JP2005164089A - Refrigerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerator having reduced size and weight and reduced power consumption. <P>SOLUTION: The refrigerator comprises a first cooling mechanism 10 for cooling the insides of a quickly freezing chamber 2 and a freezing chamber 3 and a second cooling mechanism 20 for cooling the inside of a refrigerating room 4 and the heat release side of the first cooling mechanism 10. The first cooling mechanism 10 has a vacuum diode type electronic heat pump device. Thus, it has greatly smaller size and lighter weight than a vapor compression type refrigerating cycle and greatly less power consumption than a Peltier element cooling mechanism. As a result, the refrigerator has reduced size and weight and reduced power consumption. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a refrigerator provided with a cooling mechanism for rapidly freezing the contents of a freezer compartment, for example.

  In recent years, consumer demand for refrigerators is increasing, refrigerators that can be frozen more quickly, refrigerators that consume less power due to increased global environmental awareness, and have less carbon dioxide emission effects, or ozone depletion effects There is a need for non-Freon refrigerators with less.

  As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the conventional refrigerator separates the conventional cooling mechanism into two in order to rapidly freeze, and controls the cooling mechanism dedicated to freezing independently. In addition, the required quick freezing was realized without affecting the cooling effect on other contents such as a refrigerator (see JP 2002-162143 A).

  More specifically, the refrigerator shown in FIG. 10 includes a first cooling mechanism 1096 that rapidly freezes the freezer compartment 1093, a second cooling mechanism 1097 that cools the refrigerator compartment 1094, the vegetable compartment 1095, and the freezer compartment 1093. Is provided.

  That is, the first cooling mechanism 1096 is operated only during rapid cooling and is stopped during normal cooling. During the normal cooling, the second cooling mechanism 1097 is used for cooling.

  The first cooling mechanism 1096 and the second cooling mechanism 1097 have a refrigeration cycle using vapor compression / expansion of a refrigerant having a compressor, an evaporator, a condenser, and expansion means.

  On the other hand, the refrigerator shown in FIG. 11 is different from the refrigerator shown in FIG. 10 in the first cooling mechanism, and the first cooling mechanism 1102 of the refrigerator shown in FIG. 11 is a Peltier element.

  Here, as an electronic heat pump apparatus having the same function as the Peltier element, a vacuum diode type apparatus having a structure different from that of the Peltier element not using the Peltier effect has been proposed (International Patent Publication No. WO99 / 13562). Patent Document 2).

  More specifically, in this conventional vacuum diode type electronic heat pump device, as shown in FIG. 12, an emitter electrode 1111 and a collector electrode 1112 are arranged to face each other so as to form a vacuum gap 1113. The distance between the emitter electrode 1111 and the collector electrode 1112 adjusts the voltage applied to the piezo element 1114 by feedback control while monitoring the capacitance, and the electrons emitted from the emitter electrode 1111 are supplied to the collector electrode 1112. By applying a voltage so as to move, it functions as an electronic heat pump device that applies a thermoelectron emission phenomenon that transports heat taken from the heat absorption unit 1115 to the heat dissipation unit 1116.

  However, the conventional refrigerator has the following problems.

  In the refrigerator of FIG. 10, since the first cooling mechanism 1096 is a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, there is a problem that the internal capacity of the freezer is reduced because the size and weight of the compressor portion are large. Furthermore, there is a problem that an extra refrigerant is required than usual. Further, in the second cooling mechanism 1097, the evaporator 1101a for the refrigerator compartment and the vegetable room and the evaporator 1101b for the freezer compartment need to be set to different cooling temperatures. There was a problem that control became difficult.

  In the refrigerator of FIG. 11, the first cooling mechanism 1102 is a Peltier element, so the cooling efficiency of the Peltier element is low, and it is sufficient if energy several times the heat absorption necessary for cooling is not input. The cooling performance could not be obtained.

  This is because the structure of the Peltier element is such that the first metal electrode 1121a, the p-type semiconductor 1106, the second metal electrode 1121b, the n-type semiconductor 1107, and the third metal electrode 1121c are electrically connected in order, as shown in FIG. Are connected in series, and when a voltage is applied from the outside so that electrons move from the p-type semiconductor 1106 to the n-type semiconductor 1107, the first metal electrode 1121a to the p-type semiconductor 1106, and In addition, heat is generated at the junction surface where electrons move from the n-type semiconductor 1107 to the third metal electrode 1121c, and conversely, the second metal electrode 1121b and the second metal are transferred from the p-type semiconductor 1106 to the third metal electrode 1121c. At the junction surface where electrons move from the electrode 1121b to the n-type semiconductor 1107, heat is absorbed, and the p-type semiconductor 1106 and the n-type semiconductor are 107 is an element that applies the Peltier effect in which a temperature difference is generated at both ends, but there is a heat flow indicated by arrows 1122 due to heat conduction inside the p-type semiconductor 1106 and the n-type semiconductor 1107, so that the cooling efficiency There is a problem that power consumption is low.

  The Peltier element uses tellurium, which is a harmful substance, and there is a risk of adversely affecting the environment if handled incorrectly.

  On the other hand, in the electronic heat pump apparatus shown in FIG. 12, the electrons emitted from the emitter electrode 1111 move to the collector electrode 1112 with heat, as shown in FIG. The heat transfer from the electrode 1112 to the emitter electrode 1111 is blocked by the vacuum gap 1113, so that the one-way flow of the heat flow indicated by the arrow 1123 can be realized, the cooling efficiency is high, and the power consumption is reduced.

However, in this electronic heat pump apparatus, in order to maintain the vacuum gap 1123 at 10 nm or less, a capacitance controller 1117 for feedback control of the gap amount is required in the piezo element 1114 shown in FIG. When the apparatus becomes large and used for cooling a refrigerator that requires a large cooling capacity, there is a problem that it is not suitable for downsizing and weight reduction.
JP 2002-162143 A International Patent Publication WO99 / 13562

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerator that achieves miniaturization, weight reduction, and low power consumption.

In order to solve the above problems, the refrigerator of the present invention is
At least one freezer and refrigerator compartment;
A first cooling mechanism for cooling the inside of the freezer compartment;
A second cooling mechanism that cools the inside of the refrigerator compartment and the heat radiation side of the first cooling mechanism,
At least one of the first cooling mechanism and the second cooling mechanism includes a vacuum diode type electronic heat pump device in which a cooling side and a heat radiation side are thermally separated.

  According to the refrigerator of the present invention, since at least one of the first cooling mechanism and the second cooling mechanism has the vacuum diode type electronic heat pump device, the refrigeration utilizing the vapor compression expansion of the refrigerant. The electronic heat pump mechanism does not use a cycle and does not apply the Peltier effect.

  Thus, in the refrigerator of the present invention, the size and weight can be significantly reduced as compared with the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, and the power consumption can be significantly reduced as compared with the cooling mechanism of the Peltier element, thereby reducing the size. And power consumption can be reduced.

  Further, the first cooling mechanism cools the inside of the freezer compartment, and the second cooling mechanism cools the inside of the refrigerator compartment and the heat radiation side of the first cooling mechanism. In the second cooling mechanism, the inside of the refrigerator compartment and the heat radiation side of the first cooling mechanism can be cooled at the same temperature, the second cooling mechanism can be easily controlled, and the second cooling mechanism can be controlled. The power consumption of the cooling mechanism can be reduced.

  Of course, the freezing room can be rapidly frozen without lowering the cooling capacity of the other refrigerating room or the like. In addition, the amount of refrigerant used and the amount of harmful substances used as the material of the Peltier element do not increase as compared with the conventional products, so the environment is taken into consideration.

  Moreover, in the refrigerator of one embodiment, a thermally insulating spacer for thermally separating the cooling side and the heat dissipation side between the cooling side and the heat dissipation side in the electronic heat pump device. Department exists.

  According to the refrigerator of this embodiment, since the cooling side and the heat dissipation side are thermally separated by the spacer portion between the cooling side and the heat dissipation side, the conventional vacuum gap diode structure In the electronic heat pump device, a piezoelectric element, a capacitance controller, a piezo feedback circuit, etc. disposed outside the emitter and the collector are not required for thermally separating the emitter and the collector, and the size and weight are reduced. Can be achieved.

Moreover, in the refrigerator of one embodiment, the electronic heat pump device is
An emitter-side external electrode,
A semiconductor substrate having one surface connected to the emitter-side external electrode portion so that electricity and heat can be conducted, and an emitter having an emitter electrode provided on the other surface of the semiconductor substrate;
A collector-side external electrode,
The collector-side external electrode portion includes a semiconductor substrate having one surface connected so that electricity and heat can be conducted, and a collector having a collector electrode provided on the other surface of the semiconductor substrate,
The emitter and the collector are arranged to face the emitter electrode and the collector electrode with a gap therebetween,
In addition, at least one of the semiconductor substrate of the emitter and the semiconductor substrate of the collector has a constant gap between the emitter electrode and the collector electrode and is electrically and thermally insulating. The spacer part is integrally formed,
Further, it is disposed between the emitter-side external electrode portion and the collector-side external electrode portion to keep the distance between the emitter-side external electrode portion and the collector-side external electrode portion constant and to be electrically and thermally insulated. Sex spacing member,
A sealing member for maintaining a vacuum between the emitter-side external electrode portion and the collector-side external electrode portion.

Here, the emitter-side external electrode portion and the collector-side external electrode portion are electrically and thermally conductive. For example, an n-type Si substrate (wafer) is used as the semiconductor substrate of the emitter and the semiconductor substrate of the collector. As the spacing member, for example, an insulating washer, a resin bolt, or the like is used. As the sealing member, for example, glass having a low melting point is used which is electrically and thermally insulating. The emitter electrode is formed, for example, by forming a thin conductive conductive material on the surface of the semiconductor substrate of the emitter. The collector electrode is formed, for example, by forming a conductive material in a thin film on the surface of the semiconductor substrate of the collector. The gap filters high-energy electrons moving from the emitter side to the collector side in a vacuum state. The spacer part is integrally formed on the semiconductor substrate. For example, when the semiconductor substrate is a Si substrate, a SiO ₂ film is formed on the surface of the substrate by, for example, thermal oxidation, and the SiO ₂ film is formed. The spacer portion is formed by etching the _two films.

  According to the refrigerator of this embodiment, at least one of the semiconductor substrate of the emitter and the semiconductor substrate of the collector has an electrically and thermally insulating spacer portion that keeps the gap constant. Are integrally formed, the vacuum gap can be secured at a predetermined interval while preventing the back flow of heat with a simple configuration with a reduced number of parts. Specifically, in a conventional electronic heat pump device with a vacuum gap diode structure, a piezoelectric element, a capacitance controller, a piezoelectric feedback circuit, etc., which were necessary as means for maintaining the vacuum gap between the emitter and the collector at a predetermined interval, etc. Is eliminated, the number of parts can be reduced, and the size, weight and cost can be reduced.

  Moreover, in the refrigerator of one Embodiment, the said emitter side external electrode part and the said collector side external electrode part each have a hollow part.

  Here, the said container body is a stem which consists of Cu or Cu alloy, for example.

  According to the refrigerator of this embodiment, since the emitter and the collector having the spacer portion are sandwiched between the hollow portions of both the stems, both of the above are affected by the stress of atmospheric pressure. Therefore, it is possible to realize an electronic heat pump apparatus having a structure in which deformation and destruction due to pressure deflection do not occur because only the outermost portion of the stem is applied and stress is not directly applied to the emitter and the collector.

  Moreover, in the refrigerator of one Embodiment, the said emitter side external electrode part and the said collector side external electrode part are each a solid board | substrate.

  Here, the substrate is made of a material such as tungsten, tungsten carbide, copper, or silicon.

  According to the refrigerator of this embodiment, since the emitter-side external electrode portion and the collector-side external electrode portion are solid substrates, the electronic heat pump device can be made thin and small, and the refrigerator can be further miniaturized. Can be achieved.

  Moreover, in the refrigerator of one Embodiment, the said emitter side external electrode part and the said collector side external electrode part are respectively substantially rectangular parallelepiped shapes.

  According to the refrigerator of this embodiment, the electronic heat pump device can be formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped chip shape, and can be easily incorporated into a new or existing refrigerator, for example.

  Moreover, in the refrigerator of one Embodiment, the said 1st cooling mechanism has the said electronic heat pump apparatus, and the said 2nd cooling mechanism has a refrigerating cycle using the vapor | steam compression-expansion of a refrigerant | coolant.

  According to the refrigerator of this embodiment, the cooling mechanism by the vapor compression refrigeration cycle is integrated into one, and the use of an environmentally friendly electronic heat pump device as a cooling mechanism for the freezer compartment reduces the amount of refrigerant and harmful substances used. The freezer capacity can be increased, and further weight reduction and low power consumption can be realized. In addition, since the low-cost vapor compression refrigeration cycle suitable for large-capacity cooling mainly cools the entire refrigerator, the number of electronic heat pump devices mounted can be reduced.

  In the refrigerator of one embodiment, the first cooling mechanism and the second cooling mechanism each have the electronic heat pump device.

  According to the refrigerator of this embodiment, high safety and quietness can be realized because no refrigerant that affects the global environment that has an ozone depleting effect or a flammable refrigerant is used.

  In the refrigerator of one embodiment, there are a plurality of the electronic heat pump devices, and the plurality of electronic heat pump devices are electrically connected and modularized.

  According to the refrigerator of this embodiment, a large-capacity freezer or refrigerator can be quickly cooled.

  Moreover, in the refrigerator of one Embodiment, the said sealing member contacts the said emitter side external electrode part and the said collector side external electrode part, and is electrically and thermally insulating. The sealing member may be a single member that seals the emitter-side external electrode part and the collector-side external electrode part, or the emitter-side external electrode part and the spacing member It may be a separate body of a portion that seals the gap and a portion that seals between the collector-side external electrode portion and the spacing member.

  Moreover, in the refrigerator of one Embodiment, the work function of the said emitter electrode is substantially equal to the work function of the said collector electrode, or is lower than the work function of the said collector electrode.

  Here, the “work function” generally refers to a case where some energy (for example, heat or electric field application) is given to a material, and electrons are extracted from the material surface beyond an external energy barrier (for example, vacuum). Is a physical property value indicating the electron emission ability of the material, and the lower the work function, the larger the electron emission amount.

  The emitter electrode and the collector electrode are made of a conductive composite material. For example, the surface of an Ag, Ti, Au thin film is covered with cesium oxide.

  According to the refrigerator of this embodiment, when the work function of the emitter electrode is substantially equal to the work function of the collector electrode, an electronic heat pump that can reverse the direction of heat transfer by reversing the direction of current supply A device can be realized. On the other hand, when the work function of the emitter electrode is lower than the work function of the collector electrode, the voltage applied from the outside can be kept low, resulting in a reduction in power consumption. Furthermore, there is a temperature difference between both electrodes. When this occurs, the amount of thermionic emission due to the heating on the collector side can be reduced, the voltage applied from the outside can be kept low, and the power consumption can be reduced.

  According to the refrigerator of the present invention, since at least one of the first cooling mechanism and the second cooling mechanism has the vacuum diode type electronic heat pump device, it is significantly more than the vapor compression refrigeration cycle. The size and weight can be reduced, the power consumption can be greatly reduced as compared with the cooling mechanism of the Peltier element, and the size and power consumption can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1: has shown the schematic block diagram which is one Embodiment of the refrigerator of this invention.

  The refrigerator includes a rapid freezing chamber 2, a freezing chamber 3, a refrigerated chamber 4, a vegetable chamber 5, a first cooling mechanism 10 that cools the rapid freezing chamber 2 and the inside of the freezing chamber 3, The inside of the said refrigerator compartment 4 and the 2nd cooling mechanism 20 which cools the thermal radiation side of the said 1st cooling mechanism 10 are provided.

  The first cooling mechanism 10 includes a first electronic heat pump module 11 that cools the rapid freezing room 2 and a second electronic heat pump module 12 that cools the freezing room 3.

  The second cooling mechanism 20 is a refrigeration cycle using vapor compression / expansion of refrigerant, and includes a compressor 24, a condenser 25, a capillary tube 26 as an expansion mechanism, and an evaporator group 23. The pipes are connected in a circular pattern in order.

  Here, the refrigeration cycle will be described. The refrigerant sealed inside is compressed to a high temperature and a high pressure by the compressor 24, dissipated heat by the condenser 25, expanded under reduced pressure by the capillary tube 26, and evaporated. The container group 23 absorbs heat and evaporates, and is again sucked into the compressor 24 to constitute a vapor compression refrigeration cycle.

  The evaporator group 23 includes a first evaporator 21 that cools the heat radiation side of the first cooling mechanism 10 (the first electronic heat pump module 11 and the second electronic heat pump module 12), and the refrigerator compartment. 4 and a second evaporator 22 that cools the inside of the vegetable compartment 5, and the first evaporator 21 and the second evaporator 22 are connected in parallel.

  The first cooling mechanism 10 is disposed on the rear rear side of the freezing chambers 2 and 3, and the cooling (endothermic) side of the first cooling mechanism 10 is on the freezing chamber 2 and 3 side (front side). The heat dissipation (heating) side of the first cooling mechanism 10 is directed to the side opposite to the freezer compartments 2 and 3 (the rear rear side).

  The second cooling mechanism 20 is disposed behind the freezer compartments 2 and 3, the refrigerator compartment 4, the vegetable compartment 5, and the first cooling mechanism 10. The first evaporator 21 is thermally connected to the heat radiating side of the first cooling mechanism 10 through a heat spreader 8 that is a conductor having good thermal conductivity.

  According to the refrigerator having the above configuration, the first cooling mechanism 10 cools the insides of the freezer compartments 2 and 3, and the second cooling mechanism 20 includes the inside of the refrigerator compartment 4 and the first In the second cooling mechanism 20, the inside of the refrigerating chamber 4 and the heat dissipation side of the first cooling mechanism 10 can be cooled at the same temperature. The second cooling mechanism 20 can be easily controlled, and the power consumption of the second cooling mechanism 20 can be reduced.

  Specifically, it is not necessary to lower the temperature of the first evaporator 21 to −20 ° C. for freezing, and it is sufficient to lower it to about −5 ° C. equivalent to the second evaporator 22. Therefore, the amount of pressure reduction in the capillary tube 26 can be reduced, the energy efficiency of the compressor 24 can be improved by about 50%, and the power consumption can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first electronic heat pump module 11 includes, for example, a box-shaped insulating heat insulating material 146 mainly composed of SiO ₂ and a plurality of vacuum diode-type electrons embedded in the insulating heat insulating material 146. A heat pump device 100. The plurality of electronic heat pump devices 100 are electrically connected in series. The plurality of electronic heat pump devices 100 may be connected in parallel or in series-parallel mixed mounting.

  Although not shown, the second electronic heat pump module 12 includes the insulating heat insulating material 146 and a plurality of the electronic heat pump devices embedded in the insulating heat insulating material 146 in the same manner as the first electronic heat pump module 11. 100.

  As described above, since the plurality of electronic heat pump devices 100 are modularized, a large-capacity freezer or refrigerator can be rapidly cooled.

  Specifically, when the capacity of the freezer compartments 2 and 3 is 150 liters, the electronic heat pump device 100 has a disk shape with a diameter of 11.5 mm and a thickness of 2.3 mmt, and the first electronic heat pump The module 11 has an outer dimension of 50 mm × 40 mm × 3.3 mmt, and the second electronic heat pump module 12 has an outer dimension of 60 mm × 60 mm × 3.3 mmt.

  The weight of the two modules 11 and 12 is only about 100 g, and the two modules 11 and 12 are smaller in weight and volume by several tenths than the conventional compressor. It is becoming lighter and lighter.

  The electronic heat pump device 100 has a structure in which the cooling side and the heat dissipation side are thermally separated, and does not use the refrigeration cycle and does not apply the Peltier effect. Further, between the cooling side and the heat radiation side in the electronic heat pump device 100, there is a thermally insulating spacer portion for thermally separating the cooling side and the heat radiation side. The conventional vacuum gap diode structure electronic heat pump device eliminates the need for a piezo element, a capacitance controller, a piezo feedback circuit, etc. that are arranged outside the emitter and collector to thermally separate the emitter and collector. Become.

  More specifically, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 3, the longitudinal cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, and the enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 5, the electronic heat pump device 100 has an electrically and thermally conductive emitter-side external electrode portion. 103, an emitter 101 that is connected to the emitter-side external electrode portion 103 so that electricity and heat can be conducted and emits electrons, an electrically and thermally conductive collector-side external electrode portion 104, and The collector 102 is connected to the collector-side external electrode 104 so that electricity and heat can be conducted and receives electrons, and is disposed between the emitter-side external electrode 103 and the collector-side external electrode 104, and The distance between the emitter-side external electrode portion 103 and the collector-side external electrode portion 104 is kept constant, and the electrically and thermally insulating spacing member 106 is And a sealing member 107 to maintain the vacuum between the emitter-side external electrode 103 and the collector-side external electrode 104.

  The emitter-side external electrode portion 103 and the collector-side external electrode portion 104 are stems each having a hollow portion. Hereinafter, the emitter-side external electrode portion 103 is referred to as an emitter-side stem 103, and the collector-side external electrode portion. 104 is referred to as a collector-side stem 104.

  The emitter 101 and the collector 102 are arranged to face each other, and a gap (vacuum gap) G is provided between the emitter 101 and the collector 102. The emitter side stem 103 and the collector side stem 104 are connected to a power source 108.

  The operation of the electronic heat pump apparatus 100 will be described. By supplying a current from the power source 108 to the emitter-side stem 103 and the collector-side stem 104, a voltage is applied to the emitter 101 and the collector 102 to supply electrons. The The emitter 101 side (emitter side stem 103) is a cooling (heat absorption) side, and the collector 102 side (collector side stem 104) is a heat dissipation (heating) side.

  The emitter 101 has a semiconductor substrate 110 whose one surface is joined to the emitter-side stem 103 so that electricity and heat can be conducted, and an emitter electrode 111 provided on the entire other surface of the semiconductor substrate 110. .

  The collector 102 includes a semiconductor substrate 120 whose one surface is joined to the collector-side stem 104 so that electricity and heat can be conducted, and a collector provided entirely excluding a part of the other surface of the semiconductor substrate 120. An electrode 121.

  The emitter 101 and the collector 102 are arranged so that the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121 face each other with the gap G therebetween.

  On the semiconductor substrate 120 of the collector 102, the gap G between the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121 is kept constant, and an electrically and thermally insulating spacer portion 105 is integrally formed. Yes.

  In short, the plurality of spacer portions 105 are formed integrally with the semiconductor substrate 120 of the collector 102 and are in contact with the emitter electrode 111, and the plurality of spacer portions 105 are spaced apart from each other with the collector 102. The semiconductor substrate 120 is substantially uniformly distributed and aligned, and the gap G between the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121 is kept constant. The size of the gap G is determined.

Specifically, as the semiconductor substrate 110 and 120, for example, in the case of using the n-type Si substrate (wafer) is subjected to thermal oxidation to form an SiO ₂ film on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 120, the SiO ₂ The spacer portion 105 is formed by etching the film.

  The value of the maximum height roughness Rz on the surface of the emitter electrode 111 and the surface of the collector electrode 121 is ½ or less of the minimum value of the distance between the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121, preferably ¼. It is as follows.

  Thus, since the value of the maximum height roughness Rz is not more than ½ of the minimum value of the distance between the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121, the surfaces of both the electrodes 111 and 121 are smoothed. Thus, problems caused by roughness due to the unevenness of the surfaces of both the electrodes 111 and 121 are reduced.

  For example, the short-circuit failure due to the contact of both the electrodes 111 and 121 at the opposing surfaces of the convex portions on the surface is reduced, the amount of electron emission is reduced and the cooling amount is reduced by the widening of the interval (vacuum gap) at the opposing surfaces of the concave portions. Reduce decrease.

  That is, when the value of the maximum height roughness Rz exceeds 1/2 of the minimum value of the distance, electrons from the emitter 101 are caused by the widening of the distance (vacuum gap) due to the confrontation and warpage of the concave portions on the surface. While the discharge amount decreases and the cooling amount decreases, there is a possibility that both of the electrodes 111 and 121 are brought into contact with each other due to the opposing protrusions on the surface to cause a short circuit failure.

  The emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121 are any one of a single metal, a metal alloy, a compound of a metal and a nonmetal, a semiconductor material, and an impurity-doped semiconductor material. The surface smoothness and the electron emission from the emitter 101 can be effectively realized.

  At least the emitter electrode 111 of the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121 includes cesium (Cs), carbon (C), titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), chromium (Cr), vanadium. (V), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), silicon (Si), tantalum (Ta), zirconium (Zr), silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al) It consists of the material containing at least one of these.

  In this way, at least the emitter electrode 111 is made of a material having a low work function, so that electron emission from the emitter 101 side can be increased, the amount of voltage applied can be reduced, and power consumption can be reduced.

  The work function of the emitter electrode 111 is substantially equal to or lower than the work function of the collector electrode 121.

  Thus, when the work function of the emitter electrode 111 is substantially equal to the work function of the collector electrode 121, an electronic heat pump device that can reverse the direction of heat transfer can be realized by reversing the current supply direction. . On the other hand, when the work function of the emitter electrode 111 is lower than the work function of the collector electrode 121, when a temperature difference occurs between both the electrodes 111 and 121, the amount of thermionic emission due to heating on the collector side can be reduced. In addition, the amount of voltage applied can be reduced, and the power consumption can be reduced.

  The emitter-side stem 103 and the collector-side stem 104 have hollow portions 130 and 140, respectively, and the gap G between the hollow portions 130 and 140 and the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121. Is a vacuum, and both the hollow portions 130 and 140 and the gap G have the same degree of vacuum through the vent holes 132a and 142a provided in the emitter-side stem 103 and the collector-side stem 104. is there.

  Specifically, the emitter-side stem 103 includes a copper container 131 and a copper flat plate 132 that covers the container 131 and is provided with the vent holes 132a. The hollow portion 130 is formed in a space surrounded by the container body 131 and the flat plate 132, and the hollow portion 130 communicates with the outside of the emitter-side stem 103 via the vent hole 132a. .

  Similarly, the collector-side stem 104 includes a copper container body 141 and a copper flat plate 142 that covers the container body 141 and is provided with the vent holes 142a. The hollow portion 140 is formed, and the hollow portion 140 and the outside of the collector-side stem 104 communicate with each other through the vent hole 142a.

  The emitter 101 and the collector 102 are sandwiched between the flat plate 132 of the emitter side stem 103 and the flat plate 142 of the collector side stem 104.

  Thus, since the emitter 101 and the collector 102 are sandwiched between the hollow portions 130 and 140 of both the stems 103 and 104, it is the both stems 103 and 104 that are affected by the stress of atmospheric pressure. Only the outermost part (the container bodies 131 and 141), and no stress is directly applied to the emitter 101 and the collector 102, so that deformation and destruction due to pressure deflection do not occur.

  Since the emitter-side stem 103 and the collector-side stem 104 are each made of Cu or a Cu alloy, the heat generated in the emitter 101 and the collector 102 can be effectively and efficiently transferred to an external heat conducting portion. Can tell.

The spacing member 106 is interposed between the flat plate 132 of the emitter side stem 103 and the flat plate 142 of the collector side stem 104. The spacing member 106 is a material mainly composed of SiO ₂ and has a thermal expansion coefficient equal to or less than that of the emitter 101 and the collector 102.

  Thus, in the manufacture of the electronic heat pump device 100, the spacing member 106 is applied to the spacer portion 105 by external stress such as vibration and inclination in the emitter 101, the collector 102, and both the stems 103 and 104. In order to prevent steep and fatal fracture stress from being applied, both the stems 103 and 104 are maintained at a constant interval and the stress is dispersed. In the vacuum sealing operation, the sealing member 107 is The emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121 are protected from reaching the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121.

  The sealing member 107 is in contact with the outer periphery of the emitter-side stem 103 and the outer periphery of the collector-side stem 104, and is electrically and thermally insulating. Specifically, the sealing member 107 is interposed between the flat plate 132 of the emitter-side stem 103 and the flat plate 142 of the collector-side stem 104, and outside the flat plate 132 of the emitter-side stem 103. The peripheral edge and the outer peripheral edge of the flat plate 142 of the collector side stem 104 are covered. As the sealing member 107, for example, low melting point glass is used.

  According to the electronic heat pump apparatus 100 having the above configuration, the gap G (vacuum gap) is provided between the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121. Therefore, the electronic heat pump apparatus 100 can be formed into a vacuum gap diode structure, Therefore, power consumption can be reduced as compared with the Peltier element.

  In addition, the semiconductor substrate 120 of the collector 102 is integrally formed with the spacer portion 105 that keeps the gap G constant and is electrically and thermally insulative. A vacuum gap can be secured at a predetermined interval while preventing backflow. Specifically, in a conventional electronic heat pump device with a vacuum gap diode structure, a piezoelectric element, a capacitance controller, a piezoelectric feedback circuit, etc., which were necessary as means for maintaining the vacuum gap between the emitter and the collector at a predetermined interval, etc. Is eliminated, the number of parts can be reduced, and the size, weight and cost can be reduced.

  In addition, by adjusting the thickness of the spacer portion 105 to bring the gap G close to the nano level, the barrier height can be reduced, and the electron emission effect of the emitter 101 can be enhanced.

  Here, specific dimensions in the electronic heat pump device 100 are shown. The overall diameter is 11.5 mm, and the overall thickness is 2.3 mm. Each of the stems 103 and 104 has a thickness of 0.9 mm. The emitter 101 and the collector 102 each have a thickness of 0.255 mm. Each of the emitter electrode 111 and the collector electrode 121 has a thickness of 5 nm. The spacer portion 105 has a thickness of 10 nm, and the spacer portion 105 has a plane size of 100 nm. The pitch of the adjacent spacer portions 105, 105 is 200 μm.

  Therefore, in the refrigerator of the present invention, since the first cooling mechanism 10 includes the electronic heat pump device 100, the size and weight can be significantly reduced as compared with the vapor compression refrigeration cycle, and the Peltier element can be cooled. Power consumption can be significantly reduced as compared with the mechanism, and downsizing and power consumption can be reduced. In addition, since the second cooling mechanism 20 has a vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the main cooling of the entire refrigerator can be performed in an inexpensive vapor compression refrigeration cycle suitable for large-capacity cooling. In addition, the number of the electronic heat pump devices 100 mounted can be reduced.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention. In this refrigerator, a first cooling mechanism 10 that cools the inside of the freezer compartments 2 and 3, a second cooling mechanism that cools the inside of the refrigerator compartment 4 and the heat radiation side of the first cooling mechanism 10. 30 has the electronic heat pump device 100. In addition, in the member in FIG. 6, the same thing as the code | symbol of the said 1st Embodiment (FIG. 1) is the same structure.

  The second cooling mechanism 30 cools the first electronic heat pump module 31 that cools the heat radiation side of the first cooling mechanism 10 via the heat spreader 8, and the inside of the refrigerator compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5. The second electronic heat pump module 32, the first water cooling jacket 33 facing the heat dissipation side of the first electronic heat pump module 31, and the second water cooling facing the heat dissipation side of the second electronic heat pump module 32. A jacket 34, a heat exchanger 36, and a circulation pump 35 are provided.

  The first water-cooling jacket 33, the second water-cooling jacket 34, the heat exchanger 36, and the circulation pump 35 are sequentially connected in an annular shape by piping.

  The first and second electronic heat pump modules 31 and 32 in the second cooling mechanism 30 include the electronic heat pump device 100, and the first and second electronic heat pump modules in the first cooling mechanism 10. 11 and 12.

  The operation of the second cooling mechanism 30 will be described. Water (refrigerant) enclosed in the pipe is sent out by the circulation pump 35 and the first electronic heat pump is supplied by the first water cooling jacket 33. Deprived of heat from the module 31 (heated), further deprived of heat from the second electronic heat pump module 32 by the second water cooling jacket 34, dissipated heat (cooled) by the heat exchanger 36, The flow returns to the circulation pump 35 again. In the heat exchanger 36, air is sent by the blower fan 37 in order to enhance the heat dissipation of the warmed water.

  Since the circulation pump 35 only needs to be capable of circulating water from the water cooling jackets 33 and 34 to the heat exchanger 36, a small and light pump with low discharge pressure can be used, and low noise and low vibration can be used. A refrigerator can be realized.

  The blower fan 37 needs to be driven only when the refrigerator door is frequently opened and closed and the maximum cooling capacity is required. Therefore, the temperature of the water cooling jackets 33 and 34 is detected and controlled at night. During operation with a small load such as the above, the rotation of the blower fan 37 can be suppressed to reduce the generation of noise.

  As the water cooling jackets 33 and 34, for example, products used for CPU cooling or the like can be used, and a groove in which a coolant flows is formed inside a metal block having good thermal conductivity.

  Thus, since the heat of the heat radiating surface of the electronic heat pump modules 31, 32 is efficiently transported by the coolant water from the water cooling jackets 33, 34 to the heat exchanger 36, the freezer compartments 2, 3, The refrigerator compartment 4 and the vegetable compartment 5 can be cooled by the electronic heat pump modules 11, 12, 31, 32.

  Therefore, according to the refrigerator, since there is no use of a refrigerant that affects the global environment that has an ozone depleting effect or a flammable refrigerant, high safety and quietness can be realized.

(Third embodiment)
Next, FIG. 7, FIG. 8, and FIG. 9 show other embodiments of the electronic heat pump device. This electronic heat pump device 200 is connected to an emitter-side external electrode 203 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is electrically and thermally conductive, and is connected to the emitter-side external electrode 203 so that electricity and heat can be conducted. An emitter 201 that emits electrons, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped collector-side external electrode portion 204 that is electrically and thermally conductive, and the collector-side external electrode portion 204 are connected so that electricity and heat can be conducted. And a collector 202 that receives electrons, and is disposed between the emitter-side external electrode portion 203 and the collector-side external electrode portion 204 so that the distance between the emitter-side external electrode portion 203 and the collector-side external electrode portion 204 is constant. And electrically and thermally insulating spacing member 206, the emitter-side external electrode 203 and the collector-side outer And a sealing member 207 to maintain the vacuum between the electrode portion 204.

  The emitter-side external electrode portion 203 and the collector-side external electrode portion 204 are solid substrates. Hereinafter, the emitter-side external electrode portion 203 is referred to as an emitter-side external electrode substrate 203, and the collector-side external electrode portion. 204 is referred to as a collector-side external electrode substrate 204.

  The emitter 201 and the collector 202 are disposed to face each other, and a gap (vacuum gap) G is provided between the emitter 201 and the collector 202. The emitter-side external electrode substrate 203 and the collector-side external electrode substrate 204 are connected to a power source 208.

  The operation of the electronic heat pump apparatus 200 will be described. By applying a current from the power source 208 to the emitter-side external electrode substrate 203 and the collector-side external electrode substrate 204, a voltage is applied to the emitter 201 and the collector 202. Electrons are supplied. The emitter 201 side (the emitter-side external electrode substrate 203) is on the cooling (heat absorption) side, and the collector 202 side (the collector-side external electrode substrate 204) is on the heat dissipation (heating) side.

  The emitter 201 has a semiconductor substrate 210 connected to the emitter-side external electrode substrate 203 so that electricity and heat can be conducted, and an emitter electrode 211 provided on substantially the other surface of the semiconductor substrate 210. And have.

  More specifically, the semiconductor substrate 210 is an n-type silicon substrate that is surface-polished to obtain conductivity, and the emitter electrode 211 has cesium on the surface-polished surface of the n-type silicon substrate. It is a Ti thin film with the surface coated. The emitter 201 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

  The collector 202 is generally provided except for a semiconductor substrate 220 connected to the collector-side external electrode substrate 204 so that electricity and heat can be conducted and a part of the other surface of the semiconductor substrate 220. Collector electrode 221. The semiconductor substrate 220 is integrally formed with an electrically and thermally insulating spacer portion 205.

  More specifically, the semiconductor substrate 220 is an n-type silicon substrate that has been surface-polished to obtain conductivity, and a thermal oxide film is formed on the surface-polished surface of the n-type silicon substrate. By patterning by etching, spacer portions 205 of silicon oxide arranged in a square lattice shape are formed. The collector electrode 221 is formed of a Ti thin film patterned except for the periphery of the spacer portion 205. The collector 202 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the gap G is the difference between the thickness of the spacer portion 205 and the thickness of the collector electrode 221 of the Ti thin film.

  The plurality of spacer portions 205 are formed integrally with the semiconductor substrate 220 of the collector 202 and are in contact with the emitter electrode 211. Further, the plurality of spacer portions 205 are spaced apart from each other, and The semiconductor substrate 220 is substantially uniformly distributed and aligned on the entire surface, and the gap G between the emitter electrode 211 and the collector electrode 221 is kept constant. The size of the gap G is determined.

  In the emitter-side external electrode substrate 203 and the collector-side external electrode substrate 204, the spacing member 206 is in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the emitter-side external electrode substrate 203 and the outer peripheral portion of the collector-side external electrode substrate 204. In such a state, the emitter electrode 211 and the collector electrode 221 have rigidity, Young's modulus, and thickness such that the emitter electrode 211 and the collector electrode 221 do not come into contact with a compressive stress caused by a pressure difference between an external atmospheric pressure and an internal vacuum.

  Specifically, the emitter-side external electrode substrate 203 and the collector-side external electrode substrate 204 are made of tungsten as a highly rigid material so that the gap G is not short-circuited due to stress deformation caused by compressive stress. The emitter-side external electrode substrate 203 and the collector-side external electrode substrate 204 may be made of tungsten carbide, copper or silicon other than tungsten, and the emitter-side external electrode substrate 203 and the collector-side external electrode. The thickness of the substrate 204 may be adjusted.

  Thus, according to the refrigerator having the above-described configuration, since the emitter-side external electrode portion 203 and the collector-side external electrode portion 204 are substrates, respectively, the electronic heat pump device 200 can be made thin and small. Further downsizing can be achieved.

  In addition, since the emitter-side external electrode portion 203 and the collector-side external electrode portion 204 are each substantially in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, the electronic heat pump device 200 can be formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped chip shape, for example, new or existing It becomes easy to incorporate in the inside of the refrigerator.

  In the electronic heat pump device 200, the other structures and effects are the same as those of the electronic heat pump device 100 of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, A design change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention. For example, the first cooling mechanism may include the refrigeration cycle, and the second cooling mechanism may include the electronic heat pump device. The electronic heat pump device may be a single unit (single element) without being modularized. Moreover, in order to cool the freezer compartment, a method of cooling using the heat conduction between the inner wall of the freezer compartment having high heat conductivity and the electronic heat pump module is used. However, the electronic heat pump module is provided by installing a fan. It is also possible to circulate the cold air from the inside of the freezer compartment. The spacer portion may be integrally formed on at least one of the semiconductor substrate of the emitter and the semiconductor substrate of the collector.

It is a simplified lineblock diagram showing one embodiment of the refrigerator of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the electronic heat pump module carrying an electronic heat pump apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows an electronic heat pump apparatus. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an electronic heat pump apparatus. It is the A section expanded sectional view of FIG. It is a simplified block diagram which shows other embodiment of the refrigerator of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows another electronic heat pump apparatus. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional perspective view of another electronic heat pump apparatus. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of another electronic heat pump apparatus. It is a simplified block diagram which shows the conventional refrigerator. It is a simplified block diagram which shows the conventional refrigerator. It is a simplified block diagram which shows the conventional vacuum diode type | mold electronic heat pump apparatus. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of a Peltier device. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of a vacuum diode type electronic heat pump apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Rapid freezing room 3 Freezing room 4 Refrigeration room 10 1st cooling mechanism 11 1st electronic heat pump module 12 2nd electronic heat pump module 20 2nd cooling mechanism 30 2nd cooling mechanism 31 1st electronic heat pump module 32 Second electronic heat pump module 100, 200 Electronic heat pump device 101, 201 Emitter 110, 210 Semiconductor substrate 111, 211 Emitter electrode 102, 202 Collector 120, 220 Semiconductor substrate 121, 221 Collector electrode 103 Emitter side stem (emitter side external electrode) Part)
130 Hollow part 104 Collector side stem (collector side external electrode part)
140 Hollow part 203 Emitter-side external electrode substrate (emitter-side external electrode part)
204 Collector-side external electrode substrate (collector-side external electrode)
105, 205 Spacer 106, 206 Spacing member 107, 207 Sealing member G Gap

Claims (9)

At least one freezer and refrigerator compartment;
A first cooling mechanism for cooling the inside of the freezer compartment;
A second cooling mechanism that cools the inside of the refrigerator compartment and the heat radiation side of the first cooling mechanism,
At least one of the first cooling mechanism and the second cooling mechanism includes a vacuum diode type electronic heat pump device in which a cooling side and a heat radiation side are thermally separated from each other. The refrigerator according to claim 1,
Between the cooling side and the heat dissipation side in the electronic heat pump apparatus, there is a thermally insulating spacer portion for thermally separating the cooling side and the heat dissipation side. refrigerator. The refrigerator according to claim 1,
The electronic heat pump device is
An emitter-side external electrode,
A semiconductor substrate having one surface connected to the emitter-side external electrode portion so that electricity and heat can be conducted, and an emitter having an emitter electrode provided on the other surface of the semiconductor substrate,
A collector-side external electrode,
The collector-side external electrode portion includes a semiconductor substrate having one surface connected so that electricity and heat can be conducted, and a collector having a collector electrode provided on the other surface of the semiconductor substrate,
The emitter and the collector are arranged to face the emitter electrode and the collector electrode with a gap therebetween,
In addition, at least one of the semiconductor substrate of the emitter and the semiconductor substrate of the collector has a constant gap between the emitter electrode and the collector electrode and is electrically and thermally insulating. The spacer part is integrally formed,
Further, it is disposed between the emitter-side external electrode part and the collector-side external electrode part so as to keep the distance between the emitter-side external electrode part and the collector-side external electrode part constant and to be electrically and thermally insulated. Sex spacing member,
A refrigerator comprising a sealing member for maintaining a vacuum between the emitter-side external electrode portion and the collector-side external electrode portion. The refrigerator according to claim 3,
The emitter-side external electrode portion and the collector-side external electrode portion each have a hollow portion. The refrigerator according to claim 3,
The refrigerator characterized in that each of the emitter-side external electrode section and the collector-side external electrode section is a substrate. The refrigerator according to claim 5,
The emitter-side external electrode portion and the collector-side external electrode portion each have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The refrigerator according to claim 1,
The first cooling mechanism includes the electronic heat pump device,
The said 2nd cooling mechanism has a refrigerating cycle using the vapor compression expansion of a refrigerant | coolant, The refrigerator characterized by the above-mentioned. The refrigerator according to claim 1,
The first cooling mechanism and the second cooling mechanism each include the electronic heat pump device. The refrigerator according to claim 1,
There are a plurality of the electronic heat pump devices, and the plurality of electronic heat pump devices are electrically connected and modularized.

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