JP2005218374A - Cooler for cooling inside of container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooler for cooling the inside of a container enabling quick cooling down to low temperatures from high temperatures. <P>SOLUTION: The cooler for cooling the inside of a container is provided with the following: a cooking container 3 which can be hermetically sealed while storing a food material; a heat exchanger 5 connected to the cooking container 3 so as to introduce exhaust from the inside of the cooking container so that coolant can exchange heat with the exhaust; a separator 7 connected to the heat exchanger 5 so as to introduce condensate condensed via heat exchange, and separating steam; a scroll-type vacuum pump 8 connected to the separator 7, sucking the steam separated from the separator 7 and also discharging the steam; and a drain pot 9 connected to the separator 7 so as to introduce the condensate after the steam is separated via the separator 7 to store the condensate. In the cooler, the drain pot 9 is connected to the upper stream side of the heat exchanger 5, and the steam generated when the condensate in the drain pot 9 is re-boiled is sent back to the heat exchanger 5. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-container cooling apparatus that is used to allow cooling in a cooking container in which food is cooked.

  As a conventional in-container cooling device, for example, there is a vacuum cooling device shown in FIG. In this vacuum cooling apparatus, a steam ejector 103 is connected to a cooling chamber 101, and a steam supply pipe 105 and a heat exchanger 107 are connected to the steam ejector 103. A water ring vacuum pump 109 is connected to the heat exchanger 107.

  When the water-sealed vacuum pump 109 is operated and steam is supplied from the steam supply pipe 105 side to the steam ejector 103, exhaust is performed from the inside of the cooling chamber 101 by the ejector action and is introduced into the heat exchanger 107. In the heat exchanger 107, the exhaust is condensed by heat exchange, and the condensate is sucked by the water ring vacuum pump 109. Therefore, the inside of the refrigerator 101 becomes a negative pressure, the temperature is lowered, and the inside of the refrigerator 101 can be cooled.

  However, the conventional structure requires steam for driving the steam ejector 103, which not only increases the energy cost, but also has a problem that the operating sound of the steam ejector 103 is loud. In the heat exchanger 107, it is necessary to condense not only the vapor evaporated from the food but also several times the ejector operation steam, and the condensate sucked by the water-sealed vacuum pump 109 increases, so that the overall size becomes large. There is a problem of becoming. Furthermore, there is a possibility that a large amount of waste water containing splashes of food comes out from the water-sealed vacuum pump 109.

  In addition, when food cooked in the refrigerator 101 is stored and cooled, the vicinity of 40 ° C. where bacteria are likely to propagate is passed by rapid cooling and quickly cooled to around 10 ° C. where bacteria are difficult to propagate. Is essential.

  In this respect, since the conventional structure uses the steam ejector 103, it is necessary to increase the size of the steam ejector 103 in order to perform rapid cooling, and there is a problem that the entire apparatus becomes larger.

JP 2002-355020 A

  The problem to be solved is that not only the energy cost increases, but also the operation noise is loud, the entire apparatus becomes large, and there is a possibility that a large amount of waste water containing splashes of food may come out.

  The in-container cooling device of the present invention connects a separator to a heat exchanger so that the vapor separated from the separator is sucked by suction means, and the condensate after separating the vapor from the separator is put into a drain pot. The main characteristics are that the vapor generated by re-boiling of the condensate in the drain pot is returned to the heat exchanger, and that the suction means is dry.

  The in-container cooling device of the present invention connects a separator to a heat exchanger so that the vapor separated from the separator is sucked by suction means, and the condensate after separating the vapor from the separator is put into a drain pot. The amount of steam sucked into the suction means is greatly reduced by returning the steam generated by re-boiling of the condensate in the drain pot to the heat exchanger, and the suction means is a dry type having a relatively small capacity. can do. Therefore, regardless of re-evaporation of the condensate, it can be rapidly cooled to a low temperature by vacuum cooling.

  And since it can be set as the structure which does not use an ejector, while not only reducing an energy cost, while the operation sound is small, the whole apparatus can be reduced in size and the waste_water | drain containing the splash of a foodstuff can be suppressed.

  When the cooling medium used in the heat exchanger is water for cooling, it can be used easily and inexpensively.

  When the suction means is connected to the top of the separator and the drain pot is connected to the bottom of the separator and is positioned lower than the separator, the vapor separated by the separator can be reliably sucked by the suction means, In addition, the condensate can be reliably moved from the separator to the drain pot by gravity.

  The container is an openable and closable cooking container for charging and cooking food, and provided with heating means capable of selectively heating the cooking container, the food material after cooking in the cooking container is subject to cooling. When cooking, the food is first cooked in the cooking container by the selective heating of the heating means, and after cooking, the heating means is stopped and the suction means is operated. The food can be rapidly cooled to a low temperature by vacuum cooling while containing the cooked food.

  When the cooking container includes a jacket for heat exchange as the heating means at the bottom, and when the heating steam and cooling water for cooling can be selectively supplied to the jacket, the heating steam is applied to the jacket. By supplying, the bottom part of a cooking container can be heated and the foodstuff in a cooking container can be heat-cooked. After cooking, the inside of the cooking container can be cooled more rapidly by switching and supplying cooling water for cooling to the jacket.

  When the separator is provided integrally with the drain pot, the separator and the drain pot can be handled integrally, and the apparatus can be easily handled and assembled. In addition, the piping structure can be simplified, and installation at a food processing factory or the like can be easily performed.

  The in-container cooling device of the present invention is realized by making the suction means dry with a simple structure.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an in-container cooling device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the in-container cooling apparatus 1 includes a cooking container 3, a heat exchanger 5, a separator 7, a dry scroll vacuum pump 8 that is a suction means, and a drain pot 9.

  The cooking container 3 is a container that can store an object to be cooled and is heated and cooked, and the cooked food becomes the object to be cooled as it is. The cooking container 3 is supported on the frame 11 via a rotating shaft 13. The rotating shaft 13 is connected to a drive unit 15 that constitutes a part of the frame 11. The drive unit 15 agitates and drives a stirring blade and the like inside a motor controlled by a controller and the like, a speed reduction mechanism, a gear mechanism, and the like. The cooking container 3 can be tilted and rotated by driving.

  The cooking container 3 is provided with a jacket 17 as a heating means at the bottom thereof. The jacket 17 is provided so as to surround the bottom of the cooking container 3 as a whole. A steam pipe 19 and a cooling water pipe 21 are connected to the jacket 17 via an axial center portion of the rotating shaft 13 and the like. The jacket 17 is connected to the steam drain pipe 23 via the rotating shaft 13. A cooling water drain pipe 25 is further coupled to the jacket 17.

  Therefore, when steam is supplied to the jacket 17 by using the steam pipe 19 and the steam drain pipe 23, the bottom of the cooking container 3 can be steam-heated, and the internal ingredients can be cooked. After cooking, by using the cooling water pipe 21 and the cooling water drain pipe 25 by switching, the cooling water can be supplied into the jacket 17 and the cooking container 3 can be cooled.

  The cooking container 3 is provided with a lid portion 27 that can be opened and closed, and the lid portion 27 is closed to form a sealed structure. A movable pipe 29 is connected to the lid portion 27. The movable pipe 29 is configured to move integrally with the opening and closing of the lid portion 27. A fixed pipe 33 is connected to the movable pipe 29 via a joint 31. The joint 31 enables an integral operation with the lid portion 27 of the movable pipe 29. The fixed pipe 33 is connected to the heat exchanger 5. Therefore, the heat exchanger 5 is connected to the cooking vessel 3 and can introduce heat from the cooking vessel 3 to exchange heat with the cooling medium.

  The separator 7 is connected to the heat exchanger 5. The separator 7 is formed of a substantially cylindrical sealed container, and the heat exchanger 5 is connected to a side surface portion thereof. The separator 7 introduces the condensate condensed by heat exchange and separates the vapor from the condensate.

  The separator 7 is connected to the scroll vacuum pump 8 at an upper portion thereof. The scroll vacuum pump 8 sucks the vapor separated from the separator 7 and exhausts the cooking container 3 from the inside.

  The drain pot 9 is connected to the bottom of the separator 7. The drain pot 9 is positioned below the separator 7. The drain pot 9 is larger than the separator 7 and is formed of a sealed cylindrical container. The drain pot 9 has a bottom connected to the bottom of the separator 7 by a condensate drain pipe 35. A valve 37 that can be freely opened and closed is attached to an end of the condensate drain pipe 35.

  The upper part of the drain pot 9 is connected to the fixed pipe 33 on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 5 by a return pipe 39. Therefore, the drain pot 9 is connected to the upstream side of the heat exchanger 5, and the steam generated by the re-boiling of the condensate in the drain pot 9 can be returned to the heat exchanger 5. .

  The cooling medium used in the heat exchanger 5 is cooling water in this embodiment. That is, the city water pipe 41 and the cold water pipe 43 are connected to the heat exchanger 5 by the water supply pipe 45. Valves 47 and 49 are interposed in the city water pipe 41 and the cold water pipe 43.

  The city water pipe 41 is supplied with city water and is used for heat exchange from about 100 ° C. to about 30 ° C. in the heat exchanger 5. Cold water at about 6 ° C. is supplied to the cold water pipe 43 and is used for heat exchange at 30 ° C. or less in the heat exchanger 5.

  Then, the lid portion 27 of the cooking container 3 is opened, the ingredients are put into the cooking container 3, the lid portion 27 is closed again, and steam is supplied from the steam pipe 19 to the jacket 17. By supplying the steam, the food can be cooked in the cooking container 3. At this time, the ingredients in the cooking container 3 can be heated and stirred and cooked by driving the stirring blades in the cooking container 3 to stir.

  After the cooking of the food, the cooling water is supplied from the cooling water pipe 21 to the jacket 17 by switching to cool the cooking container 3 and the scroll vacuum pump 8 is driven. By driving the scroll vacuum pump 8, steam from the food in the cooking vessel 3 is exhausted and introduced into the heat exchanger 5 through the movable pipe 29 and the fixed pipe 33. Since the steam temperature in the heat exchanger 5 at this time is around 100 ° C., the high temperature valve 47 is opened, the low temperature valve 49 is closed, and the water supply pipe 45 is connected from the city water pipe 41. The city water is supplied to the heat exchanger 5 through the heat exchanger, and heat exchange is performed.

  By this heat exchange, the steam is condensed and introduced into the separator 7. In the separator 7, the vapor mixed in the condensate and the condensate itself are separated vertically by gravity. The vapor in the separator 7 is sucked and discharged by the scroll vacuum pump 8. The condensate in the separator 7 descends the condensate drain pipe 35 due to gravity or the like and reaches the drain pot 9.

  In the drain pot 9, the condensate re-boils due to a decrease in pressure. Steam generated by re-boiling is drawn into the fixed pipe 33 from the return pipe 39 on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 5.

  The steam from the drain pot 9 drawn into the fixed pipe 33 is reintroduced into the heat exchanger 5 together with the steam from the cooking container 3 side, and is heat-exchanged in the heat exchanger 5 and condensed again. .

  In the separator 7, the condensate heat-exchanged and cooled in the heat exchanger 5 is sequentially supplied over time and immediately moves to the drain pot 9 side, so that re-evaporation in the separator 7 is suppressed or occurs. Absent. Therefore, only the vapor in the separator 7 can be reliably sucked and discharged by the scroll vacuum pump 8.

  In the heat exchange in the heat exchanger 5, city water is used up to 30 ° C., and at a temperature below that, the valve 47 is closed and the valve 49 is opened. When the valve 49 is opened, cold water of about 6 ° C. is supplied from the cold water pipe 43 to the heat exchanger 5 through the water supply pipe 45. By this supply, heat exchange below 30 ° C. is performed in the heat exchanger 5, and the same cycle as described above is repeated.

  The food in the cooking vessel 3 is vacuum-cooled by such a cycle of driving the scroll type vacuum pump 8, and coupled with cooling by the cooling water in the jacket 17, from a high temperature of about 100 ° C. to a low temperature of about 10 ° C. Rapid cooling can be performed.

  After the cooling is finished, the scroll vacuum pump 8 is stopped and the valve 37 is opened, so that the condensate can be discharged from the drain pot 9 or the like.

  As described above, by returning the steam generated by re-boiling of the condensate in the drain pot 9 to the heat exchanger, the amount of steam sucked into the scroll vacuum pump 8 is greatly reduced, and the scroll vacuum pump 8 is compared. It can be a dry type with a small ability. Therefore, regardless of the re-evaporation of the condensate, it can be rapidly cooled to a low temperature by vacuum cooling.

  FIG. 2 shows the experimental results confirming the effects of Example 1. In FIG. 2, line segments 51 and 53 show the experimental results in Example 1. In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the food material after cooking that is a cooling target, that is, the product temperature.

  As is clear from FIG. 2, it was confirmed that the temperature of the food in the cooking container 3 was rapidly cooled in a short time from about 100 ° C. to about 10 ° C. Moreover, in Example 1, since the scroll-type vacuum pump 8 draws only the vapor from the separator 7, an extremely small one can be used, and the whole container cooling device 1 is made small and inexpensive. be able to.

  That is, since it can be configured not to use an ejector, not only the energy cost is reduced, but also the operation noise is small, the entire apparatus is downsized, and the waste water containing the splash of food can be suppressed.

  FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an in-container cooling device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the separator 7 and the drain pot 9 are integrally formed. That is, the separator 7 is integrally attached to the upper wall of the drain pot 9, and the condensate drain pipe 35 is disposed and suspended inside the drain pot 9. The lower end of the condensate drain pipe 35 faces the recess 55 at the bottom of the drain pot 9. The valve 37 is attached to one side portion of the bottom portion of the drain pot 9.

  Therefore, the condensate separated by the separator 7 passes through the condensate drain pipe 35, reaches the recess 55, and is stored in the drain pot 9 so as to overflow from the recess 55. Steam generated by re-boiling in the drain pot 9 is drawn into the fixed pipe 33 from the return pipe 39 on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 5.

  After the cooling is finished, the scroll vacuum pump 8 is stopped and the valve 37 is opened, so that the condensate can be discharged from the drain pot 9 to the outside.

  Therefore, the present embodiment can achieve the same effects as the steam embodiment.

  Further, in this embodiment, the separator 7, the drain pot 9, the condensate drain pipe 35, and the valve 37 can be handled integrally, and the apparatus can be easily handled and assembled. In addition, the piping structure can be simplified, and installation at a food processing factory or the like can be easily performed.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example. For example, as a container, it can replace with the cooking container 3 and can also be set as the structure which vacuum-cools and stores the foodstuff accommodated in the refrigerator as a refrigerator.

  As the cooling medium in the heat exchanger 5, it is possible to use things other than water.

  As the heating means, the jacket may be formed so as to cover the entire cooking container 3, or may be formed in multiple stages on the bottom and sides of the cooking container. In addition, the bottom of the cooking container is heated by gas heating, electric heating, and electromagnetic induction heating, and a jacket is provided on the side of the cooking container, and heating control and heating control by steam supply to the side jacket are performed. It can also be configured to be performed separately. Further, the side portion of the cooking vessel is heated by gas heating, electric heating, or electromagnetic induction heating, and a jacket is provided at the bottom to supply a heat medium such as steam and the bottom is heated separately from the side. You can also.

It is the schematic of a cooling device in a container (Example 1). It is a graph which shows the effect of Example 1 (Example 1). It is the schematic of the cooling device in a container (Example 2). It is the schematic which shows a vacuum cooling device (conventional example).

Explanation of symbols

1 Cooling device in container 3 Cooking container (container)
5 Heat exchanger 7 Separator 8 Scroll type vacuum pump (suction means)
9 Drain pot

Claims (6)

A container which can contain a cooling object and can be sealed;
A heat exchanger connected to the vessel and capable of exchanging heat with the cooling medium by introducing exhaust from the vessel;
A separator connected to the heat exchanger for introducing a condensate condensed by the heat exchange and separating vapor from the condensate;
A suction means connected to the separator for sucking the separated vapor from the separator and urging the exhaust;
A drain pot connected to the separator to guide and store the condensate after separating the vapor from the separator;
An in-container cooling device, wherein the drain pot is connected to the upstream side of the heat exchanger, and the steam generated by re-boiling of the condensate in the drain pot is returned to the heat exchanger. The in-container cooling device according to claim 1,
The in-container cooling device, wherein the cooling medium is water for cooling. The in-container cooling device according to claim 1 or 2,
The suction means is connected to the top of the separator;
The in-container cooling device, wherein the drain pot is connected to a bottom portion of the separator and is positioned lower than the separator. The in-container cooling device according to claim 1,
The container is an openable and closable cooking container for charging and cooking food.
Providing a heating means capable of selectively heating the cooking container;
An in-container cooling device characterized in that a food material after cooking in the cooking container is the cooling object. The in-container cooling device according to claim 4,
The cooking container comprises a jacket for heat exchange at the bottom as the heating means,
An in-container cooling device characterized in that heating steam and cooling water for cooling can be selectively supplied to the jacket. The in-container cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An in-container cooling device, wherein the separator is provided integrally with the drain pot.

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