Refrigeration system and cooling method of electronic control unit thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10254029-B2
Application number	US-201715399946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 15, 2015
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

A refrigeration system, including: an electronic control unit, including a housing and an electronic device arranged in the housing; a refrigeration loop, including a compressor, a condenser, a primary throttling element, and an evaporator sequentially connected through a pipeline and forming a closed loop; and an electronic device cooling branch connected into the refrigeration loop from the condenser, and connected back to the refrigeration loop from the evaporator; the electronic device cooling branch including an electronic device cooling unit, a secondary throttling element, and an electromagnetic valve; and the electronic device cooling unit being arranged in the housing and spaced apart from the electronic device, for reducing the temperature and humidity of the electronic device and an environment in the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A refrigeration system, including:
an electronic control unit, including a housing and an electronic device arranged in the housing;
a refrigeration loop, including a compressor, a condenser, a primary throttling element, and an evaporator sequentially connected through a pipeline and forming a closed loop; and
an electronic device cooling branch connected into the refrigeration loop from the condenser, and connected back to the refrigeration loop from the evaporator; the electronic device cooling branch including an electronic device cooling unit, a secondary throttling element, and an electromagnetic valve; and the electronic device cooling unit being arranged in the housing and spaced apart from the electronic device, for reducing the temperature and humidity of the electronic device and an environment in the housing;
wherein the electromagnetic valve and the secondary throttling element are arranged in the housing.

2. The refrigeration system according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic device cooling unit includes an air-refrigerant heat exchanger and a fan that provides forced air convection, wherein the air-refrigerant heat exchanger is connected in parallel to the primary throttling element.

3. The refrigeration system according to claim 2 , further including a condensed water collecting unit arranged below the air-refrigerant heat exchanger in the housing.

4. The refrigeration system according to claim 3 , wherein the condensed water collecting unit is a water pan.

5. The refrigeration system according to claim 3 , further including a condensed water discharging unit for discharging condensed water out of the housing, the condensed water discharging unit being arranged outside the housing and in fluidic communication with the condensed water collecting unit.

6. A refrigeration system, including:
an electronic control unit, including a housing and an electronic device arranged in the housing;
a refrigeration loop, including a compressor, a condenser, a primary throttling element, and an evaporator sequentially connected through a pipeline and forming a closed loop; and
an electronic device cooling branch connected into the refrigeration loop from the condenser, and connected back to the refrigeration loop from the evaporator; the electronic device cooling branch including an electronic device cooling unit, a secondary throttling element, and an electromagnetic valve; and the electronic device cooling unit being arranged in the housing and spaced apart from the electronic device, for reducing the temperature and humidity of the electronic device and an environment in the housing;
wherein the primary throttling element is a ball float valve.

7. A refrigeration system, including:
an electronic control unit, including a housing and an electronic device arranged in the housing;
a refrigeration loop, including a compressor, a condenser, a primary throttling element, and an evaporator sequentially connected through a pipeline and forming a closed loop; and
an electronic device cooling branch connected into the refrigeration loop from the condenser, and connected back to the refrigeration loop from the evaporator; the electronic device cooling branch including an electronic device cooling unit, a secondary throttling element, and an electromagnetic valve; and the electronic device cooling unit being arranged in the housing and spaced apart from the electronic device, for reducing the temperature and humidity of the electronic device and an environment in the housing;
wherein the electronic device cooling unit includes an air-refrigerant heat exchanger and a fan that provides forced air convection, wherein the air-refrigerant heat exchanger is connected in parallel to the primary throttling element;
further including a temperature sensor and/or a humidity sensor, the temperature sensor and/or the humidity sensor being arranged in the housing, and the refrigeration system being used for controlling opening or start and stop of the electromagnetic valve and the fan according to a parameter detected by the temperature sensor and/or the humidity sensor.

8. A refrigeration system, including:
an electronic control unit, including a housing and an electronic device arranged in the housing;
a refrigeration loop, including a compressor, a condenser, a primary throttling element, and an evaporator sequentially connected through a pipeline and forming a closed loop; and
an electronic device cooling branch connected into the refrigeration loop from the condenser, and connected back to the refrigeration loop from the evaporator; the electronic device cooling branch including an electronic device cooling unit, a secondary throttling element, and an electromagnetic valve; and the electronic device cooling unit being arranged in the housing and spaced apart from the electronic device, for reducing the temperature and humidity of the electronic device and an environment in the housing;
wherein the compressor is a centrifugal compressor.

9. A refrigeration system, including:
an electronic control unit, including a housing and an electronic device arranged in the housing;
a refrigeration loop, including a compressor, a condenser, a primary throttling element, and an evaporator sequentially connected through a pipeline and forming a closed loop; and
an electronic device cooling branch connected into the refrigeration loop from the condenser, and connected back to the refrigeration loop from the evaporator; the electronic device cooling branch including an electronic device cooling unit, a secondary throttling element, and an electromagnetic valve; and the electronic device cooling unit being arranged in the housing and spaced apart from the electronic device, for reducing the temperature and humidity of the electronic device and an environment in the housing;
wherein the electronic control unit is configured to perform operations comprising:
switching on an electromagnetic valve and a fan in an electronic device cooling unit when it is detected that an ambient temperature in a housing of the electronic control unit is higher than a preset temperature; and/or
switching on the electromagnetic valve and the fan in the electronic device cooling unit when it is detected that a dew point temperature corresponding to the ambient humidity in the housing of the electronic control unit is less than the ambient temperature in the housing of the electronic control unit; and/or
sending an alarm signal and/or switching off the electromagnetic valve, the fan in the electronic device cooling unit, and a compressor main circuit in a refrigeration loop when it is detected that the dew point temperature corresponding to the ambient humidity in the housing of the electronic control unit is higher than or equal to the ambient temperature in the housing of the electronic control unit.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Stark Michael A
• Wang Lei
• Huang Jianxin
• Yan Chaoqun

Classifications

• H05K7/20381

  Thermal management, e.g. evaporation control · CPC title

• F25B2700/2103

  near a heat exchanger · CPC title

• H05K7/20318

  Condensers · CPC title

• F25B41/065

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• H05K7/20172

  Fan mounting or fan specifications · CPC title