JP2007106450A - Tank truck - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tank truck which ensures an improved reliability of a cooling function and the increased storage capacity of a tank. <P>SOLUTION: The tank truck is capable of cooling a liquid stored in the tank 2 by causing air cooled by a cooler 3 to flow in a duct 12. Therefore, even if a member or the like forming the duct 12 become corroded or damaged and cooled air may leak from a corroded or damaged part, the flow of air in the duct 12 can be ensured without depleting air for cooling. This securely cools the liquid stored in the tank 2 and improves the reliability of the cooling function. Since the need for a cooling liquid as in a conventional tank is eliminated, the weight of the tank truck 1 is reduced. This reduces load from the permissible load on a vehicle shaft. Accordingly, the storage capacity of the tank 2 is increased by that degree. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tank truck having a tank in which a liquid is stored, and more particularly to a tank truck capable of improving the reliability of a cooling function and increasing the tank storage amount.

  Traditionally, tank trucks are used to transport liquids (eg, beverages). However, in beverages such as milk that are desired to be stored at a storage temperature of 10 ° C. or lower, the temperature rises when the beverage is stored in a tank or transported to a destination, and freshness ( There was a problem of losing taste and nutrients.

  On the other hand, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tank provided with a cooling function. Specifically, a fluid guide member that is disposed on the outer wall surface of the tank and serves as a coolant flow path, a supply unit that feeds and distributes the coolant in the fluid guide member, and a supply unit that feeds the coolant. The cooling liquid cooled mainly by the refrigerator is circulated in the fluid guide member so that the liquid stored in the tank is cooled. .

  The supply means includes a pipe that connects the fluid guide member and the refrigerator, and a pump that supplies coolant to the pipe, and the coolant supplied by the pump is in the pipe and in the fluid guide member. It is configured to circulate.

  Accordingly, the tank is cooled by heat conduction between the coolant and the tank, and the beverage is cooled by heat conduction between the tank and the beverage, so that the freshness of the beverage stored in the tank can be maintained.

The tank described above includes a heat insulating material that covers the outer periphery of the tank and blocks heat dissipation from the outer wall surface of the tank and the fluid guide member, and a protective material that covers the outer periphery of the heat insulating material and protects the heat insulating material. It is possible to enhance the cold insulation effect of the beverage stored in the tank by the heat insulating material, and to improve the weather resistance of the tank by the protective material.
JP 2002-320419 A

  However, in the above-described conventional tank, if the fluid guide member is corroded or damaged, and the coolant leaks from the corroded or damaged portion, the coolant cannot be circulated and stored in the tank. There was a problem that the beverage could not be cooled.

  Moreover, when repairing the location where the coolant has leaked out, as described above, since the heat insulating material and the protective material are covered on the outer periphery of the tank, there is a problem that the maintenance cost required for the repair work is great. There was a point.

  In addition, since the tank is provided with a coolant, the tank lorry becomes heavy, and the amount of tank storage cannot be increased because there is no allowance for the load that can be applied to the allowable load on the axle. There was a point.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a tank truck capable of improving the reliability of the cooling function and increasing the tank storage amount.

  In order to solve this object, a tank lorry according to claim 1 includes a tank in which a liquid is stored, a passage member disposed on an outer wall surface of the tank and serving as an air circulation path, and the passage A cooling device that blows and circulates the cooled air in the member, and the liquid stored in the tank is cooled by circulating the air cooled by the cooling device in the passage member. It is configured as follows.

  The tank lorry according to claim 2 is the tank lorry according to claim 1, wherein the passage member circulates in a forward passage side passage serving as a passage of air blown from the cooling device and the forward passage side passage to the cooling device. A return passage that serves as a return air flow path, and is configured such that air blown from the cooling device circulates in the flow path between the forward path and the return path.

  The tank lorry according to claim 3 is the tank lorry according to claim 2, wherein the forward path side passage and the return path side passage extend in parallel with the axis of the tank and are constant along the extending direction. It has a path width.

  A tank truck according to a fourth aspect is the tank truck according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the tank truck is disposed at an upper portion of the tank, and is disposed at a manhole portion that connects the inside of the tank to the outside, and a lower portion of the tank. And a frame portion that supports the tank, and a pair of the passage members are disposed on the left and right side portions of the tank between the manhole portion and the frame portion.

  The tank lorry according to claim 5 is the tank lorry according to claim 4, wherein the forward path side passage is disposed on the upper side of the tank with respect to the return path side path.

  According to the tank lorry according to claim 1, the passage member and the cooling device are provided, and the liquid stored in the tank can be cooled by circulating the air cooled by the cooling device in the passage member. Even if corrosion or breakage occurs in the member that forms the member, and the cooled air leaks from the corroded or damaged part, the air can be circulated in the passage member without depleting the cooling air. Can be secured. As a result, the liquid stored in the tank can be reliably cooled, and the reliability of the cooling function for cooling the liquid stored in the tank can be improved.

  In addition, as described above, even when the cooled air leaks, the liquid stored in the tank can be cooled, so that it is possible to eliminate the need for repairing the location where the air leaks. . As a result, the maintenance cost can be reduced.

  Further, since the cooling liquid is not used unlike the conventional tank, the weight of the tank truck can be reduced. As a result, there is an allowance for the load that can be loaded with respect to the allowable load of the axle, and there is an effect that the amount of tank storage can be increased accordingly.

  According to the tank lorry of claim 2, in addition to the effect produced by the tank lorry of claim 1, the tank is provided with an outward passage and a return passage, and the air sent from the cooling device to the forward passage and the return passage Since the air circulates, the air cooled by the cooling device can be reused. Thereby, there is an effect that the work of heat exchange performed in the cooling device is reduced, and the cooling efficiency of the cooling device can be improved.

  Further, since the air that has already been cooled by the cooling device is reused, there is an effect that it is possible to shorten the response time from the start of the cooling device to the cooling of the liquid stored in the tank.

  According to the tank lorry of claim 3, in addition to the effect produced by the tank lorry of claim 2, the forward path side passage and the return path side path are extended in parallel with the axis of the tank and along the extending direction. Since it has a fixed path width, air can be circulated linearly compared to when the path member is refracted or narrowed in the middle. Thereby, there exists an effect that the flow resistance of air can reduce and the ventilation efficiency by a cooling device can be improved.

  In addition, since the forward passage and the backward passage are extended in parallel with the axis of the tank and have a certain path width along the extending direction, the manufacture of the tank can be facilitated. There is an effect that can be done. For example, if the passage member extends in parallel with the axis of the tank but does not have a certain passage width, the passage height of the passage member fixed to the outer wall surface of the tank is set to the outer wall surface of the tank. It must be changed according to the curved shape. On the other hand, if the passage member is formed with a constant path width, it is not necessary to change the path height of the passage member according to the curved shape of the outer wall surface of the tank, and it can be formed with a constant height. it can. Thereby, manufacture of a passage member becomes easy and manufacture of a tank can be made easy.

  According to the tank lorry of claim 4, in addition to the effect produced by the tank lorry according to any one of claims 1 to 3, passage members are disposed on both the left and right sides of the tank between the manhole portion and the frame portion. Therefore, the interference between the passage member, the manhole portion and the frame portion can be avoided, and the function of the manhole portion 15 can be maintained.

  Further, since the passage member is disposed avoiding interference with the manhole portion, there is an effect that the strength of the tank on the manhole portion side can be ensured.

  In other words, the upper part of the tank may be operated by an operator, so it is necessary to ensure the strength. The passage member is arranged to avoid interference with the manhole part. It is effective for ensuring the strength of the.

  Furthermore, since the pair of passage members are arranged on the left and right side portions of the tank, the temperature distribution is suppressed from being biased compared to the case where the cooled air is circulated only to one side portion of the tank. There is an effect that the liquid stored in can be cooled so that the temperature of the liquid becomes uniform.

  According to the tank lorry of the fifth aspect, in addition to the effect achieved by the tank lorry of the fourth aspect, the forward path side passage is disposed so as to be located closer to the manhole portion side of the tank than the return path side path. Air having a lower temperature than that of the frame portion side can be circulated on the manhole portion side, and there is an effect that the liquid stored in the tank can be cooled so that the temperature becomes uniform.

  That is, the liquid stored in the tank is relatively higher on the manhole side of the tank than on the frame side (the higher the temperature, the lower the specific gravity). By flowing low temperature air to the higher temperature side, the temperature distribution of the liquid stored in the tank is prevented from being biased.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1A is a side view of a tank lorry 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a schematic view schematically showing a cooler 3.

  First, a schematic configuration of the tank truck 1 will be described. The tank lorry 1 is a vehicle for transporting a liquid (for example, beverage) stored in the tank 2 while cooling it, and as shown in FIG. It mainly includes a cooler 3 disposed at the front end (the front side of the tank lorry 1), a frame portion 4 that supports the tank 2 and the cooler 3, and a track 5 that supports the frame portion 4.

  The cooler 3 is a device for cooling the liquid stored in the tank 2, and the air cooled by the cooler 3 blows the cooled air into the distribution path provided on the outer wall surface of the tank 2 and distributes it. It is comprised so that it can be made to. As a result, the tank 2 can be cooled by heat conduction between the air and the tank 2, and the liquid can be cooled by heat conduction between the tank 2 and the liquid, so that the liquid stored in the tank 2 can be cooled to a predetermined temperature (for example, 4 ° C). The configuration of the tank 2 and the cooler 3 will be described in detail later.

  The frame part 4 is a member for supporting the tank 2 and the cooler 3, and is disposed at the lower part (the ground G side) of the tank 2 and the cooler 3, and supports the tank 2 and the cooler 3 from the lower part (the ground G side). ing.

  The truck 5 includes a drive device such as an engine (not shown) and a transport unit 5a and is configured to be able to travel. The frame unit 4 is attached to the transport unit 5a. Thereby, the liquid stored in the tank 2 can be transported by the truck 5 while being cooled.

  Next, details of each part will be described. The cooler 3 is a heat pump type cooler using a refrigerant (for example, chlorofluorocarbon), and includes a compressor 6, a radiator 7, an expansion valve 8, a cooler 9, and a blower 10 as shown in FIG. Mainly prepared.

  The compressor 6 is a device for compressing a refrigerant, and mainly includes a drive source, a piston, and a cylinder (all not shown). The radiator 7 is a device for cooling the refrigerant, and is formed so that the refrigerant circulates in the pipeline. The expansion valve 8 is a device for injecting a liquid refrigerant, and mainly includes a nozzle and a diaphragm (both not shown), and is configured to inject the liquid refrigerant from the nozzle. The cooler 9 is a device for cooling air, and is formed so that a liquid refrigerant circulates in the pipeline. The blower 10 is a device for blowing air, and mainly includes a drive source and blades (both not shown), and is configured such that the blades are rotated by the drive source.

  In the cooler 3, the air around the cooler 9 is cooled by circulating the refrigerant in the direction indicated by the arrow as shown by the solid line in FIG. In this method, first, the refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 6. Since the temperature of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 6 becomes high, the refrigerant is then fed from the compressor 6 to the radiator 7 and cooled by the radiator 7. Next, the refrigerant cooled and liquefied by the radiator 7 is supplied to the expansion valve 8, and is injected to the cooler 9 by the expansion valve 8. At this time, since the refrigerant in a high pressure state is injected to the low pressure cooler 9 side, the refrigerant in a liquid state is vaporized and takes the heat of the cooler 9, so that the cooler 9 is cooled. As the cooler 9 is cooled, the air around the cooler 9 is deprived of heat by the cooler 9 and cooled. Thereafter, the refrigerant is returned to the compressor 6 again, and the above-described cycle is repeated.

  Moreover, the air blower 10 is arrange | positioned in the vicinity of the cooler 9, and the air cooled with the cooler 9 is sent in the distribution path provided in the outer wall surface of the tank 2 mentioned later (FIG. 2 and FIG. 2). (See FIG. 3).

  Next, the detailed structure of the tank 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. 2A is a side view of the tank 2 viewed from the side, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the tank 2 taken along the line IIb-IIb shown in FIG. 2A. ) Is a cross-sectional view of the tank 2 taken along the line IIc-IIc shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by A in FIG. In FIG. 3, a part of the tank 2 and the cooler 3 are viewed in cross section.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the tank 2 includes an inner wall 11, a duct 12 disposed on the outer wall surface of the inner wall 11, a heat insulating material 13 covering the outer periphery of the inner wall 11 and the duct 12, and a heat insulating material thereof. 13 is provided with a protective material 14 that covers the outer periphery of the tank 13 and a manhole portion 15 that is disposed on the upper portion of the tank 2 (upper side in FIG. 2A).

  The inner wall 11 is a container for storing a liquid therein, and has a cylindrical shape having an axis O made of a metal plate (for example, stainless steel) that has excellent corrosion resistance and maintains rust resistance, and is closed at both ends. Is formed.

  The duct 12 is a member for circulating the air fed by the cooler 3, and as shown in FIG. 2B, the duct 12 is formed in a U-shaped cross section by a metal plate, and the U-shaped By fixing the end surface on the open portion side to the outer wall surface of the inner wall 11, the forward path side passage 12 a, the return path side path 12 b, and the communication path 12 c are formed between the inner wall 11 and the duct 12. The U-shaped cross section is a cross sectional shape in a cross sectional view perpendicular to the air flow direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the forward path 12a is a flow path for circulating the air supplied from the cooler 3, and the return path 12b is circulated through the forward path 12a to the cooler 3. It is a distribution channel for circulating the returning air. The communication passage 12c is an air circulation route that connects the forward passage 12a and the return passage 12b, and allows the air supplied from the forward passage 12a to flow into the return passage 12b.

  The duct 12 extends in parallel with the axis O of the inner wall 11 and has a constant path width W (see FIG. 2B) along the extending direction. Thereby, since air can be circulated linearly compared with the case where the duct 12 is refracted or narrowed in the middle, the flow resistance of air can be reduced and the blowing efficiency by the cooler 3 can be improved. .

  Further, for example, when the duct 12 extends in parallel with the axis O of the inner wall 11 but does not have a certain path width W, the path height of the duct 12 fixed to the outer wall surface of the inner wall 11 is increased. The height H (see FIG. 2B) must be changed in accordance with the curved shape of the outer wall surface of the inner wall 11. On the other hand, if the duct 12 is formed with a constant path width W, it is not necessary to change the path height H of the duct 12 according to the curved shape of the outer wall surface of the inner wall 11, and the duct 12 is formed with a constant height. be able to. Thereby, manufacture of the duct 12 becomes easy and manufacture of the tank 2 can be made easy.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the duct 12 is disposed so that the forward path side passage 12a is positioned closer to the manhole portion 15 side of the tank 2 than the return path side path 12b. . Accordingly, air having a temperature lower than that of the frame portion 4 side can be circulated on the manhole portion 15 side of the tank 2, so that the temperature of the liquid stored in the inner wall 11 can be cooled.

  That is, the temperature of the liquid stored in the inner wall 11 is relatively higher on the manhole portion 15 side of the tank 2 than on the frame portion 4 side (the higher the temperature, the lower the specific gravity of the liquid). Therefore, the distribution of the temperature distribution of the liquid stored in the inner wall 11 is suppressed by allowing the low temperature air to flow on the higher temperature side of the liquid.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the duct 12 includes a pair of forward passages 12 a and left and right side portions (left and right sides of the tank lorry 1) of the inner wall 11 between the manhole portion 15 and the frame portion 4. The return passage 12b is formed so as to be formed. Thereby, since the interference with the duct 12, the manhole part 15, and the flame | frame part 4 can be avoided, the function of the manhole part 15 can be maintained.

  Further, since the duct 12 is disposed so as to avoid interference with the manhole portion 15, the strength of the tank 2 on the manhole portion 15 side can be ensured.

  That is, as described above, since the heat insulating material 13 is covered on the outer periphery of the inner wall 11 and the protective material 14 is covered on the outer periphery of the heat insulating material 13 in the tank 2, the protective material 14 and the inner wall 11 are connected to each other. The reinforcing ribs (not shown) are connected to ensure the strength of the protective material 14 and position the protective material 14 with respect to the inner wall 11. In particular, the upper part of the tank 2 (upper side in FIG. 2A) may be operated by an operator, so that it is necessary to ensure strength. Under such special conditions, if the duct 12 is disposed so as to avoid interference with the manhole portion 15, the strength of the reinforcing rib increases accordingly, so that the strength of the tank 2 on the manhole portion 15 side is increased. Can be increased.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the duct 12 is arranged so that a pair of forward passages 12a and a return passage 12b are formed on the left and right sides of the inner wall 11 (left and right sides of the tank lorry 1). As compared with the case where the cooled air is circulated only to one side portion of the inner wall 11 (the left and right sides of the tank lorry 1), the temperature distribution is suppressed from being biased and the liquid stored in the inner wall 11 is reduced. It can be cooled so that the temperature is uniform.

  As described above, the communication path 12c is an air flow path connecting the forward path side path 12a and the return path side path 12b. As shown in FIG. 2A, the rear end portion of the tank 2 (FIG. 2 ( a) on the right side). As a result, the air fed from the cooler 3 located at the front end of the tank 2 (left side in FIG. 2A) and circulated through the forward path side passage 12a is caused to flow into the return path side passage 12b, and again the front end of the tank 2 ( It can return to the cooler 3 located in Fig.2 (a) left side.

  The communication passage 12c extends perpendicularly to the axis O of the inner wall 11, and, like the forward passage 12a and the return passage 12b, has a constant route width W and height along the extending direction. Has a height H. Thereby, like the forward path side passage 12a and the return path side path 12b, air can be circulated linearly to reduce the flow resistance, and the tank 2 can be easily manufactured.

  The heat insulating material 13 is a member for blocking heat radiation from the inner wall 11 and the duct 12 and is formed of a resin (for example, polyurethane) having excellent heat insulating properties. Thereby, it can suppress that the temperature of the liquid stored in the inner wall 11 rises, and can aim at the improvement of cold insulation performance.

  The protective material 14 is a member for protecting the heat insulating material 13 from damage such as solar radiation and rain, and is formed of a metal plate (for example, stainless steel) having excellent weather resistance. Thereby, since the inner wall 11 can also be protected from damages such as solar radiation and rain, the weather resistance of the tank 2 can be improved.

  The manhole portion 15 is a conduit for connecting the inside of the inner wall 11 to the outside of the tank 2, and is formed through the heat insulating material 13 and the protective material 14. Thereby, the worker can work inside the inner wall 11.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cooler 3 is provided with a cooler 9 and a blower 10 in the space 3a. The cooler 9 cools the air in the space 3a and the cooled air in the space 3a. Is sent to the two forward passages 12 a formed by the duct 12 by the blower 10. Thereby, the air in the space 3a is cooled by the cooler 9, and the rotational drive is given to the blower 10, whereby the cooled air can be supplied to the two ducts 12, respectively.

  Therefore, since the air cooled by the cooler 9 of the cooler 3 is circulated and reused, the work of heat exchange performed in the cooler 3 can be reduced and the cooling efficiency of the cooler 3 can be improved. Further, since the air that has already been cooled by the cooler 3 is reused, the response time from when the cooler 3 is started to when the liquid stored in the tank 2 is cooled can be shortened. Furthermore, since only the air in the sealed space between the space 3a of the cooler 3 and the air flow path formed by the duct 12 is cooled by the cooler 3, the cooler is compared with the case where the outer wall surface of the inner wall 11 is cooled over the entire area. 3 cooling efficiency can be improved.

  As described above, according to the tank lorry 1 of the present invention, the duct 12 and the cooler 3 are provided, and the liquid stored in the tank 2 is cooled by circulating the air cooled by the cooler 3 in the duct 12. Therefore, even if corrosion or breakage occurs in the member or the like forming the duct 12 and the cooled air leaks from the corroded or broken portion, the inside of the duct 12 is not exhausted without exhausting the air for cooling. In addition, air circulation can be ensured. Thereby, the liquid stored in the tank 2 can be reliably cooled, and the reliability of the cooling function for cooling the liquid stored in the tank 2 can be improved.

  Further, as described above, even when the cooled air leaks, the liquid stored in the tank 2 can be cooled, so that it is not necessary to repair the location where the air leaks. As a result, maintenance costs can be reduced.

  Further, since the coolant is not used unlike the conventional tank, the weight of the tank truck 1 can be reduced. Thereby, since the load which can be loaded with respect to the allowable load of the axle can be afforded, the storage amount of the tank 2 can be increased accordingly.

  The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It can be easily guessed.

  For example, in the embodiment described above, the temperature of the liquid stored in the tank 2 is cooled to 4 ° C. However, the temperature of the liquid stored in the tank 2 is not limited to 4 ° C., and it is desirable that the liquid is cooled to a storage temperature most suitable for the liquid stored in the tank 2.

  In the above-described embodiment, the communication passage 12 c formed by the duct 12 is configured to extend perpendicularly to the axis O of the inner wall 11. However, in the side view of the tank 2 (viewed in the vertical direction in FIG. 2A), the duct 12 is formed to have a U shape so that the forward path side passage 12a and the return path side path 12b are connected. May be. Thereby, the flow resistance of the air which distribute | circulates the inside of a distribution channel can further be reduced.

  As described above, even if the duct 12 is not formed to be U-shaped, by smoothly forming only the shape of the end surface portion to which the forward path side passage 12a and the return path side path 12b are connected, You may reduce the flow resistance of the air which distribute | circulates the inside of a distribution channel.

(A) is a side view of the tank truck in one embodiment of the present invention, (b) is a mimetic diagram showing typically a cooler. (A) is a side view of the tank, (b) is a sectional view of the tank taken along line IIb-IIb shown in (a), and (c) is a sectional view of the tank taken along line IIc-IIc shown in (a). It is. It is the enlarged view to which the part shown by A of Fig.1 (a) was expanded.

Explanation of symbols

1 Tank Lorry 2 Tank 3 Cooler (cooling means)
4 Frame 6 Compressor (part of cooling means)
7 radiator (part of cooling means)
8 Expansion valve (part of cooling means)
9 Cooler (part of cooling means)
10 Blower (part of cooling means)
11 Inner wall (part of tank)
12 Duct (passage means)
12a Outward passage 12b Return passage 15 Manhole part O Inner wall axis (tank axis)
W Path width

Claims (5)

In a tank truck having a tank in which liquid is stored,
A passage member disposed on the outer wall surface of the tank and serving as an air flow path;
A cooling device for blowing and circulating the cooled air in the passage member,
A tank lorry configured to cool the liquid stored in the tank by allowing air cooled by the cooling device to flow through the passage member. The passage member includes an outward passage that serves as a flow path for air blown from the cooling device, and a return passage that serves as a flow passage for air that flows through the forward passage and returns to the cooling device.
The tank truck according to claim 1, wherein the air blown from the cooling device circulates in a flow path between the forward path side path and the return path side path.   3. The forward path side passage and the return path side path extend in parallel with the axis of the tank and have a constant path width along the extending direction. Tank lorry. A manhole portion disposed at an upper portion of the tank and connecting the inside of the tank to the outside;
A frame portion disposed at a lower portion of the tank and supporting the tank;
4. The tank lorry according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the passage members are disposed on both left and right side portions of the tank between the manhole portion and the frame portion. 5.   The tank truck according to claim 4, wherein the forward path side passage is disposed on an upper side of the tank with respect to the return path side path.

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