COOLING SYSTEM

Abstract

Cooling element, with multiple cooling disks (16, 17) arranged in an array to restrict flow interspaces for the air to be cooled. Cooling disks (16) extending to the inlet side for the air to be cooled, and shorter cooling disks (17) not extending to the inlet side, are arranged alternating order.

Description

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a cooling element. More specifically, it relates to a cooling element with a number of cooling disks being assembled to provide restricted interspaces for air to be cooled.

When assembling cooling elements with disks or lamellas arranged in an air flow to be cooled, it is important to have an efficient exchange between air and metal. The distance between the cooling disks is adapted to the manufacturing, typically without optimization relative to the size.

For some purposes, the available space is restricted, requiring compact cooling elements.

SUMMARY

The main object of the invention is to provide a cooling element having higher efficiency than corresponding prior art cooling elements.

This design provides a substantial increase in cooling and lowering the temperature of air passing through such a cooling element. This is believed to be due to an increased degree of collision at the cooling disks due to the stepwise constriction of the width of the air slots.

More details will be given in the following description of embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of the invention, with a cooling element with disks on cooling tubes, while

FIG. 2 shows an enlarged section of the disks of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1 a cooling element 11 with end sections 12 and 13 is shown. Between the end sections 12 and 13, two U-shaped cooling tubes 14 and 15 connected to conduct a cooling medium are arranged. The cooling tubes 14 and 15 carry an array of cooling disks (lamella) 16 and 17 arranged in alternating order. The cooling lamella 16 extend over the total height of the cooling elements 11, and are connected to the cooling tubes 14, 15, while the remaining cooling lamella 17 extend half as far as the cooling lamella 16 and are mounted on the lower cooling tubes 14. The interspace between the cooling lamella is 9 millimeters in the upper part and 2.5-3 millimeters in the lower part. This means a substantial reduction of the interspaces relative to prior art cooling elements. This provides an increase in the heat transfer. The reason for this increase in efficiency is not clear, but it is believed to be due to the lower interspace creating increased molecular motion and consequently increased collisions between the air molecules.

Air molecules being cooled at the transfer from the wider to the narrower interspaces are believed to be getting an increased specific weight and thus have an increased fall velocity and simultaneously oscillate more slowly and create fewer collisions with the succeeding neighbouring molecules.

A reduction of the lamella interspace to lower than about 2.5 millimeters will increase the risk of icing and clogging.

The cooling element 11 of the example has a vertical orientation of the interspaces, with a gravitational air flow. The cooling element according to the example can also be used in a forced flow cooling system with a fan. This provides more versatility.

The cooling element 11 according to the invention may be used for various cooling purposes, for technical uses and in housings and offices. As shown in FIG. 1, such cooling element is suitable to be suspended as at 18, over goods 19 to be cooled.

It is also possible to achieve corresponding advantages with other arrangements of stepwise restricted interspaces. Two or more short lamella can be used between each pair with full extension. Or multiple steps can be arranged, provided the narrowest interspaces are in the range 2.5 to 3 millimeters.

Claims

1.-4. (canceled)

5. A system for cooling objects by chilling ambient air, comprising:

a cooling element supported in ambient air over objects to be cooled, said cooling element having an ambient air inlet at an elevation above an elevation of a cooled air outlet, whereby a cooling space is provided between said inlet and said outlet; an upper tube spanning the cooling space adjacent the inlet and a lower tube spanning the cooling space adjacent the outlet, a first array of a plurality of laterally spaced apart cooling lamella extending in said cooling space from the outlet to the inlet and connected to the upper and lower tubes, a second array of a plurality of laterally spaced apart cooling lamella extending in said cooling space part way from the outlet to the inlet and connected to the lower tube but not the upper tube, wherein the lamella of the first and second arrays are arranged such that relatively broader lateral interspaces are formed between lamella of the first array adjacent the inlet and relatively narrower lateral interspaces are formed between lamella of the first and second arrays adjacent the outlet;

a cooling medium passing through the tubes for cooling the lamella and thereby cooling the air in the cooling space;

whereby said cooling of the air in said cooling space decreases the volume of the air in said space, thereby inducing a continuous, gravity driven passive flow of increasingly cooled air which falls downward through said cooling space from the inlet to the outlet, where the cooled air exits the cooling element and falls onto the objects.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the cooled air falls straight down toward the objects, from the outlet.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the lamella of the second array are arranged in alternating order with the lamella of the first array.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein at least two lamella of the second array are arranged between successive lamella of the first array.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein

the lamella of the first array extend a first distance through the cooling space,

the lamella of the second array extend a second, shorter distance through the cooling space, and

a third array of a plurality of laterally spaced apart cooling lamella extend in said cooling space from the outlet part way to the inlet a shorter distance than said second distance, and are connected to the lower tube but not the upper tube, thereby providing stepwise narrowing of interspaces.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the objects are goods.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein

the lamella of the first array extend a first distance through the cooling space, and

the lamella of the second array extend a second, shorter distance through the cooling space, which second distance is one-half the first distance.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein all interspaces at the outlet are in the range of 2.5-3 millimeters.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the cooling element is suspended over goods to be cooled.

14. A system for cooling an object by chilling ambient air, comprising:

a cooling element suspended in ambient air over an object to be cooled, said cooling element having horizontally spaced apart, vertically extending lateral end sections, each lateral end section having an upper end and a lower end, wherein air in said space between the end sections is to be cooled, an ambient air inlet at the upper end and a cooled air outlet at the lower end, an upper tube supported by the end sections and horizontally spanning the space adjacent the inlet and a lower tube supported by the end sections and horizontally spanning the space adjacent the outlet, a first array of a plurality of horizontally spaced apart, vertically oriented cooling lamella extending in said space from the outlet to the inlet and connected to the upper and lower tubes, a second array of a plurality of horizontally spaced apart, vertically oriented cooling lamella extending in said space from the outlet part way to the inlet and connected to the lower tube but not the upper tube, wherein the lamella of the first and second arrays are horizontally arranged such that relatively broader interspaces are formed between successive lamella of the first array adjacent the inlet and relatively narrower interspaces are formed between lamella of the first and second array adjacent the outlet;

a cooling medium passing through the tubes for cooling the lamella and thereby cooling the air in the space between the end sections;

whereby said cooling of the air in said space increases the specific weight of the air in said space, thereby inducing a continuous, gravity driven passive flow of increasingly cooled air which falls downward through said space from the inlet to the outlet, where the cooled air exits the cooling element and falls onto the goods.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein all interspaces at the outlet are in the range of 2.5-3 millimeters.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the cooling element is stationary over the object.

17. A system for cooling goods by chilling ambient air, comprising:

a stationary cooling element suspended in ambient air over goods to be cooled, said cooling element having horizontally spaced apart, vertically extending lateral end sections, each lateral end section having an upper end and a lower end, wherein air in said space between the end sections is to be cooled, an ambient air inlet at the upper end and a cooled air outlet at the lower end, an upper tube supported by the end sections and horizontally spanning the space adjacent the inlet and a lower tube supported by the end sections and horizontally spanning the space adjacent the outlet, a first plurality of horizontally spaced apart, vertically longer cooling disks extending in said space from the outlet to the inlet and connected to the upper and lower tubes, a second plurality of horizontally spaced apart, vertically shorter cooling disks extending in said space from the outlet part way to the inlet and connected to the lower tube but not the upper tube, wherein the longer and shorter disks are horizontally arranged in arrays such that relatively broader interspaces are formed between successive cooling disks adjacent the inlet and relatively narrower interspaces are formed between successive disks adjacent the outlet;

a cooling medium passing through the tubes for cooling the disks and thereby cooling the air in the space between the end sections;

whereby said cooling of the air in said space induces a continuous, gravity driven passive flow of increasingly cooled air which falls downward through said space from the inlet to the outlet, where the cooled air exits the cooling element and falls onto the goods.