Cooling System for a Transporting Vehicle with a Plurality of Cooling Chambers

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cooling at least one chamber of a transporting vehicle for chilled products by means of a cooling unit, preferably a tank for liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide, in which there is at least one cooling intermediate circuit having a heat exchange medium, the cooling intermediate circuit having a first heat exchanger for cooling the heat exchange medium by means of the cooling unit, each chamber in each case being assigned a second heat exchanger which can be connected on the primary side to the intermediate circuit and by means of which, on the secondary side, the air in the particular chamber can be cooled. There are preferably two or more chambers, each having a second heat exchanger, wherein the cooling intermediate circuit and a heating intermediate circuit, preferably having the same heat exchange medium, are arranged and connected in such a manner that each of the second heat exchangers can be connected either to the cooling intermediate circuit or the heating intermediate circuit. The heating intermediate circuit is particularly preferably connected via heat exchangers and a mechanically or electrically driven heat pump to the cooling intermediate circuit in such a manner that heat can be withdrawn from the cooling intermediate circuit and supplied to the heating intermediate circuit. In this manner, even a plurality of cooling chambers of a transporting vehicle are to be kept at any desired different temperatures in an energy-saving manner.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for cooling a chamber of a transporting vehicle for chilled products, comprising:
 a cooling unit comprising a tank of liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide;   a cooling intermediate circuit having a heat exchange medium and a first heat exchanger, the cooling intermediate circuit being adapted to exchange heat between the heat exchange medium and the cooling unit;   a second heat exchanger operatively associated with said chamber, said second heat exchanger being connected on a primary side with said intermediate circuit and on a secondary side with air from the chamber, said second heat exchanger being adapted to cool the air from the chamber with the heat exchange medium from the cooling intermediate circuit.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the transporting vehicle has two chambers and said apparatus further comprises another cooling intermediate circuit having a heat exchange medium, another first heat exchanger, and another second heat exchanger, wherein:
 each one of the cooling intermediate circuits is adapted to exchange heat between the heat exchange medium and the cooling unit;   each one of the second heat exchangers is adapted to cool the air from a respective one of two chambers with the heat exchange medium from a respective one of the two cooling intermediate circuits.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the transporting vehicle has two chambers and said apparatus further comprises another second heat exchanger, wherein:
 the cooling intermediate circuit is adapted to exchange heat between the heat exchange medium and the cooling unit;   each one of the second heat exchangers is adapted to cool the air from a respective one of the two chambers with the heat exchange medium from a the cooling intermediate circuit.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the cooling intermediate circuit also has an associated heating system, preferably in the form of a third heat exchanger. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the transporting vehicle has at least two chambers and said apparatus further comprises another intermediate cooling circuit with a heat exchange fluid and an associated heating system, another first heat exchanger, and another second heat exchanger, wherein:
 each one of the cooling intermediate circuits is adapted to exchange heat between the heat exchange medium and the cooling unit;   each one of the second heat exchangers is adapted to cool the air from a respective one of the two chambers with the heat exchange medium from a respective one of the two cooling intermediate circuits;   each of the cooling intermediate circuits and respective heating intermediate circuit, preferably having the same heat exchange medium, is arranged and connected in such a manner that each of the second heat exchangers can be connected either to the respective cooling intermediate circuit or to the respective heating intermediate circuit.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein each one of the heating intermediate circuit is connected via heat exchangers and a mechanically or electrically driven heat pump to the respective cooling intermediate circuit in such a manner that heat can be withdrawn from the respective cooling intermediate circuit and supplied to the heating intermediate circuit. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the transporting vehicle has at least two chambers and said apparatus further comprises another second heat exchanger, wherein:
 each one of the second heat exchangers is adapted to cool the air from a respective one of the two chambers with the heat exchange medium from the two cooling intermediate circuits;   the cooling intermediate circuit and associated heating intermediate circuit, preferably having the same heat exchange medium, are arranged and connected in such a manner that each of the second heat exchangers can be connected either to the cooling intermediate circuit or to the associated heating intermediate circuit.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the heating intermediate circuit is connected via heat exchangers and a mechanically or electrically driven heat pump to the cooling intermediate circuit in such a manner that heat can be withdrawn from the cooling intermediate circuit and supplied to the heating intermediate circuit. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the cooling intermediate circuit and the heating intermediate circuit are routed as far as an end region of the transporting vehicle and are provided with couplings in such a manner that each of the cooling intermediate and heating intermediate circuits can be opened and extended to a trailer having further chambers. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a temperature-regulating device adapted to be connected to the chamber, wherein:
 the temperature-regulating device is adapted to, when cooling is required, connect the primary side of the second heat exchanger to the cooling intermediate circuit; and   the temperature-regulating device is further adapted to, when heating is required, connect the primary side of the second heat exchanger to the heating intermediate circuit.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising a liquid nitrogen sprayer adapted to spray liquid nitrogen from the tank into the chamber. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the heating intermediate circuit is connected via heat exchangers and a mechanically or electrically driven heat pump to the cooling intermediate circuit in such a manner that heat can be withdrawn from the cooling intermediate circuit and supplied to the heating intermediate circuit 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the cooling intermediate circuit and the heating intermediate circuit have separate temperature-regulating circuits, the temperature-regulating circuit of the heating intermediate circuit comprising the heat pump while the temperature-regulating circuit of the cooling intermediate circuit comprises the first heat exchanger. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the tank and the first heat exchanger are adapted to be fitted as a unit to or below the transporting vehicle. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the second heat exchanger has an additional primary circuit, in particular designed as a third cooling coil which can be connected via an inlet valve directly to the tank and via an outlet valve to a steam outlet for the additional primary circuit. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein the valve is arranged in an end-side control panel. 
     
     
         34 . A method for setting a desired temperature in a chamber of a transporting vehicle for chilled products, wherein a cooling unit comprising a tank of liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide, comprising the steps of:
 cooling a heat exchange medium through heat exchange with the liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide at a first heat exchanger in an intermediate cooling circuit;   cooling air in the chamber through heat exchange with the heat exchange medium at a second heat exchanger.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the transporting vehicle has an additional chamber;   the intermediate cooling circuit and the chamber are associated with an intermediate heating circuit that is adapted to heat a heat exchange medium;   another intermediate cooling circuit is adapted to cool heat exchange medium through heat exchange with the liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide at another first heat exchanger and is further adapted to cool air in the additional chamber through heat exchange with the heat exchanger medium of the other intermediate cooling circuit at another second heat exchanger of the other intermediate cooling circuit;   the other intermediate cooling circuit and additional chamber are associated with another intermediate heating circuit that is adapted to heat a heat exchange medium;   identical or different desired temperatures may be set in the two chambers by connecting the second heat exchangers of the two chambers with either a respective one of the intermediate cooling circuits or with a respective one of the intermediate heating circuits, depending on whether the chamber temperature at issue is to be cooled or heated.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein air in the chamber may be heated through heat exchange with a heat exchange medium at the second heat exchanger and the heat exchange medium is heated with an intermediate heating circuit. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein an electrically or mechanically driven heat pump is connected between the intermediate circuit and the heating intermediate circuit, the heat pump withdrawing heat from the cooling intermediate circuit and supplying it to the heating intermediate circuit. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the second heat exchanger of a chamber is connected in each case on a primary side thereof, via valves, with either the intermediate cooling circuit or the intermediate heating circuit; and   the chamber temperature is regulated by the quantity of chambers air circulated through a secondary side of the second heat exchanger.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein:
 the heat pump is used to regulate a temperature in the intermediate heating circuit; and   a temperature of the intermediate cooling circuit is regulated by the degree of cooling supplied to a primary side to the first heat exchanger.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein a temperature of the intermediate cooling circuit is regulated by the quantity of liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide supplied to the primary side of the heat exchanger per unit of time. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein excess heat or cold which cannot be exchanged between the heating intermediate circuit and the cooling intermediate circuit by the heat pump is removed via an equalizing heat exchanger.