Container refrigeration system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9683772-B2
Application number	US-201013496426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2010
Priority date	Sep 16, 2009
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A refrigeration apparatus controller calculates a refrigeration load of a refrigeration apparatus, and a load signal (S) containing load information indicating a magnitude of the refrigeration load is output from a communication device to an engine controller. The engine controller controls a speed of rotation of a generator engine based on the load signal (S).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A container refrigeration system comprising:
a generator engine for driving a power generator;
a refrigeration apparatus for cooling an inside of a container (C);
a refrigeration apparatus controller for controlling operation of the refrigeration apparatus, said refrigeration apparatus controller calculating a magnitude of a refrigeration load of said refrigeration apparatus as a numerical value based on at least one of the following parameters:
a difference between a temperature of refrigerant and a set temperature of refrigerant,
a value of power or current fed to an electric compressor in said refrigeration apparatus,
a difference between an evaporation temperature and a target evaporation temperature in an evaporator in said refrigeration apparatus, and
an operating frequency of the electric compressor;

a converter for converting alternating current power generated by the power generator to direct current power; and
an inverter for converting the direct current power of the converter to the alternating current power, and feeding the alternating current power to the refrigeration apparatus through a power line, wherein
the container refrigeration system includes an engine controller for controlling a speed of rotation of the generator engine by receiving from the refrigeration apparatus an information signal (S) whose content includes said magnitude of said refrigeration load of the refrigeration apparatus calculated by said refrigeration apparatus controller, and by calculating a load factor corresponding to said magnitude, said engine controller including a communication device for receiving said information signal (S) via a communication medium from a communication device in said refrigeration apparatus controller.

2. The container refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein
the engine controller includes a determination section which determines whether or not the information signal (S) containing the load information readable by the engine controller has been sent from the refrigeration apparatus controller, and
the engine controller is configured to obtain the refrigeration load by extracting the magnitude of the refrigeration load from the information signal (S) if the information signal (S) is determined to have been sent, and by estimating the refrigeration load from an output of the inverter if the information signal is determined not to have been sent, the engine controller being further configured to control the speed of rotation of the generator engine based on the obtained refrigeration load,
wherein the engine controller extracts the magnitude of the refrigeration load from the information signal (S) when the determination by the determination section indicates that the readable information signal (S) has been sent, and
wherein the engine controller estimates the refrigeration load from the output of the inverter when the determination by the determination section indicates that the readable information signal (S) has not been sent.

3. The container refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein
the engine controller is configured to activate the generator engine upon receiving a request to activate the refrigeration apparatus, and to start feeding of power to the refrigeration apparatus after a predetermined delay time has elapsed.

4. The container refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein
the refrigeration apparatus includes an electric compressor driven by an output of the inverter, and
the refrigeration apparatus controller is configured to gradually increase an operating frequency of the electric compressor after receiving a request to activate the refrigeration apparatus.

5. The container refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein
the refrigeration apparatus includes a proportional control valve for adjusting a flow rate of a refrigerant circulating in a refrigerant circuit, and
the refrigeration apparatus controller is configured to gradually increase the flow rate of the circulating refrigerant by adjusting a degree of opening of the proportional control valve after receiving a request to activate the refrigeration apparatus.

6. The container refrigeration system of claim 1 , wherein
the refrigeration apparatus includes an electric compressor driven by an output of the inverter, and
the refrigeration apparatus controller is configured to gradually reduce an operating frequency of the electric compressor when the output of the inverter exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Assignees

• Ikemiya Makoto
• Yokohara Kazuma
• Takaoka Hisaaki
• Takegami Masaaki
• Daikin Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Ikemiya Makoto
• Yokohara Kazuma
• Takaoka Hisaaki
• Takegami Masaaki

Classifications

• F25D11/003 Primary

  Transport containers · CPC title

• B60H2001/3292

  Compressor drive is electric only · CPC title

• B60H1/3232

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