JP2012096206A - Regenerative apparatus of heat transport medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the regenerative apparatus of a heat transport medium in a heating tower type heat pump system, wherein heating operation is not stopped when condensing the heat transport medium, the heat transport medium can be continuously condensed without being affected by atmospheric conditions, the condensing efficiency of the heat transport medium is excellent, and the heat transport medium component can be efficiently recovered from moisture separated from the heat transport medium.SOLUTION: The heat transport medium is led to an atomizing separation device 15 atomizing and separating the heat transport medium into mist having moisture as a principal component by ultrasonic vibration, and the moisture in the heat transfer medium is removed by the atomizing separation device 15 to regenerate the heat transport medium.

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus that guides a heat transport medium to an atomization separation device to dehydrate moisture in the heat transport medium and regenerates the concentration of the heat transport medium to a predetermined concentration.

  The winter heating operation cycle in the heating tower type heat pump system is to heat the heat transport medium through the heating tower (heated tower) and absorb heat from the atmosphere to the evaporator, thereby obtaining hot water in the condenser and heating it. It is what I did. When the heat transport medium passes through the heating tower and absorbs heat from the atmosphere, the moisture in the atmosphere is absorbed into the heat transport medium, particularly when the humidity in the atmosphere is high, and the concentration of the heat transport medium decreases accordingly. It will end up. If the density | concentration of a heat transport medium falls below a regulation value, it will freeze, frosting to a heating tower and a heat pump stop will generate | occur | produce, and a heating operation cycle will stop. Since the heat supply facility is a utility facility, operation interruption is not allowed. Therefore, in this heating tower type heat pump system, when the heat transport medium concentration is lowered, means for concentrating the heat transport medium to restore the concentration is indispensable.

In order to concentrate the heat transport medium having a reduced concentration, conventionally, the following method has been performed.
(1) When the outside air humidity is low such as in fine weather, the heating tower is operated to concentrate (Patent Document 1).
(2) The heating tower is divided, and one is used for heat absorption and the other is used for concentration (Patent Document 2).
(3) The heat transport medium is concentrated by temporarily stopping the heating operation and switching to the cooling operation (Patent Document 3).
(4) The heat transport medium is heated and concentrated by an electric heater (Patent Document 4).
(5) The heat transport medium is heated under vacuum to evaporate water in the heat transport medium (Patent Document 5).
(6) The heat transport medium is heated and concentrated using another heat pump (Patent Document 6).
(7) The heat transport medium is heated and concentrated by a reboiler and a distillation kettle (Patent Document 7).

JP-A-11-325624 JP-A-63-243660 Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-72637 Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-7632 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-38412 Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7-47081 JP 2004-209353 A

Each of the methods described above has the following problems.
(1) The method of concentrating by operating the heating tower can not be concentrated unless the outside air humidity is low. Therefore, the concentration of the heat transport medium cannot be expected when the outside air where dilution of the heat transport medium is high is high. In addition, the heat transport medium component mainly composed of ethylene glycol is evaporated together with the water during the concentration, but there is no means for recovering the evaporated heat transport medium component, and it cannot be said that the concentration is efficient.
(2) The method of dividing the heating tower is a method of concentrating by partial operation of the heating tower in a part of the section. As in (1), the concentration of the heat transport medium cannot be expected when the humidity of the outside air is high. In addition, the heat transport medium component evaporates along with moisture during concentration, but there is no means for recovering the evaporated heat transport medium component, and it cannot be said that the concentration is efficient.
(3) Although the method of stopping the heating operation and switching to the cooling operation is temporary, the heating operation is stopped.
(4) The method of heating and concentrating a heat transport medium with an electric heater requires a large heat energy source because dehydration is performed by a moisture evaporation operation, so that energy efficiency is deteriorated and heat cannot be effectively used. In addition, since the heating is performed under vacuum, it is necessary to maintain the airtightness of the apparatus, and maintenance is troublesome. Furthermore, there is no means for recovering the heat transport medium component in the evaporated water, and it cannot be said that the concentration is efficient. When evaporating moisture is condensed and discharged, the concentration of the heat transport medium in the discharged drain is high, which exceeds the discharge standard for waste water. Also, it takes time to start up the apparatus.
(5) The method of evaporating the water in the heat transport medium by heating the heat transport medium under vacuum requires a large heat energy source because dehydration is performed by the water vaporization operation, resulting in reduced energy efficiency and effective heat. Cannot be used. In addition, since the heating is performed under vacuum, it is necessary to maintain the airtightness of the apparatus, and maintenance is troublesome. Furthermore, there is no means for recovering the heat transport medium component in the evaporated water, and it cannot be said that the concentration is efficient. When evaporating moisture is condensed and discharged, the concentration of the heat transport medium in the discharged drain is high, which exceeds the discharge standard for waste water. Also, it takes time to start up the apparatus.
(6) Since the method of heating and concentrating the heat transport medium using another heat pump is heating under vacuum, it is necessary to maintain the hermeticity of the apparatus, and maintenance is troublesome. In order to maintain the function of the rectification section, it takes time to maintain the filler. Furthermore, the apparatus becomes large in order to make the rectification section function. Also, it takes time to start up the apparatus.
(7) The method of heating and concentrating the heat transport medium with a reboiler and a distillation kettle is heating under vacuum, so it is necessary to maintain the airtightness of the apparatus, and maintenance is troublesome. In addition, it takes time to maintain the filler in order to maintain the distillation performance. Furthermore, the mechanism of the apparatus is complicated compared with other systems, which increases the size and cost. Also, it takes time to start up the apparatus.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and can concentrate the heat transport medium continuously without being affected by the outside air conditions, and the heat transport medium has high concentration efficiency and is separated from the heat transport medium. It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat transport medium regenerator that can efficiently recover heat transport medium components from water.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention is directed to an atomization separation device that atomizes and separates a heat transport medium into a mist containing water as a main component by ultrasonic vibration. The heat transport medium is regenerated by removing the moisture.
According to the present invention, the heat transport medium is guided to the atomization separation device, and ultrasonic vibration is applied to the heat transport medium, whereby the heat transport medium is atomized and separated into mist mainly composed of moisture. As described above, the mist mainly composed of water is separated from the heat transport medium by ultrasonic vibration, so that the water in the heat transport medium is removed and the heat transport medium is concentrated and regenerated. The atomization separation device includes an atomization tank having an ultrasonic transducer. In the atomization tank, a required number of ultrasonic transducers can be arranged in accordance with the required amount of mist generated. The atomization tank is made into a small unit and has the freedom to install multiple units in series or in parallel.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat transport medium is circulated between the heating tower and the heat pump through a circulation line, and heat exchange is directly performed between the heat transport medium and the outside air in the heating tower to absorb the heat of the outside air. In the heating tower type heat pump system, the heat transport medium is regenerated by removing the moisture of the heat transport medium diluted by the moisture brought in from the outside air by direct contact with the outside air.
According to the present invention, while the heat transport medium circulates between the heating tower and the heat pump, the heat transport medium absorbs moisture in the atmosphere by direct contact between the heat transport medium and the outside air in the heating tower. Therefore, a part or the whole of the diluted heat transport medium is guided to an atomization separation device and ultrasonic vibration is applied to the heat transport medium, so that the heat transport medium is converted into a mist mainly composed of moisture. Atomized and separated. As described above, the mist mainly composed of water is separated from the heat transport medium by ultrasonic vibration, so that the water in the heat transport medium is removed and the heat transport medium is concentrated and regenerated.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a solid-liquid separator is provided on the upstream side of the atomization separation device to remove the solid content in the heat transport medium.
According to the present invention, since the heat transport medium passes through the solid-liquid separator before being introduced into the atomization separation device, the solid content in the heat transport medium is removed. Therefore, avoiding deterioration in quality due to accumulation of solids in the heat transport medium, and at the same time, preventing the energy from being absorbed by the solids in the atomization separator to reduce efficiency. Can do.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the heat transport medium is a glycol-based aqueous solution antifreeze.
In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the glycol-based aqueous solution is an aqueous solution containing ethylene glycol as a main component.
As the glycol-based aqueous solution, in addition to an aqueous solution containing ethylene glycol as a main component, an aqueous solution containing diethylene glycol as a main component, an aqueous solution containing propylene glycol as a main component, an aqueous solution containing triethylene glycol as a main component, and dipropylene glycol as a main component. An aqueous solution can be used.

One preferable aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the concentration of ethylene glycol in the aqueous solution containing ethylene glycol as a main component is 20 to 50 wt%.
When an ethylene glycol-based aqueous solution is used as a heat transport medium, it is circulated at a temperature of approximately -8 ° C. It is desirable that the concentration of ethylene glycol be 20 wt% or more in order to operate without freezing even at the corresponding temperature. In the case of circulating operation at approximately −15 ° C. in the severe winter season, the heat transport medium regenerator is operated with the ethylene glycol concentration set to 30 wt% or more.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the atomization separation device includes an atomization tank provided with an ultrasonic transducer, and the viscosity of the heat transport medium in the atomization tank is 0.5 cP to 10 cP. And
If the viscosity value of the diluted heat transport medium in the atomization tank is large, the amount of mist generated by ultrasonic vibration is reduced. Therefore, the lower the heat transport medium viscosity in the atomization tank, the better. When an ethylene glycol-based aqueous solution is used as the heat transport medium, when the temperature is 50 ° C., the viscosity at 20% ethylene glycol concentration is approximately 1 cP (centipoise), and the viscosity at 50% ethylene glycol concentration is approximately 2 cP. The design condition of the heat transport medium regenerator in the present invention is 60 ° C. When the temperature is 60 ° C., the viscosity of 20% ethylene glycol concentration is approximately 0.5 cP. At the beginning of operation of the heat transport medium regenerator, the temperature of the diluted heat transport medium in the atomization tank may be low. When the heat transport medium temperature at this time is −15 ° C., the viscosity at a 20% ethylene glycol concentration is approximately 10 cP. From the above, the viscosity of the heat transport medium in the atomization tank is preferably 0.5 to 10 cP, more preferably 0.5 to 2 cP. The heat transport medium is preferably operated at an ethylene glycol concentration of 20 to 50%.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the heat transport medium supplied to the atomization tank is heated, and the viscosity of the heat transport medium is set to 0.5 cP to 10 cP.
According to the present invention, the heat transport medium is heated before being supplied to the atomization tank, so that it is not affected by the temperature change of the heat transport medium in the circulation line, and the mist by ultrasonic vibration is used. The temperature of the heat transport medium can be adjusted to achieve an optimum viscosity for generation. Hot water generated by a heating tower type heat pump is used as a heat source for heating the heat transport medium, and the heat transport medium is heated by heat exchange between the hot water and the heat transport medium in a heat exchanger. Heating energy in the heat exchanger is not wasted because it returns to the system through the heat transport medium.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the mist is transported by air.
According to the present invention, it is possible to transport mist generated by an atomization separation device using air as a transport medium. In this case, a blower or the like is provided to attract the mist generated by the atomization separator together with the air of the transport medium.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the moisture in the mist and the heat transport medium component fine particles are separated by a gas-liquid separator to recover the heat transport medium component. When a gas-liquid separator is provided as in one aspect of the present invention, the gas-liquid separator constitutes a part of the atomization separation device.
According to the present invention, water, which is a low boiling point component, is vaporized in a mist state and easily becomes a gas, so that the particle size becomes fine. Therefore, the mist generated in the atomization tank has a particle size mainly composed of moisture. And a mist having a large particle size accompanied by a part of the heat transport medium. Therefore, it is possible to easily separate the moisture and the entrained heat transport medium component using the difference in particle size distribution. Since the entrained heat transport medium component fine particles are mixed in the mist, it is separated into moisture and the entrained heat transport medium component by the gas-liquid separator, and this entrained heat transport medium component is returned to the atomization tank. Thereby, the heat transport medium density | concentration in the humid air containing the mist discharged | emitted from a gas-liquid separator can be restrained low. In addition, by heating the air containing the mist flowing into the gas-liquid separator, it is possible to improve the performance of centrifuging into moisture and heat transport medium components, so the mist was included before the gas-liquid separator. It is preferable to heat the air with a heat exchanger or the like.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, moisture in the air after separating the heat transport medium component is cooled by a heat transport medium supplied from a circulation line of the heat transport medium, and the moisture is condensed. .
According to the present invention, the moist air after separating the heat transport medium components is cooled by the heat transport medium supplied from the circulation line, so that the moisture in the moist air is condensed, and the low humidity air and water are condensed. Separated. The humid air is cooled by heat exchange with the heat transport medium in the condenser. And low humidity air returns to an atomization tank, and water is discharged | emitted as waste_water | drain. Since the heat transport medium component in the mist is recovered by the gas-liquid separator, the condensed water discharged from the condenser is below the discharge standard for waste water.

In a preferred aspect of the present invention, hot water produced by a heating tower heat pump system is used for heating the heat transport medium and / or air.
According to the present invention, the heat source can utilize hot water generated by a heating tower type heat pump. Most of the heat obtained from the hot water changes to the temperature of the heat transport medium and returns to the heating tower heat pump system, so it can be recovered and used as a heat source for the heat recovery system to improve energy efficiency. Can be achieved.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a densitometer is provided in a circulation line of the heat transport medium, and when the heat transport medium concentration measured by the densitometer is reduced, the operation of the atomization separation device is started. When the transport medium concentration reaches a target concentration, the operation of the atomization separation device is stopped.
According to the invention, the signal from the densitometer in the heat transport medium circulation line is sent to the controller. The control concentration of the heat transport medium is preset in the controller from the relationship between the temperature and the freezing concentration. When the concentration falls below the specified control concentration, the atomization separation device starts operating. Stop device operation.

A preferred aspect of the present invention is an ultrasonic vibration in which a concentration meter is provided in a circulation line of the heat transport medium, and ultrasonic vibration is performed in the atomization separation device based on the heat transport medium concentration measured by the concentration meter. It is characterized in that the heat transport medium is maintained at a target concentration by controlling the input voltage to the child.
According to the present invention, when the initial voltage value at which mist starts to be stably generated is exceeded, the power supply voltage value input to the ultrasonic vibrator is substantially proportional to the amount of mist generated from the atomization tank. When the separation amount is large, the atomization separation amount can be easily adjusted by adjusting the power supply voltage. By controlling the voltage so that the concentration of the heat transport medium is maintained at the target concentration by the controller, the atomization separation amount can be adjusted and the heat transport medium concentration can be controlled.

The present invention has the following effects.
(1) Since the heat transport medium regeneration device is independent of the heating tower heat pump, the heat transport medium is continuously concentrated and regenerated without being affected by outside air conditions without stopping the heating operation. Can do.
(2) When moisture is evaporated by conventional steam or electric heating, it is necessary to input energy for the latent heat of vaporization, but the energy required for generating mist mainly composed of water by ultrasonic vibration is the latent heat of vaporization. Compared to the above, heat efficiency is high. As for the value of the atomization amount with respect to the input to the ultrasonic vibration to be atomized, a coefficient of performance COP generally serving as an evaluation criterion in the refrigeration cycle can be secured to 5 or more. In addition, approximately 60% of the ultrasonic wave input is used as heat energy for the concentrated liquid and is recovered into the heating tower heat pump system. Furthermore, it is preferable to heat the heat transport medium in order to improve the concentration performance, but most of the heat used for the heating is changed by the temperature change of the heat transport medium and is returned to the heating tower type heat pump system. There is no. In addition, the heat transport medium used for the cold heat source of the condenser also takes heat from the air, and the heat is changed in the temperature of the heat transport medium and recovered in the system of the heating tower type heat pump.
(3) The mist generated by the ultrasonic vibration contains a small amount of heat transport medium component. However, since the gas and liquid separator can separate the water and the heat transport medium component and recover the heat transport medium component, The concentration of the heat transport medium in the wastewater discharged from the liquid separator and condensed in the condenser can be kept low, and the wastewater discharge standard can be satisfied.
(4) Since the environment in the atomization tank that performs the concentration operation by ultrasonic vibration is 40 to 50 ° C. and the pressure is almost atmospheric pressure, the structure is simple compared to a system that heats in a negative pressure environment. it can. Since it is in the above-mentioned environment, it is also possible to use a plastic material for main materials, such as equipment used, such as an atomization tank, and piping materials, and can suppress initial cost.
(5) By supplying power to the ultrasonic vibrator, mist is generated immediately and the heat transport medium can be concentrated. Therefore, preparation operations are simple and the operation is simple. Concentration can be performed immediately according to the dilution situation.
(6) Since the apparatus can be disassembled for each major component device such as an atomization tank, a blower, a gas-liquid separator, a heat exchanger, an operation panel, etc., it is difficult to be restricted in carrying in. The size of the atomization tank can be changed freely by changing the number of ultrasonic transducers installed, and the atomization tank, blower, gas-liquid separator, heat exchanger, and operation panel can be laid out freely. Therefore, the dimensions and shape can be customized according to the local installation space.
(7) Since the water is separated from the diluted heat transport medium by generating mist by atomization instead of the water evaporation operation, a steam heating source is not required for energy input. Necessary utilities are electricity, hot water and cold heat source, and it is possible to remove moisture in the heat transport medium only by using the existing utility equipment in the heat supply center.
(8) Hot water generated by a heating tower type heat pump can be used as a heat source, and a heat transport medium can be used as a cold heat source. Most of the heat obtained by the hot water and the heat deprived by the cold heat source change in the temperature of the heat transport medium and return to the heating tower heat pump system, so that the heat can be recovered. It can be used as a heat source to improve energy efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an embodiment of a heat transport medium regenerating apparatus in the heating tower type heat pump system of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of an atomization tank. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a state of the ultrasonic transducer, the diluted brine, and the mist. FIG. 4 is a system diagram showing another embodiment of the heat transport medium regenerating apparatus in the heating tower type heat pump system of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the brine regeneration device. FIG. 6A is a graph showing a controller setting example in the case where an operation / stop command is given to a brine regeneration device in ethylene glycol brine, and FIG. 6B is a mist of the brine regeneration device in ethylene glycol brine. It is a graph which shows the example of a controller setting in the case of keeping a brine to the target density | concentration by controlling the voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer | vibrator in a chemical conversion tank.

Embodiments of a heat transport medium reproducing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, a heat transport medium regeneration device in a heating tower heat pump system will be described, but the present invention is not limited to a heating tower heat pump system. 1 to 6, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. In the present embodiment, the heat transport medium will be described as brine.
FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing an embodiment of a heat transport medium regenerating apparatus in the heating tower type heat pump system of the present invention. The heat transport medium used is a brine composed of an ethylene glycol aqueous solution in which a stock solution in which a trace amount of an inhibitor as a rust inhibitor is added to 70 wt% ethylene glycol is diluted with water to a predetermined concentration, and this brine is circulated. In general, Auro Love Line (Tokyo Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.) is often used. The brine regeneration apparatus of this embodiment is used to regenerate the brine that is circulated between the heat pump and the heating tower.

As shown in FIG. 1, a brine circulation line 3 for circulating brine is installed between the heat pump 1 and the heating tower 2 installed outdoors. The brine heated by the gas-liquid contact is returned to the heat pump 1. A brine circulation pump 4 is installed in the brine circulation line 3.
In the heat pump 1, the refrigerant compressed by the compressor Com passes through the condenser C, passes through the expansion valve V, passes through the evaporator E, and returns to the compressor Com. The brine heated by direct gas-liquid contact with the outside air in the heating tower 2 is guided to the evaporator E of the heat pump 1, and the hot water obtained in the condenser C is heated in the hot water tank via the hot water circulation line. 6 is circulated. A hot water circulation pump 5 is installed in the hot water circulation line.

When the heat is exchanged with the atmosphere in the heating tower 2, the brine is diluted by absorbing moisture in the atmosphere, which causes a problem that the quality deteriorates, for example, the freezing point rises. At the same time, the deterioration of the quality of the brine is promoted by accumulation of solids such as dust mixed in the circulation system from the outside air and rust generated in the system. Since the brine whose quality is deteriorated cannot be used as a heat transport medium, a brine regeneration device is used to regenerate it.
The brine regenerator diverts a part of the brine circulating in the brine circulation line 3 and performs a regeneration process to remove moisture on the brine diluted with moisture, and then circulates the obtained recycled brine in the brine It is configured to return to the line 3, whereby the concentration of the brine circulating in the brine circulation line 3 is maintained at a concentration at which the heat pump 1 can operate. Note that the total amount of brine circulating in the brine circulation line 3 may be guided to the brine regenerator.

  When ethylene glycol-based brine is used, it is circulated at a temperature of approximately -8 ° C. It is desirable that the concentration of ethylene glycol be 20 wt% or more in order to operate without freezing even at the corresponding temperature. In the case of circulating operation at approximately −15 ° C. in the severe winter season, the brine regeneration apparatus is operated with the ethylene glycol concentration set to 30 wt% or more.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the diluted solution of diluted brine (diluted brine) by absorbing moisture in the heating tower 2 passes through the solid-liquid separator 10 installed in the brine circulation line 3. The solid-liquid separator 10 always removes the solid content. The solid-liquid separator 10 may be installed in any part of the brine circulation line 3 or in the inlet line of the brine regenerator. The type of the solid-liquid separator 10 is not limited, but in the present invention, a solid-liquid separator equipped with a double filter capable of separating solid content particles of at least 10 μm or more is used. The solid-liquid separator 10 avoids quality deterioration due to solid content accumulation of brine, and at the same time prevents the energy of ultrasonic waves for performing atomization separation in the regenerator from being absorbed by the solid content and causing a decrease in efficiency. Is for.

  An intake pipe 8 is installed to divert part of the brine from the brine circulation line 3 and lead it to the brine regeneration device, and return the brine from which water has been removed by the brine regeneration device to return to the brine circulation line 3. A pipe 9 is installed. A first heat exchanger 11 is provided at the crossing position of the intake pipe 8 and the return pipe 9, and the diluted brine is preheated by heat exchange with the regenerated brine in the first heat exchanger 11. A second heat exchanger 12 is provided between the first heat exchanger 11 and the atomization tank 15. One or a plurality of atomization tanks 15 are installed. A temperature indicator 30 ′ is installed at a portion where the diluted brine leaves the second heat exchanger 12. In addition, a flow rate control valve 31 is installed in a pipe for circulating hot water through the second heat exchanger 12. Based on the temperature detected by the temperature indicator 30 ′, the temperature regulator 30 controls the opening degree of the flow rate control valve 31 to control the flow rate of the hot water, thereby adjusting the heating of the diluted brine to the optimum concentration temperature. Do. As a result, the brine temperature can be adjusted so as not to be affected by the brine temperature change in the brine circulation line 3 and to have an optimum viscosity for mist generation by ultrasonic vibration in the atomizing tank 15. The diluted brine whose temperature has been adjusted in the second heat exchanger 12 is controlled to a flow rate optimum for the concentration operation by the flow rate control valve 32 and then flows into the atomization tank 15.

In general, the diluted brine preheating temperature is increased to approximately 40 ° C. in the second heat exchanger 12 by using approximately 50 ° C. warm water generated by the heat pump 1 as a heating medium. In the atomization tank 15, approximately 60% of the ultrasonic input is used as heating energy for the liquid in the atomization tank as heat energy, so the dilution brine temperature in the atomization tank is operated at approximately 50 ° C.
On the other hand, when the viscosity value of the diluted brine in the atomization tank is large, the amount of mist generated due to ultrasonic vibration is reduced. Therefore, the lower the brine viscosity in the atomization tank, the better. When ethylene glycol-based brine is used, when the temperature is 50 ° C., the viscosity of the 20% ethylene glycol concentration is approximately 1 cP (centipoise), and the viscosity of the 50% ethylene glycol concentration is approximately 2 cP. The design condition of the brine regenerator in the present invention is 60 ° C., and when the temperature is 60 ° C., the viscosity of 20% ethylene glycol concentration is approximately 0.5 cP. At the beginning of the operation of the brine regenerator, the temperature of the diluted brine solution in the atomization tank may be low. At this time, the viscosity of the 20% ethylene glycol concentration is approximately 10 cP when the brine solution temperature is −15 ° C.
From the above, the viscosity of the brine in the atomization tank is preferably 0.5 to 10 cP, more preferably 0.5 to 2 cP. The concentrated brine is preferably operated at an ethylene glycol concentration of 20-50%.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the atomization tank 15. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 40 are arranged in the atomization tank 15, and the diluted brine that has flowed into the atomization tank 15 is atomized and separated into mist by ultrasonic vibration. Is done.
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the state of the ultrasonic transducer 40, the diluted brine, and the mist. As shown in FIG. 3, when the ultrasonic transducer 40 vibrates ultrasonically, the diluted brine is ultrasonically vibrated and atomized and separated into mist. The lower boiling liquid is more easily atomized into mist, and the boiling point of water is lower than the boiling point of brine. By being separated from the brine, the brine is concentrated to a predetermined concentration to become a concentrated brine.
When ethylene glycol-based brine is used, the boiling point of water at atmospheric pressure is 100 ° C., and the boiling point of ethylene glycol at atmospheric pressure is approximately 200 ° C. Therefore, the low boiling point side component is water, and the high boiling point side component is ethylene glycol.

  A required number of ultrasonic transducers 40 can be arranged in the atomization tank 15 in accordance with a necessary amount of mist generation. The atomization tank 15 is made into a small unit, and has a degree of freedom in which a plurality of atomization tanks 15 can be installed in series or in parallel as shown in FIG. The concentrated brine concentrated in the atomization tank 15 is conveyed to the first heat exchanger 11 by the liquid feed pump 16 and exchanges heat with the diluted brine, and then returns to the brine circulation line 3 via the return pipe 9. .

The mist generated in the atomization tank 15 is attracted to the gas-liquid separator 19 by the blower 18 together with the air of the transfer medium in the tank. In this embodiment, air is used as the transfer medium, but any gas other than flammable gas, poison gas, cracked gas, etc. that does not affect the human body or the environment is selected according to the conditions. I can do it. For example, nitrogen gas or carbon dioxide gas may be used.
Since water, which is a low boiling point component, is vaporized in the state of mist and easily becomes gas, the particle size becomes fine. Therefore, the mist generated in the atomization tank is composed of mist with a fine particle size mainly composed of water and brine. And a mist with a large particle size. Therefore, moisture and entrained brine can be easily separated using the difference in particle size distribution. Since entrained brine component fine particles are mixed in the mist, the gas-liquid separator 19 separates the water into entrained brine components, and these entrained brine components are returned to the atomization tank 15. Thereby, the brine density | concentration in the humid air containing the mist discharged | emitted from the gas-liquid separator 19 can be restrained low. In this embodiment, a cyclone type separator having a large capacity, low pressure loss and good classification efficiency is adopted as the gas-liquid separator, but a mist separator or the like can be adopted and is not limited to the type.
Thus, when the gas-liquid separator 19 is provided, the gas-liquid separator 19 comprises a part of atomization separation apparatus.

  Between the atomization tank 15 and the gas-liquid separator 19, the 3rd heat exchanger 20 is installed, and the humid air containing the mist discharged | emitted from the atomization tank 15 by the 3rd heat exchanger 20 is heated. It is desirable to do. Thus, the performance which isolate | separates the water | moisture content and brine component in the gas-liquid separator 19 can be improved by heating the humid air containing mist. In this embodiment, the hot water circulation pump 7 and piping are provided to construct the hot water circulation path 33, the hot water in the hot water tank 6 is conveyed to the third heat exchanger 20, and heat exchange between the hot water and humid air containing mist is performed. Heat humid air containing mist.

  The humid air containing mist discharged from the gas-liquid separator 19 is separated into wet air and water by the condenser 21, and the water is discharged as waste water. The brine concentration in the wastewater is kept low by the action of the gas-liquid separator 19 described above, and the discharge standard can be satisfied. Further, the humid air containing the mist discharged from the gas-liquid separator 19 may be released into the atmosphere as it is if it can be released into the atmosphere without being circulated as a transfer medium.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the condenser 21 may be installed on the secondary side of the blower 18. By performing heat exchange between the air heated by the adiabatic compression of the blower 18 and the air cooled by the condenser 21 in the heat exchanger 27, the air can be heated without using hot water. In addition, when it is desired to further increase the air temperature, a heat exchanger may be added and reheated using hot water. Moreover, since the pressure loss of the secondary side of the air blower 18 increases compared with FIG. 1, the pressure in an atomization tank can be lowered | hung. Since the amount of mist generated by ultrasonic vibration increases when the pressure in the atomization tank is low, the improvement of dewatering performance can be expected. The other configuration of the system shown in FIG. 4 is the same as that of the system shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a part of the brine is diverted by the branch pipe 36 branched from the brine circulation line 3 or the brine return pipe 9, and the diverted brine is led to the condenser 21. Exchange heat with humid air. When the temperature of the brine is 0 ° C. or lower, there is a concern that the condenser 21 may be frosted. Therefore, as a means for raising the temperature of the brine, the hot water is branched from the hot water circulation path 33 and a heat exchanger is installed to A method of heating or a method of controlling the brine temperature by installing a circulation pump, a three-way valve and a bypass pipe in the path between the brine circulation line 3 or the brine return pipe 9 and the condenser 21 can be considered.

  The humid air leaving the condenser 21 returns to the atomization tank 15 and is circulated and used as a gas for conveying mist by ultrasonic vibration. It is desirable that the humid air exiting the condenser 21 is heated by the fourth heat exchanger 24. That is, hot water is supplied from the hot water circulation system 33 to the fourth heat exchanger 24, and the humid air is heated by exchanging heat between the hot water and the humid air in the fourth heat exchanger 24. As the relative humidity decreases and the relative humidity decreases, the atomization separation performance in the atomization tank 15 can be improved.

  When the diluted brine is stored in the brine tank 25, the brine feed pump 26 is installed, the branch pipe 38 for introducing the brine into the intake pipe 8 is installed, and the diluted brine in the brine tank 25 is first heated. Introduced into the exchanger 11. A branch pipe 39 is installed in the return pipe 9 and the concentrated brine is returned to the brine tank 25. Thereby, even when the heating tower type heat pump is stopped, the concentration operation of the diluted brine can be performed independently.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the brine regeneration device. As shown in FIG. 5, a concentration meter 35 and a thermometer 41 are installed in the brine circulation line 3. It is desirable that the brine concentration be equal to or higher than the concentration at which freezing does not occur even at the corresponding temperature. The concentration at which freezing occurs is related to the liquid temperature. When ethylene glycol-based brine is used, the ethylene glycol concentration is 30 wt% or more when the liquid temperature is -15 ° C, and ethylene glycol when the liquid temperature is -8 ° C. The concentration is 20 wt% or more.
As shown in FIG. 5, signals from the concentration meter 35 and the thermometer 41 in the brine circulation line 3 are sent to the controller 50. In the controller 50, the management concentration of the brine is set in advance from the relationship between the temperature and the freezing concentration. When the concentration falls below the predetermined management concentration, the operation of the brine regeneration device is started. When the target concentration is reached, the operation of the brine regeneration device is started. To stop.

  FIG. 6A is a graph showing a controller setting example in the case where an operation / stop command is given to the brine regeneration device in ethylene glycol-based brine. When using ethylene glycol-based brine, as shown by the hatched area in the left graph of FIG. 6A, when the liquid temperature is −15 ° C., the ethylene glycol concentration is 30 wt% or more, and the liquid temperature is − When the temperature is 8 ° C., an ethylene glycol concentration of 20 wt% or more is set as a control concentration. Then, as shown in the graph on the right side of FIG. 6A, when the control concentration falls below the hatched area, the operation of the brine regeneration device is started by a command from the controller 50, and when the target concentration is reached, the brine regeneration device Stop driving.

  The density detection method uses a vibration type density meter, but is not limited to this, and there is no problem even if an electrical conductivity meter (electrical resistivity meter) or a refractometer is used because of the physical properties of the brine. Since the concentration operation is immediately started by supplying power to the ultrasonic transducer in the atomization tank 15, the operation can be quickly stopped and started. When the initial voltage value at which mist starts to be generated stably is exceeded, the power supply voltage value input to the ultrasonic transducer and the amount of mist generated from the atomization tank are substantially proportional. When the amount of atomization separation by the concentration operation is large, the atomization separation amount can be easily adjusted by adjusting the power supply voltage. By controlling the voltage so that the brine concentration is maintained at the target concentration by the controller, it is possible to perform the brine concentration control by adjusting the atomization separation amount.

  FIG. 6B is a graph showing a controller setting example in the case where the brine is maintained at a target concentration by controlling the voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer 40 in the atomization tank 15 of the brine regenerator in the ethylene glycol-based brine. It is. As shown in the graph on the left side of FIG. 6B, when the initial voltage value at which mist starts to be generated stably is exceeded, the power supply voltage value input to the ultrasonic transducer 40 and the amount of mist generated from the atomization tank 15 are It is almost proportional. Therefore, as shown in the graph on the right side of FIG. 6 (b), when the brine concentration decreases, the voltage input value to the ultrasonic transducer 40 is increased by a command from the controller 50, and when the brine concentration increases. By reducing the voltage input value to the ultrasonic transducer 40 in accordance with a command from the controller 50, the brine concentration can be maintained at the target concentration.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the case where the heat transport medium regenerator of the present invention is applied to a heating tower type heat pump system has been described. However, other systems in which deterioration or dilution of the heat transport medium occurs. It is also applicable to.
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention may be implemented in various different forms within the scope of the technical idea.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat pump 2 Heating tower 3 Brine circulation line 6 Hot water tank 8 Intake pipe 9 Brine return pipe 10 Solid-liquid separation tank 11 1st heat exchanger 12 2nd heat exchanger 15 Atomization tank 16 Liquid feed pump 18 Blower 19 Air Liquid separator 20 Third heat exchanger 21 Condenser 24 Fourth heat exchanger 25 Brine tank 26 Brine feed pump 30 Temperature controller 30 'Temperature indicator 31, 32 Flow control valve 33 Hot water circulation path 35 Concentration meter 36 Branch Piping Com Compressor C Condenser E Evaporator V Expansion valve

Claims (15)

  The heat transport medium is guided to an atomization separation apparatus that atomizes and separates the heat transport medium into a mist mainly composed of water by ultrasonic vibration, and the heat transport medium is regenerated by removing the water in the heat transport medium by the atomization separation apparatus. A heat transport medium regenerator, characterized in that   Heating tower heat pump system that circulates the heat transport medium between the heating tower and the heat pump through a circulation line, directly exchanges heat between the heat transport medium and the outside air in the heating tower, and absorbs the heat of the outside air The heat transport medium regenerating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat transport medium is regenerated by removing water from the heat transport medium diluted by water brought in from outside air by direct contact with the outside air.   3. The heat transport medium regeneration device according to claim 1, wherein a solid-liquid separator is provided upstream of the atomization separation device to remove solids in the heat transport medium.   4. The heat transport medium regenerator according to claim 1, wherein the heat transport medium is a glycol-based aqueous solution antifreeze.   5. The heat transport medium regenerator according to claim 4, wherein the glycol-based aqueous solution is an aqueous solution mainly composed of ethylene glycol.   6. The heat transport medium regenerator according to claim 5, wherein the concentration of ethylene glycol in the aqueous solution containing ethylene glycol as a main component is 20 to 50 wt%.   The said atomization separation apparatus is provided with the atomization tank which installed the ultrasonic transducer | vibrator, The viscosity of the said heat transport medium in this atomization tank is 0.5cP-10cP, It is characterized by the above-mentioned. Heat transport medium regenerator.   The heat transport medium regenerator according to claim 7, wherein the heat transport medium supplied to the atomization tank is heated, and the viscosity of the heat transport medium is set to 0.5 cP to 10 cP.   3. The heat transport medium regeneration apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mist is transported by air.   The heat transport medium regenerator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein water and heat transport medium component fine particles in the mist are separated by a gas-liquid separator to recover the heat transport medium component.   The heat transport medium according to claim 10, wherein moisture in the air after separating the heat transport medium component is cooled by a heat transport medium supplied from a circulation line of the heat transport medium to condense the water. Playback device.   The heat transport medium regenerator according to any one of claims 2 to 11, wherein hot water produced by a heating tower heat pump system is used for heating the heat transport medium and / or air.   The heat transport medium regeneration device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the heat transport medium heated by a regeneration device is used for heating the heat transport medium.   A densitometer is provided in the circulation line of the heat transport medium, and when the heat transport medium concentration measured by the densitometer is lowered, the operation of the atomization separation device is started, and the heat transport medium concentration reaches a target concentration. The heat transport medium regenerator according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the operation of the atomizing / separating device is stopped when it has been reached.   A concentration meter is provided in the circulation line of the heat transport medium, and an input voltage to an ultrasonic vibrator that performs ultrasonic vibration in the atomization separation device is controlled based on the heat transport medium concentration measured by the concentration meter. The heat transport medium regenerator according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the heat transport medium is maintained at a target concentration.

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