JP3426634B2 - Cold air dryer - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cold air dryer used for drying foods and agricultural products.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of cold air dryer, a refrigerant circuit as shown in FIG. 1 has been tried. That is, the cold air dryer is composed of an indoor unit 101 and an outdoor unit 102 provided in a cabinet for storing foods to be dried (materials to be dried), and is provided on the discharge side of a compressor 103 provided on the drying cabinet 101 side. Is connected to a three-way valve 104, and one outlet of the three-way valve 104 has a condenser 10 provided in the outdoor unit 102.
Connected to 5. Reference numeral 106 denotes a blower for forcibly cooling the condenser 105, and the amount of blown air is controlled according to the temperature of the condenser.

The condenser 105 is connected to a liquid receiver 108 via a check valve 107 provided on the side of the indoor unit 101, and the liquid receiver 108 is provided with a cooler provided in the storage via an expansion valve 109. It is connected to 110. Cooler 110
Is connected to the suction side of the compressor 103 to form an annular refrigeration cycle. The expansion valve 109 detects the temperature on the outlet side of the cooler 110 and automatically adjusts the opening so as to maintain the temperature of the cooler 110 at a predetermined value.

The other outlet of the three-way valve 104 is connected to a reheater 112 which is provided inside the refrigerator together with the cooler 110 and constitutes a heat exchanger. The reheater 112 has a check valve 113. It is connected to the liquid receiver 108 through.
Both the check valve 113 and the check valve 107 have the liquid receiver 108 side in the forward direction. Further, 114 is a blower for forcibly circulating the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 110 and the reheater 112 in the chamber.

The compressor 10 in front of the three-way valve 104
The discharge side of 3 is connected between the expansion valve 109 and the cooler 110 via the on-off valve 116 and the pressure adjusting valve 122 to form a defrost circuit. The on-off valve 116 detects the temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator 110, and opens the flow path to defrost the cooler 110 when this temperature falls below a set value. Further, the flow of the three-way valve 104 is switched depending on the temperature inside the refrigerator. Incidentally, 120 is an open / close valve which is always open. Reference numeral 121 is an opening / closing valve that controls a liquid injection circuit for cooling the compressor 103.

The operation of the above conventional cold air dryer will be described. The temperature inside the cold air dryer is, for example, + 10 ° C to + 30 ° C.
The temperature inside the refrigerator is set to, for example, the above + 10 ° C. Then, the compressor 103 is operated, and the flow path of the three-way valve 104 is set to the one outlet direction until the temperature inside the refrigerator decreases to the set temperature. As a result, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 103 passes through the three-way valve 104 as shown by the solid line arrow and passes through the condenser 10.
5, heat is dissipated there and condensed, and then enters the liquid receiver 108 via the check valve 107 and the expansion valve 1 via the on-off valve 120.
09. As described above, the expansion valve 109 adjusts the opening degree based on the temperature on the outlet side of the cooler 110, throttles the condensed and liquefied refrigerant, and supplies it to the cooler 110. The refrigerant flowing into the cooler 110 evaporates, absorbs heat from the surroundings, exerts a cooling effect, and is then sucked into the compressor 103.

When the internal cold storage temperature is lowered to the set temperature by the cooling operation, the flow path of the three-way valve 104 is switched to the other outlet direction. As a result, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 103 enters the reheater 112 via the three-way valve 104 as shown by the dotted arrow, and is condensed there to exert a heating effect. On the other hand, the refrigerant is condensed there, then enters the liquid receiver 108 through the check valve 113, and thereafter flows as described above. If the internal temperature rises due to the reheating operation, the cooling operation is switched to the cooling operation again, and thereafter, the cooling operation and the reheating operation are repeated. Cooled by cooler 109,
Since the air heated by the reheater 112 is circulated in the refrigerator by the blower 114, the articles stored in the refrigerator are dried by repeating the cooling / reheating operation.

Here, when the temperature in the refrigerator is + 15 ° C. or higher, the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the cooler 110 is 0 ° C. or higher, so that no frost is formed, but when the temperature in the refrigerator is + 10 ° C., cooling is performed. Since the evaporation temperature of the refrigerant in the cooler 110 is −5 ° C., frost grows on the cooler 110. When frost grows on the cooler 110, heat exchange is not performed and the temperature of the cooler 110 decreases. The on-off valve 116 provided in the defrost circuit opens the flow path and expands the high-temperature high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 103 by the expansion valve when the outlet temperature of the cooler 110 decreases to, for example, −3 ° C. due to such frost formation. It is made to flow to the downstream side of 109 and directly made to flow into the cooler 110. Due to the inflow of the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant, the cooler 110
Is heated and defrosted.

[0009]

In such a cold air dryer, the high-temperature high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 103 is flowed to the outlet side of the expansion valve 109 when the cooler 110 is defrosted. If the amount of the defrosting refrigerant exceeds the function range that keeps the degree of superheat of the expansion valve 109 constant, the degree of superheat becomes unstable and there is a risk that liquid back will occur in the compressor 103. Further, since the high-temperature refrigerant flows into the cooler 110, there is a problem that the flow rate to the reheater 112 decreases and the dehumidifying action decreases.

The prior art, which is the basis of the defrosting method as shown in FIG. 1, is the one described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 49-29487, which simply guides the compressed refrigerant to the cooler during defrosting. It was like that.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional technical problems, and prevents the liquid back to the compressor and the dehumidifying action from decreasing during defrosting, and extends the life of parts. The object is to provide a cool air dryer that can be realized.

[0012]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention includes a compressor, a condenser, a decompression device, comprising a refrigeration cycle using an evaporator, before
Serial and function of cooling the air in the evaporator, cold air dryer and a function for supplying to the evaporator in the cooled material to be dried to the accommodated <br/>-compartment air after reheating in a reheater In the above, a timer is provided, the time for drying the material to be dried in the refrigerator to a predetermined state is set in the timer, and the time of the timer is set after the timer is timed from the start of the operation of the refrigeration cycle. A control device for reducing the operating capacity of the compressor at the time of UP is provided. Further, a refrigeration cycle using a compressor, a condenser, a decompression device, and an evaporator is provided, and the evaporation
A function to cool the air in the vessel, the cold air dryer and a function for supplying matter to be dried to the accommodated the internal after reheating the air cooled in this evaporator reheater, predetermined A timer for measuring a fixed time, a pressure detecting means for detecting that the low pressure in the refrigeration cycle has become equal to or less than a set value, a timer for counting the time from the start of the operation of the refrigeration cycle, and after a time UP of this timer. And a control device for reducing the operating capacity of the compression device when the pressure detecting means detects that the low pressure is below a set value.

[0013]

According to the cold air dryer of the present invention, the capacity of the compressor is reduced when the cooler is in a state where frost is formed, so that the cooling action in the cooler is reduced, and as a result, the cooler drier is cooled. The amount of frost is reduced.

Therefore, frost formation in the cooler is suppressed, the number of times of switching to the defrosting operation is reduced, the long life of each component and the occurrence rate of liquid back can be reduced.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows a refrigerant circuit diagram of the cold air dryer of the present invention. That is, the cool air dryer is composed of an indoor unit 2 provided in a storage for storing articles such as food to be dried, and a condenser unit 4 serving as an outdoor unit, and the discharge of a compressor 6 provided on the indoor unit 2 side. A three-way valve 7 is connected to the side, and one outlet of the three-way valve 7 is connected to a condenser 8 provided in the condenser unit 4. Reference numeral 9 denotes a blower for forcedly cooling the condenser 8, and the amount of blown air is automatically controlled based on the temperature of the condenser 8.

The compressor 6 is, for example, a scroll compressor as shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 4-5612 filed by the applicant earlier, and the compressor 6 has a cylinder bypass type capacity control which constitutes a capacity control device. A circuit 11 is attached. The capacity control circuit 11 connects a discharge side and a suction side of the compressor 6 in front of the three-way valve 7 by means of a thin tube having on-off valves 12 and 13 and a check valve 14 connected in series. Further, the opening / closing valves 12 and 13 are connected to the scroll of the compressor 6. On-off valve 12
When is opened and 13 is closed, high pressure is applied to the bypass valve to operate 100%, and when the opening / closing valve 12 is closed and 13 is opened, low pressure is applied to the bypass valve to operate about 60%.

The condenser 8 is connected to a liquid receiver 17 via a check valve 16 provided on the indoor unit 2 side, and the liquid receiver 17 is connected to the liquid receiver 17.
Is a cooler (steam ) provided in the storage via an expansion valve 19.
Generator) 21 is connected. The cooler 21 is connected to the suction side of the compressor 6 via an accumulator 22 to form an annular refrigeration cycle. The expansion valve 19 is a cooler 21.
The temperature on the outlet side of is detected and the opening is automatically adjusted so that the degree of superheat is maintained at a predetermined value.

The other outlet of the three-way valve 7 is the cooler 2
1 is connected to the reheater 23 provided in the indoor unit 2, and the reheater 23 is connected to the liquid receiver 17 via a check valve 24. In both the check valve 24 and the check valve 16, the liquid receiver 17 side is in the forward direction. Further, reference numeral 26 is a blower for forcibly circulating the air that has exchanged heat with the cooler 21 and the reheater 23 in the chamber. This air is cooled and heated by the cooler 21 and the reheater 23 in order (at the time of dehumidifying operation) and then supplied to the inside of the warehouse.

A defrost circuit 27 is connected to the discharge side of the compressor 6, which is in front of the three-way valve 7, and the defrost circuit 27 is connected to an expansion valve 19 via an opening / closing valve 28 and a thin tube 29.
Is connected to the cooler 21. On-off valve 28 is cooled
The temperature on the outlet side of the container 21 is detected to open / close the defrost circuit 27 (indicated by * 2 in the figure). The three-way valve 7 is controlled by a signal output from the control circuit 31.
Further, the control circuit 31 includes the on-off valves 12 and 1
The signal for controlling 3 is output. The control circuit 31 is provided with thermostats 32 and 33 for detecting the temperature inside the chamber, similarly a hemistat 34 for detecting humidity, and a timer for measuring a fixed time.

A liquid injection circuit 38 having an opening / closing valve 36 and a thermo valve 37 is connected to the compressor 6 from the outlet of the liquid receiver 17. Also 39,4
0 is an opening / closing valve, 41 is a liquid solenoid valve, which is always open.
Further, 42, 43 and 44 are dryers, indicators and strainers, respectively, and 46 is an oil control circuit for returning lubricating oil to the compressor 6. Reference numeral 47 is a low pressure switch provided to detect a low pressure during the refrigeration cycle, and outputs a signal when the pressure is equal to or lower than a set pressure. This signal is given to the control circuit 31.

Next, the operation of the cold air dryer of the present invention having the above construction will be described. Cold air dryer has an internal temperature of + 10 ° C, for example.
It is used in the range of up to + 30 ° C, and the control circuit 31 is set to an internal temperature of + 10 ° C, for example. Then, the control circuit 31 operates the compressor 6 to start the time measurement of the timer, and keeps the flow path of the three-way valve 7 in the one outlet direction until the temperature inside the refrigerator decreases to the set temperature. As a result, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 is supplied to the three-way valve 7 as shown by the arrow.
After entering the condenser 8 and radiating heat and condensing there, the check valve 16 enters the liquid receiver 17 and the liquid solenoid valve 41 reaches the expansion valve 19. The expansion valve 19 has the cooler 21 as described above.
The opening degree is adjusted on the basis of the temperature of the outlet side, and the condensed and liquefied refrigerant is squeezed and supplied to the cooler 21. The refrigerant that has flowed into the cooler 21 evaporates, absorbs heat from the surroundings, exerts a cooling effect, and is then sucked into the compressor 6 via the accumulator 22.

Then, the inside temperature is the set temperature (+10
C.), the control circuit 31 detects this based on the thermostat 33 and sets the flow path of the three-way valve 7 to the other outlet direction. As a result, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 enters the reheater 23 via the three-way valve 7 as shown by the dotted arrow, and is condensed there to exert a heating effect. On the other hand, after the refrigerant is condensed there,
The liquid enters the liquid receiver 17 through the check valve 24, and thereafter flows as described above. Therefore, the air cooled by the cooler 21 is reheated by the reheater 2.
It is heated in 3 and the dehumidifying operation in the refrigerator is performed. When the temperature in the refrigerator rises to a predetermined upper limit value (value set with a predetermined hysteresis width above + 10 ° C.), the control circuit 31 switches the three-way valve 7 again to perform cooling operation, and thereafter. Repeat cooling operation and dehumidifying operation. The air cooled by the cooler 21 and heated by the reheater 23 is sent to the blower 26.
As a result, the articles stored in the refrigerator are dried by repeating the cooling / reheating operation.

During such a drying operation in the refrigerator, when the load in the refrigerator is lightened and the temperature detected by the thermostat 33 becomes 1 to 2 ° C. lower than the set temperature (or the fumidi). Humidity detected by stat 34 is 60
%), The on-off valve 12 is closed and 13 is opened to reduce the operating capacity of the compressor 6.

At the same time, when the load in the refrigerator is lightened, that is, when the low pressure in the refrigeration cycle is low and there is a signal from the low pressure switch 47, the condition (humidity detected by the fumidistat 34 is 60% or less). The open / close valve 12 is closed and 13 is opened to reduce the operating capacity of the compressor 6. In this way, when the load in the refrigerator is reduced, that is, when the material to be dried in the refrigerator is in a desired dry state, the operating capacity of the compressor 6 is reduced to prevent excessive cooling in the cooler 21. The generation of frost on the cooler 21 can be suppressed and delayed.

Note that the opening / closing valve 12 is closed when the low-pressure switch 47 outputs a signal, and a timer is used to open the valve 13. That is, the on-off valve 12 is closed and 13 is not opened until the timer is up. As the time until the timer UP, the time from the start of operation of the cold air dryer to the drying of the material to be dried in the refrigerator is set based on past experience. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the operating capacity of the compressor 6 from decreasing before the desired dried state reaches the desired dried state and unnecessarily lengthening the time until the desired dried state is obtained.

Another embodiment is a low voltage switch 47.
Alternatively, the capacity control operation may be performed only by the timer without using the. At this time, the time until the timer times up may be set so that the material to be dried in the refrigerator can surely reach the desired dry state.

As described above, the articles in the refrigerator are dried, but when frost grows on the cooler 21 and the temperature on the outlet side thereof drops to, for example, -3 ° C, the on-off valve 28 opens the flow path. The high-temperature high-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor 6 by the expansion valve 1
It is made to flow to the downstream side of 9 and directly made to flow into the cooler 21. The inflow of the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant causes the cooler 21 to be heated and defrosted.

In the embodiment, the compressor 6 is a scroll compressor and the operating capacity is controlled by the cylinder bypass type capacity control. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a reciprocal or rotary compressor is used to convert the number of poles or the inverter. There is no problem even if the performance is finely controlled by the circuit. Further, it goes without saying that the respective values shown in the embodiments are not limited thereto and can be variously changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0029]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the capacity of the compressor is reduced when the low pressure in the refrigeration cycle drops to a predetermined value, so that the cooling action in the cooler is reduced, and as a result, The amount of frost on the cooler is reduced. Therefore, the number of times of defrosting is reduced, and the reduction of dehumidifying ability during defrosting can be minimized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing a refrigerant flow in a conventional cold air dryer.

FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram showing a refrigerant flow in the cold air dryer of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 cold air dryer 6 compressor 7 three-way valve 8 condenser 11 Capacity control circuit 19 Expansion valve 21 Cooler 23 Reheater 27 Defrost circuit 31 Control circuit

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-312433 (JP, A) JP-A-4-43270 (JP, A) JP-A 63-204087 (JP, A) JP-A 51-110845 (JP , A) Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-62158 (JP, A) Actual Opening Sho 53-61859 (JP, U) Actual Opening Sho 50-49756 (JP, U) Actual Opening Flat 2-103663 (JP, U) Actual Opening Sho 59-29681 (JP, U) JP-B 27-4537 (JP, B1) JP-B 57-46520 (JP, Y1) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) F25B 47/02 570 F24F 11/02 102 F25B 1/00 371 F25B 29/00 411

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A compressor, a condenser, a decompression device, comprising a refrigeration cycle using an evaporator, and <br/> function of cooling the air in the evaporator, reheat the cooled air in the evaporator In a cool air dryer having a function of supplying the dried material to the inside of the storage after being reheated by a container , a timer is provided, and the time for drying the dried material in the storage to a predetermined state is set in the timer. The cold air dryer is provided with a control device for reducing the operating capacity of the compressor when the timer is timed up from the start of the operation of the refrigeration cycle and then when the timer is up. 2. A compressor, a condenser, a decompression device, comprising a refrigeration cycle using an evaporator, and <br/> function of cooling the air in the evaporator, reheat the cooled air in the evaporator In a cold air dryer having a function of supplying the dried material to the inside of the storage after reheating with a container, a timer for measuring a predetermined fixed time, and the low pressure during the refrigeration cycle falls below a set value. When the pressure detection means for detecting the fact that the low pressure is below the set value is detected after starting the operation of the refrigeration cycle and starting the time measurement of the timer, and after the time UP of the timer. A cool air dryer, comprising: a controller for reducing an operating capacity of the compressor.