Cascade Heat Exchanger Ice Supply for High-Temperature Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
In remote operations such as scientific exploration, mining, and military deployments, maintaining a cold environment for food, beverages, medical supplies, and equipment is challenging due to the difficulty in obtaining and transporting ice, especially in high-temperature environments, where significant energy is required for cooling and storage, and a substantial portion of ice often melts during transportation.
Innovation Solution
A transportable ice-delivery device equipped with a cascade heat exchanger system that transfers heat loads from a refrigeration system to an air-conditioning system, allowing for efficient ice production and storage within a container that houses an air-conditioning system, an ice maker, and a merchandiser, enabling the production and storage of ice in high ambient temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If ice is transported from commercial ice operations to forward operations, then ice supply is obtained, but substantial costs and dangerous transportation are incurred, and significant ice loss occurs due to melting
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables forward operations to produce their own ice locally using the ice production system with refrigeration unit, eliminating dependence on external ice delivery and preventing transportation-related melting losses
Solution Approach 2:
The system produces and stores ice in advance using the merchandiser storage compartment before it is needed, allowing ice to be ready when required without requiring dangerous transportation from remote locations
2Quantity of substance
If commercial ice delivery is contracted, then ice supply is secured, but substantial transportation costs and time consumption are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The forward operations unit produces its own ice using the integrated ice production system, eliminating the need for external delivery services and associated time delays
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigeration system and ice production system operate continuously or periodically to maintain ice supply, ensuring ice is always available without interruption from delivery schedules
3Quantity of substance
If ice is produced and stored in high ambient temperatures, then ice supply is maintained in remote locations, but significant energy is required for cooling and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines the refrigeration unit, ice production system, and air conditioning system into an integrated unit, allowing heat rejection from refrigeration to assist in ambient cooling and reducing total energy requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The cascade heat exchanger acts as an intermediary between the refrigeration system and air conditioning system, transferring heat loads efficiently and enabling the systems to work together rather than independently
4Temperature
If a refrigeration system operates in high ambient temperatures above 120°F, then cooling is provided, but heat rejection becomes increasingly difficult and energy-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The cascade heat exchanger serves as an intermediary that transfers heat from the refrigeration system to the air conditioning system, enabling effective heat rejection even in high ambient temperatures by utilizing the air conditioning system's heat rejection capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively produces and stores ice in high-temperature environments, reducing energy consumption and ice loss during transportation, allowing for reliable access to ice supplies in remote locations.
Implementation Method 1
a cascade heat exchanger that allows a portion of a primary refrigerant in the primary closed refrigeration circuit to exchange heat loads alternative to the primary evaporation device
Implementation Method 2
The cascade heat exchanger may operate as the secondary condenser to transfer a secondary heat load produced in the secondary closed refrigeration circuit to the primary refrigeration circuit
Implementation Method 3
a primary condenser, a primary expansion device, and a primary evaporation device. The primary closed refrigeration circuit may also include a cascade heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present technology are directed to devices, systems, and methods of delivering ice under high ambient temperatures. A transportable container houses an air-conditioning system with a cascade heat exchanger coupling the air-conditioning system with a separate refrigeration system in the container. The separate refrigeration system provides cooling energy for a cooling device while rejecting a heat load to the air-conditioning system for rejection to ambient temperatures.