Temperature control system including multiple valves and temperature control method

A system for controlling a temperature of a target having an internal flow passage having an inlet and an outlet, the system comprising:

• an external flow passage extending from the inlet to the outlet, the internal and external flow passages being configured to circulate a heat transfer fluid;
• a first bypass passage disposed in the external flow passage;
• a second bypass passage disposed in the external flow passage, wherein the second bypass passage is adjacent to the target, and the first bypass passage is further away from the target than the second bypass passage is along the flow direction;
• a first pump disposed on the external flow passage, and downstream of the outlet or upstream of the inlet, the first pump being configured to circulate the heat transfer fluid;
• a thermoregulator disposed at a midpoint of the external flow passage;
• a second pump disposed on the external flow passage and downstream of the thermoregulator, the second pump being configured to circulate the heat transfer fluid;
• a second flow passage to circulate the heat transfer fluid;
• a flow adjuster configured to adjust flow of the heat transfer fluid;
• and
• a controller configured to control the flow adjuster, wherein the internal flow passage, thermoregulator and a part of the external flow passage define a first circulating flow passage;
• another part of the external flow passage, the thermoregulator and the first bypass flow passage define a second circulating flow passage;
• the internal follow flow passage, an upstream part of the external flow passage, the second bypass flow passage, and a downstream part of the external flow passage define a third circulating flow passage, the controller is configured to permit the flow controller to:
• circulate a part of the heat transfer fluid through the second circulating flow passage and circulating another part of the heat transfer fluid through the third circulating flow passage while closing the first circulating flow passage;
• and
• circulate the heat transfer fluid through the first to the third circulating flow passages while controlling a mixing ratio of a part of the heat transfer fluid flowing through the first circulating flow passage and another part of the heat transfer fluid flowing through the third circulating flow passage.

A method of controlling a temperature of a target by a system, the target having a flow passage having an inlet and an outlet, the system comprising:

• a first pump configured to circulate a heat transfer fluid through the flow passage;
• a second pump configured to discharge the heat transfer fluid;
• a thermoregulator;
• a first flow passage connecting one end of the flow passage to one end of the thermoregulator to allow the heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough;
• a second flow passage connecting the other end of the flow passage to the other end of the thermoregulator to allow the heat transfer fluid to flow therethrough;
• a first valve disposed in the first flow passage;
• a second valve disposed in the second flow passage;
• a first bypass flow passage connecting the first flow passage to the second flow passage at a position closer to the thermoregulator than the first valve and the second valve;
• a second bypass flow passage connecting the first flow passage to the second flow passage at a position closer to the flow passage than the first valve and the second valve;
• a third valve disposed in the first bypass flow passage;
• and
• a fourth valve disposed in the second bypass flow passage, at least one of a pair of the first valve and the second valve and a pair of the third valve and the fourth valve being a pair of flow control valves;
• the method comprising:
• circulating a part of the heat transfer fluid through the thermoregulator and the first bypass flow passage while circulating another part of the heat transfer fluid through the flow passage and the second bypass flow passage;
• and
• supplying part of the heat transfer fluid temperature-modulated in the thermoregulator to the flow passage.