JP4472572B2 - Cryogenic cooling device for cooling superconducting power storage device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device, and more particularly to a cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device in which a refrigerator and a compression device are separated.

  For example, a cryogenic cooling device that achieves a cryogenic temperature of about 4K to 10K is roughly composed of a refrigerator, a compressor unit, a gas supply pipe, a gas recovery pipe, and the like. Further, helium gas is generally used as the working gas.

  The refrigerator is a GM cycle refrigerator, a GM pulse tube refrigerator, or the like, and the high-pressure helium gas supplied from the compressor unit via the gas supply pipe is expanded in the refrigerator, thereby generating cold. In addition, the working gas, which has become low pressure by being expanded, is recovered to the compressor unit via the gas recovery pipe, pressurized by the compressor constituting the compressor unit, and supplied again to the refrigerator. By repeatedly performing this operation, the refrigerator can cool the object to be cooled to a very low temperature. Thus, since the cryogenic cooling device can realize cryogenic temperatures, it is used in various fields such as research facilities and medical facilities.

By the way, for example, when carrying out precision measurement or the like in a research facility or the like, there is a case where the vibration of the measurement environment is hated from the viewpoint of improving the measurement accuracy. When trying to use the cryogenic cooling device in such an environment, the compression unit generates vibration, so it is not desirable to place the entire cryogenic cooling device in the vicinity of the precision measuring device. In addition, the refrigerator and the compressor unit are arranged apart from each other, and a gas supply pipe and a gas recovery pipe are arranged long between the refrigerator and the compressor unit (for example, patents). Reference 1).
JP 2002-013831 A

  However, if the refrigerator and the compressor unit are arranged apart from each other, the arrangement distance between the gas supply pipe and the gas recovery pipe is inevitably increased. Conventionally, the gas supply pipe and the gas recovery pipe are not particularly heat-insulated, and are disposed in a normal room.

  For this reason, when the temperature of the environment in which the gas supply pipe and the gas recovery pipe are arranged (hereinafter referred to as the arrangement environment) changes, the temperature of the gas supply pipe and the gas recovery pipe also changes accordingly. Specifically, when the room temperature of the room in which the gas supply pipe and the gas recovery pipe are arranged increases in summer, the temperature of the gas supply pipe and the gas recovery pipe rises, and thus the temperature of the working gas (helium) flowing inside the room. Also rises.

  In the case of the gas supply pipe, the high-pressure helium gas compressed by the compressor has a temperature higher than the room temperature due to the compression process, and is not greatly affected by the environmental temperature change in the room.

  However, since the helium gas has a low pressure in the gas recovery pipe, the intake gas amount increases as the temperature of the helium gas rises, and as a result, the volumetric efficiency decreases (that is, it becomes thinned), and the compression is performed. The substantial inflow of helium gas into the machine will decrease. For this reason, the flow rate of helium gas supplied from the compressor unit to the refrigerator is decreased, and there is a problem that desired cold cannot be generated in the refrigerator.

  Furthermore, a superconducting power storage device (hereinafter referred to as SMES) is used as a refrigerator, and SMES uses a refrigerator to cool a superconducting coil. This SMES stores electric power energy as magnetic energy in a superconducting coil.

  This SMES is used in various factories, and in particular for semiconductor-related production lines, if the voltage drops for about 0.1 seconds (hereinafter referred to as “instantaneous drop”), the quality will be hindered. And has a function of recovering to a predetermined voltage. In SMES, when a sag occurs, the heat load on the cooling device increases rapidly, so the refrigeration capacity must be maintained at a very high level.

As a method for solving the problems caused by the temperature rise of the helium gas in the gas recovery pipe, it is conceivable to air-condition the room in which the gas recovery pipe is arranged to keep a predetermined temperature. However, with this method, it is not easy to air-condition equipment when the room is large. In addition, when the compressor unit is installed in a machine room or the like, air conditioning is often not appropriate in terms of airtightness of the room. Moreover, the facility building of the factory where SMES and refrigerators are installed is a very harsh environment in which it is unmanned, has no air conditioning, and becomes hotter than the outdoors due to the greenhouse effect and the like.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device capable of stabilizing the flow rate of helium gas supplied from a compressor unit to a refrigerator regardless of changes in environmental temperature. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is characterized by the following measures.

The invention described in claim 1
A refrigerator,
A compressor unit that is spaced apart from the refrigerator, supplies high-pressure working gas to the refrigerator, and collects low-pressure working gas from the refrigerator;
A gas supply pipe for supplying the high-pressure working gas from the compressor unit to the refrigerator;
A gas recovery pipe for recovering the low-pressure working gas from the refrigerator to the compressor unit ;
Wherein provided in the gas recovery pipe, wherein a superconducting energy storage device cooling cryogenic cooling apparatus provided with a cooling means for cooling the low-pressure working gas,
The compressor installed in the compressor unit is cooled by cooling water supplied from a water cooling device,
The cooling means provided in the gas recovery pipe is a water-cooled cooler that cools the low-pressure working gas using the cooling water supplied from the water-cooling device,
In addition, the water-cooled cooler is provided between the refrigerator and the compressor .

  According to the above invention, by providing the cooling means for cooling the low pressure working gas in the gas recovery pipe, the environmental temperature in which the gas recovery pipe is arranged becomes high, and accordingly the working gas flowing in the gas recovery pipe Even if the temperature rises, the working gas is cooled by the cooling means and then recovered by the compressor unit. Therefore, the reduction in volumetric efficiency of the compressor can be suppressed, and the working gas can be reliably supplied from the compressor unit to the refrigerator, so that desired coldness can be generated in the refrigerator.

Moreover, the cooling means provided in the gas recovery pipe cools the low-pressure working gas using the cooling water supplied from the water cooling device, so that even if a cooling means is provided, the device configuration is prevented from becoming complicated. it can.

The invention according to claim 2
The cryogenic cooling device for cooling the superconducting power storage device according to claim 1 ,
A heat insulating material is provided in the gas recovery pipe between the cooling means and the compressor unit.

  According to the above invention, by providing the heat insulating material in the gas recovery pipe between the cooling means and the compressor unit, the working gas cooled by the cooling means rises between the cooling means and the compressor unit. It can prevent warming.

The invention according to claim 3
In the cryogenic cooling device for cooling the superconducting power storage device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The refrigerator is a regenerator type helium refrigerator.

The invention according to claim 4
The cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The distance from the cooling means of the gas recovery pipe to the compressor unit is shorter than the distance from the cooling means to the refrigerator.

  According to the above invention, since the distance from the cooling means of the gas recovery pipe to the compressor unit is shorter than the distance from the cooling means to the refrigerator, the working gas cooled by the cooling means is transferred from the cooling means to the compressor unit. It is possible to prevent the temperature from rising during the process.

  As described above, according to the present invention, even if the environmental temperature increases and the temperature of the working gas flowing in the gas recovery pipe rises, the working gas is cooled by the cooling means and then recovered to the compressor unit. A reduction in volumetric efficiency of the working gas can be suppressed, and the working gas is reliably supplied from the compressor unit to the refrigerator, so that desired coldness can be generated in the refrigerator.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a cryogenic cooling device 10A for cooling a superconducting power storage device (hereinafter simply referred to as a cryogenic cooling device 10A) according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The cryogenic cooling device 10A generally includes a refrigerator 11, a compressor unit 12, a gas supply pipe 13, a gas recovery pipe 14, a water-cooled cooler 15, and the like. The cryogenic cooling device 10A according to the present embodiment uses helium gas as a working gas, and has a configuration in which the refrigerator 11 and the compressor unit 12 are arranged apart from each other due to the influence of vibration and the like.

  The refrigerator 11 is a GM refrigerator, a Stirling refrigerator, a pulse tube refrigerator, or the like, and is configured to generate cold by expanding helium gas. The refrigerator 11 is disposed in a cryostat 18, and the cold head 16 is configured to be thermally connected to an object to be cooled 17 disposed in the cryostat 18.

  The compressor unit 12 includes a compressor that compresses helium gas, and a heat exchanger that removes heat generated in the compressor by compressing helium gas. Not shown). Further, since the compressor generates heat when boosting the helium gas, the heat exchanger has a function of cooling this heat. For this reason, the compressor unit 12 is provided with a cooling water injection pipe 19 for supplying cooling water to the heat exchanger and a cooling water discharge pipe 20 for draining the cooling water whose temperature has been raised by heat exchange.

  The gas supply pipe 13 and the gas recovery pipe 14 are disposed between the refrigerator 11 and the compressor unit 12. Each piping 13 and 14 is set as the structure which attached the flexible pipe material to the inner surface of the stainless steel bellows-like flexible hose. With this configuration, even when the compressor of the compressor unit 12 is operated and vibration is generated, the vibration is absorbed by the pipes 13 and 14 because the bellows-like flexible hose has elasticity, and the refrigerator 11 Can be prevented from being transmitted to.

  The gas supply pipe 13 is a pipe for supplying high-pressure helium gas generated by the compressor unit 12 to the refrigerator 11. On the other hand, the gas recovery pipe 14 is a pipe for recovering to the compressor unit 12 low-pressure helium gas that has become low pressure due to expansion in the refrigerator 11.

  By the way, in the configuration in which the refrigerator 11 and the compressor unit 12 are arranged apart from each other as in the present embodiment, and the gas supply pipe 13 and the gas recovery pipe 14 are connected therebetween, the pipes 13 and 14 are arranged. As described above, the helium gas flowing through the pipes 13 and 14 is affected by the environmental temperature of the room.

  In particular, the helium gas flowing through the gas recovery pipe 14 is easily affected by the environmental temperature, and when the temperature of the helium gas rises, the amount of intake gas increases and the volumetric efficiency decreases, so As described above, as the amount of helium gas flowing in decreases, the flow rate of helium gas supplied from the compressor unit to the refrigerator decreases, making it impossible to generate desired cooling in the refrigerator.

  Therefore, the cryogenic cooling device 10A according to the embodiment has a configuration in which the water cooling cooler 15 for cooling the low-pressure helium gas is provided in the gas recovery pipe 14. The water cooling cooler 15 is connected to a cooling water supply device 21, supplied with cooling water via a cooling water injection pipe 22, and used cooling water via a cooling water discharge pipe 23. It is discharged toward.

  As shown in FIG. 2 in addition to FIG. 1, the water-cooled cooler 15 has four ports PW1, PW2, PG1, and PG2. The port PW1 and the port PW2 are in communication with each other, and cooling water flows from the port PW1 to the port PW2 (hereinafter, the port PW1 is referred to as a water injection port PW1, and the port PW2 is referred to as a drainage port PW2). Further, the port PG1 and the port PG2 are also connected, and helium gas flows from the port PG1 to the port PG2 (hereinafter, the port PG1 is referred to as a gas injection port PG1, and the port PG2 is referred to as a gas discharge port PG2). ).

The water injection port PW1 is connected to the cooling water injection pipe 22 described above, so that cooling water is supplied from the cooling water supply device 21. Further, the drainage port PW2 is connected to the above-described cooling water discharge pipe 23, and thus the cooled cooling water is recovered from the water injection port PW2 to the cooling water supply device 21.

  On the other hand, the gas injection port PG1 is connected to the gas recovery pipe 14 on the refrigerator 11 side. Therefore, the helium gas that has become low pressure due to expansion in the refrigerator 11 flows into the water-cooled cooler 15 from the gas injection port PG 1 before being recovered by the compressor unit 12. The gas discharge port PG2 is connected to a gas recovery pipe 14 on the compressor unit 12 side.

  Here, a cooling water passage from the water injection port PW1 to the drainage port PW2 and a helium gas passage from the gas injection port PG1 to the gas discharge port PG2 are provided in the partition wall 25 disposed in the housing 24 of the water cooling cooler 15. It is defined by. In addition, the partition wall 25 is provided with a heat exchanging portion 26 so that the surface area thereof is increased.

  For this reason, the helium gas flowing in from the gas injection port PG1 is cooled by the cooling water flowing from the water injection port PW1 to the drainage port PW2, and then discharged from the gas discharge port PG2. Then, the helium gas cooled by the water-cooled cooler 15 is recovered by the compressor unit 12 through the drain port PW2 and the gas recovery pipe 14.

  As described above, the cryogenic cooling device 10A according to the present embodiment is provided with the water cooling cooler 15 that cools the low-pressure helium gas in the gas recovery pipe 14, so that the environmental temperature at which the gas recovery pipe 14 is disposed can be reduced. Even if the temperature of the helium gas flowing in the gas recovery pipe 14 rises accordingly, the helium gas is recovered by the compressor unit 12 after being cooled by the water-cooled cooler 15.

  Since the volumetric efficiency of the compressor of the compressor unit 12 is inversely proportional to the intake gas temperature (absolute temperature), the compressor flow rate can be increased by cooling the helium gas immediately before the compressor unit 12 (compressor). it can. Specifically, if the room temperature at which the gas recovery pipe 14 is disposed in the summer is 40 ° C., the temperature of the helium gas flowing through the pipe is 40 ° C., which is substantially the same as the room temperature.

  However, by providing the water cooling cooler 15 in the gas recovery pipe 14 as in this embodiment, the helium gas flowing in the gas recovery pipe 14 can be cooled to, for example, 20 ° C. If the flow rate is simply calculated based on this temperature ratio, the substantial flow rate of helium gas at 20 ° C. will increase by 6.4% compared to 40 ° C. The refrigerating capacity of the refrigerator 11 is substantially proportional to the flow rate of helium gas.

  Therefore, by cooling the helium gas flowing through the gas recovery pipe 14 with the water-cooled cooler 15 as in this embodiment, a reduction in volumetric efficiency of the compressor is suppressed, and a high flow rate from the compressor unit 12 toward the refrigerator 11 is achieved. Helium gas can be stably supplied. Therefore, even if the environmental temperature at which the gas recovery pipe 14 is disposed rises, the refrigerating capacity of the refrigerator 11 increases, and it is possible to generate desired cold in the refrigerator 11.

  In the present embodiment, the distance from the water cooling cooler 15 to the compressor unit 12 in the gas recovery pipe 14 is set to be shorter than the distance from the water cooling cooler 15 to the refrigerator 11. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the helium gas cooled by the water-cooled cooler 15 from being heated up from the water-cooled cooler 15 to the compressor unit 12.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 3 shows a cryogenic cooling device 10B according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 3, the same components as those of the cryogenic cooling device 10A according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. The same applies to FIGS. 4 and 5 used to explain the third and fourth embodiments.

  The cryogenic cooling device 10A according to the first embodiment includes a cooling system (chiller) that cools the compressor unit 12 and a chiller 27 that supplies cooling water to the water-cooled cooler 15 that cools the gas recovery pipe 14. The configuration was independent. On the other hand, the cryogenic cooling device 10B according to the present embodiment is characterized in that the water cooling cooler 15 is also cooled by using the cooling water for cooling the compressor unit 12.

  More specifically, a chiller 27 having the same or increased output as conventionally used for cooling the compressor unit 12 is used, and one end of the cooling water injection pipe 22 is connected to the chiller 27 and the other end is connected. Connect to water injection port PW1. The drain port PW2 is connected to the other end of the cooling water injection pipe 19 whose one end is connected to the compressor unit 12. Further, the compressor unit 12 and the chiller 27 are connected by the cooling water discharge pipe 20.

  Thereby, the cooling water sent out from the chiller 27 is first supplied from the water injection port PW1 to the water-cooled cooler 15 to cool the low-pressure helium gas flowing in the gas recovery pipe 14 in the water-cooled cooler 15. As described above, in this water-cooled cooler 15, the 40 ° C. helium gas is cooled to 20 ° C., so the temperature rise of the cooling water is not so great. Therefore, this cooling water is used as the compressor of the compressor unit 12. It can be used as cooling water for cooling.

  For this reason, the cooling water discharged from the drain port PW2 is configured to be supplied to the compressor unit 12 via the cooling water injection pipe 19. Then, the compressor in the compressor unit 12 is cooled, and the cooling water whose temperature has been raised thereby is recovered by the chiller 27 through the cooling water discharge pipe 20.

  Thus, according to the cryogenic cooling device 10B according to the present embodiment, the water-cooled cooler 15 provided in the gas recovery pipe 14 uses the cooling water supplied from the chiller 27 for cooling the compressor. Cool the low-pressure helium gas. For this reason, even if the water-cooled cooler 15 is provided, the configuration of the cryogenic cooling device 10B is not complicated, and the increase in the environmental temperature where the gas recovery pipe 14 is disposed can be assured with a simple and inexpensive configuration. It becomes possible to cope with.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 4 shows a cryogenic cooling device 10C according to the third embodiment. The cryogenic cooling device 10 </ b> C according to the present embodiment is characterized in that the gas recovery pipe 14 between the water cooling cooler 15 and the compressor unit 12 is covered with a heat insulating material 28. The material of the heat insulating material 28 is not particularly specified as long as the temperature of the external environment does not conduct heat to the helium gas flowing in the gas recovery pipe 14.

  According to the cryogenic cooling device 10 </ b> C according to the present embodiment, the heat recovery material 28 was disposed in the gas recovery pipe 14 between the water cooling cooler 15 and the compressor unit 12, thereby being cooled by the water cooling cooler 15. It is possible to prevent the helium gas from rising in temperature from the water-cooled cooler 15 to the compressor unit 12.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 5 shows a cryogenic cooling device 10D according to the fourth embodiment. The cryogenic cooling devices 10 </ b> A to 10 </ b> C according to the respective embodiments described above have a configuration in which the water-cooled cooler 15 is disposed only in the gas recovery pipe 14. On the other hand, the cryogenic cooling device 10D according to the present embodiment is characterized in that the water-cooled cooler 30 is also provided for the gas supply pipe 13 through which the helium gas pressurized by the compressor flows. .

  This water-cooled cooler 30 has the same configuration as the water-cooled cooler 15 and has four ports PW3, PW4, PG3, and PG4. The water injection port PW3 is connected to the drainage port PW2 of the water-cooled cooler 15 via the coolant discharge pipe 23, so that the coolant passing through the water-cooled cooler 15 is supplied. The water injection port PW4 is connected to the compressor unit 12 via the cooling water injection pipe 19.

  On the other hand, the gas injection port PG3 is connected to the gas supply pipe 13 on the refrigerator 11 side. The gas discharge port PG4 is connected to a gas supply pipe 13 on the compressor unit 12 side. Therefore, the helium gas pressurized by the compressor in the compressor unit 12 is supplied to the refrigerator 11 after being cooled by the water-cooled cooler 30.

  According to the present embodiment, even for the high-pressure helium gas flowing from the compressor unit 12 toward the refrigerator 11, it is possible to suppress the temperature increase of the helium gas flowing in the gas supply pipe 13 as the environmental temperature increases. it can. Therefore, a decrease in volumetric efficiency is suppressed even for the helium gas on the supply side to the refrigerator 11, and the refrigerating capacity of the refrigerator 11 can be increased.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the water-cooled cooler. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

10A to 10D Cryogenic cooling device 11 Refrigerator 12 Compressor unit 13 Gas supply piping 14 Gas recovery piping 15, 30 Water cooling cooler 16 Cold head 17 Cooled object 18 Heat shield 19, 22 Cooling water injection piping 20, 23 Cooling water Discharge pipe 21 Cooling water supply device 24 Housing 25 Partition wall 26 Heat exchange part 27 Chiller 28 Heat insulating material

Claims (4)

A refrigerator,
A compressor unit that is spaced apart from the refrigerator and that supplies high-pressure working gas to the refrigerator and collects low-pressure working gas from the refrigerator;
A gas supply pipe for supplying the high-pressure working gas from the compressor unit to the refrigerator;
A gas recovery pipe for recovering the low-pressure working gas from the refrigerator to the compressor unit ;
Wherein provided in the gas recovery pipe, wherein a superconducting energy storage device cooling cryogenic cooling apparatus provided with a cooling means for cooling the low-pressure working gas,
The compressor built in the compressor unit is configured to be cooled by cooling water supplied from a water cooling device,
The cooling means provided in the gas recovery pipe is a water-cooled cooler that cools the low-pressure working gas using the cooling water supplied from the water-cooling device,
A cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device , wherein the water-cooled cooler is provided between the refrigerator and the compressor . The cryogenic cooling device for cooling the superconducting power storage device according to claim 1 ,
A cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device, wherein a heat insulating material is disposed in the gas recovery pipe between the cooling means and the compressor unit. In the cryogenic cooling device for cooling the superconducting power storage device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The cryocooler for cooling a superconducting power storage device, wherein the refrigerator is a regenerator-type helium refrigerator. The cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A cryogenic cooling device for cooling a superconducting power storage device, wherein a distance from the cooling means to the compressor unit of the gas recovery pipe is shorter than a distance from the cooling means to the refrigerator.

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