Return air intake grille de-icing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10696139-B2
Application number	US-201716082683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2016
Publication date	Jun 30, 2020
Grant date	Jun 30, 2020

Abstract

A method (300) of de-icing a return air intake of a transport refrigeration system is provided. The method comprises using a controller for controlling the refrigeration system; determining (306) when de-icing mode is required; deactivating (308) an evaporator and an evaporator fan of the refrigeration system when de-icing mode is required; activating (310) a heater when de-icing mode is required; adjusting (312) the temperature of the heater to a selected temperature; deactivating (314) the heater when the heater has reached the selected temperature; and permitting (316) the refrigeration system to remain deactivated for a selected time period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of de-icing a return air intake of a transport refrigeration system, the method comprising:
controlling, using a controller, a first plurality of components of the refrigeration system, the first plurality comprising at least one of a refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger, a fan for the refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger, and a heater;
determining, using the controller, when a de-icing mode is required;
deactivating, using the controller, a second plurality of components of the refrigeration system when the de-icing mode is required, the second plurality comprising the refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger and the fan for the refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger;
activating, using the controller, the heater when the de-icing mode is required;
adjusting, using the controller, the temperature of the heater to a selected temperature;
deactivating, using the controller, the heater when the heater has reached the selected temperature; and
permitting, using the controller, the second plurality of components of refrigeration system to remain deactivated for a selected time period.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
reactivating, using the controller, the second plurality of components of the refrigeration system after the selected time period.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the heater is located below the return air intake.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the heater is an electric resistance heater.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the selected temperature is about 90° F. (32.22° C.).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the selected time period is about 10 minutes.

7. A controller of a transport refrigeration system comprising:
a processor;
a memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
controlling a first plurality of components of the refrigeration system, the first plurality comprising at least one of a refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger, a fan for the refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger, and a heater;
determining when a de-icing mode is required;
deactivating a second plurality of components of the refrigeration system when the de-icing mode is required, the second plurality comprising the refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger and the fan for the refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger;
activating the heater when the de-icing mode is required;
adjusting the temperature of the heater to a selected temperature;
deactivating the heater when the heater has reached the selected temperature; and
permitting the second plurality of components of refrigeration system to remain deactivated for a selected time period.

8. The controller of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
reactivating the second plurality of components of the refrigeration system after the selected time period.

9. The controller of claim 7 , wherein:
the heater is located below the return air intake.

10. The controller of claim 7 , wherein:
the heater is an electric resistance heater.

11. The controller of claim 7 , wherein:
the selected temperature is about 90° F. (32.22° C.).

12. The controller of claim 7 , wherein:
the selected time period is about 10 minutes.

13. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
controlling a first plurality of components of the refrigeration system, the first plurality comprising at least one of a refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger, a fan for the refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger, and a heater;
determining when a de-icing mode is required;
deactivating a second plurality of components of the refrigeration system when the de-icing mode is required, the second plurality comprising the refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger and the fan for the refrigerant heat absorption heat exchanger;
activating the heater when the de-icing mode is required;
adjusting the temperature of the heater to a selected temperature;
deactivating the heater when the heater has reached the selected temperature; and permitting the second plurality of components of refrigeration system to remain deactivated for a selected time period.

14. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
reactivating the second plurality of components of the refrigeration system after the selected time period.

15. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein:
the heater is located below the return air intake.

16. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein:
the heater is an electric resistance heater.

17. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein:
the selected temperature is about 90° F. (32.22° C.).

18. The computer program of claim 13 , wherein:
the selected time period is about 10 minutes.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Benedict Thomas J

Classifications

• F25D21/008

  by timer · CPC title

• F25D11/003

  Transport containers · CPC title

• F25D21/006

  with electronic control circuits · CPC title

• B60H1/00785

  by the detection of humidity or frost · CPC title

• B60H1/3232

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