# US 2018/0320948 A1 · Hybrid Cooling Appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0320948 A1 - Document ID: US20180320948A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/778,931 - Filed: 2015-11-26 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-26 - Assignees: Dometic Sweden AB - Applicants: Dometic Sweden AB - Inventors: Anton Lundqvist; Dahua Li; Xingbiao Yang; Yongbin Zhang; Junbao Li; Patrick McConnell; Clayton Meyers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180320948A1 ## CPC - F25D 11/025: {using primary and secondary refrigeration systems} - F25B 25/00: Machines, plants or systems, using a combination of modes of operation covered by two or more of the groups F25B1/00 - F25B23/00 - F25B 25/02: Compression-sorption machines, plants, or systems - F25D 11/00: Self-contained movable devices, e.g. domestic refrigerators - F25D 11/022: {with two or more evaporators} - F25D 11/027: {of the sorption cycle type} - F25D 2201/126: of cellular type - 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) - F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS ## Abstract A hybrid cooling system and a method of controlling the same. The hybrid cooling system (50) comprises an absorption refrigeration system (52), a compression refrigeration system (54) and a controller (80) which operates the absorption refrigeration system (52) and the compression refrigeration system (54) in three modes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hybrid cooling appliance, comprising: a cabinet having cooling mechanicals mounted on said cabinet; at least one door positioned on a front side of said cabinet covering an opening; said cooling mechanicals including an absorption refrigeration system and a compressor refrigeration system; a controller which operates said absorption refrigeration system and said compressor refrigeration system, said controller capable of operating in three modes: a first mode wherein one of said absorption refrigeration system and said compressor refrigeration system operates alone; a second mode wherein the other of said absorption refrigeration system and said compressor refrigeration system operates alone; and, a third mode wherein both said absorption refrigeration system and said compressor refrigeration system operate simultaneously. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 1 comprising said controller which provides for one or more of automated selection of energy supply and manual selection of energy supply. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein said absorption refrigeration system includes a gas fuel supply. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 3 wherein said absorption refrigeration system further comprises an electric heater. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 4 wherein said heater comprises one or both of an alternating current (AC) heater or a direct current (DC) heater. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein said compressor refrigeration system including a compressor with a refrigerator circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 1 further comprising an inverter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 1 further comprising a fresh food refrigerator in said cabinet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 8 further comprising a freezer in said cabinet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 1 further comprising an evaporator disposed on said cabinet. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 10 wherein said evaporator comprises a compressor evaporator and an absorption evaporator. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 11 wherein said compressor evaporator and said absorption evaporator are one of in direct contact, in thermal communication with separate thermal transfer plates or in thermal communication with a single thermal transfer plate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 12 wherein said single thermal transfer plate and said one or more separate thermal transfer plates include a plurality of cooling fins. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 1 wherein the hybrid appliance may be optimized for operation for at least one of: when reduced gas consumption or when grid power is available, performance when both gas and grid power are available, or gas when grid is not available and an optimized average. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 1, wherein said compressor refrigeration system and said absorption refrigeration system are mounted to an insulator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 15, said insulator being a foam material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 15, said insulator positioned on said cabinet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 17, said cabinet including an opening to accept said insulator. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 15, wherein an evaporator for each of said absorption refrigeration system and said compressor refrigeration system extend through said insulator. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 19, wherein said absorption refrigeration system and said compressor refrigeration system may be a single evaporator or may be at least two evaporators. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 15, further comprising an ice maker which is disposed adjacent to an evaporator of said compressor refrigeration system. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 15, said compressor refrigeration system cooling a freezer and said absorption system cooling a fresh food refrigerator. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The hybrid cooling appliance of claim 22, said compressor refrigeration system and said absorption refrigeration system both being in cooling communication with at least one of a fresh food refrigerator and a freezer. ### Claim 24 (canceled) ### Claim 25 A method of operating a hybrid refrigerator, comprising: cooling a refrigerator cabinet with said compressor refrigeration system when an ambient temperature is below a preselected temperature or when a low volume is desirable; cooling said refrigerator with an absorption refrigeration system when a preselected cabinet temperature is obtained; determining when to use one or both of said compressor refrigerator system and said absorption refrigeration system and which of said systems. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 further comprising powering off said compressor refrigeration system when electricity is not available. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 further comprising powering off said compression refrigeration system when a preselected cabinet temperature is reached. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 selecting between one or both of said compression and said absorption refrigeration systems. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 further comprising utilizing said compression refrigeration system when higher speed cooling is desired. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 where one system is used to determine the need to start the other and where this is determined by measuring the thermal response of the temperature in the cooling compartment after starting the first system. ### Claim 31 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25 where a condenser of the compression refrigeration system is actively cooled with a condenser fan and wherein said fan is positioned in such a way that the air-flow is also used to cool at least one of the absorber or condenser of the absorption refrigeration system. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The method of claim 31 where the condenser fan operates independently of the compression cooling system and thereby provides cooling of the absorption refrigeration system.