University System of Maryland

The United States Environmental Production Agency

Kwangil Kim

William Leslie Kopko

K Reinhard Radermacher

Jurgen Pannock

A refrigeration system for providing cooling to two or more compartments utilizing respective first and second evaporators. During the initial operation of a cooling cycle, the refrigerant is utilized for cooling the compartment (such as a fresh food compartment) which is to be maintained at a higher temperature as compared with another compartment (such as a freezer compartment). Cooling can thus be achieved by operating a fan in the fresh food compartment, even where the refrigeration system has not yet reached steady state after the compressor initially begins operating. After cooling has been achieved in the fresh food compartment, the refrigerant in the system has reached a state suitable for cooling of the freezer compartment, and the fan for the freezer evaporator is turned on while the fan for the fresh food compartment is turned off. As a result, a relatively simply refrigeration system is provided which is more efficient than conventional arrangements, particularly single-stage refrigeration systems. A defrosting cycle can also be accomplished with the fresh food fan operating, and with the freezer evaporator fan and compressor off. As the refrigerant evaporates in the fresh food evaporator during defrosting, a thermosiphon effect results in an exchange of refrigerant between the evaporators such that defrosting is accomplished without requiring a defrost heater.

Growing community of inventors

Hyattsville, MD, United States of America

Kwangil Kim