US 5,970,729 A · Cooling apparatus

Abstract

A cooling apparatus used, for instance, for a laser which is low in the consumption of energy and can be made small in size. The cooling apparatus includes: an outside air - water heat exchanger (or outside air cooler 15) as a first cooler; a refrigerant - water heat exchanger (or refrigerating cooler 27) as a second cooler; an outside air temperature sensor (22) for detecting an outside air temperature; and a control section (5) which, according to an outside air temperature, selects a refrigerator-cooler joint use mode for operating both the outside air cooler (15) and the refrigerating cooler (27), or an outside air cooler single use mode for operating only the outside air cooler (15) with the refrigerating cooler (27) stopped.

Claims38

Dependent claims

A cooling apparatus having a cooling capacity comprising:

an air cooler serving as a primary cooler for cooling a fluid;
a refrigerating cooler serving as a secondary cooler fluidly connected with said air cooler for auxiliary cooling of the fluid;
a temperature sensor for detecting an ambient temperature condition;
and
a control section for selecting one of a joint use mode wherein both said air cooler and said refrigerating cooler are operated, and a single use mode wherein only said air cooler is operated with said refrigerating cooler stopped, according to said ambient temperature condition detected by said temperature sensor, the primary air cooler continually providing 60% to 100% of the cooling capacity of the apparatus for ambient temperatures up to 40.degree. C.

2 more elements

A cooling apparatus having a cooling capacity adapted to cool circulating cooling water for cooling a laser medium gas, said apparatus comprising:

a cooling water circulating pump;
an air cooler including an air-water heat exchanger in which heat exchange is effected between an ambient air and said cooling water, a fan for applying the ambient air to said heat exchanger, and a fan driving motor, the air cooler acting as a primary cooler;
a refrigerating cooler provided downstream of said air cooler, said refrigerating cooler including a refrigerator forming a cycle or refrigeration, and a refrigerant-water heat exchanger in which heat exchange is effected between a refrigerant cooled by said refrigerator and said cooling water, the refrigerant-water heat exchanger being fluidly connected in series with the air-water heat exchanger, the refrigerating cooler acting as a secondary cooler;
a cooling water tank provided downstream of said refrigerating cooler;
a temperature sensor for detecting an ambient air temperature;
a control section for selecting one of a joint use mode wherein both said air cooler and said refrigerating cooler are operated, and a single use mode wherein only said air cooler is operated with said refrigerating cooler stopped, according to said air temperature detected by said temperature sensor.

3 more elements

A cooling apparatus for cooling circulated cooling water comprising:

a circulating pump for circulating the cooling water;
an outside air cooler serving as a first cooler, the outside air cooler including:
an outside air-water heat exchanger for exchanging heat between air and the cooling water;
a fan for passing the outside air onto the outside air-water heat exchanger;
and
a motor drivingly connected to the fan;
a refrigerating cooler serving as a second cooler, the refrigerating cooler including:
a refrigerating device having a refrigerant cycle;
and
a refrigerant-water heat exchanger for heat exchange between the cooling water and refrigerant cooled by the refrigerating device;
a cooling water tank provided on a downstream side of the second cooler;
an outside air temperature sensor for detecting an outside air temperature;
speed changing means for changing a speed of the motor of the outside air cooler;
a cooling water temperature sensor for detecting a cooling water temperature within the cooling water tank;
and
a control section for controlling the apparatus;
wherein the control section receives a signal from the outside air temperature sensor, and selects, according to the outside air temperature, one of a refrigerating-cooler joint use mode in which both the outside air cooler and the refrigerating cooler are driven, and an outside air cooler single use mode in which the refrigerating cooler is stopped;
and
wherein, during the outside air cooler single use mode, the control section receives a signal from the cooling water temperature sensor, and controls the speed changing means for the fan motor such that a rotation speed of the fan is controlled to keep the cooling water temperature at a predetermined value.

16 more elements

A cooling apparatus for cooling circulated cooling water comprising:

a circulating pump for circulating the cooling water;
an outside air cooler serving as a first cooler, the outside air cooler including:
an outside air-water heat exchanger for exchanging heat between outside air and the cooling water;
a fan for passing the outside air onto the outside air-water heat exchanger;
and
a motor drivingly connected to the fan;
a refrigerating cooler serving as a second cooler, the refrigerating cooler including:
a refrigerating device having a refrigerant cycle;
and
a refrigerant-water heat exchanger for heat exchange between the cooling water and refrigerant cooled by the refrigerating device;
a cooling water tank provided on a downstream side of the second cooler;
an outside air temperature sensor for detecting an outside air temperature;
and
a control section which receives a signal from the outside air temperature sensor, and that selects, according to the outside air temperature, one of a refrigerator-cooler joint use mode in which both the outside air cooler and the refrigerating cooler are driven, and an outside air cooler single use mode in which only the outside air cooler is operated and the refrigerating cooler is stopped,
wherein when the outside air temperature is 40.degree. C., the outside air cooler is responsible for 60 to 74% of an entire cooling effect of said cooling apparatus, while the refrigerating cooler is responsible for 40 to 26% of the entire cooling effect of said cooling apparatus.

12 more elements

A cooling apparatus for cooling circulated cooling water comprising:

a circulating pump for circulating the cooling water;
an outside air cooler serving as a first cooler, the outside air cooler including:
an outside air-water heat exchanger for exchanging heat between outside air and the cooling water;
a fan for passing the outside air onto the outside air-water heat exchanger;
and
a motor drivingly connected to the fan;
a refrigerating cooler serving as a second cooler, the refrigerating cooler including:
a refrigerating device having a refrigerant cycle and being driven by a compressor;
and
a refrigerant-water heat exchanger for heat exchange between the cooling water and refrigerant cooled by the refrigerating device;
a cooling water tank provided on a downstream side of the second cooler;
an outside air temperature sensor for detecting an outside air temperature;
and
a control section which receives a signal from the outside air temperature sensor, and that selects, according to the outside air temperature, one of a refrigerator-cooler joint use mode in which both the outside air cooler and the refrigerating cooler are driven, and an outside air cooler single use mode in which only the outside air cooler is operated and the refrigerating cooler is stopped,
wherein when the outside air temperature is 40.degree. C., a ratio in power consumption of the compressor in the refrigerating device relative to the fan of the outside air cooler is 2.5 to 3.5.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cooling apparatus

Life of this patent

Cooling apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims38