System for forming aerosols and cooling device incorporated therein
The present invention relates a cooling device of the reverse Carnot cycle-type using a refrigerant, and an aerosol generation system including it. The cooling device includes a refrigerator of the reverse Carnot cycle-type, a cleaning medium conduit, a temperature sensor, and a heater. The intermediate portion of the cleaning medium conduit and the evaporator are wound like a coil in the same configuration so as to maximize the contacting area therebetween. The temperature sensor measures the temperature of the carbon dioxide discharged from the cooling device, and the heater is arranged to contact the evaporator of the refrigerator and the intermediate portion of the cleaning medium conduit so as to precisely adjust the liquefying rate of the carbon dioxide according to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. The carbon dioxide is refrigerated at a temperature in the range of −80° C. to −100° C. through the cooling device, transformed into liquid phase.
1. A cooling device comprising:
a first evaporator wound like a coil for flowing a first refrigerant passed through a first compressor, first condenser, and first expansion valve;
a second evaporator wound like a coil for flowing a second refrigerant passed through a second compressor, second condenser arranged through said first evaporator, and second expansion valve;
a cleaning medium conduit consisting of an inlet and outlet and intermediate portion wound like a coil along said second evaporator for flowing a cleaning medium;
a temperature sensor arranged in the outlet of said cleaning medium conduit for measuring the temperature of the cleaning medium discharged; and
a heater controlled according to the temperature measured by said temperature sensor.
2. A cooling device as defined claim 1 , wherein the refrigeration rate of the second refrigerant is higher than that of the first refrigerant.
3. A cooling device as defined in claim 2 , wherein the second refrigerant is refrigerated at a temperature in the range of −40° C. to −50° C. by heat-exchanging with the first evaporator in the second condenser, and the cleaning medium is refrigerated at a temperature in the range of −80° C. to −100° C. by heat-exchanging with the second evaporator in the intermediate portion of the cleaning medium conduit.
4. An aerosol generation system including the cooling device as defined in claim 1 , further includes a cleaning medium source for supplying the cleaning medium to said cooling device, a carrier gas source for supplying a carrier gas, and a nozzle for ejecting a mixture of the cleaning medium and the carrier gas respectively supplied from said cooling device and carrier gas source.