JP2008151350A

JP2008151350A - Refrigerant recovering device

Info

Publication number: JP2008151350A
Application number: JP2006336838A
Authority: JP
Inventors: Masao Inui; 正雄犬井
Original assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd
Current assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
Priority date: 2006-12-14
Filing date: 2006-12-14
Publication date: 2008-07-03

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigerant recovering device and a refrigerant recovering method capable of preventing the increase of temperature of a recovery container by preventing sudden adsorption heating of a refrigerant, and improving safety and work efficiency of a worker. <P>SOLUTION: This refrigerant recovering device comprises a first connecting portion 11 connecting a recovered device 3, the recovery container 20 receiving an adsorbent 22, and a heat reserving container 21 for keeping the heat in the recovery container 20. Further it comprises a recovering portion 2 having a recovery-side connecting portion 23 connecting the recovery container 20 and a pressure reducing portion 1. The recovered device 3, the recovery-side connecting portion 23 of the recovering portion 2, and the recovery container 20 are connected. Thus the refrigerant fed out from the recovered device 3 can be gradually adsorbed by the adsorbent 22 in the recovery container 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

本発明は、空気調和機等の冷媒の回収に使用される冷媒回収装置に関するものである。 The present invention relates to a refrigerant recovery apparatus used for recovering refrigerant such as an air conditioner.

従来、故障により冷凍機を修理または破棄する場合、冷凍機内の冷媒を、圧縮機を備えた冷媒回収装置を用いて回収するのが一般的である。しかしながら、この冷媒回収装置は、電源を必要とすると共に、装置自体が大型であるために場所によっては使用が困難な場合がある。 Conventionally, when a refrigerator is repaired or discarded due to a failure, the refrigerant in the refrigerator is generally recovered using a refrigerant recovery device provided with a compressor. However, this refrigerant recovery apparatus requires a power source and may be difficult to use depending on the location because the apparatus itself is large.

そこで、電源を必要とせずに冷媒を回収できる冷媒回収装置として、図３に示すように、回収容器１１０内に吸着材１０９を入れて、この回収容器１１０内に冷媒を短時間で回収するものが考えられている（例えば、特許文献１参照）。 Therefore, as a refrigerant recovery apparatus that can recover the refrigerant without requiring a power source, as shown in FIG. 3, an adsorbent 109 is placed in the recovery container 110 and the refrigerant is recovered in the recovery container 110 in a short time. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

図３において、冷媒回収装置１０６Ａは、冷凍回路に接続するための管路１０７と、この管路１０７に設けた開閉弁１０８と、冷凍回路中の冷媒を選択的に吸着できる固体吸着剤１０９を収容した冷媒回収本体１１０とを備えている。 In FIG. 3, the refrigerant recovery apparatus 106A includes a pipe line 107 for connection to the refrigeration circuit, an on-off valve 108 provided in the pipe line 107, and a solid adsorbent 109 that can selectively adsorb the refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit. And a refrigerant recovery body 110 accommodated therein.

そして、圧縮機１０２，凝縮器１０３、キャピラリチューブ１０４及び蒸発器１０５が順次接続された冷凍回路を備えた冷蔵庫１０１の冷媒を回収するとき、冷媒回収装置１０６Ａの冷媒回収本体１１０を管路７を介して冷凍回路の圧縮機１０２に接続する。そうして、開閉弁１０８を開けることにより、冷凍回路中の冷媒を冷媒回収本体１１０内の固体吸着剤１０９に吸着させて、圧力計１１２の計測圧力に基づいて回収状態を判断する。
特開２０００−６５４４７号公報 When the refrigerant in the refrigerator 101 having the refrigeration circuit in which the compressor 102, the condenser 103, the capillary tube 104, and the evaporator 105 are sequentially connected is recovered, the refrigerant recovery main body 110 of the refrigerant recovery device 106A is connected to the pipe line 7. To the compressor 102 of the refrigeration circuit. Then, by opening the on-off valve 108, the refrigerant in the refrigeration circuit is adsorbed by the solid adsorbent 109 in the refrigerant recovery body 110, and the recovery state is determined based on the pressure measured by the pressure gauge 112.
JP 2000-65447 A

しかしながら、図３に示す冷媒回収装置では、冷媒を短時間に吸着するため、冷媒の急激な吸着発熱により容器自体が高温になり、作業の安全性が損なわれるという問題があると共に、空冷または水冷などの冷却手段を別に用意する場合は、冷却手段の設置や操作に手間がかかり、作業性が低下するという問題がある。 However, in the refrigerant recovery apparatus shown in FIG. 3, since the refrigerant is adsorbed in a short time, there is a problem that the container itself becomes high temperature due to rapid adsorption heat generation of the refrigerant, and the safety of the work is impaired. In the case of separately preparing a cooling means such as the above, there is a problem that installation and operation of the cooling means takes time and workability is lowered.

そこで、この発明の目的は、冷媒の急激な吸着発熱を抑制して回収容器の高温化を防止でき、作業者の安全性や作業性を向上できる冷媒回収装置および冷媒回収方法を提供することにある。 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a refrigerant recovery apparatus and a refrigerant recovery method that can prevent rapid adsorption heat generation of the refrigerant to prevent the temperature of the recovery container from becoming high and improve the safety and workability of the operator. is there.

上記目的を達成するため、請求項１の冷媒回収装置は、被回収装置に充填された冷媒を回収する冷媒回収装置であって、上記被回収装置から送出される冷媒をを接続する第１の接続口と、上記冷媒を吸着するための吸着材が収納された回収容器と、回収容器を保温容器が具備されて、上記回収容器と上記減圧部の第２の接続口とを接続する回収側接続口とを有する回収部とを備えたことを特徴としている。 In order to achieve the above object, a refrigerant recovery apparatus according to claim 1 is a refrigerant recovery apparatus for recovering a refrigerant charged in a recovery target apparatus, wherein a first refrigerant for connecting a refrigerant sent from the recovery target apparatus is connected. A recovery side in which a connection port, a recovery container in which an adsorbent for adsorbing the refrigerant is stored, and a heat retention container is provided to connect the recovery container and the second connection port of the decompression unit And a collection unit having a connection port.

上記請求項１の冷媒回収装置によれば、上記被回収装置から送出された冷媒を回収容器内に収納された吸着材に徐々に吸着させるので、冷媒の急激な吸着発熱を抑制して回収容器の高温化を防止でき、また保温容器があるため作業者の安全性や作業性を向上できる。また、別に冷却手段を用意する必要がなくなるので、小型で低コストな冷媒回収装置を実現できる。また、１つの回収容器で全冷媒を回収できない場合は、複数の回収容器を用意
して、回収容器を交換することにより全冷媒を回収するようにしてもよい。 According to the refrigerant recovery apparatus of the first aspect, the refrigerant sent from the apparatus to be recovered is gradually adsorbed by the adsorbent accommodated in the recovery container, so that the rapid adsorption heat generation of the refrigerant is suppressed and the recovery container Therefore, the safety and workability of the worker can be improved. In addition, since it is not necessary to prepare a separate cooling means, a small and low-cost refrigerant recovery device can be realized. In addition, when it is not possible to collect all the refrigerants with one collection container, a plurality of collection containers may be prepared and all the refrigerants may be collected by exchanging the collection containers.

本発明は、冷媒の急激な吸着発熱を抑制して回収容器の高温化を防止でき、作業者の安全性や作業性を向上できる冷媒回収装置および冷媒回収方法を提供することができる。 INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can provide a refrigerant recovery apparatus and a refrigerant recovery method that can prevent rapid adsorption heat generation of the refrigerant and prevent the recovery container from being heated to a high temperature and improve the safety and workability of the operator.

第１の発明の冷媒回収装置は、被回収装置に充填された冷媒を回収する冷媒回収装置であって、上記被回収装置から送出される冷媒をを接続する第１の接続口と、上記冷媒を吸着するための吸着材が収納された回収容器と、回収容器を保温容器が具備されて、上記回収容器と上記減圧部の第２の接続口とを接続する回収側接続口とを有する回収部とを備えたことを特徴としている。 A refrigerant recovery device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a refrigerant recovery device that recovers a refrigerant charged in a device to be recovered, the first connection port connecting a refrigerant sent from the device to be recovered, and the refrigerant A recovery container containing an adsorbent for adsorbing the gas, and a recovery container having a heat retaining container and a recovery side connection port connecting the recovery container and the second connection port of the decompression unit It is characterized by having a part.

第１の発明の冷媒回収装置によれば、上記被回収装置から送出された冷媒を回収容器内に収納された吸着材に徐々に吸着させるので、冷媒の急激な吸着発熱を抑制して回収容器の高温化を防止でき、また保温容器があるため作業者の安全性や作業性を向上できる。また、別に冷却手段を用意する必要がなくなるので、小型で低コストな冷媒回収装置を実現できる。また、１つの回収容器で全冷媒を回収できない場合は、複数の回収容器を用意して、回収容器を交換することにより全冷媒を回収するようにしてもよい。 According to the refrigerant recovery apparatus of the first invention, the refrigerant sent from the apparatus to be recovered is gradually adsorbed by the adsorbent housed in the recovery container, so that the rapid adsorption heat generation of the refrigerant is suppressed and the recovery container Therefore, the safety and workability of the worker can be improved. In addition, since it is not necessary to prepare a separate cooling means, a small and low-cost refrigerant recovery device can be realized. In addition, when it is not possible to collect all the refrigerants with one collection container, a plurality of collection containers may be prepared and all the refrigerants may be collected by exchanging the collection containers.

以下、本発明の実施の形態について、図面を参照しながら説明する。なお、この実施の形態によって本発明が限定されるものではない。 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

（実施の形態１）
図１はこの発明の実施の一形態の冷媒回収装置の構成を示す図であり、１は冷媒を吸着する吸着材２２が収納された回収容器２０と保温容器２１有する回収部である。この実施の形態では吸着材の一例としてモレキュラーシーブを用いている。
上記減圧部１の、第１の接続口の一例としての第１接続部１１を有し、その第１接続部１１回収容器１０との間に開閉弁１２を設けている。
また、上記回収部２の回収容器２０は、第２接続部１３が接続される回収側接続口の一例としての回収側接続部２３を有している。上記回収側接続部２４は、第２接続部１３が接続された状態では開き、第２接続部１３が接続されていない状態では閉じる閉鎖弁（図示せず）が内蔵されている。
図２は上記構成の冷媒回収装置を用いて被回収装置の一例としての空気調和機の冷媒を回収する場合について説明するための模式図を示しており、図２に示すように、空気調和機３の冷媒回路に配設されている閉鎖弁４にホース５の一端を接続し、ホース５の他端を回収部２の回収側接続部２４に接続する。このとき、回収部２の回収側接続部２４に内蔵された閉鎖弁は開いた状態になる。
次に、上記開閉弁１２（図１に示す）を徐々に開いて、空気調和機３の冷媒回路から冷媒を第１接続部１３を介して回収容器２０内に送り込まれ、回収容器２０内の吸着材２２により徐々に吸着されて回収される。
そして、冷媒の回収が終了したものとして続部１２４との接続を外す。そうすることにより、回収部２の回収側接続部２４に内蔵された閉鎖弁は閉じた状態になって回収容器２０が密閉され、回収された冷媒が漏れることがなく、回収部２のみで運搬が可能になる。その後、空気調和機３の閉鎖弁４とホース５の一端との接続を外すと共に、ホース５の他端と減圧部１の第１接続部１１との接続を外す。
なお、１つの回収容器１０で空気調和機３の冷媒回路内の全冷媒を回収できない場合は、複数の回収容器１０を用意して、回収容器を交換することにより全冷媒を回収する。
このように、冷媒を回収容器２０内に送り込んでその回収容器２０内の吸着材に徐々に吸着させるので、冷媒の急激な吸着発熱を抑制して回収容器２０の高温化を防止でき、作業
者の安全性や作業性を向上することができる。また、別に回収容器を冷却する冷却手段を用意する必要がなくなるので、小型で低コストな冷媒回収装置を実現することができる。また、上記実施の形態では、吸着材としてモレキュラーシーブを用いた冷媒回収装置について説明したが、冷媒を吸着する吸着材はこれに限らず、活性炭やガス吸着樹脂などの様々な吸着材を用いた冷媒回収装置にこの発明を適用してもよい。また、この発明の冷媒回収装置により回収される冷媒は、空気調和機等の冷凍機に用いられるフロン系冷媒に限らず、炭化水素類（プロパン，ブタンおよびペンタン等）、ヘリウム、アンモニア等の各種冷媒の回収に適用してもよい。ここで、フロン系冷媒には，フッ素と塩素を置換基にもつクロロフルオロカーボン（ＣＦＣ）、フッ素，水素，塩素を含むヒドロクロロフルオロカーボン（ＨＣＦＣ）、フッ素，水素を含むヒドロフルオロカーボン（ＨＦＣ）、すべての水素をフッ素で置換したペルフルオロカーボン（ＰＦＣ）などがある。
また、減圧容器内の冷媒圧力を計測する圧力計を設けてもよい。この場合、圧力計により計測された減圧容器内の冷媒圧力に基づいて、冷媒が回収容器内に回収されたか否かすなわち冷媒回収の終了を判断することが可能となる。 (Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a refrigerant recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a recovery unit having a recovery container 20 in which an adsorbent 22 that adsorbs a refrigerant is stored and a heat retaining container 21. In this embodiment, a molecular sieve is used as an example of an adsorbent.
The decompression unit 1 has a first connection part 11 as an example of a first connection port, and an opening / closing valve 12 is provided between the first connection part 11 and the recovery container 10.
The collection container 20 of the collection unit 2 has a collection side connection part 23 as an example of a collection side connection port to which the second connection part 13 is connected. The collection side connection part 24 has a built-in closing valve (not shown) that opens when the second connection part 13 is connected and closes when the second connection part 13 is not connected.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the case of recovering the refrigerant of an air conditioner as an example of an apparatus to be recovered using the refrigerant recovery apparatus having the above configuration. As shown in FIG. One end of the hose 5 is connected to the shut-off valve 4 disposed in the refrigerant circuit 3, and the other end of the hose 5 is connected to the recovery side connection part 24 of the recovery part 2. At this time, the shut-off valve built in the collection side connection part 24 of the collection unit 2 is opened.
Next, the on-off valve 12 (shown in FIG. 1) is gradually opened, and the refrigerant is sent from the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 3 into the recovery container 20 via the first connection portion 13. It is gradually adsorbed by the adsorbent 22 and collected.
Then, the connection with the connecting portion 124 is disconnected as the recovery of the refrigerant is completed. By doing so, the shut-off valve built in the recovery side connection part 24 of the recovery part 2 is closed, the recovery container 20 is sealed, and the recovered refrigerant does not leak, and is transported only by the recovery part 2 Is possible. Thereafter, the connection between the shut-off valve 4 of the air conditioner 3 and one end of the hose 5 is disconnected, and the connection between the other end of the hose 5 and the first connection portion 11 of the decompression unit 1 is disconnected.
In addition, when all the refrigerant | coolants in the refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 3 cannot be collect | recovered with one collection container 10, the several collection containers 10 are prepared and all the refrigerant | coolants are collect | recovered by replacing | exchanging a collection container.
Thus, since the refrigerant is sent into the recovery container 20 and gradually adsorbed by the adsorbent in the recovery container 20, the rapid adsorption heat generation of the refrigerant can be suppressed, and the temperature of the recovery container 20 can be prevented from being increased. Safety and workability can be improved. Moreover, since it is not necessary to prepare a cooling means for cooling the recovery container separately, a small and low-cost refrigerant recovery device can be realized. In the above embodiment, the refrigerant recovery device using molecular sieve as the adsorbent has been described. However, the adsorbent that adsorbs the refrigerant is not limited to this, and various adsorbents such as activated carbon and gas adsorbent resin are used. The present invention may be applied to a refrigerant recovery device. In addition, the refrigerant recovered by the refrigerant recovery apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants used in refrigerators such as air conditioners, but various hydrocarbons (propane, butane, pentane, etc.), helium, ammonia, and the like. You may apply to collection | recovery of a refrigerant | coolant. Here, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) having fluorine and chlorine as substituents, hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) containing fluorine, hydrogen and chlorine, hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) containing fluorine and hydrogen, all fluorocarbon refrigerants, There are perfluorocarbons (PFC) in which hydrogen is replaced with fluorine.
Moreover, you may provide the pressure gauge which measures the refrigerant | coolant pressure in a pressure reduction container. In this case, based on the refrigerant pressure in the decompression container measured by the pressure gauge, it is possible to determine whether or not the refrigerant has been collected in the collection container, that is, the end of the refrigerant collection.

本発明は、冷媒を有する装置から冷媒を回収する冷媒回収装置として有効である。 The present invention is effective as a refrigerant recovery apparatus that recovers a refrigerant from an apparatus having a refrigerant.

この発明の実施の一形態の冷媒回収装置の構成図Configuration diagram of a refrigerant recovery apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention 上記冷媒回収装置を用いて空気調和機の冷媒を回収する場合について説明するための模式図The schematic diagram for demonstrating the case where the refrigerant | coolant of an air conditioner is collect | recovered using the said refrigerant | coolant collection | recovery apparatus. 従来の冷媒回収装置を冷蔵庫に接続した状態を示す図The figure which shows the state which connected the conventional refrigerant | coolant collection | recovery apparatus to the refrigerator

Explanation of symbols

１減圧部
２回収部
３空気調和機
４閉鎖弁
５ホース
１１第１接続部
１２開閉弁
２０回収容器
２１保温容器
２２吸着材
２４回収側接続部 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pressure-reduction part 2 Recovery part 3 Air conditioner 4 Shut-off valve 5 Hose 11 1st connection part 12 On-off valve 20 Recovery container 21 Thermal insulation container 22 Adsorbent 24 Collection | recovery side connection part

Claims

An adsorbent for adsorbing the refrigerant having a first connection port for connecting the refrigerant sent from the apparatus to be recovered to a recovery side, the refrigerant recovering apparatus recovering the refrigerant filled in the apparatus to be recovered A recovery container is provided, and the recovery container is provided with a heat retaining container, and includes a recovery part having a recovery side connection port connecting the recovery container and the first connection port. Refrigerant recovery device.