Series loop intermodal container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10670322-B2
Application number	US-201615774740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2016
Priority date	Nov 9, 2015
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A refrigerated transport system (20) comprises a body (22) enclosing a refrigerated compartment (69). A refrigeration system (30) comprises: a vapor compression loop (31) having a first heat exchanger (38) positioned to reject heat to an external environment in a cooling mode. A heat transfer loop (32) has a second heat exchanger (58) positioned to absorb heat from the refrigerated compartment in the cooling mode. An inter-loop heat exchanger (44) has a first leg (42) along the vapor compression loop and a second leg (43) along the heat transfer loop in heat exchange relation with the first leg.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerated transport system ( 20 ) comprising:
a body ( 22 ) enclosing a refrigerated compartment ( 69 ) and comprising:
a pair of side walls ( 22 C, 22 D);
a top ( 22 A);
a bottom ( 22 B); and
one or more doors ( 28 A, 28 B); and

a refrigeration system ( 30 ) comprising:
a vapor compression loop ( 31 ) having a first heat exchanger ( 38 ) positioned to reject heat to an external environment in a cooling mode;
a heat transfer loop ( 32 ) having a second heat exchanger ( 58 ) positioned to absorb heat from the refrigerated compartment in the cooling mode, wherein a heat transfer fluid of the heat transfer loop comprises at least 50% carbon dioxide, by weight; and
an inter-loop heat exchanger ( 44 ) having a first leg ( 42 ) along the vapor compression loop and a second leg ( 43 ) along the heat transfer loop in heat exchange relation with the first leg.

2. The refrigerated transport system of claim 1 , wherein:
the vapor compression loop sequentially comprises:
a compressor ( 36 );
said first heat exchanger;
an expansion device ( 40 ); and
said first leg; and

the heat transfer loop sequentially comprises:
a pump ( 56 );
said second heat exchanger; and
said second leg.

3. The refrigerated transport system of claim 2 , further comprising:
an electric fan ( 60 A, 60 B) positioned to drive a recirculating air flow from the refrigerated compartment across the second heat exchanger.

4. The refrigerated transport system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first heat exchanger is a refrigerant-air heat exchanger.

5. The refrigerated transport system claim 1 , wherein:
the inter-loop heat exchanger is a brazed plate heat exchanger.

6. The refrigerated transport system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a carbon dioxide detector.

7. The refrigerated transport system of claim 6 further comprising:
a ventilation fan ( 81 A, 60 A).

8. The refrigerated transport system of claim 1 , wherein:
a refrigerant charge of the vapor compression loop comprises at least 50% by weight propane.

9. The refrigerated transport system of claim 1 , wherein:
a refrigerant charge of the vapor compression loop comprises at least 90% by weight propane.

10. The refrigerated transport system of claim 1 , being an intermodal shipping container, wherein:
the one or more doors are at a first end ( 28 A, 28 B); and
the refrigeration system is mounted in an equipment module ( 26 ) at a second end of the body opposite the first end.

11. The refrigerated transport system of claim 10 , wherein:
a wall ( 67 ) of the equipment module divides the external environment from the refrigerated compartment;
the inter-loop heat exchanger is on the external environment side of the wall; and
the second heat exchanger is on the refrigerated compartment side of the wall.

12. The refrigerated transport system of claim 11 , wherein:
the vapor compression loop sequentially comprises:
a compressor ( 36 );
said first heat exchanger;
an expansion device ( 40 ); and
said first leg;

the heat transfer loop sequentially comprises:
a pump ( 56 );
said second heat exchanger; and
said second leg; and

the pump is on the refrigerated compartment side of the wall.

13. The refrigerated transport system of claim 10 , further comprising:
at least one flame arrestor across at least one opening of the equipment module.

14. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13 , wherein:
said at least one opening is along the front of the equipment module.

15. The refrigerated transport system of claim 13 , wherein:
the at least one flame arrestor comprises metallic wire mesh or perforated mesh.

16. A refrigerated transport system ( 20 ) comprising:
a body ( 22 ) enclosing a refrigerated compartment ( 69 ) and comprising:
a pair of side walls ( 22 C, 22 D);
a top ( 22 A);
a bottom ( 22 B); and
one or more doors ( 28 A, 28 B); and

a refrigeration system ( 30 ) comprising:
a vapor compression loop ( 31 ) having a first heat exchanger ( 38 ) positioned to reject heat to an external environment in a cooling mode wherein a refrigerant charge of the vapor compression loop comprises at least 50% by weight propane;
a heat transfer loop ( 32 ) having a second heat exchanger ( 58 ) positioned to absorb heat from the refrigerated compartment in the cooling mode; and
an inter-loop heat exchanger ( 44 ) having a first leg ( 42 ) along the vapor compression loop and a second leg ( 43 ) along the heat transfer loop in heat exchange relation with the first leg.

17. The refrigerated transport system of claim 16 , wherein:
a refrigerant charge of the vapor compression loop comprises at least 90% by weight propane.

18. An intermodal shipping container ( 20 ) comprising:
a body ( 22 ) enclosing a refrigerated compartment ( 69 ) and comprising:
a pair of side walls ( 22 C, 22 D);
a top ( 22 A);
a bottom ( 22 B); and
one or more doors ( 28 A, 28 B) at a first end of the body;

an equipment module ( 26 ) at a second end of the body opposite the first end with at least one flame arrestor across at least one opening of the equipment module; and
a refrigeration system ( 30 ) mounted in the equipment module and comprising:
a vapor compression loop ( 31 ) having a first heat exchanger ( 38 ) positioned to reject heat to an external environment in a cooling mode;
a heat transfer loop ( 32 ) having a second heat exchanger ( 58 ) positioned to absorb heat from the refrigerated compartment in the cooling mode; and
an inter-loop heat exchanger ( 44 ) having a first leg ( 42 ) along the vapor compression loop and a second leg ( 43 ) along the heat transfer loop in heat exchange relation with the first leg.

19. The intermodal shipping container of claim 18 , wherein:
said at least one opening is along the front of the equipment module.

20. The intermodal shipping container of claim 18 , wherein:
the at least one flame arrestor comprises metallic wire mesh or perforated mesh.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Eddy Renee A
• Burchill Jeffrey J
• Rusignuolo Giorgio
• Chopko Robert A
• Burns Larry D
• Rydkin Ivan
• Poolman Ciara N
• Papas Paul
• Verma Parmesh

Classifications

• F25B25/005 Primary

  using primary and secondary systems · CPC title

• F25B2400/05

  Compression system with heat exchange between particular parts of the system · CPC title

• B65D88/745

  blowing or injecting heating, cooling or other conditioning fluid inside the container · CPC title

• F25B9/008

  the refrigerant being carbon dioxide · CPC title

• B60H1/3232

  particularly adapted for load transporting vehicles (B60H1/3226 takes precedence) · CPC title