A refrigerator cooling system and method provides cooling to one or more features of a refrigerator by employing a secondary cooling loop that utilizes the excess cooling capacity of an evaporator to selectively provide supplemental cooling to the features when a thermal demand arises.

A refrigerator as disclosed herein may include a refrigerator body having a freezing compartment and a refrigeration compartment, a cooling circuit including a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator to cool the freezing compartment and the refrigeration compartment using a first refrigerant, and a thermosyphon that includes a pipe for a second refrigerant to flow. The pipe may have a first section having a first prescribed shape for condensing refrigerant and a second section having a second prescribed shape for vaporizing refrigerant. A valve may be provided at the pipe to operate the thermosyphon. The cooling circuit and the thermosyphon may be operated independently. The thermosyphon may provide auxiliary cooling for the refrigeration chamber when the cooling circuit is not operational.

A refrigerator may include: a body including an upper wall, a compartment in the body, a door to open or close the compartment, a thermoelectric element on the upper wall and including: a heating portion which generates heat and faces upward and a cooling portion which absorbs heat and faces downward, a cooling sink including a base contacting the cooling portion, and fins protruding from the base perpendicular to a lower surface of the base and extending parallel to the lower surface of the base so that the cooling sink is cooled by the cooling portion, a fan on the upper wall to blow air toward the fins so that the air is cooled, and a duct on the upper wall to guide the air into the compartment.

A thermal storage container is coupled to a pump for circulating cooled liquid from the thermal storage container in at least one of two circuits. One circuit includes a heat exchanger coupled to the fresh food evaporator for assisting in cooling the fresh food section of the refrigerator or for chilling the liquid. Another circuit includes a sub-cooler between the condenser and the evaporator for cooling the output from the condenser before entering the evaporator, hereby increasing the efficiency of the system. A three-way valve is coupled from the output pump to couple the stored coolant selectively to one or the other or both of the coolant circuits.

A refrigerator includes a secondary cooling path for circulating liquid coolant through the refrigerator wherein the liquid coolant is cooled by the freezer compartment and wherein the liquid coolant cools the ice maker and the ice bin as the liquid coolant circulates through the secondary cooling path. A pump is positioned along the secondary cooling path for pumping the liquid coolant through the secondary cooling path. A tube having a first end proximate the pump and an opposite end exposed to atmosphere may control suction pressure associated with the pump. The refrigerator reduces frost build up through configuration of the secondary cooling path or performing ice harvesting operations which melt frost. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating hot liquid. The secondary cooling path may be used to provide for circulating liquid coolant during a power outage.

A refrigerator cooling system and method provides cooling to one or more features of a refrigerator by employing a secondary cooling loop that utilizes the excess cooling capacity of an evaporator to selectively provide supplemental cooling to the features when a thermal demand arises.

A method for controlling a refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, when the temperature of a freezing chamber is in a satisfactory temperature range, and a deep-freezing chamber mode is turned on such that a deep-freezing chamber cooling operation is being performed, the refrigerator is controlled to perform a cold air sagging prevention operation in which a fan of the freezing chamber repeatedly starts and stops at regular intervals.

A refrigerator includes a main body defining a first cooling space, a door configured to open and close the first cooling space of the main body, a first heat pump module disposed in the main body and configured to cool the first cooling space, an independent refrigerator that is detachably disposed in the first cooling space and defines a second cooling space separate from the first cooling space, a second heat pump module disposed in the independent refrigerator and configured to cool the second cooling space of the independent refrigerator, a main body power supply part that is disposed in the main body and configured to supply power, and an independent power supply part disposed in the independent refrigerator.

The present invention relates to a refrigerator having a separate deep-freezing space which is partitioned inside a storage space of the refrigerator. Provided is a refrigerator having a flow path which allows cold air to circulate inside a deep-freezing chamber. According to an embodiment disclosed in the present document, a flow path portion is formed on one part of the inner surface of the housing which forms the inner space of the deep-freezing chamber. The flow path portion is formed in a stepped shape on the inner surface of the housing.

A portable refrigerator is configured to be accommodated in a first cooling space of a main refrigerator and defines a second cooling space independent of the first cooling space. The portable refrigerator includes a case that defines an opening, a drawer configured to be inserted into and drawn out from the case through the opening of the case and configured to, based on being inserted into the case, cover the opening and the second cooling space, a temperature control part configured to control a temperature of the second cooling space, a power supply configured to be selectively connected to external power or indirect power, where the indirect power is supplied through the main refrigerator.