# US 10,871,312 B2 · Transport refrigeration unit with vented cryogenic cooling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,312 B2 - Document ID: US10871312B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/826,885 - Filed: 2020-03-23 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-19 - Assignees: Reflect Scientific Inc. - Applicants: William G. Moon; William J. Hancock; Steven J. Parkinson; Steven V. Boyce - Inventors: William G. Moon; William J. Hancock; Steven J. Parkinson; Steven V. Boyce - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871312B2 ## CPC - B60H 1/3202: {using evaporation, i.e. not including a compressor, e.g. involving fuel or water evaporation} - F25B 19/005: {the refrigerant being a liquefied gas} - B60H 1/00014: {for load cargos on load transporting vehicles} - F16K 49/00: Means in or on valves for heating or cooling (heating or cooling of pipes or pipe systems F16L53/00; thermal insulation in connection with pipes or pipe systems F16L59/16) - F25B 2400/01: Heaters - F25D 2400/30: Quick freezing - G05B 23/0283: {Predictive maintenance, e.g. involving the monitoring of a system and, based on the monitoring results, taking decisions on the maintenance schedule of the monitored system; Estimating remaining useful life [RUL] (preventive maintenance, i.e. planning maintenance according to the available resources without monitoring the system G06Q10/06)} - B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS - F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)} - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU) includes one or more evaporators inside the TRU each containing two manifold tubes located at opposite ends of the evaporator and a multiplicity of cooling tubes traversing between the manifold tubes; one or more super-insulated vacuum tanks located in front of, beneath or inside the TRU, filled with liquid nitrogen, carbon dioxide or a cryogenic coolant connected to the one or more evaporators using vacuum-insulated pipes; a solenoid or pneumatic valve located upstream or downstream of the evaporator to meter a flow of nitrogen through the evaporator; a temperature controlling circuit that operates the solenoid or pneumatic valve; a flow restricting device that limits the flow of the cryogenic coolant through the evaporator; a vent pipe to vent the spent coolant outside the TRU; and a multiplicity of fans located adjacent to and above the evaporators that distribute the cooled air uniformly throughout the TRU. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU), comprising: one or more evaporators inside the TRU each containing two manifold tubes located at opposite ends of the evaporator and a multiplicity of cooling tubes traversing between the manifold tubes; one or more super-insulated vacuum tanks located in front of, beneath or inside the TRU, filled with liquid nitrogen, carbon dioxide or a cryogenic coolant connected to the one or more evaporators using vacuum-insulated pipes; a solenoid or pneumatic valve located upstream or downstream of the evaporator to meter a flow of nitrogen through the evaporator; a temperature controlling circuit that operates the solenoid or pneumatic valve; a flow restricting device that limits the flow of the cryogenic coolant through the evaporator; a vent pipe to vent the spent coolant outside the TRU; and a multiplicity of fans, wherein at least one fan is located adjacent to and above at least one of the evaporators that distribute the cooled air uniformly throughout the TRU; a vent coolant from the first compartment is supplied to a mechanism that generates and supplies energy to a multiplicity of compartments, wherein a multiplicity of insulated dividers separate the TRU into multiple compartments, each maintained at a different temperature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, comprising a heater located in an air flow pathto raise the TRU temperature above the ambient temperature. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, wherein the heater is powered by electricity, propane, liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or hydrogen. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, comprising a valve to divert a portion of the nitrogen from the vent pipe to injectors inside the TRU. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the temperature of each of the multiple compartments is cooled by a separate evaporator and fan system and controlled by one or more sensors and solenoid valves within each compartment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein two separate valves in each compartment change the source from a main compartment vent to a tank source. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the insulated dividers retract to a ceiling of the TRU. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the TRU is insulated with Vacuum Insulated Panels on a plurality of sides. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, comprising a bolt mounting frame coupled to the TRU with a matching bolt layout as a bolt layout for standard semi-trailer tractor TRUs. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the fan and control system arE powered by one or more of the following: a. Solar panels attached to the outside top of the TRU, b. Nitrogen vent gas turbine generator, c. Stirling engine, d. Fuel cell, e. Deep charge batteries. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 comprising a multiplicity of cryogenic supply and vent lines with quick disconnect fittings. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 comprising a multiplicity of cryogenic supply and vent lines that support sub-cryogenic freezing units within the TRU. ### Claim 13 A method for transporting an object with a Transport Refrigeration Unit (TRU), comprising: providing one or more evaporators inside the TRU each containing two manifold tubes located at opposite ends of the evaporator and a multiplicity of cooling tubes traversing between the manifold tubes; providing one or more super-insulated vacuum tanks located in front of, beneath or inside the TRU, filled with liquid nitrogen, carbon dioxide or a cryogenic coolant connected to the one or more evaporators using vacuum-insulated pipes; metering a flow of nitrogen through the evaporator with a solenoid or pneumatic valve located upstream or downstream of the evaporator; controlling the temperature with a circuit that operates the solenoid or pneumatic valve; flow restricting a flow of the cryogenic coolant through the evaporator; venting the spent coolant outside the TRU; and distributing cooled air uniformly throughout the TRU with a multiplicity of fans, wherein at least one fan is located adjacent to and above at least one of the evaporators; supplying the spent coolant vented from a first compartment to a mechanism that generates and supplies energy to a multiplicity of compartments and wherein a multiplicity of insulated dividers separate the TRU into multiple compartments, each maintained at a different temperature. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising a heater located in an air flow path to raise the TRU temperature above the ambient temperature. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, comprising powering the heater by electricity, propane, liquefied natural gas (LNG), compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or hydrogen. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising diverting a portion of the nitrogen from the vent pipe to injectors inside the TRU. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising separating the TRU with a multiplicity of insulated dividers into multiple compartments, each maintained at a different temperature. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising matching bolt layout frame to a bolt layout frame for standard semi-trailer tractor TRUs.