JP2011163729A - Cooling device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a cooling device with improved determination accuracy of a water freezing condition for operating antifreezing control. <P>SOLUTION: A refrigerating cycle circuit is configured by sequentially connecting a compressor 1 for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser 2 for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 1, a throttle means 4 for decompressing the refrigerant condensed by the condenser 2, and an evaporator 5 for evaporating the refrigerant decompressed by the throttle means 4 and cooling a cooling fluid by piping to circulate the refrigerant. The cooling device includes a calculating part 21 for correcting freezing determination state quantity being a threshold value of freezing state determination calculated with respect to the entire evaporator 5 based on distribution of the state quantity of the cooling fluid inside the evaporator 5, a determination part 23 for determining the state regarding freezing based on the freezing determination state quantity regarding the correction by the calculating part 21, and a control part 24 for performing processing for preventing freezing of the cooling fluid based on the determination result of the determination part 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling device that cools and supplies a fluid to be cooled such as water to a desired temperature. In particular, the present invention relates to a cooling device that cools a liquid to be cooled to a temperature near a temperature at which the liquid freezes.

In the prior art, in a refrigeration cycle comprising a compressor, a condenser, a decompression means, and an evaporator, a temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the refrigerant on the low pressure side of the evaporator and the temperature of the fluid to be cooled flowing into the evaporator Is installed. There is a cooling device that determines “presence / absence of freezing” or “possibility of freezing” based on the value of the temperature related to these detections. And in order to prevent the to-be-cooled fluid from freezing based on a determination result, the cooling device which controls a compressor, the air blower which sends air to a condenser, a throttle means, and a pump is proposed (for example, refer patent document 1). .
Further, in the prior art, there is provided a temperature detecting means capable of detecting the surface temperature of the end plate of the plate heat exchanger, and when the temperature detected thereby falls below the reference temperature, the refrigeration cycle apparatus Has been disclosed, and a refrigeration cycle apparatus including a refrigeration detection apparatus that issues a freezing abnormality is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
Further, in the conventional technology, in the frosting detection method for an air conditioner using a non-azeotropic refrigerant mixture composed of a high-boiling refrigerant and a low-boiling refrigerant, the temperature at a plurality of locations where the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered in the heat exchanger. Is used as a condition for determining the frost formation of the heat exchanger, and a frost detection method that can reliably determine the frost formation of the heat exchanger is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 3).

JP 2009-243828 A JP 2005-315498 A JP-A-8-75326

However, if the flow rate of the fluid to be cooled is uneven in the evaporator, the temperature may vary. In the above method, when there is a variation in the temperature of the fluid to be cooled, the value of the state quantity used for the freezing determination calculated from the detected temperature value may be different from the actual value, and the determination may be different. There is sex. For this reason, for example, the control for preventing freezing is activated even under conditions where water does not freeze, the control for preventing freezing does not operate despite the conditions for freezing water, or the antifreezing control is appropriately performed. It might not work.
Further, in the method of determining frost / freezing of the heat exchanger using the measured value of one specific place in the heat exchanger or the average value of the measured values of a plurality of places, the flow path of the fluid to be cooled is used. Accurate when a partial freezing condition (partial freezing) occurs at a location where the temperature is most likely to freeze due to factors such as local variations in temperature and flow velocity, and local low temperatures and slow flow rates. There was a possibility that the freezing judgment was not made.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to realize a cooling device that improves the determination accuracy of water freezing conditions for operating antifreezing control.

  The cooling device according to the present invention includes a compressor that compresses the refrigerant, a condenser that condenses the refrigerant compressed by the compressor, a throttle unit that depressurizes the refrigerant condensed by the condenser, and a pressure reduced by the throttle unit A refrigerant circuit is circulated by connecting pipes to an evaporator that evaporates the refrigerant by heat exchange and cools the fluid to be cooled, and the refrigerant is circulated and evaporated based on the distribution of the state quantity of the fluid to be cooled inside the evaporator. A calculation unit that corrects the freezing determination state amount that is a threshold for determining the freezing state calculated for the entire vessel, a determination unit that determines a state related to freezing based on the freezing determination state amount related to the correction of the calculation unit, and a determination And a control unit that performs processing for preventing freezing of the fluid to be cooled based on a determination result by the unit.

According to the present invention, the determination unit determines a state related to freezing based on the freezing determination state quantity corrected by the arithmetic unit based on the distribution of the state quantity inside the evaporator, and the control unit controls based on the determination result Therefore, it is possible to determine an appropriate freezing judgment state quantity, prevent freezing of the fluid to be cooled, and to maximize the refrigeration capacity of the cooling device. It is possible to detect the deterioration of the heat exchange performance in advance, and to prevent the destruction due to freezing and to ensure the safety of the equipment.
Moreover, the state (partial freezing) in which a heat exchanger partially freezes can be prevented by estimating or measuring the variation in temperature and flow velocity to determine whether the fluid to be cooled is frozen.

It is a block diagram of the cooling device which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the freezing phenomenon of the to-be-cooled fluid in regular time. It is a figure for demonstrating the freezing phenomenon of the to-be-cooled fluid at the time of a transition. It is a figure showing the relationship of frozen wall surface temperature (theta) wf from transient to steady state. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between a to-be-cooled fluid and the flow path in the evaporator. It is a figure showing the flow volume variation of each flow path. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the average water flow rate variation ε and the temperature of each flow path in the evaporator 5. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the average water flow rate variation ε and the temperature of each flow path in the evaporator 5. It is a figure showing the relationship between freezing wall surface temperature (theta) wf and the freezing determination threshold value before and behind correction | amendment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the cooling device of Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the relationship between the heat exchange amount of each flow path in the evaporator 5, and AK value.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cooling device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Hereinafter, the cooling apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described. Here, in the following drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same devices and means. In FIG. 1, a compressor 1, a condenser 2, a throttle means 4 and an evaporator 5 constitute a refrigeration cycle circuit (refrigerant circuit).

  The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor 1 is guided to the condenser 2, exchanges heat with the fluid from the blower 3, dissipates heat, condenses, and becomes, for example, a liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant condensed in the condenser 2 becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant through the throttle means 4 and is led to the evaporator 5. Then, the evaporator 5 exchanges heat with the fluid to be cooled, absorbs heat, evaporates, and returns to the compressor 1 as a gaseous refrigerant.

(Compressor)
The compressor 1 is a positive displacement compressor that can be driven by changing an operation capacity by a motor (not shown) controlled by an inverter circuit, for example. In the present embodiment, the compressor 1 is constituted by only one unit, but the present invention is not limited to this, and two or more compressors may be connected in parallel or in series.

(Condenser)
The condenser 2 dissipates and condenses the refrigerant by heat exchange with a fluid such as air. Although it does not specifically limit, the condenser 2 of this Embodiment shall be a cross fin type fin and tube type heat exchanger comprised by the heat exchanger tube and many fins.

(Blower)
The blower 3 supplies a fluid for exchanging heat with the refrigerant to the condenser 2. In this embodiment, it is a centrifugal fan or a multiblade fan driven by a motor such as a DC fan motor, and the flow rate of the fluid can be changed.

(Aperture means)
The throttle means 4 adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant circuit. For example, it is an electronic expansion valve capable of adjusting the opening of a throttle by a stepping motor (not shown), or a mechanical expansion valve or a capillary tube employing a diaphragm as a pressure receiving portion.

(Evaporator)
The evaporator 5 is a plate heat exchanger in which a large number of thin plates (fins) are arranged at intervals, the peripheral edge is sealed, and the space formed between the thin plates is alternately used as a flow path between the refrigerant and the fluid to be cooled. Alternatively, it is a double pipe heat exchanger that exchanges heat inside and outside the double pipe. In the present embodiment, the evaporator 5 is composed of only one unit, but is not limited to this, and two or more evaporators may be connected in parallel or in series.

(Cooled fluid, refrigerant)
As the fluid to be cooled, for example, water mixed with an additive that lowers the freezing point is used. However, it may be just water. Since the fluid to be cooled is water, the evaporator 5 serves as a water heat exchanger. Further, as the refrigerant used in the cooling device of the present embodiment, for example, HFC refrigerants such as R410A, R407C, and R404A, HCFC refrigerants such as R22 and R134a, or natural refrigerants such as hydrocarbon and helium are used. .

  Further, the fluid to be cooled is supplied to the evaporator 5 through a pipe provided with the pump 6. The fluid to be cooled is circulated by piping, for example. For example, it circulates between the cold load of a refrigerator, an indoor unit, etc. (not shown) and the evaporator 5.

  The low-pressure refrigerant temperature detection means 10 transmits a signal related to the detection of the temperature of the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 5. The cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means 11 and the cooled fluid outflow temperature detecting means 12 transmit signals relating to the detection of the temperature of the cooled fluid flowing into and out of the evaporator 5.

  Based on the signals from the low-pressure refrigerant temperature detecting means 10, the cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means 11, and the cooled fluid outflow temperature detecting means 12, the measuring unit 20 converts the temperature detected by each detecting means into a numerical value. (Hereinafter, the digitized data is referred to as the measured value). Here, the measurement values relating to the detection by the low-pressure refrigerant temperature detecting means 10, the cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means 11, and the cooled fluid outflow temperature detecting means 12 are the low-pressure refrigerant temperature Tin, the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin, and the cooled object, respectively. It becomes the fluid outflow temperature θout. Further, based on a physical quantity obtained from a signal from another detection means, a calculation or the like is performed, and a measurement value necessary for the calculation unit 21 to perform the calculation is derived.

  Here, instead of the low-pressure refrigerant temperature detection means 10, low-pressure pressure detection means (not shown) is provided at any position in the refrigerant flow path from the refrigerant outlet of the throttle means 4 to the suction side of the compressor 1. You may make it provide. Then, the temperature of the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 5 may be estimated by the measurement unit 20 converting it into the refrigerant evaporation temperature based on a signal from the low-pressure detection means.

  Further, with respect to the flow velocity Uw of the fluid to be cooled used for calculating the temperature at which the wall surface freezes, for example, by providing a flow meter (not shown), the measured value is directly derived from the signal related to the detection of the flow meter. Good. However, when a flow meter cannot be provided, a lower limit value (fixed value) of the flow rate of the fluid to be cooled for operation use of the cooling device, which is obtained from the lowest frequency of the cooling device, may be set. Furthermore, it may be estimated from the operating state quantities of the refrigerant circuit and the fluid to be cooled.

  The calculation unit 21 performs numerical calculation for the determination unit 23 to perform determination, for example, based on a measurement value or the like obtained by processing of the measurement unit 20. The storage unit 22 stores the measurement value of the measurement unit 20, the value of the calculation result by the calculation unit 21, and the like as data. The determination unit 23 performs determination processing based on the calculation result of the calculation unit 21 and the like. In the present embodiment, in particular, determination processing is performed regarding the presence or absence of freezing of the fluid to be cooled or the possibility of freezing. The control unit 24 controls the cooling device. In the present embodiment, in particular, in order to prevent freezing of the fluid to be cooled, control processing of the compressor 1, the blower 3, the throttle means 4, and the pump 6 is performed based on the determination result of the determination unit 23. Further, in the case of freezing, a process for causing the notification unit 25 to issue an alarm is performed.

  Here, the measurement unit 20, the calculation unit 21, the determination unit 23, and the control unit 24 of the present embodiment are configured by data processing means such as a microcomputer. The storage unit 22 is configured by storage means such as a semiconductor memory.

(Operation)
Next, the basic operation of the cooling device in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The compressor 1, the blower 3, and the pump 6 are started. The refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit is sucked into the compressor 1 and compressed to become a high-pressure gas refrigerant. Thereafter, the high-pressure gas refrigerant is sent to the condenser 2, performs heat exchange with the fluid supplied by the blower 3, condenses, dissipates heat, condenses, and becomes a high-pressure liquid refrigerant, for example.

  Then, the high-pressure liquid refrigerant is decompressed by the throttle means 4 to become a low-temperature and low-pressure gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant and led to the evaporator 5. Then, heat exchange is performed with the fluid to be cooled supplied by the pump 6 to absorb heat and evaporate, and the low-pressure gas refrigerant is returned to the compressor 1. Here, since the throttle means 4 controls the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing through the evaporator 5 so that the degree of superheat on the suction side of the compressor 1 becomes a predetermined value, the gaseous refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 5 is It will be in the state which has predetermined | prescribed superheat degree.

  On the other hand, the fluid to be cooled which is sent to the evaporator 5 by the pump 6 and cooled is led to a required cooling load through the pipe. Here, the operation capacity of the compressor 1 is controlled by the control unit 24 so that the refrigerant flows in the evaporator 5 in accordance with the demands of the cooling load and in a range where the fluid to be cooled does not freeze.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the freezing phenomenon of the fluid to be cooled in a steady state. In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin [° C.], and the vertical axis represents the wall surface temperature θw [° C.] of the heat transfer surface between the cooled fluid and the refrigerant in the evaporator 5. The relationship between the limit wall surface temperature θw [° C.] (hereinafter referred to as the frozen wall temperature θwf [° C.]) and the flow rate Uw [m] of the fluid to be cooled is related to the inflow temperature θin [° C.] / S] and graphed as a frozen wall surface temperature curve.

  Here, the frozen wall surface temperature θwf that is the freezing determination state quantity is the limit wall surface temperature θw at which the fluid to be cooled freezes. Therefore, the fluid inlet temperature θin, the flow velocity Uw of the fluid to be cooled, and the freezing temperature that is the freezing point. It is known to change according to θf [° C.]. The relationship between the frozen wall surface temperature θwf, the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin, the flow velocity Uw of the cooled fluid, and the frozen temperature θf can be obtained by, for example, simulation or experiment.

  FIG. 2 shows that the cooled fluid is more likely to freeze as the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin is lower and the flow velocity Uw of the cooled fluid is lower. In FIG. 2, the region where the wall temperature θw is lower than the frozen wall temperature curve is a closed region where the flow path of the evaporator 5 is closed when the fluid to be cooled freezes, and the region where the wall temperature θw is high is cooled. This is a non-occluding region where the fluid does not freeze.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the freezing phenomenon of the fluid to be cooled during the transition. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis represents the cooling time t [sec], and the vertical axis represents the wall surface temperature θw [° C.]. Then, the relationship of the frozen wall surface temperature θwf at which the cooled fluid freezes from the start of cooling according to the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin or the flow velocity Uw of the cooled fluid is graphed and expressed as a frozen wall surface temperature curve.

  Here, it is known that the frozen wall surface temperature θwf changes in accordance with the cooling time t, the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin, the flow velocity Uw of the cooled fluid, and the freezing temperature θf that is a freezing point. The relationship between the frozen wall surface temperature θwf and the cooling time t, the fluid to be cooled inflow temperature θin, the flow velocity Uw of the fluid to be cooled, and the freezing temperature θf that is the freezing point can be obtained by, for example, simulation or experiment.

  3 that the fluid to be cooled is more likely to freeze as the fluid inlet temperature θin is lower, the flow velocity Uw of the fluid to be cooled is lower, and the cooling time t is longer. Also in FIG. 3, as in FIG. 2, the region where the wall temperature θw is lower than the frozen wall temperature curve is a closed region, and the region where the wall temperature θw is high is a non-closed region.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship of the frozen wall surface temperature θwf at which the fluid to be cooled freezes from transient to steady state. 4, the horizontal axis is the cooling time t [sec] and the vertical axis is the wall surface temperature θw [° C.] as in FIG. 3. Further, the values of the fluid to be cooled inflow temperature θin and the flow velocity Uw of the fluid to be cooled are fixed.

  In FIG. 4, the transient frozen wall surface temperature θwft [° C.] can be calculated from the cooling time t, the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin, and the flow velocity Uw of the cooled fluid. Further, the stationary frozen wall temperature θwfs [° C.] can be calculated from the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin and the flow velocity Uw of the cooled fluid. For this reason, the temperature related to the detection by the low-pressure refrigerant temperature detecting means 10 from the operating state of the cooling device is a predetermined margin value αθ [° C.] as shown in FIG. 4 with respect to the calculated frozen wall surface temperature θwf. As described above, it is possible to avoid freezing of the fluid to be cooled by controlling various actuators of the cooling device.

(Estimation of uneven flow rate of fluid to be cooled in the evaporator)
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the fluid to be cooled and the flow path in the evaporator 5. In the present embodiment, the fluid to be cooled that has flowed into the evaporator 5 that is a water heat exchanger is branched into n channels in the evaporator 5, then cooled in each channel, and merged again to evaporate. It shall flow out of the vessel 5.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the flow rate variation of each flow path. As shown in FIG. 6, the flow rate of the fluid to be cooled flowing in each flow path in the water heat exchanger such as the evaporator 5 is not uniform. Therefore, it is assumed that the flow rate increases in proportion to the flow path on the back side when viewed from the inflow / outflow side of the evaporator 5, and the average water flow rate (Gw / n) in the flow path on the front side and the flow path on the deepest side. )) With a variation of ± ε%.

When the evaporator 5 in the present embodiment is, for example, a water heat exchanger, the heat exchange amount (heat balance) related to the exchange in the entire water heat exchanger can be expressed by the equation (1). Here, Cp is the constant pressure specific heat [J / kg · K] of the fluid to be cooled. Gw is the flow rate [kg / s] of the fluid to be cooled, and ρ is the density [kg / m ³ ] of the fluid to be cooled.
Q = Gw × Cp × ρ × (θin−θout) (1)

Moreover, the heat exchange amount in the k-th flow path in the evaporator 5 which is a water heat exchanger can be expressed by equation (2). Here, θout (k) is an evaporator internal cooled fluid temperature [° C.].
Q (k) = Gw (k) × Cp × ρ × (θin−θout (k)) (2)

Here, the flow rate Gw (k) of the fluid to be cooled in the k-th flow path can be expressed by Equation (3). Here, the variation with respect to the average water flow rate in the equation (average water flow rate variation) ε is assumed to be ε [%] / 100.
Gw (k) = (1+ (2ε / n−1) × (k−1) −ε) × Gw (3)

Assuming that the heat exchange amount in each flow path is equal, the sum of the heat exchange amounts is the total heat exchange amount, so that equation (4) holds.
Q = ΣQ (k) = n × Q (k) (4)

Equation (5) is established from Equations (1) to (4).
θin−θout = (1+ (2ε / n−1) × (k−1) −ε)
× (θin−θout (k)) (5)

When formula (5) is modified, formula (6) is obtained.
θout (k) = (θin × ((2ε / n−1) × (k−1) −ε) + θout)
/ (1+ (2ε / n−1) × (k−1) −ε) (6)

  In equation (6), the number n of flow paths is determined by the specifications (number of plates) of the water heat exchanger. Therefore, in the cooling device shown in FIG. 1, the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin according to the detection by the cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means 11, the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout according to the detection by the cooled fluid outflow temperature detecting means 12, Based on the average water flow variation ε, the evaporator internal cooled fluid temperature θout (k) can be calculated from the equation (6) to estimate the temperature distribution (variation). Similarly, since the flow distribution (variation) can be estimated from the equation (2) based on the fluid flow rate Gw (k) inside the evaporator, the fluid flow rate Gw to be cooled, that is, It is also possible to estimate the flow velocity Uw of the fluid.

  7 and 8 are diagrams showing the relationship between the average water flow rate variation ε and the temperature of each flow path in the evaporator 5. FIG. 7 shows an example when the operating capacity of the compressor 1 is 100%, and FIG. 8 shows an example when the operating capacity of the compressor 1 is 20%. For example, in the cooling apparatus as shown in FIG. 1, the horizontal axis represents the average water flow rate variation ε [%] and the vertical axis represents the temperature [° C.], with the fluid inflow temperature θin being fixed. The dotted line in FIGS. 7 and 8 represents the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout, and indicates the temperature of the cooled fluid at the outlet confluence portion of the cooled fluid in the evaporator 5. In addition, θout (1) is the temperature of the fluid to be cooled flowing in the flow path on the near side closest to the inflow / outlet in the evaporator 5, and the solid line θout (n) is on the farthest side farthest from the inflow / outlet in the evaporator 5. The temperature of the to-be-cooled fluid which flows through a flow path is shown.

  As can be seen from FIGS. 7 and 8, θout (1) becomes a relatively low temperature with respect to the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout, and tends to decrease as the average water flow rate variation ε increases. On the other hand, θout (n) becomes a relatively high temperature with respect to the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout, and tends to increase as the average water flow variation ε increases. This difference is due to the average water flow variation ε shown in FIG. 6, where the temperature of the fluid to be cooled is relatively low in the evaporator 5 where the flow rate is small, and the fluid temperature is relatively high where the flow rate is high. It means to be higher. In addition, the temperature of the fluid to be cooled is lowest at θout (1) closest to the inlet / outlet.

  Further, as can be seen by comparing FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the compressor as shown in FIG. 8 with respect to the change tendency of the fluid temperature to be cooled when the compressor 1 as shown in FIG. 7 has an operating capacity of 100%. The change tendency of the temperature of the cooled fluid when 1 is 20% of the operating capacity is relatively small. For example, in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, when the average water flow rate variation ε is 30%, the difference between the cooled fluid outflow temperatures θout and θout (1) is 2.1 ° C. when the operating capacity is 100%, and the operating capacity is 20 In the case of%, it becomes 0.43 ° C.

  In the conventional freezing determination method, the calculation value of the frozen wall surface temperature θwf used for the freezing determination is calculated from the cooling fluid inflow temperature θin, the flow velocity Uw of the cooling fluid, and the freezing temperature θf that is a freezing point. At this time, since the calculation was performed without considering the flow rate and temperature variation of the fluid to be cooled in the evaporator 5, there was a difference between the frozen wall surface temperature θwf related to the calculation and the actual temperature.

  Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the calculation unit 21 performs calculation applying the concept of the average water flow rate variation ε, and quantifies the flow rate and temperature variations of the fluid to be cooled in the evaporator 5 as described above. . Then, the temperature of the fluid to be cooled in the flow channel having the lowest flow rate and temperature is extracted from each flow channel in the evaporator 5, and the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout related to the detection by the cooled fluid outflow temperature detection means 12. The calculated value of the frozen wall temperature θwf is corrected with respect to the difference. Further, the value of the frozen wall surface temperature θwf related to the correction is stored in the storage unit 22. Then, the determination unit 23 determines whether there is “freezing” or “possibility of freezing” of the fluid to be cooled based on the value stored in the storage unit 22.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the frozen wall surface temperature θwf and the freezing determination threshold value before and after correction. By correcting according to the flow path in which the temperature of the fluid to be cooled in the evaporator 5 is the lowest, the temperature serving as the corrected freezing determination threshold is higher than before the correction (freezing determination) as shown in FIG. The standard will be stricter).

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a flowchart illustrating a freeze prevention control procedure of the cooling device according to the first embodiment. Next, the processing of each part and the operation of an apparatus (actuator or the like) relating to the freeze prevention control, which are features of the present embodiment, will be described.

  First, when the cooling device is operated, the determination unit 23 determines whether the compressor 1 is operating (step S10). If it is determined that the compressor 1 is operating, for example, the calculation unit 21 increments (increases) the integrated operation time counter value t at every measurement interval Δt (step S11). If it is determined that the compressor 1 is not operating, the accumulated operation time counter value t is reset to 0 (step S12). This accumulated operation time counter value t represents the elapsed time of the compressor 1 operation.

  When the compressor 1 is in operation, the measuring unit 20 obtains measured values of the wall surface temperature θw, the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin, and the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout of the evaporator 5 based on signals from the respective detection means. The process to obtain is performed (step S13). Here, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the low-pressure refrigerant temperature Tin related to the detection by the low-pressure refrigerant temperature detection means 10 is the wall surface temperature θw. Next, a process for obtaining a measured value of the flow velocity Uw of the fluid to be cooled is performed (step S14). As described above, the measured value of the flow velocity Uw of the fluid to be cooled includes detection by a flow meter or the like, setting based on the lower limit value of the flow velocity of the fluid to be cooled, and the like.

  Next, based on the freezing temperature θf that is the freezing point of the fluid to be cooled, the fluid inlet temperature θin and the flow velocity Uw of the fluid to be cooled, the closed wall temperature θwfs during steady operation of the evaporator 5 in steady operation is calculated. Further, the blocked wall surface during transient operation of the evaporator 5 during transient operation at the start of cooling based on the freezing temperature θf, the inflow temperature θin of the fluid to be cooled, the flow rate Uw of the fluid to be cooled, and the accumulated operation time counter value t. The temperature θwft is calculated (step S15).

  Next, the calculation unit 21 resets the flow channel counter value k to 0 (step S16), and then increments the flow channel counter value k by 1 (step S17). Then, based on the flow channel counter value k, for the flow channel k in the evaporator 5, based on the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin, the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout, and the average water flow rate variation ε, the evaporator internal cooled fluid The temperature θout (k) and the speed Uw (k) of the fluid to be cooled are calculated (step S18). The process is continued until it is determined that the flow channel counter value k is n / 2 + 1 (step S19). Here, n is the number of flow paths in the evaporator 5. Further, in order to reduce the amount of calculation, the evaporator internal cooled fluid temperature θout (k) and the cooled fluid speed Uw (k) up to n / 2 + 1 where the outflow temperature of the cooled fluid is lower than the average are calculated. I have to.

Next, with respect to the closed wall temperature θwfs during steady operation and the closed wall temperature θwft during transient operation calculated in step S15, from the minimum value of the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout and the evaporator internal cooled fluid temperature θout (k) (7 ) And correction based on the equation (8) are performed (step S19). Here, θwfs1 is the closed wall temperature during the corrected steady operation, and θwft1 is the closed wall temperature during the corrected transient operation. The storage unit 22 stores the corrected closed wall temperature θwfs1 during normal operation and the corrected closed wall temperature θwft1 during transient operation.
θwfs1 = θwfs + (θout−MIN (θout (k))) (7)
θwft1 = θwft + (θout−MIN (θout (k))) (8)

  Next, the determination unit 23 compares the closed wall temperature θwfs1 during the corrected steady operation with the closed wall temperature θwft1 during the corrected transient operation (step S21). If the corrected transient operation closed wall temperature θwft1 is lower than the corrected steady operation closed wall temperature θwfs1, the corrected transient operation closed wall temperature θwft1 is set as the frozen closed wall temperature θwf (step S22). Conversely, if the closed wall temperature θwft1 during the corrected transient operation is not lower than the closed wall temperature θwfs1 during the corrected steady operation, the closed wall temperature θwfs1 during the corrected steady operation is set as the frozen closed wall temperature θwf (step S23).

  The determination unit 23 compares the frozen wall surface temperature θwf and the wall surface temperature θw (low-pressure refrigerant temperature Tin according to detection by the low-pressure refrigerant temperature detecting means 10) obtained as described above (step S24). If it is determined that the wall surface temperature θw is higher than the sum of the frozen wall surface temperature θwf and the predetermined margin temperature αθ, the flow path is blocked by freezing, and the process returns to step S1 to continue the process related to the freeze prevention control. If it is determined that the wall surface temperature θw is equal to or lower than the sum of the frozen wall surface temperature θwf and the predetermined margin temperature αθ, the control unit 24 controls the devices in the cooling device to prevent freezing (step S25).

  Here, control of a device for preventing freezing will be described. In step S <b> 25, the control unit 25 performs control to reduce the operation frequency of the compressor 1 by an unload ratio fd that is a certain ratio with respect to the current operation frequency F of the compressor 1. By performing such control, the low-pressure pressure on the suction side of the compressor 1 increases, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 5 increases, and the cooling capacity decreases. As a result, freezing of the fluid to be cooled can be prevented. In addition, since the low refrigerant inflow temperature can be maintained, the cooling capacity can be utilized to the maximum, so that highly efficient operation can be realized.

  As described above, according to the cooling device of the first embodiment, the calculation unit 21 estimates the flow rate / temperature variation of the fluid to be cooled, and additionally applies correction based on the frozen wall surface temperature θwf used for freezing determination. In addition, since the determination unit 23 performs the determination related to freezing, an appropriate frozen state determination amount can be determined as a threshold value. For this reason, the freezing wall temperature θwf is calculated to be higher than the actual value, so that the freezing prevention means does not operate properly regardless of the conditions under which the fluid to be cooled originally freezes. Further, by calculating lower than the actual value, the operating capacity of the compressor 1 is not reduced regardless of the condition that the fluid to be cooled does not freeze. For this reason, it becomes possible to prevent freezing of the water heat exchanger with higher accuracy.

  In particular, due to variations in the flow rate and temperature of the fluid to be cooled, the flow velocity is partially low and the freezing wall temperature θwf may be high inside the evaporator 5 that is a hydrothermal exchanger, so there is a risk of partial freezing. As in the present embodiment, partial freezing in the evaporator 5 can be avoided by correcting the frozen wall surface temperature θwf used for freezing determination in consideration of variations.

  As described above, it is possible to prevent freezing of the fluid to be cooled and to maximize the refrigeration capacity of the cooling device, detect in advance the heat exchange performance deterioration of the evaporator due to freezing, and reliably destroy it by freezing. Can prevent the safety of the equipment.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, the operation frequency of the compressor 1 is controlled to prevent the fluid to be cooled from freezing, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, you may make it reduce the quantity of the fluid which the air blower 3 supplies to the condenser 2. FIG. When the air flow rate is reduced, the heat exchange amount between the refrigerant and the fluid is reduced in the condenser 2, and the discharge refrigerant pressure of the compressor 1 is increased as the refrigerant pressure is increased. When the discharge refrigerant pressure of the compressor 1 increases, the compression efficiency decreases, the refrigerant circulation amount decreases, and the cooling capacity decreases, so that the fluid to be cooled can be prevented from freezing.

  In addition, when preventing the fluid to be cooled from freezing, the opening area of the throttle means 4 may be increased stepwise or continuously, and in this way, the difference between the discharge refrigerant pressure and the suction pressure of the compressor 1. Since the pressure decreases and the low pressure rises, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 5 rises, and the fluid to be cooled can be prevented from freezing.

  Further, when the freezing is prevented, the delivery amount of the fluid to be cooled by the pump 6 may be increased stepwise or continuously, and in this way, the flow velocity of the fluid to be cooled in the evaporator 5 is increased. For this reason, the frozen wall surface temperature θwf increases, and the fluid to be cooled can be prevented from freezing.

  Here, the value of the margin temperature αθ related to the execution / non-execution of the freeze prevention control described in the first embodiment does not have to be a constant value. For example, the value of the margin temperature αθ may be set in a stepwise manner based on the elapsed time from the start of cooling device operation (at the start of compressor 1 operation). And according to the set value, you may change the control method of the control part 24, or the operation amount. Further, the control method or the operation amount may be changed according to the temperature difference between the wall surface temperature θw and the frozen wall surface temperature θwf.

  Further, when the determination unit 23 determines that the wall surface temperature θw has decreased below a predetermined set value with respect to the frozen wall surface temperature θwf, the control unit 24 outputs a signal for outputting an alarm by the notification unit 25 and compresses the signal. A stop signal for stopping the machine 1 may be output. As a result, when the control of reducing the capacity of the compressor 1 has been performed and the possibility that the fluid to be cooled will freeze will not be resolved, a warning is given by the notification unit 25, and the compressor 1 is stopped to ensure safety. Can be planned. In this case, it is preferable that the control unit 24 includes means for canceling the stop signal of the compressor 1. Thereby, for example, when an operation that does not require the compressor to be stopped, such as a refrigerant recovery operation, is performed, it is possible to prevent the control unit 24 from performing control processing related to freeze prevention.

  Moreover, once the compressor 1 is stopped by the freeze prevention control, it is assumed that the evaporator 5 is easily frozen. Therefore, when starting the compressor 1 again, if the operation is started at a frequency (rotational speed) lower than the previous startup frequency (starting rotational speed), the possibility of stopping immediately can be reduced. Safer driving can be performed.

  Further, when the determination unit 23 determines the state related to the freezing of the evaporator 5, in the first embodiment, when the threshold value related to the determination is exceeded even once, the control related to freezing prevention is immediately performed. However, for example, a delay may be provided in the determination in consideration of errors such as detection means (sensor). For example, an abnormality may be determined when a predetermined number of times determination condition is satisfied within a predetermined time or from the number of times control is performed by the control unit 24. By doing so, it is possible to change transient state fluctuations, and at the same time, it is possible to quickly cope with abnormalities that gradually deteriorate. Furthermore, the sign of abnormality can be determined, and the prediction accuracy can be improved.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout is obtained as a measured value based on the detection by the cooled fluid outflow temperature detecting means 12. For example, in the case where the cooled fluid outflow temperature detecting means 12 cannot be provided, the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin related to the detection by the cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means 11 and the average water having a predetermined value assumed in advance. The cooled fluid outflow temperature θout may be estimated from the flow rate variation ε. Then, the frozen wall surface temperature θwf may be corrected and estimated and applied to the freezing determination.

  Further, instead of estimating the distribution (variation) of the evaporator internal cooled fluid temperature θout (k), for example, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of evaporator internal cooled fluid temperature detecting means 13 are installed in the evaporator. You may do it. For example, the average water flow variation ε inside the evaporator 5 is quantified based on the measurement value related to the detection by the evaporator internal cooled fluid temperature detecting means 13, and the frozen wall surface temperature θwf is corrected and applied to freeze determination. May be.

  Further, instead of the evaporator internal cooled fluid temperature detecting means 13, an evaporator internal cooled fluid flow rate detecting means (not shown) is used, and the average water flow variation ε inside the water heat exchanger is calculated from the detected value. It may be quantified and the frozen wall surface temperature θwf may be corrected and estimated and applied to the freezing determination.

  Further, based on the average water flow variation ε, the minimum value of the flow rate Uw of the fluid to be cooled in the flow channel having the minimum flow rate is extracted from each flow channel in the water heat exchanger, and the flow rate Uw of the fluid to be cooled is extracted. The frozen wall temperature θwf may be calculated by correcting the measured value or the estimated value.

Further, the heat exchange amount Q [W] of the evaporator 5 can also be expressed as in equation (9). Here, K is the heat transfer rate [J / s · m ² · K] of the evaporator 5, A is the heat transfer area [m ² ] of the evaporator, and Tin is the low-pressure refrigerant temperature (refrigerant evaporation temperature) [° C.]. is there.
Q = A × K × ((θin + θout) / 2−Tin + 273) (9)

  For example, in the cooling device shown in FIG. 1, the cooled fluid inflow temperature θin is detected by the cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means 11, and the cooled fluid outflow temperature θout is detected by the cooled fluid outflow temperature detecting means 12. The refrigerant temperature Tin is detected by the low-pressure refrigerant temperature detection means 10. Therefore, the heat exchange amount Q can be estimated from the product of the heat transfer area A and the heat transfer rate K (hereinafter referred to as AK value) from the equation (7).

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the heat exchange amount of each flow path in the evaporator 5 and the AK value. The amount of heat exchange in the k-th flow path of the evaporator 5 can be expressed by equation (10). Here, AK (k) is an AK value in the k-th flow path.
Q (k) = AK (k) × ((θin + θout) / 2−Tin + 273) (10)

  As shown in the equation (2), when the flow rate / temperature varies in the evaporator 5 which is a water heat exchanger, the heat exchange amount also varies. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the average water flow variation ε is estimated and quantified by estimating the variation of the heat exchange amount Q (k) in each flow path from the equation (10) using AK (k). can do. Thereby, flow volume and temperature variation can be estimated from the heat exchange performance (heat exchange amount, AK value) of the evaporator 5 (water heat exchanger).

  Thus, as an estimation method of the average water flow variation ε, it may be estimated from the heat exchange performance (heat exchange amount, AK value) of the evaporator (water heat exchanger) in the present embodiment. In the first embodiment, in the above-described variation estimation method, the average water flow rate variation ε is defined on the assumption that the heat exchange amount of each flow path in the evaporator 5 is equal. However, in the estimation method of the present embodiment, Even when no premise is given, the variation can be quantified.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
The measurement unit 20, the calculation unit 21, the storage unit 22, the determination unit 23, the control unit 24, and the notification unit 25 in FIG. 1 may be all or a part of them, for example, installed outside the cooling device. Even if the configuration does not include some or all of these, if there is any alternative means, such as when a computer connected by communication means is installed in a remote monitoring room at a remote location, etc. I do not care.

  Further, the remote monitoring room may monitor a plurality of facilities of the cooling device or may monitor individual facilities. Moreover, you may be connected to the monitoring computer or monitoring apparatus of a detached building.

  By using the present invention, in the cooling device that cools the fluid to be cooled, the fluid to be cooled can be prevented from freezing and the refrigeration capacity of the cooling device can be utilized to the maximum. And the heat exchanger performance degradation of the evaporator resulting from freezing can be detected in advance, and destruction by freezing can be surely prevented, and the safety of the equipment can be achieved.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Compressor, 2 Condenser, 3 Blower, 4 Throttling means, 5 Evaporator, 6 Pump, 10 Low-pressure refrigerant temperature detection means, 11 Cooled fluid inflow temperature detection means, 12 Cooled fluid outflow temperature detection means, 13 Evaporator Internal cooling fluid temperature detection means, 20 measurement unit, 21 calculation unit, 22 storage unit, 23 determination unit, 24 control unit, 25 notification unit.

Claims (11)

A compressor for compressing the refrigerant;
A condenser for condensing the refrigerant compressed by the compressor;
Throttle means for depressurizing the refrigerant condensed by the condenser;
A refrigerant circuit that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed by the throttling means by heat exchange and connects an evaporator that cools the fluid to be cooled to circulate the refrigerant is configured.
An arithmetic unit that corrects a freezing determination state amount serving as a freezing state determination threshold value calculated for the entire evaporator based on the state amount distribution of the fluid to be cooled inside the evaporator;
A determination unit for determining a situation related to freezing based on the freezing determination state quantity related to the correction of the calculation unit;
A cooling device comprising: a control unit that performs processing for preventing freezing of the fluid to be cooled based on a determination result by the determination unit. Low-pressure refrigerant temperature detecting means for detecting a low-pressure refrigerant temperature that is an evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator;
A to-be-cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means for detecting a to-be-cooled fluid inflow temperature that is the temperature of the to-be-cooled fluid flowing into the evaporator;
A cooled fluid outflow temperature detecting means for detecting a cooled fluid outflow temperature that is a temperature of the cooled fluid flowing out of the evaporator;
The calculation unit estimates a state quantity distribution of the cooled fluid in the evaporator based on the cooled fluid inflow temperature and the cooled fluid outflow temperature, and based on the state quantity distribution. , To correct the freezing determination state amount as a freezing condition determination threshold calculated for the entire evaporator,
The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a state related to freezing based on the low-pressure refrigerant temperature and a freezing determination state amount related to correction of the calculation unit. Low-pressure refrigerant temperature detecting means for detecting a low-pressure refrigerant temperature that is an evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator;
A cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means for detecting a cooled fluid inflow temperature that is a temperature of the cooled fluid flowing into the evaporator;
The calculation unit corrects the freezing determination state amount that is a threshold for the freezing state determination calculated for the entire evaporator based on a value that assumes a variation in the state amount of the fluid to be cooled inside the evaporator. ,
The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a state related to freezing based on the low-pressure refrigerant temperature and a freezing determination state amount related to correction of the calculation unit. Low-pressure refrigerant temperature detecting means for detecting a low-pressure refrigerant temperature that is an evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator;
A to-be-cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means for detecting a to-be-cooled fluid inflow temperature that is the temperature of the to-be-cooled fluid flowing into the evaporator;
An evaporator internal cooled fluid temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the cooled fluid flowing through each of the plurality of flow paths inside the evaporator;
The calculation unit corrects a freezing determination state amount serving as a freezing state determination threshold value calculated for the entire evaporator based on a temperature distribution of the fluid to be cooled in each flow path inside the evaporator,
The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a state related to freezing based on the low-pressure refrigerant temperature and a freezing determination state amount related to correction of the calculation unit. Low-pressure refrigerant temperature detecting means for detecting a low-pressure refrigerant temperature that is an evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator;
A to-be-cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means for detecting a to-be-cooled fluid inflow temperature that is the temperature of the to-be-cooled fluid flowing into the evaporator;
An evaporator internal cooled fluid flow rate detecting means for detecting the flow rate of the cooled fluid flowing through each of the plurality of flow paths inside the evaporator;
The calculation unit corrects the freezing determination state amount serving as a freezing state determination threshold calculated for the entire evaporator based on the flow rate distribution of the fluid to be cooled in each flow path inside the evaporator,
The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a state related to freezing based on the low-pressure refrigerant temperature and a freezing determination state amount related to correction of the calculation unit. Low-pressure refrigerant temperature detecting means for detecting a low-pressure refrigerant temperature that is an evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator;
A to-be-cooled fluid inflow temperature detecting means for detecting a to-be-cooled fluid inflow temperature that is the temperature of the to-be-cooled fluid flowing into the evaporator;
A cooled fluid outflow temperature detecting means for detecting a cooled fluid outflow temperature that is a temperature of the cooled fluid flowing out of the evaporator;
The calculation unit estimates the distribution of the state quantity of the cooled fluid in the evaporator based on the heat exchange performance of the evaporator, the low-pressure refrigerant temperature, the cooled fluid inflow temperature, and the cooled fluid outflow temperature, Based on the distribution of the state quantity, correct the freezing determination state quantity serving as a freezing condition determination threshold calculated for the entire evaporator,
The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines a state related to freezing based on the low-pressure refrigerant temperature and a freezing determination state amount related to correction of the calculation unit. A cooling operation time measuring means for measuring a cooling operation time that is an elapsed time from the start of cooling of the cooled fluid in the evaporator;
The said determination part determines the condition of the freezing of the said to-be-cooled fluid based on the said freezing determination state quantity which changes with the said cooling operation time, The any one of Claims 1-6 characterized by the above-mentioned. Cooling system.   If the determination unit determines that the low-pressure refrigerant temperature is lower than the freezing point or the melting point of the fluid to be cooled and the determination unit does not freeze, the control unit continues the operation of the compressor. The cooling device according to claim 1. The controller is
Control for reducing the rotational speed of the compressor continuously or stepwise, Control for reducing the fluid delivery amount of the fluid delivery means for feeding fluid into the condenser continuously or stepwise, Opening area of the throttle means At least one of the control for increasing the flow rate of the fluid to be cooled continuously or in a stepwise manner. The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.   The cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the control unit issues an operation stop command to stop the operation of the compressor to the compressor based on a determination result of the determination unit. .   The control is characterized in that, when the operation is restarted after issuing the operation stop command, the start-up rotation number of the compressor is set to be lower than the start rotation number before the operation stop command is issued. Item 11. The cooling device according to Item 10.

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