JP2001148961A - Water cooling device using peltier element and method for cooling water - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve problems of prior cooling device for water container using a Peltier element which has a poor cooling efficiency due to cooled water is warmed in passing through a conveying pump or the like, and it requires a large power and is expensive, big and heavy. SOLUTION: This water cooling device comprises a cooling member 12 soaked in water installed on one side of a Peltier element, a heat sink 13 for heat radiation installed on the other side of the element through an aluminum plate 14 for promoting heat radiation and a heat radiating fan 15 installed on the heat sink 13, and the device cools water W of a water tank for an aquatic animal or a water container 30 for a cooler or the like for a live bait.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cooling water stored in a so-called water container such as a water tank for aquatic organisms such as tropical fish and a cooler for live foods using a Peltier device. To be more specific, a Peltier element is used but a water pump is not used, and it exhibits a cooling function using not only a household power source but also a small power from a generator or a battery of a fishing boat or a car, a water tank for a tropical fish, a shrimp or a shrimp. The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cooling water in a cooler for storing live food such as decoy sweetfish.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Tropical fish, live bait for fishing, and the like rapidly weaken as the water temperature rises. Particularly expensive tropical fish can die due to rising water temperature in summer, which is a serious problem for lovers. For these reasons, there has been a demand for a small and lightweight cooling device or cooling device. But,
Conventional compressor-type cooling devices that use alternative CFCs are heavy, require large currents, generate large amounts of vibration and noise, and are practically used as cooling means for ornamental tropical fish tanks and live feed coolers that require portability. What can be provided for has not yet been embodied.

As an existing technology, there is an electronic cooling by a Peltier element utilizing a phenomenon in which heat is absorbed only by passing a current through two contacted conductors. Conventionally, when cooling water W in a water container 30 such as a water tank using this Peltier element, as shown in FIG. 40
The cooling is performed by circulating water W through the cooling water and returning the cooled water W to the water container 30 again. In addition, when used for a live food cooler, an air pump was also required.

However, in this prior art, the water W cooled by the Peltier element cooling unit 40 is cooled by the water pump 4.
Peltier cooling unit 4
There is a problem that the cooling effect due to 0 is reduced.
Further, since the water pump 41 is expensive and requires a large amount of electric power, there are also problems such as an increase in price, an increase in current, and an increase in size and weight.

[0005]

The problem to be solved is that in the conventional cooling device for the water container 30 using the Peltier element, the cooled water W is heated while passing through the water supply pump 41 and the like, so that cooling is performed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling device and a cooling method that can solve these problems in view of inefficiency, high cost, large power requirement, and large and heavy.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems A water cooling device 10 using a Peltier device according to the present invention is a device for cooling water W in a water container 30 such as a water tank for aquatic organisms or a cooler for live food, and the like. A cooling member 12 immersed in water is attached to one side of the heat sink 11, a heat dissipation heat sink 13 is attached to the other side via a heat dissipation promoting aluminum plate 14, and a heat dissipation fan 15 is attached to the heat dissipation heat sink 13.

In the water cooling method using a Peltier device according to the present invention, a cooling member 12 attached to one side of a Peltier device 11 is immersed in water W in a water container 30 such as an aquatic organism water tank or a live food cooler. The heat of the water W is absorbed, and the absorbed heat is absorbed by the heat dissipation promoting aluminum plate 14, the heat dissipation heat sink 13, and the heat dissipation fan 15 attached to the other surface of the Peltier element 11.
The heat is dissipated.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In order to efficiently cool water W stored in a water container 30 such as a water tank for aquatic organisms or a cooler for live feed, first, the contact area between the cooling member 12 and the water W must be reduced. It is important to increase the heat exchange efficiency by increasing the size, and secondly, it is important not to create a path that can be heated by external high-temperature air. To satisfy these points, the Peltier device 1
FIG. 2 shows a basic structure of a water cooling device 10 that can cool the water W without using a water pump and using a water feeder 1 attached to a side wall of a cooler for live food. Here, the heat radiation aluminum plate and the heat radiation fan 15 are omitted. Therefore, there remains a problem that the heat radiation effect is weak and the cooling effect is not sufficient.

FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of the water cooling device 10 according to the present invention. The water cooling device 10 includes a water container 30
Attached to the heat insulating material 21 provided at the upper end of the water container 30
A cooling member 12 immersed in water is attached to the lower surface of the Peltier element 11 and a heat sink 13 is provided on the upper surface of the Peltier element 11 through a heat-releasing aluminum plate 14.
And a radiating fan 15 is mounted on the upper surface of the radiating heat sink 13.

In a cooling device using the Peltier element 11, how to efficiently radiate heat on the heat generation side is a very important issue in order to obtain good cooling efficiency. Usually, only the heat radiation heat sink 13 having a plurality of fins is used, but actually, the heat radiation heat sink 13 alone does not have sufficient heat radiation efficiency.

In view of the above, the inventor repeatedly conducted experiments for improving the heat radiation effect, and came to provide the heat radiation fan 15. In order to further promote the heat radiation effect, a heat radiation promotion aluminum plate 14 having excellent thermal conductivity and a thickness of about 1 mm is provided between the Peltier element 11 and the heat radiation heat sink 13. It is thought that if the heat dissipation promoting aluminum plate 14 is interposed between the Peltier element 11 and the heat dissipation heat sink 13, the heat conduction between the two will be hindered and the heat dissipation effect of the heat dissipation heat sink 13 will be hindered. It was confirmed that the provision of the promotion aluminum plate 14 enhances the heat radiation effect.

The water cooling device 10 includes a cooling member 1
Although an aluminum bar is used as 2, a thin aluminum plate having a large area is preferable in consideration of only the efficiency of heat exchange with water W. However, the appropriate degree of cooling differs depending on whether the water W to be cooled is, for example, a water tank for tropical fish or a cooler for live food. Therefore, the shape and size of the cooling member 12 need to be appropriately selected such as a plate shape, a prism shape, or a combination thereof. In particular, the present invention
Since the heat radiating fan 15 and the heat radiation promoting aluminum plate 14 are provided in addition to the heat radiating heat sink 13, the cooling effect is excellent. Therefore, the shape of the cooling member 12 needs to be set to a shape that does not cause overcooling.

Regardless of the shape of the cooling member 12, the space between the Peltier element 11 and the cooling member 12 is sufficiently waterproofed, and then the cooling member 12 is installed in water and the water W , And cool directly. By such means, the water W can be cooled very efficiently without being taken out by a water pump.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the water cooling device 10 according to the present invention. This is a so-called input type mounted on the upper part of a water container 30 which is a water tank for aquatic organisms such as tropical fish. This water cooling device 10 uses a prismatic cooling member 12 and holds it with a support 16 made of a heat insulating material, so that only the cooling member 12 is submerged. The use of the prismatic cooling member 12 having a large heat capacity lowers the heat exchange efficiency and slightly lowers the cooling efficiency, but has a very simple structure and a wide range of applications including a tropical fish tank.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the water cooling device 10 according to the present invention. This is a cassette type in which all members except the cooling member 12 are housed in a decorative case 17 having a heat-insulating and waterproof, bottomed cylindrical shape. Here, a thin aluminum plate having high heat exchange efficiency is used for the cooling member 12, and the portions other than the uppermost heat radiation air inlet / outlet 18 are immersed in water. Since the setting of the heat-dissipating air inlet / outlet 18 is restricted to the highest point, it is difficult to obtain a sufficiently large heat-dissipating efficiency, and the cooling efficiency is slightly inferior. However, it is excellent in appearance and has a wide range of uses as well as the input type.

FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the water cooling device 10 according to the present invention. This is a so-called installation type which is fixed to a side wall of a water container 30 which is a water tank for aquatic organisms. This installation type is a limited-use type that cannot be moved or removed.
It cannot be used for anything other than itself. However, since a thin aluminum plate having a high heat exchange efficiency is used for the cooling member 12, the heat dissipation efficiency is excellent, and the cooling efficiency is the highest. This installation type can be reduced in size and weight and is most suitable for a live feed cooler that requires portability. In the present embodiment, the Peltier element 11 and the heat insulating material 21 provided on the side wall of the water container 10 are embedded.

Here, a cooler for storing live bait for fishing in which the effect of the presence or absence of the water cooling device 10 according to the present invention is clearly shown will be described. A conventional cooler for living baits is a portable small insulated box having heat insulating properties, and constantly supplies external air with an air pump to supply oxygen to live baits.

The cooler is initially filled with low-temperature water W and live food such as shrimp. The temperature of the water in the cooler rises due to high ambient temperature, and external high-temperature air is always supplied by an air pump. This accelerates the rise in water temperature. As a result, the live bait is weakened in a short time, the vitality of the live bait is lost, and the bite of the fish becomes worse. Especially in summer, the water W in the cooler rises to a considerably high temperature in a short time,
Live baits almost die within a day. There is a method to prevent the rise of water temperature temporarily, such as by adding ice, but the effect is only temporary, and the problem of rising water temperature cannot be solved fundamentally without a water cooling function.

Live foods weaken in a short time due to an increase in water temperature, but conversely, activities and metabolic functions are suppressed by a decrease in water temperature, and vitality is maintained for a long time. Recently, ice temperature storage technology has been developed that can store fresh fish, shrimp, etc. in water cooled to about 2 ° C to bring them to a state close to hibernation, and to keep them alive for a long time in a fresh state. I have. If the technology could be applied to a cooler for storing live bait for fishing, it would be possible to secure fresh live bait for a long period of time.

Such a new technique can be provided by attaching the water cooling device 10 according to the present invention to a live food cooler. Its embodiment (fifth embodiment)
Is shown in FIG. Here, a water-cooling device 10 of the present invention and a Peltier element 11 are attached to a live-feeder cooler having a capacity of 7 liters composed of a main body 31 and a lid 32.
The water W in the cooler can be cooled without being taken out to the outside. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the cooling efficiency is reduced due to the influence of the outside air temperature on the Peltier element 11 itself.

In the present embodiment, the cooling member 12
A corrosion-resistant aluminum plate having a large area of about 1 mm in thickness is used to set a large contact area with the aluminum plate. The cooling member 12 is attached to the Peltier element 11 at a position where the cooling member 12 is completely submerged, by an aluminum spacer 19 for thickness adjustment.
Directly mounted via For this reason, the cooling capacity of the Peltier element 11 is directly transmitted to the cooling member 12 via the spacer 19, and the improvement of the cooling efficiency is promoted. In addition,
By using the aluminum spacer 19, the Peltier element 11 can be fixed at an appropriate position without reducing the cooling efficiency.

In the cooler to which the water cooling device 10 is mounted, the water W in the cooler directly contacts the cooling member 12 made of an aluminum plate having a large area to perform heat exchange, so that a large amount of water W is cooled in a short time. Is done. The cooled water W is constantly stirred by the air supplied from the air supply port 20 sent from the air pump, so that the whole is uniformly cooled. Further, since the water W is cooled in the cooler without being taken out to the outside, the influence of the temperature rise due to the outside air temperature can be suppressed to a minimum, and the cooling can be performed very efficiently. Therefore, it is possible to exhibit a sufficient cooling function even with a small amount of electric power. Although the outside air is always supplied from the air pump, if the cooling capacity is sufficiently high as in the present embodiment, there is no hindrance to the cooling effect.

[0023]

EXAMPLE An experiment of water cooling at a standard amount of water was performed by injecting 3.5 liters of water W into this live food cooler. Table 1 shows the results. As is clear from the results of this experiment,
Water W reaches 0 in about 12 hours even when the air pump is driven.
Reach near ℃. Freezing starts when cooling is continued for 12 hours or more without temperature adjustment. This indicates that the water cooling device 10 of the present invention has a sufficient cooling capacity.

[0024]

[Table 1] Time dependence of water temperature drop Room temperature 25 ° C

Table 2 shows the preservation experiment of the shrimp, which is a typical live bait for fishing. As is clear from the experimental results, when only an air pump is used as in a normal live food cooler and no cooling is performed, the initial water temperature of 15 ° C. is 2 ° C.
After 4 hours, the temperature rises to about 22 ° C., which is about room temperature, and the survival rate becomes 10% or less. On the other hand, when the water cooling device 10 according to the present invention is used, the water temperature after 24 hours is kept at 2 ° C. As a result, the live bait can preserve its vitality while keeping it in a hibernating state, and the survival rate after 24 hours can be maintained at 90% or more. These experimental results show that the water cooling device 10 according to the present invention is extremely effective when attached to a cooler for live food.

[0026]

[Table 2] Comparison of live food survival rate after 24 hours Room temperature 25 ° C

[0027]

EFFECT OF THE INVENTION The water cooling device 10 and the method using the Peltier device according to the present invention can reduce the water W in the water container 30 by attaching it to a water container 30 such as a water tank for aquatic organisms such as tropical fish or a cooler for live food. Because it can be cooled effectively, the breeding environment of aquatic organisms can be maintained well,
In addition, live bait can be maintained for a long time without weakening.

In particular, in the present invention, the Peltier device 1
Since the heat absorbed by the heat sink 1 is dissipated by the heat dissipating fan 15 and the heat dissipating aluminum plate 14 in addition to the heat dissipating heat sink 13, the heat dissipating effect can be further enhanced and a high cooling effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a conventional example.

FIG. 2 is a schematic half sectional front view showing a state in which a basic structure serving as a base of the device of the present invention is attached to a cooler for live food.

FIG. 3 is a schematic partial front view showing a state where the first embodiment of the device of the present invention is attached to a water container.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a state where the second embodiment of the device of the present invention is attached to a water container which is a water tank for aquatic organisms.

FIG. 5 is a schematic front view showing a state where the third embodiment of the device of the present invention is attached to a water container which is a water tank for aquatic organisms.

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing a state where the fourth embodiment of the device of the present invention is attached to a water container which is a water tank for aquatic organisms.

FIG. 7 is a schematic half sectional front view showing a state where the fifth embodiment of the device of the present invention is attached to a live food cooler.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 water cooling device 11 peltier element 12 cooling member 13 radiator heat sink 14 radiator promoting aluminum plate 15 radiator fan 16 support 17 beauty case 18 air inlet / outlet 19 spacer 20 air supply port 21 heat insulator 30 water container 31 main body 32 lid 40 peltier Element cooling unit 41 Water pump W Water

Claims (2)

[Claims] An apparatus for cooling water (W) in a water container (30) such as an aquarium for aquatic organisms and a cooler for live food,
A cooling member (12) immersed in water is attached to one surface of the Peltier element (11), and a heat sink (13) is attached to the other surface via a heat dissipation aluminum plate (14). Radiation fan (1
5) A water cooling device using a Peltier element to which is attached. 2. A cooling member (12) attached to one side of a Peltier element (11) is immersed in water (W) in a water container (30) such as an aquatic organism water tank or a live food cooler. W), and absorbs the absorbed heat in the Peltier device (1).
A water cooling method using a Peltier element, wherein heat is radiated by a heat radiation promoting aluminum plate (14), a heat radiation heat sink (13), and a heat radiation fan (15) attached to the other surface of 1).