JP2005337509A - Heating steam generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive heating steam generating device with a simple structure, capable of using commercial power supply and easily generating heating steam. <P>SOLUTION: This heating steam generating device is provided with a pipe body comprising electrically conductive ceramic etc. which has predetermined length and inside of which a passage is formed; a power supply means for supplying a commercial alternating current to the pipe body; and a control means for controlling operation of the power supply means. By supplying a predetermined commercial alternating current from the power supply means to the pipe body by control of the controlling means and causing self-heating of the pipe body, heating steam is discharged from a discharge port of the pipe body. A heating promoting means comprising fins for promoting heating and a porous chamber part etc. is provided inside the passage of the pipe body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a heated steam generator that generates heated steam (super steam) used for cooking, washing, sterilization, drying, dehydration processing, and the like of various objects.

  Conventionally, this type of heated steam generator is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. This heating steam generator includes a cylindrical body that is vertically oriented and has a water-stagnation zone on the lower end side of the hollow interior, a water supply unit that supplies water to the water-stagnation zone of the cylinder, and the water level of the water-spill zone A water level adjusting mechanism for adjusting the frequency, an induction coil wound around the outer periphery of the cylinder, and a power source for supplying a high-frequency current to the induction coil.

And by supplying a high frequency current from the power source to the induction coil, an eddy current is induced and heated in the cylinder, and the water in the cylinder is indirectly heated by the heating of the cylinder to generate water vapor, This steam is heated to form heated steam, which is guided outside the cylinder.
JP 2003-297537 A

  However, in this heating steam generator, induction heating is used as a means for heating water and the steam obtained by heating the water, so that a high frequency current is applied to the induction coil and the induction coil. A high-frequency oscillator or the like as a power source to be supplied is required, and countermeasures against noise (electromagnetic waves) due to a high-frequency current are also required, so that the configuration of the apparatus itself is complicated and cost is likely to increase.

  As a result, such a heated steam generator can be used relatively easily in a facility having a dedicated power supply facility such as a food processing factory, but a facility having only a commercial power source such as a convenience store. However, there is a problem that it is practically difficult to use and inferior in versatility of the apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heated steam generator that can be used even with a commercial power source and can be easily configured and inexpensive, and can easily generate heated steam. It is to provide.

  In order to achieve this object, the invention described in claim 1 of the present invention is a conductive tube having a predetermined length and having a passage formed therein, and supplying a predetermined current to the tube. Power supply means and control means for controlling the operation of the power supply means, and by supplying a predetermined current from the power supply means to the tube body under the control of the control means to self-heat the tube body, Heated steam is discharged from the discharge port.

  The tube body is preferably formed of a conductive ceramic as in the invention described in claim 2, and heating is promoted in the passage as in the invention described in claim 3. It is preferable to provide a heating promoting means including a fin to be made and a porous chamber portion having a large number of through holes. Moreover, it is preferable that the tubular body is formed in a spiral shape or a meandering shape, and the entire length thereof is set to a predetermined length as in the invention described in claim 4.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the steam in the pipe is superheated by supplying, for example, a commercial alternating current from the power source to the pipe under the control of the control means to cause the pipe to self-heat. Therefore, for example, AC100V or AC200V commercial AC power supply can be used as a power source for obtaining the heated water vapor, and no induction coil or electromagnetic wave countermeasure is required. It can be simplified and formed inexpensively, and heated steam can be obtained easily and stably while improving the versatility of the apparatus.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1, since the tube body is formed of conductive ceramic, the durability of the tube body is improved and the device itself is improved. The reliability can be increased, and the energy efficiency of the apparatus can be saved by improving the heating efficiency.

  Further, according to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the effect of the invention described in claim 1 or 2, a heating promoting means including a fin or a porous part for promoting heating is provided in the passage of the tubular body. Therefore, the heating efficiency of the steam by the tube can be further increased by the heating promoting member.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effects of the invention described in claims 1 to 3, the tubular body is formed in a spiral shape or a meandering shape, and its entire length is set to a predetermined length. Therefore, the heating efficiency of the internal steam can be further increased by the shape such as the length of the tube body, and the heated steam at a predetermined temperature can be obtained in a short time.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1: has shown schematic structure figure of one Embodiment of the heating steam generator concerning this invention. In FIG. 1, a heated steam generator 1 (hereinafter referred to as generator 1) includes a conductive tube 3 housed in a case 2 and provided with a supply port 4 and a discharge port 5 at both ends, and this tube. A boiler 6 connected to the supply port 4 of the body 3, a power supply device 8 (power supply means) for supplying commercial AC power to the electrodes 7 provided at the supply port 4 and the discharge port 5 of the tube 3, and a re-common 9 And a control device 11 (control means) for controlling the power supply device 8 based on the operation of the operation panel 10.

  The tube 3 is formed of a conductive ceramic pipe as a ceramic heating element, and is bent in a meandering manner, for example, as shown in the figure, or is wound in a spiral shape and is not shown in the case 2. It is supported by an insulating support member. Further, a supply port 4 and a discharge port 5 are provided at both ends of the tube body 3, and the supply port 4 is connected to a steam discharge port 6 a of the boiler 6 via a water vapor supply tube 12 via an electromagnetic valve 25. The outlet 5 is connected to a heated steam discharge pipe 13 provided with a nozzle, for example.

  Further, temperature sensors 14 and 15 made of a thermocouple or the like for detecting the temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 3 are disposed at the portions located in the case 2 at both ends of the tube body 3. The tube 3 is supplied with an alternating current from the electrodes 7 provided at both ends thereof and flows in the peripheral wall, so that the tube 3 is self-heated to a predetermined temperature according to the current value, and the supply port 4 of the tube 3 The temperatures on the side and the discharge port 5 are detected by temperature sensors 14 and 15 and output to the control device 11. The arrangement positions of the temperature sensors 14 and 15 are not limited to the tube body 3 in the case 2, and for example, the temperature sensor 14 may be provided at an appropriate position of the water vapor supply pipe 12.

  The electrodes 7 provided at the supply port 4 and the discharge port 5 at both ends of the tube 3 are formed of, for example, a copper plate having a predetermined thickness as shown in FIGS. 4 and a cylindrical portion 7a fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the discharge port 5, and a connecting portion 7b formed to project from one end of the cylindrical portion 7a in the diameter direction. Further, a connection hole 16 for connecting a power cable is formed in a substantially central portion of the connection portion 7b of each electrode 7, and a cooling water flow path 18 is provided inside the cylindrical portion 7a and the connection portion 7b of each electrode 7. Are formed, and a pair of hose connectors 17 are, for example, brazed and fixed to the connection portion 7b which is an end portion of the cooling water flow path 18.

  In this example, the cylindrical portion 7a of each electrode 7 is formed into a complete cylindrical body, and is fitted into the outer peripheral surfaces of the supply port 4 and the discharge port 5 of the tubular body 3. However, for example, the connection portion of the cylindrical portion 7a A slit (not shown) along the axial direction of the tube body 3 is formed at a position facing the tube 7b, and the cylindrical portion 7a is tightly inserted into the outer peripheral surface of the tube body 3 by adjusting the interval between the slits. It can also be configured as follows. Further, the cooling water flow path 18 is not limited to being formed in the copper plate, but may be formed by a copper square pipe separately from the copper plate and brazed to the outer surface of the copper plate.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the electrodes 7 at both ends of the tube 3 are connected to the power supply device 8 through a power cable 19 connected to the connection hole 16, and water cooling for supplying cooling water is performed. Cables 20 are connected to each other. The water cooling cable 20 is connected to a water pipe 21 connected to the water supply port 6 b of the boiler 6 through an electromagnetic valve 22, and the electromagnetic valve 22 is opened by the control of the control device 11. Thus, tap water flows from the water source 23 through the electromagnetic valve 24 through the water-cooled cable 20 and is supplied to the hose connector 17.

  The power cable 19 and the water-cooled cable 20 connected to the connection portion 7b of the electrode 7 are not limited to being formed separately. For example, the power cable 19 is incorporated in the water-cooled cable 20 to cool the power cable 19 itself. It may be an integrated cable with a structure cooled with water. In this way, simply by providing the hose connector 17 at the connection portion 7b of the electrode 7, it is possible to supply cooling water and commercial alternating current, and the connection hole 16 can be omitted. Can be realized.

  The power supply 8 has a power outlet (or power supply wiring) from which a commercial AC voltage such as AC 100 V or AC 200 V can be obtained, and a transformer (not shown) that is connected to the power outlet and can adjust the voltage and current. . The voltage (current) output from the transformer is controlled by the control device 11 so that predetermined AC power is supplied between the electrodes 7 of the tube 3.

  The control device 11 includes, for example, a microcomputer (not shown) and controls the output voltage of the power supply device 8 based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensors 14 and 15 and the operation signal of the remote controller 9 or the operation panel 10. An AC power source with a predetermined power is supplied to the tube body 3. The remote controller 9 and the operation panel 10 include, for example, an operation switch that generates heated steam and discharges it from the nozzle, a stop switch that stops this, a temperature setting switch that sets the temperature of the heated steam, and a discharge time of the heated steam Timer, emergency switch (both not shown), etc. are provided. At this time, the number of remote controllers 9 can be reduced by using the remote controller 9 also as a boiler remote controller.

  According to the generator 1, first, for example, the temperature of the heated water vapor exceeding 100 ° C. discharged from the nozzle by a temperature setting switch of the remote controller 9 is set to a predetermined temperature (for example, 200 ° C. to 800 ° C.) according to the application or object. ). When the operation switch of the remote controller 9 is turned on in this set state, the electromagnetic valve 25 is opened by a control signal from the control device 11, and water vapor of 100 ° C. or less from the steam discharge port 6 a of the boiler 6 passes through the steam supply pipe 12. And the temperature of the water vapor is detected by the temperature sensor 14.

  When the temperature of the water vapor supplied from the boiler 6 is detected by the temperature sensor 14, the AC power supplied to the tube 3 is determined by the control device 11 based on the detected temperature, and a predetermined voltage (for example, AC100V) and a predetermined voltage are determined. Electric power (for example, 3 Kw) of current (for example, 3 A) is supplied to the tube body 3 through the electrode 7. By supplying the AC power, an alternating current flows through the conductive tube 3, and the tube 3 self-heats due to Joule heat corresponding to the resistance of the tube 3. At this time, since the alternating current flowing through the tube 3 is a commercial alternating current having a frequency of 50 Hz or 60 Hz and a voltage of 100 V or 200 V, for example, a commercial power source drawn into a convenience store or the like can be used as it is. A dedicated power supply for generating a high voltage is not required.

  Moreover, the electromagnetic valve 22 is opened by the control signal of the control device 11 substantially simultaneously with the supply of AC power to the pipe body 3 or after a predetermined time, and from the water source 23 through the water pipe 21 and the open electromagnetic valve 24. Tap water which is cooling water is supplied into the cooling cable 20. By supplying the cooling water to the cooling cable 20, the heat generation of the electrode 7 is suppressed, and the decrease in heating efficiency is suppressed by the heat generation of the electrode 7.

  When the tube 3 self-heats due to the alternating current, the water vapor supplied into the tube 3 is heated to, for example, 200 ° C. or more to become heated water vapor, which is connected to the heated water vapor discharge pipe 13 and its nozzle from the discharge port 5. For example, the liquid is discharged toward the object, and the object is appropriately processed. When the steam is heated by the tube 3, the tube 3 is bent in a meandering shape and the entire length (passage length) is set to a predetermined length, so that the steam flowing through the tube 3 is supplied from the supply port 4. While flowing to the discharge port 5, it is heated to a predetermined temperature in a short time.

  When heated steam is discharged from the discharge port 5, the temperature of the heated steam is detected by the temperature sensor 15 and input to the control device 11 and compared with the temperature set in advance by the control device 11. When the detected temperature is lower than the set temperature, the AC power of the power supply device 8 is increased. When the detected temperature is higher than the set temperature, the AC power of the power supply device 8 is decreased. Thereby, the temperature of the heated steam discharged from the nozzle of the heated steam discharge pipe 13 is maintained within a set temperature or a predetermined temperature range, and an appropriate heated steam process for the object becomes possible.

  Thus, according to the generator 1, by supplying a predetermined commercial alternating current from the power supply device 8 to the tube body 3 under the control of the control device 11 to cause the tube body 3 to self-heat, Since the steam at 100 ° C. or lower is heated to become heated steam and discharged from the discharge port 5, for example, a commercial AC power supply of AC100V or AC200V can be used as a power source for obtaining heated steam, and induction coils and electromagnetic waves are used. No countermeasures are required. As a result, the configuration of the generator 1 can be simplified and formed at low cost, and the versatility can be improved. For example, even in a small-scale facility where a commercial power source such as a convenience store is drawn in, the generator 1 is installed. Thus, the heated steam can be obtained easily and stably.

  In addition, since the tube body 3 is formed of a conductive ceramic pipe, the durability of the tube body 3 can be improved to improve the reliability of the generator 1 itself, and the heat generation characteristics of the conductive ceramic, etc. As a result, the heating efficiency of water vapor can be improved, and energy saving of the generator 1 can be achieved.

  Furthermore, since the tube body 3 is formed in a meandering shape or a spiral shape, and its entire length is set to a predetermined length, the heating efficiency of the internal water vapor can be further enhanced by the shape (full length) of the tube body 3. Heated steam at a predetermined temperature can be obtained in a short time. Furthermore, the generator 1 can be easily operated by operating various switches of the remote controller 9 and the operation panel 10, and from these, it is possible to provide the generator 1 excellent in operability and usability. .

  4-6 has shown the modification of the tubular body concerning this invention, respectively. Hereinafter, the same parts as those in the above embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals. First, the feature of the tubular body 3 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is that a heating promoting member for promoting the heating state of water vapor is disposed in the passage inside the tubular body 3, and this heating promoting member is shown in FIG. Or a porous portion 27 having a large number of different inner diameters or having the same through-hole 27a as shown in FIG. By this heating promoting member, the contact area between the water vapor flowing in the tube 3 and the tube 3 is increased, and the heating efficiency of the water vapor can be further enhanced, for example, the water vapor is heated in a shorter time.

  Further, the tube 3 shown in FIG. 6 is characterized in that the electrode 7 is formed only by a connecting portion 7 b made of a copper plate having a relatively large thickness, and the lower end surface of the electrode 7 is in surface contact with the outer peripheral surface of the tube 3. It is in the point fixed by brazing etc. in the state. By comprising in this way, the fixing structure of the electrode 7 with respect to the tubular body 3 is simplified, and the cheaper generator 1 can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the steam is heated while flowing the steam at 100 ° C. or less from the boiler 6 while supplying the steam into the tube body 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the boiler 6 It is also possible to supply hot water at a predetermined temperature from the inside of the pipe body 3 and evaporate the hot water as it flows through the pipe body 3 to form heated steam. In this case, the inner diameter of the first half side of the pipe body 3 through which hot water flows differs from the inner diameter of the second half side of the pipe body 3 through which water vapor flows, for example, the inner diameter of the first half side> the inner diameter of the second half side or vice versa. It is preferable to improve the conversion efficiency from hot water to steam to heated steam by making the first half and the latter half of the body 3 different in material, conductivity (resistance value), thickness, and the like.

  In the above embodiment, the case 2 in which the tube body 3 is disposed and the boiler 6 that generates water vapor of 100 ° C. or less are formed separately. For example, the tube body 3 is disposed in the casing of the boiler 6. Alternatively, the control device 11 may be integrated with the control device 6c (see FIG. 1) of the boiler 6 and incorporated in the boiler 6.

  Furthermore, the power supply device 8 of the present invention is not limited to the generation of commercial alternating current, and for example, as a device that generates medium-frequency or high-frequency alternating current or direct current up to several hundred Kz, these predetermined currents are supplied to the tube 3. You may make it energize directly. In addition, the tube body 3 of the present invention is not limited to a conductive ceramic, and a metal tube such as stainless steel having a predetermined conductivity and other appropriate heating elements can be used.

  The present invention is not limited to a boiler as a means for generating water vapor, but can be applied to, for example, a heated water vapor generator using an instantaneous water heater, an electric pot, an electromagnetic cooker, or the like, and is not limited to a store such as a convenience store. It can also be applied to any place (facility) where commercial power is drawn in, such as a general household.

The schematic block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the heating steam generator concerning this invention Front view of the tube end The longitudinal section Sectional drawing which shows the modification of the same tubular body Sectional drawing which shows the other modification of the same tubular body Longitudinal sectional view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modification of the tube end

Explanation of symbols

1: heated steam generator, 3: tube, 4: supply port, 5: discharge port, 6: boiler, 7
: Electrode, 8: Power supply device, 9: Remote control, 10: Operation panel, 11: Control device, 12: Steam supply pipe, 13: Heated steam discharge pipe, 14, 15: Temperature sensor, 21: Water supply pipe, 26: Fin 27: Porous part, 27a: Through-hole.

Claims (4)

  A conductive tube having a predetermined length and having a passage formed therein; power supply means for supplying a predetermined current to the tube; and control means for controlling the operation of the power supply means. A heating steam generator for discharging heated steam from a discharge port of a tubular body by supplying a predetermined current from the power supply means to the tubular body under the control of the means to cause the tubular body to self-heat.   The heated steam generator according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body is made of a conductive ceramic.   The heating steam according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tube body is provided with heating promotion means including a fin for promoting heating in the passage, a porous portion having a large number of through holes, and the like. Generator.   The heated steam generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tubular body is formed in a spiral shape or a meandering shape, and its entire length is set to a predetermined length.

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