JP2019207080A - Ice storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an ice storage device that can easily change the thickness of ice to be formed on a heat exchange pipe.SOLUTION: An ice storage device comprises: a heat storage tank in which a retention space for retaining water is defined; a heat exchange pipe arranged in the retention space, and formed in a pipe shape as a flow passage for a refrigerant; a refrigerator 12 for cooling the refrigerant; an ice thickness sensor comprising a first electrode 131 arranged at a position separated from an outer surface of the heat exchange pipe by a first distance, a second electrode 132 arranged at a position separated from the outer surface by a second distance smaller than the first distance, and a third electrode 133 arranged at a position separated from the outer surface by a third distance equal to or smaller than the first distance and larger than the second distance; and a control unit 14 comprising a switching unit 141 for switching between a first state and a second state, and for controlling the refrigerator 12 on the basis of a resistance value between the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 132 in the first state, and controlling the refrigerator 12 on the basis of a resistance value between the first electrode 131 and the third electrode 133 in the second state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an ice storage device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ice storage device that cools water used as cooling water in a building air conditioning facility or a food cooling facility is known. In this ice storage device, a heat exchange pipe as a refrigerant flow path is submerged in a heat storage tank for storing water, and the refrigerator cools and circulates the refrigerant, thereby icing on the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe. To cool the water in the heat storage tank.

  According to such an ice storage device, by cooling the water in the heat storage tank at a time when electricity is relatively cheap, for example, at midnight, air conditioning equipment or The water used for the cooling facility can be cooled at a low cost, and this shifts the amount of power used in the daytime to the night, which is called a so-called peak shift.

  The operation control of the refrigerator in the ice storage device is performed on the basis of the thickness of ice icing on the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe, and the thickness of the ice is measured by a change in resistance value between the electrodes. Specifically, when a plurality of electrodes are fixed at a position separated from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe by a predetermined distance and the resistance value between these electrodes is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, it is determined that ice exists between the electrodes. The refrigerator can be controlled based on whether the electrode is covered with ice. Here, the thickness of the ice that operates or stops the refrigerator depends on the distance from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe to the electrode.

  Each electrode is fixed by a fixture attached to the heat exchange pipe, and this fixture is configured such that the distance of each electrode from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe can be adjusted. The appropriate thickness of the ice to be iced on the heat exchange pipe varies depending on the outside air temperature and the load applied to the cooling by the ice storage device.Therefore, by adjusting the position of the electrode in the fixture, the electrode can be separated at a distance corresponding to the time. Is arranged. For example, in the winter season, the refrigerator is controlled so that the thickness of the ice is reduced by placing the electrode relatively close to the heat exchange pipe, and in the summer, the electrode is located relatively far from the heat exchange pipe. The refrigerator is controlled so that the thickness of the ice is increased.

  In addition, as a related technique, a heat exchange pipe in which a refrigerant circulates inside, a first temperature detection unit disposed at a first distance away from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe, and a second distance smaller than the first distance An ice storage device comprising: a second temperature detection unit arranged only apart; a heat storage tank that houses the heat exchange pipe; a refrigerator that circulates the refrigerant between the heat exchange pipe; and a control unit. The control unit has a temperature difference detected by the first temperature detection unit and the second temperature detection unit, in which the temperature detected by the first temperature detection unit is lower than the first set temperature for a first set time. The ice storage device (for example, Patent Document 1) that accurately determines icing by the ice thickness sensor configured by the temperature sensor by stopping the refrigerator when the state of the second set temperature or more continues for the second set time. )It has been known.

JP 2017-161112 A

  The operation of changing the distance between the electrodes with respect to the heat exchange pipe is complicated for the manager of the ice storage device because the heat exchange pipe is submerged in the heat storage tank. Furthermore, when the ice storage device is in operation, at least the fixture is covered with ice, so the ice storage device was stopped and the heat exchange pipe was iced to adjust the electrode separation distance. It is necessary to change the position of the electrode in the fixture after melting the ice to some extent.

  That is, the conventional ice storage device that controls the refrigerator based on the thickness of ice measured by the electrodes has a problem that the work related to changing the thickness of ice to be iced on the heat exchange pipe is complicated. .

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide an ice storage device that can easily change the thickness of ice to be iced on a heat exchange pipe.

  In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the present invention includes a heat storage tank in which a storage space for storing water is defined, and heat exchange that is arranged in the storage space and is formed in a tubular shape as a refrigerant flow path A pipe, a refrigerator for cooling the refrigerant, a first electrode disposed at a position separated from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe by a first distance, and a second distance smaller than the first distance from the outer surface. An ice thickness sensor comprising: a second electrode disposed at a spaced position; and a third electrode disposed at a position separated from the outer surface by a third distance that is less than or equal to the first distance and greater than the second distance; A switching unit that switches between the first state and the second state, and controls the refrigerator based on a resistance value between the first electrode and the second electrode in the first state; In accordance with a resistance value between the first electrode and the third electrode. And a control unit for controlling the refrigerator Te.

  According to the present invention, the thickness of ice to be iced on the heat exchange pipe can be easily changed. The other effects of the present invention will be described in the section for carrying out the invention below.

It is the schematic which shows the structure of the ice storage apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic side view which shows the structure of an ice thickness sensor. It is a schematic front view which shows the structure of an ice thickness sensor. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a control part. It is a schematic front view which shows the state by which the heat exchange pipe was iced. It is a schematic front view which shows the state which the ice icing on the heat exchange pipe covers the 2nd electrode. It is a schematic front view which shows the state which the ice icing on the heat exchange pipe covers all the electrodes.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Configuration of ice storage device)
The configuration of the ice storage device according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an ice storage device according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an ice storage device 1 according to this embodiment is connected to a cooling facility 2 that is a cooling target, and stores a heat storage tank 10 that stores water, a heat exchange pipe 11 that is disposed in the heat storage tank 10, A refrigerator 12 arranged outside the heat storage tank 10, an ice thickness sensor 13 for measuring the thickness of ice icing on the heat exchange pipe 11, and an ice measured by the ice thickness sensor 13 arranged outside the heat storage tank 10 The control part 14 which controls the refrigerator 12 based on the thickness of is provided.

  The heat storage tank 10 is a member formed with a heat insulating material in which a storage space in which water is stored is defined, and is configured in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape in the present embodiment.

  The heat exchange pipe 11 is a tubular member whose inside is a refrigerant flow path circulated by the refrigerator 12, and is formed to meander from the upper side to the lower side. A folded portion connecting adjacent straight portions, and disposed so as to be submerged in the heat storage tank 10. In the following description, for the sake of convenience, the extending direction of the straight line portion is the front-rear direction, and the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is the left-right direction.

  The refrigerator 12 is connected to both ends of the heat exchange pipe 11 and includes a circulation pump that circulates the refrigerant in the heat exchange pipe 11 and a heat exchanger that cools the refrigerant. As a result, the submerged heat exchange pipe 11 is cooled, and water near the outer surface freezes. In this embodiment, the circulation pump of the refrigerator 12 is always operating.

  The ice thickness sensor 13 is a sensor that measures the thickness of ice icing on the heat exchange pipe 11, and the control unit 14 operates the refrigerator 12 based on the ice thickness measured by the ice thickness sensor 13. Specifically, the operation of the heat exchanger is controlled. The configuration of the ice thickness sensor 13 and the configuration and operation of the control unit 14 will be described later.

  The cooling facility 2 connected to such an ice storage device 1 is, for example, a building air conditioning facility or a food cooling facility. In general, the water in the heat storage tank 10 is cooled at night when the electricity rate is relatively low, and is icing on the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe 11. The cooling facility 2 is cooled.

(Configuration of ice thickness sensor)
The configuration of the ice thickness sensor will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the ice thickness sensor. FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of the ice thickness sensor. In addition, in FIG. 3, a heat exchange pipe is shown as a cross section cut | disconnected by the plane extended in the left-right up-down direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ice thickness sensor 13 includes a first electrode 131, a second electrode 132, and a third electrode 133. Each of these electrodes is fixed at a position spaced from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe 11 by a predetermined distance by a fixture 15 provided at a predetermined position of the heat exchange pipe 11.

  The first electrode 131 is fixed at a position separated from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe 11 by a first distance D1, and the second electrode 132 is a second distance D2 smaller than the first distance D1 from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe 11. The third electrode 133 is fixed at a position separated from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe 11 by a third distance D3. Here, the third distance is a distance equal to or smaller than the first distance and larger than the second distance D2, and in the present embodiment, is a distance equivalent to the first distance, and the first electrode 131 and the third electrode 133 are They are fixed apart from each other in a direction different from the direction away from the heat exchange pipe 11.

  A current flows between these electrodes, specifically between the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 132, or between the first electrode 131 and the third electrode 133, and between the electrodes due to water or ice. As will be described later, the operation of the refrigerator 12 is controlled by the control unit 14 according to the change in the resistance value. Therefore, the first electrode 131 only needs to be separated from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe 11 by the same distance or more as the third electrode 133.

  Since the first electrode 131 is a common electrode used in cooperation with either the second electrode 132 or the third electrode 133 in the control of the refrigerator 12, the position where the first electrode 131 is fixed is the heat exchange pipe. 11, when the second electrode 132 is covered with ice, it is not covered with ice, and when the third electrode 133 is covered with ice, The location is either covered or not covered with ice.

(Configuration and operation of control unit)
The configuration and operation of the control unit will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the control unit. FIG. 5 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the heat exchange pipe is iced. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing a state in which the ice icing on the heat exchange pipe covers the second electrode. FIG. 7 is a schematic front view showing a state where the ice icing on the heat exchange pipe covers all the electrodes.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 14 includes a relay unit 140 and a switching unit 141, and the power source 2, the refrigerator 12, and the first electrode 131 are electrically connected to the relay unit 14. In addition, the second electrode 132 or the third electrode 133 is alternatively electrically connected to the relay unit 140 via the switching unit 141 that can be operated by a switch of the manager of the ice storage device 1. According to the switching unit 141, the first state in which the refrigerator 12 is controlled based on the resistance value between the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 132, and between the first electrode 131 and the third electrode 133. The control unit 14 can be switched to the second state in which the refrigerator 12 is controlled based on the resistance value. Since this switching unit 141 is arranged outside the heat storage tank 10, the administrator of the ice storage device 1 can easily switch the control unit 14 to the first state or the second state by operating the switching unit 141.

  In the first state, the relay unit 140 stops the heat exchanger of the refrigerator 12 when the resistance value between the first electrode 131 and the second electrode 132 is equal to or greater than a predetermined resistance value, and the predetermined resistance value If it is less, the power is supplied from the power source 2 and the heat exchanger is operated. Here, the predetermined resistance value is determined based on the resistance value in a state where the second electrode 132 is covered with ice. In addition, the relay unit 140 stops the heat exchanger when the resistance value between the first electrode 131 and the third electrode 133 is equal to or greater than a predetermined resistance value in the second state, and the relay unit 140 is less than the predetermined resistance value. In some cases, the heat exchanger is configured to operate. Here, the predetermined resistance value is determined based on the resistance value in a state where the third electrode 133 is covered with ice.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when none of the electrodes is covered with the ice icing on the heat exchange pipe 11, the control unit 14 performs heat exchange in either the first state or the second state. Operate the vessel.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, in a state where only the second electrode 132 is covered with ice, the control unit 14 stops the operation of the heat exchanger in the first state and is in the second state. In some cases, the heat exchanger is operated.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in a state where all the electrodes are covered with ice, the control unit 14 stops the operation of the heat exchanger in any state of the first state and the second state. . As described above, when the control unit 14 is in the first state, the operation of the heat exchanger is stopped when only the second electrode 132 is covered with ice. All electrodes will be covered with ice only if

  According to the ice storage device 1 described above, it is possible to easily change the thickness of the ice that stops the operation of the heat exchanger as compared to changing the fixing position of each electrode. In addition, the control unit 14 can be set to the first state when the outside air temperature is relatively low, and the control unit 14 can be set to the second state when the outside temperature is relatively high. Ice is not stored more than necessary at a relatively low time, and the efficiency of the refrigerator 12 can be improved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the administrator of the ice storage device 1 operates the switching unit 141 to switch between the first state and the second state, but the outside air temperature is measured outside the heat storage tank 10. A temperature sensor may be provided, and the switching unit 141 may automatically switch between the first state and the second state based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor. In this case, the switching unit 141 is set to the first state when the measured temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature, and is set to the second state when the measured temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature.

  The present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the gist or main features thereof. Therefore, the above-mentioned embodiment is only an illustration in all points, and should not be interpreted limitedly. The scope of the present invention is shown by the scope of claims, and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Moreover, all modifications, various improvements, substitutions and modifications belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ice storage apparatus 10 Thermal storage tank 11 Heat exchange pipe 12 Refrigerator 13 Ice thickness sensor 14 Control part 131 1st electrode 132 2nd electrode 133 3rd electrode 141 Switching part

Claims (2)

A heat storage tank in which a storage space for storing water is defined;
A heat exchange pipe disposed in the storage space and formed in a tubular shape as a refrigerant flow path;
A refrigerator for cooling the refrigerant;
A first electrode disposed at a position separated from the outer surface of the heat exchange pipe by a first distance; a second electrode disposed at a position separated from the outer surface by a second distance smaller than the first distance; An ice thickness sensor having a third electrode disposed at a position separated from the outer surface by a third distance that is less than or equal to the first distance and greater than the second distance;
A switching unit that switches between the first state and the second state, and controls the refrigerator based on a resistance value between the first electrode and the second electrode in the first state; And a control unit that controls the refrigerator based on a resistance value between the first electrode and the third electrode.   The controller controls the refrigerator when a resistance value between the first electrode and the second electrode or a resistance value between the first electrode and the third electrode is less than a predetermined resistance value. The ice storage device according to claim 1, wherein the ice storage device is operated.

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