Cooling apparatus and operating method thereof

Abstract

A cooling apparatus including an evaporator through which a refrigerant moves to absorb heat from a cooling target fluid that is a fluid to be cooled, wherein the evaporator includes a first evaporator module, a second evaporator module, a surface heating element extending along a plane perpendicular to a first direction and arranged between the first evaporator module and the second evaporator module, and a sensor module including a voltage electrode arranged between the first evaporator module and the second evaporator module and a ground electrode arranged to be spaced apart from the voltage electrode with any one of the first evaporator module and the second evaporator module between the ground electrode and the voltage electrode.

1 . A cooling apparatus comprising:
 an evaporator through which a refrigerant moves to absorb heat from a cooling target fluid that is a fluid to be cooled, wherein the evaporator includes:   a first evaporator module including:
 a first refrigerant tube through which the refrigerant moves, and 
 a plurality of first cooling fins arranged on an outer surface of the first refrigerant tube, 
   a second evaporator module including:
 a second refrigerant tube through which the refrigerant moves, and 
 a plurality of second cooling fins arranged on an outer surface of the second refrigerant tube, 
 wherein the second evaporator module is spaced apart from the first evaporator module in a first direction, 
   a surface heating element extending along having a plate shape in a plane perpendicular to the first direction and arranged between the first evaporator module and the second evaporator module, and   a sensor module including:
 a voltage electrode between the first evaporator module and the second evaporator module, and 
 a ground electrode spaced apart from the voltage electrode with the first evaporator module or the second evaporator module between the ground electrode and the voltage electrode. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the voltage electrode has a plate shape in the plane perpendicular to the first direction and facing the surface heating element.   
     
     
         3 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 the voltage electrode is one voltage electrode of a plurality of voltage electrodes included in the sensor module,   the sensor module has multiple channels respectively including the plurality of voltage electrodes, and   the plurality of voltage electrodes are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.   
     
     
         4 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein
 each voltage electrode of the plurality of voltage electrodes has a width of 5 mm or more in the second direction.   
     
     
         5 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the surface heating element is one surface heating element of a plurality of surface heating elements included in the evaporator,   at least two surface heating elements of the plurality of surface heating elements have different heating densities, and   an operation of each surface heating element of the plurality of surface heating elements is individually controlled.   
     
     
         6 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a processor configured to control an operation of the surface heating element according to a state of frost formed on the first cooling fins and the second cooling fins, the state of the frost being sensed by the sensor module. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein
 when a flow rate of the cooling target fluid flowing between the first cooling fins and between the second cooling fins is lowered to 50% or less according to the state of the frost formed on the first cooling fins and the second cooling fins, the state of the frost being sensed by the sensor module, the processor is further configured to apply a control signal to operate the surface heating element.   
     
     
         8 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator includes:
 a support plate and   an adhesive layer, and   the support plate and the adhesive layer are arranged between the voltage electrode and the surface heating element and have heat resistance for a heating temperature of 150° C. or less.   
     
     
         9 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein
 the support plate includes an insulating material.   
     
     
         10 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprises a drain portion arranged below the first evaporator module and the second evaporator module in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and
 the drain portion includes a receiving case to receive frost and water released from the first evaporator module and the second evaporator module.   
     
     
         11 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein
 the drain portion includes:   a drain hole configured so that the frost and water released from the first evaporator module and the second evaporator module moves outside the evaporator through the drain hole; and   a heating portion configured to apply heat to an area around the drain hole to melt the frost.   
     
     
         12 . The cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprises a bracket configured to support, from a side, the first evaporator module, the second evaporator module, and the surface heating element so that the first evaporator module and the second evaporator module are spaced apart from each other in the first direction. 
     
     
         13 . A method of operating the cooling apparatus of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 detecting a state of frost formed on the first cooling fins and the second cooling fins;   operating the surface heating element according to the detected state of the frost formed on the first cooling fins and the second cooling fins;   detecting a removal state of the frost formed on the first cooling fins and the second cooling fins; and   stopping the operation of the surface heating element according to the detected removal state of the frost formed on the first cooling fins and the second cooling fins.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein
 when a flow rate of the cooling target fluid flowing between the first cooling fins and between the second cooling fins is lowered to 50% or less according to the detected state of the frost formed on the first cooling fins and the second cooling fins, the detected state of the frost being detected by the sensor module, the operation of the surface heating element is started.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein
 the surface heating element is one surface heating element of a plurality of surface heating elements included in the evaporator,   the plurality of surface heating elements are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined interval in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,   at least two surface heating elements of the plurality of surface heating elements have different heating densities, and   an operation of each surface heating element of the plurality of surface heating elements is individually controlled.