Chiller cabinet device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refrigerated shelf devices face challenges in efficiently using environmentally friendly refrigerants like hydrocarbons due to safety regulations and complexity, especially when the refrigerant quantity exceeds 150g, requiring significant safety measures and increased operational complexity.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates two closed refrigerant circuits with propane, each having a compressor - one with a constant speed for basic cooling and another with a speed controller for variable capacity regulation, along with a common evaporator and condenser, to optimize cooling capacity and reduce safety requirements, allowing for efficient and climate-friendly operation with propane as the refrigerant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If hydrocarbon refrigerants (propane/butane) are used to replace conventional fluorinated refrigerants, then environmental friendliness and thermodynamic properties are improved, but safety requirements and operational complexity increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigeration system is divided into multiple independent refrigerant circuits, each with its own compressor and controlled to maintain refrigerant quantities below 150g per circuit. This segmentation allows the use of hydrocarbon refrigerants while limiting the total amount in any single circuit to meet safety regulations.
Solution Approach 2:
At least one compressor is equipped with variable speed control capability, allowing dynamic adjustment of refrigerant circulation and cooling capacity. This enables the system to adapt to varying cooling demands while maintaining safe operational parameters and efficient use of the hydrocarbon refrigerant.
2Power
If the refrigerant quantity exceeds 150g per circuit, then cooling capacity is improved, but safety precautions and regulatory compliance become significantly more difficult and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The total refrigerant requirement is distributed across multiple circuits, each containing less than 150g of hydrocarbon refrigerant. This allows the system to achieve the required total cooling capacity while keeping each individual circuit within safe regulatory limits, avoiding the need for complex safety infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple refrigerant circuits are combined to work together through a common evaporator, achieving the required total cooling capacity equivalent to larger single-circuit systems, but with the safety benefits of distributed refrigerant quantities.
3Device complexity
If a single high-capacity compressor is used, then device complexity is reduced, but ability to handle cooling capacity fluctuations is diminished
Solution Approach 1:
At least one compressor is equipped with variable speed control, enabling continuous adjustment of refrigerant flow and cooling capacity to match varying thermal loads. This provides the flexibility needed for part-load operation while maintaining system simplicity through coordinated control of multiple compressors.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressor system is designed so that multiple compressors can operate in various combinations - individually or together - to meet different cooling demands. This multi-functional arrangement provides both simplicity for basic operation and flexibility for capacity modulation.
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
This configuration provides a cost-effective, flexible, and safe refrigerated shelf device that can efficiently manage cooling capacity fluctuations while meeting safety standards with reduced safety precautions, enabling efficient and climate-friendly operation using propane as the refrigerant, even with total quantities between 150g and 300g.
Implementation Method 1
each with an evaporator, one condenser as components
Implementation Method 2
each with an evaporator, one condenser as components
Implementation Method 3
one condenser as components
Implementation Method 4
each with a compressor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
Chiller cabinet device (20) having at least one unit consisting of multiple wall assemblies, namely a base assembly (22.3), a rear wall assembly and a roof assembly (22.1) that bound a cool space underneath, to the rear and above, and having a cooling apparatus (1) that comprises, as components, at least one evaporator (11), a condenser (13) and an electric control device (15). A chiller cabinet device (20) which is environmentally friendly and is efficient to operate is obtained by providing that the cooling apparatus (1) comprises at least two closed coolant circuits (10, 10') that convey propane as coolant and that each have a compressor (12, 12'), and that, for variable regulation of the cooling power, at least one compressor (12, 12') is designed with a speed control and at least one compressor (12, 12') is designed for operation at constant speed (Fig. 1).