CN1854622A

CN1854622A - Refrigeration machine

Info

Publication number: CN1854622A
Application number: CNA2006100050256A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 高桥一夫; 田村隆明; 薄井宏明; 乐间毅; 山本哲也
Original assignee: Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Sanyo Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 2005-04-21
Filing date: 2006-01-18
Publication date: 2006-11-01
Anticipated expiration: 2026-01-18
Also published as: JP4703246B2; CN100532965C; DE602006003466D1; EP1715265B1; KR100726307B1; KR20060110743A; JP2006300421A; EP1715265A1

Abstract

A refrigeration machine comprising an air blower (7), a heat exchanger (16), a drain pan (22) for receiving and stocking drain water generated in the heat exchanger (16) and an active oxygen species(51, 52) generating unit for electrolyzing at least one of the drain water stocked in the drain pan (22) and tap water to generate active oxygen species.

Description

Refrigerating device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus having a drain pan for receiving drain water.

Background

In general, a refrigeration apparatus such as an air conditioner or a showcase is known which includes a blower, a heat exchanger, and a drain pan for receiving drain water generated by the heat exchanger. In such a device, sludge is likely to be generated in the drain water stored in the drain pan or in the drain water flowing through the drain pipe, which causes clogging of the drain pan and the drain pipe.

In order to solve the above problems, conventionally, there are a drain pan and a drain hose in which a slime-preventing agent is disposed (patent documents 1 and 2).

Patent document 1: japanese unexamined patent publication No. 6-159710

Patent document 2: japanese unexamined patent publication No. 6-257776

However, in the conventional configurations, since chemicals are mixed in the drainage water to suppress generation of sludge, the effect is lost when the chemicals are used up, and as a result, the durability is poor.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art and to provide a refrigeration apparatus capable of suppressing generation of slime for a long time.

A refrigerating apparatus of the present invention includes a blower, a heat exchanger, and a drain pan for receiving drain water generated by the heat exchanger, and the drain pan is provided with an electrodefor electrolyzing the drain water to generate active oxygen species.

In this case, the water treatment apparatus may include a blower, a heat exchanger, and a drain pan for receiving drain water generated by the heat exchanger, wherein the drain water collected in the drain pan is pumped up by a pump and discharged to the outside through a drain hose, and the drain pan may be provided with an electrode for electrolyzing the drain water to generate active oxygen species. The electrode may be an electrode that generates active oxygen species such as ozone, hydrogen peroxide, and peroxide anions by electrolysis of water.

The water treatment apparatus is provided with a blower, a heat exchanger, a drain pan for receiving drain water produced by the heat exchanger, and an electrode for introducing tap water into the drain pan and electrolyzing the drain water mixed with the tap water to generate active oxygen species. The water discharge device is provided with a blower, a heat exchanger, and a water discharge tray for receiving water discharged from the heat exchanger, and is provided with an electrode for electrolyzing the water discharged from the water discharge tray to generate active oxygen species, while introducing tap water into the water discharge tray, sucking up the water discharged from the water discharge tray by a pump, and discharging the water to the outside through a water discharge hose. The electrode may be an electrode that generates active oxygen species such as hypohalous acid by electrolyzing water containing halogen ions. In addition, the polarity of the electrodes may be reversed periodically or aperiodically.

In the present invention, the drain pan is provided with an electrode for electrically decomposing the drain water to generate active oxygen species, so that the generation of sludge can be suppressed for a long time.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of a refrigerating apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing an embodiment of a refrigerating apparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a structural view showing an electrode arrangement;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing another embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a low temperature showcase;

fig. 8 is a structural diagram showing an electrode arrangement.

Description of the symbols

1 air conditioner

7 blower

16 heat exchanger

12 drainage pump

22 drain pan

51. 52, 75, 77, 151, 152, 251, 252 electrodes

71 electrolytic cell

53. 83, 153, 253 electrode control device

Detailed Description

An embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing an air conditioner main body and a decorative panel, and fig. 2 is a bottom view showing the air conditioner main body.

In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes an air conditioner as a refrigerating apparatus, and the air conditioner 1 is combined with an outdoor unit not shown in the drawing, has a refrigeration cycle including a compressor, an outdoor heat exchanger, and the like, and is suspended and fixed in a ceiling space 41 of a building 40 as shown in fig. 1. The embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2 is an example of a four-direction ceiling box type air conditioner 1, which includes an air conditioner main body 2 and a decorative panel 3, wherein a suction port 4 is opened at the center of the decorative panel 3, and a discharge port 5 is opened around the suction port 4 of the decorative panel 3. 4 bolts 42 are vertically provided downward from the building 40, and the four bolts 42 are fixedly attached to hangers 43 of the air conditioner main body 2, respectively.

In the air conditioner main body 2, a fan motor 6, an indoor fan 7 (turbofan), a partition plate 8, a drain pump 12, a drain port 13, a refrigerant pipe 14, a distribution box 15 having a control mechanism such as a drain pump control mechanism, a heat exchanger 16, and the like are arranged.

The indoor fan 7 is disposed to correspond to the fan nozzle 17. The heat exchanger 16 is bent substantially in a rectangular shape and is disposed in the vicinity of the four air outlets 5 so as to surround the indoor fan 7. The partition plate 8 connects the

tube plates

21, 21 of the heat exchanger 16, and the drain pump 12, the drain port 13, the indoor mechanical valve 18, and the like are housed in the outer space 20 of the heat exchanger 16 partitioned by the partition plate 8. The partition plate 18 prevents air from leaking from the indoor fan 7 during operation, and the presence of the partition plate 8 ensures that the heat-exchanged air is blown into the room R from the four blow-out ports 5.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a drain pump. In fig. 3, a drain pan 22 is provided below the heat exchanger 16, the drain pump 12 is disposed in the drain pan 22, and adrain hose 19 for discharging drain to the outside of the machine is connected to a drain port 13 of the drain pump 12. The drain pump 12 is connected to a drain pump drive mechanism 23 (simply referred to as a drive mechanism) such as a DC motor, for example, and the drive mechanism 23 is connected to a drain pump control mechanism 24 (simply referred to as a control mechanism) capable of controlling the operation of the rotation speed.

The control means 24 includes an indoor fan operation stop detection means 26 (in turn, simply referred to as fan operation detection means) for detecting whether or not the indoor fan 7 is operated, and a rotation speed setting means 27 for setting the rotation speed of the drain pump 12.

The rotation speed setting means 27 sets the maximum rotation speed of the drain pump 12 and outputs the set maximum rotation speed to the control means 23 when the fan operation detection means 26 detects that the indoor fan 7 is in operation, and outputs the minimum rotation speed at which drainage is possible to the drive means 23 after the fan operation detection means 26 detects that the indoor fan 7 is stopped. The driving means 23 operates the drain pump 12 at the rotation speed output from the rotation speed setting means 27.

In this configuration, a recess 22A is formed one level below the bottom of the drain pan 22, and a pair of

electrodes

51 and 52 are disposed on the recess 22A and connected to an electrode control mechanism 53. The

electrodes

51 and 52 electrolyze the drain water stored in the drain pan 22 when the current is applied thereto, thereby generating active oxygen species.

The active oxygen species refers to an oxygen molecule having higher oxidation activity than ordinary oxygen and substances related thereto, and includes active oxygen in a broad sense such as ozone and hypohalous acid in addition toactive oxygen in a narrow sense such as peroxide anion, singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radical, or hydrogen peroxide.

The active oxygen species prevent the generation of sludge and make the generation of sludge on the drain pan 22 and the drain pipe 19 difficult. As the electrode material, a substance capable of generating active oxygen species by electrolyzing waste water (chlorine-free water such as tap water) is preferable, and for example, a material capable of generating ozone, hydrogen peroxide, radicals, and the like is preferable, and specifically, platinum, lead oxide, platinum tantalum, and the like are preferable. Among them, the platinum tantalum electrode can efficiently and stably generate active oxygen species from the ionic species by electrolysis even in the exhaust water with thin ionic species,therefore, this aspect is preferable. At this time, the heat is generated at the cathode electrode Is generated at the anode electrode While at the same time producing 、 The reaction of (1).

Thus, due to ozone (O) grown from the anode electrode₃) Quickly dissolved in the drainage water, thereby exerting the effect of preventing the sediment.

The operation of the control mechanism of the air conditioner configured as described above will be described.

When the air conditioner 1 starts the cooling operation, the compressor and the indoor fan 7 start to operate. When the indoor fan 7 starts to operate, the fan operation detection means 26 of the control means 24 detects that the indoor fan 7 is in operation, the rotation speed setting means 27 sets the drain pump 12 to the maximum rotation speed, and the drive means 23 operates the drain pump 12 at the maximum rotation speed. By the operation of the drain pump 12, the drain water accumulated in the drain pan 22 is drawn up and discharged to the outside of the machine.

When the cooling operation is stopped and the compressor and the indoor fan 7 are stopped, the fan operation detection means 26 detects that the operation of the indoor fan 7 is stopped. By stopping the indoor fan 7, the rotation speed setting means 27 sets the rotation speed of the driving means 23 to the minimum rotation speed at which drainage is possible, and the driving means 23 drives the drainage pump 12 at this rotation speed. By operating the drain pump 12 at the minimum rotational speed at which water can be drained, the drain water adhering to the heat exchanger 16 and the like and dripping down and remaining in the drain pan 22 can be drained even after the compressor and the indoor fan 7 are stopped while noise such as water wheel noise of the drain pump 12 is minimized.

Then, when the water level of the drain pan 22 is set to be less than or equal to a certain value, the operation of the drain pump 12 is stopped because the drain pump 12 cannot drain water. While the drain pump 12 is stopped, the operation may be stopped after the indoor fan 7 is stopped, for example, after an interval of 20 minutes, or a sensor such as a water level sensor (not shown) may be provided in the drain pan 22, and the operation of the drain pump 12 may be stopped when the water level of the drain pan 22 reaches a minimum water level at which drainage is possible.

In any case, the drain water is accumulated in the drain pan 22. In this configuration, when the pair of

electrodes

51 and 52 are energized, the drain water accumulated in the drain pan 22 is electrolyzed to generate active oxygen species (electrolyzed water), and the active oxygen species prevent the generation ofsludge. In this configuration, the drainage accumulated in the drainage tray 22 is kept free from sediment, and the drainage tray 22 is cleaned and the drainage is made to flow down to the drainage pipe 19, whereby the sediment in the drainage pipe 19 can be kept suppressed. In this respect, convenience in maintenance of the drain pan 22 can be achieved.

When airborne planktonic bacteria enter the drainage, it takes a certain time for the planktonic bacteria to grow and propagate. Therefore, in this configuration, it is not necessary to continue the electrolysis by the

electrodes

51 and 52, and the sterilization function can be maintained by stopping the energization once after the diffusion of the active oxygen species in the drainage water energized for a certain period of time, for example, one minute, and then energizing again after that. This control may be performed by the motor control mechanism 53.

This improves the life of the

electrodes

51 and 52, and improves reliability.

In the energization rate control, for example, a concentration sensor (not shown) may be immersed in the wastewater to detect the concentration of the active oxygen species generated by electrolysis, and the energization may be stopped when the concentration reaches a specific concentration (for example, 0.1PPM) to detect a decrease in the concentration, and the energization may be resumed when the concentration is equal to or lower than a predetermined value. The electrolysis may be controlled according to a predetermined current carrying rate or according to a current carrying rate determined by the operation conditions of the apparatus. In any case, it is preferable that the energization of the

electrodes

51 and 52 be controlled to stop the drain pump 22. That is, after the active oxygen species are diffused to effectively sterilize, the water should be drained by the drain pump 22. This is because the sterilization effect is reduced when water is drained during electrolysis.

When scale deposits on the electrode (cathode) by electrolysis of the wastewater, the conductivity decreases, and it becomes difficult to continue electrolysis.

In this case, it is effective to reverse the polarity of electrolysis (to exchange the positive and negative electrodes of the electrodes). The scale deposited on the cathode electrode can be removed by performing electrolysis using the cathode electrode as the anode electrode, and the polarity inversion control may be performed periodically by a timer, or may be performed irregularly such as by performing inversion every time the operation is started. Alternatively, the increase in electrolytic resistance (decrease in electrolytic current or increase in electrolytic voltage) may be detected, and the polarity may be reversed based on the result.

The air conditioner incorporating the electrode not only reduces the trouble of the drainage system and facilitates maintenance, but also can realize a more comfortable air conditioner by purifying the inside of the air conditioning equipment, and is particularly effective when installed in buildings where an indefinite number of people gather, such as schools, hospitals, convenience stores, and the like.

Fig. 4 shows yet another embodiment. In this embodiment, as compared with fig. 3, a recess lower than the bottom of the drain pan 22 is not formed, and the pair of

electrodes

51 and 52 is disposed below the suction port 12A of the drain pump 12. Here, a predetermined slope is provided at the bottom of the drain pan 22 so that the drain water is collected directly below the drain pump 12. The other structure is substantially the same as that of the above embodiment. When the dimension d between the suction port 12A of the drain pump 12 and the bottom of the drain pan 22 is set to 6mm, for example, 90cc or more ofdrain water is accumulated on the drain pan 22 without being blown to the outside of the machine. The wastewater is electrolyzed by the energization of the

electrodes

51 and 52 to generate active oxygen species, and the active oxygen species are used to suppress the generation of sludge.

Fig. 5 shows another embodiment.

In this embodiment, as compared with the above embodiments, tap water (containing chloride ions) is introduced from the outside of the facility to the drain pan 22 through the pipe 55. A pair of

electrodes

151 and 152 for generating active oxygen species by electrolyzing the drain water are disposed on the drain pan 22, and these electrodes are connected to an electrode control mechanism 153. The other structure is substantially the same as that of the above embodiment.

The

electrodes

151 and 152 are two electrodes each having a titanium (Ti) coating layer as a substrate and formed of indium (Ir) and platinum (Pt), and an energizing current is 40 μ a, so that a predetermined concentration of free residual chlorine (e.g., 1PPM) is generated to obtain an effect of sterilization and decontamination (sterilization effect). In order to improve durability, the polarity may be switched at predetermined intervals to supply current to the

electrodes

151 and 152.

When the drain to the drain pan 22 is energized by the

electrodes

151 and 152, electricity is generated in the cathode electrode Is generated at the anode electrode While chlorine contained in water (previously added to tap water) is generated Reaction of (1), the Cl₂Further react with water to form 。

In this configuration, when the

electrodes

151 and 152 are energized, HClO (hypochlorous acid) having a high bactericidal activity is generated, whereby generation of slime can be suppressed and propagation of legionella, coliform and other bacteria can be prevented.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment.

In this embodiment, a structure having the electrolysis unit 71 is formed. The electrolytic unit 71 has a case 73 in which a pair of

electrodes

75 and 77 are placed, and two

pipes

79 and 81 are connected to the case 73. The pair of

electrodes

75 and 77 are connected to an electrode control mechanism 83, and the other configuration is substantially the same as that of the embodiment of fig. 4. Tap water is supplied from the outside into the casing 73 through the pipe 79, and this tap water is electrolyzed in the casing 73 to generate HClO (hypochlorous acid) and introduced into the drain pan 22 through the pipe 81, thereby suppressing the generation of sludge. This makes it possible to prepare only the electrolysis unit 71, and is easily applicable to an existing air conditioner.

Fig. 7 shows an example of application to a low-temperature showcase.

The low temperature showcase 101 is a refrigerated showcase for displaying frozen foods such as ice cream, which is installed in stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores, and is configured by an insulating wall 102 having a substantially コ -shaped cross section and side plates 105 attached to both sides of the insulating wall 102, and an insulating block wall 103 having a substantially コ -shaped cross section is attached to the inside of the insulating wall 102 with a space therebetween. Partition plates 104 are attached to the rear surface and the inside of the upper surface of the heat insulating block wall 103 with a space therebetween, and shelf supports 106 are provided on both side portions (and the central portion) of the partition plates 104. 129 is a shelf.

The lower ends of the shelf support posts 106 and the partition plate 104 are fixedly supported directly or by other members by shelf support post fixtures 107 formed as side frames (not shown) fixed at both ends to the insulating wall 102, and a card tray 108 is attached to the lower end front of the partition plate 104 at a position spaced above the bottom wall 103A of the insulating block wall 103, and a storage chamber 109 having an open front is formed inside the space surrounded by the partition plate 104 and the card tray 108. An outer layer duct 111 is formed between the insulating wall 102 and the insulating wall 103, an inner layer duct 112 connected to the upper side, the rear side, and the lower side of the storage chamber 109 is formed between the insulating wall 103, the partition plate 104, and the card tray 108, and all refrigerators 113 as cooling devices are vertically provided in the inner layer duct 112.

The upper ends of the inner and outer passages 112, 111 communicate with an inner layer discharge port 124 and an outer layer discharge port 126 formed at the upper edge of the opening of the storage chamber 109, and the inner layer discharge port 124 is formed at the rear side of the outer layer discharge port 126. Further, an inner suction port 127 and an outer suction port 128 are formed at the rear side and the front side, respectively, below the opening of the storage chamber 109, the inner suction port 127 communicates with the inner passage 112, and the outer suction port 128 communicates with the outer passage 111.

Further, a suction blower 114 (for inner layer) is provided in the front portion of the inner layer duct 112 on the lower side of the card tray 108, and a suction blower 116 (for outer layer) is also provided in the outer layer duct 111 below.

A drain pan 118is formed on the bottom wall 3A of the heat insulating block wall 3, and the drain pan 118 is inclined downward (e.g., inclined by about 4 degrees) toward the lower side of the blower 114 and has a drain port 117 formed at the front end thereof. A recess 118A is formed one level lower immediately before the drain opening 117, and as shown in fig. 8, a pair of

electrodes

251 and 252 are disposed in the recess 118A and connected to a motor control mechanism 253. The

electrodes

251 and 252 electrolyze the drain water accumulated in the drain pan 188 to generate active oxygen species, in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

Thus, the drainage system purification can be applied to the showcase 101, and can also be widely applied to a dehumidifier, a humidifier, and the like.

The present invention has been described above based on one embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this. The drain pan of the refrigeration equipment preferably has a structure (a dam or the like) for accumulating drained water temporarily for electrolytic drainage, and a portion of the dam (a portion for accumulating accumulated water) is preferably in the vicinity of the drain port of the drain pan.

When the wastewater is electrolyzed using the platinum titanium electrode, ozone water (ozone dissolved in the wastewater) can be efficiently generated.

In general, ozone gas has low solubility in water, and the distribution coefficient (gas phase ozone concentration/liquid phase ozone concentration) to water is about 0.3(20 ℃), so that the ozone gas tends to move from the liquid phase (ozone water) to the gas phase (ozone gas). In the above configuration, ozone water is generated, and a small amount of ozone gas stays in the apparatus, whereby the sterilization effect of the components (the fan of the heat exchanger and the blower fan) inside the apparatus can be obtained. When the ozone electrode is used, not only the slime can be prevented and removed, but also the sterilization effect in the air conditioning equipment can be obtained.

A chemical (tablet-like chemical) that generates chloride ions may be put into the drain pan, or a surface treatment that can obtain the same effect may be applied to the drain pan so that chloride ions are contained in the drain water instead of the tap water. In this case, an electrode material such as platinum indium is suitable. In addition, particularly when an air conditioner or the like is installed in a clean room such as a clean room, impurities in the drain water are small. In this case, it is preferable to put a tablet in which a small amount of inorganic ions are eluted continuously into the drain pan and to perform surface treatment as an electrolytic auxiliary agent or to the drain pan so as to obtain the same effect.

In addition, not only the ceiling-embedded air conditioner such as the four-direction ceiling-installed air conditioner described above, but also a ceiling-mounted air conditioner, a wall-mounted air conditioner, a vertical air conditioner, or the like, the drain pipe is directly connected to the drain pan without using a drain pump, and the drain is performed by natural falling and using its own weight. In this case, the electrodes may be disposed on the drain pan to prevent and remove sludge. The above embodiments are described separately, and these embodiments may be combined.

Since the generation of sludge can be prevented by supplying tap water, for example, electrolytic hypochlorous acid, and by discharging water alone, for example, electrolytic ozone, the generation of sludge can be prevented, the drain pan cleaning can be facilitated, the maintenance and control costs can be reduced, and the indoor air quality can be improved by sterilizing the air blowing path.

Claims

1. A refrigerating apparatus is characterized by comprising a blower, a heat exchanger, and a drain pan for receiving drain water generated by the heat exchanger, wherein the drain pan is provided with an electrode for electrolyzing the drain water to generate active oxygen species.

2. A refrigeration apparatus is characterized in that the refrigeration apparatus comprises a blower, a heat exchanger, and a drain pan for receiving drain generated by the heat exchanger, wherein the drain accumulated in the drain pan is pumped up by a pump and discharged to the outside through a drain hose, and the drain pan is provided with an electrode for electrolyzing the drain to generate active oxygen species.

3. A refrigerating apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said electrodes are electrodes for generating active oxygen species such as ozone, hydrogen peroxide, peroxide anion and the like by electrolysis of water.

4. A refrigeration device comprising a blower, a heat exchanger, and a drain pan for receiving drain water generated by the heat exchanger, wherein tap water is introduced into the drain pan, and wherein the drain pan is provided with an electrode for electrolyzing the drain water mixed with the tap water to generate active oxygen species.

5. A refrigeration apparatus comprising a blower, a heat exchanger, and a drain pan for receiving drain generated by the heat exchanger, wherein tap water is introduced into the drain pan, the drain mixed with the tap water is pumped up by a pump and discharged to the outside via a drain hose, and wherein an electrode for generating activeoxygen species by electrolyzing the drain mixed with the tap water is provided in the drain pan.

6. A refrigerating apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein said electrode is an electrode for generating active oxygen species such as hypohalous acid by electrolyzing water containing halogen ions.

7. A freezer apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the polarity of the electrodes is reversed periodically or aperiodically.