JP2007218469A - Cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooling system capable of surely preventing shops and customers from being significantly troubled by interruption, when brine cooling cannot be performed because of an abnormality in a refrigerating circuit and internal cooling is interrupted. <P>SOLUTION: As a shared refrigerating machine 4 has two refrigerating circuits 4a, 4b sharing a brine heat exchanger 4c, the brine cooling can be performed by utilizing one of the refrigerating circuits, and internal cooling in each of showcases 1-3 can be continued even if an abnormality occurs in the other refrigerating circuit, or the other refrigerating circuit is inspected for eliminating the abnormality. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling system that performs internal cooling in a plurality of refrigeration equipment, for example, a plurality of showcases, using brine cooled by a common refrigerator.

This type of cooling system includes a shared refrigerator having a refrigeration circuit including a brine heat exchanger, a cooler connected to the brine heat exchanger of the shared refrigerator via a brine line, and a brine inflow to the cooler. And a pump that circulates the brine in a path that returns the brine from the brine heat exchanger to the brine heat exchanger via the cooler. Each showcase has an internal temperature sensor that detects the actual internal temperature (actual blowing temperature), and controls the opening and closing of the on-off valve so that the actual internal temperature becomes the set internal temperature. Cool the inside of the cabinet.
JP 2000-205731 A

  Since the common refrigerator of the conventional cooling system has a single refrigeration circuit, if an abnormality occurs in the refrigeration circuit, the desired brine cooling cannot be performed and the interior cooling in each showcase cannot be performed. It will cause great inconvenience to stores and customers.

  The present invention has been created in view of the above circumstances, and the purpose of the present invention is to prevent abnormal cooling in the refrigeration circuit so that brine cooling cannot be performed, so that the internal cooling is interrupted and the interruption causes a great deal to stores and customers. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling system that can surely avoid inconvenience.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a shared refrigerator having a plurality of refrigeration circuits sharing a brine heat exchanger, and a cooler connected to the brine heat exchanger of the shared refrigerator via a brine line. A plurality of refrigeration equipment having an on-off valve that controls brine inflow to the cooler, a pump that circulates the brine in a path from the brine heat exchanger to the brine heat exchanger via the cooler, and brine heat exchange And a means for selectively operating a plurality of refrigeration circuits of the common refrigerator according to the cooling load of the refrigerator.

  According to this cooling system, since the common refrigerator has a plurality of refrigeration circuits sharing the brine heat exchanger, when any abnormality occurs in any of the refrigeration circuits, Even when the refrigeration circuit is being inspected, brine cooling can be performed using the remaining refrigeration circuit to continue cooling in the refrigerator in each refrigeration unit. In other words, as in the conventional cooling system using a common refrigerator having a single refrigeration circuit, the single refrigeration circuit becomes abnormal and brine cooling cannot be performed. It is possible to reliably avoid a great inconvenience to customers and customers.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to reliably avoid a situation in which the internal cooling is interrupted due to an abnormality in the refrigeration circuit and the brine cooling cannot be performed, and the interruption or the customer is greatly disturbed by the interruption.

  The above object and other objects, structural features, and operational effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 10 show an embodiment of the present invention. First, an overall configuration of a cooling system will be described with reference to FIG.

  Each of the showcases 1 to 3 is a type of showcase called an open showcase, and is installed at a predetermined position in a store such as a supermarket. In the present embodiment, these showcases 1 to 3 correspond to “plural refrigeration equipment” in the claims.

  Each showcase 1 to 3 includes coolers 1a to 3a, electromagnetic on-off valves 1b to 3b for controlling brine inflow to the coolers 1a to 3a, and air cooled by the coolers 1a to 3a. Electric blowers 1c to 3c to be circulated in the cabinet, chamber internal temperature sensors 1d to 3d for detecting actual chamber temperatures (blowing temperatures) Ta1 to Ta3, and set chamber temperatures Tas1 to Tas3 The inside temperature setting devices 1e to 4e and the controllers 1f to 3f are provided. Each cooler 1a-3a is connected to the below-mentioned brine heat exchanger 4c via the brine pipelines BP1 and BP2.

  Each controller 1a to 3a includes a control unit having a microcomputer configuration, a driving unit that performs opening / closing driving of each on-off valve 1b to 3b and on / off driving of each blower 1c to 3c based on a signal from the control unit, A detection unit that converts the detection signals of the temperature sensors 1d to 3d into temperature data and sends the temperature data to the control unit. In the memory of each control unit, the actual internal temperature (Ta1 to Ta3) is set based on the temperature deviation between the set internal temperature (Tas1 to Tas3) and the actual internal temperature (Ta1 to Ta3). -In-house temperature control program for controlling the opening / closing of the on-off valves (1b-3b) is stored so as to be -Tas3).

  The common refrigerator 4 includes a first refrigeration circuit 4a, a second refrigeration circuit 4b, a brine heat exchanger 4c shared by both the refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b, and a brine cooler (1a to 3a) from the brine heat exchanger 4c. ) Through the path returning to the brine heat exchanger 4c, the outlet temperature sensor 4e for detecting the actual brine outlet temperature Tb sent from the brine heat exchanger 4c, and the actual surroundings of the first refrigeration circuit 4a A first ambient temperature sensor 4f for detecting the temperature AT1, a second ambient temperature sensor 4g for detecting the actual ambient temperature AT2 of the second refrigeration circuit 4b, a first controller 4h for the first refrigeration circuit 4a, and a second refrigeration A second controller 4i for the circuit 4b.

  The first refrigeration circuit 4a includes an electric compressor 4a1, a condenser 4a2, an electronic expansion valve 4a3, and a cooling path 4a4 provided in the brine heat exchanger 4c. The second refrigeration circuit 4b includes a compressor 4b1, a condenser 4b2, an electronic expansion valve 4b3, and a cooling path 4b4 provided in the brine heat exchanger 4c. Here, the 1st freezing circuit 4a and the 2nd freezing circuit 4b have the same freezing capacity.

  The operation of the first refrigeration circuit 4a cools the brine by the cooling path 4a4 in the brine heat exchanger 4c, and the operation of the second refrigeration circuit 4b cools the brine by the cooling path 4b4 in the brine heat exchanger 4c.

  The first controller 4h includes a control unit having a microcomputer configuration, a drive unit that performs on / off driving of the compressor 4a1 and on / off driving of the pump 4d based on a signal from the control unit, and a detection signal of the first ambient temperature sensor 4f. It has a detection unit that converts temperature data and sends it to the control unit, a display unit such as a CRT display or a liquid crystal display, an input unit including an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a communication unit. The second controller 4i has a microcomputer configuration control unit, a drive unit that performs on / off drive of the compressor 4b1 and an on / off drive of the pump 4d based on a signal from the control unit, and a detection signal of the second ambient temperature sensor 4g. It has a detection unit that converts temperature data and sends it to the control unit, a display unit such as a CRT display or a liquid crystal display, an input unit including an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a communication unit.

  In the memory of the controller of each controller 4h, 4i, a program described later for selecting a refrigeration circuit to be operated based on the actual outlet temperature Tb, a program described later for reselecting the refrigeration circuit to be operated, and the like Is stored. Each controller 4h, 4i enables mutual communication through each communication unit, and can appropriately transmit and receive data necessary for the operation of the shared refrigerator 4 described later.

  Next, a method for selectively operating the two refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b of the shared refrigerator 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The two refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b are operated in any one of the first to fourth modes shown in FIG. The first mode is a mode in which both refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b are operated, the second mode is a mode in which only the first refrigeration circuit 4a is operated, the third mode is a mode in which only the second refrigeration machine 4b is operated, The four mode is a mode in which both the refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b are stopped.

  The selection of the operation mode during system operation is basically performed according to the cooling load of the brine (the amount of heat necessary for cooling the brine). Here, the actual brine outlet temperature Tb is compared with the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH and the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL, and when the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH, the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine. A refrigeration circuit to be operated is selected when the outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL and the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb (see steps S1 to S3 in FIG. 3).

  Specifically, when the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH, since the cooling load of the brine is high, the first mode is selected as the operation mode. When the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL, the second mode or the third mode is suitable as the operation mode because the brine cooling load is not so high. In this case, the second mode is selected as the operation mode. When the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb, it is not necessary to cool the brine, so the fourth mode is selected as the operation mode.

[First operation mode selection method]
In the above cooling system, even if one of the two refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b is stopped, brine cooling can be performed by the other refrigeration circuit, so it is possible to check (including repair) the refrigeration circuit on the side where the abnormality has occurred. is there. 4 and 5 show a method of re-selecting the operation mode in consideration of whether or not the refrigeration circuit is inspected.

  When the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH, it is determined whether or not the first refrigeration circuit 4a and the second refrigeration circuit 4b are being inspected, and the refrigeration circuit to be operated is selected again based on the determination result. (See steps S4 to S6 in FIG. 4).

  Specifically, when both the refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b are not under inspection, the first mode is selected as the operation mode, and when only the second refrigeration circuit 4b is under inspection, the second mode is selected as the operation mode. When only the circuit 4a is under inspection, the third mode is selected as the operation mode. The selection of the second mode and the selection of the third mode in the case of the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH are provisional for the inspection to the last, and when the inspection is completed, the first mode is selected. Will be fixed. The flow chart of FIG. 4 includes the contents for selecting the fourth mode when both the refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b are inspected. However, in reality, such a situation is extremely rare.

  Also, when the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL, it is determined whether or not the first refrigeration circuit 4a and the second refrigeration circuit 4b are being inspected, and based on the determination result The refrigeration circuit to be operated is selected again (see steps S7 to S9 in FIG. 5).

  Specifically, when both refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b are not under inspection, the second mode is selected as the operation mode, and when only the second refrigeration circuit 4b is under inspection, the second mode is selected as the operation mode, and the first refrigeration circuit is selected. When only the circuit 4a is under inspection, the third mode is selected as the operation mode. The selection of the third mode in the case where the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL is only a provisional inspection, and is selected when the inspection is completed. It will be reworked. Although the flow chart of FIG. 5 includes the contents for selecting the fourth mode when both the refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b are under inspection, it is extremely rare that this situation is practical.

[Second operation mode selection method]
In the operation mode selection method described with reference to FIG. 3, since the priority order of the second mode is set higher than that of the third mode, the cumulative operation time COT1 of the first refrigeration circuit 4a is the same as that of the second refrigeration circuit 4b. The cumulative operating time COT2 becomes longer, and as a result, the life of the first refrigeration circuit 4a is shortened.

  FIGS. 6 and 7 show a method of reselecting the operation mode in order to solve such a problem. Here, the refrigeration circuit with a short accumulated operation time is preferentially operated. The cumulative operating time COT1 of the first refrigeration circuit 4a and the cumulative operating time COT2 of the second refrigeration circuit 4b are determined by measuring the operating time of each refrigeration circuit 4a, 4b each time and accumulating and storing the operating time. it can.

  When actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH, the cumulative operation time COT1 of the first refrigeration circuit 4a is compared with the cumulative operation time COT2 of the second refrigeration circuit 4b, and the refrigeration circuit to be operated based on the comparison result. Is selected again (see step S10 in FIG. 6).

  Specifically, when the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH, the cooling load of the brine is high. Therefore, both the cumulative operating time COT1 <the cumulative operating time COT2 and the cumulative operating time COT1 ≧ the cumulative operating time COT2 The first mode is selected as the operation mode.

  Further, even when the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL, the cumulative operation time COT1 of the first refrigeration circuit 4a is compared with the cumulative operation time COT2 of the second refrigeration circuit 4b. A refrigeration circuit to be operated is selected again based on the result (see step S11 in FIG. 7).

  Specifically, the second mode is selected as the operation mode when the cumulative operation time COT1 <the cumulative operation time COT2, and the third mode is selected as the operation mode when the cumulative operation time COT1 ≧ the cumulative operation time COT2.

  The cumulative operating times COT1 and COT2 are obtained by accumulating the actual operating times. However, considering the lifetime, the operating times include the ambient temperatures AT1 and AT2 (the temperature of the space in which each refrigeration circuit is placed). It is preferable to reflect it. In other words, since the refrigeration circuit is thermally damaged when operated at a high temperature rather than at a low temperature, if the operating time at a temperature at which it is susceptible to thermal damage is corrected to be shorter than the actual operating time and accumulated. The substantial accumulated operating time of each refrigeration circuit 4a, 4b can be obtained.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the refrigeration circuit is operated at time OT1 to OT5, the ambient temperature AT (AT1 or AT1 or OT2, OT4 or OT5 is higher than the reference ambient temperature ATs (for example, 25 ° C.). AT2) and the reference ambient temperature ATs are corrected using the correction equation [OT = k (AT−ATs) × OT: k is a coefficient], etc. If the corrected operating time is accumulated to be the cumulative operating time COT, the corrected operating time cumulative value COT is shorter than COTa even if the actual cumulative operating time is COTa. If the cumulative value COT of the operation time calculated in this way is used as the cumulative operation time (COT1, COT2) shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a more accurate operation mode can be selected.

  When the ambient temperatures AT1 and AT2 change during each operation time, the area surrounded by the temperature change curve and the section on the time axis is obtained by integration, and the area, the reference ambient temperature ATs, and the same section on the time axis are obtained. If each operating time is corrected based on the reciprocal of the ratio to the enclosed area, the correction can be performed more accurately.

[Third operation mode selection method]
In the operation mode selection method described with reference to FIG. 3, since the operation mode is set regardless of the accumulated operation time, the accumulated operation time COT1 of the first refrigeration circuit 4a is equal to the accumulated operation time COT2 of the second refrigeration circuit 4b. The warranty time of the refrigeration circuit itself may be exceeded long before.

  FIGS. 9 and 10 show a method of reselecting the operation mode in order to eliminate such a problem. Here, the refrigeration circuit whose cumulative operation time has not reached the guaranteed time is preferentially operated. ing. The cumulative operating time COT1 of the first refrigeration circuit 4a and the cumulative operating time COT2 of the second refrigeration circuit 4b are determined by measuring the operating time of each refrigeration circuit 4a, 4b each time and accumulating and storing the operating time. it can. Further, the guaranteed time of each refrigeration circuit 4a, 4b is stored individually. The following cumulative operation times COT1 and COT2 may be accumulated actual operation times, or may be accumulated operation times after correction described with reference to FIG.

  When the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH, the cumulative operating time COT1 of the first refrigeration circuit 4a is compared with the cumulative operating time COT2 of the second refrigeration circuit 4b, and each cumulative operating time COT1, COT2 is guaranteed. Compared with the times GT1 and GT2, the refrigeration circuit to be operated is selected again based on the comparison result (see steps S12 to S16 in FIG. 9).

  Specifically, since the brine cooling load is high when the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH, the cumulative operation time COT1 <the cumulative operation time COT2 and the cumulative operation time COT1 ≦ the guaranteed time GT1 are also accumulated. Even when the operating time COT1 <cumulative operating time COT2 and the cumulative operating time COT1> guaranteed time GT1, even when the cumulative operating time COT1 ≧ the cumulative operating time COT2 and the cumulative operating time COT2 ≦ the guaranteed time GT1, the cumulative operating time COT1 ≧ The first mode is selected as the operation mode even when the cumulative operation time COT2 and the cumulative operation time COT2> the guarantee time GT2.

  Further, even when the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL, the cumulative operation time COT1 of the first refrigeration circuit 4a is compared with the cumulative operation time COT2 of the second refrigeration circuit 4b. The accumulated operation time COT1, COT2 is compared with each guarantee time GT1, GT2, and the refrigeration circuit to be operated is selected again based on the comparison result (see steps S17 to S21 in FIG. 10).

  Specifically, when cumulative operating time COT1 <cumulative operating time COT2 and cumulative operating time COT1 ≦ guaranteed time GT1, the second mode is selected as the operating mode, and cumulative operating time COT1 <cumulative operating time COT2 and cumulative operating time COT1. When the guarantee time GT1 is satisfied, the third mode is selected as the operation mode. When the cumulative operation time COT1 ≧ the cumulative operation time COT2 and the cumulative operation time COT2 ≦ the guarantee time GT1, the third mode is selected as the operation mode. When the operation time COT1 ≧ the accumulated operation time COT2 and the accumulated operation time COT2> the guaranteed time GT2, the second mode is selected as the operation mode.

  In the above comparison, when the cumulative operating time COT1> the guaranteed time GT1, and when the cumulative operating time COT2> the guaranteed time GT2, it is determined that the refrigeration circuit exceeds the predetermined guaranteed time. 4 displays on the display section of each of the controllers 4h and 4i that the guaranteed time of the refrigeration circuit has been exceeded and notifies the outside. This notification may be used in combination with buzzer sounding or lamp lighting. Of course, it may be possible to notify a terminal device placed at another place online that the warranty time has been exceeded and display it on the display unit of the terminal device. In this case, text mail is used for the notification. You can also

  Each of the guarantee times GT1 and GT2 may be a “predicted time when the guarantee time expires” lower than the actual guarantee time. If the forecast time is used, the guarantee time will expire before the guarantee time expires. This can be notified to the outside.

  As described above, according to the above-described cooling system, the common refrigerator 4 has the two first refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b sharing the brine heat exchanger 4c, so that an abnormality occurs in one of the refrigeration circuits. Even when one of the refrigeration circuits is inspected to eliminate the abnormality, brine cooling can be performed using the other refrigeration circuit, and the internal cooling in each showcase 1 to 3 can be continued. . In other words, as in the conventional cooling system using a common refrigerator having a single refrigeration circuit, the single refrigeration circuit becomes abnormal and brine cooling cannot be performed. It is possible to reliably avoid a great inconvenience to customers and customers.

  Further, according to the above cooling system, the two refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b of the common refrigerator are selectively operated according to the cooling load of the brine heat exchanger 4c. Since one of the first mode for operating 4a and 4b, the second and third modes for operating only one of the refrigeration circuits, and the fourth mode for stopping both refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b are selected. Therefore, energy-saving and appropriate brine cooling can be performed.

  Furthermore, according to the above-described cooling system, the refrigeration circuit to be operated is selected based on the actual brine outlet temperature Tb delivered from the brine heat exchanger 4c. Specifically, the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ When the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH, the cooling load of the brine is high, so the first mode is selected as the operation mode. When the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL, Since the cooling load is not so high, the second mode is selected as the operation mode based on the priority order. When the set outlet temperature lower limit TbsL> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb, it is not necessary to cool the brine. Since the mode is selected, the refrigeration circuit to be operated should be selected accurately according to the cooling load of the brine heat exchanger 4c. It can be.

  Further, according to the above-described cooling system, as described in [First operation mode reselection method], it is determined whether or not the two refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b are under inspection, and the operation is performed based on the determination result. Since the refrigeration circuit to be selected has been selected again, specifically, when the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH, and only the second refrigeration circuit 4b is being inspected, the second mode is set as the operation mode. Is temporarily selected, and when only the first refrigeration circuit 4a is being checked, the third mode is provisionally selected as the operation mode, and the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature. When only the second refrigeration circuit 4b is under inspection at the lower limit value TbsL, the second mode is selected as the operation mode, and when only the first refrigeration circuit 4a is under inspection, the third mode is selected as the operation mode. Have In, it is possible to two refrigeration circuits 4a, one of the 4b is again properly selected refrigeration circuit to be operated even during inspection.

  Further, according to the above-described cooling system, as described in [Second operation mode reselection method], the refrigeration circuit to be operated is selected so that the refrigeration circuit with a short cumulative operation time is preferentially operated. Specifically, when the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL and the cumulative operating time COT1 <the cumulative operating time COT2, the second mode is set as the operating mode. When the cumulative operating time COT1 ≧ cumulative operating time COT2 is selected, the third mode is selected as the operating mode, so that one cumulative operating time of the two refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b is the other cumulative operating time. It is possible to surely prevent the lifetime of one of them from becoming shorter. In this case, based on the temperature of the space in which each refrigeration circuit 4a, 4b is placed (ambient temperature AT1, AT2), the operating time at a temperature susceptible to thermal damage is corrected to be shorter than the actual operating time. If accumulated, an appropriate operation mode can be selected based on the substantial accumulated operation time of each of the refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b.

  Further, according to the cooling system described above, as described in [Third operation mode reselection method], guarantee times GT1 and GT2 are determined for the respective refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b, and the cumulative operation times COT1 and COT2 are determined. However, since the refrigeration circuit to be operated is reselected so that the refrigeration circuit that has not reached the guarantee time GT1, GT2 is preferentially operated, specifically, the set outlet temperature upper limit value TbsH> the actual brine outlet temperature Tb ≧ When the set outlet temperature lower limit value TbsL, the cumulative operation time COT1 <the cumulative operation time COT2 and the cumulative operation time COT1 ≦ the guaranteed time GT1, the second mode is selected as the operation mode, and the cumulative operation time COT1 <cumulative operation time When COT2 and cumulative operation time COT1> guaranteed time GT1, the third mode is selected as the operation mode, and cumulative operation time COT1 ≧ cumulative. When the operating time COT2 and the cumulative operating time COT2 ≦ guaranteed time GT1, the third mode is selected as the operating mode. When the cumulative operating time COT1 ≧ the cumulative operating time COT2 and the cumulative operating time COT2> the guaranteed time GT2, the operating mode is selected. Since the second mode is selected, the cumulative operating time of one of the two refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b exceeds the guaranteed time of the refrigeration circuit itself well before the other cumulative operating time. It can be surely prevented.

  Furthermore, according to the above-described cooling system, when the cumulative operating time COT1, COT2 of each of the refrigeration circuits 4a, 4b exceeds the respective guaranteed time GT1, GT2, it is detected that the guaranteed time has expired and the expiration of the guaranteed time is notified to the outside. As a result, it is possible to perform a check in a timely manner when the warranty expires. In this case, if “guaranteed time limit forecast time”, which is lower than the actual guaranteed time, is used as each guaranteed time GT1, GT2, the fact that the guaranteed time is about to expire will be notified to the outside before the guaranteed time expires. You can also.

  In the above description, the one having the two refrigeration circuits 4a and 4b sharing the brine heat exchanger 4c is shown as the common refrigerator 4, but having three or more refrigeration circuits sharing the brine heat exchanger 4c. Even if the thing is used as the common refrigerator 3, the same effect as described above can be obtained by selectively operating three or more refrigeration circuits according to the cooling method of the brine heat exchanger 4c by the same method as described above.

  In the above description, a cooling system including three showcases 1 to 3 of a type called an open showcase has been shown, but the number of showcases (1 to 3) may be increased or decreased as appropriate. Can obtain the same effect as described above, and use a showcase of a type other than the open showcase having the same cooling circuit as the showcases 1 to 3 instead of at least one showcase (1 to 3). Alternatively, the same effect as described above can be obtained even when a refrigerated storage or a freezer storing a cooling circuit similar to that of showcases 1 to 3 is used instead of at least one showcase (1 to 3). Can do.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of a cooling system. It is a table | surface which shows the operation mode which selectively operates two freezing circuits. It is a flowchart which shows the method of selectively operating two freezing circuits. It is a flowchart which shows the 1st operation mode selection method again. It is a flowchart which shows the 1st operation mode selection method again. It is a flowchart which shows the 2nd operation mode reselection method. It is a flowchart which shows the 2nd operation mode reselection method. It is a graph which shows the relationship between ambient temperature and accumulated operation time. It is a flowchart which shows the 3rd operation mode selection method again. It is a flowchart which shows the 3rd operation mode selection method again.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1-3 ... Showcase, 1a-3a ... Cooler, 1b-3b ... On-off valve, 1f-3f ... Controller, 4 ... Shared refrigerator, 4a ... 1st freezing circuit, 4b ... 2nd freezing circuit, 4c ... Brine Heat exchanger, 4d ... pump, 4e ... outlet temperature sensor, 4f ... first ambient temperature sensor, 4g ... second ambient temperature sensor, 4h ... first controller, 4i ... second controller, BP1, BP2 ... brine conduit.

Claims (8)

A shared refrigerator having a plurality of refrigeration circuits sharing a brine heat exchanger;
A plurality of refrigeration equipment having a cooler connected to a brine heat exchanger of a common refrigerator through a brine line, and an on-off valve for controlling the inflow of brine to the cooler;
A pump that circulates the brine in a path from the brine heat exchanger through the cooler back to the brine heat exchanger;
Means for selectively operating a plurality of refrigeration circuits of the common refrigerator according to the cooling load of the brine heat exchanger,
A cooling system characterized by that. Means for selectively operating a plurality of refrigeration circuits is:
An outlet temperature sensor that detects the actual brine outlet temperature delivered from the brine heat exchanger;
Means for selecting a refrigeration circuit to be operated based on the actual brine outlet temperature,
The cooling system according to claim 1. Means for determining whether or not each refrigeration circuit is under inspection;
And a means for reselecting the refrigeration circuit to be operated based on the determination result,
The cooling system according to claim 1 or 2 characterized by things. Means for measuring the operating time of each refrigeration circuit;
Means for accumulating and storing the operating time for each refrigeration circuit;
And a means for reselecting the refrigeration circuit to be operated so that the refrigeration circuit with a short cumulative operation time is preferentially operated.
The cooling system according to claim 1 or 2 characterized by things. An ambient temperature sensor that detects the actual ambient temperature of each refrigeration circuit;
Means for measuring the operating time of each refrigeration circuit;
Means for correcting the measured operating time based on ambient temperature;
Means for accumulating and storing the corrected operation time for each refrigeration circuit;
And a means for reselecting the refrigeration circuit to be operated so that the refrigeration circuit with a short cumulative operation time is preferentially operated.
The cooling system according to claim 1 or 2 characterized by things. Means for storing the guaranteed time of each refrigeration circuit;
And a means for detecting when the guaranteed operating time has expired when the accumulated operating time of each refrigeration circuit exceeds the respective guaranteed time,
The cooling system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein Further comprising means for informing the outside of the guarantee expiration when the guarantee expiration is detected,
The cooling system according to claim 6. When there is a refrigeration circuit corresponding to the expiration of the guarantee time among a plurality of refrigeration circuits, further comprising means for operating other refrigeration circuits other than the refrigeration circuit,
The cooling system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized by the above.

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