JP2005016783A - Cooling device, and method for cooling - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooling device, and a method for cooling, capable of realizing refrigerating functions and freezing functions both at satisfactory level by use of thermoelectric devices. <P>SOLUTION: This cooling device is a refrigerator-freezer provided with a refrigerating chamber 1 in which temperature is cooled to first temperature, a freezing chamber 2 in which temperature is cooled to second temperature that is lower than the first temperature, the thermoelectric device 3 to conduct heat exchange between the refrigerating chamber 1 and the outside part, and a thermoelectric device 4 to conduct heat exchange between the refrigerating chamber 1 and the freezing chamber 2. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to a cooling device using a thermoelectric device and a cooling method.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Refrigerators, which are widely used in households, adjust the temperature of each room by opening and closing the dampers in each room and opening the dampers in each room using a compressor to adjust the temperature of each room, thereby improving the freshness of various foods. It can be maintained for a long time or made ice.
[0003]
However, the conventional refrigerator-freezer using such a compressor requires many components such as a condenser, an evaporator, a compressor, piping connecting them, and a refrigerant to form a refrigeration cycle, and the compressor starts. Every time there was an unpleasant vibration sound.
[0004]
Therefore, recently, refrigerators using a thermoelectric device as a cooling device have been commercialized as seen in wine cellars and small refrigerators for hotels.
[0005]
However, it cannot be said that a conventional refrigerator using such a thermoelectric device has a sufficient freezing function.
[0006]
Therefore, a refrigerator-freezer provided with a small freezer using a number of thermoelectric devices in a refrigerator using a thermoelectric device has been invented (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-332381 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional refrigerator-freezer provided with the small freezer using many thermoelectric devices in the refrigerator using the thermoelectric device sometimes has a small refrigeration space because the freezing space becomes large.
[0009]
In such a conventional refrigerator-freezer, since the fan for exchanging heat with the outside of the thermoelectric device installed in the freezer is always operating, the food in the refrigerator may dry out. there were.
[0010]
That is, in such a conventional refrigerator-freezer, there is a problem that it is difficult to achieve both a satisfactory level of refrigeration function and freezing function using a thermoelectric device.
[0011]
In view of the above-described conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling device and a cooling method capable of realizing both a satisfactory refrigeration function and a refrigeration function using a thermoelectric device. And
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The first aspect of the present invention is a first room in which the internal temperature is cooled to the first temperature;
A second chamber in which the internal temperature is cooled to a second temperature lower than the first temperature;
A first thermoelectric device for exchanging heat between the first room and the outside;
It is a cooling device provided with the 2nd thermoelectric apparatus which performs heat exchange between said 1st room and said 2nd room.
[0013]
The second aspect of the present invention further includes a heat transfer plate provided between the first chamber and the first thermoelectric device,
The second thermoelectric device is the cooling device according to the first aspect of the present invention in contact with the heat transfer plate.
[0014]
The third aspect of the present invention is the cooling apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the thickness of the heat transfer plate is increased in the vicinity of a location where the second thermoelectric device contacts.
[0015]
The fourth aspect of the present invention is the cooling device according to the second aspect of the present invention, wherein a material of the heat transfer plate is aluminum or copper.
[0016]
The fifth aspect of the present invention is the cooling apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising a fan provided between the first thermoelectric device and the outside.
[0017]
The sixth aspect of the present invention is the cooling device according to the first aspect of the present invention, further comprising control means for controlling the first temperature and / or the second temperature.
[0018]
The seventh aspect of the present invention is a first thermoelectric step for exchanging heat between the first room in which the inside temperature is cooled to the first temperature and the outside,
A cooling method comprising a second thermoelectric step for exchanging heat between the first chamber and a second chamber in which the internal temperature is cooled to a second temperature lower than the first temperature. is there.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0020]
(Embodiment 1)
First, the configuration of the refrigerator-freezer of this embodiment will be described with reference mainly to FIG. 1 which is a side sectional view of the refrigerator-freezer of Embodiment 1 according to the present invention.
[0021]
The refrigerator-freezer of the present embodiment is composed of two upper and lower chambers, a refrigerator compartment 1 corresponding to the upper chamber and a freezer chamber 2 corresponding to the lower chamber.
[0022]
In the refrigerator-freezer of this embodiment, a thermoelectric device 4 for cooling the freezer compartment 2 is provided on a partition wall 8 corresponding to the upper and lower partition walls, and a thermoelectric device 3 is provided between the refrigerator compartment 1 corresponding to the upper chamber and an external wall surface. The lower chamber has a lower temperature than the upper chamber.
[0023]
Below, the more detailed structure of the refrigerator-freezer of this Embodiment is demonstrated.
[0024]
Doors 5 and 6 are provided at the entrance of each room.
[0025]
The refrigerator compartment 1 and the freezer compartment 2 are partitioned by a partition wall 8 corresponding to a partition wall having a heat insulating material, and a thermoelectric device 4 is installed so as to penetrate the partition wall.
[0026]
Here, the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric device 4 is installed in contact with the heat absorption plate 10, and the heat radiation side of the thermoelectric device 4 is connected to a heat absorption plate (heat absorption plate / heat radiation plate) 9 for the refrigerator compartment provided in the refrigerator compartment. It is installed to touch.
[0027]
Of course, when silicone grease or the like is applied between the heat absorbing plate 9 and the thermoelectric device 4 or between the heat absorbing plate 10 and the thermoelectric device 4 and screwed, the heat transfer loss can be reduced.
[0028]
The material of the heat absorbing plates 9 and 10 is made of aluminum or copper.
[0029]
The thickness of the heat absorbing plate 9 is increased on the surface in contact with the thermoelectric device 3 (and the thermoelectric device 4) in order to ensure higher thermal conductivity.
[0030]
The thermoelectric device 3 for cooling the refrigerator compartment 1 is installed on the wall surface with the outside.
[0031]
The heat absorption side of the thermoelectric device 3 is installed in contact with the heat absorption plate 9 in the refrigerator compartment 1, and the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric device 3 is directed to the outside of the refrigerator.
[0032]
For this reason, heat is efficiently radiated by the fan 11 provided on the heat radiation side of the thermoelectric device 3.
[0033]
Temperature detecting means (not shown) such as a thermistor is installed in each of the upper and lower chambers of the refrigerator compartment 1 corresponding to the upper chamber and the freezer chamber 2 corresponding to the lower chamber.
[0034]
Signals from these temperature detection means are input to a control device (not shown) for arbitrarily setting the temperatures of the upper and lower chambers of the refrigerator compartment 1 and the freezer compartment 2 and are subjected to signal processing, and then the control panel 12. Is used to control the thermoelectric devices 3 and 4 in the upper and lower chambers in accordance with the temperature setting from.
[0035]
The refrigerator compartment 1 corresponds to the first room of the present invention, the freezer compartment 2 corresponds to the second room of the present invention, the thermoelectric device 3 corresponds to the first thermoelectric device of the present invention, and the thermoelectric device. 4 corresponds to the second thermoelectric device of the present invention, and the refrigerator-freezer of the present embodiment corresponds to the cooling device of the present invention.
[0036]
The heat absorbing plate 9 corresponds to the heat transfer plate of the present invention.
[0037]
The fan 11 corresponds to the fan of the present invention.
[0038]
Next, the operation of the refrigerator-freezer according to the present embodiment will be described with reference mainly to FIG. 2 which is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between the maximum coefficient of performance and the temperature of the thermoelectric devices 3 and 4 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. To do.
[0039]
In addition, one Embodiment of the cooling method of this invention is described, describing operation | movement of the refrigerator-freezer of this Embodiment.
[0040]
FIG. 2 shows the relationship of the maximum coefficient of performance φmax of cooling with respect to the temperature of the thermoelectric devices 3 and 4 (where bismuth-tellurium-based thermoelectric semiconductors are used) in the case of a thermoelectric element having a figure of merit ZT = 1.
[0041]
If the internal temperature of the freezer compartment 2 is lowered to a freezing temperature of about −20 ° C. with a single thermoelectric device (Peltier device) for the freezer compartment 2 installed in the partition wall with the outside, Since the temperature is about 30 ° C., the temperature difference between the heat absorbing portion and the heat radiating portion in the thermoelectric device (corresponding to the junction temperature difference ΔTj) is 50K or more.
[0042]
At this time, the maximum coefficient of performance φmax (corresponding to COP) of the thermoelectric device is as low as about 0.5 (see FIG. 2).
[0043]
Then, in order to lower the refrigeration temperature to about −20 ° C., a large number of thermoelectric devices must be used or a large amount of current must flow.
[0044]
However, when a large number of thermoelectric devices are used, the refrigeration space becomes narrow because the freezing space becomes large.
[0045]
In addition, when a large amount of current is passed, Joule heat is generated, which makes it difficult to lower the temperature.
[0046]
In the present embodiment, the thermoelectric device 4 for the freezer compartment 2 is installed on a partition wall 8 that is a partition wall with the refrigerator compartment 1.
[0047]
And if the temperature of the refrigerator compartment 1 is set to 5 degrees C or less, since the outside temperature is about 30 degrees C, it is equivalent to the temperature difference (it is equivalent to junction temperature difference (DELTA) Tj) of the heat absorption part of each thermoelectric device 3 and 4 and a thermal radiation part. ) Is about 25K.
[0048]
At this time, the maximum coefficient of performance φmax of the thermoelectric devices 3 and 4 is considerably high at 1.5 or more (see FIG. 2).
[0049]
Then, it is not necessary to use a large number of thermoelectric devices or to flow a large amount of current in order to lower the temperature to about -20 ° C.
[0050]
In the present embodiment, in order to efficiently dissipate the heat on the freezer compartment 2 side, the heat dissipating side of the thermoelectric device 4 is installed so as to be directly connected to the heat absorbing plate 9 of the refrigerator compartment 1.
[0051]
Further, the heat absorbing plate 9 also has a slightly thicker surface in contact with the thermoelectric device 3 to improve heat conduction.
[0052]
If the heat-radiating side of the thermoelectric device 4 is not directly connected to the heat-absorbing plate 9 of the refrigerating chamber 1 and the heat is radiated to the outside of the refrigerator or the refrigerating chamber 1 with a fan, the food in the refrigerating chamber 1 is adversely affected due to the fan air blow It will be.
[0053]
More specifically, the surface of food that is not in a bag or food that is not wrapped may be dried by receiving air from the fan as described above.
[0054]
In the present embodiment, since the heat radiating portion of the thermoelectric device 4 is directly connected to the heat absorbing plate 9, heat is quickly transferred to the thermoelectric device 3, heat is radiated to the outside, and the food in the refrigerator compartment 1. Almost no such adverse effect.
[0055]
Thus, since the refrigerator-freezer of this Embodiment uses the two thermoelectric apparatuses 3 and 4 with the maximum coefficient of performance each exceeding 1.5, it can control to desired temperature with a comparatively low electric current. .
[0056]
In particular, since the heat radiating part of the thermoelectric device 4 used in the freezer compartment 2 is directly connected to the heat absorbing plate 9 of the refrigerator compartment 1, heat can be radiated efficiently and the refrigerating capacity is remarkably improved.
[0057]
In addition, since no fan is used for heat radiation to the refrigerator compartment 1, the influence on the food can be minimized.
[0058]
In addition, since the temperature can be lowered to the freezing temperature, the frozen food can be stored using the thermoelectric device 4.
[0059]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the advantage that a satisfactory refrigeration function and refrigeration function can be realized using a thermoelectric device.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a refrigerator-freezer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the relationship between the maximum coefficient of performance and temperature of the thermoelectric devices 3 and 4 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Refrigerating room 2 Freezing room 3 Thermoelectric device 4 Thermoelectric device 5 Door 6 Door 7 Heat insulation wall 8 Partition wall 9 Heat absorption plate (heat absorption plate and heat dissipation plate)
10 Endothermic plate 11 Fan 12 Control panel

Claims (7)

A first room in which the internal temperature is cooled to the first temperature;
A second chamber in which the internal temperature is cooled to a second temperature lower than the first temperature;
A first thermoelectric device for exchanging heat between the first room and the outside;
A cooling device comprising a second thermoelectric device for exchanging heat between the first room and the second room. A heat transfer plate provided between the first chamber and the first thermoelectric device;
The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the second thermoelectric device is in contact with the heat transfer plate. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein the thickness of the heat transfer plate is increased in the vicinity of a location where the second thermoelectric device is in contact. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein a material of the heat transfer plate is aluminum or copper. The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising a fan provided between the first thermoelectric device and the outside. The cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling the first temperature and / or the second temperature. A first thermoelectric step for exchanging heat between the first room where the internal temperature is cooled to the first temperature and the outside;
A cooling method comprising: a second thermoelectric step for exchanging heat between the first chamber and a second chamber whose interior temperature is cooled to a second temperature lower than the first temperature.

Images