Higher efficiency appliance employing thermal load shifting in refrigerators having vertical mullion
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F25D-013/02
F25D-011/02
F25B-005/00
F25D-017/00
F25B-039/02
F25B-005/02
F25D-011/00
F25D-023/06
출원번호
US-0279421
(2011-10-24)
등록번호
US-9103569
(2015-08-11)
발명자
/ 주소
Cur, Nihat
Kuehl, Steven J.
Litch, Andrew D.
Lopes, Luiz Antonio D.
Wu, Guolian
출원인 / 주소
Whirlpool Corporation
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
2인용 특허 :
12
초록▼
An appliance includes a cabinet; a first compartment; and a second compartment. The first compartment and the second compartment are separated by a vertical mullion. The cabinet also typically includes a coolant system that has: a single compressor for regulating a temperature of the first compartme
An appliance includes a cabinet; a first compartment; and a second compartment. The first compartment and the second compartment are separated by a vertical mullion. The cabinet also typically includes a coolant system that has: a single compressor for regulating a temperature of the first compartment and a temperature of the second compartment operably connected to at least one evaporator; a shared coolant fluid connection system; and a coolant fluid spaced within the shared coolant fluid connection system used to regulate both the temperature of the first compartment and the second compartment. The compressor can provide the shared coolant at at least two different pressures to at least one evaporator using the shared coolant fluid connection circuit. The ratio of the substantially steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the substantially steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is about 0.65:1 or greater.
대표청구항▼
1. An appliance comprising: a cabinet having an internal volume and comprising a first compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet and operating at a first compartment evaporating pressure and a second compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet and operating
1. An appliance comprising: a cabinet having an internal volume and comprising a first compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet and operating at a first compartment evaporating pressure and a second compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet and operating at a second compartment evaporating pressure where the first compartment and the second compartment within the cabinet are separated by a vertical mullion to form the first compartment and the second compartment within the cabinet and wherein each compartment has at least one access door that only accesses that compartment and the overall cabinet has a steady state total heat gain and the first compartment has a first compartment steady state heat gain and wherein the first compartment evaporating pressure is higher than the second compartment evaporating pressure;a coolant system comprising: a single compressor operably connected to at least one evaporator where the single compressor is the only compressor associated with the appliance for regulating the evaporating pressure and a temperature of the first compartment and the evaporating pressure and a temperature of the second compartment;a shared coolant fluid connection system that interconnects at least the single compressor and at least one evaporator;a coolant fluid spaced within the shared coolant fluid connection system used to regulate both the temperature of the first compartment and the second compartment; andwherein the compressor provides the shared coolant at at least two different pressures to at least one evaporator using the shared coolant fluid connection circuit;wherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is about 0.50:1 or greater. 2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the internal volume of the second compartment to the internal volume of the cabinet is 0.37:1 or greater. 3. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the single compressor is a variable capacity compressor. 4. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the single compressor is a variable capacity compressor. 5. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the single, variable capacity compressor has a larger than 3 to 1 capacity modulation. 6. The appliance of claim 4 further comprising: a first evaporator associated with the first compartment; anda second evaporator associated with the second compartment wherein the first evaporator and the second evaporator are both operably coupled to the shared coolant fluid connection system and the single compressor and wherein the single compressor and the first and second evaporators form two parallel refrigeration circuits that share coolant and provide a flow of coolant fluid to the first and second evaporators such that the two refrigeration circuits provide the first evaporator and the second evaporator with adjustable load capacities. 7. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the single compressor has a single suction port and the flow of coolant is provided in a non-simultaneous manner to the first and second evaporators. 8. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the single compressor is a linear compressor that has at least two suction ports and the flow of coolant is capable of being provided to the first evaporator and the second evaporator in a manner chosen from the group consisting of: a simultaneous manner, a non-simultaneous manner, and both a simultaneous manner and non-simultaneous manner. 9. The appliance of claim 6 further comprising a thermal storage material engaged with and operably connected to the first evaporator. 10. The appliance of claim 7 further comprising a thermal storage material engaged with and operably connected to the first evaporator. 11. The appliance of claim 8 further comprising a thermal storage material engaged with and operably connected to the first evaporator. 12. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the thermal storage material is a phase changing thermal storage material engaged with the first evaporator. 13. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the single compressor has only two speeds, one that delivers a first cooling capacity and one that delivers a second cooling capacity wherein the first cooling capacity is higher than the second cooling capacity. 14. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is 0.65:1 or greater. 15. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is 0.80:1 or greater. 16. The appliance of claim 15, wherein the single compressor is a variable capacity compressor. 17. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is 0.80:1 or greater. 18. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is 0.80:1 or greater. 19. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the single linear, variable capacity compressor has a larger than 3 to 1 capacity modulation. 20. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is 0.52:1 or greater. 21. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is 0.52:1 or greater. 22. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is 0.52:1 or greater. 23. An appliance comprising: a cabinet having an internal volume and comprising a first compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet and a second compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet where the first compartment and the second compartment are separated by a vertical mullion to form the first compartment and the second compartment within the cabinet and wherein each compartment has at least one access door that only accesses that compartment and the overall cabinet has a steady state total heat gain and the first compartment has a first compartment steady state heat gain;a first evaporator associated with the first compartment wherein the first evaporator operates at a first pressure level;a second evaporator associated with the second compartment wherein the second evaporator operates at a second pressure level, which is a different pressure level than the first pressure level and the first compartment has a higher evaporating pressure than the second compartment;a single compressor operably connected to the first evaporator and the second evaporator wherein the single compressor is the only compressor associated with the appliance for regulating the temperature of the first compartment and the temperature of the second compartment;wherein the single compressor and the first and second evaporators form two refrigeration circuits that provide a flow of coolant to the first and second evaporators such that the two refrigeration circuits provide the first evaporator and the second evaporator with adjustable load capacities; andwherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is 0.50:1 or greater. 24. An appliance comprising: a cabinet having an internal volume and comprising a first compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet and a second compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet where the first compartment and the second compartment within the cabinet are separated by a vertical mullion to form the first compartment and the second compartment within the cabinet and wherein each compartment has at least one access door that only accesses that compartment and the overall cabinet has a steady state total heat gain and the first compartment has a first compartment steady state heat gain;a coolant system comprising: a single compressor operably connected to at least one evaporator where the single compressor is the only compressor associated with the appliance for regulating a temperature of the first compartment and a temperature of the second compartment;a shared coolant fluid connection system that interconnects at least the single compressor and at least one evaporator;a coolant fluid spaced within the shared coolant fluid connection system used to regulate both the temperature of the first compartment and the second compartment; andwherein the coolant system has at least two modes, a first mode and a second mode wherein the compressor provides the shared coolant at a first pressure level to at least one evaporator using the shared coolant fluid connection circuit in the first mode and the compressor provides the shared coolant at a second pressure level, which is different than the first pressure level, to at least one evaporator using the shared coolant fluid connection circuit in the second mode;wherein the ratio of the steady state heat gain for the first compartment to the steady state total heat gain for the overall cabinet is about 0.50:1 or greater. 25. The appliance of claim 24, wherein the ratio of the internal volume of the second compartment to the internal volume of the cabinet is 0.37:1 or greater. 26. A method for improving the efficiency of an appliance comprising the steps of: providing an appliance that comprises: a cabinet having an internal volume that includes a first compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet and a second compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet wherein the first and second compartments are separated by a vertically oriented mullion to form the first compartment and the second compartment within the cabinet and wherein each compartment has at least one access door that only accesses that compartment and the overall cabinet has a substantially steady state total heat gain and the first compartment has a first compartment steady state heat gain;a coolant system comprising: a single compressor operably connected to at least one evaporator where the single compressor is the only compressor associated with the appliance for regulating a temperature of the first compartment and a temperature of the second compartment;a shared coolant fluid connection system that interconnects at least the single compressor and at least one evaporator;a coolant fluid spaced within the shared coolant fluid connection system used to regulate both the temperature of the first compartment and the second compartment; andwherein the compressor provides the shared coolant at at least two different pressures to at least one evaporator using the shared coolant fluid connection circuit; andshifting the overall thermal load of the appliance such that at least 50% of the total steady state heat gain of the overall cabinet is gained by the refrigeration compartment and thereby increasing the overall coefficient of performance of the appliance. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the cabinet has a size defined by the exterior of the cabinet and an internal volume and an overall thermal load and comprising a refrigeration compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet and a freezer compartment having an internal volume spaced within the cabinet where the refrigeration compartment and the freezer compartment are separated by a vertical mullion to form the refrigeration compartment and the freezer compartment within the cabinet and wherein each compartment has at least one access door that only accesses that compartment and the overall cabinet has a steady state total heat gain and the refrigeration compartment has a refrigeration compartment steady state heat gain; a first evaporator associated with the first compartment wherein the first evaporator operates at a first pressure level corresponding to an above freezing condition in the first compartment;a second evaporator associated with the second compartment wherein the second evaporator operates at a second pressure level, which is a different pressure level than the first pressure level and corresponding to a below freeing condition in the second compartment;the first evaporator and the second evaporator such that the two refrigeration circuits provide the first evaporator and the second evaporator with adjustable load capacities and the single compressor is the only compressor associated with the appliance for regulating the temperature of the first compartment and the temperature of the second compartment; andwherein the single compressor and the first and second evaporators form two refrigeration circuits that provide a flow of coolant to the first and second evaporators; andwherein the ratio of the internal volume of the second compartment to the internal volume of the cabinet is about 0.35:1 or greater. 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the single compressor has a single suction port and the flow of coolant is provided in a non-simultaneous manner to the first and second evaporators. 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the single compressor has at least two suction ports and the flow of coolant is capable of being provided to the first evaporator and the second evaporator in a manner chosen from the group consisting of: a simultaneous manner, a non-simultaneous manner, and both a simultaneous manner and a non-simultaneous manner. 30. The method of claim 26, wherein the ratio of the internal volume of the second compartment to the internal volume of the cabinet is 0.37:1 or greater and the step of shifting the overall thermal load of the appliance comprises at least one step chosen from the group consisting of increasing the overall insulating capacity of the walls surrounding the freezer compartment, increasing the internal volume of the refrigeration compartment without increasing the size of the cabinet, and reducing the internal volume of the freezer compartment.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (12)
Kopko William Leslie, Control system for a refrigerator with two evaporating temperatures.
Cur Nihat O. (Royalton Township ; Berrien County MI) Kuehl Steven J. (Lincoln Township ; Berrien County MI) Khanpara Jatin C. (St. Joseph Township ; Berrien County MI) LeClear Douglas D. (St. Joseph , Dual evaporator refrigerator with non-simultaneous evaporator.
Cur Nihat O. (Royalton Township ; Berrien County MI) Kuehl Steven J. (Lincoln Township ; Berrien County MI) Sunshine Richard A. (City of Granger IN), Energy efficient insulation system for refrigerator/freezer.
Cur Nihat O. (Royalton Township ; Berrien County MI) Kuehl Steven J. (Lincoln Township ; Berrien County MI) LeClear Douglas D. (St. Joseph Township ; Berrien County MI) Chen Kenneth P. (Benton Harbor, Multi-temperature evaporator refrigerator system with variable speed compressor.
Park Brian V. (Austin TX) Smith ; Jr. Malcolm C. (La Porte TX) McGrath Ralph D. (Granville OH) Gilley Michael D. (Rowlett TX) Criscuolo Lance (Dallas TX) Nelson John L. (Garland TX), Thermoelectric refrigerator.
Wilson Raymond G. (Lincoln Township ; Berrien County MI) Frohbieter Edwin H. (Lincoln Township ; Berrien County MI), Variable capacity binary refrigerant refrigeration apparatus.
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