Cooling system

Abstract

A cooling system having a pumped loop cooling system and an embedded vapor compression loop system for cooling air inside an enclosed space such as a container both when the required air temperature inside container is warmer or cooler than the outside ambient air temperature. The pumped loop cooling system is positioned within the container except for a condenser positioned outside the container. The vapor compression loop system is positioned outside the container and includes a liquid to liquid heat exchanger which cools the fluid in the pumped loop system when the condenser is selectively bypassed when the temperature inside the container is higher than the temperature outside the container.

1 . A cooling system comprising:
 a pumped loop cooling system comprising an evaporator, and a pump located in a first environment having a first ambient temperature and a first compressor located in a second environment having a second ambient temperature;   a vapor compression system comprising an expansion valve, a second condenser, a compressor, and a liquid to liquid heat exchanger, the vapor compression system located in the second environment;   a primary fluid conduit through which a first refrigerant fluid is circulated by the pump through the evaporator, to the first condenser, and back to the pump;   a secondary fluid conduit selectively diverting the first refrigerant fluid from the evaporator to the liquid to liquid heat exchanger of the vapor compression system and back to the pump; and   a third fluid conduit through with a second refrigerant fluid is circulated from the compressor to the liquid to liquid heat exchanger, to the expansion valve, to the second condenser, and back to the compressor.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the first refrigerant fluid is selectively diverted to the secondary fluid conduit by at least one valve. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one valve diverts the first refrigerant fluid to the secondary fluid conduit when the first ambient temperature is greater than the second ambient temperature 
     
     
         4 . The cooling system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one valve is a first and a second two-way valve positioned in parallel with each other. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling system of  claim 4 , wherein the first two way valve is located in the primary fluid conduit upstream of the first condenser and downstream of the evaporator. 
     
     
         6 . The cooling system of  claim 4 , wherein the first two way valve is located in the second environment. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling system of  claim 4 , wherein the second two way valve is located in the secondary fluid conduit upstream of the liquid to liquid heat exchanger and downstream of the evaporator. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling system of  claim 4 , wherein the second two way valve is located in the second environment. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling system of  claim 1  further comprising a liquid receiver located in the first environment upstream of the pump. 
     
     
         10 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the vapor compression system further comprises a liquid receiver located downstream from the expansion valve and upstream of the second condenser. 
     
     
         11 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaporator includes a fan. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the first condenser includes a fan. 
     
     
         13 . The cooling system of  claim 12 , wherein the second condenser is positioned adjacent the first condenser and shares the fan of the first condenser. 
     
     
         14 . The cooling system of  claim 1  further comprising a control system operable to selectively divert the refrigerant fluid from the primary fluid conduit to the secondary fluid conduit when the first ambient temperature is greater than the second ambient temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the second refrigerant fluid is selectively flowed through the third conduit in reverse and the heat exchanger, the expansion valve, the second condenser, and the compressor of the secondary fluid conduit act as a heat pump rejecting heat from the second refrigerant to the first refrigerant at the liquid to liquid heat exchanger. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant is selectively diverted to the secondary fluid conduit without operation of the vapor compression system. 
     
     
         17 . A cooling system comprising:
 a pumped loop cooling system comprising an evaporator, a first liquid receiver, and a pump located in a first environment having a first ambient temperature and a first compressor located in a second environment having a second ambient temperature;   a vapor compression system comprising an expansion valve, a second condenser, a second liquid receiver, a compressor, and a liquid to liquid heat exchanger, the vapor compression system located in the second environment;   a primary fluid conduit through which a first refrigerant fluid is circulated by the pump through the evaporator, to the first condenser, to the first liquid receiver, and back to the pump;   a secondary fluid conduit selectively diverting the first refrigerant fluid from the evaporator to the liquid to liquid heat exchanger of the vapor compression system, to the liquid receiver, and back to the pump; and   a third fluid conduit through with a second refrigerant fluid is circulated from the compressor to the liquid to liquid heat exchanger, to the expansion valve, to the second liquid receiver, to the second condenser, and back to the compressor.   
     
     
         18 . The cooling of  claim 17  further comprising:
 a control system adapted to direct the first refrigerant through the first conduit to the first condenser and to bypass the second conduit when the temperature in the first environment is higher than the temperature in the second environment; 
 the control system adapted to direct the first refrigerant through the second conduit and bypass a portion of first conduit including the first condenser and selectively operating the compressor of the vapor compression system when the temperature in the first environment is higher than the temperature in the second environment. 
 
     
     
         19 . A cooling system comprising:
 a pumped loop cooling system comprising an evaporator, a first liquid receiver, and a pump located in a first environment having a first ambient temperature and a first compressor located in a second environment having a second ambient temperature;   a vapor compression system comprising an expansion valve, a second condenser, a second liquid receiver, a compressor, and a liquid to liquid heat exchanger, the vapor compression system located in the second environment;   a primary fluid conduit through which a first refrigerant fluid is circulated by the pump through the evaporator, to the first condenser, to the first liquid receiver, and back to the pump;   a secondary fluid conduit selectively diverting the first refrigerant fluid from the evaporator to the liquid to liquid heat exchanger of the vapor compression system, to the liquid receiver, and back to the pump; and   a third fluid conduit through with a second refrigerant fluid is circulated from the compressor to the liquid to liquid heat exchanger, to the expansion valve, to the second liquid receiver, to the second condenser, and back to the compressor;   a control system adapted to direct the first refrigerant through the first conduit to the first condenser and to bypass the second conduit when the temperature in the first environment is higher than the temperature in the second environment;   the control system adapted to direct the first refrigerant through the second conduit and bypass a portion of first conduit including the first condenser and operating the compressor of the vapor compression system when the temperature in the first environment is higher than the temperature in the second environment.