Apparatus and method for monitoring state of cryogenic freezer

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for monitoring a state of a cryogenic freezer, the apparatus and the method being capable of determining a door ajar state, a power-off state, and an abnormal state of the first and the second compressors based on temperatures sensed by first, second, and third temperature sensors respectively mounted to a front lower surface of the cryogenic freezer and refrigerant pipes adjacent to outlets of the first and the second compressors, and displaying the states through a display unit and a mobile terminal when the cryogenic freezer is in the states. The apparatus for monitoring the state of the cryogenic freezer of the present invention includes: a first temperature sensor; second and third temperature sensors; a controller; and an output unit.

1 . An apparatus for monitoring a state of a cryogenic freezer, the cryogenic freezer comprising: a first compressor compressing refrigerant into a high temperature and high pressure gaseous refrigerant; a condenser condensing the high temperature and high pressure gaseous refrigerant received from the first compressor into a low temperature and high pressure liquid refrigerant; a vapor filter connected to an outlet of the condenser and functioning to remove moisture of a refrigerant passage; a second compressor compressing a low temperature and low pressure gaseous refrigerant into a high temperature and high pressure gaseous refrigerant; a heat exchanger discharging the refrigerant to the first compressor by processing the refrigerant received from the vapor filter by heat exchange, and discharging a low temperature and high pressure liquid refrigerant by processing the refrigerant received from the second compressor by heat exchange; and an evaporator vaporizing the low temperature and high pressure liquid refrigerant received from the heat exchanger into a low temperature and low pressure gaseous refrigerant and discharging the gaseous refrigerant to the second compressor, wherein the apparatus for monitoring the state of the cryogenic freezer comprises:
 a first temperature sensor mounted to a front lower surface of the cryogenic freezer and sensing a temperature;   second and third temperature sensors respectively mounted to refrigerant pipes adjacent to outlets of the first and the second compressors and sensing temperatures of the refrigerant;   a controller detecting temperatures by using the first, the second, and the third temperature sensors, comparing the detected temperatures to first, second, and third preset values, and determining a door ajar state, a power-off state, and an abnormal state of the first and the second compressors by determining whether the detected temperatures fall within a predetermined normal temperature range, wherein when the cryogenic freezer is in at least one of the states, the controller outputs control signals corresponding to the states; and   an output unit receiving the control signals from the controller, and outputting images or voices corresponding to the signals.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the controller informs a mobile terminal of a state of the cryogenic freezer when the cryogenic freezer is in at least one of the door ajar state, the power-off state, and the abnormal state of the first and the second compressors.   
     
     
         3 . A method for monitoring a state of a cryogenic freezer using the apparatus of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 a first step of sensing temperatures of predetermined locations by the first, the second, and the third temperature sensors;   a second step of determining whether a temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor is higher than the third preset value;   a third step of determining whether a temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor is higher than the second preset value when the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor is higher than the third preset value in the second step;   a fourth step of determining whether a temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor is lower than the first preset value when the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor is higher than the second preset value in the third step; and   a fifth step of displaying a door ajar state of the freezer through the output unit and the mobile terminal when the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor is lower than the first preset value in the fourth step.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising
 a sixth step of displaying an abnormal state of the freezer through the output unit and the mobile terminal when the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor is higher than the first preset value in the fourth step.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 after the first step, a seventh step of determining whether the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range;   an eighth step of determining whether the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range when the temperature sensed by the first temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range in the seventh step;   a ninth step of determining whether the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range when the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range in the eighth step; and   a tenth step of displaying a power-off state of the freezer through the output unit and the mobile terminal when the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range in the ninth step.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein
 when the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor does not fall within the predetermined normal temperature range in the ninth step, the sixth step is implemented.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 after the first step, an eleventh step of determining whether the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range;   a twelfth step of determining whether the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range when the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range in the eleventh step; and   a thirteenth step of displaying an abnormal state of the first and the second compressors through the output unit and the mobile terminal when the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range in the twelfth step.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a fourteenth step of displaying an abnormal state of the first compressor through the output unit and the mobile terminal when the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor does not fall within the predetermined normal temperature range in the twelfth step.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a fifteenth step of determining whether the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range when the temperature sensed by the second temperature sensor does not fall within the predetermined normal temperature range in the eleventh step; and   a sixteenth step of displaying an abnormal state of the second compressor through the output unit and the mobile terminal when the temperature sensed by the third temperature sensor falls within the predetermined normal temperature range in the fifteenth step.