JP2009003844A - Hot-water supply heating system of vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To instantaneously produce and supply warm water having a suitable temperature by enabling a large current to be flowed to a heater in an electricity storage unit. <P>SOLUTION: A hot-water supply heating system of a vending machine for heating hot-water in a vending dispenser comprises a heating device 11 for heating water which flows through inside of piping, and the electricity storage 12 for storing electric power to be supplied to the heating device 11, wherein the heating device 11 rapidly heats water to be flowed through inside of the piping by electric energy of a large current which is supplied from the electricity storage 12 within a short time period. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to hot water supply in a vending machine, and more particularly to a hot water supply heating system that rapidly heats water in a water supply pipe and instantaneously supplies hot water at an appropriate temperature.

  The cup type vending machine includes a powder raw material such as a coffee beverage and hot water poured into the cup for preparation, or the raw material and hot water are prepared and prepared before being supplied to the cup.

  This cup type vending machine stores hot water supplied from the outside of the vending machine, and supplies a predetermined amount of hot water to a beverage cooking unit or cup via a predetermined hot water supply pipe at the time of sale, and A heater for heating water stored in the hot water tank is provided, and hot water is always stored in the hot water tank and kept warm by a heater that is always energized.

  However, it is possible to heat tap water supplied in the hot water tank to a temperature suitable for beverage cooking with a heater. However, heating with an electric heater has a large energy loss, so the heating efficiency is low. A large amount of electric power is required to heat the stored water to an appropriate temperature.

  In addition, in order to obtain hot water with an appropriate temperature instantaneously, it is necessary to heat a certain amount of water in advance to make warm water, and keep it warm in a hot water tank or the like. The tap water supplied in the hot water tank must be stored. The electric power must be heated for a long time, which increases the amount of power used.

  In order to improve these problems, proposals have been made on electric water heaters and the like that have been devised in various ways (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In the water supply heating in the vending machine described in Patent Document 1, a heater for heating tap water is arranged in a pipe which is a water discharge path, and when a beverage discharge request is made, the water supply valve is opened for a predetermined time. By supplying electric power according to the water temperature to the heater and discharging the heated hot water, even if the hot water tank is not always stored, it is possible to supply hot water at an appropriate temperature immediately.
In addition, the heating system described in Patent Document 2 is a combination of an electric double layer capacitor, a fuel cell, and a secondary battery that energizes a heater with a large current to rapidly heat the fluid, and is heated when necessary. A liquid can be obtained.
JP-A-9-245246 JP 2004-53098 A

  However, in the method of heating the feed water described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to supply a large amount of energy to obtain hot water necessary for beverage production to the heater arranged in the piping that is the outflow path. The method of supplying energy is not disclosed, and its realization is expected to be difficult.

  Further, the heating system described in Patent Document 2 has a low energy density in the electric double layer capacitor alone, so that the energy to be discharged is small, and it is difficult to energize a large current in the fuel cell or secondary battery alone. For rapid heating of the fluid, a combination power storage device is used, and complicated control is required for energization.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems, simplifies the combination of the device configurations, does not require complicated control, and does not require warm water storage in a hot water tank at all times, and can be used as a heater in a single power storage device. The purpose is to provide hot water heating technology that can generate and supply hot water at an appropriate temperature instantaneously.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes a hot water supply heating system of a vending machine that performs heating for hot water supply in a vending machine, and a heating device that heats water flowing through a pipe, A power storage device that stores power to be supplied to the heating device, and the heating device rapidly supplies water flowing through the pipe with a large amount of power supplied from the power storage device in a short time. A hot water supply heating system for a vending machine characterized by heating.

  In this way, when electric power is stored in the power storage device and hot water supply is necessary, the amount of power by a large current can be supplied from the power storage device to the heating device in a short time, so instantaneous boiling by electric energy is possible, Compared with the conventional apparatus, water can be rapidly heated very efficiently in a short time. In the present specification, a large current means a current exceeding the current supplied for hot water heating in a conventional vending machine, for example, 15 A or more. Rapid heating refers to a time that does not hinder hot water supply in a vending machine, and is, for example, from about several seconds to at most about 10 to 20 seconds.

  Moreover, since a heating apparatus heats the water which flows through the inside of piping, the warm water storage in a warm water tank can always be made unnecessary.

  Further, when heating is not required, the required amount of power is stored in the power storage device, so that standby power can be reduced, and energy saving can be achieved.

  In the power storage device, the power storage unit is preferably a lithium ion capacitor, and power is stored in the lithium ion capacitor.

  A lithium ion capacitor has a high energy density and a high power density, and requires a very short time for charging, and can discharge a large current instantaneously. That is, since a large current can be charged and discharged rapidly, hot water supply in a vending machine can be repeated without stagnation. And since charging time is short, it is possible to further reduce the time from a charge start to water heating compared with the past.

  Moreover, since there is no material deterioration accompanying charging / discharging, the repeated charge / discharge life is long and it can be used semipermanently.

  Lithium-ion capacitors have dramatically increased energy density while maintaining the durability, output characteristics, and safety that are the characteristics of electric double layer capacitors.

  Furthermore, the heating device is preferably a cylindrical ceramic heater. It heats the water flowing through the cylinder and is made of ceramic, so it can withstand rapid heating due to a large current.

  The large current supplied from the power storage device to the heating device in a short time is preferably 15 A or more, and more preferably 20 A or more. This is because water can be rapidly heated by this large current.

  The power storage device is capable of storing a maximum amount of power of 50 kwh, and preferably supplies the stored power amount of 500 wh to 50 kwh to the heating device in a range of 4 to 3600 seconds. By storing the amount and supplying it by discharging in a time within the above range, it is possible to efficiently supply a large current to the heating device and heat the water.

  The amount of electric power stored and the discharge time can be appropriately set according to the performance of the heating device and the heating target (type, amount, heating temperature).

  Furthermore, since the water flowing through the water supply pipe in the vending machine is brought into contact with the heating device and heated directly, the water in the water supply pipe can be efficiently heated.

  Also, the water flowing through the pipe is heated to supply hot water, but it may be used to heat a fluid other than water, and in this case as well, a large current is supplied to the heating device in a short time. By means of the above, rapid heating is performed.

  According to the present invention, when power is stored in a power storage device and a beverage vending machine is requested to be sold by a vending machine, a predetermined amount of water is allowed to flow through a water supply pipe, and the power storage device can be used in a short time. Since the current can be rapidly discharged and supplied to the heating device, the water flowing through the pipe can be rapidly heated and discharged, so that hot water at an appropriate temperature can be instantaneously supplied without storing hot water constantly using a hot water tank. can do.

  When heating is not necessary, standby power can be reduced and energy saving can be achieved because necessary power is stored in the power storage device. Therefore, the fluid can be heated instantaneously using electric energy, and the rapid heating of water for supplying water can be performed efficiently in a short time.

  By using a lithium ion capacitor for a power storage device, a large current can be charged and discharged more rapidly with a single lithium ion capacitor. In other words, unlike an electric double layer capacitor that needs to be combined with another power storage device, a lithium ion capacitor has a higher energy density than an electric double layer capacitor, and thus can be used alone, and thus has a complicated control. There is no need, and the device configuration can be simplified.

  The lithium ion capacitor can be charged more rapidly with a large current, and the time from charging to heating can be greatly shortened compared to the conventional case. Moreover, there is no restriction | limiting in the frequency | count of charging / discharging, and a lithium ion capacitor can be used semipermanently.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of an apparatus configuration to which a hot water supply heating system for a vending machine according to the present invention is applied. In this embodiment, a hot water supply heating system of a vending machine using a cylindrical ceramic heater as a heating device will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hot water supply heating system of the vending machine of the present embodiment is mainly passed through the heating device 11, a power storage device 12 (lithium ion capacitor) that supplies power to the heating device, and the heating device 11. A temperature detector 13 for measuring the temperature of water in the pipe, a flow rate adjusting valve 14 for introducing a predetermined amount of water into the pipe from the outside, and an electric storage device 12 that converts an alternating current of an external power source into a direct current. Converter 15 for charging, and a control device 16 for controlling various devices. This hot water heating system is provided inside the vending machine body.

  Further, a water supply valve 22 is provided on the outside of the flow rate adjusting valve 14 and is connected to a water pipe ahead of the water supply valve 22. The water supply valve 22 is always open while the vending machine is in operation, and is closed when it is necessary to stop water supply during maintenance of the vending machine or the like.

  Hot water heated to an appropriate temperature by the heating device 11 is supplied to a mixing unit 23 and mixed with beverage ingredients supplied from an ingredient unit 25 in which beverage ingredients such as coffee powder, sugar, and powdered milk are stored, and beverages for sale. Are supplied to a cup 26 made of paper or plastic.

  The heating device 11 is a cylindrical ceramic heater that is an inorganic material that does not crack even when a sudden impact is applied, and that includes a heating element that can withstand a large current, and is energized from a lithium ion capacitor that is a power storage device 12. Is heated to heat the water flowing through the cylinder.

  The control device 16 controls the functions of the converter 15, the power storage device 12, the heating device 11, the flow rate adjustment valve 14, and the temperature detection device 13, and includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, communication circuit device, and the like. It has been. The control device 16 expands the system program recorded in the ROM, for example, in the RAM, and controls transmission of a control signal from the CPU to each device by a communication circuit.

  Next, the operation of rapid heating of water by the hot water supply heating system of the vending machine of the present invention will be described.

  An alternating current of the external power source is converted into a direct current by the converter 15, and this direct current is sent to the lithium ion capacitor that is the power storage device 12 and stored in the lithium ion capacitor.

  When the required amount of electric power of 500wh to 50kwh is stored in the power storage device 12 through the converter 15, the charging is completed, and the power storage device 12 enters a state of waiting for discharge. From this state, there is a beverage sales request in the vending machine, and when the switch is turned on, the amount of power stored in the lithium ion capacitor is rapidly discharged in a short time of 4 to 3600 seconds, and the cylindrical ceramic of the heating device 11 The heater is heated, and the hot water flowing through the inside is rapidly heated.

  When a sales request is received, the control device 16 opens the flow rate adjusting valve 14, introduces a predetermined amount of water, detects the temperature of the water introduced by the temperature detection device 13, and based on the detected temperature. The amount of power supplied from the charging device 12 to the heating device 11 is controlled. This is because the temperature of the hot water to be supplied is kept constant in consideration of the temperature change of the tap water depending on the season.

  The heating of the heating device 11 continues until the amount of electricity in the lithium ion capacitor that is the power storage device 12 reaches a certain voltage. This constant voltage is determined by the temperature of the tap water, the amount of hot water to be supplied, and the like, and is controlled by the control device 16. Note that the charging can be performed continuously or intermittently during or after the discharge, and preparation for the next discharge for heating is performed.

  As described above, a predetermined amount of power is stored in the lithium ion capacitor, which is the power storage device 12, and a large current can be rapidly discharged from the lithium ion capacitor in a short time when necessary. A large current can be applied in a short time. Therefore, water can be instantaneously heated, and water can be rapidly heated very efficiently in a short time.

  Further, since a lithium ion capacitor is used for the power storage device 12, there is no need to combine other power storage devices as in the case of an electric double layer capacitor, and the energy density is higher than that of the electric double layer capacitor. The current can be charged / discharged rapidly, there is no need for complicated control, the number of charge / discharge is not limited, and it can be used semipermanently.

  Furthermore, since a cylindrical ceramic heater is used as the heating device 11, heat can be transferred very efficiently and the strength against a large current is also excellent. The configuration of the embodiment described above is optimal for heating running water from tap water to warm water or hot water.

  Note that the material, shape, number, arrangement state, and the like of the heater described above can be set as appropriate in addition to the above embodiment. A heating element can also be formed on one surface or inside of a flat inorganic material, and the surface of the inorganic material where the heating element is not exposed is preferably a fluid heating surface. Further, various shapes of metal members such as fins may be provided on the fluid heating surface in order to improve the heating efficiency.

  In this embodiment, the tap water is heated as the hot water supply heating of the vending machine, but a fluid other than the tap water, for example, a liquid that has already become liquid as a beverage and stored in the vending machine is heated to a beverage cup. You may supply.

  Moreover, if it is applied to hot water heating of tea machines installed in offices other than vending machines, it is possible to supply hot water instantly without always keeping hot water in the hot water tank, thus simplifying the device. Furthermore, it is possible to save energy by omitting the use of electric power for warming the hot water in the hot water tank.

The whole schematic block diagram of the apparatus structure formed by applying the hot water supply heating system of the vending machine which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Heating device 12 Power storage device 13 Temperature detection device 14 Flow rate adjustment valve 15 Converter 16 Control device

Claims (5)

A hot water supply heating system for a vending machine that performs heating for hot water supply in a vending machine, comprising: a heating device that heats water flowing through a pipe; and a power storage device that stores electric power supplied to the heating device. And
The hot water supply heating system for a vending machine, wherein the heating device rapidly heats water flowing through the pipe with a large amount of electric power supplied in a short time from the power storage device.   The hot water supply and heating system for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the power storage unit is a lithium ion capacitor.   The hot water supply heating system for a vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heating device is a cylindrical ceramic heater.   The hot water supply heating system for a vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a large current supplied from the power storage device to the heating device in a short time is 15 A or more.   The power storage device can store a maximum amount of electric power of 50 kwh, and can supply the stored electric energy of 500 to 50 kwh to the heating device in a range of 4 to 3600 seconds. 5. A hot water supply heating system for a vending machine according to any one of 4 above.

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