JP2006145140A - Drain water evaporator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drain water evaporator capable of evaporating drain water accumulated in a drain pan by a simple composition and a small amount of energy. <P>SOLUTION: The drain water evaporator 5 has the drain pan 51, a drain water pipe 52, an agitating member 53, and a blow fan 54 composing a blower. A water level sensor 55 is arranged in the drain pan 51 as a water level detecting means for detecting a drain level accumulated in the drain pan 51. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a drain water evaporator that evaporates drain water (defrost water) in a refrigerator.

  In a drain water evaporator in a conventional refrigerator, heat of a condenser or a compressor constituting a refrigeration cycle is used. This drain water evaporator uses heat generated during the operation of the cooling cycle, and the drain water can be evaporated in an energy-saving manner.

  In addition, if the heat from the condenser or compressor that constitutes the refrigeration cycle cannot be used structurally, or if sufficient heat is not generated from the refrigeration cycle, a separate electric heater should be used if the waste heat from the refrigeration cycle cannot be fully utilized. The drain water is heated and evaporated.

Further, a part of a member having a capillary action such as a sponge is immersed in the drain water, the drain water is sucked up by the capillary action, the evaporation is promoted, and the air flow generated by the blower is a water surface of the drain water. It has been proposed that the angle at which the water hits is tightly broken so that the surface tension of the water surface of the drain water is broken so that the air facing the water surface contains a large amount of water vapor.
JP 2002-221384 A JP 2003-50073 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-292771

  However, when a Stirling refrigerator is used as a cooling device, a natural circulation thermosiphon is used for exhausting the heat generated by the Stirling refrigerator, and the heat retaining refrigerant is transported downward. A circulation pump is required, and power for driving the circulation pump is required as the number of members increases. Even when heating means such as the electric heater is used, the number of members such as the electric heater and the wiring, installation tool and the like accompanying the electric heater increase. Further, power for driving the electric heater is required.

  The circulation pump, the electric heater, and the like require a large amount of energy for driving, which hinders energy saving of the cooling box.

  Further, in the case where a part of a member having a capillary action is immersed in the drain water, when the member becomes dirty due to long-term use, the capillary action is lowered and the drain water sucking ability is remarkably lowered. In the case of using a blower to promote the generation of water vapor from the surface of the drain water, the air flow rate and flow velocity of the blower must be kept high, resulting in poor efficiency.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to evaporate drain water with less energy without using a member that requires much energy for driving a circulation pump, an electric heater, or the like. Moreover, it aims at evaporating drain water stably over a long period of time and efficiently.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention comprises a drain pan for accumulating drain water, a stirring member arranged inside the drain pan for stirring the drain water, and a driving means for driving the stirring member. The water surface of the drain water is made rippled by driving the stirring member.

  According to this configuration, when the stirring member is stirred by the driving means, the energy consumption at the time of driving is smaller than that of the heating means such as an electric heater, and the energy required for the evaporation of the drain water can be reduced accordingly. In addition, the water surface is swung by the stirring member to increase the contact area between the air and the water surface, and the drain water evaporates in the air. There are few defects attached to the cabinet.

  The said structure WHEREIN: It is good to form a recessed part deeper than another part in a part of bottom part of the said drain pan, and to arrange | position the said stirring member in the said recessed part. Even in a state where the drain water collected in the drain pan is small, the drain water can be stirred. When the amount of the drain water is large, the water surface of the drain water can be swung over a wide range, and the evaporation efficiency can be improved.

  In the above configuration, the stirring member includes at least one rotating shaft, and at least one stirring blade portion that is disposed on the rotating shaft and rotates as the rotating shaft rotates. The wing portion may be arranged in the radial direction of the rotating shaft. The stirring blade part may be substantially the same length as the entire length of the rotating shaft. Since a large amount of drain water can be removed, the amount of stirring of the drain water can be increased and the evaporation efficiency can be increased.

  The said structure WHEREIN: The said stirring blade part is provided with two or more, It is good for the said stirring blade part to be shorter than the full length of the said rotating shaft, and to be arrange | positioned along with the axial direction of this rotating shaft. Furthermore, when the said stirring blade part is provided with two or more, it is good for this stirring blade part to be arrange | positioned at equal center angle intervals with respect to the central axis of the said rotating shaft.

  According to this configuration, since the stirring blade portions are arranged side by side in the axial direction, a complicated wave can be generated on the surface of the drain water, and the area in contact with air can be increased, thus improving the evaporation efficiency. be able to. In addition, when the stirring blades are arranged at equal central angular intervals, fluctuations in the load applied to the stirring member can be reduced and quiet stirring can be performed.

  The said structure WHEREIN: It is desirable to arrange | position an air blower in the vicinity of the said drain pan, and to blow on the water surface. By blowing air to the water surface with the blower, steam is removed from the water surface and evaporation of drain water can be promoted.

  The said structure WHEREIN: It is preferable that the said drive means has a power part which follows the operation | movement of the said air blower. The power unit is a windmill, and the stirring member can be driven by receiving a part of the airflow generated by the blower in the windmill.

  According to this configuration, when the air blower blows so as to remove steam from the water surface, the stirring member is driven to make the water surface ripple, so that the evaporation of drain water is promoted and the evaporation efficiency is increased. it can. Moreover, the said power part is a windmill, Comprising: If it rotates with the airflow from the said air blower, a structural member can be reduced.

  The said structure WHEREIN: The said drive means may have a power part independent of the power part of the said air blower. When it has an independent power part, the said drive means can drive the said stirring apparatus, even when the said air blower is not driving. Thereby, the said stirring member can always be operated efficiently.

  In the above configuration, the apparatus includes a water level detection unit that detects a water level of the drain pan, and a control unit that stops driving of the drive unit when the water level of the drain pan detected by the water level detection unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined water level. It is good to be.

  According to this configuration, when the water level of the drain water is high, the amount of evaporation can be increased, and when the water level of the drain water is low, energy saving can be achieved by stopping the driving means.

  According to the present invention, drain water can be evaporated with less energy without using a member that requires a lot of energy for driving a circulation pump, an electric heater, or the like.

  Further, according to the present invention, the drain water can be evaporated stably and efficiently over a long period of time.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a side sectional view of a refrigerator according to the present invention. A Stirling refrigerator A shown in FIG. 1 is generated in the main body 1, the Stirling refrigerator 2, the secondary refrigerant circulation circuit 3 that conveys the cold generated in the Stirling refrigerator 2 to the inside of the refrigerator, and the Stirling refrigerator 2. And a heat radiation side natural circulation circuit 4 for transporting heat to the outside of the refrigerator.

  The main body 1 has a cabinet 11 for cooling the articles, a machine room 12 for arranging the Stirling refrigerator 2, and an evaporator 5 for collecting and evaporating drain water. The machine room 12 is provided in the upper rear part of the cabinet 11. The cabinet 11 is a box formed of a heat insulating layer. The cabinet 11 has a freezer compartment 111 at the bottom and a refrigerator compartment 112 at the top. Behind the freezer compartment 111 is provided an evaporator installation space 110 for arranging a cooling side evaporator 32 of the secondary refrigerant circulation circuit 3 to be described later. Doors 113 and 114 are disposed in the freezer compartment 111 and the refrigerator compartment 112, and the doors 113 and 114 seal the freezer compartment 111 and the refrigerator compartment 112 with a packing 115 when the doors 113 and 114 are closed.

  The Stirling refrigerator 2 has a low temperature part 21 and a high temperature part 22. The secondary refrigerant circulation circuit 3 is attached to the low temperature part 21, and the heat radiation side natural circulation circuit 4 is attached to the high temperature part 22.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the secondary refrigerant circulation circuit 3 includes a cooling side condenser 31, a cooling side evaporator 32, and a refrigerant flow pipe 33. The cooling side condenser 31 is disposed in contact with the low temperature portion 21 of the Stirling refrigerator 2, and the cooling side evaporator 32 is placed in the evaporator installation space 110 below the cooling side condenser 31 and behind the freezer compartment 111 as shown in the figure. Has been placed. A loop-type thermosiphon is configured by connecting the cooling-side condenser 31 and the cooling-side evaporator 32 in a ring shape with a refrigerant flow pipe 33. The secondary refrigerant circulation circuit 3 is filled with a secondary refrigerant (which is not limited to carbon dioxide here).

  In the cooling side condenser 31 arranged in contact with the low temperature part 21 of the Stirling refrigerator 2, the secondary refrigerant is cooled and condensed in the low temperature part 21 to be in a liquefied state. The liquefied secondary refrigerant flows through the refrigerant flow pipe 33 by gravity and flows into the cooling side evaporator 32. The secondary refrigerant that has flowed into the cooling-side evaporator 32 evaporates in the cooling-side evaporator 32 and cools the surroundings with the heat of vaporization during evaporation. The secondary refrigerant flowing out from the cooling side evaporator 32 is sent to the cooling side condenser 31. By repeating the above operation, cold heat can be supplied to the inside of the cabinet 11 without using external power for circulating the refrigerant. An internal cooling fan 116 for circulating the cooled air around the cooling side evaporator 32 is attached inside the cabinet 11. The internal cooling fan 116 is driven to circulate the air inside the freezer compartment 111 to cool the inside of the freezer compartment 111. The cooled air is also sent to the refrigerator compartment 112, and the inside of the refrigerator compartment 112 is also cooled.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the heat radiation side natural circulation circuit 4 includes a heat radiation side evaporator 41, a heat radiation side condenser 42, and a pipe 43. The heat radiation side evaporator 41 is disposed in contact with the high temperature portion 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 2, and the heat radiation side condenser 42 is disposed on the heat radiation side evaporator 41 as shown in FIG. The heat radiation side evaporator 41, the heat radiation side condenser 42, and the pipe 43 constitute a loop thermosyphon. The heat radiation side natural circulation circuit 4 is filled with a refrigerant (here, water). A heat radiating fan 44 for blowing air to the heat radiating side condenser 42 is also provided.

  In the heat radiation side evaporator 41, the heat generated in the high temperature part 22 is transmitted to the refrigerant. Then, the refrigerant that has absorbed the heat evaporates and is conveyed to the heat radiation side condenser 42 through the pipe 43, and the heat of the refrigerant is radiated to the atmosphere by the heat radiation side condenser 42. Thereafter, the refrigerant that has been radiated and cooled is liquefied and circulated through the piping 43 to the radiating side evaporator 41. By repeating the above operation, the heat radiation side natural circulation circuit 4 releases the heat of the high temperature part 22 of the Stirling refrigerator 2 to the outside of the Stirling cooler A.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drain water evaporator according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the drain water evaporator shown in FIG. The drain water evaporator 5 includes a drain pan 51, a drain water drain pipe 52, a stirring member 53, and a blower fan 54 constituting a blower. The drain pan 51 is provided with a water level sensor 55 as water level detecting means for detecting the level of drain water accumulated in the drain pan 51.

  The stirring member 53 has a cylindrical shape. When the stirring member 53 rotates, the drain water that is close to the stirring member 53 flows around the stirring member 53 by friction and viscous force. The drain water flows to make the water surface undulate, and is arranged at the approximate center of the drain pan 51. As shown in FIG. 1, the drain water drain pipe 52 is disposed below the cooling side evaporator 32, and the drain water flows into the drain pan 51. As shown in FIG. 3, the blower fan 54 is arranged toward the drain pan 51 so as to scavenge the steam drifting on the water surface of the drain pan 51.

  Moisture in the air adheres to the surface of the cooling side evaporator 32 as frost, and flows down below the cooling side evaporator 32 as defrosted water during defrosting. The water that has flowed downward (hereinafter referred to as drain water) flows through the drain water drain pipe 52 disposed below the cooling side evaporator 32 and accumulates in the drain pan 51. Then, air containing a large amount of steam drifting above the drain pan 51 is discharged to the outside of the cooler A by the blower fan 54 to promote evaporation of drain water.

  The tip of the stirring member 53 is rotatably supported by the drain pan 51, and is supported in a watertight and rotatable manner in a through hole 510 provided in the side wall 511 of the drain pan 51. Moreover, the drive means (here electric motor 56) which rotates the stirring member 5 is attached to the edge part. When the electric motor 56 operates, the stirring member 53 rotates and stirs the drain water. Since the surface of the stirred drain water undulates, it comes into contact with air over a wide area and evaporates to increase the humidity of the air. By driving the stirring member 53 to such an extent that mist does not rise from the surface, water droplets are prevented from adhering to the cabinet, which is the discharge path of air containing steam.

  The water level sensor 55 has a plurality of pairs of electrodes, and the electrodes are arranged at a position substantially the same as the minimum height of the stirring member 53 from the bottom of the drain pan 51 and a pair of electrodes above and below it. The electrode becomes conductive when it is wet with water. From this, it is a sensor which measures the water level of drain water with the electrode pair in a conductive state. The water level sensor is not limited to those using electrodes. The water level is measured by the water level sensor 55, and the agitation member 53 is operated in a state where at least a part of the agitation member 53 is in contact with the drain water, so that the water surface of the drain water is waved. By making the water surface ripple, the contact area between the air and the water surface can be increased, and the amount of evaporation can be increased.

  In this embodiment, the stirring member 53 has a cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto. For example, unevenness may be provided on the surface of the portion of the stirring member 53 disposed inside the drain pan 51 so that the frictional force is increased. Further, the portion arranged inside the drain pan 51 may be a shape other than a cylinder, for example, a polygonal columnar member such as a triangular prism or a quadrangular prism. The blower fan 54 may be omitted when the drain water can be sufficiently evaporated only by stirring with the stirring member 53.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an example of a stirring member used in the drain water evaporator according to the present invention. The stirring member 53b includes four rotating blades 532b for stirring the drain water on the rotating shaft 531b. The stirring blades 532b are arranged radially at equal central angular intervals with respect to the rotating shaft 531b.

  Since the stirring blade 532b scrapes water, a large amount of water can be scraped away at a time. Thereby, a water surface can be effectively rippled in a short time, and drain water can be evaporated efficiently. Moreover, like the stirring member 53c shown in FIG. 5, the stirring blade 532c may be divided | segmented into the longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft 531c. By dividing the rotary shaft 531c in the longitudinal direction, a portion where the drain water is scraped off by the stirring blade 532c and a portion where the drain water is not scraped off such as a gap 530c of the stirring blade 532c are formed, and the drain water is messy. Stir. Since the drain water is agitated randomly, the contact area between the water surface and air can be increased, and the drain water can be efficiently evaporated.

  Moreover, the stirring blades 532d and 533d in which the stirring blade of the rotating shaft 531d is shifted in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 531d may be provided as in the stirring member 53d shown in FIG. The stirring blade 532d is attached to a portion of the rotating shaft 531d far from the motor 56, and the stirring blade 533d is attached to a portion near the motor 56. Since the angles of the stirring blades 532d and 533d are deviated, the drain water is further agitated more randomly. Thereby, since the water surface of drain water can be waved in a complicated manner, the contact area between the water surface and air can be increased, and the ability to evaporate the drain water can be enhanced.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an example of a stirring member used in the drain water evaporator according to the present invention. The stirring member 53e shown in FIG. 7 includes a rotating shaft 531e and a stirring blade 532e. Eight stirring blades 532e are arranged in the direction of the rotating shaft 531e. The stirring member 532e is spirally arranged so that the stirring blades 532e adjacent to each other in the direction of the rotation shaft 531e are at equal central angular intervals (here, 90 °) about the rotation shaft 531e.

  When the agitating member 53e rotates, the respective agitating blades 532e scrape drain water at different locations in the drain pan 51 at the same time, so that a wave having a complicated shape is generated on the surface of the drain water. The formation of waves having a complicated shape increases the contact area between the air and the water surface of the drain water, thereby enhancing the ability to evaporate the drain water.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of the drain water evaporator according to the present invention. The drain water evaporator 6 shown in FIG. 8 includes a drain pan 61, a stirring member 63, a blower fan 64, and a stirring member driving unit 66. The stirring member 63 is disposed inside the drain pan 61. The stirring member 63 has the same shape as the stirring member shown in FIG. That is, the rotating shaft 631 and the stirring blades 632 attached to the rotating shaft 631 at equal central angular intervals are provided. The distal end of the rotating shaft 631 is rotatably supported by the drain pan 61, and is supported in a watertight and rotatable manner in a through hole 610 provided in the side wall 611 of the drain pan 61.

  A windmill 66 is attached to the end of the rotating shaft 631 that is disposed outside the drain pan 61. The blower fan 64 blows air to the surface of the drain water accumulated in the drain pan 61, discharges air containing a large amount of water vapor on the drain water surface, and sends dry air to the surface of the drain water.

  A part of the airflow generated by the blower fan 64 is blown to the windmill 66 and the windmill 66 rotates. By rotating the windmill 66, the stirring blade 632 attached to the rotating shaft 631 stirs the drain water and makes the water surface of the drain water wave. Since the stirring member 63 is driven by using a part of the energy of the airflow generated by the blower fan 64, it is not necessary to use a separate power source such as a motor for driving, and the simple configuration is made accordingly. Can do. Further, the stirring member 63 is driven by the operation of the blower fan 64, and the blower fan 64 and the stirring member 63 can be interlocked without complicated control.

  In the present embodiment, the wind turbine 66 is directly attached to the rotating shaft 631, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the windmill 66 may be disposed in front of the blowing fan 64 in the blowing direction, and the rotation of the windmill 66 may be transmitted using a shaft, a belt, a gear, or the like. In this case, the magnitude of the rotational force output from the windmill 66 can be increased or decreased when reaching the rotating shaft 631. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide a through-hole in the drain pan 61, and manufacture is easy as much. In the above embodiment, the stirring member having the windmill 66 as the driving means is illustrated as having the same shape as the stirring member shown in FIG. 4, but is not limited thereto, and is illustrated in each of the above embodiments. An agitated member may be used.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of an example of the drain water evaporator according to the present invention. The drain water evaporator 7 shown in FIG. 9 includes a drain pan 71, a stirring member 73, a blower fan 74, and a stirring member driving means 76. The stirring member 73 is disposed inside the drain pan 71. The stirring member 73 has the same shape as the stirring member shown in FIG. In other words, the rotating shaft 731 and the stirring blade 732 attached to the rotating shaft 731 at equal central angular intervals are provided. The stirring member is not limited to one having the same shape as the stirring member shown in FIG.

  A recess 713 is formed on the bottom surface 712 of the drain pan 71. Further, a stirring member 73 is disposed inside the recess 713. The tip of the rotating shaft 731 is rotatably supported by the drain pan 71, and is supported in a watertight and rotatable manner in a through hole 710 provided in the side wall 711 of the drain pan 71.

  A stirring member driving means (here, a motor 76) is attached to an end portion of the rotating shaft 731 disposed outside the drain pan 71. The blower fan 74 blows air to the surface of the drain water accumulated in the drain pan 71, scavenging air containing a large amount of water vapor on the surface of the drain water, and sending dry air to the surface of the drain water. Since the recess 713 is formed in the bottom surface 712 of the drain pan 71 and the stirring member 73 is disposed in the recess 711, the drain water can be obtained by driving the motor 76 and rotating the sales expansion member 73 even when the drain water level is low. The water surface can be made rippled and can be evaporated even when there is little drain water.

  The bottom surface 712 of the drain pan 71 is preferably inclined toward the recess 713. By tilting, the water accumulated in the drain pan bottom surface 712 flows into the recess 713, so that the stirring member 73 can be driven even in a state where the accumulated drain water is small. Can also be evaporated.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, an example in which one stirring member is attached to the drain pan is illustrated, but the invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of stirring members may be attached. At this time, it is arranged so as not to interfere with each other's operation, such as those arranged so that the rotation shafts of the stirring members are parallel, those arranged at a twisted position, those arranged at a predetermined angle, etc. Can be widely adopted. When a plurality of stirring members are attached, the presence or absence of the stirring blades and the shape thereof may all be the same or different. What can make the water surface of drain water ripple efficiently can be widely used.

It is sectional drawing seen from the side surface of the refrigerator concerning this invention. It is a perspective view of an example of the drain water evaporation device concerning the present invention. It is sectional drawing of an example of the drain water evaporator shown in FIG. It is a perspective view of an example of the stirring member used for the drain water evaporator concerning this invention. It is a perspective view of an example of the stirring member used for the drain water evaporator concerning this invention. It is a perspective view of an example of the stirring member used for the drain water evaporator concerning this invention. It is a perspective view of an example of the stirring member used for the drain water evaporator concerning this invention. It is sectional drawing of an example of the drain water evaporation apparatus concerning this invention. It is sectional drawing of an example of the drain water evaporation apparatus concerning this invention.

Explanation of symbols

110 Evaporator Installation Space 12 Machine Room 13 Drain Water Evaporator 2 Stirling Refrigerator 3 Secondary Refrigerant Circulation Circuit 4 Heat Dissipation Side Natural Circulation Circuit 5 Drain Water Evaporator 51 Drain Dish 52 Drain Drain Pipe 53 Stirring Member 54 Blower Fan 55 Water Level Detection means (water level sensor)
56 Drive means (motor)

Claims (3)

A drain pan for collecting drain water;
A stirring member disposed inside the drain pan and stirring the drain water;
Drive means for driving the agitation member, and driving the agitation member to ripple the water surface of the drain water.   The drain water evaporator according to claim 1, wherein a blower is disposed in the vicinity of the drain pan and blows air to the water surface. Water level detection means for detecting the water level of the drain pan;
The drain water evaporation according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit that stops driving of the driving unit when the water level of the drain pan detected by the water level detecting unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined water level. apparatus.

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