Refrigeration system and method for controlling the same
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cryogenic refrigerators using displacers generate oscillations and noises that can interfere with precision equipment and patient comfort, particularly when the peak timings of these oscillations coincide, leading to increased disturbances.
Innovation Solution
A refrigeration system that includes cryogenic refrigerators with detectors to measure the phase of displacer motions, a processor to calculate and adjust the operation frequency of the motors to shift peak timings of oscillations and noises, and drivers to implement these frequency changes, thereby reducing overall oscillations and noises.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cryogenic refrigerators using displacers are operated to achieve high reliability and performance, then cooling capability is improved, but oscillations and noises are generated that burden patients and impair precision equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies periodic action by controlling the operation frequencies of multiple cryogenic refrigerators to be different from each other. This creates a non-synchronized periodic operation pattern where peak timings of oscillations do not coincide, thereby reducing overall noise and vibration levels while maintaining the necessary cooling performance and reliability of each individual refrigerator unit.
2Productivity
If multiple refrigerators are operated with thermal connection at cooling ends, then cooling efficiency is improved, but oscillations and noises coincide at peak timings leading to significant disturbances
Solution Approach 1:
The invention resolves this contradiction by implementing different operation frequencies for each refrigerator in the multi-refrigerator system. This creates staggered periodic cycles where the peak oscillations of individual refrigerators occur at different times, preventing constructive interference and significant noise amplification while allowing all refrigerators to contribute to the overall cooling efficiency through thermal connection at the cooling ends.
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 suppresses oscillations and noises by synchronizing the operation frequencies of multiple refrigerators, minimizing disturbances and improving the reliability and performance of cryogenic refrigeration systems.
Implementation Method 1
The cryogenic refrigerator using the displacer adiabatically expands a refrigerant gas (working fluid), such as helium gas, compressed by a compressor by periodic reciprocation (upward and downward motions) of the displacer in a cylinder
Implementation Method 2
exchanges heat between the refrigerant gas and a cool storage device in the displacer, thereby cooling a cooling end
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, there is provided a refrigeration system including detectors, each of which detects a phase indicative of a displacement of a displacer of each of cryogenic refrigerators; a processor that calculates an operation frequency of a motor of each of the cryogenic refrigerators, which is a frequency that suppresses oscillations or noises generated by reciprocating motions of the displacer of each of the cryogenic refrigerators, based on a detection result obtained by each of the detectors; and drivers, each of which drives the motor of each of the cryogenic refrigerators based on a calculation result obtained by the processor.