Refrigerator Multi-Chamber Cooling Control for Temperature Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Refrigerators face challenges in maintaining temperature stability across multiple storage chambers, leading to excessive temperature increases in chambers not directly cooled, especially when there is a significant temperature reduction rate between compartments.
Innovation Solution
A control method that includes multiple evaporators and cooling fans, along with adjustable dampers to manage cold-air passages, allowing for simultaneous or alternate cooling of high-temperature and low-temperature chambers, and adjusting fan output and damper openings based on temperature references to prevent overcooling and maintain temperature stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cold air is introduced into only one storage chamber to cool it, then the cooling efficiency for that chamber is improved, but the temperature of other storage chambers excessively increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control method implements periodic alternating cooling by switching between two evaporators in sequence. Each evaporator cools a specific storage chamber while the other evaporator is inactive, creating a periodic cooling cycle that prevents temperature extremes in both chambers
Solution Approach 2:
The control method introduces cold air circulation before the temperature difference becomes excessive. By monitoring temperature and initiating cold air introduction at appropriate times, the system prevents temperature extremes proactively rather than reactively
2Speed
If there is a significant temperature reduction rate between compartments, then cooling speed is improved, but temperature variation across chambers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic alternating operation of two evaporators with different cooling rates. By switching between evaporators at strategically determined times, the system maintains high overall cooling speed while preventing excessive temperature differences between chambers
Solution Approach 2:
The control method dynamically adjusts operational parameters including the timing of evaporator switching, cold air introduction duration, and circulation patterns. These parameter changes optimize the balance between cooling speed and temperature uniformity across different operating conditions
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 approach effectively prevents temperature extremes in storage chambers by dynamically adjusting cooling operations, reducing temperature variation and ensuring stable operation across compartments.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator for cooling surrounding air through a cooling action for absorbing latent heat around the refrigerant while evaporating the refrigerant supplied from the condenser
Implementation Method 2
a condenser for condensing the refrigerant in a high-temperature and high-pressure state compressed by the compressor through heat radiation
Implementation Method 3
A capillary tube (or an expansion valve) is provided between the condenser and the evaporator to increase a flow rate of the refrigerant and reduce a pressure
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a control method for a refrigerator. The control method for a refrigerator according to the present invention comprises the steps of: driving a first cooling fan to cool a first storage chamber; adjusting a damper to cause cold air to simultaneously flow through first and second cold-air passages; adjusting a damper to reduce the opening angle of the first cold-air passage, when the temperature of a high-temperature chamber reaches a value smaller than or equal to a second reference temperature for the high-temperature chamber; adjusting a damper to reduce the opening angle of the second cold-air passage, when the temperature of a low-temperature chamber reaches a value smaller than or equal to a second reference temperature for the low-temperature chamber; and driving a second cooling fan to cool a second storage chamber, wherein, after the temperature of the high-temperature chamber reaches the value smaller than or equal to the second reference temperature for the high-temperature chamber, when a predetermined time elapses or the sensed temperature of the high-temperature chamber reaches a first set temperature between a first reference temperature and the second reference temperature for the high-temperature chamber, the damper is adjusted to increase the opening angle of the first cold-air passage.