Method for cooling a refuge chamber in an emergency situation
AssigneeDräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA
InventorsChristian Bode, Sven Neervoort, René Kiewitt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for cooling a refuge chamber (100) with an emergency cooler (10) in an emergency situation includes cooling of a refrigerating agent (22) in a cold accumulator (20) with a cooling device (30) and detecting an emergency situation. Cold being stored in the refrigerating agent (22) of the cold accumulator (20) is released into the refuge chamber (100)—the refrigerating agent (22) of the cold accumulator (20) is exposed for heat transfer with the refuge chamber (100).
Claims20
A method for cooling a refuge chamber by means of an emergency cooler, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a refrigerating agent in a cold accumulator with a cooling device, wherein the cold accumulator is positioned in or adjacent to the refuge chamber with one or more openings providing direct communication between an interior of the cold accumulator, and the refrigerating agent therein, and an interior of the refuge chamber and wherein one or more flaps close the one or more openings and are manually openable to establish the direct communication between an interior of the cold accumulator, and the refrigerating agent therein, and an interior of the refuge chamber;
- providing a standby operation comprising cooling the refrigerating agent in the cold accumulator to a desired minimum temperature or maintaining the refrigerating agent in the cold accumulator in a range of the minimum temperature;
- detecting an emergency situation during the standby operation and switching from the standby operation to an emergency situation operation;
- and
- during the emergency situation operation releasing cold being stored in the refrigerating agent of the cold accumulator into the refuge chamber, wherein the emergency situation may include a disconnection from a power supply wherein upon the disconnection from a power supply, the step of releasing cold being stored in the refrigerating agent of the cold accumulator comprises manually opening the one or more flaps to establish the direct communication between the interior of the cold accumulator, and the refrigerating agent therein, and an interior of the refuge chamber.
An emergency cooler for cooling a refuge chamber in an emergency situation, the emergency cooler comprising:
- a cold accumulator positioned in or adjacent to the refuge chamber;
- a refrigerating agent arranged in the cold accumulator, wherein the cold accumulator comprises one or more openings providing direct communication between an interior of the cold accumulator, and the refrigerating agent therein, and an interior of the refuge chamber;
- a cooling device for cooling the refrigerating agent;
- and
- a releasing device for releasing the cold being stored in the refrigerating agent of the cold accumulator into the refuge chamber, the releasing device comprising one or more flaps closing the one or more openings, the one or more flaps being configured as manually openable one or more flaps to establish the direct communication between the interior of the cold accumulator, and the refrigerating agent therein, and an interior of the refuge chamber.
A refuge chamber cooling system comprising:
- a cold accumulator;
- a liquid refrigerating agent arranged in the cold accumulator;
- a powered cooling device for cooling the refrigerating agent;
- a heat transfer arrangement for heat exchange between the refuge chamber and the refrigerating agent, the heat transfer arrangement comprising a cooler disposed within the refuge chamber with the liquid refrigerating agent circulating between the cold accumulator and the cooler whereby heat within the refuge chamber is taken up by the refrigerating agent;
- and
- a detection device detecting an emergency situation to activate the heat transfer arrangement for heat exchange between refuge chamber and the refrigerating agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.