EP4314671B1 - Method and device for controlling the temperature of a space to be temperature-controlled - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for tempering a room to be tempered, a method for tempering a room to be tempered and a method for producing the device.

The present invention relates to the tempering of a room to be tempered and in particular to the generation of cold or heat and distribution in mobile or stationary refrigeration applications.

In particular, the present invention relates to methods and devices for the generation of cold or heat and distribution in mobile cold applications or heat applications and can be used in road-bound motor vehicles or trailers or semi-trailers with a refrigerated body or a heated body, a rail- or sea-bound refrigerated or heated body or a container, or generally in rooms to be tempered in air or air conditioning applications, which are cooled or heated, for example, by means of a compression refrigeration machine.

Furthermore, this invention can also be used in the field of comfort air conditioning in mobile applications such as buses or rail-bound passenger cars in rail transport. In principle, however, from a purely technical point of view, a restriction to these areas is not necessary, since the solutions described here can also be used advantageously in stationary applications.

The compression refrigeration machine is the most common type of refrigeration machine. This type of machine uses the physical effect of the heat of vaporization when changing the state of matter from liquid to gaseous, or from gaseous to liquid. In a compression refrigeration machine, a refrigerant with suitable thermodynamic material properties is moved in a closed circuit, as in Fig. 2a is shown. It undergoes the various changes in state of aggregation one after the other and repeatedly. The gaseous refrigerant is first compressed by a compressor 1. In the following heat exchanger 2 (condenser or heat sink of the process) it is condensed (liquefied) while releasing heat. The liquefied refrigerant is then expanded to the evaporation pressure via an expansion device 3, e.g. an expansion valve or, in the simplest case, an orifice or a capillary tube, to reduce the pressure. It cools down in the process. In the downstream second heat exchanger 4 (evaporator, or heat source of the process) the coolant evaporates by absorbing heat at a low temperature (evaporative cooling). The heat absorbed in this process represents the cold used by the refrigeration system. The absorbed heat flow is referred to as the cooling capacity. The evaporator is therefore advantageously located directly in the refrigeration structure, in the refrigerated container or generally in the closed space 5 of the application to be cooled in order to keep heat transfer losses to a minimum by bringing the refrigerated goods into direct contact with the heat source as far as possible. The cycle can now start again. The process must be kept going from the outside by supplying mechanical work (drive power) via the compressor. The coolant absorbs heat at a low temperature level and usually releases it to the environment at a higher temperature level by supplying technical work. The identical process described is referred to as the heat pump process, as it is in Fig. 2b is shown when, instead of a cooling capacity or energy that is supplied to the evaporator, the condenser heat that the system's condenser gives off is to be used. In the present application, this results in the possibility of supplying energy in the form of heat for heating purposes to the described structure or to the closed interior of the application with suitable process control and arrangement of the system components. One of the ways of achieving this is to connect the pressure-side outlet of the compressor to the heat exchanger, which is located in the closed structure, in such a way that it heats up when the system is in operation. The other components then fulfil their function in accordance with the described application process for generating cold. The heat supply can also be used to efficiently defrost or defrost the heat exchanger in a closed space, which can be either time-controlled or demand-controlled.

The refrigerant circuit essentially consists of four components: compressor 1, condenser 2, expansion device 3 and evaporator 4. In a single-stage or multi-stage refrigeration system, a distinction is generally made between high-pressure and low-pressure sides. The high-pressure side extends from the pressure side of the compressor to the inlet of the refrigerant into the expansion device. The low-pressure side comprises the part of the refrigerant circuit from the outlet of the refrigerant from the expansion device to the compressor inlet. This also applies if the refrigerant circuit is operated as a heat pump, i.e. the cooling capacity of the evaporator is not used, but the heat output provided by the condenser. This heat output can be used, as described, to heat up the application or to defrost the evaporator.

Regardless of the application, the refrigerant used in the cycle should have as little impact on the environment as possible, be cost-effective and particularly energy-efficient. A key measure of the environmentally damaging effect of a refrigerant is its greenhouse potential, also known as GWP (Global Warming Potential). This value is given for refrigerants in relation to the GWP value of CO ₂ (carbon dioxide). CO ₂ has a GWP value of 1 by definition. The greenhouse potential of the F-gases frequently used as refrigerants can have values of several thousand. This in turn means that one kilogram of F-gas that has entered the atmosphere during its production, use or disposal can correspond to the greenhouse effect of several tons of CO ₂ .

The most important components of F-gases are carbon, hydrogen and fluorine. F-gases often decompose very slowly and, once released, remain in our atmosphere for hundreds or even thousands of years. Regardless of how long they stay and how high their greenhouse potential is, decomposition products are created when F-gases break down. These substances, such as trifluoroacetic acid or hydrogen fluoride, often have long-term negative effects on people and the environment. For the reasons mentioned, the use of F-gases as refrigerants is increasingly being restricted or even prohibited by international law through rules and regulations. The acceptance of F-gases as refrigerants by consumers and users of refrigeration technology, as well as by society, is decreasing, and as a result the refrigeration and heat pump manufacturing industry is increasingly demanding alternatives to the current refrigeration technology based on the use of F-gases.

The EN 202022100810 U1 shows a heat pump system with a heat pump, a consumer circuit and a buffer tank in the consumer circuit, which is designed as a gas separator. Propane is used in the heat pump and the heat pump is located in a safety area outside a building.

The EN 102007039195 A1 shows an arrangement for air conditioning a vehicle, wherein a first circuit can be switched between a cooling mode and a heating mode. In In the first supercritically operable circuit, CO2 circulates as a heat exchange fluid. In a second circuit, coolant circulates to power the vehicle.

US5694779A discloses a device for tempering a room to be tempered with a primary heat pump circuit with a combustible refrigerant, which is thermally coupled to a secondary circuit, wherein said secondary circuit is a thermosyphon with a non-combustible refrigerant.

The object of the present invention is to create an improved concept for tempering a room to be tempered.

This object is achieved by a device according to patent claim 1, a method for operating a device for tempering a room to be tempered according to patent claim 19 or a method for producing a device for tempering a room to be tempered according to patent claim 20.

A device according to the invention for tempering a room to be tempered with a room boundary that separates the room to be tempered from an environment comprises a primary heat pump circuit with an evaporator, a condenser, a compressor and an expansion element, wherein the primary heat pump circuit has a natural primary working fluid, wherein the evaporator, the condenser, the compressor and the expansion element are arranged outside the room to be tempered. The device further comprises a secondary circuit that is thermally coupled to the evaporator or the condenser via a heat exchanger and is fluidically decoupled, and which has one or more tempering elements that are arranged in the room to be tempered and that are connected to the heat exchanger by a line arrangement that has a secondary fluid that is different from the primary fluid, wherein the line arrangement penetrates the room boundary.

The present invention is based on the finding that in the primary heat pump circuit, which is arranged outside the room to be tempered, i.e. in the environment of the room to be tempered, a natural primary working fluid is used which can have properties that are unfavorable for a closed room, such as flammability if it is inhaled by an organism. In contrast, in the secondary circuit, a different secondary fluid is used which is typically harmless or low-risk for an organism because it is not flammable. In this way, according to the invention, primary working fluids and secondary fluids can be combined with one another which have favorable properties for a compression or primary heat pump circuit on the one hand and for a temperature control in a (closed) room to be temperature controlled on the other hand.

In particular, the use of flammable primary working fluids as an example of a natural refrigerant enables high environmental compatibility and good energy-efficient properties in a compression cooling/heating cycle. On the other hand, such cooling/heating agents can usually only be used in enclosed spaces with considerable additional effort because their flammability requires this. Such refrigerants are, for example, hydrocarbons (HC), such as propane (R290) or propene (R1270). Other F-gas-free primary working fluids include NH ₃ or NH ₃ /DME (R723), which are only slightly flammable but are toxic to the human organism in enclosed spaces and are therefore not desirable. This group of working materials for generating refrigeration also includes fluorinated hydrocarbons, which are flammable due to their molecular composition.

On the other hand, in the secondary circuit, which is not used to generate cold or heat, but only to distribute cold and heat, non-flammable and therefore low-risk cold/heat transfer media can be used, which ideally undergo a phase change when transporting cold or heat. Preferably, a secondary fluid is used that changes its state of aggregation when transporting heat. Heat is absorbed or released at a constant temperature and the thermosiphon principle is driven by the density difference between vapor and liquid.

Because the line arrangement cuts through the room boundary and because the elements of the primary heat pump circuit, including at least part of the heat exchanger, are arranged outside the room, it is avoided that a natural, such as flammable, working fluid enters the closed room. Only a non-critical heat medium with the heat/cold to be transported enters the closed room and releases the transported heat/cold to the room via the temperature control element. The temperature control element will typically be a secondary fluid-air heat exchanger, while the heat exchanger will be a primary working fluid/secondary fluid heat exchanger. If heating is to be achieved as temperature control, the heat exchanger is coupled to the condenser of the primary heat pump circuit. However, if cooling is to be used as temperature control, the heat exchanger is coupled to the evaporator of the primary heat pump circuit. thermally coupled. In preferred embodiments, the evaporator and the condenser are designed such that corresponding elements of the primary heat pump circuit can perform both functions depending on the operating direction of the compressor. Furthermore, an implementation of the heat exchanger can be designed such that the actual evaporator or condenser of the primary heat pump circuit is connected in series with the primary working fluid-secondary fluid heat exchanger. Alternatively, the functionality can also be integrated in a single element that, on the one hand, achieves the evaporation/condensation in the primary heat pump circuit and, on the other hand, transfers the heat or cold from the primary heat pump circuit to the secondary circuit. If the primary working fluid-secondary fluid heat exchanger is connected in series with the actual condenser or evaporator of the primary heat pump circuit, the arrangement of the two elements, i.e. whether the actual condenser or evaporator of the primary heat pump circuit is arranged before or after the primary working fluid-secondary fluid heat exchanger in the flow direction of the primary working fluid, or after this element, is freely selectable according to the actual circumstances. If the two functions of evaporation or condensation in the primary heat pump circuit and that of heat transfer from one fluid to the other, while the two fluids are strictly coupled to one another, are integrated in a single element, this element is also arranged outside the room to be tempered, i.e. in the environment that is separated from the room to be tempered by the room boundary. In preferred embodiments, the tempering element is an air-secondary fluid heat exchanger with phase transition. In this case, the line arrangement of the secondary circuit comprises a first part through which liquid secondary fluid flows and a second part through which vaporous secondary fluid flows. In an implementation not according to the invention, the secondary circuit can be implemented without a drive, i.e. solely according to the thermosiphon concept, in that the secondary fluid is transported in the secondary circuit solely due to gravity and the density difference between the vapor and liquid phases of the secondary fluid. According to the invention, a pump is arranged in the liquid-carrying part of the line arrangement to support the circulation of the secondary fluid. Alternatively, in an implementation not according to the invention, a fan can be provided in the vapor-carrying part of the line arrangement.

According to the invention A control system is provided which, depending on the pumping direction in the secondary circuit means that during normal cooling application in the room to be tempered, defrosting is carried out at certain times in order to prevent the tempering element from icing up and thus a loss of efficiency. In addition, the pump or fan, which are controlled via the control system, can simultaneously ensure that when the room to be tempered is actually supposed to be heated, it switches to cooling mode at certain times, for example when a constant temperature is to be achieved, i.e. when air conditioning is to be created over a wide temperature range.

According to the invention, the control is designed to also change the circuit reversal in the primary heat pump circuit, which is equivalent to a reversal of the delivery direction of the compressor, so that when, for example, the primary heat pump circuit works in such a way that the evaporator is coupled to the heat exchanger, i.e. that a cooling application is being run, by switching the delivery direction of the compressor, the primary heat pump circuit works in such a way that the evaporator becomes a condenser. Heat is thus supplied to the heat exchanger, which means that heat is also supplied to the room to be tempered. The switching of the delivery direction of the compressor can be achieved by switching the direction of rotation of a compressor wheel or by switching a four-way valve that is coupled to the pressure side and the suction side as well as the evaporator and condenser of the primary heat pump circuit.

If the secondary circuit in an implementation not according to the invention has no pump or fan, i.e. it works according to a pure thermosyphon principle, it can also be achieved by switching the conveying direction of the compressor or by reversing the refrigeration circuit, e.g. by means of valves in the primary heat pump circuit, that by supplying the appropriate amount of cold or heat to the element to be tempered, it switches from a cooling mode to a heating mode, e.g. for short-term defrosting, or that it switches from a "normal" heating mode to a cooling mode, e.g. for tempering purposes, etc.

An alternative to the use of F-gases as refrigerants is the use of so-called natural refrigerants. Here, the use of hydrocarbons (HC) is particularly advantageous because, in contrast to F-gases, these substances have only a very low or negligible greenhouse potential and enable a high energy efficiency of the refrigerant process and therefore only require a small amount of drive energy per cooling or heating output. is required. The disadvantage of hydrocarbons is their high flammability, which limits or even almost excludes their safe use in small enclosed spaces, such as the refrigerated superstructures and refrigerated containers considered here, but also other enclosed spaces that are to be cooled or air-conditioned.

To minimize risk, the aim is to use as little refrigerant as possible and to prevent the refrigerant from entering closed refrigerated structures and containers and other closed rooms to be air-conditioned. This results in the use of components for generating cold with a minimal refrigerant volume in order to keep the amount of refrigerant required as low as possible. Microchannel technology and plate heat exchangers are particularly suitable as heat exchanger technologies. In addition, attention must be paid to the compactness of the overall system and the avoidance of storage volumes such as frequently used refrigerant collectors. The compressor should have a low refrigerant volume and a low oil quantity in order to further reduce the refrigerant mass required for the process. This approach of reducing or minimizing refrigerant also applies to all other components used in the process and should ideally be taken into account when selecting and positioning them.

Fig. 1

eine Vorrichtung zum Temperieren eines zu temperierenden Raums gemäß bevorzugten Ausführungsbeispielen der vorliegenden Erfindung;

Fig. 2a

einen einfachen nicht erfindungsgemäßen Primär-Wärmepumpenkreis zum Kühlen eines Raums

Fig. 2b

einen einfachen nicht erfindungsgemäßen Primär-Wärmepumpenkreis zum Heizen eines Raums

Fig. 3

eine erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung zum Temperieren mit einem Wärmeübertrager, gekoppelt mit dem Verdampfer oder Verflüssiger des Primär-Wärmepumpenkreises;

Fig. 4

eine Vorrichtung zum Temperieren gemäß einem nicht erfindungsgemäßen Ausführungsbeispiel mit reinem Thermosyphon-Konzept;

Fig. 5

eine nicht erfindungsgemäße Ausführung der vorliegenden Erfindung mit dem Thermosyphon-Konzept zum Kühlen;

Fig. 6

eine nicht erfindungsgemäße Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung zum Temperieren mit dem Thermosyphon-Konzept zum Heizen;

Fig. 7

eine Pumpen-unterstützte Thermosyphon-Implementierung zum Kühlen oder Heizen, abhängig von der Pumprichtung;

Fig. 8a

eine schematische Darstellung einer Pumpe mit innenliegendem Stator;

Fig. 8b

eine schematische Darstellung einer Pumpe mit außenliegendem Stator;

Fig. 9

eine bevorzugte Ausführungsform der Vorrichtung zum Temperieren mit einem Pumpen-unterstützten Thermosyphon-Konzept zum Heizen;

Fig. 10

ein Pumpen-unterstütztes Thermosyphon-Konzept zum Kühlen;

Fig. 11

ein Pumpen-unterstütztes Thermosyphon-Konzept zum Heizen;

Fig. 12

eine nicht erfindungsgemäße Implementierung der Vorrichtung zum Temperieren mit einem Ventilator im dampfführenden Teil der Leitungsanordnung zum Kühlen;

Fig. 13

eine schematische Darstellung des fluidisch entkoppelten und thermisch gekoppelten Wärmeübertragers;

Fig. 14

eine schematische Ausführung eines Wärmeübertragers getrennt vom eigentlichen Verdampfer oder Verflüssiger mit (variablem) Flüssigkeitsniveau an flüssigem Sekundärfluid;

Fig. 15

eine schematische Darstellung eines schräg angeordneten Temperierungselements mit Kanälen für das Sekundärfluid, die durch Lamellen verbunden sind, die von Luft, das von einem Gebläse angetrieben wird, durchströmbar sind;

Fig. 16a

eine Implementierung der Vorrichtung zum Temperieren gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung zum Kühlen mit einem Plattenwärmeübertrager als integriertem Element und einem senkrecht angeordneten Luftregister;

Fig. 16b

eine Implementierung der Vorrichtung zum Temperieren gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung zum Heizen mit einem integriertem Element und einem auf ähnlicher Höhe senkrecht angeordneten Temperierungselement und einer Pumpe;

Fig. 16c

eine Implementierung der Vorrichtung zum Temperieren gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung zum Kühlen mit einem integrierten Element und einem auf ähnlicher Höhe senkrecht angeordneten Temperierungselement und einer Pumpe;

Fig. 17a

eine Implementierung der Vorrichtung zum Temperieren gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung zum Kühlen mit einem Plattenwärmeübertrager als integriertem Element und einem senkrecht angeordneten alternativ ausgebildeten Luftregister;

Fig. 17b

eine Implementierung des integrierten Elements, das als Plattenwärmeübertrager ausgebildet ist; und

Fig. 17c

eine Implementierung der Vorrichtung zum Temperieren gemäß der vorliegenden Erfindung zum Kühlen mit dem Plattenwärmeübertrager als integriertem Element von Fig. 17b und einem senkrecht angeordneten alternativ ausgebildeten Luftregister.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings:

Fig.1

a device for tempering a room to be tempered according to preferred embodiments of the present invention;

Fig. 2a

a simple primary heat pump circuit not according to the invention for cooling a room

Fig. 2b

a simple primary heat pump circuit not according to the invention for heating a room

Fig. 3

a device according to the invention for tempering with a heat exchanger, coupled to the evaporator or condenser of the primary heat pump circuit;

Fig.4

a device for tempering according to an embodiment not according to the invention with a pure thermosyphon concept;

Fig.5

a non-inventive embodiment of the present invention with the thermosyphon concept for cooling;

Fig.6

a non-inventive embodiment of the device for tempering with the thermosyphon concept for heating;

Fig.7

a pump-assisted thermosyphon implementation for cooling or heating, depending on the pumping direction;

Fig. 8a

a schematic representation of a pump with an internal stator;

Fig. 8b

a schematic representation of a pump with an external stator;

Fig.9

a preferred embodiment of the device for tempering with a pump-assisted thermosyphon concept for heating;

Fig.10

a pump-assisted thermosyphon concept for cooling;

Fig. 11

a pump-assisted thermosyphon concept for heating;

Fig. 12

a non-inventive implementation of the device for tempering with a fan in the steam-carrying part of the line arrangement for cooling;

Fig. 13

a schematic representation of the fluidically decoupled and thermally coupled heat exchanger;

Fig. 14

a schematic design of a heat exchanger separate from the actual evaporator or condenser with (variable) liquid level of liquid secondary fluid;

Fig. 15

a schematic representation of an obliquely arranged temperature control element with channels for the secondary fluid, which are connected by fins through which air driven by a fan can flow;

Fig. 16a

an implementation of the device for temperature control according to the present invention for cooling with a plate heat exchanger as an integrated element and a vertically arranged air register;

Fig. 16b

an implementation of the tempering device according to the present invention for heating with an integrated element and a tempering element arranged vertically at a similar height and a pump;

Fig. 16c

an implementation of the tempering device according to the present invention for cooling with an integrated element and a tempering element arranged vertically at a similar height and a pump;

Fig. 17a

an implementation of the device for temperature control according to the present invention for cooling with a plate heat exchanger as an integrated element and a vertically arranged alternatively designed air register;

Fig. 17b

an implementation of the integrated element designed as a plate heat exchanger; and

Fig. 17c

an implementation of the device for tempering according to the present invention for cooling with the plate heat exchanger as an integrated element of Fig. 17b and a vertically arranged alternatively designed air register.

Fig.1 shows a device according to the invention for controlling the temperature of a room 5 to be temperature-controlled with a room boundary 20 which separates the room 5 to be temperature-controlled from an environment 21. The device comprises a primary heat pump circuit 6 with an evaporator 4, a condenser 2, a compressor 1 and an expansion element 3, wherein the primary heat pump circuit has a natural primary working fluid, wherein the compressor 1, the evaporator 4, the condenser 2, the compressor 1 and the expansion element 3 are arranged outside the room 5 to be temperature-controlled. The device according to the invention further comprises a secondary circuit which is thermally coupled and fluidically decoupled from the evaporator 4 or the condenser 2 via a heat exchanger 7 and has a temperature control element 14. The temperature control element 14 is arranged in the room 5 to be temperature-controlled and connected to the heat exchanger 7 via a line arrangement 15a, 15b. The line arrangement has a secondary fluid which is separated from the primary fluid. Furthermore, the line arrangement 15a, 15b is designed to penetrate the space boundary.

If the secondary circuit is coupled to the evaporator 4 via the heat exchanger 7, then the arrangement is in cooling mode for the room to be tempered. The tempering is then cooling and the tempering element 14 functions as a cooling element. If, on the other hand, the secondary circuit is coupled to the condenser 2 of the primary heat pump circuit via the heat exchanger 7, then the tempering device works as a heating device and the tempering of the room 5 is heating, with the tempering element 14 working as a heating element.

The heat exchanger 7 can therefore comprise the evaporator or condenser as well as the heat exchanger 10, which is shown in various figures. The temperature control element 14 can consist of the heat exchanger 11, which is shown in various figures, or can comprise one or more additional elements, such as sensors or the fan of Fig. 15 .

A controller 30 is provided in the embodiment according to the invention to switch the compressor 1 of the primary heat pump circuit in its delivery direction, specifically via a control signal 31, in order to switch the primary heat pump circuit with regard to the flow direction of the primary working fluid. This ensures that the function of the secondary circuit is also changed while the coupling of the secondary circuit remains the same, namely that the secondary circuit is in cooling mode or heating mode. If the secondary circuit is normally in cooling mode, the heating mode is used to defrost the temperature control element 14. If, on the other hand, the secondary circuit is mainly in heating mode, intermittent cooling can be used, for example to maintain a certain fixed temperature range. The initiative for outputting the control signal 31 or the control signal 32 from the controller 30 to a pump element arranged in the secondary circuit according to the invention, such as element 8, can come from a sensor, a clock generator or from an external signal, as represented by a control input 33. If, on the other hand, the controller is designed in such a way that it is controlled via a sensor input or a clock generator, then the clock generator or the sensor input would be connected to the control input 33, or the control input 33 would not be present and the initiative for outputting the control signal 31/32 would be generated from the controller 30.

The switching of the conveying direction of the compressor or condenser can be achieved in various ways. In one embodiment, the compressor 1 has a conveying wheel. The compressor is designed to reverse a direction of rotation of the conveying wheel in response to the control signal 31 for reversing the conveying direction.

In another embodiment, the compressor comprises a four-way valve. The compressor is designed to fluidically decouple a suction side of the compressor from the evaporator 4 and fluidically connect it to the condenser 2 or to fluidically decouple a pressure side of the compressor from the condenser 2 and fluidically connect it to the evaporator 4 in response to the control signal 31, for example starting from the cooling mode to reverse the conveying direction. The element that was the evaporator in the cooling mode thus takes over the function of the condenser in the heating mode or defrost mode.

Starting from the defrost mode, in order to reverse the conveying direction, a suction side of the compressor is fluidically decoupled from the condenser 2 (which was the evaporator in the defrost mode) and fluidically connected to the evaporator 4 (which was the condenser in the defrost mode) and a pressure side of the compressor is fluidically decoupled from the evaporator 4 (which was the condenser in the defrost mode) and fluidically connected to the condenser 2 (which was the evaporator in the defrost mode).

As it is in Fig.1 As shown, according to the invention the secondary circuit is provided with a pump 8 in order to circulate the secondary fluid in the secondary circuit and in particular in the line arrangement 15a, 15b. The secondary fluid can be a secondary liquid if the temperature control element 14 works as a heat exchanger without phase change. If, on the other hand, the temperature control element 14 works as a heat exchanger with phase change, as is the case for example in the Fig. 4 to 12 , 15 is shown, then one part, for example part 15a of the line arrangement, is the liquid-carrying part, and the other part, such as part 15b, is the steam-carrying part of the line arrangement in the secondary circuit.

The refrigeration process 6, as described in Fig.3 As shown, when using the described components and refrigerants, the same principle applies as described at the beginning, with the only difference being that the filling quantity is now significantly reduced, the refrigerant cannot get into the interior of the structure or container and thus a flammable refrigerant can also be used with a greatly reduced risk of generating cold or heat.

The cold and heat generated by the refrigerant process is then transported indirectly via a suitable heat exchanger, for example a plate heat exchanger 7, with a non-flammable, safe working medium, a so-called secondary fluid, into the refrigerated structure, refrigerated container or generally the room to be cooled. The refrigeration system therefore consists of a primary circuit for generating cold and a secondary circuit for transporting cold or heat.

This secondary circuit for distributing the generated cold and heat can be implemented in various ways. For example, it is possible to use a brine that is pumped by a suitable pump 8 and thus removes or introduces the heat from the room to be cooled or heated without a phase change in the secondary circuit 9 and transports it to the coolant-carrying part of the machine, i.e. the primary circuit.

Another variant is the use of a substance that is also pumped through a pump and flows through the heat exchanger of the closed space with a phase change, thus removing the heat from it or introducing heat. The secondary circuit transports the heat to the part of the machine filled with coolant, i.e. the primary circuit. The phase change is advantageously a liquid-gas phase change in order to ensure that the secondary fluid can be pumped. Solid-liquid phase change in the form of a slurry or mud, e.g. a mixture of water ice and glycol, cannot be ruled out in principle.

Forced-driven secondary circuits, ie those using a pump, have the disadvantage that the pump may need energy to overcome the flow resistance of the secondary system. An alternative to this, which does not require the use of a pump, is to design the secondary circuit as a thermosyphon circuit, which in Fig.4 is shown. The working medium with phase change of the secondary circuit (the secondary fluid) is liquefied in the evaporator 10 of the refrigeration part of the machine, in which it enters the heat exchanger (evaporator of the primary circuit) in vapor form in the upper part 10b and exits again in the lower area as a liquid 10a. The liquid working medium is then led through suitable pipes into the closed space to be cooled, where it flows into a cooler 11, into which it entered in the lower part in liquid form 11a and in the upper part of the cooler in vapor form. 11b exits again and is then fed back to the heat exchanger 10 of the cold-generating part of the machine 7, in which the working medium is then liquefied again and flows back to the cooler in the cooling room by gravity alone, which leads to a level equalization. This self-circulation has the advantage of not requiring a pump with the corresponding energy consumption and risk of failure, and only a minimal number of components have to be used. The secondary circuit must be designed in such a way that when the system is in operation, a driving pressure difference is established due to geodetic height differences and/or the thermosyphon effect. It is particularly advantageous if the cooler is flooded when cooling, as this ensures maximum use of the air side of the cooler.

In the application case that heat has to be supplied to the closed space or the evaporator has to be defrosted, the process is reversed by supplying energy to the heat exchanger 10 and the liquid phase of the secondary fluid 10a evaporates and leaves the heat exchanger as a vaporous phase 10b and is fed to the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space through a suitable pipe. The coolant enters the heat exchanger in the closed space 11 as vapor 11, is liquefied there, gives off its heat and flows in liquid form 11a out of the heat exchanger back into the heat exchanger 10 of the machine containing the coolant, where the evaporation process then begins again. Even when transporting heat into the closed space, this process takes place exclusively on the basis of the geodetic height differences of the liquid phase in the two heat exchangers, with a level equalization always taking place in both components due to gravity.

Each of the methods described also allows, if designed accordingly, the reversal of the cycle so that the heat exchanger 11 consists of Fig.4 in the closed room (5) can defrost or heat as required. Depending on the use of the room to be cooled, this process can occur several times a day and there is a requirement that defrosting can be done quickly and reliably. The defrosting process is implemented by the cold-generating part of the machine, the primary circuit, no longer working as a refrigeration system, but in the heat pump or possibly also hot gas mode, as in Fig.5 As described, in heat pump mode the condenser becomes the evaporator and the evaporator becomes the condenser. In hot gas mode the condenser of the refrigerant circuit is no longer and instead the heat is released in the evaporator. This means that the cooling unit of the machine can release heat to the secondary circuit, which then transports the heat into the refrigerated container, thus ensuring that the cooler 11 in the refrigerated container is also heated, which enables the cooler in the container to be defrosted quickly and efficiently. The same applies to the permanent heating operation of the container if the outside temperature is below the target temperature in the container.

The condenser of the refrigeration part of the machine, as well as the heat exchanger in the closed room or container, are generally operated on the air side with forced convection, which is generated by suitable fans. Similar to the refrigeration part of the machine, the primary circuit, care should also be taken in the secondary circuit to keep the filling quantities of working material to a minimum and thus to use a cooler that not only has a small internal volume, but also a low thermal mass in order to be able to carry out the defrosting process as quickly and thus as energy efficiently as possible. In general, heat exchangers with a low refrigerant filling and minimal use of material, for example microchannel technologies for the heat exchanger 11 in the closed room, are therefore suitable, which particularly meet the required requirements. Other designs, such as finned heat exchangers, can also be used as an alternative. Both heat exchanger types are ideally operated in a flooded manner.

Due to the elimination of pumps through the use of thermosyphon solutions and the resulting energy advantages, as well as the reduction in the complexity of the systems, such solutions in the area of compact systems with spatial distances preferably of up to 10 meters and cooling or heating outputs of less than 50 kW and particularly preferably of up to 2 meters between the two heat exchangers 10 and 11 and with low cooling or heating outputs of less than 10 kW have particular advantages over the state of the art described at the beginning and are therefore to be preferred.

If it is not necessary in a considered application that the refrigeration machine can also be used to heat the closed space if required, it is in any case advantageous to arrange the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space 5 geodetically below the heat exchanger 10, where it is cooled by the refrigerant is flowed through, whereby Fig.5 It does not matter how far below the heat exchanger in the closed space 11 is positioned in relation to the heat exchanger 10 through which the coolant flows. This arrangement of the two heat exchangers in relation to one another ensures that the heat exchanger in the closed space 11 is completely filled with the secondary fluid 11a at every operating point, while the heat exchanger 10 through which the coolant flows is available with its entire surface for the liquefaction of the vaporous coolant 10a that is fed to it from the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space 5.

In the event that only heat is to be introduced into the closed room, which case is Fig.6 As shown, it is advantageous if the heat exchanger 11, which is installed in this space 5, is located geodetically above the heat exchanger 10 through which the coolant flows. It does not matter how the difference in the geodetic height is actually selected in the application. In any case, it is ensured that the energy supplied to the heat exchanger 10 evaporates the secondary fluid, the steam 11b then flows into the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space 5 and releases the previously absorbed heat to the space during its condensation. After the heat has been released, the condensed secondary fluid 11a flows back through the heat exchanger 10 through which the coolant flows, driven by gravity, in order to be evaporated again there by the addition of heat.

In certain installation situations and operating conditions of the arrangement of the components in Fig.4 As shown, this may under certain circumstances lead to an impairment of the power transmitted into the closed space 5. This may be caused, for example, by structural limitations of the horizontal arrangement in relation to one another, by possible height limitations of the heat exchangers 10 and or 11 or by holistic structural limitations which, for example, mean that the connecting lines between the two heat exchangers 10 and 11 cannot be sufficiently dimensioned to ensure a flow with as little pressure loss as possible.

In these cases, the Fig.7 The solution shown here is used, in which a pump 8 provides a remedy for the problems just described. It is important that this pump, in contrast to pumps normally used, does not have to have a special delivery stroke in the sense of a large delivery head, but only the Self-balancing of the liquid levels in the heat exchangers 10 and 11, which is already provided by the thermosiphon effect described, is supported. Desirably, this support of the independent flow takes place by reversing the direction of rotation of the rotor 13 and by, for example or in particular, switching the polarity of the stator 120 in both flow directions of the secondary fluid, so that the heat exchanger 11 located in the closed space 5 can be both cooled and heated for the reasons already described.

Two conceptual design options for such a pump 8 are shown in Fig.8 shown. Fig. 8a shows the variant in which both the rotor 13 and the stator 120 of the motor driving the propeller 140 are located in the pipe and thus in the secondary fluid. In this design, the electrical power driving the motor must be guided through the pipe that carries the secondary fluid, which can be ensured by a component 15 that simultaneously positions the motor in the pipe.

In Fig. 8b the variant of the pump is shown in which the stator 120 of the pump motor is located in the atmosphere outside the pipe through which the secondary fluid flows, while the rotor 13, which drives the propeller 140 via its shaft, is located in the fluid flow inside the pipe. With this design, it is not necessary to pass the electrical power for generating the magnetic field through the stator 120. With this design, it is also possible to reverse the direction of rotation of the propeller 140 and thus the direction of flow of the secondary fluid by reversing the polarity on the stator or by other suitable measures.

In Fig.7 is in the arrangement of the heat exchangers 10 and 11 as shown in Fig.4 is shown, the resulting height difference of the liquid levels 10a and 11a of the secondary fluid in the two heat exchangers 10 and 11 is shown when such a pump is used. It can be seen that the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space 5 has a higher liquid level 11a than the heat exchanger 10 connected to the coolant. This makes it possible to apply coolant to a larger area of the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space 5, while at the same time a larger area 10b is available in the heat exchanger 10 for liquefying the secondary fluid, which increases the transmitted power of the two heat exchangers.

The possibility of reversing the pump’s direction of flow by reversing the polarity of the motor results in the Fig.9 illustrated operating case of heating up the heat exchanger 11 to heat the closed space 5, or for defrosting in the event of icing of the heat exchanger 11. The pump sucks the liquid secondary fluid 11a out of the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space 5 and conveys it into the heat exchanger 10 charged with coolant, whereby the liquid phase of the secondary fluid 10a in this heat exchanger has a higher liquid level than in the heat exchanger 11. This means that a larger area is available in the heat exchanger 10 for evaporation of the secondary fluid, while a larger area 11b is available in the heat exchanger 11 for liquefaction, which increases the performance of the two heat exchangers.

In Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 Finally, the operating cases are shown which arise when, due to structural conditions, an alignment of the two heat transfers 10 and 11 at the same geodetic height is not possible. In Fig.10 The case is shown in which the heat exchanger 10 containing the coolant is located below the heat exchanger 11 located in the closed space 5 when it is impacted. The pump succeeds in raising the liquid level of the secondary fluid 11a so that it is above the liquid level 10a in the heat exchanger containing the coolant. In this way, the function of the heat transfer is maintained despite the possibilities being impaired by the design conditions.

In Fig. 11 The case is shown in which the heat exchanger 10 charged with the refrigerant is located geodetically above the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space 5. In this operating case too, the pump ensures that the liquid level 10a of the secondary fluid in the heat exchanger 10 charged with refrigerant is above the liquid level 11a of the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space 5. As an alternative to the Figures 7-11 In the cases shown, in which a pump is used to support the flow of the secondary fluid, it is not possible according to the invention to introduce a conveying device 12 into the line through which only the vapor phase of the secondary fluid flows. The design of the component that supports the vapor phase of the secondary fluid in its natural flow direction corresponds in principle to the design of the pump 8, which in Figs. 7 - 11 shown, except that the Conveying device 12 can be optimized for the flow of vaporous fluids, for example by the conveying element having a geometry that is particularly suitable for conveying vapors.

In the Fig. 12 In the case shown, the conveying device 12 conveys the vaporous phase 11b from the heat exchanger 11 in the closed space 5 in the direction of the heat exchanger 10, where the secondary fluid then displaces the liquid phase 10a in vaporous form 10b, and thus for the Figure 12 shown geodetic height difference between the fluid in the heat exchanger 10 and in the heat exchanger 11. The application of the illustrated conveying device 12, which in Fig. 12 shown corresponds to the one in Fig.7 case, but is based on the Fig. 9-11 The illustrated applications can be fully transferred by replacing the pump 8 with the delivery unit 12, and then supporting the circulation of the secondary fluid in the direction shown.

Fig. 13 shows a schematic arrangement of the heat exchanger for coupling the secondary circuit with the primary heat pump circuit. In particular, the channel for the primary working fluid coming from the expansion element 3 and marked 14a enters the heat exchanger, and the channel for the primary heat pump fluid exiting the heat exchanger 7 is marked 14b, this channel being connected to the compressor 1.

At the same time, the first part 15a of the line arrangement is shown as it enters the heat exchanger 7, and the second part of the line arrangement 15b is also shown, which enters the heat exchanger 7. At 22 in Fig. 13 the zone of action is indicated in which the thermal transfer from the primary heat pump circuit to the secondary circuit takes place. In particular, the two circuits are thermally coupled but fluidically decoupled so that a highly efficient natural coolant, such as hydrocarbons, can be used in the primary heat pump circuit, while a secondary fluid is used within the space boundary 20 which does not present any flammability risk.

Although in Fig.1 For example, it is shown that the heat exchanger is arranged completely outside the room 5, and the actual lines of the secondary circuit outside the heat exchanger penetrate the room boundary 20, the arrangement of the heat exchanger 7 can also be designed to be "embedded" in the room boundary 20, so that the supply or discharge line to the area of effect 22, which is already arranged within the outer boundary of the heat exchanger 7, functions as a line arrangement that passes through the room boundary. This is in Fig. 13 indicated by the dashed line 20a or 20b, which is arranged within the outer boundary of the heat exchanger 7 and which is penetrated by the line arrangement 15a and 15b within the heat exchanger 7.

Fig. 14 shows a preferred embodiment of the device for temperature control, in particular with regard to a special implementation of the heat exchanger. In particular, the heat exchanger 7, which can be designed as a plate heat exchanger or braze plate heat exchanger, is designed by a common element, which is shown at 10 and combines the functionality of the heat exchanger and the condenser 2 or the evaporator 4. In alternative implementations than those according to Fig. 14 Heat exchangers 10 can be connected upstream of the evaporator or condenser, i.e. implemented by two separate elements. Alternatively, the order of the two elements heat exchanger 10 and evaporator/condenser 4 or 2 can be reversed, so that the output liquid of the evaporator is fed into the heat exchanger.

However, it is preferred to integrate both functionalities in one element 10. In the Fig. 14 The primary working fluid flows through the channels 40 shown, which are fed by an expander 41 and which are reunited by a collector 42 into the line 14b, and the secondary fluid flows through the connections 15a and 15b. If the heat exchanger functions as an evaporator 4, warm steam is fed into the heat exchanger 10 via the line 15b from the room to be tempered. This means that the primary working fluid evaporates after it enters the channels 40 and the steam is collected by the collector 42 and sucked in by the compressor 1. The secondary steam fed in from the connection 15b condenses on the outside of the channels 40 through the evaporator and drips into the area with the variable liquid level. Using the siphon principle or a pump, cooled liquid is then fed into the tempering element of Fig. 15 to cool the room to be tempered.

In the opposite case, when the room to be tempered is to be heated, the exchanger acts as a condenser for the primary working fluid. In this case, vaporous and compressed warm primary working fluid flows over element 42, which now acts as an expander. acts, into the channels 40, which are as far as possible in cool liquid secondary fluid. As a result, the primary working fluid condenses on the inside of the channels 40 and leaves the heat exchanger 10 as a liquid via the element 41, which now acts as a collector. As a result, the secondary liquid evaporates in the heat exchanger 10 and steam passes through the connection 15b into the temperature control element 11, 14 to heat the room there. As a result, the secondary fluid liquefies in the temperature control element and returns as a liquid due to the siphon principle or through a pump back into the heat exchanger to be evaporated again there.

In Fig. 14 The heat exchanger 10 is drawn in such a way that it has a variable liquid level, which at the Fig. 14 shown embodiment covers part of the effective heat exchanger volume and leaves another part free. This would be the case of Fig.4 , Fig.5 , Fig.7 , Fig.9 , Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12 in which the heat exchanger 10 is not completely flooded. In particular, the heat exchanger is designed such that, separated from the liquid level, the lower region 10a is full of secondary liquid, while the upper region 10b is a vapor space in which vaporous secondary fluid is arranged. At the same time, the first part 15a of the line arrangement is the liquid-carrying part, while the second part 15b of the line arrangement is the vapor-carrying part. It is therefore preferred that the diameter of the second line arrangement 15b is significantly larger than the diameter of the first part so that the vapor can flow as well as possible and has sufficient space.

In addition, the heat exchanger 10 is drawn as a volumetric microchannel heat exchanger, in which the expansion element or collection element 41 couples the line 14a with the individual channels of the microchannel heat exchanger, while on the output side there is a collection element or expansion element 42 which collects or distributes the liquid (in the case of two separate elements) or vaporous (in the case of the integrated element and cooling operation) primary working fluid, and only supplies it to the evaporator or condenser in the case of the separate implementation. Although in Fig. 14 not shown, fins may be arranged between the microchannels to provide better heat transfer, which are preferably perforated to allow bubbles to rise in the element 10 or drops to fall from top to bottom in the element 10.

In the device according to one embodiment, the evaporator (4) or the condenser (2) of the primary heat pump circuit is integrated in the heat exchanger (10) The heat exchanger 10 comprises, for example, with reference to Fig. 14 a first connection section, eg the collector or expander 41 for the primary working fluid, a second connection section, eg the collector or expander 42 for the primary working fluid; a third connection section 15a for the secondary fluid; a fourth connection section 15b for the secondary fluid, and a channel section 40 which extends between the first connection section 41 for the primary working fluid and the second connection section 42 for the primary working fluid.

Furthermore, an interaction region 43 is provided which extends between the third connection section 15a for the secondary fluid and the fourth connection section 15b for the secondary fluid. The channel section 40 is arranged in this, wherein the channel section 40 is thermally coupled to the interaction region 43 and fluidically decoupled from the interaction region 43.

The liquefaction and evaporation of the primary circuit takes place in the channel section within the interaction space. Furthermore, due to the liquefaction or evaporation in the primary circuit in the interaction area, evaporation or liquefaction of the primary fluid takes place outside the channel section. The interaction area is preferably the volume with the variable liquid level delimited by a wall.

Fig. 15 shows a preferred implementation of the temperature control element, which is designed as a secondary fluid-air heat exchanger, wherein this heat exchanger is again designed as a schematic microchannel heat exchanger. Again, channels for the secondary fluid are shown, which are connected by fins. Furthermore, a fan 35 is shown above the temperature control element, which is arranged in the room and blows air present in the room through the temperature control element 14. Furthermore, in Fig. 15 the optionally used inclined arrangement is shown, namely with an angle α to the horizontal, as used in thermosyphon applications and pump applications of the Fig. 3 to 12 This means that if the tempering element is not completely flooded, as for example in Fig.9 , only the lower left part of the channels in the temperature control element is filled with secondary fluid, while the upper part of the channels is filled with vaporous secondary fluid. If, however, as in Fig.5 shown, the tempering element is completely flooded, the secondary liquid in the channels reaches up to the connection point of the steam line 15b, i.e. up to the top, so that only a small steam space 11b remains, from which the steam can then be discharged via the connection point of the second part 15b of the line arrangement. can then be fed into the heat exchanger 10 of Fig. 14 to be fed via the line 15b. In addition, the liquid line 15a of the temperature control element is in Fig. 15 connected to the connection 15a at the bottom of the heat exchanger 10.

Fig. 14 shows the functionality of the heat exchanger and the evaporator or condenser in an integrated element as a preferred embodiment, so that within the evaporator the function of heat transfer from the primary working fluid to the secondary fluid also takes place, and at the same time the functionality of evaporation or condensation takes place in the primary heat pump circuit.

Fig. 16a shows an implementation of the device for temperature control according to the present invention for cooling with a plate heat exchanger as an integrated element and a vertically arranged air register. Furthermore, a pump 8 is provided which pumps cooled secondary liquid into the temperature control element 11 in which the air register is arranged vertically. The temperature control element does not have to be arranged at an angle or completely vertically. It can have any arrangement and configuration, as long as evaporation of the secondary liquid can take place due to the heat in the space to be tempered and the evaporated secondary fluid can reach the vapor space of the heat exchanger 10 via the connection 15b.

Fig. 16b shows an implementation of the device for temperature control according to the present invention for heating with an integrated element and a temperature control element arranged vertically at a similar height and a pump. Again, a pump 8 is arranged which reaches different liquid levels in the elements 10 and 11. Without pump 8 or when pump 8 is stopped, the two levels would be at the same height due to the siphon principle. Because the pump 8 pumps liquid into the heat exchanger 10 and the primary circuit is operated in such a way that the integrated heat exchanger simultaneously works as a condenser 2 in the primary circuit, secondary fluid in the heat exchanger is evaporated in the warm channel area of the condenser and pressed into the temperature control element. There, the warm vaporous secondary fluid gives off its heat to the room to be tempered, whereby it condenses in the air register and is brought back to the exchanger 10 by the pump.

Fig. 16c shows an implementation of the device for tempering according to the present invention for cooling with an integrated element and a tempering element arranged vertically at a similar height and a pump. Again, a Pump 8 is arranged, which reaches different liquid levels in elements 10 and 11. Without pump 8 or if pump 8 were stopped, the two levels would be at the same height due to the principle of communicating tubes. Because pump 8 pumps liquid out of heat exchanger 10 and the primary circuit is operated in such a way that the integrated heat exchanger simultaneously works as evaporator 2 in the primary circuit, evaporated secondary fluid in the heat exchanger is condensed in the cold channel area of the evaporator and pressed as cooled liquid through the pump into the temperature control element. There, the cold liquid secondary fluid absorbs heat from the room to be temperature controlled by evaporating in the temperature control element. This vapor returns to element 10 to condense there again.

Fig. 17a shows an implementation of the device for temperature control according to the present invention for cooling with a plate heat exchanger as an integrated element and a vertically arranged alternatively designed air register. The pump 8 only supports the fluid circulation, since the elements 10, 11 are at the same pressure with regard to the secondary fluid.

Fig. 17b shows an implementation of the integrated element, which is designed as a plate heat exchanger. This comprises the four connection sections 41, 42, 15a 15b for the primary working fluid and the secondary fluid, which run through the cover plate and are separated by the sealing plates. The channel area 40 for the primary fluid and the interaction area 43 are realized by the channel plates. The primary fluid is thus fluidically separated from the secondary fluid, but thermally coupled to it.

Fig. 17c shows an implementation of the device for tempering according to the present invention for cooling with the plate heat exchanger as an integrated element of Fig. 17b and a vertically arranged alternative air register. The pump reaches the different liquid levels in the plate heat exchanger and in the air register. If the pump were stopped, the liquid levels would be the same.

Claims (20)

1. Apparatus for temperature- controlling a space (5) to be temperature-controlled with a space limitation (20) separating the space to be temperature-controlled from a surrounding area (21), comprising:

   a primary heat pump circuit with an evaporator (4), a condenser (2), a compressor (1), and an expansion element (3), wherein the primary heat pump circuit comprises a natural primary working fluid, wherein the evaporator (4), the liquefier (2), the compressor (1), and the expansion element (3) are suitable to be arranged outside of the space to be temperature-controlled;

   a secondary circuit thermally coupled to and fluidically decoupled from the evaporator (4) or the condenser (2) via a heat exchanger (7, 10) and comprising a temperature-controlling element (11, 14) configured to be arranged in the space (5) to be temperature-controlled and configured to be connected to the heat exchanger (7, 10) via a line arrangement (15a, 15b) comprising a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid, wherein the line arrangement (15a, 15b) is suitable to penetrate the space limitation (20), wherein the secondary circuit is configured as a thermosiphon cycle, and wherein a controllable pump (8) configured to reverse a conveying direction in the secondary circuit as a response to a control signal (32) is arranged in the secondary circuit;

   wherein the apparatus is configured to cool the space (5) by means of the temperature-controlling element (11, 14) in a refrigeration mode; and

   a controller (30) configured to cause, as a response to a control signal (31, 32), a heat pump cycle reversal in the primary heat pump circuit so that, in the refrigeration mode, energy is dissipated from the heat exchanger (7, 10) through the primary heat pump circuit, and so that, in a defrosting mode, energy is supplied to the heat exchanger (7, 10) through the primary heat pump circuit in order to defrost the temperature-controlling element (11, 14), and the conveying direction in the secondary circuit is reversed by the controllable pump (8).
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller (30) is configured to cause, via the control signal (31), the heat pump cycle reversal of the primary heat pump circuit such that the primary heat pump circuit's element (2, 4) that is coupled to the heat exchanger (7, 10) changes its function from evaporation to condensation or vice versa.
3. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control signal originates from a sensor at the temperature-controlling element (11, 14), from a sensor in the space (5) to be temperature-controlled, or from a clock generator so that the apparatus is brought into the defrosting mode at regular or irregular points in time.
4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the evaporator (4) or the condenser (2) of the primary heat pump circuit are configured to be integrated into the heat exchanger (10).
5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat exchanger (7, 10) and the temperature-controlling element (11, 14) are arranged so as to be spaced apart by up to 50 meters, and wherein the controllable pump (8) comprising an internal stator or an external stator is arranged in the line arrangement (15a, 15b).
6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat exchanger (7, 10) comprises a micro-channel heat exchanger, a plate heat exchanger, or a finned heat exchanger.
7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the temperature-controlling element (11, 14) comprises a micro-channel heat exchanger, a plate heat exchanger, or a finned heat exchanger.
8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat exchanger (7, 10) comprises a heat exchanger liquid space (10a) and a heat exchanger vapor space (10b), and wherein the temperature-controlling element comprises a temperature-controlling vapor space (11b) and a temperature-controlling liquid space (11a), wherein the heat exchanger (7, 10) and the temperature-controlling element (11, 14) are arranged with respect to each other such that vaporous secondary fluid may flow in a first region (15b) of the line arrangement between the heat exchanger vapor space (10b) and the temperature-controlling vapor space (11b) and liquid secondary fluid may flow in a second region (15) of the line arrangement between the heat exchanger liquid space (10a) and the temperature-controlling liquid space (11a).
9. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 8, wherein the temperature-controlling element (14) is arranged with respect to the heat exchanger (7, 10) such that it is flooded by the secondary fluid, wherein, in the refrigeration mode, temperature-controlling is cooling and the heat exchanger (7, 10) is coupled to the evaporator (4) of the primary heat pump circuit.
10. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the temperature-controlling element (11, 14) is elongated and comprises an oblique orientation with respect to a horizontal line, wherein the secondary fluid flows from top to bottom in its liquid state due to gravity or a pump force or due to a heat exchanger (7, 10) arranged accordingly in the temperature-controlling element (11, 14).
11. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat exchanger (10) comprises:

    a first connection portion (41) for the primary working fluid;

    a second connection portion (42) for the primary working fluid;

    a third connection portion (15a) for the secondary fluid;

    a fourth connection portion (15b) for the secondary fluid;

    a channel portion (40) extending between the first connection portion (41) for the primary working fluid and the second connection portion (42) for the primary working fluid; and

    an interaction region (43) extending between the third connection portion (15a) for the secondary fluid and the fourth connection portion (15b) for the secondary fluid and having arranged therein the channel portion (40), wherein the channel portion (40) is thermally coupled to the interaction region (43) and fluidically decoupled from the interaction region (43).
12. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the compressor (1) is configured in the primary heat pump circuit to be controllable so as to be reversed in its conveying direction by the control signal (31, 32) to cause the heat pump cycle reversal.
13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the compressor (1) comprises a conveyor wheel, wherein, for reversing the conveying direction, the compressor is configured to reverse a rotational direction of the conveyor wheel as a response to the control signal (31, 32), or

    wherein the compressor comprises a four-way valve, wherein, for reversing the conveying direction, the compressor is configured to, as a response to the control signal (31, 32), on the basis of the refrigeration mode, fluidically decouple a suction side of the compressor from the evaporator (4) or fluidically connect the same to the condenser (2), or fluidically decouple a pressure side of the compressor from the condenser (2) and fluidically connect the same to the evaporator (4), or

    wherein the compressor comprises a four-way valve, wherein, for reversing the conveying direction, the compressor is configured to, as a response to the control signal (31, 32), on the basis of the defrosting mode, fluidically decouple a suction side of the compressor from the condenser (2) and fluidically connect the same to the evaporator (4), or fluidically decouple a pressure side of the compressor from the evaporator (4) and fluidically connect the same to the condenser (2).
14. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising:

    a blower (35) arranged in the space to be temperature-controlled within the space limitation (20) so as to move air past the temperature-controlling element (11, 14), or

    a blower arranged outside of the space limitation (20) so as to move air past the condenser of the primary heat pump circuit.
15. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heat exchanger (7, 10) comprises the evaporator (4) of the primary heat pump circuit or the condenser (2) of the primary heat pump circuit and the heat exchanger (10) for thermally coupling the primary heat pump circuit and the secondary heat pump circuit which are separated from each other by a line or which are arranged in one and the same space.
16. Space (5) to be temperature-controlled, comprising:

    a space limitation (20) separating a space (5) from a surrounding area (21) of the space (5); and

    an apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 15.
17. Space to be temperature-controlled according to claim 16, configured as a mobile transport container or as a space in a vehicle for being conveyed on water, on the road, on the rail, in the air, or in space.
18. Space to be temperature-controlled according to claim 16 or 17, configured as a space in a stationary building or as a free-standing stationary space.
19. Method for temperature-controlling a space (5) to be temperature-controlled with a space limitation (20) separating the space to be temperature-controlled from a surrounding area (21), with a primary heat pump circuit with an evaporator (4), a condenser (2), a compressor (1), and an expansion element (3), wherein the evaporator (4), the liquefier (2), the compressor (1), and the expansion element (3) are arranged outside of the space to be temperature-controlled; and a secondary circuit thermally coupled to and fluidically decoupled from the evaporator (4) or the condenser (2) via a heat exchanger (7, 10) and comprising a temperature-controlling element (11, 14) arranged in the space (5) to be temperature-controlled and connected to the heat exchanger (7, 10) via a line arrangement (15a, 15b) comprising a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid, wherein the line arrangement (15a, 15b) penetrates the space limitation (20), wherein the secondary circuit is configured as a thermosiphon cycle, and wherein a controllable pump (8) configured to reverse a conveying direction in the secondary circuit as a response to a control signal (32) is arranged in the secondary circuit, comprising:

    using, in the primary heat pump circuit, a natural primary working fluid;

    using, in the line arrangement (15a, 15b) of the secondary circuit, a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid,

    wherein temperature-controlling in a refrigeration mode comprises cooling the space (5) by means of the temperature-controlling element (11, 14); and

    as a response to the control signal (31, 32), causing a heat pump cycle reversal in the primary heat pump circuit so that, in the refrigeration mode, energy is dissipated from the heat exchanger (7, 10) through the primary heat pump circuit, and so that, in a defrosting mode, energy is supplied to the heat exchanger (7, 10) through the primary heat pump circuit, in order to defrost the temperature-controlling element (11, 14), and the conveying direction in the secondary circuit is reversed by the controllable pump (8).
20. Method for manufacturing an apparatus for temperature-controlling a space (5) to be temperature-controlled with a space limitation (20) separating the space to be temperature-controlled from a surrounding area (21), comprising: a primary heat pump circuit with an evaporator (4), a condenser (2), a compressor (1), and an expansion element (3), wherein the primary heat pump circuit comprises a natural primary working fluid, wherein the evaporator (4), the liquefier (2), the compressor (1), and the expansion element (3) are arranged outside of the space to be temperature-controlled; a secondary circuit thermally coupled to and fluidically decoupled from the evaporator (4) or the condenser (2) via a heat exchanger (7, 10) and comprising a temperature-controlling element (11, 14) arranged in the space (5) to be temperature-controlled and connected to the heat exchanger (7, 10) via a line arrangement (15a, 15b) comprising a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid, wherein the line arrangement (15a, 15b) penetrates the space limitation (20), wherein the secondary circuit is configured as a thermosiphon cycle, and wherein a controllable pump (8) configured to reverse a conveying direction in the secondary circuit as a response to a control signal (32) is arranged in the secondary circuit, wherein, in a refrigeration mode, the apparatus is configured to cool the space (5) by means of the temperature-controlling element (11, 14), the method comprising:

    introducing a natural primary working fluid into the primary heat pump circuit;

    manufacturing a line arrangement (15a, 15b) that penetrates the space limitation (20);

    introducing, into the line arrangement (15a, 15b), a secondary fluid that differs from the primary working fluid; and

    manufacturing a controller (30) configured to cause, as a response to the control signal (31, 32), a heat pump cycle reversal in the primary heat pump circuit so that, in the refrigeration mode, energy is dissipated from the heat exchanger (7, 10) through the primary heat pump circuit, and so that, in a defrosting mode, energy is supplied to the heat exchanger (7, 10) through the primary heat pump circuit so as to defrost the temperature-controlling element (11, 14), and a conveying direction in the secondary circuit is reversed by means of the controllable pump (8).

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