Independent Auxiliary Thermosiphon For Inexpensively Extending Active Cooling To Additional Freezer Interior Walls

Abstract

An auxiliary thermosiphon has an auxiliary refrigerant conduit with an auxiliary evaporation segment in thermally conductive connection to an interior wall of the freezer. The auxiliary refrigerant conduit contains an auxiliary refrigerant that is isolated from the primary refrigerant of the primary cooling apparatus. The auxiliary refrigerant conduit also extends upward to an auxiliary condensation segment of the auxiliary refrigerant conduit at an elevation above the auxiliary evaporation segment. A thermal bridge is in physical thermal contact with the auxiliary condensation segment and in physical thermal contact with a portion of a primary evaporation segment of the primary refrigeration apparatus. Heat is transported through the thermal bridge from the auxiliary thermosiphon to the primary refrigerant conduit and consequently to the primary refrigeration apparatus for removal from the freezer.

Claims

1. A freezer having a freezer cabinet with interior walls surrounding a cooling space and a primary cooling apparatus that includes a primary cooler and a primary refrigerant conduit containing a primary refrigerant, the primary refrigerant conduit having a primary condensation segment at the primary cooler and a primary evaporation segment, some of the primary evaporation segment being in thermally conductive connection to at least some of the interior walls for transporting heat from the interior walls to the primary cooler, the freezer further comprising: (a) an auxiliary thermosiphon that includes an auxiliary refrigerant conduit having an auxiliary evaporation segment in thermally conductive connection to an interior wall of the freezer cabinet, the auxiliary thermosiphon containing an auxiliary refrigerant that is isolated from the primary refrigerant, the auxiliary refrigerant conduit also extending upward to an auxiliary condensation segment at an elevation above the auxiliary evaporation segment; and (b) a thermal bridge in thermal physical contact with the auxiliary condensation segment and in physical contact with a portion of the primary evaporation segment for transporting heat through the thermal bridge from the auxiliary thermosiphon to the primary refrigerant conduit.

2. A freezer in accordance with claim 1 wherein the thermal bridge more particularly comprises: (a) a central thermal conductor having at least one heat accepting groove, each heat accepting groove having a cross sectional configuration that mates with at least a portion of the exterior cross sectional configuration of the auxiliary condensation segment of the auxiliary refrigerant conduit and also having at least one heat rejecting groove, each heat rejecting groove having a cross sectional configuration that mates with at least a portion of the exterior cross sectional configuration of the primary evaporation segment of the primary refrigerant conduit; (b) the central thermal conductor and the refrigerant conduits being assembled with at least a portion of the auxiliary condensation segment lying along the heat accepting groove and at least a portion of the primary evaporation segment lying along the heat rejecting groove; and (c) at least one strap in tension surrounding and clamping together the assembled refrigerant conduits and central thermal conductor.

3. A freezer in accordance with claim 2 wherein the auxiliary thermosiphon conduit has closed opposite ends that form the auxiliary condensation segment, wherein the central thermal conductor has a second said heat accepting groove and the closed opposite ends are assembled in the heat accepting grooves, wherein the central thermal conductor has a second said heat rejecting groove and each of the heat rejecting grooves contains a portion of the primary evaporation segment of the primary refrigerant conduit and wherein the assembled refrigerant conduits are surrounded and clamped together by multiples of said strap.

4. A freezer in accordance with claim 2 wherein the auxiliary evaporation segment of the auxiliary thermosiphon is in thermally conductive connection to a top interior wall of the freezer cabinet.

5. A freezer in accordance with claim 2 wherein the auxiliary evaporation segment of the auxiliary thermosiphon is in thermally conductive connection to a bottom interior wall of the freezer cabinet.

6. A freezer in accordance with claim 2 wherein the auxiliary evaporation segment of the auxiliary thermosiphon is in thermally conductive connection to a door interior wall of the freezer cabinet.

7. A freezer in accordance with claim 2 wherein the auxiliary evaporation segment of the auxiliary thermosiphon is mounted in thermally conductive connection to an interior wall by thermally conductive mounting brackets attached to the auxiliary evaporation segment and attached to the interior wall, the mounting brackets having spatially varying heights and are arranged and distributed on the interior wall in a configuration supporting the auxiliary evaporation segment inclined to a horizontal plane and continuously rising from its lowest elevation upwardly to the thermal bridge.

8. A freezer in accordance with claim 2 wherein the auxiliary refrigerant conduit is charged to a pressure that locates the vapor-liquid equilibrium temperature of the auxiliary refrigerant at a selected operating temperature of the freezer.

9. A thermal bridge for transferring heat from a relatively warmer body to a relatively cooler body and comprising: (a) one or more heat rejecting tubes in thermal connection to the relatively warmer body and one or more heat accepting tubes in thermal connection to the relatively cooler body; (b) a central thermal conductor having one or more outwardly opening heat accepting grooves, each heat accepting groove having a cross sectional configuration that mates with the exterior cross sectional configuration of each heat rejecting tube, the central thermal conductor also having one or more heat rejecting grooves, each heat rejecting groove having a cross sectional configuration that mates with the exterior cross sectional configuration of each heat accepting tube, the central thermal conductor and the tubes being assembled with each heat rejecting tube lying along a heat accepting groove and each heat accepting tube lying along a heat rejecting groove; and (c) one or more straps in tension and surrounding and clamping together the assembled tubes against the central thermal conductor.

10. A freezer in accordance with claim 9 wherein the central thermal conductor has multiple said heat accepting grooves, multiple said heat rejecting grooves, multiple heat rejecting tubes and multiple heat accepting tubes and wherein the heat accepting grooves and the heat rejecting grooves alternate around the periphery of the central thermal conductor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the exterior of a typical ultra-low temperature freezer embodying the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the ultra-low temperature freezer of FIG. 1 but with the exterior housing and adjacent insulation removed to reveal the interior walls, which form the interior liner of its cabinet and also revealing the primary cooling apparatus and the auxiliary thermosiphon of the invention.

[0020] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the structures illustrated in FIG. 2 showing more detail of the thermal bridge that connects the primary cooling apparatus to the auxiliary thermosiphon of the invention.

[0021] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the structures illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0022] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4.

[0023] FIG. 6 is a view in section taken along the line A-A in FIG. 5.

[0024] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line A-A in FIG. 5 showing a segment of the embodiment illustrated as in FIGS. 2-6 and showing in detail the mounting brackets used to thermally connect the auxiliary thermosiphon to a horizontal interior wall of the freezer cabinet in a manner to maintain the thermosiphon in a properly inclined orientation.

[0025] FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the central thermal conductor of the thermal bridge of the invention.

[0026] FIG. 9 is a view in perspective of the central thermal conductor of the thermal bridge of the invention.

[0027] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line 10-10 of FIG. 5 showing the assembled thermal bridge of the invention.

[0028] FIG. 11 is a side view of the central thermal conductor of the thermal bridge of the invention.

[0029] In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Referring principally to FIGS. 2 through 6, the invention has an auxiliary thermosiphon formed by an auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26 that contains an auxiliary refrigerant. The auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26 has an auxiliary evaporation segment 28 that is mounted in a distributed, thermally conductive connection to a freezer cabinet interior wall 24 that is not in thermal connection to the primary refrigerant conduit 18. As illustrated, the auxiliary evaporation segment 28 is thermally connected to the top inner cabinet wall 24. For a typical ULT freezer, the interior wall to which a thermosiphon is thermally connected may include the interior bottom wall and/or the interior door wall or any other wall to which the primary refrigerant conduit is not connected. Preferably each different wall to which a thermosiphon of the invention is thermally connected will have its own separate auxiliary thermosiphon with its own thermal bridge.

[0031] The auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26 extends upward from the auxiliary evaporation segment 28 to an auxiliary condensation segment 30 of the auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26. The auxiliary condensation segment 30 is positioned at a higher elevation than the auxiliary evaporation segment 28. Although the ends 32 of the auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26 could be connected together to form a closed loop thermosiphon, preferably the ends 32 are more simply just sealed off after the auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26 is evacuated and a refrigerant charge is introduced.

[0032] The auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26 is connected through a thermal bridge 34 to the primary refrigerant conduit 18. The thermal bridge 34 is interposed in intimate physical contact with exterior surfaces of both the auxiliary condensation segment 30 and a portion of the primary evaporation segment 36 of the primary refrigerant conduit 18. The thermal bridge 34 forms a thermally conductive connection that transfers heat from the auxiliary thermosiphon to the primary refrigerant conduit 18 of the primary cooling apparatus. More specifically, the thermal bridge 34 transfers heat by conduction from the auxiliary condensation segment 30 through the thermal bridge 34 to the primary evaporation segment 36. In other words, evaporation in the primary refrigerant conduit 18 cools and condenses refrigerant in the auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26 and transports heat that is accepted from the auxiliary refrigerant to a primary condensation segment at or in the primary cooler 22.

[0033] Except for the physical connection through the thermal bridge, the auxiliary thermosiphon formed by the auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26 and the auxiliary refrigerant that it contains are entirely independent from the primary refrigerant conduit 18 and the primary refrigerant that it contains. There is no fluid connection between the passage through the auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26 and the passage through the primary refrigerant conduit 18. The primary refrigerant is isolated from the auxiliary refrigerant in the auxiliary thermosiphon. In fact different refrigerants could be used in each, for example refrigerants with different equilibrium temperatures.

[0034] A similar thermosiphon can also be similarly thermally connected to other interior walls, such as to an interior bottom wall of the freezer cabinet 10. Each auxiliary thermosiphon would preferably have its own thermal bridge which can be connected to the primary refrigerant conduit 18 anywhere along an evaporation segment of the primary refrigerant conduit 18. However, in order for an auxiliary conduit to function as a thermosiphon, condensation of the auxiliary refrigerant must occur at a higher elevation than evaporation of the auxiliary refrigerant so that the condensed refrigerant can flow downhill to the auxiliary evaporation segment and the evaporated refrigerant can flow uphill to the auxiliary condensation segment. Therefore, the condensation segment of each auxiliary thermosiphon must be at a higher elevation than the part of the primary evaporation segment to which the auxiliary condensation segment is connected by the thermal bridge. For that reason, it is preferred that the auxiliary condensation segment 30 be the top ends of the auxiliary refrigerant conduit 18. However, the auxiliary refrigerant conduit 18 could extend even higher but such an extension would be undesirable non-functional excess.

[0035] The structure of the preferred thermal bridge 34 is best seen in FIGS. 3 through 11. The thermal bridge 34 has a central thermal conductor 38 preferably constructed of an aluminum extrusion. Formed longitudinally along the central thermal conductor 38 are at least one and preferably two heat accepting grooves 40. Each heat accepting groove 40 has a cross sectional configuration that mates with at least a portion of the exterior cross sectional configuration of the auxiliary condensation segment 30 of the auxiliary refrigerant conduit 26. Also formed longitudinally along the central thermal conductor 38 are at least one and preferably two heat rejecting grooves 42. Each heat rejecting groove 42 has a cross sectional configuration that mates with at least a portion of the exterior cross sectional configuration of the primary evaporation segment 36 of the primary refrigerant conduit 18. The mating surfaces improve the physical contact and therefore the heat conduction between the respective refrigerant conduits 18, 26 and the central thermal conductor 38. Preferably the longitudinal grooves 40 and 42 are parallel and on diametrically opposite sides of the central thermal conductor 38 and alternate around the circumference between heat accepting grooves and heat rejecting grooves.

[0036] The central thermal conductor 38 and the refrigerant conduits 18, 26 are assembled with the auxiliary condensation segments 30 lying along the heat accepting grooves 40 and a portion of the primary evaporation segment 36 lying along the heat rejecting grooves 42. At least one and preferably multiple straps 44 surround and are pulled in tension so they tightly clamp together the assembled refrigerant conduits 18, 26 and central thermal conductor 38. The straps 44 do not need to be thermally conducting but it is desirable that they are. The straps force the refrigerant conduits 18, 26 into highly thermally conductive contact with the central thermal conductor 38. For example high tensile metal strapping of the type also known as pallet packaging strapping can be pulled around the assembly, tightened with a tensioner and then held in tension by a conventional sealer. The strap may also be attached to the top interior wall 24 to provide mechanical stability.

[0037] The cost savings resulting from use of the auxiliary thermosiphon of the invention exists because the auxiliary thermosiphon can be folded or bent and otherwise fabricated separately and apart from fabrication and installation of the primary refrigerant conduit and the primary cooler. After installation of the primary refrigerant conduit, the previously fabricated auxiliary thermosiphon is installed by simple manual mechanical manipulations to install the mounting brackets and the thermal bridge.

[0038] In a thermosiphon heat flows from a low place to a high place. Not only must the auxiliary condensation segment 30 at the thermal bridge be higher than the auxiliary evaporation segment 28 but also the auxiliary evaporation segment 28 must slope gradually down from the thermal bridge in a manner that avoids low spots or traps. Therefore, mounting brackets 46 are distributed at intervals along the auxiliary evaporation segment 28 in thermal connection between the auxiliary evaporation segment 28 and the top inner wall 24. The mounting brackets 46 have graduated and spatially varying heights and are arranged so that from the thermal bridge 34 the thermosiphon always has a progressively downward flowing trajectory for liquid refrigerant that is condensed at the thermal bridge 34. The mounting brackets 46 are arranged in a configuration so they support the auxiliary evaporation segment in an orientation that is inclined to a horizontal plane and continuously rising from its lowest elevation upwardly to the thermal bridge. This arrangement provides a gentle slope so the condensed liquid refrigerant can run downhill with no traps to prevent vapor from rising uphill to the thermal bridge. The auxiliary evaporation segment 28 and its connected mounting brackets 46 can be assembled and retained against the inner cabinet wall 24 using aluminum or other thermally conductive adhesive tape, a thermal paste, a thermal adhesive or combinations of them.

[0039] The above-described thermal bridge is only one of many possible configurations for a thermal bridge that would function with the invention. Its advantage is the ease, simplicity and relative safety with which it can be installed combined with its high thermal conductivity. However, there are examples of other thermal bridges. The thermal bridge can be formed by soldering, brazing or welding the respective refrigerant conduits together preferably in a small bundle. However that configuration was found to be inconvenient because of the difficulty of supporting the refrigerant conduits in position for the bonding operation and the danger of the damaging nearby structures by the required heat source such as a torch. They could be bonded together with an adhesive compound if an adhesive with sufficient thermal conductivity were used. Of course there are also other mechanical structures that could be used.

[0040] Preferably the auxiliary refrigerant conduit is charged to a pressure that locates the vapor-liquid equilibrium temperature of the particular refrigerant at a selected operating temperature of the freezer. Because the auxiliary refrigerant conduit of the auxiliary thermosiphon and its contained refrigerant are entirely separate and independent of the primary refrigerant conduit and its refrigerant, the auxiliary refrigerant can be a different refrigerant than the primary refrigerant. Additionally, the auxiliary refrigerant can be charged in the auxiliary thermosiphon to a pressure that locates the vapor-liquid equilibrium temperature of the auxiliary refrigerant at a different temperature than the vapor equilibrium temperature of the primary refrigerant.

[0041] During operation, the primary cooling apparatus provides a cold sink for the auxiliary thermosiphon's auxiliary condensation segment 30 through the thermal bridge 34. The auxiliary thermosiphon's auxiliary evaporation segment 28 that is attached to the top wall of the inner liner receives a downward flow of liquid refrigerant that was condensed at the auxiliary thermosiphon's auxiliary condensation segment 30 connected to the thermal bridge 34. The downward slope of the auxiliary thermosiphon needs to be only a few degrees in order to encourage the liquid flow to all parts of the auxiliary evaporator section. Because the refrigerant is near or at two-phase equilibrium, the auxiliary thermosiphon is essentially isothermal and provides a means to remove heat from (actively cool) the top part of the inner liner. In so doing, the temperature distribution within the freezer is favorably reduced. In practical tests, the auxiliary thermosiphon provided a reduction of the temperature spatial distribution of about 30%.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0042] 10 ULT freezer cabinet

[0043] 12 cabinet door

[0044] 14 cabinet door gasket

[0045] 16 cabinet top compartment

[0046] 18 primary refrigerant conduit

[0047] 20 cabinet vertical side walls

[0048] 22 primary cooler

[0049] 24 top inner cabinet wall

[0050] 26 auxiliary refrigerant conduit

[0051] 28 auxiliary evaporation segment

[0052] 30 auxiliary condensation segment

[0053] 32 ends of auxiliary refrigerant conduit

[0054] 34 thermal bridge

[0055] 36 primary evaporation segment

[0056] 38 central thermal conductor of thermal bridge

[0057] 40 heat accepting grooves of thermal bridge

[0058] 42 heat rejecting grooves of thermal bridge

[0059] 44 straps around thermal bridge

[0060] 46 mounting brackets for auxiliary refrigerant conduit

[0061] This detailed description in connection with the drawings is intended principally as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the designs, functions, means, and methods of implementing the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and features may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention and that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the invention or scope of the following claims.