I claim:
1. A process for creating a controlled environment and encapsulation of the upper portion of a piling and associated header normally positioned about the high water mark, but subjected to intermittent flooding and therefore attack from marine infestation, comprising the steps of:
a. encapsulating the upper portion of the piling and associated header with a spray foam in a thickness of from 30 to 250 mils, said foam comprising a mixture of isocyanate, up to about 20 percent by weight CHCIF2, up to about 2 percent by weight of water and a combination of polyols having an average OH number of from about 300 to 500 and comprising polyalkoxylated glycerine having an OH number of from about 200 to about 300 in which the alkoxy groups each have from 2 to about 3 carbon atoms;
b. allowing the spray foam to set; and
c. performing the aforesaid steps when the water level is below its high water level.
2. The process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said process if performed on said upper portion of said piling and said associated header after said submerged portion of said piling has been suitably jacketed and said jacket has been injected with the foam of the present invention in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,919,004 or 5,829,920.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A supercooling apparatus, comprising:
a storage to which chilled air is supplied from a chilled air supply unit;
a supercooling compartment positioned in the storage, and refrigerated by the chilled air to refrigerate an object therein;
a hole formed at one side of the supercooling compartment to allow flow of the chilled air into and from the inside of the supercooling compartment; and
a damper to open or close the hole,
wherein the object in the supercooling compartment is directly or indirectly refrigerated selectively by the damper opening or closing the hole.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor positioned inside the supercooling compartment to detect an inner temperature of the supercooling compartment.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a controller to operate the supercooling compartment in any one of a direct refrigeration mode, an indirect refrigeration mode and a refrigeration stop mode by controlling the damper and the chilled air supply unit based on a temperature information provided by the temperature sensor
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supercooling compartment is formed of a material to accumulate cold heat to maintain a constant temperature.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chilled air supply unit comprises an evaporator to generate the chilled air, and a fan to blow the chilled air generated by the evaporator to the storage.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the evaporator is any one of an evaporator for a freezing compartment, an evaporator for a refrigerating compartment, and an independent evaporator.
7. A refrigerator comprising:
a body having a freezing compartment defined therein;
a storage defined independently of the freezing compartment in the body;
a supercooling compartment positioned in the storage to indirectly refrigerate an object therein;
a chilled air supply unit to supply chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage;
a hole formed at one side of the supercooling compartment to allow flow of the chilled air into and from the inside of the supercooling compartment; and
a damper to open or close the hole,
wherein the object in the supercooling compartment is directly or indirectly refrigerated selectively by the damper opening or closing the hole.
8. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising a temperature sensor positioned inside the supercooling compartment to detect an inner temperature of the supercooling compartment.
9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, further comprising a controller to operate the supercooling compartment in any one of a direct refrigeration mode, an indirect refrigeration mode and a refrigeration stop mode by controlling the damper and the chilled air supply unit based on a temperature information provided by the temperature sensor.
10. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the supercooling compartment is formed of a material to accumulate cold heat to maintain a constant temperature.
11. The refrigerator according to claim 7, further comprising a duct to guide the chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage.
12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, wherein the chilled air supply unit comprises an opening and closing member to open or close the duct, and a fan to blow the chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage.
13. The refrigerator according to claim 7, wherein the supercooling compartment comprises a case to define a space in which the object is preserved, and a cover to open or close an opening of the case.
14. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the hole and the damper are provided on the cover.
15. The refrigerator according to claim 13, wherein the supercooling compartment further comprises a fixing member to fix the cover to one side within the storage.
16. The refrigerator according to claim 15, wherein the cover slides on the opening of the case, and is disengaged from or engaged with the case when the cover is withdrawn from or pushed into the case.
17. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the supercooling compartment further comprises a sealing member provided around a lower end of the cover or on an inner surface of the opening of the case to seal the opening of the case when the cover is slidably engaged with the case.
18. The refrigerator according to claim 16, wherein the opening of the case is provided at one end with a groove in which one end of the cover slidably fits, and the cover is provided at the other end with a step corresponding to the groove of the case such that the case is closed when the cover is slidably engaged with the case.
19. A refrigerator, comprising:
a body having a freezing compartment defined therein;
a storage defined independently of the freezing compartment in the body;
a chilled air supply unit to supply chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage;
a supercooling compartment positioned in the storage, and refrigerated by the chilled air supplied from the chilled air supply unit to refrigerate an object therein;
a temperature sensor positioned inside the supercooling compartment to detect an inner temperature of the supercooling compartment; and
a controller to control the chilled air supply unit based on a temperature information provided by the temperature sensor,
wherein the refrigerator maintains a supercooled state of the object by reducing a range of temperature variation within the supercooling compartment via control of the chilled air supplied from the chilled air supply unit.
20. The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein the supercooling compartment is formed of a material to accumulate cold heat to maintain a constant temperature.
21. The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein the chilled air supply unit comprises an evaporator to generate the chilled air, and a fan to blow the chilled air generated by the evaporator to the storage.
22. The refrigerator according to claim 21, wherein the evaporator comprises any one of an evaporator for a freezing compartment, an evaporator for a refrigerating compartment, and an independent evaporator.
23. The refrigerator according to claim 19, further comprising a duct to guide the chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage.
24. The refrigerator according to claim 23, wherein the chilled air supply unit comprises an opening and closing member to open or close the duct, and a fan to blow the chilled air from the freezing compartment to the storage.
25. The refrigerator according to claim 19, wherein the supercooling compartment comprises a case to define a space in which the object is preserved, and a cover to open or close an opening of the case.
26. A method for controlling a refrigerator, comprising:
A) detecting a temperature T in a supercooling compartment;
B) comparing the temperature T with at least one of a first preset temperature Tset1 set as a temperature of starting indirect refrigeration of an object after direct refrigeration, and with a second preset temperature Tset2 set as a target temperature; and
C) controlling a chilled air supply unit acting to supply chilled air to a storage in which the supercooling compartment is provided, and a damper acting to adjust flow of the chilled air from the storage to the supercooling compartment according to the temperature T in the supercooling compartment, such that the direct refrigeration or the indirect refrigeration of the object within the supercooling compartment is selectively performed.
27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, if it is determined at the comparing operation B) that the temperature T is greater than or equal to the first preset temperature Tset1, the controlling operation C) is performed to operate the chilled air supply unit while opening the damper.
28. The method according to claim 26, wherein, if it is determined at the comparing operation B) that the temperature T is in the range of Tset1\u02dcTset2, the controlling operation C) is performed to operate the chilled air supply unit while closing the damper.
29. The method according to claim 26, wherein, if it is determined at the comparing operation B) that the temperature T is less than the second preset temperature Tset2, the controlling operation C) is performed to stop the chilled air supply unit while closing the damper.