JP2541331Y2 - Ice meter in cold storage tank - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

This invention is based on the idea that supercooled water is formed by cooling a fluid to be cooled, such as water, below the freezing point temperature while flowing it in a pipeline, and then canceling the supercooled state of the supercooled water to remove ice. The present invention relates to an ice meter for a regenerative water tank that stores water.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an apparatus for producing supercooled water is provided with a regenerative water tank for circulating raw water and storing supercooled water. 4 ° C.). When the supercooled water is released from the supercooled state, about 5% of the ice is fragmented into ice, so that continuous operation is performed to store ice blocks or sherbet-like ice in the cold storage water tank. .

[0003] However, the ice that has frozen into a sherbet-like shape in the cold storage water tank has an uncertain shape, and only partially emerges on the surface of the water and floats. However, the water level in the cold storage tank does not change. Further, even if a part of the ice reaches the bottom of the cold storage water tank, the amount of ice at that time may greatly vary depending on the shape of the ice block. In order to know the amount of ice stored in such a cold storage tank, it is easy to see it, but it is difficult to see the cold storage tank from the outside and it is difficult to use it as a control signal. That is, in the regenerative water tank in the supercooled water producing apparatus, no effective means for measuring the ice amount is taken.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a simple and reliable method for reducing the amount of ice in a cold storage water tank by providing a vertically movable floating plate in a cold storage water tank of a supercooled water producing apparatus. It is designed to be able to measure at a time.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the invention according to claim 1 is a porous cooling device for accumulating ice in a regenerator water tank of a supercooled water producing apparatus. A floating plate is provided so as to be movable up and down, and an ice level meter of a cold storage tank provided with an ice amount measuring unit for displaying the vertical movement of the floating plate outside the cold storage tank, wherein the floating plate is provided inside the cold storage tank. A horizontal holding body for holding horizontally is further provided, and the ice amount measuring unit further comprises a pulley fixed to the cold storage tank and a wire wound around the pulley, and one end of the wire is attached to the floating plate. While being connected, the other end is hung to the outside of the cold storage water tank, and a weight is hung on the tip of the hung water tank, and the invention according to claim 2, wherein the ice amount measurement unit includes:
Further, a detection unit for detecting an upper limit and a lower limit of the amount of ice in the cold storage water tank in conjunction with the weight is provided.

[0006]

According to the present invention, when ice accumulates on the floating plate provided in the cold storage water tank, the floating plate sinks due to the weight of the ice, but the floating plate is moved by any of the functions of the horizontal holder. It sinks while maintaining a horizontal state without tilting in the direction.
Due to the sinking of the floating plate, a weight placed outside the cold storage tank indicates the sinking position. By knowing the sinking position, the thickness of the ice layer in the cold storage water tank, that is, the amount of ice is measured.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A specific embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a supercooled water producing apparatus including a refrigerator 1, a brine tank 2, a heat exchanger 3, a cold storage tank 4, and the like.

In FIG. 1, a refrigerator 1 utilizes a system in which, for example, a liquefied refrigerant is depressurized by an expansion valve 1a, and then brine (cooling medium) is cooled by latent heat of evaporation. Heat exchange section 1b.

Next, the brine tank 2 is connected to brine circulation paths 5 and 6 for introducing and circulating the internal brine into the heat exchanger 3. The brine circulation path 5 is provided with a brine circulation pump 7.

The heat exchanger 3 preferably comprises an inner casing 11 and an outer casing 12 made of a copper alloy, and further comprises a tubular member 13 spirally arranged between the two casings 11, 12. Have been. In this configuration, the brine is applied to the tubular member 13.
Flows along a spiral flow path (not shown) extending along the line. Circulation paths 8 and 9 for circulating a fluid to be cooled such as water between the tubular member 13 and the cold storage tank 4 are connected to the heat exchanger 3. A pump 10 is provided. Upper and lower ends of the inner casing 11 and the outer casing 12 are closed by lid plates 14, 14.

Further, the cold storage water tank 4 is formed of, for example, a rectangular container made of stainless steel, and communicates with the tubular member 13 in the heat exchanger 3 via circulation paths 8 and 9.
A part of the supercooled water is stored as ice with the inflow. The cold storage water tank 4 is provided with a valve 15 for supplying normal-temperature water and a valve 16 for taking out cold water obtained by thawing.

The ice meter 17 of the regenerative water tank 4 according to the present invention basically consists of a porous plate (a mesh plate or a paddle having a number of thin plates attached with a gap). It comprises a floating plate 18 and an ice amount measuring unit A for displaying the vertical movement of the floating plate 18 in the cold storage tank 4 outside the cold storage tank 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the floating plate 18 is, for example, a plastic plate having buoyancy and provided with a number of small holes (reference numerals are omitted). It is provided in the cold water storage tank 4 so as to be slidable vertically while maintaining a horizontal state via the body 19. Horizontal holder 19 in this configuration
Is for maintaining the horizontal state of the floating plate 18, and the ice chunks or sherbet-like ice that has become ice fragments in the cold storage water tank 4 do not averagely deposit on the floating plate 18. , The floating plate 18 is tilted, making it impossible to accurately measure the amount of ice. Thus, the floating plate 18 functions to prevent the tilt. Each of the horizontal holding members 19 is cut into an appropriate length with an angle-shaped plastic material and fixed to the four corners of the floating plate 18 as shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, the embodiment in which the horizontal holding members 19 are fixed to the four corners of the floating plate 18 is illustrated and described. However, according to the embodiment, a configuration in which the horizontal holding members 19 are fixed to two positions on the diagonal line of the floating plate 18 may be used. It is suitable.

Here, the ice amount measuring unit A will be described. The ice amount measuring unit A includes a pulley 20, a wire 21, and a weight 22. The pulley 20 is provided with an appropriate column and a bearing (both not shown) at one end above the cold storage tank 4, and is rotatably mounted on the bearing. Hook a wire 21 around this pulley 20,
One end thereof is connected to the floating plate 18 and the other end thereof is hung outside the cold storage tank 4 and a weight 22
Is hanging.

The weight 22 is made of a metal whose both ends in the vertical direction are tapered, and moves up and down in conjunction with the vertical movement of the floating plate 18. In addition, the weight 22 functions as a detector of the detection unit B of the floating plate 18 as shown in FIGS. That is, the detection unit B is provided outside the cold storage tank 4 and includes an upper limit switch 23 and a lower limit switch 24. When the weight 22 comes into contact with either of the switches 23, 24, the contact signal is output to a controller (not shown) via the communication lines 25, 25.

In the supercooled water producing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the brine (cooling medium) cooled to a predetermined temperature (about -10 ° C.) in the brine tank 2 is driven by a brine circulating pump 7 to form one of the brine. 1 flows from one end of the heat exchanger 3 from the brine circulation path 5, that is, between the inner casing 11 and the outer casing 12 from the upper end in FIG. 1, and has a spiral shape formed by the casings 11 and 12 and the tubular member 13. A flow path (not shown) flows down from the other end of the heat exchanger 3, that is, from the lower end in FIG.
To the brine tank 2. On the other hand, the water to be cooled in the regenerative water tank 4 flows into the tubular member 13 in the heat exchanger 3 from one circulation path 9 by driving the circulation pump 10, and the inside of the tubular member 13 flows through the tubular member 13. It circulates, flows into the other circulation path 8, and returns to the cold storage water tank 4. That is, the water flows in the heat exchanger 3 in the opposite direction to the brine and returns to the cold storage water tank 4, and heat exchange with the brine is performed in the flow process in the heat exchanger 3.

As described above, by flowing brine through the helical flow path of the heat exchanger 3 and flowing water through the tubular member 13, the water that has returned to the cold storage water tank 4 has a temperature below the freezing point ( (About -4 ° C). When the supercooled water is released from the supercooled state, about 5% of the supercooled water becomes ice fragments. Therefore, a required amount of sherbet-shaped ice can be stored in the cold storage water tank 4 by performing the continuous operation.

Here, the ice meter 17 according to the present invention will be described. The supercooled water refluxed from the heat exchanger 3 is uniformly scattered on the surface of the floating plate 18 from above the cold storage tank 4. The supercooled state is released and part of the ice becomes sherbet-like ice on the floating plate 18, and others pass through a number of small holes (symbols omitted) of the floating plate 18, and the cold storage water tank 4 extends from the periphery of the floating plate 18. It flows towards the bottom and circulates to the heat exchanger 3. At this time, the sherbet-like ice does not accumulate on the floating plate 18 on average, but accumulates in a state deviated in any direction, but the horizontal holding member 19 prevents the floating plate 18 from tilting. In order to prevent this, the floating plate 18 is kept horizontal even if sherbet-like ice is accumulated in an uneven state. When the amount of accumulation increases, the floating plate 18 maintains the horizontal state.
8 on a gradually averaged basis. As a result, the floating plate 18 sinks while maintaining the horizontal state.

When the above-mentioned operating condition continues for several hours, as shown in FIG. 3, the ice layer on the floating plate 18 becomes thicker, and the floating plate 18 sinks while maintaining the horizontal state. Will remain on the surface of the water. As described above, the floating plate 18 sinks as the ice layer becomes thicker, and the weight 22 is also interlocked via the wire 21. Therefore, the position of the floating plate 18, that is, the amount of ice can be easily known from the outside. .

When the cold storage tank 4 is filled with ice, the floating plate 18 sinks to the lower part, and the weight 22
Rises and contacts the upper limit switch 23 of the detection unit B. By this contact, the upper limit switch 23
Is output to a controller (not shown) via the communication line 25. The controller having received the contact signal includes the refrigerator 1, the brine circulation pump 7 and the circulation pump 10
To stop the ice storage operation. And cold storage tank 4
When taking out cold water from the inside, the valve 15 is opened, room temperature water is introduced into the cold storage water tank 4, and the valve 16 is opened.
Is opened to take out cold water from the cold storage tank 4.

When room temperature water is sprayed on the upper surface of the ice layer in the cold storage water tank 4, the ice layer is gradually melted, and the water cooled by the melting and the melted water flow along the upper surface of the ice layer to float. 18
Flows into the lower part of. The cold water accumulated at the bottom of the floating plate 18
Water is sent out of the cold storage tank 4 via the valve 16. The floating plate 18 gradually rises as the ice layer becomes thinner due to the spraying of the normal-temperature water, and accordingly, the weight 22 descends and contacts the lower limit switch 24. With this contact, a contact signal from the lower limit switch 24 is output to the controller via the communication line 25. The controller that has received the contact signal closes both valves 15 and 16 to end the cold water removal operation. When the ice storage operation is started continuously, the refrigerator 1, the brine circulation pump 7, and the circulation pump 10 are operated again.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the floating plate moves up and down while always keeping the horizontal state, the amount of ice in the cold storage water tank can be reliably measured. Further, since the weight linked to the vertical movement of the floating plate is arranged outside, the amount of ice in the cold storage tank can be easily known from outside. As a result, the operation and stop of the supercooled water production device can be automatically performed according to the amount of ice in the cold storage tank, which can greatly contribute to labor saving, and the amount of ice in the cold storage tank can be externally controlled. Since it can be confirmed, it is possible to appropriately supply cold water according to the amount of ice, and it is possible to respond to an emergency. Further, since it can be provided with a simple configuration and at a low cost, it is extremely effective as this type of ice meter.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of an apparatus for producing supercooled water showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cold storage tank of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a vertical side view of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 ... Cold storage tank 17 ... Ice meter 18 ... Floating plate 19 ... Horizontal holder 20 ... Pulley 21 ... Wire 22 ... Weight 23 ... Upper limit switch 24 ... Lower limit switch A ... Ice amount measurement unit B ... Detection unit

Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kyosuke Sasaki 3-1-1 Asahicho, Nishibiwajima-cho, Nishi-Kasugai-gun, Aichi Prefecture Examiner, Masahiro Kawamoto, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Aircon Works (56) References JP-A-1-123971 JP, A)

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. Ice is stored in a cold storage water tank 4 of a supercooled water producing apparatus.
A porous floating plate 18 for accumulating is provided so as to be movable up and down.
Ice meter for displaying up and down movement of 18 outside the cold storage tank 4
An ice meter for a cold storage water tank having a measuring section A, wherein the floating plate 1
8 for holding horizontally in the cold storage tank 4
Body 19, and the ice amount measuring unit A further comprises the cold storage tank.
4 and a pulley 20 mounted on the pulley 20
And one end of the wire 21
The other end of the cold storage tank 4 is connected to the floating plate 18
An ice meter for a regenerative water tank characterized by hanging outside and hanging a weight 22 at the tip of the hanging . 2. The ice amount measuring section A further includes the weight 2
2 in conjunction with the upper and lower limits of the amount of ice in the cold storage tank 4
2. A detecting unit B for detecting the position of the object.
Ice meter of the cold storage tank described in 2.