US 11,988,417 B2
Dual chiller
Tetsuo Sakaguchi, Matsudo (JP)
Assigned to SMC CORPORATION, Chiyoda-ku (JP)
Appl. No. 17/292,946
Filed by SMC CORPORATION, Chiyoda-ku (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 26, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/012779
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 11, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/100324, PCT Pub. Date May 22, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0003464 A1, Jan. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. F25B 25/00 (2006.01); F25B 5/02 (2006.01); F25B 41/20 (2021.01); F25B 41/40 (2021.01); F25B 49/02 (2006.01)
CPC F25B 25/005 (2013.01) [F25B 5/02 (2013.01); F25B 41/20 (2021.01); F25B 41/40 (2021.01); F25B 49/02 (2013.01); F25B 2341/06 (2013.01); F25B 2400/0403 (2013.01); F25B 2600/2501 (2013.01); F25B 2600/2513 (2013.01); F25B 2700/21171 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A dual chiller, comprising:
a first coolant circuit that supplies a first coolant to a first load at a set flow rate; a second coolant circuit that supplies a second coolant to a second load at a set flow rate; a refrigeration circuit that adjusts temperatures of the first coolant and the second coolant to set temperatures; and a control device that controls the chiller,
wherein the refrigeration circuit includes a compressor that compresses a gas refrigerant into a high-temperature, high-pressure gas refrigerant, a condenser that cools the gas refrigerant supplied from the compressor into a low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant, a first main expansion valve and a second main expansion valve that cause the liquid refrigerant supplied from the condenser to expand into low-temperature, low-pressure liquid refrigerants and that have adjustable opening degrees, a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat of the liquid refrigerant supplied from the first main expansion valve with that of the first coolant in the first coolant circuit into a low-pressure gas refrigerant, and a second heat exchanger that exchanges heat of the liquid refrigerant supplied from the second main expansion valve with that of the second coolant in the second coolant circuit into a low-pressure gas refrigerant, and the first main expansion valve and the first heat exchanger are connected to each other in series and form a first heat exchange flow path portion, the second main expansion valve and the second heat exchanger are connected to each other in series and form a second heat exchange flow path portion, and the first heat exchange flow path portion and the second heat exchange flow path portion are connected to each other in parallel,
wherein the refrigeration circuit has a first branch flow path that connects a branch point between the compressor and the condenser and a meeting point on the first heat exchange flow path portion between the first main expansion valve and the first heat exchanger to each other, and a second branch flow path that connects the branch point and a meeting point on the second heat exchange flow path portion between the second main expansion valve and the second heat exchanger to each other, a first sub expansion valve that has an adjustable opening degree is connected to the first branch flow path, and a second sub expansion valve that has an adjustable opening degree is connected to the second branch flow path,
wherein the first coolant circuit includes a first tank that contains the first coolant, a first pump that supplies the first coolant in the first tank to the first heat exchanger through a primary supply pipeline, a secondary supply pipeline through which the first coolant that has the temperature adjusted by the first heat exchanger is supplied to the first load, a first temperature sensor that is connected to the secondary supply pipeline, a return pipeline through which the first coolant from the first load returns to the first tank, a supply load connection port that is formed in an end portion of the secondary supply pipeline, and a return load connection port that is formed in an end portion of the return pipeline,
wherein the second coolant circuit includes a second tank that contains the second coolant, a second pump that supplies the second coolant in the second tank to the second heat exchanger through a primary supply pipeline, a secondary supply pipeline through which the second coolant that has the temperature adjusted by the second heat exchanger is supplied to the second load, a second temperature sensor that is connected to the secondary supply pipeline, a return pipeline through which the second coolant from the second load returns to the second tank, a supply load connection port that is formed in an end portion of the secondary supply pipeline, and a return load connection port that is formed in an end portion of the return pipeline,
wherein the set temperature of the second coolant is equal to the set temperature of the first coolant or higher than the set temperature of the first coolant, the set flow rate of the first coolant is higher than the set flow rate of the second coolant, and a volume of the first tank is larger than a volume of the second tank,
wherein the refrigeration circuit, the first coolant circuit, and the second coolant circuit are contained in a housing, and the supply load connection port and the return load connection port of the first coolant circuit and the supply load connection port and the return load connection port of the second coolant circuit are located outside the housing, and
wherein the first coolant circuit and the second coolant circuit include a first filter and a second filter for removing physical impurities that are contained in the first coolant and the second coolant, and the first filter and the second filter are mounted on the respective supply load connection ports of the first coolant circuit and the second coolant circuit outside the housing.