SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING SUBCOOLING IN COOLING SYSTEM

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present disclosure claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/700,902, filed September 30, 2024, which is herein incorporated by reference in the entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to cooling systems, more specifically, to systems and methods for managing subcooling in cooling systems for a high-density heat load.

BACKGROUND

Data centers have ever-rising heat density, requiring thermal systems to provide increased cooling density. Additionally, recent trends toward higher-density data centers for artificial intelligence require higher heat rejection per footprint. Various cooling systems have been used to cool data centers, particularly, electronic devices (e.g., processors, memories, networking devices, chips, and other heat-generating devices) located on a server or network rack tray. For instance, forced convection may be created by providing a cooling airflow over the devices. Fans located near the devices, fans located in computer server rooms, and/or fans located in ductwork in fluid communication with the air surrounding the electronic devices, may force the cooling airflow over the tray containing the devices. A newer cooling method includes direct-to-chip liquid cooling, which can provide fluid to cool the electronics without using cooling fans. For instance, liquid may be sent to cold plates, mounted directly on heated electronic devices, to absorb the heat. This liquid is then transported to a coolant distribution unit (CDU) where a heat exchanger is used to dissipate the heat. Such cooling systems have applicability in a number of different applications where media (e.g., fluid) is to be or must be cooled. The fluid may be a gas such as air, or a liquid such as water or refrigerant.

The efficiency of cooling systems has taken on increased importance. Cooling and power conversion systems for data centers consume at least half the power used in a typical data center. In other words, less than half the power is consumed by the servers in the data center. This has led to an increased focus on energy efficiency in data center cooling systems. However, current cooling systems undergo an undesirable pressure drop throughout the system, which decreases energy efficiency. Some cooling systems include a receiver to help maintain a stable subcooling by allowing the refrigerant to flow to the expansion device. However, a pressure drop is still unavoidable, which can negatively affect the capacity and efficiency of the system. Moreover, although this helps maintain a stable subcool, it creates a large pressure drop negatively impacting the capacity and efficiency of the system. In addition, there is an unnecessary loss of refrigerant when a leak occurs.

In view of the foregoing, there needs improved refrigerant leak capture and reuse systems and methods that can also reduce the risk of critical technology failure and danger, while promoting environmental regulations.

SUMMARY

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a cooling system for managing subcooling is disclosed. The system may include: a main fluid circuit through which a fluid flows between an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve; a bypass fluid circuit communicating with the main fluid circuit; one or more sensors detecting sensing values within the cooling system; and a controller communicating with the one or more sensors. The bypass fluid circuit may include a first valve disposed between the compressor and condenser, the first valve controlling fluid flow to the condenser on the main fluid circuit; and a receiver can receive fluid flowing from the compressor via the bypass fluid circuit and fluid flowing from the condenser via the main fluid circuit, the receiver can discharge fluid therefrom.

In some embodiments, the receiver can receive fluid passed through the condenser. In some embodiments, the first valve includes first, second, and third openings. Based on the sensing values, an opening amount of each of the first, second, and second openings of the first valve is selectively controlled. The sensing values include: a first pressure value of fluid measured on the main fluid circuit after passing through the condenser; and a second pressure value of fluid measured at the receiver.

In some embodiments, when the first pressure value is higher than the second pressure value, the first valve is controlled to increase the opening amount of the third opening of the first valve and decrease the opening amount of the second opening of the first valve. In some embodiments, when the first pressure value is less than the second pressure value, the first valve is controlled to decrease the opening amount of the third opening of the first valve and increase the opening amount of the second opening of the first valve.

In some embodiments, the bypass fluid circuit further includes a fluid receiving circuit, which includes a second valve, communicating with the receiver, wherein the second valve can selectively open and close to control fluid flow between the condenser and the receiver based on the sensing values; and a fluid discharge circuit, which includes a third valve, configured to communicate with the receiver, wherein the third valve can selectively open and close to control fluid flow between the receiver and the expansion valve.

In some embodiments, when the first pressure value is higher than the second pressure value, the second valve is open and the third valve is closed. When the first pressure value is less than or equal to the second pressure value, the second and third valves are open. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors include at least one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, or a humidity sensor.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling the cooling system above is disclosed. The method includes: detecting, by the one or more sensors, a first pressure value of fluid measured on the main fluid circuit after passing through the condenser; detecting, by the one or more sensors, a second pressure value of fluid measured at the receiver; comparing, by the controller, the first pressure value and the second pressure value; and based on the comparison, selectively controlling an opening amount of each of first, second, and third openings of the first valve.

In some embodiments, the method may measure the first pressure value of fluid on the main fluid circuit after passing through the condenser and measure the second pressure value of fluid at the receiver. In some embodiments, upon determining that the first pressure value is higher than the second pressure value, the method may increase the opening amount of the third opening of the first valve and decrease the opening amount of the second opening of the first valve. In some embodiments, upon determining that the first pressure value is less than the second pressure value, the method may decrease the opening amount of the third opening of the first valve and increase the opening amount of the second opening of the first valve.

In some embodiments, upon determining that the first pressure value is higher than the second pressure value, the method may open a second valve and close a third valve. In some other embodiments, upon determining that the first pressure value is less than or equal to the second pressure value, the method may the second and third valves. The second valve can selectively open and close to control fluid flow between the condenser and the receiver based on the sensing values, and the third valve can selectively open and close to control fluid flow between the receiver and the expansion valve.

Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like elements:

FIG. 1 shows an example of a typical cooling system for a data center according to a prior art.

FIG. 2 shows a typical cooling system having a Direct Expansion (DX) cooling circuit of FIG. 1 as one example.

FIG. 3 shows a simplified circuit of FIG. 2 with a receiver.

FIG. 4 shows a cooling circuit according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example computing device that may be used to implement embodiments, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method for controlling the cooling circuit according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The figures described above and the written description of specific structures and functions below are not presented to limit the scope of what Applicants have invented or the scope of the appended claims. Rather, the Figures and written description are provided to teach any person skilled in the art to make and use the inventions for which patent protection is sought. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that not all features of a commercial embodiment of the inventions are described or shown for the sake of clarity and understanding. Persons of skill in this art will also appreciate that the development of an actual commercial embodiment incorporating aspects of the present inventions will require numerous implementation-specific decisions to achieve the developer's goal for the commercial embodiment. Such implementation-specific decisions may include and likely are not limited to, compliance with system-related, business-related, government-related, and other constraints, which may vary by specific implementation, location, and from time to time. While a developer's efforts might be complex and time-consuming in an absolute sense, such efforts would be, nevertheless, a routine undertaking for those of skill in this art having the benefit of this disclosure. It must be understood that the inventions disclosed and taught herein are susceptible to numerous and various modifications and alternative forms.

The use of a singular term, such as, but not limited to, “a,” is not intended as limiting of the number of items. The use of relational terms, such as, but not limited to, “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “upper,” “lower,” “down,” “up,” “side,” and the like are used in the written description for clarity in specific reference to the Figures and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions or the appended claims. The terms “including” and “such as” are for illustrative purposes but not limited thereto. The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “coupling,” “coupler,” and like terms are used broadly herein and can include any method or device for securing, binding, bonding, fastening, attaching, joining, inserting therein, forming thereon or therein, communicating, or otherwise associating, for example, mechanically, magnetically, electrically, chemically, operably, directly or indirectly with intermediate elements, one or more pieces of members together and can further include without limitation integrally forming one functional member with another in a unity fashion. The coupling can occur in any direction, including rotationally. Further, all parts and components of the disclosure that are capable of being physically embodied inherently include imaginary and real characteristics regardless of whether such characteristics are expressly described herein, including but not limited to characteristics such as axes, ends, inner and outer surfaces, interior spaces, tops, bottoms, sides, boundaries, dimensions (e.g., height, length, width, thickness), mass, weight, volume, and density, among others.

Embodiments described herein relate to techniques for cooling data centers. In particular, systems and methods of the present disclosure provide new and novel ways of refrigerant storing and releasing systems to prevent a pressure drop with simple reconfiguration of the existing cooling systems, resulting in a solution that is not overly complex or expensive and adheres to existing standards. In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, the cooling system may include a Direct Expansion (DX) cooling circuit with a receiver/surge tank. The cooling fluid may illustratively be a phase change refrigerant having a vapor phase and a liquid phase.

The systems and methods according to the embodiments include a receiver arranged in parallel to a condenser so as to reduce a pressure drop in the systems while maintaining a steady subcooling. By adding a receiver in parallel, it is possible to improve the flow of refrigerant and reducing unnecessary pressure losses by restoring system capacity and efficiency, thereby reducing energy consumption, and extending the lifespan of system components. In this regard, the systems and methods of the present disclosure may improve recovery, recycling, and/or reclamation of fluids.

It is contemplated herein that without a receiver, vapor refrigerant can enter the expansion device of the cooling system, leading to inefficient expansion and decreased capacity. As such, the receiver may ensure that only liquid refrigerant flows forward within the cooling system, reducing this issue. When the receiver is not needed in the existing cooling systems, refrigerant may still flow through the receiver because it is in series with the rest of the liquid line, which causes an unnecessary pressure drop in the system. Since the receiver in the cooling system of the present disclosure is in parallel to the condenser, the efficiency of the cooling system may be improved and customers can see annual cost reductions in power consumption due to the optimized refrigerant flow when the receiver is not needed.

FIG. 1 shows a typical cooling system 100 for a building, e.g., a data center, having an indoor unit 102 and an outdoor unit 106. The indoor unit 102 may include an evaporator, a fan, a compressor, and an expansion device. The outdoor unit 106 may include a condenser coil, a fan, and a pump. The indoor unit 102 inside the building (e.g., data center) may fluidly communicate with the outdoor unit 106 located outside the building through a closed fluid circuit. The fluid (e.g., refrigerant) flowing within the circuit may be generally formulated to undergo phase changes within the normal operating temperatures and pressures of the system 100 so that quantities of heat can be exchanged by virtue of the latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant. As such, the refrigerant flowing within the system 100 may travel through multiple conduits and components of the circuit.

FIG. 2 shows a direct expansion (DX) cooling system 200 having an indoor unit in a data center 202 and an outdoor unit outside the data center 202. The outdoor unit may include a condenser 204 with a condenser fan 214. The indoor unit may be a DX cooling system including an evaporator 206 with an evaporator fan 216, a compressor 208, an expansion device 210, a check valve 212, and one or more sensors 218, 220 (e.g., temperature and pressure sensors). Each component of the DX cooling system 200 may fluidically communicate with each other via one or more fluid lines. It is noted herein that the simple configuration shown in FIG. 2 allows warm air in the data center 202 to blow into the evaporator 206 by the evaporator fan 216, become compressed by the compressor 208 to remove refrigerant vapor, and be condensed by the condenser 204 while heat is transferred from the condensing vapor to outside. Then, the expansion device 210 creates a pressure drop to create a two-phase mixture of the refrigerant.

FIG. 3 shows one example cooling system 300 having a Direct Expansion (DX) cooling circuit with a receiver in a simplified version according to a prior art. The example cooling system 300 according to a prior art includes a receiver 322 in a series configuration in addition to the general cooling elements such as a condenser 304, an evaporator 306, a compressor 308, and an expansion valve 310. That is, the receiver 322 is in series such that all fluid (e.g., refrigerant) flowing through the system 300 must flow through the receiver 322 in one connected fluid circuit 324. The receiver 322 is a storage tank for liquid fluid placed downstream of the condenser 304. The primary function of the receiver 322 is to ensure that only liquid fluid enters the expansion valve 310 by providing a buffer or reserve of liquid fluid. Such a receiver 322 on the cooling system 300 of the prior art is placed in series with the condenser 304 so that the fluid continuously passes through the receiver 322. As previously mentioned herein, this creates an unnecessary pressure drop in the cooling system 300 at all times.

FIG. 4 shows a cooling system 400 in a simplified version according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

In embodiments, the cooling system 400 includes a condenser 404, an evaporator 406, a compressor 408, and an expansion valve 410 on a main fluid circuit 424. For example, the cooling system 400 may include an outdoor unit including the condenser 404, where the condenser 404 may be configured to receive hot, high-pressure vapor refrigerant from the compressor 408 and facilitate the release of heat to the outside environment. For instance, as the refrigerant passes through the condenser coil, it cools and condenses from a vapor into a liquid. The condenser 404 may include a fan to helps expel heat more efficiently by moving air across the coil surfaces of the condenser 403. In this regard, by rejecting heat, the condenser 404 may prepare the refrigerant for the next phase of the cooling cycle.

The cooling system 400 may further include an indoor unit (e.g., inside a building or data center) including the compressor 408, the expansion valve 410, and evaporator 406. For example, the evaporator 406 may be configured to absorb heat from the indoor air, where once the liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator 406, it expands and evaporates into a vapor. It is noted herein that this phase change absorbs a substantial amount of heat from the surrounding air, which cools the environment being conditioned. The evaporator 406 may include an evaporator fan to circulate warm air from the room across the evaporator coils, facilitating efficient heat exchange and cooling.

The compressor 408 may be configured to circulate the refrigerant throughout the closed circuit 424. For example, the compressor 408 may be configured to take the low-pressure, low-temperature vapor arriving from the evaporator 406 and compress it into a high-pressure, high-temperature vapor. It is noted herein that such process both moves the refrigerant through the system and raises its pressure and temperature, enabling it to release heat efficiently in the condenser. In this regard, the compressor 408 is important for maintaining the refrigeration cycle and ensuring continuous cooling.

Positioned between the condenser 404 and the evaporator 406, the expansion valve 410 may be configured to control the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator 406. For example, the expansion valve 410 may be responsible for creating a significant pressure drop, which causes the high-pressure liquid refrigerant from the condenser 404 to rapidly expand and cool as it enters the evaporator 406. It is noted herein that such pressure drop generates a two-phase mixture of liquid and vapor, allowing the refrigerant to absorb heat efficiently from the environment. In this regard, the expansion valve 410 may regulate the amount and state of refrigerant entering the evaporator, optimizing the cooling process.

In embodiments, the cooling system 400 according to the present disclosure also includes a receiver 422. In some embodiments, the receiver 422 is positioned in a parallel configuration contrary to the series configuration shown in FIG. 3. For example, the receiver 422 may be in parallel with the compressor 408.

In some embodiments, the cooling system 400 may further include a bypass fluid circuit 428 arranged in parallel to the condenser 404 and the evaporator 406. A first valve or three-way valve 426, having three openings 426a, 426b, 426c, may be coupled on the main fluid circuit 424 and the bypass fluid circuit 428 so as to split the flow of fluid, between the compressor 408 via a first opening 426a and the condenser 404 via a second opening 426b, and between the compressor 408 via the first opening 426a and the receiver 422 via a third opening 426c. For example, the first valve 426 may be controlled to selectively open and close so as to guide the fluid to flow to the condenser 404 via the main fluid circuit 424 or to the receiver 422 via the bypass fluid circuit 428, by opening more or less of the second and third openings 426b and 426c, respectively. Alternatively, the first valve 426 may be controlled in a way that the fluid can at least partially flow to the condenser 404 and partially flow to the receiver 422.

In embodiments, the cooling system 400 may include a controller 440 and one or more sensors 438. It is contemplated herein that the controller 440 and/or the one or more sensors 438 may be installed within or integrated with the cooling system 400, or may be externally communicating with the cooling system 400. In some embodiments, the one or more sensors 438 may include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, or any other sensors that can be utilized to measure a pressure drop through the cooling system 400.

Based on sensing values obtained by the one or more sensors 438, the controller 440 may be configured to control the first valve 426 to selectively open and close as described above. For example, the control of the first valve 426 can be operated by the controller 440 communicating with the one or more sensors 438. In various embodiments, the first valve 426 can direct fluid flow to the condenser 404 as well as the receiver 422 via either the main fluid circuit 424 or the bypass fluid circuit 428. For instance, the first valve 426 may be opened slightly to allow pressure to build up in the bypass fluid circuit 428 and force liquid fluid out of the bottom of the receiver 422 into the main fluid circuit 424 and then close again. In this case, a third valve 436 may be open allowing the fluid to expel out of the receiver 422. The first valve 426 may not open completely to divert flow only to the receiver 422, such that the fluid (e.g., refrigerant) would always flow to the condenser 404 with small 'burps' pressurizing the receiver 422 to expel the fluid. This is possible when the cooling system 400 recognizes low subcooling entering the expansion valve 410 based on the temperature and pressure of the fluid in the main fluid circuit 424.

In some embodiments, the first valve 426 is a three-way valve having three openings including the first opening 426a, the second opening 426b, and the third opening 426c, where each opening may be configured to selectively open a select amount. For example, when a pressure (or first pressure) measured in the main fluid circuit 424, e.g., by a sensor 444, after passing through the condenser 404, is higher than a pressure (or second pressure) measured at the receiver 422, e.g., by a sensor 442 located right below the receiver 422, the first valve 426 may be controlled to increase the opening amount of the third opening 426c of the first valve 426 and decrease the opening amount of the second opening 426b of the first valve 426. On the other hand, when the first pressure value is less than the second pressure value, the first valve 426 may be controlled to decrease the opening amount of the third opening 426c of the first valve 426 and increase the opening amount of the second opening 426b of the first valve 426.

In certain embodiments, the pressure drop across the condenser 404 can be monitored and the information may be used to adjust the flow through the bypass fluid circuit 428. When the first valve 426 is controlled such that the fluid flows to the bypass fluid circuit 428, the receiver 422 can store and accumulate the fluid to allow for changes in the temperature and heat load.

The cooling system 400 may further include a fluid receiving circuit 430 to which a second valve 432 is coupled, and a fluid discharge circuit 434 to which the third valve 436 is coupled. The second and third solenoid valves 432 and 436, respectively, may include solenoid valves that are electromechanically operated. The fluid receiving circuit 430 can selectively communicate with the receiver 422 by operating the second valve 432 to selectively open and close to control fluid flow between the condenser 404 and the receiver 422. The fluid discharge circuit 434 can selectively communicate with the receiver 422 by operating the third valve 436 to selectively open and close to control fluid flow between the receiver 422 and the expansion valve 410.

Similar to the first valve 426, the second and third valves 432 and 436 can be selectively opened and closed based on various sensing values/data obtained by the one or more sensors 438 communicating with the controller 440. For example, the second solenoid valve 432 may be opened to allow fluid, that has passed through the condenser 404, into the receiver 422. If the pressure (e.g., second pressure) in the receiver 422 is less than the pressure (e.g., first pressure) in the main fluid circuit 424, only the second solenoid valve 432 would open. If the pressure (e.g., first pressure) in the main fluid circuit 424 is equal to or less than the pressure (e.g., second pressure) in the receiver 422, the second and third valves 432 and 436 both can be controlled to be open to allow the fluid flow into the receiver 422.

According to the above-described configuration, i.e., adding a receiver in parallel with the cooling system 400, the fluid would not flow through the receiver 422 at all times thus increasing efficiency. When superheat is high in the system, the outlet valve would open allowing more charge into the system which ultimately decreases the superheat. The discharge fluid circuit is routed to the inlet of the receiver. With the discharge fluid circuit routed to the receiver, the pressure from the compressor 408 can push the liquid fluid out and through the expansion valve 410. Without the discharge fluid circuit, the fluid would not leave the receiver 422 because of the pressure differential between it and the liquid line of the unit.

This method of adding a receiver to a system is unique because it is in parallel with the liquid line instead of in series. By changing the configuration of how the receiver is used and the controls used to operate the valves, there is great potential for increased capacity and decreased power consumption. Also, the use of the discharge fluid circuit to expel the fluid from the tank is novel in this application.

FIG. 5 depicts an example processor-based computer system 500 that may be used to implement various embodiments described herein, such as any of the embodiments described above and in reference to FIG. 4. For example, the processor-based computer system 500 may be used to implement any of the components of the cooling system 400 as described above in reference to FIG. 4. The description of processor-based computer system 500 provided herein is provided for purposes of illustration and is not intended to be limiting. Embodiments may be implemented in further types of computer systems, as would be known to persons skilled in the relevant art(s).

As shown in FIG. 5, the processor-based computer system 500 includes one or more processors, referred to as processor circuit 502, a system memory 504, and a bus 506 that couples various system components including the system memory 504 to the processor circuit 502. The processor circuit 502 may include an electrical and/or optical circuit implemented in one or more physical hardware electrical circuit device elements and/or integrated circuit devices (e.g., semiconductor material chips or dies) as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, a microprocessor, and/or other physical hardware processor circuit. The processor circuit 502 may execute program code stored in a computer-readable medium, such as program code of operating system 530, application programs 532, other program modules 534, or the like. The bus 506 may represent one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The system memory 504 may include a read-only memory (ROM) 508 and a random access memory (RAM) 510. A basic input/output system 512 (BIOS) may be stored in the ROM 508. The operating system 530, the application programs 532, other program modules 534, and/or the program data 536 may be stored in the RAM 510.

The processor-based computer system 500 may also include one or more of the following drives: a hard disk drive 514 for reading from and writing to a hard disk, a magnetic disk drive 516 for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk 518, and an optical disk drive 520 for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk 522 such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical media. The hard disk drive 514, the magnetic disk drive 516, and the optical disk drive 520 may be connected to the bus 506 by a hard disk drive interface 524, a magnetic disk drive interface 526, and an optical drive interface 528, respectively. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computer. Although a hard disk, a removable magnetic disk, and a removable optical disk are described, other types of hardware-based computer-readable storage media can be used to store data, such as flash memory cards, digital video disks, RAMs, ROMs, and other hardware storage media.

A number of program modules may be stored on the hard disk, magnetic disk, optical disk, ROM, or RAM. These programs include operating system 530, one or more application programs 532, other programs 534, and program data 536. The application programs 532 or other programs 534 may include, for example, computer program logic (e.g., computer program code or instructions) for implementing the systems described above, including the embodiments described in reference to FIG. 4.

A user may enter commands and information into the processor-based computer system 500 through input devices such as keyboard 538 and pointing device 540 (or mouse). Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, a touch screen and/or touch pad, a voice recognition system to receive voice input, a gesture recognition system to receive gesture input or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processor circuit 502 through a serial port interface 542 that is coupled to the bus 506 but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, game port, or a universal serial bus (USB).

A display screen 544 is also connected to the bus 506 via an interface, such as a video adapter 546. The display screen 544 may be external to, or incorporated in the processor-based computer system 500. The display screen 544 may display information, as well as being a user interface for receiving user commands and/or other information (e.g., by touch, finger gestures, virtual keyboard, etc.). In addition to the display screen 544, the processor-based computer system 500 may include other peripheral output devices (not shown) such as speakers and printers.

The processor-based computer system 500 may be connected to a network 548 (e.g., the Internet) through an adaptor or network interface 550, a modem 552, or other means for establishing communications over the network 548. The modem 552, which may be internal or external, may be connected to the bus 506 via the serial port interface 542, as shown in FIG. 5, or may be connected to the bus 506 using another interface type, including a parallel interface.

Embodiments are also directed to computer program products including computer code or instructions stored on any computer-readable medium. Such computer program products include hard disk drives, optical disk drives, memory device packages, portable memory sticks, memory cards, and other types of physical storage hardware.

As used herein, the terms "computer program medium," "computer-readable medium," and “computer-readable storage medium” are used to generally refer to physical hardware media such as the hard disk associated with hard disk drive 514, removable magnetic disk 518, removable optical disk 522, other physical hardware media such as RAMs, ROMs, flash memory cards, digital video disks, zip disks, MEMs, nanotechnology-based storage devices, and further types of physical/tangible hardware storage media (including system memory 504 of FIG. 5). Such computer-readable storage media are distinguished from and non-overlapping with communication media (do not include communication media). Communication media typically embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limited, communication media includes wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media, as well as wired media. Embodiments are also directed to such communication media.

As noted above, computer programs and modules (including application programs 532 and other programs 534) may be stored on the hard disk, magnetic disk, optical disk, ROM, RAM, or other hardware storage medium. Such computer programs may also be received via network interface 550, serial port interface 542, or any other interface type. Such computer programs, when executed or loaded by an application, enable processor-based computer system 500 to implement features of embodiments discussed herein. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of processor-based computer system 500.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a method 600 for controlling the cooling circuit according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

With reference to FIG. 6, the method 600 starts by detecting sensing values by various sensors 438 detecting at least one of a temperature, a humidity, a pressure, or the like, within the cooling system 400 at step 602. In particular, a first pressure value of fluid, that has passed the condenser 404, measured on the main fluid circuit 424 can be detected. In step 604, a second pressure value of fluid at the receiver 422 is detected by the sensors 438. The sensors 438 can communicate with the controller 440 which can analyze the sensing values such as comparing the first and second pressures in step 606. Based on the comparison results in step 606, the controller 440 can control an opening amount of the first valve 426 in step 608. In various embodiments, the first valve 426 is a three-way valve having three openings – first, second, and third openings 426a-426c, each of which can be selectively controlled based on the comparison results.

For instance, when the first pressure value is higher than the second pressure value, the first valve 426 is controlled to increase the opening amount of the third opening 426c of the first valve 426 and decrease the opening amount of the second opening 426b of the first valve 426. On the other hand, when the first pressure value is less than the second pressure value, the first valve 426 is controlled to decrease the opening amount of the third opening 426c and increase the opening amount of the second opening 426b.

The method 600 may further include, upon determining that the first pressure value is higher than the second pressure value, opening a second valve 432 and closing a third valve 436. On the other hand, when the first pressure value is less than or equal to the second pressure value, the method 600 may include opening both second and third valves 432 and 436. The second valve 432 may be configured to selectively open and close to control fluid flow between the condenser 404 and the receiver 422, and the third valve 436 may be configured to selectively open and close to control fluid flow between the receiver 422 and the expansion valve 410.

In this application, including the definitions below, the term “module” or the term “controller” may be replaced with the term “circuit.” The term “module” refers to or includes an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog, or mixed analog/digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog, or mixed analog/digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) that stores code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of some or all of the above, such as in a system-on-chip.

The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces that are connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or combinations thereof. The functionality of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed among multiple modules that are connected via interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may allow load balancing. In a further example, a server (also known as remote, or cloud) module may accomplish some functionality on behalf of a client module.

The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and/or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and/or objects. The term shared processor circuit encompasses a single processor circuit that executes some or all code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuit encompasses a processor circuit that, in combination with additional processor circuits, executes some or all code from one or more modules. References to multiple processor circuits encompass multiple processor circuits on discrete dies, multiple processor circuits on a single die, multiple cores of a single processor circuit, multiple threads of a single processor circuit, or a combination of the above. The term shared memory circuit encompasses a single memory circuit that stores some or all code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuit encompasses a memory circuit that, in combination with additional memories, stores some or all code from one or more modules.

The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium, as used herein, does not encompass transitory electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); the term computer-readable medium may therefore be considered tangible and non-transitory. Non-limiting examples of a non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium are nonvolatile memory circuits (such as a flash memory circuit, an erasable programmable read-only memory circuit, or a mask read-only memory circuit), volatile memory circuits (such as a static random access memory circuit or a dynamic random access memory circuit), magnetic storage media (such as an analog or digital magnetic tape or a hard disk drive), and optical storage media (such as a CD, a DVD, or a Blu-ray Disc).

The apparatuses and methods described in this application may be partially or fully implemented by a special-purpose computer created by configuring a general-purpose computer to execute one or more particular functions embodied in computer programs. The functional blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above serve as software specifications, which can be translated into computer programs by the routine work of a skilled technician or programmer.

The computer programs include processor-executable instructions that are stored on at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. The computer programs may also include or rely on stored data. The computer programs may encompass a basic input/output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the special-purpose computer, device drivers that interact with particular devices of the special-purpose computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, etc.

The computer programs may include: (i) descriptive text to be parsed, such as HTML (hypertext markup language), XML (extensible markup language), or JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code generated from source code by a compiler, (iv) source code for execution by an interpreter, (v) source code for compilation and execution by a just-in-time compiler, etc. As examples only, source code may be written using syntax from languages including C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Swift, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java®, Fortran, Peri, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, Javascript®, HTML5 (Hypertext Markup Language 5th revision), Ada, ASP (Active Server Pages), PHP (PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor), Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, Flash®, Visual Basic®, Lua, MATLAB, SIMULINK, and Python®.

None of the elements recited in the claims are intended to be a means-plus-function element within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) unless an element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for,” or in the case of a method claim using the phrases “operation for” or “step for.”

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, pumps, condenser fans, compressors, circuits, components and/or modules, these items should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one item from another item. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms when used herein do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first item discussed herein could be termed a second item without departing from the teachings of the example implementations.

Process flowcharts discussed herein illustrate the operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks might occur out of the order depicted in the figures. For example, blocks shown in succession may be executed substantially concurrently. It will also be noted that each block of flowchart illustration can be implemented by special-purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.