JP2005305235A - Deaerator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem wherein the opening of an air releasing valve is inaccurate in a conventional deaerator because the opening is performed by time control or optical control and, as a result, the scaling-up of the deaerator is brought about. <P>SOLUTION: In the deaerator equipped with a revolving flow forming structure, an air-liquid separation membrane installed at the center of the revolving flow forming structure and a controllable air releasing valve installed on the air side of the air-liquid separation membrane, pressure sensors are provided in the revolving flow forming structure and a nearly isobaric flow channel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a bubble removing device in a flow path, and particularly to an application that requires downsizing, such as a circulating liquid cooling device for electronic equipment, and is a working fluid by changing the volume in a pump chamber by a diaphragm. The present invention relates to a bubble removal device for a fluid system in which a pump with pressure pulsation in a discharge channel is used as a fluid drive source, such as a pump that moves liquid.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a bubble removing device is provided in a flow path of a fluid system such as a centrifugal pump that uses a liquid as a working fluid and a pump whose performance deteriorates when gas stays inside the pump. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1) In addition, a high-output micro that has a suction-side check valve, and on the discharge side, a pipe element that generates an inertia effect of fluid instead of the check valve is provided immediately after the pump chamber. A pump has been developed. (See Non-Patent Document 1)
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-333207 (page 4, FIG. 1) "High-power micropump using inertial effect of fluid" Journal of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers 2003.10 VOL. 106 No. 1019 (page 823, FIGS. 1 to 4)

  In such a patent document 1, the liquid sent out by the pump is passed through the swirl flow generating structure. In the swirl flow generating structure, since the liquid swirls, the liquid that is the working fluid is separated from the gas having a lighter specific gravity than the liquid by the centrifugal force, and the gas collects at the center of the swirl flow generating structure.

  Although there is a bubble discharge part at the center of the swirl flow generating structure, only the gas is discharged outside without passing through the liquid by the gas-liquid separation membrane. There was a gas release valve outside the bubble discharge part, and gas was discharged out of the flow path by opening the valve, but the gas release valve was automatically released by optical detection method or time management . However, the optical detection method has a problem that the apparatus becomes large for high-accuracy detection, and the detection method is poor in the time management method.

  Further, in the above-described time management method, if the time interval for opening the valve is set to be shorter than necessary, unnecessary valve opening occurs, and the working fluid is diffused as vapor through the gas-liquid separation membrane. In particular, a circulation type liquid cooling apparatus that encloses and circulates a working fluid has been a problem.

  An object of the present invention is an application that requires a reduction in size, such as a circulating liquid cooling device for electronic equipment, and is a working fluid in which the volume in a pump chamber is changed by a diaphragm as in Non-Patent Document 1. In a fluid system that uses a pump with pressure pulsation in the discharge channel as a fluid drive source, such as a pump that moves liquid, the generation of bubbles is detected with small size and high accuracy, and unnecessary dissipation of the working fluid is prevented. An object of the present invention is to provide an air bubble removing device.

  The bubble removing device of the present invention includes a swirling flow generating structure, a gas-liquid separation membrane installed at the approximate center of the swirling flow generating structure, and a controllable gas release valve installed on the gas side of the previous gas-liquid separation membrane. In the bubble removing apparatus having the above-described configuration, a pressure sensor is provided in a flow path of approximately equal pressure with the swirling flow generating structure.

  According to such a configuration, when bubbles stay in the swirl flow generating structure, the pressure waveform detected by the pressure sensor changes due to the difference in compressibility between the liquid and the gas. By detecting this change, it is possible to detect the amount of bubbles with a small size and high accuracy.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the bubble removing device of the present invention includes a control device that instructs opening of the gas release valve according to a pulsation state of a pressure detected by a pressure sensor.

  According to such a configuration, particularly in a fluid system in which a pump with pressure pulsation in the discharge flow path, such as a diaphragm pump, is used as a fluid drive source, the pressure pulsation is increased depending on the presence or absence of bubbles in the swirling flow generating structure. Since they are different, the generation of bubbles can be detected easily and with high accuracy, and the valve can be opened when necessary.

  Furthermore, in the bubble removing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the controllable gas release valve is opened and closed by heating the shape memory alloy.

  According to such a configuration, the bubble removing device can be configured with a simple valve structure of a shape memory alloy spring and its heating structure.

  Furthermore, the bubble removing device of the present invention includes a swirling flow generating structure, a gas-liquid separation membrane installed at the approximate center of the swirling flow generating structure, and a controllable gas installed on the gas side of the previous gas-liquid separation membrane. It is desirable that the bubble removing apparatus provided with an open valve includes an alarm device that issues an alarm according to the frequency of opening the gas release valve.

  For example, in applications where downsizing is required, such as circulating liquid cooling devices for electronic equipment, the amount of working fluid that can be enclosed in the circulation flow path is small, so abnormalities such as scratches on the flow path occur and bubbles are mixed in. When it becomes easy, it is necessary to notify the user early. Under such circumstances, since the frequency of opening the gas release valve increases, there is an effect that it is possible to issue an accurate alarm early by issuing an alarm according to this frequency.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 show a bubble removing device 100 of the first embodiment.
1 and 2 are cross-sectional views parallel to the axis of the swirl flow path of the first embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a closed state of the gas release valve, and FIG. 2 shows an opened state of the gas release valve. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the axis of the swirl flow path of the first embodiment. FIG. 4 shows a state where the bubble removing device 100 is attached to the diaphragm pump 300.

  1 to 3, when a swirl flow path 104 having a substantially circular swirl flow generation structure is formed inside the main body 101 of the bubble removing device, and a fluid flows from the inflow flow path 103 to the outflow flow path 102. A swirling flow is generated in the swirling flow path 104. When the working fluid is a liquid and the bubbles are included in the working fluid, the gas collects in the central portion of the swirl flow path 104 due to the difference in specific gravity from the working fluid.

  There is a gas-liquid separation membrane 111 at the center of the swirl flow path, allowing only gas to pass through. There is a gas release valve 121 supported by a valve shaft 122 on the opposite side of the swirl flow path 104 of the gas-liquid separation membrane 111. Normally, the gas that has passed through the gas-liquid separation membrane 111 is externally passed by a shape memory alloy spring 123. It is closed so as not to escape. Therefore, since the working fluid itself is vaporized and dissipated through the gas-liquid separation membrane, there is no inconvenience that the working fluid is reduced, and a fluid system can be configured with a minimum amount of working fluid. There is an effect that the cooling system of the device cooling apparatus can be configured in a small size.

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which the shape memory alloy spring 123 is heated and contracted by the heating means, and the gas release valve 121 is opened. The shape memory alloy can be easily heated by passing a current through a nearby heater wiring (not shown). In this state, the gas collected at the center of the swirl flow path 104 passes through the gas-liquid separation membrane 111 and is discharged from the opening 105 through the gap between the gas release valve 121 and the main body 101.

  Thus, by using the valve that opens and closes by heating the shape memory alloy, there is an effect that the gas release valve of the bubble removing device can be configured with a small and simple structure.

  A pressure sensor 131 is incorporated in the main body 101 facing the swirl flow path 104. When the fluid flows in the flow path, various pressure fluctuations occur. This pressure fluctuation can be detected by the pressure sensor 131. However, if bubbles remain in the swirl flow path, the pressure fluctuation value becomes extremely small due to the compressibility of the bubbles. Therefore, it is possible to detect whether or not bubbles are retained in the swirling flow path by detecting the decrease in the pressure fluctuation value.

  The diaphragm pump 300 shown in FIG. 4 has a check valve 322 on the suction side disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, while generating an inertia effect of fluid in the discharge side pipe 325 instead of the check valve. A high-power micropump in which a pipe line element 325 is provided immediately after the pump chamber.

  In such a pump, the working fluid is discharged with strong pulsation due to the contraction of the piezoelectric element 313. By providing the bubble removing device 100 immediately after that, the pressure pulsation is caused by the presence or absence of bubbles in the swirl flow generating structure. Since the timing of pressure pulsation can be known in advance, the generation of bubbles can be detected easily and with high accuracy.

  Therefore, it is an application that requires miniaturization, such as a circulating liquid cooling device for electronic equipment, and the volume of the pump chamber is changed by a diaphragm as in Non-Patent Document 1 to move the liquid as the working fluid. In a fluid system that uses a pump with pressure pulsation in the discharge channel as a fluid drive source, such as a pump that performs, it is possible to detect the generation of bubbles with a small size and high accuracy, and to prevent unnecessary dissipation of the working fluid is there.

  Another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of the second embodiment. The control device determines the pressure pulsation signal of the pressure sensor 131, and when the pulsation value becomes small, it is determined that bubbles have accumulated in the swirl flow path, and the valve driving device 202 is driven to open the gas release valve.

  The frequency of opening the gas release valve is very low in an airtight device such as a circulation type cooling device. However, if there is an abnormality such as a flaw in the flow path, the outside air is mixed in the flow path instead of the leaked working fluid, so the frequency of opening the valve is higher than usual.

  When a preset valve opening frequency is exceeded, the control device sends an instruction to the alarm device to issue an alarm. As a result, the user can know the abnormality of the circulating cooling device or the like at an early stage, and can minimize the failure.

  In the above-described embodiment, the sensor is limited to the pressure sensor. However, in the present embodiment, the sensor is not limited. In addition to the shape memory alloy, the gas release valve driving method is not limited to the electromagnetic valve, piezoelectric. Various valve driving systems such as a valve using an element can be applied.

  For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, the optimum structures are shown, but the structures of the embodiments can be used in combination.

  The bubble removing device of the present invention is an application that requires miniaturization, particularly like a circulating liquid cooling device for electronic equipment, and moves a liquid as a working fluid by changing a volume in a pump chamber by a diaphragm. Like a pump, it can utilize for the bubble removal apparatus of the fluid system which used the pump with a pressure pulsation in a discharge flow path as a fluid drive source.

Sectional drawing parallel to the axis | shaft of the turning flow path of the bubble removal apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. Sectional drawing parallel to the axis | shaft of the turning flow path of the bubble removal apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. Sectional drawing perpendicular | vertical to the axis | shaft of the turning flow path of the bubble removal apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. The attachment state figure to the pump of the bubble removal apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. The control block diagram of the bubble removal apparatus which concerns on Example 2 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Bubble removal apparatus, 101 ... Main body, 102 ... Outflow channel, 103 ... Inflow channel, 104 ... Swirling channel, 105 ... Opening port, 111 ... Gas-liquid separation membrane, 121 ... Gas release valve, 122 ... Valve shaft , 123 ... shape memory alloy spring, 131 ... pressure sensor, 142 ... pressure sensor, 201 ... control device, 202 ... valve drive device, 203 ... pump drive circuit, 204 ... alarm device, 300 ... diaphragm pump.

Claims (4)

In the bubble removal device comprising a swirling flow generating structure, a gas-liquid separation membrane installed at the approximate center of the swirling flow generating structure, and a controllable gas release valve installed on the gas side of the previous gas-liquid separation membrane,
A bubble removing apparatus comprising a pressure sensor in a flow path having a substantially equal pressure with the swirling flow generating structure. The bubble removing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
A bubble removing device comprising: a control device that instructs opening of the gas release valve according to a pulsation state of pressure detected by the pressure sensor. In the bubble removal apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The gas release valve is opened and closed by heating the shape memory alloy. In the bubble removal device comprising a swirling flow generating structure, a gas-liquid separation membrane installed at the approximate center of the swirling flow generating structure, and a controllable gas release valve installed on the gas side of the previous gas-liquid separation membrane,
An air bubble removing device comprising an alarm device that issues an alarm according to an opening frequency of the gas release valve.

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