Pressure regulator warm up system for a transport refrigeration unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11236661-B2
Application number	US-202016732863-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 2, 2020
Priority date	Jan 2, 2019
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A fluid circuit for a trucking vehicle having a transport refrigeration unit is provided. The fluid circuit includes a first regulator assembly defining a first fuel inlet that is arranged to receive fuel from a first fuel tank and a first fuel outlet that is arranged to provide fuel to a first engine. The first regulator assembly having a first heat exchanger assembly defining a first coolant inlet that is arranged to receive coolant from a cooling system associated with the first engine and a first coolant outlet that is arranged to provide coolant to the cooling system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fluid circuit provided with a trucking vehicle having a transport refrigeration unit, comprising:
a first regulator assembly defining a first fuel inlet that is arranged to receive fuel from a first fuel tank and a first fuel outlet that is arranged to provide fuel to a first engine, the first regulator assembly having a first heat exchanger assembly defining a first coolant inlet that is arranged to receive coolant from a cooling system associated with the first engine and a first coolant outlet that is arranged to provide coolant to the cooling system;
a second regulator assembly defining a second fuel inlet that is arranged to receive fuel from a second fuel tank and a second fuel outlet that is arranged to provide fuel to a second engine associated with a transport refrigeration unit;
the second regulator assembly having a second heat exchanger assembly defining a second coolant inlet that is arranged to receive coolant from the cooling system associated with the first engine and a second coolant outlet that is arranged to provide coolant to the cooling system.

2. The fluid circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger assembly is arranged to heat the fuel received from the second fuel tank that is provided to the second engine of the transport refrigeration unit.

3. The fluid circuit of claim 1 , the first regulator assembly defining a second fuel inlet that is arranged to receive fuel from a second fuel tank and a second fuel outlet that is arranged to provide fuel to a second engine associated with a transport refrigeration unit.

4. The fluid circuit of claim 3 , wherein the first heat exchanger is arranged to heat the fuel received from the first fuel tank that is provided to the first engine and heat the fuel received from the second fuel tank that is provided to the second engine.

5. The fluid circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid pump arranged to facilitate a fluid flow of coolant from the cooling system associated with the first engine towards at least one of the first coolant inlet and the second coolant inlet.

6. The fluid circuit of claim 5 , further comprising:
a heater arranged to heat the fluid flow of coolant from the cooling system.

7. The fluid circuit of claim 6 , further comprising:
a controller in communication with the fluid pump and the heater, the controller programmed to, while the first engine is off, operate the fluid pump and the heater, responsive to at least one of an ambient temperature being less than a threshold and an ambient humidity being greater than a threshold.

8. A method of warming a regulator assembly, comprising:
receiving a first portion of fuel through a first fuel inlet of a first regulator assembly;
receiving coolant from a cooling system associated with a first engine through a first coolant inlet of a first heat exchanger assembly associated with the first regulator assembly;
heating the fuel received through the first fuel inlet with the coolant;
directing the coolant through a first coolant outlet of the first heat exchanger assembly towards the cooling system associated with the first engine; and
providing the first portion of fuel through a first fuel outlet of the first regulator assembly to the first engine;
receiving a second portion of fuel through a second fuel inlet of the first regulator assembly;
heating the second portion of fuel received through the second fuel inlet with the coolant; and
providing the second portion of fuel through a second fuel outlet of the first regulator assembly to a second engine associated with a transport refrigeration unit.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
heating the coolant with a heater operatively connected to the cooling system.

10. A method of warming a regulator assembly, comprising:
receiving a first portion of fuel through a first fuel inlet of a first regulator assembly;
receiving coolant from a cooling system associated with a first engine through a first coolant inlet of a first heat exchanger assembly associated with the first regulator assembly;
heating the fuel received through the first fuel inlet with the coolant;
directing the coolant through a first coolant outlet of the first heat exchanger assembly towards the cooling system associated with the first engine; and
providing the first portion of fuel through a first fuel outlet of the first regulator assembly to the first engine;
receiving a second portion of fuel through a second fuel inlet of a second regulator assembly;
receiving coolant from the cooling system associated with the first engine through a second coolant inlet of a second heat exchanger assembly associated with the second regulator assembly;
heating the second portion of fuel received through the second fuel inlet with the coolant; and
providing the second portion of fuel through a second fuel outlet of the second regulator assembly to a second engine associated with a transport refrigeration unit.

Assignees

• Carrier Corp

Inventors

• Renault Loic

Classifications

• B60K15/03006

  Gas tanks (B60K15/07 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K15/01 Primary

  Arrangement of fuel conduits · CPC title

• F01P2050/30

  Circuit boards · CPC title

• B60H1/3232

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

• B60K2015/016

  Fuel conduits having more than one internal passage, e.g. for different types of fuel · CPC title