JP2016205658A - Cooling liquid tank device of chiller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent mixing of foreign matters such as dust and dirt to a cooling liquid by easily visually confirming an amount of cooling liquid and a degree of contamination even when a tank port has a small opening area.SOLUTION: A constitution of a cooling liquid tank device having a cooling liquid tank accommodating a cooling liquid W by being connected as a part of a cooling liquid circuit 2 in a chiller M including the cooling liquid circuit 2 for cooling a cooled object C by circulating the cooling liquid W to the cooled object C, and cooling means 3 for cooling the cooling liquid W by a heat exchanger 4, includes a cooling liquid tank 5 having an integrated tank body 5m having a tank port 5mi at its upper portion and a cap 5c attached to and detached from the tank port 5mi, a tank internal illumination light 6 for lighting the cooling liquid W in the tank body 5m capable of being visually confirmed at least from the tank port 5mi, and mode switching means 7 for switching the tank internal illumination light 6 to a lighting mode and an extinction mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a coolant tank device for a chiller suitable for use when accommodating coolant by connecting as part of a coolant circuit in the chiller.

  In general, a coolant circuit that cools an object to be cooled by supplying the coolant to the object to be cooled such as a machine tool is connected to a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and a heat exchanger to circulate the refrigerant. A chiller equipped with a refrigeration cycle for cooling the cooling liquid by the heat exchanger is known. Usually, this type of chiller circulates the cooling liquid and contains a predetermined amount of the cooling liquid. A coolant tank is provided.

  Conventionally, as a chiller provided with such a coolant tank, a cooling device (chiller) disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 already proposed by the present applicant is known. The cooling device disclosed in Patent Document 1 aims to lower the supply liquid temperature to the object to be cooled to near the freezing temperature, increase the cooling performance and COP of the refrigerant circuit, and reduce the pressure resistance of the object to be cooled. Specifically, a coolant tank that stores the coolant returned from the object to be cooled, a liquid feed pump that sends out the coolant flowing out from the supply port of the coolant tank, and this feed A cooler that cools the coolant discharged from the fluid pump by heat exchange and supplies it to the object to be cooled, detects the temperature of the coolant flowing out of the cooler with a temperature sensor, and cools the cooler based on the detected temperature. And a control system for controlling the cooling temperature.

  Further, the cooling device disclosed in Patent Document 2 is intended to be able to respond quickly even when the liquid temperature is greatly lowered, to improve safety and reliability, and to be easily retrofitted. Specifically, by connecting a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and a heat exchanger that are controlled by an inverter to circulate the refrigerant, and by connecting to the heat exchanger, heat exchange with the refrigerant is performed. The cooling liquid supplied from the cooling liquid tank is cooled, and this cooling liquid is circulated through the object to be cooled, and then provided with a cooling liquid circuit that returns to the cooling liquid tank, and is disposed in the cooling liquid tank. A heater that can heat the coolant stored in the coolant tank, and at least if the fluid temperature falls below the preset underload temperature, turn on the heater, and the fluid temperature exceeds the preset non-underload temperature If the Tsu and a control unit having a control function of the heater OFF is obtained by configuration.

JP 2003-329355 A JP 2009-058199 A

  However, the conventional chiller coolant tank described above has the following problems to be solved.

  First, in this type of chiller, the coolant is circulated to the object to be cooled, such as a machine tool. Due to this, the degree will also vary. For this reason, in consideration of maintainability and the like, the cooling liquid tank is configured by a box-shaped tank body formed of a stainless material and a lid body that covers the upper surface opening of the tank body. As a result, when the lid is removed, the entire upper surface of the tank body is opened, so that maintenance properties such as cleaning and monitoring are good, but on the other hand, it is difficult to ensure sealing performance. Are liable to evaporate, and when the lid is removed, foreign matters such as dust and dust are liable to be mixed into the coolant.

  Secondly, the tank body and the lid are usually manufactured using a stainless steel material as a forming material in consideration of durability and the like. For this reason, the cost increase in both material cost and manufacturing cost cannot be ignored. In addition, since a relatively large tank body and lid are manufactured using a stainless steel material, there is a limit in increasing the weight and reducing the weight of the entire chiller.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a chiller coolant tank apparatus that solves the problems in the background art.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the chiller coolant tank apparatus 1 according to the present invention circulates the coolant W to the object C to be cooled and cools the object C to be cooled, and heat exchange. By connecting as a part of the coolant circuit 2 in the chiller M provided with the cooling means 3 for cooling the coolant W by the vessel 4, a coolant tank device having a coolant tank for storing the coolant W is configured. At this time, the tank main body 5m having the tank port 5mi at the upper part, the coolant tank 5 having the cap 5c attached to and detached from the tank port 5mi, and the coolant W in the tank main body 5m visible at least from the tank port 5mi are irradiated. A tank lighting light 6 and a mode switching means 7 for switching the tank lighting light 6 to a lighting mode or a light-off mode.

  In this case, according to a preferred embodiment, the cooling means 3 connects the compressor 11, the condenser 12, the expansion valve 13 and the heat exchanger 4 to circulate the refrigerant, and the heat exchanger 4 supplies the coolant W. A cooling refrigeration cycle 14 can be used. On the other hand, the tank body 5m can be integrally formed of the synthetic resin material R, and the tank body 5m can cover a part or all of the outer surface with the heat insulating material 15. Moreover, LED6e can be used for the light 6 for illumination in a tank. The in-tank illumination light 6 is desirably arranged so that at least the liquid level Wu of the coolant W inside the tank opening 5mi can be visually recognized. Further, the mode switching means 7 switches to the extinguishing mode by the mounting position Xs of the cap 5c or the closing position Xc of the opening / closing cover 16 covering the cap 5c, and by the non-mounting position of the cap 5c or the non-closing position Xo of the opening / closing cover 16. A switching function Fc for switching to the lighting mode can be provided.

  According to such a chiller coolant tank apparatus 1 according to the present invention, the following remarkable effects are obtained.

  (1) A coolant tank 5 having an integrally formed tank body 5m having a tank port 5mi at the top and a cap 5c attached to and detached from the tank port 5mi, and at least a coolant W in the tank body 5m visible from the tank port 5mi. Since the tank illumination light 6 to be irradiated and the mode switching means 7 for switching the tank illumination light 6 to the lighting mode or the extinguishing mode are provided, even if the tank port 5mi has a relatively small opening area, The operator can easily confirm the amount of storage of the cooling liquid W, the degree of contamination, and the like by visual observation, and can avoid contamination of the cooling liquid W with foreign matters such as dust and dirt. In addition, a sufficient sealing property of the coolant tank 5 can be secured easily, and unnecessary evaporation of the coolant W can be prevented.

  (2) If the tank body 5m is integrally formed of the synthetic resin material R according to a preferred embodiment, the sealing performance can be easily secured, and thus the evaporation of the cooling liquid W from the cooling liquid tank 5 can be reliably prevented. And since it can implement by the form similar to a tank made from polyethylene (what is called a poly tank) or diversion, it can implement easily and at low cost, and the weight reduction of the whole chiller M can be achieved.

  (3) If a part or all of the outer surface of the tank main body 5m is covered with the heat insulating material 15 according to a preferred embodiment, the heat insulating property of the tank main body 5m can be improved. The energy saving property can be further improved.

  (4) According to a preferred embodiment, if the LED 6e is used for the in-tank illumination light 6, it is possible to reduce the size of the in-tank illumination light 6 based on the characteristics of the LED 6e, to reduce power consumption, and to extend the life. The illumination of the various aspects which applied the radiation directivity which LED6e has can be performed.

  (5) According to a preferred embodiment, if the in-tank illumination light 6 is arranged at a position where at least the liquid level Wu of the cooling liquid W inside the tank port 5mi can be visually recognized, the tank port 5mi having a relatively small opening area can be obtained. Even if it exists, the height of the liquid level Wu can be easily confirmed using the reflection of the in-tank illumination light 6.

  (6) According to a preferred embodiment, the mode switching means 7 is switched to the extinguishing mode by the mounting position Xs of the cap 5c or the closing position Xc of the opening / closing cover 16 covering the cap 5c, and the non-mounting position of the cap 5c or the opening / closing cover 16 If the switching function Fc for switching to the lighting mode at the non-closed position Xo is provided, the light for illuminating the tank is removed by removing the cap 5c or opening the opening / closing cover 16 at the time of maintenance or at the time of coolant supply, for example. 6 can be turned on automatically, which can contribute to improvement in work efficiency and convenience.

A cross-sectional left side view showing an internal structure of a chiller provided with a coolant tank device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Sectional plan view showing the internal structure of the chiller equipped with the same coolant tank device, Front perspective view showing the appearance of a chiller equipped with the same coolant tank device, Circuit diagram showing the entire chiller equipped with the same coolant tank device, A block system diagram showing an extracted part of the electrical system related to the coolant tank device, Operation explanatory diagram of the same coolant tank device, Sectional front view which shows a part of internal structure of a chiller provided with the coolant tank apparatus which concerns on the modified embodiment of this invention,

  Next, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be given and described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, in order to facilitate understanding of the coolant tank apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, a schematic configuration of the entire chiller M will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 shows a circuit system of the entire chiller M. C denotes an object to be cooled such as a machine tool cooled by the chiller M. The illustrated chiller M is roughly provided with a coolant circuit 2, a refrigeration cycle 14, and a controller 51. The coolant circuit 2 includes the coolant tank apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment that stores the coolant W. The cooling liquid tank device 1 includes a cooling liquid tank 5, and the supply port of the cooling liquid tank 5 is connected to the supply inlet of the object C to be cooled via the supply side line Ls and the return of the cooling liquid tank 5. The port is connected to the discharge port of the object C to be cooled via the return line Lr.

  In this case, the supply side line Ls includes at least a supply side pipe 21s and a liquid feed pump 22 connected in the middle of the supply side pipe 21s. On the other hand, the return side line Lr is provided with at least a return side pipe 21r and a heat exchanger 4 connected in the middle of the return side pipe 21r, and a pipe 21ru arranged upstream of the heat exchanger 4 has a cleaning device. The air supply means 24 which comprises 23 is provided. The heat exchanger 4 includes a primary side heat exchange channel 4f and a secondary side heat exchange channel 4s, and the secondary side heat exchange channel 4s is connected to the return side pipe 21r.

  The cleaning device 23 is for cleaning the inside of the secondary side heat exchange flow path 4s, and the illustrated cleaning device 23 is configured to share a part of the function of the chiller M. That is, the air supply means 24 using a part of the piping 21r of the coolant circuit 2 is provided, and the aeration by using the liquid feed pump 22 and the controller 51 for the air A supplied by the air supply means 24. Aeration cleaning means 25 for cleaning is provided. The air supply means 24 arranges the coolant circuit 2 excluding the coolant tank 5 below the specified fluid level Ws of the coolant W stored in the coolant tank 5 as a layout condition. In addition, an air accommodating portion 26 is provided by diverting a part of the pipe 21 ru arranged on the upstream side of the heat exchanger 4 above the specified liquid level Ws indicated by a one-dot chain line, and the air accommodating portion 26 is provided at the upper end of the air accommodating portion 26. The air supply valve circuit 27 is connected. The air supply valve circuit 27 includes a series circuit of an air supply valve 28 using a check valve and an on-off valve 29. The on-off valve 29 is connected to the air accommodating portion 26, and the air supply valve 28 is opened to the atmosphere. .

  The refrigeration cycle 14 is a known refrigeration that connects the compressor 11, the condenser 12, the expansion valve (electronic expansion valve) 13, and the heat exchanger 4 to circulate the refrigerant and cools the coolant W by the heat exchanger 4. Configure the cycle. Therefore, the refrigerant piping in the refrigeration cycle 14 is connected to the primary side heat exchange channel 4 f in the heat exchanger 4. In the refrigeration cycle 14, reference numeral 41 denotes an air cooling fan attached to the condenser 12, and 42 denotes an expansion valve connected to a bypass circuit.

  The controller 51 has a function for controlling the entire chiller M. The controller 51 has a computer function including a CPU, a memory, and the like, and can execute various processes and controls (sequence control) using a control program stored in advance. The main function is that the temperature of the coolant W is a set temperature. Thus, a function of feedback-controlling the refrigeration cycle 14 and the like based on the detection result from the temperature sensor is provided. Therefore, the controller 51 sends and receives various signals to the refrigeration cycle 14 and controls the operation / stop of the liquid feed pump 22 described above.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of the external configuration of the entire chiller M. The chiller M includes a rectangular parallelepiped cabinet 61 that is long in the vertical direction. The cabinet 61 includes an inclined opening / closing cover 16 on the front side of the upper surface, and an operation panel 62 on the right side of the opening / closing cover 16 (direction viewed from the front). The operation panel 62 includes an operation unit and a display unit, and is connected to the controller 51 described above. In addition, by opening the opening / closing cover 16, water supply to the coolant tank 5 and various maintenance can be performed. In addition, a connection panel 63 for connecting various pipes and cables is provided at the upper part of the right side surface where the operation panel 62 is located, and a ventilation window 64 is provided at the lower part of the side surface.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the coolant tank apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment having the coolant tank 5 is disposed on the upper left side inside the cabinet 61. An electric system 51e including the controller 51 is disposed on the upper right side. Further, the compressor 11, the condenser 12, the expansion valve 13, the heat exchanger 4, and the like that constitute the refrigeration cycle 14 are disposed in the lower part inside the coolant tank 5 (coolant tank device 1). A coolant circuit 2 (not shown) except for is provided. Thereby, the coolant circuit 2 excluding the coolant tank 5 satisfies the layout condition that the coolant circuit 2 is disposed below the specified liquid surface Ws of the coolant W accommodated in the coolant tank 5.

  Next, a specific configuration of the coolant tank apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The coolant tank apparatus 1 includes the coolant tank 5 as described above. The coolant tank 5 includes an integrally formed tank body 5m having a tank port 5mi at the top and a cap 5c attached to and detached from the tank port 5mi. In this case, the tank body 5m is integrally formed of the synthetic resin material R. Therefore, the coolant tank 5 can be implemented by, for example, a form similar to a polyethylene tank (so-called poly tank) or diversion. Thus, if the tank main body 5m is integrally formed of the synthetic resin material R, the sealing property can be easily secured and the evaporation of the coolant W from the coolant tank 5 can be reliably prevented. In addition, it can be implemented easily and at low cost, and the overall weight of the chiller M can be reduced.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the first half portion of the upper surface of the tank main body 5m is formed on an inclined surface 5ms that is lowered forward, and a cylindrical tank port 5mi is formed protruding above the inclined surface 5ms. Thereby, the so-called screw-type cap 5c can be attached and detached. And by forming such an inclined surface 5 ms, workability at the time of replenishing the coolant W can be improved, and in particular, even when a plurality of chiller devices M are stacked and installed. There is an advantage that the coolant W can be supplied using a hose or the like.

  In addition, while being able to use water (tap water) and various cooling solutions, the cooling liquid W does not ask | require whether a color aspect is transparent. Therefore, it may be a colored liquid (light blue, light red, etc.) such as coolant. In FIG. 4, Ws indicated by an alternate long and short dash line indicates the height of the coolant W stored in the coolant tank 5 with respect to the specified liquid surface. In addition, the coolant tank 5 is provided with a float sensor 52 (see FIG. 1) for detecting the height of the liquid surface and various auxiliary functions normally required for the coolant tank such as a drain port.

  On the other hand, the outer surface of the tank body 5m covers the outer surface with a heat insulating material 15, as shown in FIGS. As the heat insulating material 15, for example, a foamed urethane heat insulating board 15p having a predetermined thickness can be used, and as a covering range, a part or all of the outer surface of the tank body 5m, in particular, a heat insulating effect can be used. It is desirable to cover as wide a range as possible from the viewpoint of enhancing. Thereby, since the heat insulation of 5 m of tank bodies can be improved, an energy loss can be prevented and the energy saving property of the chiller M can be improved more.

  By the way, the tank body 5m of the coolant tank 5 is integrally formed of the synthetic resin material R, the outer surface is covered with the heat insulating material 15, and the tank opening 5mi provided on the upper surface of the tank body 5m is relatively small in size. In the case of opening and closing with the cap 5c of the type, unlike a conventional type of coolant tank configured by a box-shaped tank body and a lid covering the upper surface opening of the tank body, maintainability, in particular, the state of the coolant W from the outside, Specifically, a negative element that makes it difficult to visually recognize the capacity of the coolant W and the degree of contamination of the coolant W with the naked eye occurs.

  For this reason, the coolant tank apparatus 1 is provided with the in-tank illumination light 6 for irradiating the liquid level Wu of the coolant W in the tank main body 5m that is visible at least from the tank port 5mi. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, a white LED (light emitting diode) 6e that can irradiate the inside of the tank main body 5m is disposed below the inclined surface 5ms of the tank main body 5m. By using such an LED 6e, there is an advantage that the in-tank lighting light 6 can be reduced in size, power saving and longer life based on the characteristics of the LED 6e, and in particular, the LED 6e that generates less heat generates condensation. It is also possible to suppress the occurrence. Further, when attaching the inclined surface 5ms, for example, when the entire tank body 5m is integrally formed of a milky white synthetic resin having transparency or semi-permeability, it can be directly attached to the outer surface of the inclined surface 5ms. Thereby, for example, the outer surface or inner surface of the inclined surface 5 ms formed in a satin-like shape can be functioned as a diffused plate, diffusing the light beam with high irradiation directivity possessed by the LED 6 e, and evenly inside the tank body 5 m. Illumination can be achieved, and the illumination function can be further enhanced. Since the tank body 5m is integrally formed of the synthetic resin material R, it is also possible to form an attachment hole in the inclined surface 5ms and attach the waterproofness to the attachment hole in a state where waterproofness is ensured. In this case, since the light emitting surface of the LED 6e can directly face the inside of the tank main body 5m, light loss can be avoided and brighter illumination can be performed.

  Accordingly, if the tank illumination light 6 is arranged on such an inclined surface 5 ms, the height of the liquid surface Wu of the coolant W in the interior can be viewed at least from the tank port 5mi. That is, even with the tank port 5mi having a relatively small opening area, the reduction state of the coolant W can be easily confirmed through the tank port 5mi with the naked eye.

  Further, the coolant tank apparatus 1 includes mode switching means 7 for switching the tank illumination light 6 to the lighting mode or the extinguishing mode. FIG. 5 shows an extracted part of the electrical system related to the coolant tank apparatus 1 including the mode switching means 7. In this case, as the simplest configuration of the mode switching means 7, a lighting switch 53 shown in FIG. 5 can be provided, and this lighting switch 53 can be included in the operation panel 62 described above. As a result, the operator can manually operate the lighting switch 53 to switch to the lighting mode or the extinguishing mode when necessary.

  On the other hand, the mode switching means 7 may be configured by providing a switching function Fc that switches to the extinguishing mode by the mounting position Xs of the cap 5c and switches to the lighting mode by the non-mounting position of the cap 5c. In this case, a cap detection switch (cap detection sensor) 54 is provided in the vicinity of the tank port 5mi, and the controller 51 can be switched to the lighting mode or the extinguishing mode based on the ON / OFF result of the cap detection switch 54. As the cap detection switch 54, when the cap 5c reaches the mounting position Xs, a switch having a contact point that is pressed by the cap 5c and turned OFF can be used. When such a switching function Fc is provided, the tank illumination light 6 can be automatically turned on by detaching the cap 5c, for example, at the time of maintenance or when coolant is replenished. It can contribute to the improvement of sex.

  The switching function Fc using the opening / closing cover detection switch 55 for detecting the closed position Xc or the non-closed position Xo of the opening / closing cover 16 covering the cap 5c may be provided in place of the cap detection switch 54. it can. In addition, in FIG. 5, 52 indicates a float sensor for detecting the height of the liquid level Wu, and 72 indicates a liquid amount alarm for outputting an alarm when the detection result of the float sensor 52 reaches the lower limit value.

  Next, the overall operation of the chiller M including the function of the coolant tank apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Now, it is assumed that the chiller M is in a normal operation state. The coolant tank 5 contains the coolant W up to the height of the specified liquid level Ws, and the on-off valve 29 is switched to the closed (OFF) side. During operation, the coolant W stored in the coolant tank 5 is supplied to the object C to be cooled through the supply side line Ls by the operation of the liquid feed pump 22 shown in FIG. Cooled by W. The supply direction (circulation direction) of the coolant W is indicated by an arrow Fw. Then, the coolant W warmed by the heat exchange is returned to the coolant tank 5 via the return side line Lr. At this time, the coolant W passes through the secondary side heat exchange channel 4s of the heat exchanger 4 when returned by the return side line Lr, and is thus heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the primary side heat exchange channel 4f and cooled. The coolant W is returned to the coolant tank 5. Thereby, the coolant W is circulated.

  Thereafter, it is assumed that the operation of the chiller M is stopped according to the operation schedule. Thereby, the liquid feed pump 22 is also stopped. At this time, cleaning can be performed using the cleaning device 23. When cleaning is performed, the operator turns on a cleaning mode start switch (not shown). When the cleaning mode is started, the controller 51 controls the on-off valve 29 to switch to the open (ON) state. Thereby, air A (outside air) flows into the air accommodating portion 26 through the air supply valve 28. At the same time, the cooling liquid W in the air storage unit 26 is lowered, and the liquid level of the cooling liquid W in the air storage unit 26 matches the height of the specified liquid level Ws of the cooling liquid W stored in the cooling liquid tank 5. To do. Then, the on-off valve 29 is controlled as the set time elapses to switch to the closed (OFF) state, and the liquid feed pump 22 is operated. Thereby, the coolant W in the return side pipe 21r is sent to the heat exchanger 4 and further to the coolant tank 5, and at this time, since the air A in the air accommodating portion 26 is caught in the coolant W, A so-called slag flow containing air A bubbles is produced. Since this slag flow passes through the secondary side heat exchange channel 4s immediately after, effective aeration cleaning by the slag flow is performed on the secondary side heat exchange channel 4s. Thereafter, when the set time has elapsed, the liquid feed pump 22 is stopped. The above operation is repeated a predetermined number of times. By using such a cleaning device 23, a sufficient cleaning effect can be obtained and energy saving can be improved even in the heat exchanger 4 to which dirt including slime and dust is attached. Moreover, there is an advantage that it can be realized by a relatively simple method and apparatus configuration.

  On the other hand, maintenance of the coolant tank device 1, for example, confirmation of the state of the coolant W can be performed as follows. First, the operator can lift up the tip of the opening / closing cover 16 at the closed position Xc indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1 and open it like the non-closed position Xo indicated by the phantom line. When the opening / closing cover 16 is opened, the cap 5c at the mounting position Xs is turned in the detaching direction and is removed from the tank port 5mi.

  If the cap 5c is removed to reach the non-attached position, the cap detection switch 54 detects this state, and the controller 51 switches the tank illumination light 6 to the lighting mode. As a result, the illumination light 6 is turned on, and the interior of the coolant tank 5 (tank body 5m) is illuminated. Since the illumination light 6 is arranged on the inclined surface 5ms of the tank body 5m, it irradiates at least the coolant W in the tank body 5m that is visible from the tank port 5mi, particularly the liquid surface Wu. Therefore, even if the tank opening 5mi has a relatively small opening area, the operator can easily visually check the amount of the coolant W, the degree of contamination, and the like, and foreign matter such as dust and dust can be mixed into the coolant W. Can be avoided.

  In this embodiment, since the illumination light 6 is arranged on the inclined surface 5 ms of the tank body 5 m, it can be used as a guide for checking the height of the liquid surface Wu as shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, Dc indicates the light beam direction of the illumination light 6, and Fe and Fee indicate the line of sight that the operator can visually recognize. Now, if the liquid level Wu of the coolant W is at the position of the specified liquid level Ws, the light source of the illumination light 6 cannot be confirmed by the operator's line of sight Fe. On the other hand, if the liquid level Wu decreases, for example, if the height of the Wue, the operator's line of sight Fee can confirm the light source of the illumination light 6 reflected on the liquid level Wu. You can see that it is declining. Therefore, it is possible to use (apply) the arrangement position and angle of the illumination light 6 and also the irradiation directivity (dot property) of the LED 6e to improve the accuracy of the standard, and various types of illumination. It can be carried out. Therefore, when the coolant W is replenished, the coolant W can be replenished so that the specified liquid surface Ws is obtained while confirming the reflection position of the illumination light 6. In addition, since the reflection position of the LED 6e moves in the horizontal direction depending on the height of the liquid level Wu, the light source may be confirmed regardless of the height of the specified liquid level Ws and the height of the liquid level Wu.

  When the maintenance of the coolant tank device 1 (confirmation of the status of the coolant W) is completed, the cap 5c is attached to the tank port 5mi. Thus, when the cap 5c reaches the mounting position Xs, the cap detection switch 54 detects this position, and the controller 51 switches the illumination light 6 to the extinguishing mode. That is, it can be turned off automatically. Further, the opening / closing cover 16 is closed so as to be in the closed position Xc.

  Thus, according to the coolant tank apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the coolant tank 5 having the tank body 5m integrally formed with the tank port 5mi at the top and the cap 5c attached to and detached from the tank port 5mi, and at least the tank Since the tank illumination light 6 for irradiating the coolant W in the tank body 5m visible from the mouth 5mi is provided, and the mode switching means 7 for switching the tank illumination light 6 to the on mode or the off mode. Even with the tank opening 5mi having a relatively small opening area, the operator can easily visually check the amount of the coolant W, the degree of contamination, etc., and avoid the entry of foreign matter such as dust and dirt into the coolant W. it can. In addition, a sufficient sealing property of the coolant tank 5 can be secured easily, and unnecessary evaporation of the coolant W can be prevented.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 7, a part of chiller M (cross-sectional front view) provided with the coolant tank apparatus 1 which concerns on the modified embodiment of this invention is shown.

  The above-described coolant tank apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is directly attached to the outer surface of the tank body 5m when the illumination light 6 is attached, and the upper surface (inclined surface 5ms) of the tank body 5m as an attachment position. In the cooling tank device 1 according to the modified embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the LED 6e is mounted on the mounting board 51p included in the electric system 51e when the lighting light 6 is mounted. At the same time, the mounting position is selected so that irradiation can be performed from the side of the side surface of the coolant tank 5, and this point is different from the embodiment shown in FIGS.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, a light transmission window 61 mh is formed in an internal partition plate 61 m that constitutes a part of the cabinet 61, which faces the LED 6 e, and is further opposed to the light transmission window 61 mh. A light transmission path 15ph by a through hole is formed in the heat insulating board 15p. In this case, by selecting the direction (angle), size, shape, and the like of the translucent window 61mh and the translucent path 15ph, it is possible to set the irradiation mode indicated by the arrow Dc. Reference numeral 76 denotes a cylindrical light guide which is interposed between the mounting substrate 51p and the partition plate 61m and which prevents light leakage and accommodates the LED 6e. According to the coolant tank device 1 according to such a modified embodiment, the interior of the coolant tank 5 can be illuminated without being directly attached to the coolant tank 5, and is limited to the mounting position of the LED 6e. The direction of illumination and the like can be set flexibly without being performed. In addition, if it is attached to the mounting board 51p, the LED 6e (lighting light 6) can be attached easily and reliably, such as eliminating the need for wiring members and fixtures.

  The preferred embodiment has been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and the detailed configuration, method, quantity, material, and the like are within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention. It can be changed, added and deleted as desired.

  For example, the cooling unit 3 uses the refrigeration cycle 14 that connects the compressor 11, the condenser 12, the expansion valve 13, and the heat exchanger 4 to circulate the refrigerant and cools the coolant W by the heat exchanger 4. Although the case has been illustrated, other cooling means 3 such as a thermo module using a Peltier element may be used. Moreover, although the case where the tank main body 5m is integrally formed with the synthetic resin material R is shown, the case where the tank body 5m is integrally formed with another material such as a metal casting product or a ceramic shaped product is not excluded. Furthermore, it is desirable to cover a part or all of the outer surface of the tank body 5m with the heat insulating material 15, but the heat insulating material 15 is not an essential invention element. On the other hand, it is desirable to use the LED 6e for the in-tank illumination light 6, but this does not exclude the use of other illumination means such as a light bulb. The “cooling” used in the present invention is a relative concept including heating, and is not necessarily a concept corresponding to temperature. That is, this kind of chiller 1 can be heated depending on the use mode, and even in this case, the coolant tank apparatus 1 according to the present invention can be similarly applied.

  The coolant tank apparatus according to the present invention can be used for various types of chillers using the coolant stored in the coolant tank.

  1: Coolant tank device, 2: Coolant circuit, 3: Cooling means, 4: Heat exchanger, 5: Coolant tank, 5m: Tank body, 5mi: Tank port, 5c: Cap, 6: For lighting in tank Light, 6e: LED, 7: mode switching means, 11: compressor, 12: condenser, 13: expansion valve, 14: refrigeration cycle, 15: heat insulating material, W: coolant, Wu: liquid level of coolant, C: object to be cooled, M: chiller, R: synthetic resin material, Xs: mounting position, Xc: closed position, Xo: non-closed position, Fc: switching function

Claims (7)

  As a part of the coolant circuit in a chiller comprising a coolant circuit that circulates coolant to the object to be cooled and cools the object to be cooled, and a cooling means that cools the coolant by a heat exchanger A chiller coolant tank apparatus having a coolant tank for storing the coolant by connecting to the tank body, an integrally formed tank body having a tank port at the top, and a coolant tank having a cap attached to and detached from the tank port; A tank illumination light for irradiating at least the coolant in the tank body visible from the tank port, and mode switching means for switching the tank illumination light to a lighting mode or a light-off mode. A chiller coolant tank device.   2. The cooling means uses a refrigeration cycle in which a refrigerant is circulated by connecting a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and a heat exchanger, and the coolant is cooled by the heat exchanger. Chiller coolant tank equipment.   2. The chiller coolant tank apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tank body is integrally formed of a synthetic resin material.   The chiller coolant tank apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the tank body covers part or all of an outer surface thereof with a heat insulating material.   The chiller coolant tank apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an LED is used as the tank illumination light.   6. The chiller coolant tank device according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the tank illumination light is arranged so that at least the liquid level of the coolant inside the tank port can be visually recognized.   The mode switching means switches to the light-off mode according to the cap mounting position or the opening / closing cover closing position covering the cap, and switches to the lighting mode according to the cap non-mounting position or the opening / closing cover non-closing position. The chiller coolant tank apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a function.

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