JP2001108326A - Heating medium supplying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact unit filled as an entirety in a housing in a heating medium supplying device having a heat exchanger using a Peltier element. SOLUTION: A drain 3 is used to radiate an exhaust heat of a heating medium 2 in a heat exchanger 10 using a Peltier element 13, and to cool a power source 35 by the drain (heat radiating water). To this end, a cooler 21 for passing the water is provided, and the air 4 in a housing 30 is forcibly cooled and circulated by a supply fan 41. Thus, a temperature rise in the housing 30 can be suppressed. Further, since hot air is not exhausted out of the housing, the heating medium supplying device can be installed in a clean room.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heating medium supply apparatus for controlling the temperature of a heating medium using a Peltier element and supplying the heating medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A heat exchanger using a Peltier element is known. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-288438 discloses a method in which the temperature of a fluorine-based heat medium is controlled by a Peltier element, and water is discharged from the heat medium using water as a medium. A heat exchanger that emits heat is described.

A heat exchanger that performs heat exchange using this Peltier element can control the temperature of the heat medium by changing the value of the current supplied to the Peltier element, and furthermore, changes the direction of the current to change the heat medium. Can be cooled and heated. Therefore, by adopting a fluorine-based inert liquid or the like whose physical properties are stable in a wide temperature range as a heat medium, the settable temperature range is wide, and further,
It is possible to provide a system for supplying a heat medium controlled to a predetermined temperature. For this reason, it is used as a part of a temperature control system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a computer, or the like where temperature conditions are severe.

[0004]

However, a DC power supply is required to drive the Peltier element, and a switching type power supply capable of controlling the DC power is required to control the heat exchange capability of the Peltier element. Is done.
Therefore, since a large amount of heat is generated from the power supply device, conventionally, the power supply device and the heat exchanger section are configured separately, and a large space is required when installing them, and in order to connect them, It was troublesome and expensive.

[0005] On the other hand, packaging of a heat exchanger and a power supply device in one housing has been studied. With such a heat medium supply device, each equipment necessary for supplying a heat medium is provided. Is housed in the housing and integrated, so that handling is simple and space saving. further,
Power loss due to Joule heat occurs in the electric wire to supply a direct current to the Peltier element. However, storing these in a housing or a case also has the advantage that the power loss in the electric wire can be minimized. further,
It is more convenient to house a liquid tank, a circulation pump, and the like in the same housing for introducing a liquid (heat medium) to be subjected to heat exchange because a heat medium supply device in which the entire system is packaged can be provided.

As described above, when the equipment for supplying the heat medium is housed in one closed casing (housing), handling becomes easy, the installation area is reduced, and the heat medium can be serviced only by installing the package. There are many advantages such as no labor and no installation cost. However, a power loss occurs in the DC power supply device, and heat is generated by the power loss. In addition, the internal heat of the power supply and the heat of the motor of the pump are trapped in the housing, and the temperature inside the housing rises to 60 ° C. or more, which also places a thermal burden on the internal power supply and the pump motor. Will significantly shorten the life of the device. In particular, it has been found that an electrolytic capacitor must be used in the power supply device for DC output, and the life of the capacitor is shortened in inverse proportion to the ambient temperature.

Further, when the heat medium is controlled to be supplied at a low temperature, the cooling effect is reduced by taking into consideration the heat insulation of the heat exchanger or the distance between the heat exchanger and the power supply unit because the temperature inside the housing is higher. Will do. Therefore, the housing becomes large, and a compact and low-cost heat medium supply device cannot be provided. The temperature inside the housing, especially the temperature of the power supply unit, can be lowered by providing a cooling fan that forcibly ventilates the inside of the housing.However, in a clean room where semiconductor manufacturing facilities are installed, dust can be scattered in the air. Sexual forced ventilation is not allowed.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a heat exchanger using a Peltier element, a DC power supply for driving the Peltier element, and a heat medium supply device capable of accommodating a circulating pump and the like in one closed housing. It is intended to be. Another object of the present invention is to provide a small and compact heat medium supply device capable of discharging heat from a power supply device or a pump from the inside of a housing without scattering fine dust in air in a semiconductor manufacturing environment. I have.

[0009]

For this reason, in the present invention, in a heat exchanger using a Peltier element, attention is paid to wastewater for discharging waste heat from a heat medium, and a power supply device is used with the wastewater. By cooling, the hot air is prevented from flowing out of the housing, thereby suppressing a rise in temperature inside the housing containing the power supply device. That is, the heat medium supply device of the present invention exchanges heat between the heat medium and water via the Peltier element, and supplies power to the heat exchanger capable of supplying the heat medium at a predetermined temperature and the Peltier element. It has a power supply device and a cooling device that cools the power supply device by drainage from the heat exchanger.

Although the power supply may be directly cooled by drainage, a blower fan for circulating air in the housing is provided in a housing for housing the heat exchanger and a power supply for supplying power to the Peltier element. A cooling device that cools the circulating air by drainage from the heat exchanger, and indirectly cools the power supply device. If a method of cooling the air circulating in the housing is used, not only the power supply device but also heat generated from other devices such as a circulation pump for the heat medium stored in the housing can be removed. Further, since air is circulated only in the housing, no exhaust is emitted outside the housing. Therefore, it can be installed in a clean room.

Further, since the heat generated in the housing is forcibly discharged to the waste water through the circulating air and the cooling device for cooling the circulating air, the distance between the heat exchanger and other equipment or the space for the heat insulating material is reduced. It is possible to do. Furthermore, since the air around the heat exchanger can be circulated, fluctuations in the ambient temperature of the heat exchanger can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to provide a compact heat medium supply device having high heat exchange efficiency.

Further, it is also possible to provide a radiating fin of the power supply so as to be exposed outside the housing,
When used in combination with a water-cooled air circulation system that removes heat generated inside the housing, the heat exchanger and the power supply device can be housed in a more compact housing.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic layout of the inside of a heat medium supply device 1 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows the heat medium supply device 1 as viewed from the front. Further, FIG. 3 shows a system flow diagram of the heat medium supply device 1.

The heat medium supply device 1 of the present embodiment comprises a Peltier device 1
3. A heat exchanger 10 for exchanging heat between a heat medium and water by using
And a circulating pump 1 for supplying the heat medium 2 to the heat exchanger 10.
5 and a liquid tank (tank) 16 serving as a buffer for the heat medium, and these are housed in a closed housing (housing) 30. Therefore, the heat medium supply device 1 is connected to the heat medium supply pipe 19 through the pipe from the load side of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus or the like.
Is returned to the heating medium 2 is cooled or heated to a predetermined temperature through the liquid tank 16, the circulation pump 15, and the heat exchanger 10,
It is again supplied from the outlet pipe 18 to a load side such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

The heat exchanger 10 includes a plate-type first heat exchange unit 11 through which the heat medium 2 passes and a plate-type second heat exchange unit 12 through which water passes. Peltier elements 13 are sandwiched between 11 and 12. Therefore, when DC power is supplied to the Peltier element 13 from the DC power supply device 35 housed inside the housing 30, a thermal gradient is forcibly formed between the heat exchange units 11 and 12, thereby cooling and cooling the heat medium 2. Can be heated. Then, the exhaust heat is absorbed by the water 3 passing through the second heat exchange section 12 and is released to the outside of the housing 30.

For this reason, in addition to the above-described system of the heat medium 2, a system of water (radiation water or drainage) is also provided inside the housing 30, and the radiation water 3 supplied from the inlet pipe 29 is Heated or cooled by the exhaust heat of the heat medium 2 through the heat exchanger 10. And in this example,
Further, a cooler 21 for cooling the air inside the housing 30 is provided in the system of the facility water 3, and the facility water 3 cools the air 4 through the cooler 21 and the facility water outlet pipe 2.
8 to the outside of the housing 30.

Further, in the heat medium supply device 1 of the present embodiment, a system for circulating the air 4 inside the housing 30 is also provided. The air 4 inside the housing 30 is circulated so as to hit the cooler 21 by the blower fan 41 installed near the water-cooled cooler 21. At the outlet of the cooler 21, a guard 42 for adjusting the wind direction toward the power supply device 35 is provided, and the air 4 cooled by the cooler 21 first strikes the power supply device 35. Then, the air 4 further circulates inside the housing 30, and the circulation pump 15 and the liquid tank 1
6 Further, it passes around the heat exchanger 10 and returns to the blower fan 41, where it is cooled again by the cooler 21. Therefore, heat generated inside the housing 30 is recovered by the circulating air 4 and discharged to the facility water 3 by the cooler 21. And the waste heat water 3 heated by the cooler 21
Is discharged out of the housing 30.

In the heat medium supply device 1 of the present embodiment, a radiating fin 36 is provided at a portion corresponding to the outside of the power supply device 35. For this reason, the heat generated by the power supply device 35 is absorbed by the air circulating inside the housing, and is also radiated outside the housing 30 through the radiation fins 36.

As described above, in the heat medium supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the power supply device 35 and the pump 15 are housed in the sealed housing (housing) 30 in addition to the heat exchanger 10. Although the heat medium supply device 1 is integrated and convenient in terms of installation or handling, the temperature of the air inside the housing 30 is reduced due to heat generation inside the power supply device 35 and heat of the pump 15. The structure is easy to ascend. However, the heat exchanger 10 cools or heats the heat medium 2 by the Peltier element 13 and dissipates the heat to the waste heat water 3. For this reason, a cooler 21 capable of removing heat from the air 4 inside the housing 30 is provided on the water side of the heat exchanger 10, that is, at the outlet of the second heat exchange unit 12 which is a radiator. By lowering the temperature of 4 and discharging the waste heat water 3 after the heat exchange in the cooler 21, the temperature rise inside the housing 30 is suppressed.

When the heat medium 2 is cooled in the heat exchanger 10, the temperature of the waste heat water supplied to the cooler 21 rises in the heat exchanger 10 and is slightly higher, for example, about 25〜.
30 ° C. However, as described above, when the internal temperature of the housing 30 is not cooled, it is expected that the temperature will be 60 ° C. or higher due to heat generation of the power supply device 35. The temperature of the exhaust heat water is sufficiently low, and the air 4 inside the housing 30 can be effectively cooled. On the other hand, when the heat medium 2 is heated in the heat exchanger 10, the temperature of the waste heat water 3 decreases in the heat exchanger 10. Therefore, cooler 2
By installing the unit 1 in the housing 30 and cooling the air with water, there is also obtained an advantage that the temperature inside the housing 30 can be reduced by using the exhaust heat of the heat exchanger 10.

The water-cooled cooler 21 is directly connected to the power supply 35
To cool the power supply device 35.
However, in the heat medium supply device 1 of the present embodiment, a fan 41 for pumping the high-temperature air 4 in the housing is attached before the cooler 21 and the cooler 2
A guide 42 is provided at the outlet of the power supply 1 and the air whose temperature has been reduced by the cooler 21 is applied to the power supply 35 to cool (air-cool) the electrolytic capacitor, the oscillation transformer, the output transistor and the like on the substrate of the power supply 35. ing. By circulating the cool air 4 in this way, it is possible to absorb heat generated from not only the power supply device 35 but also other devices disposed inside the housing 30 such as a pump,
The temperature rise inside the housing 3 can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the performance of equipment such as a pump and a heat exchanger.

Furthermore, even in an environment where the ambient temperature of the housing 3 is high, the temperature inside the housing 3 can be prevented from rising, so that the functions of the devices housed inside the housing 3 can be maintained and installed. The heat medium supply device 1 is hardly affected by the surrounding environment and can exhibit a constant capacity. Therefore, it is possible to provide the heat medium supply device 1 that is hardly influenced by the installation environment and that can exhibit stable performance regardless of the installation conditions. Furthermore, since air is circulated inside the sealed housing 30 and only the exhaust heat water 3 flows out of the housing 30, it can be installed in a severe indoor environment such as a clean room.

Further, in the heat medium supply device 1 of the present embodiment, most of the internal heat loss of the power supply device 35 is caused by the output transistor, and the amount of heat generated is large. Closed enclosure 3
The heat radiation amount is increased by utilizing the natural circulation by protruding outside of zero. Therefore, the heat medium supply device 1 can be designed to have a sufficient margin against heat generation in the housing, and the whole can be very compactly assembled. In particular, the heat exchanger 1 having the Peltier element 13
If the power supply device 35 can be arranged near 0, the electric wire 37 for supplying a direct current from the power supply device 35 to the Peltier element 35 can be shortened, so that the power loss and the accompanying heat generation can be reduced. be able to.
Even if the heat dissipating fins 36 are taken out of the housing 30, the air around the fins 36 circulates naturally, so that even if the heat dissipating fins 36 are installed in a clean room, dust is not scattered.

The air 4 supplied to the power supply unit 35 through the cooler 21 is cooled to about 35 to 40 ° C.
It is desirable to determine the ability of Therefore, in this example, the cooler 21 has a shape that promotes extra-tube heat transfer, such as a high fin tube in which many fins are attached to a copper pipe, and uses a turbulent flow of air on the fin surface to improve the heat transfer effect. It uses an improved compact water-cooled cooler. And even when the inlet temperature of the cooler-21 of the air 4 sent by the blower fan 41 is about 45 ° C.,
A large amount of air is blown from the blower fan 9 to secure the exchanged heat. The condition of the facility water is about 20 to 23 ° C. at the inlet of the housing 30 and the inlet temperature of the cooler 21 is 26 to 23 ° C.
Since it is about 29 ° C., it is sufficiently possible to design such a cooler 21.

Since the heat generated by the circulating pump 15 is smaller than that of the power supply unit 35, the pump 15, especially its motor part, is isolated from the ventilation part through which the air 4 circulates, and the isolated part at the bottom of the housing 30 is separated. Alternatively, it is also possible to open a small hole for ventilation on the side or the like and cool naturally. The flow of air due to natural air cooling is weak in a semiconductor manufacturing environment such as in a clean room, so that it does not lead to scattering such as dust and is not a disadvantage at the time of installation. Also, since the pump portion is separated and naturally cooled, a thermal margin inside the housing 30 is generated.
Further, the heat exchanger 10 and the power supply device 35 can provide the compact heat medium supply device 1. In addition, since the temperature rise inside the housing can be suppressed to a level that does not affect the life and function of each component of the power supply device 35, the reliability and the stable performance can be obtained for a long period of time. Can be provided. In addition, when the heat medium supply device 1 is installed, the heat medium supply device 1 has an integral structure of the hermetically sealed housing 30, so that the heat medium supply device 1 can be installed in any location and is compact, so that the installation space is small. Further, since exhaust by forced ventilation does not flow out of the housing 30, it can be installed with confidence even in a place such as a clean room where the environment is strictly required.

Furthermore, even when a switching type power supply 35 is used to control the power of the Peltier element 13, the power supply 35, the wiring 37 and the heat exchanger 10
Are housed in the same housing 30, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of electromagnetic noise. And since these can be arranged collectively in a compact space, heat loss due to the cable 37 is reduced, and a power-saving and compact heat medium supply device can be provided.

[0027]

As described above, in the present invention, attention is paid to the wastewater for releasing the waste heat from the heat medium in the heat exchanger using the Peltier element, and the power supply device is cooled by the wastewater. I have. Therefore, even when air is forced to circulate in the housing, the air can be cooled by a cooler using drainage, and the temperature inside the housing rises with the power supply built into the housing without discharging hot air out of the housing. Can be suppressed. For this reason, a highly reliable heat medium supply device housed in a compact housing can be provided. Furthermore, since hot air or the like can be prevented from exiting the housing, a space-saving heat medium supply device that can be installed even in a severe place such as a clean room can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a heat medium supply device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the heat medium supply device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a system flow of the heat medium supply device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 heat medium supply device 2 heat medium 3 water (drain water, facility water) 4 circulating air 10 heat exchanger 11 plate heat exchange unit on heat medium side 12 plate heat exchange unit on water side 13 Peltier element 15 circulation pump 16 liquid Vessel 21 Cooler 30 Housing 35 Power supply device 36 Radiation fin 37 Cable 41 Blower fan 42 Guide

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Ryoji Kobayashi F-term (reference) 3L054 BF20 in Orion Machine Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a heat medium and water via a Peltier element to supply the temperature-controlled heat medium, a power supply device that supplies power to the Peltier element,
A cooling device for cooling the power supply device by drainage from the heat exchanger. 2. A heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a heat medium and water via a Peltier element and can supply the temperature-controlled heat medium, a power supply device that supplies power to the Peltier element,
A heat medium supply device having a housing for accommodating the heat exchanger and the power supply device, a blower fan for circulating air in the housing, and a cooling device for cooling the circulating air by drainage from the heat exchanger. 3. The heat medium supply device according to claim 2, wherein a circulation pump for the heat medium is housed in the housing. 4. The heat medium supply device according to claim 2, further comprising a radiating fin of the power supply device exposed outside the housing.