US20120227418A1 - Cooling unit - Google Patents
Cooling unit Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20120227418A1 US20120227418A1 US13/413,786 US201213413786A US2012227418A1 US 20120227418 A1 US20120227418 A1 US 20120227418A1 US 201213413786 A US201213413786 A US 201213413786A US 2012227418 A1 US2012227418 A1 US 2012227418A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- refrigerant
- cooling unit
- cooling
- load
- cooled
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25B—REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F25B9/00—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point
- F25B9/002—Compression machines, plants or systems, in which the refrigerant is air or other gas of low boiling point characterised by the refrigerant
Abstract
The invention relates to a cooling unit for cooling a load having a refrigeration circuit, at least one compressor for compressing a refrigerant that circulates in the refrigeration circuit, several heat exchangers, in which the refrigerant is cooled against itself, and two expansion devices that operate at different temperature levels, in which, at least temporarily, at least one partial stream of the refrigerant is expanded to produce cold. At least one additional expansion device is provided. The latter is connected to the refrigeration circuit in such a way that the refrigerant that can be, at least temporarily, at least partially expanded in the additional expansion device to produce cold.
Description
- The invention relates to a cooling unit, comprising
-
- a refrigeration circuit,
- at least one compressor, which uses the compression of the refrigerant that circulates in the refrigeration circuit,
- several heat exchangers, in which the refrigerant is cooled against itself, and
- two expansion devices that operate at different temperature levels, in which, at least temporarily, at least one partial stream of the refrigerant is expanded to produce cold.
- The invention also relates to a method for operating a cooling unit.
- A general cooling unit as well as a general method for operating a cooling unit are known, for example, from the un-prepublished German Patent Application 102011009965.
- General cooling units are usually used for cooling or heating cryogenic loads, such as, for example, superconducting magnets, wherein the so-called Claude process is used. The cooling is normally carried out at a temperature from ambient temperature to 5 K. The Claude process is designed for a defined cooling temperature. If cooling at another temperature level is now required, such as, for example, during the controlled cooling or heating of superconducting magnets, the flow cross-sections are largely specified within the cold-generating expansion stages. This has the result that the available compressor mass flow can be used only partially in these expansion stages. During such a time period, the installed power capacity is thus available for cold generation to only a limited extent.
- To eliminate this problem, approaches were already implemented in which the non-usable compressor mass flow is cooled by means of an auxiliary refrigerant—usually liquid nitrogen—via additional heat exchangers and is tempered via a mixing section before it supports the cooling of the load. In this connection, however, it is disadvantageous that the use of the entire compressor mass flow is possible only by an additional consumption of auxiliary refrigerant.
- An object of the invention is to provide a cooling unit, as well as a method for operating a cooling unit, wherein at essentially each temperature level it is possible to use the entire compressor mass flow, without having to provide an auxiliary refrigerant.
- Upon further study of the specification and appended claims, other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent.
- To achieve these objects, a cooling unit is provided, which is characterized in that at least one additional expansion device is provided, whereby the latter is incorporated into the refrigeration circuit in such a way, after the load is cooled, that the refrigerant that circulates in the refrigeration circuit can be, at least temporarily, at least partially expanded in the additional expansion device to produce cold.
- The method according to the invention for operating a cooling unit is characterized in that the compressor mass flow is divided and sent to three expansion devices during the cooling and/or heating procedure in such a way that essentially at any time, the entire compressor mass flow serves to cool the load that is to be cooled.
- The invention is illustrated schematically with reference to an exemplary embodiment in the drawing and will be described extensively hereinafter with reference to the drawing. Various other features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:
- the FIGURE illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
- The cooling unit according to the invention, the method according to the invention for operating a cooling unit, as well as other advantageous configurations of the same are explained in more detail below based on the embodiment depicted in the FIGURE.
- The cooling unit depicted in the FIGURE has several heat exchangers HX1 to HX6, a separator D, several valves V1 to V9, as well as three expansion devices TU1 to TU3. Below, the cooling and heating procedures of a cryogenic load, which is to be cooled by means of the cooling unit according to the invention, are explained in more detail.
- At the beginning of the cooling procedure, the temperature of the cryogenic load that is to be cooled is approximately 300 K. Via the line 1, the refrigerant, compressed to the desired circulation pressure by means of a compressor (not shown), is fed to the first heat exchanger HX1. With the regulating valve V7 opened, a partial stream of the refrigerant is fed via the
line sections - Then, the expanded partial refrigerant stream flows through
line sections 22, 6 and 7, passing through heat exchangers HX4 TO HX1, before being delivered to the compressor or the compressor unit of the cooling unit according to the invention. - A partial stream of the refrigerant that is fed to the load that is to be cooled is fed via
line 13, with a regulating valve V2 opened, to the second expansion device TU2, expanded in the latter to produce cold, and then, via theline sections 14 and 15, combined with the refrigerant stream, removed from the load that is to be cooled, in line section 4′. The heat exchanger HX3 has abypass line 12, in which a regulating valve V4 is arranged. By means of the two regulating valves V2 and V4, the inlet temperature of the expansion device TU2 can be regulated. - The refrigerant stream that is not fed to the expansion device TU3 is expanded to a low pressure via the line 5, in which a regulating valve V5 is arranged, and mixed into the refrigerant stream in the line 6. As return temperature (i.e., the temperature of the stream fed to the compressor) drops, the flow through the valve V5 continually decreases until it stops entirely.
- At the same time, the first expansion device TU1 is turned on and is fed more power as return temperature drops. To this end, a portion of the compressed refrigerant stream is fed via
line 10, in which a regulating valve V1 is arranged, to the expansion device TU1. After expansion in expansion device TU1, the refrigerant is combined, vialine 11, with the refrigerant stream that is fed to the expansion device TU3. - During this cooling phase, quantitatively small partial refrigerant streams are permanently fed via the slightly opened valves V6 and V8 to the heat exchangers HX6 and HX5 in order to cool the latter simultaneously.
- By means of the previously described procedure, the load that is to be cooled can be cooled to a temperature of approximately 100 K. In order to achieve additional cooling to a temperature of approximately 30 K, the regulating valves V7 and V9 are closed, while the regulating valves V6 and V8 are further opened.
- The refrigerant that is to be fed to the load to be cooled is now divided into two partial streams. The first partial stream is delivered to the first expansion device TU1 and then fed, via the
line sections line sections - To implement the last stage of the cooling procedure—wherein, e.g., a cooling of the load to a temperature of approximately 5 K is performed—the third expansion device TU3 is throttled more and more as return temperature drops and is finally stopped. The compressor mass flow now flows to the load to be cooled exclusively via the two expansion devices TU1 and TU2, which now operate in parallel, but at different temperature levels. The refrigerant that flows back from the load that is to be cooled is expanded via V8 and sent to phase separator D. By the Joule-Thomson Effect that occurs at this temperature, it is cooled once more and partially liquefied. The liquefied refrigerant is guided over
line section 32 through the heat exchanger HX6 and evaporated therein by countercurrent heat exchange. The vapor portion from phase separator D is delivered vialine section 31 directly to the heat exchanger HX5. - During the heating procedure, the previously described course of the process is performed in reverse sequence.
- As can be seen from the previously described process, the entire compressor mass flow is completely available for cooling in each phase of the cooling and heating procedure.
- Relative to a general cooling unit, as it is described in, for example, the above-mentioned German Patent Application 102011009965, the cooling unit according to the invention has at least three additional process lines including related valves. As a result, a distribution of the remaining compressor mass flow is made possible, which makes it possible, at any point, to draw on the entire compressor mass flow for cooling the cryogenic load.
- By means of the cooling unit according to the invention or the process of using the cooling unit, the entire compressor mass flow can now be used for cold generation. The cooling unit according to the invention thus reaches a maximum level of efficiency during the operation of the cooling and heating procedures of the cryogenic load. The previously required use of an additional auxiliary refrigerant thus becomes unnecessary.
- The entire disclosure[s] of all applications, patents and publications, cited herein and of corresponding German Application No. DE 10 2011 013 345.3, filed Mar. 8, 2011 are incorporated by reference herein.
- The preceding examples can be repeated with similar success by substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and/or operating conditions of this invention for those used in the preceding examples.
Claims (4)
1. A cooling unit for cooling a load, said cooling unit comprising a refrigeration circuit, which comprises:
at least one compressor which compresses the refrigerant that circulates in the refrigeration circuit,
a plurality of heat exchangers (HX1-HX6), wherein the refrigerant is cooled against itself, and
two expansion devices (TU1, TU2) that operate at different temperature levels, in which, at least temporarily, at least one partial stream of the refrigerant is expanded to produce cold, and
at least one additional expansion device (TU3) is connected to the refrigeration circuit in such a way that the refrigerant that circulates in the refrigeration circuit, after the load is cooled, can be, at least temporarily, at least partially expanded in the additional expansion device (TU3) to produce cold.
2. A method for operating a cooling unit according to claim 1 , wherein, during the cooling and/or heating procedure, the compressor mass flow is divided into partial streams and sent to the three expansion devices (TU1, TU2, TU3) in such a way that essentially at any time, the entire compressor mass flow serves to cool the load that is to be cooled.
3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the cooling unit is used to cool a cryogenic load.
4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the cooling unit is used to cool a superconducting magnet.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE102011013345A DE102011013345A1 (en) | 2011-03-08 | 2011-03-08 | refrigeration plant |
DE102011013345.3 | 2011-03-08 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20120227418A1 true US20120227418A1 (en) | 2012-09-13 |
Family
ID=46705354
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US13/413,786 Abandoned US20120227418A1 (en) | 2011-03-08 | 2012-03-07 | Cooling unit |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20120227418A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP6032905B2 (en) |
DE (1) | DE102011013345A1 (en) |
FR (1) | FR2972521A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2013057495A (en) * | 2011-09-08 | 2013-03-28 | Linde Ag | Cold heat equipment |
US20190162802A1 (en) * | 2016-07-27 | 2019-05-30 | Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation | Bulk magnet structure and bulk magnet system for nmr |
Citations (20)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3060699A (en) * | 1959-10-01 | 1962-10-30 | Alco Valve Co | Condenser pressure regulating system |
US3194025A (en) * | 1963-01-14 | 1965-07-13 | Phillips Petroleum Co | Gas liquefactions by multiple expansion refrigeration |
US3360955A (en) * | 1965-08-23 | 1968-01-02 | Carroll E. Witter | Helium fluid refrigerator |
US3371500A (en) * | 1966-05-13 | 1968-03-05 | Trane Co | Refrigeration system starting |
US3389565A (en) * | 1964-04-29 | 1968-06-25 | Sulzer Ag | Process for liquefaction of helium by expansion |
US3581511A (en) * | 1969-07-15 | 1971-06-01 | Inst Gas Technology | Liquefaction of natural gas using separated pure components as refrigerants |
US3611740A (en) * | 1968-12-19 | 1971-10-12 | Sulzer Ag | Process for cooling a consumer consisting of a partly stabilized superconductive magnet |
US3702063A (en) * | 1968-11-04 | 1972-11-07 | Linde Ag | Refrigeration cycle for the aliquefaction of natural gas |
US3818714A (en) * | 1971-03-04 | 1974-06-25 | Linde Ag | Process for the liquefaction and subcooling of natural gas |
US3878691A (en) * | 1973-02-20 | 1975-04-22 | Linde Ag | Method and apparatus for the cooling of an object |
US4267701A (en) * | 1979-11-09 | 1981-05-19 | Helix Technology Corporation | Helium liquefaction plant |
US4765813A (en) * | 1987-01-07 | 1988-08-23 | Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. | Hydrogen liquefaction using a dense fluid expander and neon as a precoolant refrigerant |
US5144806A (en) * | 1990-05-31 | 1992-09-08 | Linde Aktiengesellschaft | Process for the liquefaction of gases |
JPH0545050A (en) * | 1991-08-09 | 1993-02-23 | Nippon Sanso Kk | Method for liquefying permanent gas using cryogenic cold of liquefied natural gas |
US5347819A (en) * | 1992-11-05 | 1994-09-20 | Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. | Method and apparatus for manufacturing superfluidity helium |
US5430423A (en) * | 1994-02-25 | 1995-07-04 | General Electric Company | Superconducting magnet having a retractable cryocooler sleeve assembly |
US6170290B1 (en) * | 1998-03-02 | 2001-01-09 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Refrigeration process and plant using a thermal cycle of a fluid having a low boiling point |
US6748753B2 (en) * | 2002-02-27 | 2004-06-15 | Denso Corporation | Air conditioner |
US7409834B1 (en) * | 2005-03-10 | 2008-08-12 | Jefferson Science Associates Llc | Helium process cycle |
US7540171B2 (en) * | 2004-11-15 | 2009-06-02 | Mayekawa Mfg. Co., Ltd. | Cryogenic liquefying/refrigerating method and system |
Family Cites Families (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPH0686963B2 (en) * | 1989-08-22 | 1994-11-02 | 超電導発電関連機器・材料技術研究組合 | Device for removing hydrogen etc. in the helium freeze liquefaction system |
JPH03247965A (en) * | 1990-02-26 | 1991-11-06 | Hitachi Ltd | Helium refrigerating plant |
JP2873388B2 (en) * | 1990-05-15 | 1999-03-24 | 日本酸素株式会社 | Refrigerator and method for adjusting refrigeration capacity |
JPH04359760A (en) * | 1991-06-04 | 1992-12-14 | Hitachi Ltd | Helium freezer |
JPH06101919A (en) * | 1992-09-18 | 1994-04-12 | Hitachi Ltd | Cryogenic freezing apparatus |
DE102007005098A1 (en) * | 2007-02-01 | 2008-08-07 | Linde Ag | Method for operating a refrigeration cycle |
FR2924205B1 (en) * | 2007-11-23 | 2013-08-16 | Air Liquide | CRYOGENIC REFRIGERATION DEVICE AND METHOD |
JP5688784B2 (en) * | 2008-07-31 | 2015-03-25 | 千代田化工建設株式会社 | Heating module |
DE102011009965A1 (en) | 2011-02-01 | 2012-08-02 | Linde Aktiengesellschaft | Method for operating refrigeration circuit, involves temporarily varying flow rates of cooling medium so that partial streams of cooling medium are branched from main stream of cooling medium and are expanded |
-
2011
- 2011-03-08 DE DE102011013345A patent/DE102011013345A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2012
- 2012-03-07 US US13/413,786 patent/US20120227418A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2012-03-07 FR FR1252057A patent/FR2972521A1/en active Pending
- 2012-03-08 JP JP2012051290A patent/JP6032905B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (20)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3060699A (en) * | 1959-10-01 | 1962-10-30 | Alco Valve Co | Condenser pressure regulating system |
US3194025A (en) * | 1963-01-14 | 1965-07-13 | Phillips Petroleum Co | Gas liquefactions by multiple expansion refrigeration |
US3389565A (en) * | 1964-04-29 | 1968-06-25 | Sulzer Ag | Process for liquefaction of helium by expansion |
US3360955A (en) * | 1965-08-23 | 1968-01-02 | Carroll E. Witter | Helium fluid refrigerator |
US3371500A (en) * | 1966-05-13 | 1968-03-05 | Trane Co | Refrigeration system starting |
US3702063A (en) * | 1968-11-04 | 1972-11-07 | Linde Ag | Refrigeration cycle for the aliquefaction of natural gas |
US3611740A (en) * | 1968-12-19 | 1971-10-12 | Sulzer Ag | Process for cooling a consumer consisting of a partly stabilized superconductive magnet |
US3581511A (en) * | 1969-07-15 | 1971-06-01 | Inst Gas Technology | Liquefaction of natural gas using separated pure components as refrigerants |
US3818714A (en) * | 1971-03-04 | 1974-06-25 | Linde Ag | Process for the liquefaction and subcooling of natural gas |
US3878691A (en) * | 1973-02-20 | 1975-04-22 | Linde Ag | Method and apparatus for the cooling of an object |
US4267701A (en) * | 1979-11-09 | 1981-05-19 | Helix Technology Corporation | Helium liquefaction plant |
US4765813A (en) * | 1987-01-07 | 1988-08-23 | Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. | Hydrogen liquefaction using a dense fluid expander and neon as a precoolant refrigerant |
US5144806A (en) * | 1990-05-31 | 1992-09-08 | Linde Aktiengesellschaft | Process for the liquefaction of gases |
JPH0545050A (en) * | 1991-08-09 | 1993-02-23 | Nippon Sanso Kk | Method for liquefying permanent gas using cryogenic cold of liquefied natural gas |
US5347819A (en) * | 1992-11-05 | 1994-09-20 | Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Co., Ltd. | Method and apparatus for manufacturing superfluidity helium |
US5430423A (en) * | 1994-02-25 | 1995-07-04 | General Electric Company | Superconducting magnet having a retractable cryocooler sleeve assembly |
US6170290B1 (en) * | 1998-03-02 | 2001-01-09 | L'air Liquide, Societe Anonyme Pour L'etude Et L'exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude | Refrigeration process and plant using a thermal cycle of a fluid having a low boiling point |
US6748753B2 (en) * | 2002-02-27 | 2004-06-15 | Denso Corporation | Air conditioner |
US7540171B2 (en) * | 2004-11-15 | 2009-06-02 | Mayekawa Mfg. Co., Ltd. | Cryogenic liquefying/refrigerating method and system |
US7409834B1 (en) * | 2005-03-10 | 2008-08-12 | Jefferson Science Associates Llc | Helium process cycle |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2013057495A (en) * | 2011-09-08 | 2013-03-28 | Linde Ag | Cold heat equipment |
US20190162802A1 (en) * | 2016-07-27 | 2019-05-30 | Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation | Bulk magnet structure and bulk magnet system for nmr |
US10712411B2 (en) * | 2016-07-27 | 2020-07-14 | Nippon Steel Corporation | Bulk magnet structure and bulk magnet system for NMR |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2012189314A (en) | 2012-10-04 |
DE102011013345A1 (en) | 2012-09-13 |
JP6032905B2 (en) | 2016-11-30 |
FR2972521A1 (en) | 2012-09-14 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US9156333B2 (en) | System for the heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning of a vehicle, comprising at least one heat exchanger through which a heat-transfer fluid flows | |
US11635233B2 (en) | Cooling system | |
KR102124677B1 (en) | Refrigeration and/or liquefaction device and corresponding method | |
EP2554411B1 (en) | Refrigerating system for a vehicle and method of controlling a refrigerating system for a vehicle | |
CN108700349B (en) | Refrigeration device comprising a plurality of storage compartments | |
KR101789031B1 (en) | Tempering device | |
EP2751499B1 (en) | Refrigeration system and refrigeration method providing heat recovery | |
EP2649387B1 (en) | Refrigeration circuit | |
US10928107B2 (en) | Method for operating a vapour compression system with heat recovery | |
US20120227418A1 (en) | Cooling unit | |
CN113251681A (en) | Refrigeration system with a plurality of heat absorption heat exchangers | |
US10895411B2 (en) | Cooling system | |
CN114270109A (en) | Cooling and/or liquefaction system and method | |
US11268746B2 (en) | Cooling system with partly flooded low side heat exchanger | |
JPWO2018051409A1 (en) | Refrigeration cycle device | |
US10767911B2 (en) | Cooling system | |
KR101325586B1 (en) | Natural gas liquefaction system | |
US20080184722A1 (en) | Method and apparatus for a refrigeration circuit | |
US20180202712A1 (en) | Method for cooling a process flow | |
JP6176905B2 (en) | Refrigeration equipment | |
EP3564600A1 (en) | Cooling system and operation method | |
US20190056151A1 (en) | Superheat Control Scheme | |
WO2016096051A1 (en) | Refrigeration and heating system |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: LINDE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, GERMANY Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:DECKER, LUTZ;REEL/FRAME:027978/0812 Effective date: 20120323 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |