in a section between the first region and the second region.

[0021] In an alternative embodiment, the second supply pipe may be provided so that the recovered CDA is supplied to a peripheral area of ​​the target portion after heat exchange with the first supply pipe, and a heating unit may be provided at one end of the second supply pipe to adjust the temperature of the CDA supplied to the peripheral area of ​​the target portion.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, the target section may include a plurality of target areas, a plurality of target supply pipes supplying CDA to each target area, and a plurality of target recovery pipes recovering CDA heat-exchanged in each target area, and may be characterized in that a target control valve is provided for controlling the amount of CDA flowing into each target supply pipe corresponding to an area into which the plurality of target supply pipes are divided.

[0023] In an alternative embodiment, the target control valve may be characterized by controlling the amount of CDA moved to each target area based on detailed process temperature information corresponding to each of the plurality of target areas.

[0024] Other specific details of the present invention are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0025]

[0026] According to various embodiments of the present invention, a chiller system capable of performing temperature control operations across a wide temperature range using gaseous air can be provided. Specifically, since the target temperature control operation can be performed using air rather than a cooling fluid, the system offers the advantage of providing a wide range of temperature control and low-temperature cooling solutions using air without the use of PFAS fluids, which are subject to various regulatory requirements and go beyond the limitations of DI water.

[0027] In addition, by providing a valve that controls the amount of air supplied to each target block during the process of supplying high-temperature and low-temperature air to the target, dual control can be implemented, thereby providing the effect of reducing the number of chiller systems required per target.

[0028] In addition, it can provide the effect of providing low-temperature cooling through improved energy efficiency by supporting heat exchange in the air circulation path.

[0029] Additionally, by using the CDA directly injected into the target primarily for air heat exchange and then using the recovered CDA as CDA for dew point management around the target, it is possible to provide an environment for cooling and preventing condensation without changing the total amount of CDA used.

[0030] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0031]

[0032] Various aspects are described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components generally. In the following examples, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of one or more aspects. However, it will be apparent that such aspects may be practiced without these specific details.

[0033] Figure 1 is an example schematic diagram showing a conventional chiller system.

[0034] Figure 2 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a conventional chiller system.

[0035] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an air chiller system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Fig. 4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a cooling cycle of a cooling unit related to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 5 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of cooling a target portion using an air chiller system related to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 6 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of supplying cooled gas to a target portion through heat exchange between a cooling portion and a supply pipe related to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of supplying a CDA of a wide temperature range to a target section in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram showing that a CDA passing through a first supply pipe related to one embodiment of the present invention can exchange heat with each of a cooling unit and a second supply pipe.

[0041] FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram illustrating that heat exchange can be performed in multiple areas of a first supply pipe related to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 10 is an exemplary diagram illustrating that heat exchange can be performed in multiple areas of a first supply pipe in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 11 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of cooling each of a plurality of target areas related to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0044]

[0045] Various embodiments and / or aspects are now disclosed with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the aspect(s) may be practiced without these specific details. The following description and the accompanying drawings detail specific exemplary aspects of one or more aspects. However, these aspects are exemplary, and any of the various methods within the principles of the various aspects may be utilized, and the description is intended to encompass all such aspects and their equivalents. Specifically, the terms "embodiment," "example," "aspect," and "example" as used herein are not intended to imply that any aspect or design described therein is preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs.

[0046] Hereinafter, regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or similar components are assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted. Furthermore, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if a detailed description of a related known technology is judged to obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical concepts disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings.

[0047] Although the terms "first," "second," etc. are used to describe various elements or components, these elements or components are not limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element or component from another. Accordingly, it should be understood that a "first element or component" referred to below may also be a "second element or component" within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0048] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in their common sense to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.

[0049] Furthermore, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or." That is, unless otherwise specified or clear from context, "X employs A or B" is intended to mean either of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, "X employs A or B" can apply to any of these cases. Furthermore, the term "and / or" as used herein should be understood to refer to and include all possible combinations of one or more of the associated items listed.

[0050] Additionally, it should be understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" imply the presence of a given feature and / or component, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, components, and / or groups thereof. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified or clear from context to refer to the singular form, the singular form in the specification and claims should generally be construed to mean "one or more."

[0051] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0052] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on" or "on" another element or layer, this includes not only directly on the other element or layer, but also whether or not there are other intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly on" the other element or layer, this means that there are no intervening elements or layers.

[0053] Spatially relative terms such as "below," "beneath," "lower," "above," and "upper" may be used to easily describe the relationship between one component or another as depicted in the drawings. Spatially relative terms should be understood to include different orientations of the component during use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings.

[0054] The purposes and effects of the present invention, as well as the technical configurations for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below, along with the accompanying drawings. In describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of known functions or configurations will be omitted if they are deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined based on their functions in the present invention and may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator.

[0055] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and can be implemented in various other forms. These embodiments are provided solely to ensure the completeness of the present invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure. The present invention is defined solely by the scope of the claims. Therefore, such definitions should be based on the contents of this specification.

[0056]

[0057] Figure 1 is an exemplary diagram schematically illustrating a conventional chiller system. Figure 2 is an exemplary diagram explaining a conventional chiller system.

[0058] In general, a chiller system is intended to change the temperature of a target (e.g., a cooling target), and may refer to a cooling device or refrigeration device that supplies cold water or refrigerant to a target such as an air conditioner or refrigerator.

[0059] Here, the target (or cooling target) may refer to industrial equipment requiring low temperatures, such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment, lasers, injection molding machines, medical devices, and chemical processing equipment. The specific description of the industrial equipment related to the aforementioned target is merely exemplary, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the target may further include semiconductor test equipment utilized in handler equipment, prober equipment, module mounting equipment, etc.

[0060] A conventional chiller system may include a cooling device (100a) and a cooling demand source (200a-1) to be cooled by utilizing the cooling device (100a), as illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0061] Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, the cooling device (100a) can cool a fluid based on a fluid cycle and supply the cooled fluid to a cooling demand source (200a-1) to maintain the target (200a) at a low temperature. In an embodiment, the cooling demand source (200a-1) forms a volume space in which the target (200a) is provided, and may include, for example, a chamber, an equipment room, a chuck, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0062] A cooling device (or cooling unit) can maintain the temperature of a fluid at a low temperature based on a cooling cycle involving compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation. In other words, the cooling fluid, which has been changed to a low temperature through the cooling cycle of the cooling device, is delivered to a cooling demand source (200a-1) via a pump, and maintains the target (200a) at a low temperature through heat exchange with the target (200a) of the cooling demand source (200a-1).

[0063] In the case of a general chiller system, as described above, cooling and temperature control for the target (200a) are performed by circulating the cooled fluid through a heat exchange process with the cooling unit to the cooling demand source (200a-1) via a pump.

[0064] Meanwhile, coolant and DI water are generally used as fluids to maintain the target (200a) at a low temperature through circulation.

[0065] DI water has limitations in its freezing point and electrical conductivity, making it unsuitable for advanced processes or sub-zero temperature control, limiting its use. Consequently, while coolants are widely utilized in cooling systems, their freezing and boiling point ranges are limited, making it difficult to cover a wide range of targets. For example, in semiconductor processes, the process temperature may be -40°C to -50°C, but the typical temperature is 120°C to 150°C, making the temperature range very wide. Therefore, if a coolant with a limited temperature range is used as a cooling fluid, heat exchange efficiency will rapidly deteriorate as the coolant freezes or evaporates at a specific temperature. In other words, the process temperature range is -40°C to 150°C, limiting the coolant usability, requiring the use of separate, isolated channels.

[0066] In particular, some fluorine compounds contained in coolants pose potential environmental problems and are therefore globally regulated, restricting their use. Furthermore, their use requires the establishment of separate treatment systems to prevent coolant spills and dispose of them. This can contribute to environmental pollution and reduce system operational efficiency.

[0067] That is, when maintaining a target at a low temperature through heat exchange using a fluid, such as a conventional chiller system (or cooling system), there is a problem in that it cannot cover a wide temperature range of the target and causes environmental problems.

[0068] In addition, a separate driving device (e.g., pump) must be provided to circulate the fluid, and in the case of the fluid, losses occur during the circulation process, so there is a disadvantage in that continuous replenishment is required.

[0069] The present invention aims to resolve problems arising when implementing a chiller system utilizing fluids, and may be characterized by performing temperature control on a target using gaseous air. According to an embodiment, the present invention can perform temperature control operations using CDA, which is harmless to the human body. In an embodiment, when constructing a chiller system utilizing gaseous air, a separate driving device for circulating the air is not required, which may be advantageous in terms of energy efficiency and device size.

[0070] Meanwhile, when implementing a cooling system by cooling air in a gaseous state, there is a problem that it is not easy to implement low temperatures through simple heat exchange because the heat transfer efficiency is relatively low compared to fluid, and thus energy efficiency is reduced.

[0071] Accordingly, the present invention can be characterized by supporting heat exchange in the air circulation structure, thereby increasing energy efficiency and enabling low-temperature implementation through air. Here, heat exchange in the air circulation structure can mean a structure for increasing cooling efficiency by allowing the supplied air to be cooled multiple times.

[0072] In an embodiment, the present invention is characterized in that the energy of a moving pipe that is sucked into a compression section through an evaporation section in a refrigeration cycle and the energy returned from a target are heat-exchanged in an air circulation structure to improve energy efficiency and enable low-temperature implementation through air.

[0073] In addition, according to an embodiment, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can control a wide range of temperatures by utilizing air as a medium for changing the temperature of a target, and can have structural features for efficiently performing wide range temperature control.

[0074] More specifically, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention may include a control valve (212) that controls the amount (or movement amount) of CDA supplied to each of one pipe (e.g., a first supply pipe) and another pipe (e.g., an auxiliary pipe). In an embodiment, the control valve (212) may be provided so as to be connected to a pipe through which the CDA is supplied. The control valve (212) may be provided to have three ports (e.g., an inlet and two outlets), and the pipe through which the CDA is supplied may be connected to the inlet, and the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe may be connected to each of the two outlets. The control valve (212) may control the CDA supplied through the inlet to be transferred to a specific pipe. According to an embodiment, the control valve (212) is a valve used to control the direction of the flow of air and may be operated based on the generation of an electrical signal. For example, the control valve (212) may be a 3-way valve controlled by electrical, manual or mechanical means (e.g., a thermostat, a pressure sensor, etc.), but is not limited thereto.

[0075] The control valve (212) can control the amount of CDA flowing into each of the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) based on whether low-temperature CDA or high-temperature CDA is to be supplied to the target. In a specific embodiment, the control valve (212) can control the amount of CDA flowing into each of the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) based on a comparison between the temperature of the initially supplied CDA and the temperature of the CDA to be supplied to the final target (i.e., the target CDA temperature). For example, when the temperature of the initially supplied CDA is higher than or equal to the temperature of the CDA to be supplied to the final target, the control valve (212) can close the outlet (e.g., the first outlet) corresponding to the first supply pipe (210) so that the amount of CDA flowing into the auxiliary pipe (220) increases. Conversely, if the temperature of the initially supplied CDA is lower than the temperature of the CDA to be supplied to the final target, the control valve (212) may close the outlet (e.g., the second outlet) corresponding to the auxiliary pipe (220) so as to increase the amount of CDA flowing into the first supply pipe (210).

[0076] To explain in detail, when the control valve (212) wants to supply low-temperature air (i.e., low-temperature CDA (e.g., -70°C)) to the target (i.e., when the target is to be maintained at a low temperature), the supplied CDA can be controlled to move to the first supply pipe (210). In this case, the first supply pipe (210) can be provided to enable heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), and when the CDA moves through the first supply pipe (210), the CDA can be maintained at a low temperature through heat exchange with the cooling unit (100). After heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), the low-temperature CDA is adjusted to an appropriate temperature for supplying to the target by the temperature control unit (213) that generates heat, and then supplied to the target.

[0077] Meanwhile, the control valve (212) can control the supplied CDA to move to the auxiliary pipe (220) when it is desired to supply high temperature air (i.e., high temperature CDA (e.g., 180°C)) to the target (i.e., when it is desired to maintain the target section at a high temperature). In this case, the auxiliary pipe (220) may refer to a pipe connected in parallel to the first supply pipe (210). Unlike the first supply pipe (210), the auxiliary pipe (220) is provided so that heat exchange with the cooling unit (100) does not occur. When the CDA flows into the auxiliary pipe (220), heat exchange with the cooling unit (100) is not performed, so it does not change to a low temperature. The CDA flowing into the auxiliary pipe (220) is discharged to the rear end of the first supply pipe (210) after the heat exchange area with the cooling unit (100). The CDA introduced into the auxiliary pipe (220) does not undergo heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), and is discharged to the rear end of the first supply pipe (210) and delivered to the temperature control unit (213).

[0078] For example, in order to maintain the target at a high temperature, high temperature CDA must be supplied to the target section (2000), but when the supplied CDA is transferred to the first supply pipe (210), the CDA changes to a low temperature as heat exchange with the cooling section (100) is performed, and therefore, in order to change it back to a high temperature, the temperature control section (213) must be driven to a higher temperature.

[0079] For example, the temperature of the initially supplied CDA may be 50°C, and in order to maintain the target temperature at 70°C, a high temperature CDA of 100°C may need to be supplied to the target unit (2000). In this case, when the supplied CDA of 50°C flows into the first supply pipe (210), it exchanges heat with the cooling unit (100) while passing through the first supply pipe (210) and changes to a low temperature. For example, it may change to 2°C as it exchanges heat with the cooling unit (100). In this case, in order to change the CDA of 2°C to 100°C, the temperature control unit (213) must be driven at a relatively high temperature. On the other hand, if the initially supplied CDA is introduced into the auxiliary pipe (220) rather than the first supply pipe (210) that performs heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), more efficient operation is possible because the temperature control unit (213) is driven to change the initially supplied CDA of 50°C to the target temperature, i.e., 100°C.

[0080] That is, when there is no need to change the supplied CDA to a low temperature (i.e., when CDA having a higher temperature than the temperature of the initially supplied CDA must be supplied to the target), the supplied CDA is transferred to the temperature control unit (213) through the auxiliary pipe (220) by the control of the control valve (212). Accordingly, since the supplied CDA does not move to the heat exchange area of ​​the first supply pipe (210) (e.g., the first supply area (211a) and the third supply area (211c)), heat exchange with the cooling unit (100) is not performed, and as a result, even if the temperature control unit (213) is controlled to a relatively low temperature, the temperature of the CDA can be changed to the desired target temperature. In other words, by allowing the CDA to be delivered to the temperature control unit (213) through the auxiliary pipe (220), the CDA can reach the temperature control unit (213) at a higher temperature than when delivered to the temperature control unit (213) through the first supply pipe (210). This can improve the heating speed of the CDA and enhance control stability, thereby providing the effect of maximizing the efficiency of the system.

[0081] In addition, according to an embodiment, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can arrange a plurality of target areas having different process temperatures in a CDA supply terminal, i.e., a target section (2000), and can control the amount of CDA flowing into each of the pipes corresponding to each target area. The air chiller system (1000) can include a target control valve (2100) connected to the first supply pipe (210), and can control how much CDA is delivered in which direction among the plurality of target areas (2300), i.e., the amount of CDA delivered to each target area, by utilizing the target control valve (2100).

[0082] In an embodiment, a target control valve (2100) may be provided connected to the rear end of a first supply pipe (210). The target control valve (2100) may be provided to have three ports (e.g., an inlet and two outlets), and the inlet may be connected to the first supply pipe (210), and a first target supply pipe (2210) and a second target supply pipe (2220) may be connected to each of the two outlets. The control valve (212) may control the CDA supplied through the inlet to be delivered to a specific pipe. According to an embodiment, the control valve (212) is a valve used to control the direction of the flow of air and may be operated based on the generation of an electrical signal. For example, the control valve (212) may be a 3-way valve controlled by electrical, manual, or mechanical means (e.g., a thermostat, a pressure sensor, etc.), but is not limited thereto.

[0083] The plurality of target regions (2300) may each refer to a component responsible for a specific heat exchange process within a handler. For example, the plurality of target regions (2300) may include a first target region (2310) and a second target region (2320). In this case, the first target region (2310) may be related to a cold block that performs the main cooling task within the handler. In addition, the second target region (2320) may be related to a pre-cold block that is located before the cold block and is responsible for initial cooling prior to the cooling process. The pre-cold block serves to pre-cool a test device.

[0084] In an embodiment, the operating temperatures of the first target region (2310) and the second target region (2320) may be different. For example, the first target region (2310) may be related to a cold block, and the second target region (2320) may be related to a pre-cold block, and thus, in order to optimize energy usage and provide the required cooling capacity, they may have different operating temperatures. For example, the first target region (2310) may have an appropriate operating temperature of -40°C, and the second target region (2320) may have an appropriate operating temperature of -20°C.

[0085] Typically, each target area is equipped with a separate chiller system to perform temperature control operations corresponding to each target area.

[0086] On the other hand, in the case of the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention, as described above, the amount of CDA supplied to each of the plurality of target areas (2300) can be controlled by utilizing the target control valve (2100). For example, the target control valve (2100) can control the supply of a larger amount of cooled CDA to the first target area (2310) having a relatively lower appropriate operating temperature than the second target area (2320).

[0087] For example, the target control valve (2100) can open the outlet corresponding to the first target area (2310) (e.g., the first outlet) to a larger extent than the outlet corresponding to the second target area (2320) (e.g., the second outlet), thereby increasing the amount of CDA supplied through the first outlet rather than the second outlet. For another example, when the second target area (2320) reaches an appropriate operating temperature, the target control valve (2100) can control the outlet corresponding to the second target area (2320) (e.g., the second outlet) to close, thereby opening only the outlet corresponding to the first target area (2310) (e.g., the first outlet). The specific description of the control of the target control valve (2100) described above is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0088] That is, the air chiller system (1000) has the advantage of being able to perform temperature control operations corresponding to multiple target areas through a configuration that controls the CDA supply amount to each of multiple target areas having different process temperatures. This configuration minimizes the chiller system utilized in response to a handler through dual control implementation, thereby providing the effect of improving the operating efficiency of the system.

[0089] Additionally, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention has a structural feature that allows heat exchange between air supplied to the target section (2000) to transfer heat (e.g., cold heat or heat) and recovered air and then injected into the target section (2000), and that the recovered and heat-exchanged air is supplied to the periphery of the target section as a CDA for the purpose of lowering the dew point around the target section (2000). This has the advantage of supporting cooling and condensation prevention simultaneously without changing the total amount of CDA used, by first using the CDA directly injected into the target section for air heat exchange and then recycling the recovered CDA as a CDA for managing the dew point around the target section.

[0090] Hereinafter, the structural features of the air chiller system of the present invention and the specific effects thereof will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 11.

[0091]

[0092] FIG. 3 is an exemplary block diagram of an air chiller system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a cooling cycle of a cooling unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of cooling a target portion using an air chiller system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of supplying cooled gas to a target portion through heat exchange between a cooling unit and a supply pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of supplying a CDA having a wide temperature range to a target portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram illustrating that a CDA passing through a first supply pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention can exchange heat with each of a cooling unit and a second supply pipe. FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram illustrating that heat exchange can be performed in multiple regions of a first supply pipe according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an exemplary diagram illustrating that heat exchange can be performed in multiple regions of a first supply pipe according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a process of cooling each of a plurality of target areas related to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention may include a cooling unit (100) and a supply pipe (200). The components illustrated in FIG. 3 are exemplary, and additional components may be present or some of the components illustrated in FIG. 3 may be omitted.

[0094] The cooling unit (100) included in the air chiller system (1000) can change (e.g., cool) the temperature of the air circulating in the supply pipe (200), i.e., the CDA, through heat exchange with the supply pipe (200). In an embodiment, the CDA relates to air from which contaminants have been removed for use in a precision production process, and may be clean and dry air with contaminants and moisture in the air minimized. In an embodiment, the CDA can be supplied into the interior of the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention through a CDA supply device. The CDA supply device includes a compressor filter and can remove contaminants contained in the air. The CDA supply device removes particles, oil, water, etc. generated during air compression, creates a constant temperature of the compressed air, and supplies the CDA to the supply pipe (200). According to the embodiment, since CDA is supplied through the CDA supply device and circulated inside the air chiller system (1000), heat exchange through air circulation is possible even if a separate circulation device is not provided inside the air chiller system (1000).

[0095] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the air chiller system (1000) may include a supply pipe (200) that receives CDA and performs heat exchange to cool it or increase its temperature, and supplies the cooled or high-temperature CDA to a target portion (2000).

[0096] Additionally, the air chiller system (1000) may include a cooling unit (100) that cools the CDA through heat exchange with the CDA. The cooling unit (100) may be provided adjacent to the supply pipe (200), and may maintain the CDA passing through the supply pipe (200) at a low temperature based on the vaporization heat generated in the cooling unit (100). According to an embodiment, the cooling unit (100) may be provided to enable heat exchange with the first supply pipe (210).

[0097] In an embodiment, the cooling unit (100) may include a compression unit (110), a condensation unit (120), an expansion unit (130), an evaporation unit (140), and a transfer pipe (150), as illustrated in FIG. 4. In an embodiment, the transfer pipe (150) may be a pipe for transferring cooling fluid between each component.

[0098] The cooling unit (100) may include a compression unit that compresses a cooling fluid. The compression unit may pressurize a low-temperature, low-pressure cooling fluid to maintain the cooling fluid at a high temperature and high pressure. For example, the compression unit may include an impeller that compresses the cooling fluid, a rotating shaft connected to the impeller, and a motor that rotates the rotating shaft.

[0099] In addition, the cooling unit (100) may include a condensing unit (120) that discharges heat from the cooling fluid compressed in the compression unit to condense the cooling fluid. The condensing unit (120) may include a condensation space in which the cooling fluid can be condensed therein, and may condense (or liquefy) the high-temperature, high-pressure cooling fluid delivered from the compression unit (110). For example, the condensing unit (120) may liquefy the high-temperature, high-pressure gas delivered from the compression unit (110) by supplying air sucked in from the outside. In this case, as heat is generated, hot air may be discharged.

[0100] In various embodiments, the condenser may be provided using various condensation methods. In one embodiment, the condenser may be a water-cooled condenser. In the case of a water-cooled condenser, the refrigerant gas is cooled / liquefied using the sensible heat of the cooling water, for example, by forcing water to flow, thereby enhancing the cooling effect. In the case of a water-cooled condenser, it may be used in conjunction with a cooling tower, which is a heat exchange device that cools water.

[0101] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the condenser may be an air-cooled condenser. In the case of an air-cooled condenser, cooling can be performed by utilizing natural convection of air, which cools / liquefies using the sensible heat of the atmosphere. In addition, a blower may be provided to change the phase of the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas inside the condenser into a refrigerant liquid using outside air. In the case of the air-cooled condenser, compared to the water-cooled condenser, there are advantages such as less maintenance work and a simple structure, making maintenance easy. Meanwhile, since air has a poor heat transfer rate, a method of attaching fins to the outside of the tube to condense the heat transfer area may be utilized. The description of the water-cooled and air-cooled condenser types described above are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in addition to the water-cooled and air-cooled types described above, the condenser may also be implemented using an evaporative method. In the embodiment, the evaporative method may be a method of spraying cooling water outside the refrigerant gas to change the high-temperature refrigerant vapor inside the condenser into a refrigerant liquid using the latent heat of vaporization of the cooling water.

[0102] In addition, the cooling unit (100) may include an expansion unit (130) formed to expand the refrigerant condensed through the condensation unit (120). The volume of the cooling fluid changes as it circulates through the cooling unit (100), and the expansion unit (130) may be provided to absorb this volume change so that the cooling action can be smoothly performed. The cooling fluid may increase in speed and decrease in pressure due to the capillary phenomenon as it passes through the narrow expansion unit. This expansion unit (130) may be formed, for example, of a heat-resistant synthetic resin so as to enable shrinkage and expansion.

[0103] In various embodiments, the expansion unit may include a thermal expansion valve and an electronic expansion unit (solenoid valve). The thermal expansion unit may be opened and closed while maintaining a constant superheat of the suction vapor refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator. For example, the thermal expansion valve may open when the superheat of the suction vapor refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator increases, and may close when the superheat decreases as the load decreases. That is, the thermal expansion valve may control the flow rate of the refrigerant according to changes in pressure and temperature when the refrigerant compressed in the compression unit flows to the evaporator, thereby maintaining the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator and securing an appropriate flow rate of the refrigerant. For example, the thermal expansion unit may include, but is not limited to, a cylinder for controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant, an evaporator connecting pipe for receiving the refrigerant from the evaporator, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the cylinder according to the results measured by the temperature sensor. A thermostatic expansion unit enables stable refrigerant flow control in response to changes in temperature and pressure. This allows for efficient evaporation and compression of the refrigerant, maximizing cooling efficiency.

[0104] An electronic expansion unit may refer to an expansion unit that precisely controls the flow rate of refrigerant based on an electrical signal. In the case of an electronic expansion unit, when current flows through an electronic coil, an armature (plunger) rises, opening a valve. When the current is cut off, the valve closes due to the armature's own weight, thereby controlling the flow rate of refrigerant. For example, an electronic expansion unit may include, but is not limited to, an electronic control unit that calculates an appropriate refrigerant flow rate based on the measurement results of a temperature sensor and a preset algorithm and generates an electric signal based on the calculated amount; a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant; a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the refrigerant; and an electric valve that opens and closes based on the electric signal generated by the electronic control unit. Since an electronic expansion unit is designed to maintain optimal performance by dynamically adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant based on information obtained from each sensor, it enables more precise control than a thermal expansion unit and can have a wider range of refrigerant flow rate adjustments. This has the advantage of quickly responding to various conditions that change in real time, thereby increasing cooling efficiency and saving energy.

[0105] In addition, the cooling unit (100) may include an evaporator (140) that evaporates the low-pressure liquid-state cooling fluid delivered from the expansion unit (130). The evaporator (140) may supply hot air to the low-pressure liquid-state cooling fluid to vaporize it. The cooling fluid becomes a low-pressure liquid-state in the process of passing through the expansion unit (130), and the low-pressure cooling fluid can be easily vaporized by the heat generated by the evaporator (140). The surrounding air may be cooled by the heat of vaporization that absorbs the heat. The completely evaporated gas-state cooling fluid may return to the compression unit (110) so that the circulation of the cooling system of the cooling unit (100) may continue.

[0106] The portion corresponding to the evaporator (140) of the cooling unit (100) may be arranged adjacent to the first supply pipe (210), as illustrated in (a) and (b) of FIG. 6. That is, by indirectly contacting the evaporator (140) region, through which the low-temperature refrigerant generated in the cooling unit (100) flows, with the supply pipe (e.g., the first supply pipe) through which the CDA is supplied, the CDA circulating in the supply pipe (200) can be cooled to a low temperature below a certain temperature through heat exchange. In other words, the CDA supplied into the interior of the first supply pipe (210) can be changed to a low temperature through heat exchange with the cooling unit (100).

[0107] According to various embodiments, it may be difficult to change the refrigerant to an extremely low temperature (e.g., a low temperature of -70°C or lower) with only one cooling unit (100), and thus, as illustrated in (b) of FIG. 6, a dual cooling method may be utilized. Unlike the single-stage cooling method as illustrated in (a) of FIG. 6, the dual cooling method may be a method of performing a cooling operation using two independent refrigerators by thermally separating each independent refrigeration cycle into two stages. In the case of the dual cooling method, a main cooling unit (100) and an auxiliary cooling unit (100-1) may be included. In this case, the auxiliary cooling unit (100-1) performs the role of transferring or supplementing heat through gas heat exchange. The cold air generated in the auxiliary cooling unit (100-1) may be heat-exchanged with the main cooling unit (100). That is, the cold air generated in the auxiliary cooling unit (100-1) may be transferred to the main refrigerator to supplement the cooling operation. There is no notation for auxiliary cooling unit (100-1) in the drawing.

[0108] In this way, when utilizing a dual cooling method, the efficiency and stability of the refrigeration operation are improved, low temperatures are achieved, and the energy consumption of the entire system is minimized.

[0109] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the supply pipe (200) may mean a pipe that delivers CDA to the target portion (2000), and the temperature of the CDA may change through heat exchange with the cooling portion (100) or through the influence of heat supplied by the temperature control portion (213) during the process of delivering CDA to the target portion (2000) through the supply pipe (200).

[0110] According to an embodiment, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention may include a temperature control unit (213) that changes the temperature of the CDA through heat supply. The CDA supplied through the supply pipe may be changed to a low temperature through heat exchange with the cooling unit while moving through the supply pipe, or may be changed to a high temperature by the high temperature heat supplied by the temperature control unit (213). In an embodiment, the temperature control unit (213) may include a heater device that performs high temperature heat supply. For example, the heater device may include, but is not limited to, an electric heater that converts electricity into thermal energy, a gas heater that generates heat using gas as fuel, a ceramic heater that generates heat using a ceramic heating element, or an industrial heater utilized in a large-scale manufacturing process.

[0111] In a specific embodiment, the CDA may be delivered to the first supply pipe (210) and moved toward the target portion (2000), and may be characterized in that it is cooled through heat exchange with the cooling portion (100) during the movement process.

[0112] Additionally, in the embodiment, the supplied CDA is moved toward the target section (2000), but is introduced into an auxiliary pipe (220) connected in parallel to the first supply pipe (210) so as to maintain the initial temperature at which it was introduced without heat exchange with the cooling section (100).

[0113] According to an embodiment, the supplied CDA can be moved to each of the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) by the control of the control valve (212). The control valve (212) serves to control the supply amount of CDA delivered to each of the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220). For example, all of the supplied CDA through the configuration of the control valve (212) can be delivered to the first supply pipe (210). In addition, all of the supplied CDA can be provided as the auxiliary pipe (220). In addition, for example, the supplied CDA can be delivered to each of the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) at a ratio of 7:3 through the configuration of the control valve (212). The specific description of the change in the supply amount of CDA according to the control of the control valve described above is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0114] The CDA delivered to each of the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) is combined to move as a single pipe in the rear region (e.g., the second branch section (211-2)) where the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) are reconnected, and after being combined, is delivered to the temperature control unit (213). In this case, the temperature control unit (213) can supply heat to adjust the CDA to an appropriate temperature for being supplied to the target, and the CDA at the adjusted temperature can be supplied to the target unit (2000).

[0115] In addition, in the embodiment, the CDA supplied to the target section (2000) can be recovered through the second supply pipe (230) after heat exchange with the target, and can be utilized as CDA for dew point management around the target section (2000). Specifically, the CDA directly injected into the target section (2000) is primarily utilized for air heat exchange to cool the target, and then the recovered CDA (i.e., the CDA recovered after heat exchange with the target) can be recycled as CDA for dew point management around the target section, thereby providing an advantage of simultaneously supporting temperature change and condensation prevention of the target without changing the total amount of CDA used.

[0116] To explain in detail, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can receive CDA as illustrated in FIG. 5, deliver it to the first supply pipe (210), and cool the supplied CDA to a low temperature through heat exchange with the cooling unit (100). In addition, the air chiller system (1000) can supply the CDA cooled to a low temperature to a target unit (2000) related to a cooling demand source. In an embodiment, the CDA cooled to a low temperature through heat exchange with the cooling unit (100) can be precisely adjusted to a target temperature by the temperature control unit (213) before being supplied to the target unit (2000).

[0117] In an embodiment, the cooling demand source forms a volumetric space having a target portion (2000), which may include, but is not limited to, a chamber, an equipment room, a chuck, etc. The target portion (2000) for cooling may be positioned within the volumetric space formed by the cooling demand source. In various embodiments, the cooled CDA of the present invention may be supplied directly to the target itself, rather than to the cooling demand source forming a specific volumetric space. In this case, the target portion may be, but is not limited to, an open substrate or board itself.

[0118] According to one embodiment, in order to prevent condensation from occurring during the process of cooling the target portion (2000), the cooling demand source must be maintained at a low temperature. Specifically, when ultra-low temperature air is supplied to the target portion (2000), condensation may occur in the periphery of the target portion (2000) due to a temperature difference, and to prevent this, the cooling demand source must be maintained at a low temperature. For a specific example, when the operating temperature of the target portion (2000) is about 10°C and a chiller system is to be operated to cool the temperature of the target portion (2000) to -20°C, the CDA is cooled to -70°C through heat exchange with the cooling portion (100), and the cooled -70°C CDA is supplied to the target portion (2000) to induce heat exchange with the target portion (2000). However, when the real-time temperature of the target portion (2000) is 10°C and an ultra-low temperature CDA (i.e., -70°C CDA) is supplied to the equipped area of ​​the target portion (2000), condensation occurs due to the difference between the indoor temperature and the supplied temperature. The specific numerical description of the temperature described above is merely an example to help understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0119] In order to prevent such condensation, it is important to minimize the temperature difference between the temperature of the cooling demand source and the temperature of the supplied CDA, so that low-temperature CDA can be supplied to the periphery of the target portion (2000). For example, by supplying CDA corresponding to approximately -10°C to the periphery of the target portion, i.e., the cooling demand source, the dew point of the cooling demand source can be lowered, thereby preventing condensation from occurring. In other words, in addition to air or cooling fluid for cooling the target portion (2000), a separate CDA must be additionally supplied to the periphery of the target portion (2000) to prevent condensation.

[0120] In the case of the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention, it may be characterized by recycling the CDA recovered after cooling the target portion (2000) rather than supplying a separate CDA for preventing condensation.

[0121] Referring to FIG. 5, the CDA supplied to the chiller system (1000) can be cooled through heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), and the cooled CDA is supplied to the target unit (2000) located at the cooling demand location. The target unit (2000) can be maintained at a low temperature through heat exchange with the cooled CDA, and the CDA that has completed heat exchange with the target unit (2000) can be recovered (or returned). The CDA that has completed heat exchange with the target unit (2000) is recovered through the second supply pipe (230).

[0122] In this case, the recovered CDA has a temperature higher than that of the initially supplied CDA since it has undergone heat exchange with the target section (2000). The chiller system (1000) can prevent condensation from occurring at the cooling demand by resupplying the recovered CDA to the cooling demand. In the case of the recovered CDA, the temperature is higher than that of the initially supplied CDA to the target section in order to maintain the target section (2000) at a low temperature, but since it is lower than the temperature of the cooling demand section, it can be utilized to prevent condensation at the target section (2000).

[0123] That is, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention primarily uses the CDA directly injected into the target section (2000) for air heat exchange, and then recycles the recovered (or returned) CDA as CDA for dew point management around the target section (2000), thereby creating an environment for cooling and preventing condensation without changing the total amount of CDA used.

[0124] The above description discloses an example of using the chiller system (1000) to maintain the target portion at a low temperature, but the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can also change the supplied CDA to a high temperature and supply the CDA to the target portion to change the target portion to a high temperature in order to maintain the target portion at a high temperature.

[0125] The air chiller system (1000) of the present invention may include a supply pipe (200) that delivers CDA to a target portion. The supply pipe (200) of the present invention may include a first supply pipe (210), an auxiliary pipe (220), and a second supply pipe (230).

[0126] In an embodiment, the supply pipe (200) may include a first supply pipe (210) that is provided to be heat-exchangeable with the cooling unit (100). In addition, the supply pipe (200) may include an auxiliary pipe (220) that is connected in parallel to the first supply pipe (210). The auxiliary pipe (220) is connected in parallel to the first supply pipe (210), thereby forming a branch portion (211) through which the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) are connected.

[0127] Specifically, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the branch section (211) relates to an area where the supplied CDA is divided or integrated, and may include a first branch section (211-1) relating to a front end area where the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) are initially connected, and a second branch section (211-2) relating to a rear end area where the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) are reconnected.

[0128] According to one embodiment, the air chiller system (1000) may include a control valve (212) that controls the supply amount of CDA to each of the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220). In an embodiment, the control valve (212) may be provided so as to be connected to the pipe through which the CDA is supplied. The control valve (212) may be provided with three ports (e.g., an inlet and two outlets), and the inlet may be connected to the pipe through which the CDA is supplied, and the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe may be connected to each of the two outlets. The control valve (212) may control the CDA supplied through the inlet to be delivered to a specific pipe. According to an embodiment, the control valve (212) is a valve used to control the direction of the flow of air and may be operated based on the generation of an electrical signal. For example, the control valve (212) may be a 3-way valve controlled by electrical, manual or mechanical means (e.g., a thermostat, a pressure sensor, etc.), but is not limited thereto.

[0129] To explain in detail, when the control valve (212) wants to supply low-temperature air (i.e., low-temperature CDA (e.g., -70°C)) to the target (i.e., when the target is to be maintained at a low temperature), the supplied CDA can be controlled to move to the first supply pipe (210). In this case, the first supply pipe (210) can be provided to enable heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), and when the CDA moves through the first supply pipe (210), the CDA can be maintained at a low temperature through heat exchange with the cooling unit (100). After heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), the low-temperature CDA is adjusted to an appropriate temperature for supplying to the target by the temperature control unit (213) that generates heat, and then supplied to the target.

[0130] Meanwhile, the control valve (212) can control the supplied CDA to move to the auxiliary pipe (220) when it is desired to supply high temperature air (i.e., high temperature CDA (e.g., 180°C)) to the target (i.e., when it is desired to maintain the target section at a high temperature). In this case, the auxiliary pipe (220) may refer to a pipe connected in parallel to the first supply pipe (210). Unlike the first supply pipe (210), the auxiliary pipe (220) is provided so that heat exchange with the cooling unit (100) does not occur. When the CDA flows into the auxiliary pipe (220), heat exchange with the cooling unit (100) is not performed, so it does not change to a low temperature. The CDA flowing into the auxiliary pipe (220) is discharged to the rear end of the first supply pipe (210) after the heat exchange area with the cooling unit (100). The CDA introduced into the auxiliary pipe (220) does not undergo heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), and is discharged to the rear end of the first supply pipe (210) and delivered to the temperature control unit (213).

[0131] For example, in order to maintain the target at a high temperature, high temperature CDA must be supplied to the target section (2000), but when the supplied CDA is transferred to the first supply pipe (210), the CDA changes to a low temperature as heat exchange with the cooling section (100) is performed, and therefore, in order to change it back to a high temperature, the temperature control section (213) must be driven to a higher temperature.

[0132] For example, the temperature of the initially supplied CDA may be 50°C, and in order to maintain the target temperature at 70°C, a high temperature CDA of 100°C may need to be supplied to the target unit (2000). In this case, when the supplied CDA of 50°C flows into the first supply pipe (210), it exchanges heat with the cooling unit (100) while passing through the first supply pipe (210) and changes to a low temperature. For example, it may change to 2°C as it exchanges heat with the cooling unit (100). In this case, in order to change the CDA of 2°C to 100°C, the temperature control unit (213) must be driven at a relatively high temperature. On the other hand, if the initially supplied CDA is introduced into the auxiliary pipe (220) rather than the first supply pipe (210) that performs heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), more efficient operation is possible because the temperature control unit (213) is driven to change the initially supplied CDA of 50°C to the target temperature, i.e., 100°C.

[0133] That is, when there is no need to change the supplied CDA to a low temperature (i.e., when CDA having a higher temperature than the temperature of the initially supplied CDA must be supplied to the target), the supplied CDA is transferred to the temperature control unit (213) through the auxiliary pipe (220) by the control of the control valve (212). Accordingly, since the supplied CDA does not move to the heat exchange area of ​​the first supply pipe (210) (e.g., the first supply area (211a) and the third supply area (211c)), heat exchange with the cooling unit (100) is not performed, and as a result, even if the temperature control unit (213) is controlled to a relatively low temperature, the temperature of the CDA can be changed to the desired target temperature. In other words, by allowing the CDA to be delivered to the temperature control unit (213) through the auxiliary pipe (220), the CDA can reach the temperature control unit (213) at a higher temperature than when delivered to the temperature control unit (213) through the first supply pipe (210). This can improve the heating speed of the CDA and enhance control stability, thereby providing the effect of maximizing the efficiency of the system.

[0134] Such a control valve (212) may be provided in the first branch section (211-1) where the first supply pipe (210) and the auxiliary pipe (220) are initially connected, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0135] According to an embodiment, the air chiller system (1000) may include a temperature control unit (213) that changes the temperature of the CDA through heat supply. The CDA supplied through the supply pipe may be changed to a low temperature through heat exchange with the cooling unit while moving through the supply pipe, or may be changed to a high temperature by the high temperature heat supplied by the temperature control unit (213).

[0136] In an embodiment, the temperature control unit (213) may be connected to the supply pipe (200) and may be characterized by adjusting the temperature of the CDA supplied to the target unit (2000) based on the temperature control information of the target unit (2000). Here, the temperature control information of the target unit (2000) may include information regarding the temperature of the target CDA that must be supplied to change the temperature of the target unit (2000). For example, the temperature control information may include information that a CDA of 130°C is required to maintain the target unit (2000) at a temperature of 100°C. As another example, the temperature control information may include information that a CDA cooled to -70°C must be supplied to maintain the target unit (2000) at a temperature of -40°C. The specific numerical description of the temperature control information described above is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0137] The temperature control unit (213), as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, is provided in the rear end region of the first supply pipe (210) (e.g., the region after the second branch portion (211-2)) and serves to adjust the temperature of the CDA before it is supplied to the target CDA. That is, the temperature control unit (213) can supply heat to adjust the CDA to an appropriate temperature for supplying to the target, and the CDA at the adjusted temperature can be supplied to the target portion (2000). Through the configuration of the temperature control unit (213), the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can precisely adjust the temperature of the CDA, and in particular, can change the CDA to a high temperature (e.g., 150°C or higher), and thus can perform a temperature adjustment operation corresponding to a wider temperature range (e.g., -60°C to 150°C).

[0138] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the air chiller system (1000) may be characterized by recycling the CDA recovered after cooling the target portion (2000) rather than supplying a separate CDA (e.g., an additional CDA) to prevent condensation from occurring in the target portion area.

[0139] Specifically, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention has a structural feature that allows heat exchange between air supplied to a target section (2000) to transfer heat (e.g., cold heat or heat) and then recovered air and air introduced into the target section (2000), and that the recovered and heat-exchanged air is supplied to the periphery of the target section as a CDA for the purpose of lowering the dew point around the target section (2000).

[0140] Referring to FIG. 8, the CDA supplied to the air chiller system (1000) can be cooled through heat exchange with the cooling unit (100), and the cooled CDA is supplied to the target unit (2000) located at the cooling demand location. The target unit (2000) can be maintained at a low temperature through heat exchange with the cooled CDA, and the CDA that has completed heat exchange with the target unit (2000) can be recovered (or returned). The CDA that has completed heat exchange with the target unit (2000) is recovered through the second supply pipe (230).

[0141] In this case, the recovered CDA has a temperature higher than that of the initially supplied CDA since it has undergone heat exchange with the target section (2000). The air chiller system (1000) can prevent condensation from occurring at the cooling demand point by resupplying the recovered CDA to the cooling demand point. In the case of the recovered CDA, the temperature is higher than that of the initially supplied CDA to the target section in order to maintain the target section (2000) at a low temperature, but since it is lower than the temperature of the cooling demand point, it can be utilized to prevent condensation at the target section (2000).

[0142] In one embodiment, a heating unit (231) may be provided at one end of the second supply pipe (230) to adjust the temperature of the CDA supplied to the surrounding area of ​​the target portion (2000). The heating unit (231) serves to adjust the temperature of the CDA recovered from the target portion. For example, the heating unit (231) may supply heat to adjust the temperature of the CDA. The CDA recovered after heat exchange with the target portion is adjusted to an appropriate temperature for dew point management by the heating unit (231) that generates heat and then supplied to the surrounding area of ​​the target portion. That is, the CDA recovered from the target portion through the second supply pipe (230) may be precisely adjusted to a target temperature by the temperature control unit (213) before being supplied to the surrounding area of ​​the target portion (2000) for dew point management.

[0143] As described above, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention primarily uses the CDA directly injected into the target section (2000) for air heat exchange, and then recycles the recovered (or returned) CDA as CDA for dew point management around the target section (2000), thereby creating an environment for cooling and preventing condensation without changing the total amount of CDA used.

[0144] This has the advantage of supporting cooling and condensation prevention simultaneously without changing the total amount of CDA used, as the CDA that is directly injected into the target section is primarily used for air heat exchange, and the recovered CDA is then recycled as CDA for dew point management around the target.

[0145] According to an embodiment, the first supply pipe (210) may be characterized in that it is provided to be capable of heat exchange with each of the cooling unit (100) and the second supply pipe (230).

[0146] In the case of air (i.e., CDA), it may be difficult to change to a low temperature with just one heat exchange. In the case of the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the first supply pipe (210) first exchanges heat with the recovery heat exchange area (230a) of the second supply pipe (230) in the area (i.e., the second supply area (211b)) before heat exchange with the evaporator (140) of the cooling unit (100) in the first supply area (211a), so that the change to a low temperature can be made easier.

[0147] For example, the temperature of the initially supplied CDA may be 30°C, and in order to maintain the target at the desired low temperature, the temperature of the CDA supplied to the target may be changed to -30°C. In this case, it may be difficult to change the temperature of the CDA from 30°C to -30°C with just one heat exchange with the cooling unit (100). In the case of air, it is not easy to implement low temperatures with simple heat exchange due to its physical properties that have lower heat transfer efficiency than the cooling fluid used in general cooling systems.

[0148] Accordingly, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can primarily cool the CDA supplied through the first supply pipe (210) by utilizing the CDA recovered after heat exchange with the target, and secondarily cool the CDA cooled primarily through heat exchange with the cooling unit (100).

[0149] That is, the first supply pipe (210) is provided so that heat exchange can occur between the second supply area (211b) and the recovery heat exchange area (230a) of the second supply pipe (230), so that primary heat exchange of the CDA (e.g., change from 30°C to 10°C) can be performed, and thereafter, heat exchange can occur between the first supply area (211a) and the evaporation area (140) of the cooling unit (100), so that secondary heat exchange can be performed for the CDA that has been primarily cooled (e.g., change from 10°C to -30°C).

[0150] In summary, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can gradually cool air (i.e., CDA), which is difficult to cool immediately due to its lower heat transfer efficiency compared to a cooling fluid, through sequential heat exchange. This increases energy efficiency through heat exchange in the air circulation structure and enables the implementation of a cooling system using air.

[0151] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the supply pipe (200) may be provided so that air (i.e., CDA) forms a circulation path. In a specific embodiment, the supply pipe (200) may be characterized in that it performs heat exchange for the CDA supplied corresponding to two or more areas of the cooling unit (100). The present invention configures the supply pipe (200) so that heat exchange can be performed multiple times, thereby cooling the air to a low temperature.

[0152] More specifically, the first supply pipe (210) may be characterized in that it performs heat exchange for the CDA corresponding to each of the first region (140a) corresponding to the section connecting the evaporator (140) to the compression region (110) and the second region (140b) corresponding to the evaporator (140).

[0153] Referring to Fig. 9, in the case of the evaporation section (140) within the cooling section (100), the temperature of the cooling fluid may be the lowest due to the influence of the heat of vaporization. That is, the temperature of the first region (140a) corresponding to the evaporation section (140) within the cooling section (100) corresponds to the lowest temperature. In this case, the temperature of the second region (140b) between the evaporation section (140) and the compression section (110) may be relatively higher than the temperature of the first region (140a). Since the supply pipe (200) is provided so as to be capable of heat exchange with each of the plurality of regions of the cooling section (100), sequential heat exchange for the supplied CDA can be performed, and since the supply pipes (200) themselves are provided in multiple numbers so that circulation of the CDA is possible, additional heat exchange between the supply pipes can be performed.

[0154] Referring to FIG. 9, the supply pipe (200) may include a first supply pipe (210) that transfers the supplied CDA to the target section (2000) and a second supply pipe (230) that recovers the CDA heat-exchanged in the target section (2000). The first supply pipe (210) may refer to a pipe that transports the supplied CDA to the target section (2000).

[0155] Since the first supply pipe (210) is equipped to exchange heat with each of the plurality of areas of the cooling unit (100), the CDA delivered to the target unit (2000) through the first supply pipe (210) is sequentially cooled during the movement process.

[0156] In an embodiment, the first supply pipe (210) may include a first supply region (211a) and a third supply region (211c) which are respectively provided to correspond to the first region (140a) and the second region (140b) of the cooling unit (100). Here, the first region (140a) of the cooling unit (100) may be a region corresponding to the evaporation region (140), and the second region (140b) may be a region between the evaporation region (140) and the compression region (110). In this case, the first region (140a) may be a region corresponding to the evaporation region (140) where cold air is generated due to the influence of the heat of vaporization, and thus may be a region corresponding to the lowest temperature within the cooling unit (100), and the second region (140b) may be a region that moves to the compression region (110), and thus may be a region whose temperature is higher by a predetermined amount than the temperature of the first region (140a).

[0157] According to an embodiment, heat exchange for the CDA supplied from each of the first supply region (211a) and the third supply region (211b) may be sequentially performed. The CDA supplied through the first supply pipe (210) may be sequentially heat exchanged with each of the first region (140a) and the second region (140b) of the cooling unit (100) due to the structural characteristics of the first supply pipe (210) which are arranged adjacent to each of the first region (140a) and the second region (140b) of the cooling unit (100) so as to be capable of heat exchange during the process of being supplied to the target unit (2000). That is, the CDA supplied through the first supply pipe (210) may be cooled again in the first supply region (211a) after being initially cooled in the third supply region (211c).

[0158] According to one embodiment, the temperature of the refrigerant delivered to the compression unit (110) may be increased through heat exchange between the second region (140b) and the third supply region (211c). The temperature of the refrigerant delivered to the compression unit (110) may be increased through heat exchange between the third supply region (211c) of the first supply pipe (210) and the second region (140b) of the cooling unit (100).

[0159] When low-temperature fluid is delivered to the compression unit (110), overcooling may occur, causing the compression unit to freeze and be damaged. However, through heat exchange with the third supply area (211c) of the first supply pipe (210), a refrigerant with a relatively elevated temperature is supplied to the compression unit (110). This can provide the effect of preventing overcooling from occurring in the compression unit (110).

[0160] That is, the heat exchange between the second region (140b) of the cooling unit (100) and the third supply region (211c) of the first supply pipe (210) primarily cools the CDA passing through the first supply pipe (210), and prevents overcooling by raising the temperature of the cooling fluid transferred from the evaporation unit (140) to the compression unit (110) in the cooling unit (100).

[0161] In addition, the CDA that is primarily cooled in the third supply area (211c) of the first supply pipe (210) is cooled again in the first supply area (211a) that is provided to correspond to the first area (140a) of the cooling unit (100).

[0162] Additionally, in the embodiment, the first supply pipe (210) may be characterized in that it is provided to be capable of heat exchange with the second supply pipe (230) in the section between the first region (140a) and the second region (140b) of the cooling unit.

[0163] According to an embodiment, additional heat exchange with the second supply pipe (230) may be performed before re-cooling is performed in the first supply area (211a).

[0164] According to a specific embodiment, the first supply pipe (210) may further include a second supply area (211b) located between the third supply area (211c) and the first supply area (211a). The second supply area (211b) may be an area provided corresponding to the recovery heat exchange area (230a) of the second supply pipe (230).

[0165] The second supply pipe (230) may refer to a pipe that transports CDA recovered after heat exchange at the target. The second supply pipe (230) may be provided so that the recovered CDA is supplied to the surrounding area of ​​the target section to prevent condensation after heat exchange with the first supply pipe.

[0166] Since the second supply pipe (230) is a pipe that transports CDA recovered after heat exchange to maintain the target section (2000) at a low temperature, CDA at a relatively higher temperature (e.g., -10 to -30°C) than CDA at an extremely low temperature (e.g., -70°C) supplied to the target section (2000) can be transported.

[0167] The second supply pipe (230) may include a recovery heat exchange area (230a) provided to correspond to the second supply area (211b). In this case, heat exchange may be performed between the CDA that has undergone primary heat exchange passing through the second supply area (211b) and the CDA recovered from the target portion (2000) passing through the recovery heat exchange area (230a).

[0168] That is, the CDA supplied through the first supply pipe (210) can be cooled through heat exchange three times due to the arrangement between the supply pipe and the cooling section and the arrangement between the supply pipes during the process of being supplied to the target section (2000) through the first supply pipe (210), after which heat exchange is primarily performed in the third supply area (211c) provided corresponding to the second area (140b) of the cooling section (100), a second heat exchange is performed in the second supply area (211b) provided corresponding to the recovery heat exchange area (230a) of the second supply pipe (230), and a third heat exchange. That is, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can gradually cool air (i.e., CDA), which is difficult to cool immediately due to its low heat transfer efficiency compared to a cooling fluid, through multiple heat exchanges. This enables the implementation of a cooling system using air, while increasing energy efficiency through heat exchange due to the air circulation structure.

[0169] In one embodiment, when the target section (2000) is configured as a utility having a volume space, the second supply pipe (230) may be provided to supply CDA heat-exchanged in the recovery heat exchange area (230a) to a peripheral area of ​​the target section.

[0170] In an embodiment, a utility having a volume space relates to a space in which a target portion (2000) is provided, and may include, but is not limited to, a chamber, an equipment room, a chuck, etc.

[0171] In various embodiments, the target portion (2000) may be configured to be included in a utility having a volumetric space, or may be provided without being included within the utility. Cooling the target portion (2000) without being included within the utility may mean, for example, cooling the open substrate or board itself.

[0172] According to an embodiment, the CDA that has completed heat exchange in the target section (2000) can be returned through the second supply pipe (230), and can be used as a CDA to prevent condensation in the periphery of the target section (2000).

[0173] In one embodiment, one end of the second supply pipe (230) may be provided with a heating unit (231) for adjusting the temperature of the CDA supplied to the surrounding area of ​​the target unit (2000).

[0174] The second supply pipe (230) can connect the target section (2000) and the utility (2000a) that accommodates the target section (2000). The CDA that has undergone heat exchange with the target section (2000) is recovered through the second supply pipe (230) and supplied to the periphery of the target section (2000), i.e., to the utility (2000a) that accommodates the target section (2000).

[0175] For example, when ultra-low temperature CDA is supplied to the target portion (2000), condensation may occur due to a temperature difference with the surrounding portion of the target portion (2000), and for this purpose, the surrounding portion of the target portion (2000) must be maintained at a low temperature.

[0176] In a typical cooling system, in addition to supplying cooling fluid to cool the target portion (2000), CDA with moisture removed and low temperature is additionally supplied to keep the dew point around the target portion (2000) lower, thereby preventing condensation from occurring in the target portion.

[0177] The air chiller system (1000) of the present invention may be characterized in that it utilizes the returned CDA to cool the surrounding area (e.g., chamber, chiller, equipment room, device, etc.) of the target section (2000) to manage the dew point and prevent condensation. That is, rather than supplying a separate CDA for condensation prevention, the CDA recovered through the second supply pipe (230) after cooling the target section (2000) is recycled, so there is an advantage in that there is no need to utilize the CDA twice.

[0178] In this case, the recovered CDA is heated to a temperature higher than that of the CDA initially supplied to the target portion (2000) in order to maintain the target portion (2000) at a low temperature. In the case of the recovered CDA, although it is at a higher temperature than the CDA initially supplied to maintain the target portion (2000) at a low temperature, it is at a lower temperature than the temperature of the cooling demand source, so it can be utilized to prevent condensation.

[0179] That is, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention primarily uses the CDA directly injected into the target section (2000) for air heat exchange, and then recycles the recovered (or returned) CDA as CDA for dew point management around the target section (2000), thereby creating an environment for cooling and preventing condensation without changing the total amount of CDA used (i.e., without increasing the amount of CDA supplied).

[0180] Referring to FIG. 8, for a more detailed example, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can be operated to maintain the target portion (2000) at -40°C. In this case, CDA is supplied from a CDA supply device to the first supply pipe. The temperature of the CDA initially supplied to the first supply pipe (210) through the CDA supply device may be about 25°C. The supply pipe (200) can cool the relatively high temperature CDA supplied from the CDA supply device to a low temperature, and utilize the cooled CDA to maintain the target portion (2000) at the target low temperature (i.e., -40°C). For example, in order to maintain the target portion (2000) at -40°C, CDA cooled to -70°C may be required.

[0181] However, in the case of air (or CDA), it may be difficult to cool the temperature from 25℃ to -70℃ in one go. In the case of cooling fluids (DI water or coolant) generally used in cooling systems, they can be quickly cooled with just one heat exchange due to their properties of good heat transfer efficiency. However, in the case of gaseous air, it is not easy to achieve low temperatures with just simple heat exchange. Accordingly, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention supports heat exchange in a circulatory structure in which heat exchange is performed multiple times for the supplied CDA.

[0182] The initially supplied CDA of 25°C is primarily cooled through heat exchange with the second region (140b) of the cooling unit (100) in the third supply region (211c). That is, the primary heat exchange is performed in the region corresponding to the third supply region (211c) of the first supply pipe (210) and the second region (140b) of the cooling unit (100) (i.e., the first heat exchange region).

[0183] The second region (140b) is a region where the refrigerant moves from the evaporator (140) to the compression region (110), and therefore may have a temperature of -20°C, which is somewhat lower than that of the region corresponding to the evaporator (140). The evaporator (140) is the region corresponding to the lowest temperature in the cooling region (100), and may be maintained at -70 to -80°C to cool the CDA to -70°C.

[0184] The 25°C CDA supplied through the first supply pipe (210) undergoes heat exchange with the second area (140b) corresponding to -20°C as it passes through the third supply area (211c), and is thus cooled to 0 to 5°C.

[0185] In this case, as heat exchange is performed in the second region (140b) of the cooling unit (100) and the region corresponding to the third supply region (211b) of the first supply pipe (210) (i.e., the first heat exchange region), the temperature of the refrigerant (i.e., the cooling fluid) transferred from the evaporator (140) to the compression unit (110) increases. For example, the cold air provided by the evaporator (140) may be -70 to -80°C, but as heat exchange is performed in the CDA passing through the second supply region (211b) and the second heat exchange region, the temperature of the refrigerant transferred to the compression unit (110) may be approximately -20°C. However, if a refrigerant at -20°C is directly supplied to the compression unit, supercooling may occur through the low-temperature refrigerant, which may cause damage to the compression unit. The air chiller system (1000) of the present invention has a structure that allows heat exchange between the second area (140b) and the third supply area (211c) of the first supply pipe (210), thereby preventing overcooling by increasing the temperature of the refrigerant delivered to the compression unit (110).

[0186] In addition, the CDA that has been first cooled can be secondarily cooled through heat exchange with the second supply pipe (230) in the second supply area (211b) located between the third supply area (211c) and the first supply area (211a). That is, heat exchange is performed in an area (i.e., a second heat exchange area) corresponding to the second supply area (211b) of the first supply pipe (210) and the recovery heat exchange area (230a) of the second supply pipe (230). For example, after the first cooling, the CDA at 0 to 5°C is secondarily cooled through heat exchange with the recovery heat exchange area (230a) of the second supply pipe (230) in the second supply area (211b).

[0187] In the case of CDA recovered through the second supply pipe (230), in order to maintain the target section (2000) at -40°C, it is supplied at -70°C and discharged after heat exchange with the target section (2000), so that the temperature may be around -10 to -30°C. That is, the CDA passing through the recovery heat exchange area (230a) of the second supply pipe (230) may be -10 to -30°C, and accordingly, the first-cooled CDA (e.g., 0 to -5°C) passing through the second supply area (211b) of the first supply pipe (210) is secondarily cooled to -5 to -10°C through heat exchange with the second supply pipe (230).

[0188] In addition, the secondarily cooled CDA can be tertiarily cooled through heat exchange (i.e., heat exchange in the third heat exchange region) with the first region (140a) of the cooling unit (100) in the first supply region (211a). In this case, the first supply region (211a) is provided corresponding to the first region (140a) related to the evaporator corresponding to the lowest temperature in the cooling unit (100), and thus, it is cooled to an extremely low temperature in the process of passing through the first supply region (211a). For example, the first region (140a) of the cooling unit (100) is -70 to -80°C, and accordingly, the secondarily cooled CDA (i.e., CDA of -5 to -10°C) is tertiarily cooled in the process of passing through the first supply region (211a) to be cooled to a temperature of -70°C, and then supplied to the target unit (2000).

[0189] In summary, the CDA initially supplied at 25°C through the first supply pipe (210) is first cooled to 0 to 5°C in the first heat exchange area, second cooled to 5 to -10°C in the second heat exchange area, and third cooled to -70°C in the third heat exchange area. In other words, the CDA can be cooled to an extremely low temperature as the cooling is sequentially performed three times. Since this is a cooling method using gradual heat exchange rather than a single-circulation heat exchange method, it has the advantage of enabling easy cooling of air with poor heat transfer efficiency.

[0190] In addition, the CDA cooled to -70°C is supplied to the target section (2000) and can maintain the target section (2000) at a low temperature (e.g., -40°C) through heat exchange with the target section (2000), and is recovered through the second supply pipe (230) in a state where the temperature has increased (e.g., -20°C) after heat exchange with the target section (2000). The -20°C CDA recovered through the second supply pipe (230) is changed to a temperature of about -10°C as it undergoes heat exchange with the CDA (i.e., 0 to 5°C) passing through the second supply area (211b) of the first supply pipe (210) in the recovery heat exchange area (230a), and the -10°C CDA is utilized as a CDA for lowering the dew point around the target section (2000).

[0191] That is, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention can gradually cool air (i.e., CDA), which is difficult to cool immediately due to its low heat transfer efficiency compared to a cooling fluid, through multiple heat exchanges. This enables the implementation of a cooling system using air by increasing energy efficiency through heat exchange due to the circulatory structure of air. Since the air chiller system of the present invention utilizes air rather than a cooling fluid, it can be used to adjust a wide temperature range without limitations in the ranges such as freezing point and boiling point.

[0192] In addition, the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention primarily uses the CDA directly injected into the target section (2000) for air heat exchange, and then recycles the recovered (or returned) CDA as CDA for dew point management around the target section (2000), thereby creating an environment for cooling and preventing condensation without changing the total amount of CDA used (i.e., without increasing the amount of CDA supplied).

[0193] According to another embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 10, when the target portion does not have a volume space, the second supply pipe (230) may be characterized by being connected to a separate utility so that the CDA heat-exchanged in the recovery heat exchange area (230a) is supplied to the input terminal of the first supply pipe (210).

[0194] In various embodiments, the target portion (2000) may be provided without being contained within a utility having a volumetric space. Cooling the target portion (2000) without being contained within a utility may mean, for example, cooling an open substrate or board itself.

[0195] For example, if the target section (2000) is an open board and you want to cool it using a chiller system (1000), the CDA used for cooling can be returned and used through a separate utility.

[0196] Here, a separate utility (300) may include an air compression device that is connected to one end of the second supply pipe (230) to recover the CDA supplied to the target section (2000) and supply it to the input end of the first supply pipe (210). The air compression device refers to a device that sucks in air, compresses it, and discharges the compressed air in one direction to circulate it, and may include, for example, an air compressor.

[0197] In this case, the line for recovering and supplying air based on the entire utility base is connected to each other so that the CDA can be continuously circulated without loss, and the CDA can be continuously cooled during the circulation process.

[0198] In addition, in the embodiment, the separate utility (300) may further include a dehumidifying device that dehumidifies the CDA recovered from the target portion (2000). By utilizing the dehumidifying device, moisture can be removed from the recovered CDA to obtain dehumidified CDA, which can then be returned through an air compressor to enable internal circulation.

[0199] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the air chiller system (1000) can arrange a plurality of target areas having different process temperatures in a CDA supply terminal, i.e., a target section (2000), and can control the amount of CDA flowing into each of the pipes corresponding to each target area. The air chiller system (1000) can include a target control valve (2100) connected to a first supply pipe (210), and can control how much CDA is delivered in which direction among the plurality of target areas (2300), i.e., the amount of CDA delivered to each target area, by utilizing the target control valve (2100).

[0200] In a specific embodiment, the target section (2000) may include a plurality of target areas (2300), a plurality of target supply pipes (2200) for supplying CDA to each target area, and a plurality of target recovery pipes (2400) for recovering CDA heat-exchanged in each target area.

[0201] Referring to FIG. 11, the plurality of target regions (2300) may each refer to a component that is responsible for a specific heat exchange process within the handler. For example, the plurality of target regions (2300) may include a first target region (2310) and a second target region (2320). In this case, the first target region (2310) may be related to a cold block that performs the main cooling task within the handler. In addition, the second target region (2320) may be related to a pre-cold block that is located before the cold block and is responsible for initial cooling prior to the cooling process. The pre-cold block serves to pre-cool the test device.

[0202] In an embodiment, the operating temperatures of the first target region (2310) and the second target region (2320) may be different. For example, the first target region (2310) may be related to a cold block, and the second target region (2320) may be related to a pre-cold block, and thus, in order to optimize energy usage and provide the required cooling capacity, they may have different operating temperatures. For example, the first target region (2310) may have an appropriate operating temperature of -40°C, and the second target region (2320) may have an appropriate operating temperature of -20°C.

[0203] According to an embodiment, the target section (2000) may be characterized by being provided with a target control valve for controlling the amount of CDA flowing into each target supply pipe corresponding to an area where multiple target supply pipes are divided. The target control valve (2100) may be provided connected to a target supply area (2100 a) corresponding to the rear end of the first supply pipe (210), as illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0204] The target control valve (2100) may be provided with three ports (e.g., an inlet and two outlets), and the inlet may be connected to a first supply pipe (210), and a first target supply pipe (2210) and a second target supply pipe (2220) may be connected to each of the two outlets. The control valve (212) may control the CDA supplied through the inlet to be delivered to a specific pipe. According to an embodiment, the control valve (212) is a valve used to control the direction of the flow of air and may be operated based on the generation of an electrical signal. For example, the control valve (212) may be a 3-way valve controlled by electrical, manual, or mechanical means (e.g., a thermostat, a pressure sensor, etc.), but is not limited thereto.

[0205] Typically, each target area is equipped with a separate chiller system to perform temperature control operations corresponding to that area. For example, since a single handler is equipped with four target areas, four chillers are required to control the temperature of each target area.

[0206] On the other hand, in the case of the air chiller system (1000) of the present invention, as described above, the amount of CDA supplied to each of the plurality of target areas (2300) can be controlled by utilizing the target control valve (2100). The target control valve (2100) may be characterized by controlling the amount of CDA supplied to each target area based on detailed process temperature information corresponding to each of the plurality of target areas (2300).

[0207] For a specific example, the target control valve (2100) can be controlled to supply more CDA to the first target area (2310) having a relatively lower appropriate operating temperature than the second target area (2320). For example, the target control valve (2100) can open the outlet corresponding to the first target area (2310) (e.g., the first outlet) to a larger extent than the outlet corresponding to the first target area (2310) (e.g., the first outlet), thereby increasing the amount of CDA supplied through the first outlet rather than the second outlet. For another example, if the second target area (2320) having a relatively low operating temperature reaches the appropriate operating temperature first, the target control valve (2100) can be controlled to close the outlet (e.g., the second outlet) corresponding to the second target area (2320), thereby opening only the outlet (e.g., the first outlet) corresponding to the first target area (2310). The specific description of the control of the target control valve described above is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0208] In addition, the CDA supplied to each of the plurality of target areas through the target control valve (2100) can be recovered through the plurality of target recovery pipes (2400). By the control of the target control valve (2100), the CDA is supplied to the first target supply pipe (2210), delivered to the first target area (2310), changes the temperature of the first target area (2310), and is then recovered through the first target recovery pipe (2410). In addition, in the case of the CDA supplied to the second target supply pipe, it is delivered to the second target area (2320), changes the temperature of the second target area (2320), and is then recovered through the second target recovery pipe (2420). In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the plurality of target recovery pipes (2400) corresponding to each target area can be connected to the second supply pipe (230) and provided. Accordingly, the CDA heat-exchanged in the target area is recovered through the second supply pipe (230), and while moving through the second supply pipe (230), it is heat-exchanged with the first supply pipe (210), and then the temperature is precisely adjusted through the heating unit (231) and can be supplied again to the area around the target area.

[0209] That is, the air chiller system (1000) has the advantage of being able to perform temperature control operations corresponding to multiple target areas through a configuration that controls the CDA supply amount to each of multiple target areas having different process temperatures. This configuration minimizes the chiller system utilized in response to a handler through dual control implementation, thereby providing the effect of improving the operating efficiency of the system.

[0210]

[0211] The description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is to be construed in the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0212]

[0213] [Explanation of symbols]

[0214] 100a: Conventional cooling device 200a: Conventional cooling target

[0215] 200a-1: Conventional cooling demand source 1000: Air chiller system

[0216] 100: Cooling section 110: Compression section

[0217] 120: Condenser 130: Expansion

[0218] 140: Evaporation section 140a: First area

[0219] 140b: Area 2 150: Moving Hall

[0220] 200: Supply pipe 210: 1st supply pipe

[0221] 211: Branch 211-1: Branch 1

[0222] 211-2: Second Branch 211a: First Supply Area

[0223] 211b: Second supply area 211c: Third supply area

[0224] 212: Control valve 213: Temperature control unit

[0225] 220: Auxiliary pipe 230: Second supply pipe

[0226] 230a: Recovery heat exchange area 231: Heating section

[0227] 300: Separate utility 2000: Target unit

[0228] 2100: Target control valve 2100a: Target supply area

[0229] 2200: Multiple target supply pipes 2210: First target supply pipe

[0230] 2220: Second target supply pipe 2300: Multiple target areas

[0231] 2310: First target area 2320: Second target area

[0232] 2400: Multiple target recovery tubes 2410: First target recovery tube

[0233] 2422: Second Target Recovery Center

[0234]

[0235] The best mode for carrying out the invention as described above has been described.

[0236]

[0237] The present invention can be utilized in the field of cooling systems for cooling the heat load of industrial facilities.

Claims

1. In a chiller system that performs temperature control using air, A supply pipe that delivers the supplied CDA to the target section; A cooling unit provided to enable heat exchange with a region of the supply pipe to change the CDA to a low temperature through heat exchange with the CDA; and A temperature control unit for changing the temperature of the CDA through heat supply; The above supply pipe is, It is characterized in that it includes a first supply pipe that is provided to be heat-exchangeable with the cooling unit and an auxiliary pipe that is connected in parallel to the first supply pipe, and a control valve for controlling the supply amount of the CDA is provided corresponding to a branch section where the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe are connected. Air chiller system.

2. In paragraph 1, The above branch section relates to the area where the supplied CDA is divided or integrated. A first branch section related to the front end area where the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe are initially connected; and A second branch section related to the rear end region where the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe are reconnected; The above control valve is characterized in that it is provided corresponding to the first branch section. Air chiller system.

3. In paragraph 1, The above control valve, Characterized in that the amount of CDA discharged through each of the first supply pipe and the auxiliary pipe is adjusted based on the temperature control information of the target section. Air chiller system.

4. In paragraph 1, The above temperature control unit, It is connected to the supply pipe and is characterized in that the temperature of the CDA supplied to the target section is adjusted based on the temperature control information of the target section. Air chiller system.

5. In paragraph 1, The above supply pipe is, It further includes a second supply pipe through which the CDA heat-exchanged in the above target section is recovered; The above first supply pipe is, It is characterized in that it is provided so as to be capable of heat exchange with each of the above cooling unit and the second supply pipe. Air chiller system.

6. In paragraph 5, The above first supply pipe is, It is characterized in that the first region corresponding to the section connected from the evaporator of the cooling unit to the compression region and the second region corresponding to the evaporator are provided so as to enable heat exchange with the CDA. Air chiller system.

7. In paragraph 6, The above first supply pipe is, It is characterized in that it is provided so as to be capable of heat exchange with the second supply pipe in the section between the first region and the second region. Air chiller system.

8. In paragraph 5, The above second supply pipe is, The above recovered CDA is provided so that it is supplied to the surrounding area of ​​the target section after heat exchange with the first supply pipe. One end of the second supply pipe is provided with a heating section for adjusting the temperature of the CDA supplied to the surrounding area of ​​the target section. Air chiller system.

9. In paragraph 1, The above target area is, It comprises a plurality of target areas, a plurality of target supply pipes supplying CDA to each target area, and a plurality of target recovery pipes recovering CDA heat-exchanged in each target area. It is characterized in that a target control valve is provided to control the amount of CDA flowing into each target supply pipe corresponding to the area where the plurality of target supply pipes are divided. Air chiller system.

10. In paragraph 9, The above target control valve is, A method characterized in that the amount of CDA moved to each target area is controlled based on detailed process temperature information corresponding to each of the plurality of target areas. Air chiller system.

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