Method and apparatus for temperature-controlling a space to be temperature-controlled

Abstract

Apparatus for temperature-controlling a space to be temperature-controlled with a space limitation separating the space to be temperature-controlled from a surrounding area, comprising: a primary heat pump circuit with an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion element, wherein the primary heat pump circuit comprises a natural such as a flammable, primary working fluid, wherein the evaporator, the liquefier, the compressor, and the expansion element are arranged outside of the space to be temperature-controlled; a secondary circuit thermally coupled to and fluidically decoupled from the evaporator or the condenser via a heat exchanger and comprising a temperature-controlling element arranged in the space to be temperature-controlled and connected to the heat exchanger via a line arrangement comprising a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid, wherein the line arrangement penetrates the space limitation.

1 . Apparatus for temperature-controlling a space to be temperature-controlled with a space limitation separating the space to be temperature-controlled from a surrounding area, comprising:
 a primary heat pump circuit with an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion element, wherein the primary heat pump circuit comprises a natural primary working fluid, wherein the evaporator, the liquefier, the compressor, and the expansion element are suitable to be arranged outside of the space to be temperature-controlled;   a secondary circuit thermally coupled to and fluidically decoupled from the evaporator or the condenser via a heat exchanger and comprising a temperature-controlling element configured to be arranged in the space to be temperature-controlled and configured to be connected to the heat exchanger via a line arrangement comprising a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid, wherein the line arrangement is suitable to penetrate the space limitation, wherein the secondary circuit is configured as a thermosiphon cycle, and wherein a controllable pump configured to reverse a conveying direction in the secondary circuit as a response to a control signal is arranged in the secondary circuit;   wherein the apparatus is configured to cool the space by means of the temperature-controlling element in a refrigeration mode; and   a controller configured to cause, as a response to a control signal, a heat pump cycle reversal in the primary heat pump circuit so that, in the refrigeration mode, energy is dissipated from the heat exchanger through the primary heat pump circuit, and so that, in a defrosting mode, energy is supplied to the heat exchanger through the primary heat pump circuit in order to defrost the temperature-controlling element, and the conveying direction in the secondary circuit is reversed by the controllable pump.   
     
     
         2 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause, via the control signal, the heat pump cycle reversal of the primary heat pump circuit such that the primary heat pump circuit's element that is coupled to the heat exchanger changes its function from evaporation to condensation or vice versa. 
     
     
         3 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control signal originates from a sensor at the temperature-controlling element, from a sensor in the space to be temperature-controlled, or from a clock generator so that the apparatus is brought into the defrosting mode at regular or irregular points in time. 
     
     
         4 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator or the condenser of the primary heat pump circuit are configured to be integrated into the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         5 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger and the temperature-controlling element are arranged so as to be spaced apart by up to 50 meters, and wherein the controllable pump comprising an internal stator or an external stator is arranged in the line arrangement. 
     
     
         6 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a micro-channel heat exchanger, a plate heat exchanger, or a finned heat exchanger. 
     
     
         7 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlling element comprises a micro-channel heat exchanger, a plate heat exchanger, or a finned heat exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a heat exchanger liquid space and a heat exchanger vapor space, and wherein the temperature-controlling element comprises a temperature-controlling vapor space and a temperature-controlling liquid space, wherein the heat exchanger and the temperature-controlling element are arranged with respect to each other such that vaporous secondary fluid may flow in a first region of the line arrangement between the heat exchanger vapor space and the temperature-controlling vapor space and liquid secondary fluid may flow in a second region of the line arrangement between the heat exchanger liquid space and the temperature-controlling liquid space. 
     
     
         9 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlling element is arranged with respect to the heat exchanger such that it is flooded by the secondary fluid, wherein, in the refrigeration mode, temperature-controlling is cooling and the heat exchanger is coupled to the evaporator of the primary heat pump circuit. 
     
     
         10 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature-controlling element is elongated and comprises an oblique orientation with respect to a horizontal line, wherein the secondary fluid flows from top to bottom in its liquid state due to gravity or a pump force or a ventilator force or due to a heat exchanger arranged accordingly in the temperature-controlling element. 
     
     
         11 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
 a first connection portion for the primary working fluid;   a second connection portion for the primary working fluid;   a third connection portion for the secondary fluid;   a fourth connection portion for the secondary fluid;   a channel portion extending between the first connection portion for the primary working fluid and the second connection portion for the primary working fluid; and   an interaction region extending between the third connection portion for the secondary fluid and the fourth connection portion for the secondary fluid and having arranged therein the channel portion, wherein the channel portion is thermally coupled to the interaction region and fluidically decoupled from the interaction region.   
     
     
         12 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the compressor is configured in the primary heat pump circuit to be controllable so as to be reversed in its conveying direction by the control signal to cause the heat pump cycle reversal. 
     
     
         13 . Apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the compressor comprises a conveyor wheel, wherein, for reversing the conveying direction, the compressor is configured to reverse a rotational direction of the conveyor wheel as a response to the control signal, or
 wherein the compressor comprises a four-way valve, wherein, for reversing the conveying direction, the compressor is configured to, as a response to the control signal, on the basis of the refrigeration mode, fluidically decouple a suction side of the compressor from the evaporator or fluidically connect the same to the condenser, or fluidically decouple a pressure side of the compressor from the condenser and fluidically connect the same to the evaporator, or   wherein the compressor comprises a four-way valve, wherein, for reversing the conveying direction, the compressor is configured to, as a response to the control signal, on the basis of the defrosting mode, fluidically decouple a suction side of the compressor from the condenser and fluidically connect the same to the evaporator, or fluidically decouple a pressure side of the compressor from the evaporator and fluidically connect the same to the condenser.   
     
     
         14 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a blower arranged in the space to be temperature-controlled within the space limitation so as to move air past the temperature-controlling element, or   a blower arranged outside of the space limitation so as to move air past the condenser of the primary heat pump circuit.   
     
     
         15 . Apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises the evaporator of the primary heat pump circuit or the condenser of the primary heat pump circuit and the heat exchanger for thermally coupling the primary heat pump circuit and the secondary heat pump circuit which are separated from each other by a line or which are arranged in one and the same space. 
     
     
         16 . Space to be temperature-controlled, comprising:
 a space limitation separating a space from a surrounding area of the space; and   an apparatus according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         17 . Space to be temperature-controlled according to  claim 16 , configured as a mobile transport container or as a space in a vehicle for being conveyed on water, on the road, on the rail, in the air, or in space. 
     
     
         18 . Space to be temperature-controlled according to  claim 16 , configured as a space in a stationary building or as a free-standing stationary space. 
     
     
         19 . Method for temperature-controlling a space to be temperature-controlled with a space limitation separating the space to be temperature-controlled from a surrounding area, with a primary heat pump circuit with an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion element, wherein the evaporator, the liquefier, the compressor, and the expansion element are arranged outside of the space to be temperature-controlled; and a secondary circuit thermally coupled to and fluidically decoupled from the evaporator or the condenser via a heat exchanger and comprising a temperature-controlling element arranged in the space to be temperature-controlled and connected to the heat exchanger via a line arrangement comprising a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid, wherein the line arrangement penetrates the space limitation, wherein the secondary circuit is configured as a thermosiphon cycle, and wherein a controllable pump configured to reverse a conveying direction in the secondary circuit as a response to a control signal is arranged in the secondary circuit, comprising:
 using, in the primary heat pump circuit, a natural primary working fluid;   using, in the line arrangement of the secondary circuit, a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid,   wherein temperature-controlling in a refrigeration mode comprises cooling the space by means of the temperature-controlling element; and   as a response to the control signal, causing a heat pump cycle reversal in the primary heat pump circuit so that, in the refrigeration mode, energy is dissipated from the heat exchanger through the primary heat pump circuit, and so that, in a defrosting mode, energy is supplied to the heat exchanger through the primary heat pump circuit, in order to defrost the temperature-controlling element, and the conveying direction in the secondary circuit is reversed by the controllable pump.   
     
     
         20 . Method for manufacturing an apparatus for temperature-controlling a space to be temperature-controlled with a space limitation separating the space to be temperature-controlled from a surrounding area, comprising: a primary heat pump circuit with an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor, and an expansion element, wherein the primary heat pump circuit comprises a natural primary working fluid, wherein the evaporator, the liquefier, the compressor, and the expansion element are arranged outside of the space to be temperature-controlled; a secondary circuit thermally coupled to and fluidically decoupled from the evaporator or the condenser via a heat exchanger and comprising a temperature-controlling element arranged in the space to be temperature-controlled and connected to the heat exchanger via a line arrangement comprising a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid, wherein the line arrangement penetrates the space limitation, wherein the secondary circuit is configured as a thermosiphon cycle, and wherein a controllable pump configured to reverse a conveying direction in the secondary circuit as a response to a control signal is arranged in the secondary circuit, wherein, in a refrigeration mode, the apparatus is configured to cool the space by means of the temperature-controlling element, the method comprising:
 introducing a natural primary working fluid into the primary heat pump circuit;   manufacturing a line arrangement that penetrates the space limitation;   introducing, into the line arrangement, a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid; and   manufacturing a controller configured to cause, as a response to the control signal, a heat pump cycle reversal in the primary heat pump circuit so that, in the refrigeration mode, energy is dissipated from the heat exchanger through the primary heat pump circuit, and so that, in a defrosting mode, energy is supplied to the heat exchanger through the primary heat pump circuit so as to defrost the temperature-controlling element, and a conveying direction in the secondary circuit is reversed by means of the controllable pump.