# US 2019/0168582 A1 · Multi-temperature transportation refrigeration system

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- Number: US 2019/0168582 A1
- Document ID: US20190168582A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/186,653
- Filed: 2018-11-12
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: Carrier Corporation
- Applicants: Carrier Corporation
- Inventors: Jian Sun; Xinliang Qiu; Jianhua Zhou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168582A1

## CPC

- B60H 1/3226: {Self-contained devices, i.e. including own drive motor}
- B60H 1/323: {characterised by comprising auxiliary or multiple systems, e.g. plurality of evaporators, or by involving auxiliary cooling devices}
- B60H 1/3232: {particularly adapted for load transporting vehicles (B60H1/3226 takes precedence)}
- F25B 5/02: arranged in parallel
- F25B 39/04: Condensers
- F25D 11/022: {with two or more evaporators}
- F28D 1/0443: {Combination of units extending one beside or one above the other (F28D1/0452 takes precedence)}
- F25B 2339/04: Details of condensers
- F25B 2400/06: Several compression cycles arranged in parallel
- F25B 2500/01: Geometry problems, e.g. for reducing size
- F28D 2021/0084: {Condensers}
- F28D 2021/0085: {Evaporators}
- F28F 1/022: {with multiple channels}
- 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
- 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)
- F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general)
- F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16)

## Abstract

A transportation refrigeration system includes an enclosure, and at least two compartments within the enclosure to be conditioned to two distinct temperatures. A refrigeration is circuit associated with each of the at least two compartments. A first refrigeration circuit includes a first compressor, a first evaporator, and a first expansion valve. A second refrigeration circuit includes a second compressor, a second evaporator, and a second expansion valve. The first and second refrigeration circuits utilize a common condenser, with first inlets into the condenser from the first circuit connected to a first flow passage and second inlets from the second circuit connected to second flow passages. First and second outlets are connected to the first and second flow passages. The first and second flow passages are staggered in a direction perpendicular to a flow passage across the condenser. A heat exchanger is also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A transportation refrigeration system comprising:
an enclosure, and at least two compartments within said enclosure to be conditioned to two distinct temperatures;
at least two refrigeration circuits, with a refrigeration circuit associated with each of said at least two compartments, and a first of said at least two refrigeration circuits including a first compressor, a first evaporator, and a first expansion valve, and a second of said at least two refrigeration circuits including a second compressor, a second evaporator, and a second expansion valve; and
said first and second refrigeration circuits utilizing a common condenser, with first inlets into said condenser from said first circuit connected to a first flow passage and second inlets from said second circuit connected to second flow passages, and first and second outlets connected to said first and second flow passages, and said first and second flow passages staggered in a direction perpendicular to a flow passage across said condenser.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The transportation refrigeration system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said condenser is a microchannel heat exchanger.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The transportation refrigerant system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said microchannel heat exchanger has a dimension parallel to a flow path of refrigerant across said heat exchanger.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The transportation refrigeration system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said first and said second inlets entering at one side of said dimension, and said first and second outlets are at an opposed side of said dimension.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The transportation refrigeration system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said first and second inlets being at one end of said dimension, and said first and second outlets also being at said one end of said dimension, with said first and second flow passages passing across said dimension from said first and second inlets, respectively, to a folded region, and then extending back across said dimension to said first and second outlets.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The transportation refrigeration system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said heat exchanger is a round tube and plate fin heat exchanger.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The transportation refrigeration system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said round tube and plate heat exchanger has a dimension parallel to a flow path of refrigerant across said heat exchanger.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The transportation refrigeration system as set forth in claim 7, wherein said first and said second inlets entering at one side of said dimension, and said first and second outlets are at an opposed side of said dimension.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The transportation refrigeration system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said first and second inlets being at one end of said dimension, and said first and second outlets also being at said one end of said dimension, with said first and second flow passages passing across said dimension from said first and second inlets, respectively, to a bend and then extending back across said dimension to said outlets.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The transportation refrigeration system as set for in claim 1, wherein a first of said first flow passages and a first of said second flow passages spaced in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction across the heat exchanger, and a second of said first flow passages spaced on an opposed side of the first of the second flow passages from the first of the first flow passages, and a second of the second flow passages spaced on an opposed side of the second of the first flow passages relative to the first of the second flow passages.

### Claim 11

A heat exchanger comprising:
first refrigeration circuit inlets leading to a plurality of first flow passages across a dimension of said heat exchanger, and second refrigeration circuit inlets leading to a plurality of second flow passages across said dimension of said heat exchanger, with said first and second flow passages being staggered across a direction parallel to said dimension.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The heat exchanger as set for in claim 11, wherein a first of said first flow passages and a first of said second flow passages spaced in a direction perpendicular to a flow direction across the heat exchanger, and a second of said first flow passages spaced on an opposed side of the first of the second flow passages from the first of the first flow passages, and a second of the second flow passages spaced on an opposed side of the second of the first flow passages relative to the first of the second flow passages.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The heat exchanger as set forth in claim 12, wherein said heat exchanger is utilized as a condenser.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The heat exchanger as set forth in claim 11, wherein said heat exchanger is a microchannel heat exchanger.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The heat exchanger as set forth in claim 14, wherein said first and said second inlets entering at one side of said dimension, and said first and second outlets are at an opposed side of said dimension.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The heat exchanger as set forth in claim 14, wherein said first and second inlets being at one end of said dimension, and said first and second outlets also being at said one end of said dimension, with said first and second flow passages passing across said dimension from said inlets to a folded region and then extending back across said dimension to said first and second outlets.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The heat exchanger as set forth in claim 11, wherein said heat exchanger is a round tube plate and fin heat exchanger.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The heat exchanger as set forth in claim 17, wherein said first and said second inlets entering at one side of said dimension, and said first and second outlets are at an opposed side of said dimension.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The heat exchanger as set forth in claim 17, wherein said first and second inlets being at one end of said dimension, and said first and second outlets also being at said one end of said dimension, with said first and second flow passages passing across said dimension from said inlets to a bend and then extending back across said dimension to said first and second outlets.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The heat exchanger as set forth in claim 11, wherein said heat exchanger is utilized as a condenser.