JP4748388B2 - Combined cooling device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a composite cooling apparatus that enables vacuum cooling and cold air cooling.

  Conventionally, a cold air cooling device called a blast chiller for cooling food with cold air and a vacuum cooling device for cooling food with vacuum are known as devices for cooling food.

  The cooling by the cold air cooling device is mainly due to cooling by convection heat transfer between the cold air and the food surface, so there is a problem that the cooling time takes 90 minutes, for example, and the food surface and the central part are uniform. It is difficult to cool down.

  On the other hand, the cooling by the vacuum cooling device can be rapidly cooled up to about 20 ° C. However, since the cooling rate rapidly decreases after that, in the devices with low cooling capacity on the market, Cooling up to has been difficult. If it is attempted to cool down to the chilled region, it is necessary to significantly increase the cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means, that is, the ultimate vacuum. In general, many vacuum cooling devices do not need to be cooled to the chilled region, and ordinary vacuum cooling does not require an increased cooling capacity from the viewpoint of the cooling rate. Therefore, it is not economical to increase the cooling capacity of the vacuum cooling means only for cooling to the chilled region.

  By the way, the thing of patent document 1 is known as a compound cooling device which enabled vacuum cooling and cold air cooling. In this composite cooling device, an object to be cooled is first cooled by cold air cooling and then cooled to a predetermined temperature by vacuum cooling. In this conventional technology, cooling is not performed for a short time, and cooling is performed in the order of cold air cooling → vacuum cooling. Therefore, when cooling to a low temperature in the chilled region, the cooling time becomes longer and the cooling of the vacuum cooling means is reduced. There is a problem that the capacity must be increased and the apparatus for the vacuum cooling means becomes large.

  In addition, the inventors of this application have obtained the knowledge that there is an appropriate operation pattern depending on the initial temperature of the object to be cooled as a result of pursuing an operation pattern of composite cooling capable of low temperature cooling in a short time.

JP 2002-318051 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to enable low-temperature cooling in a short time even when the initial temperature of the object to be cooled is high.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the invention according to claim 1 is directed to vacuum cooling means for vacuum-cooling an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, and cold air cooling for cooling the object to be cooled. means and said a composite cooling device and a control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling unit, the cooling time, the pressure of the cooling chamber, the temperature, any temperature cooling object, or the cooling chamber Detecting means for detecting a change amount of any one of the pressure, the same temperature and the temperature of the object to be cooled, wherein the control means cools the object to be cooled by a first cold air cooling step, and the object to be cooled is vacuum-cooled. Performing the vacuum cooling step and the second cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled in sequence, and when the detection value of the detection means becomes the first switching set value, the first cooling air cooling step to the vacuum cooling step. Switch to When the detected value becomes the second set switching set value, the vacuum cooling step is switched to the second cold air cooling step, and the first switching set value is the detection value detected by the detecting means and the first switching set value. The cooling air cooling rate of the first cold air cooling step is set to be faster than the vacuum cooling rate of the vacuum cooling step in the region until, and the second switching set value is set from the vacuum cooling step to the second cold air cooling rate. In the switching timing to the process, the latter vacuum cooling rate of the vacuum cooling step is set to be slower than the cold air cooling rate of the second cold air cooling step .

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first switching set value is the cooling air cooling rate of the first cold air cooling step in the region until the detection value by the detection means becomes the first switching setting value. It is set to be faster than the vacuum cooling rate of the vacuum cooling step, and the second switching set value is set so that the vacuum cooling rate in the latter stage of the vacuum cooling step is the switching timing from the vacuum cooling step to the second cold air cooling step. Since it sets so that it may become slower than the cold wind cooling rate of said 2nd cold wind cooling process, the to- be-cooled object whose initial temperature is comparatively high can be cooled to low temperature in a short time.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the control means cools the object to be cooled with cold air.
In addition to the first cooling air cooling step, the vacuum cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum, and the second cooling air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled in cold air, the first cooling air cooling step is omitted. The second cooling pattern for sequentially performing the vacuum cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled and the cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled is selectively performed with the first cooling pattern, and the detection means A product temperature sensor, the first switching set value as the first temperature set value, if the initial product temperature of the object to be cooled is higher than the first temperature set value, select the first cooling pattern, If the initial product temperature is lower than the first temperature set value, the second cooling pattern is selected .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the first cooling pattern and the second cooling pattern are selected according to the initial temperature of the object to be cooled. There is an effect that appropriate cooling according to the initial temperature of the object can be performed .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to cool an object to be cooled having a relatively high initial temperature in a short time.

<Method Embodiment>
Next, Embodiments 1 to 5 of the composite cooling method of the present invention will be described. Embodiments 1 to 5 of the present invention are applied to a composite cooling apparatus capable of cooling an object to be cooled by cold air cooling and vacuum cooling.

(Embodiment 1 of the method)
First, the first embodiment of the composite cooling method of the present invention will be specifically described. The first embodiment is a combined cooling method that enables vacuum cooling and cold air cooling of an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, and includes a first cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled, and the first cold air cooling. It is characterized by including a vacuum cooling process that is performed after the process and vacuum-cools the object to be cooled, and a second cold air cooling process that is performed after the vacuum cooling process and cools the object to be cooled with cold air.

The first embodiment of this, the cooling start temperature of the object to be cooled (hereinafter, referred to as initial product temperature.) Is the first temperature setpoint (e.g., about 70 ° C.) or more, the ultimate cooling temperature of the object to be cooled (hereinafter, The preset cooling temperature is equal to or lower than a second temperature set value (for example, 10 ° C.), and the object to be cooled contains moisture, which is suitable for cooling food that can evaporate the moisture.

  In this Embodiment 1, the said vacuum cooling process is suitable in the temperature range between the said 1st temperature setting value-said 2nd temperature setting value in the temperature (henceforth a product temperature) of a to-be-cooled object. The vacuum cooling in the second vacuum cooling step is to cool the object to be cooled by evaporating water in the object to be cooled by setting the pressure around the object to be cooled to a pressure corresponding to the product temperature or less. is there. This cooling is uniform cooling with a small temperature difference between the surface and the center of the object to be cooled. This vacuum cooling characteristic is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is high and the vacuum cooling rate in the latter period is slower than that in the previous period. This vacuum cooling characteristic is a time-pressure characteristic determined by the vacuum cooling means for performing the vacuum cooling process, and the product temperature decreases exponentially by drawing a curve substantially along the vacuum cooling characteristic except for the initial process. I will do it.

  Further, the first cold air cooling step is suitable in a temperature range where the product temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature set value. The first cold air cooling characteristic is faster than the vacuum cooling rate in the temperature range where the product temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature set value due to the natural evaporation from the object to be cooled. That is, in the temperature range equal to or higher than the first temperature set value, natural evaporation is dominant until the pressure in the cooling chamber reaches the vapor pressure corresponding to the product temperature even if vacuum cooling is performed. The cooling rate is slower than the cold air cooling rate that forcibly promotes evaporation.

Further, the second cold air cooling step is suitable in a temperature range where the product temperature is equal to or lower than the second temperature set value. The second cold air cooling characteristic is that the cold air cooling rate is slower than the vacuum cooling rate of the previous period and faster than the slowed vacuum cooling rate of the latter period. This cold air cooling is cooling by exchanging heat with the surrounding air on the surface of the object to be cooled. For this reason, the object to be cooled cannot be uniformly cooled in a short time. The second cold air cooling characteristic is a time-product temperature characteristic by the cold air cooling means for performing the second cold air cooling step, and the inclination of the decrease in the product temperature is a characteristic curve that is gentler than that of the vacuum cooling characteristic.

  In the first embodiment, first, in the high temperature region where the product temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature set value, the first cold air cooling step is performed to take the rough heat of the object to be cooled. When the product temperature is in the high temperature region, natural evaporation from the object to be cooled is dominant, and even if vacuum cooling is performed, it cannot be effectively cooled. Can be effectively cooled.

  After completion of the first cold air cooling step, the vacuum cooling step is performed. In the first half of this vacuum cooling process, the vacuum cooling rate is high and the product temperature rapidly decreases. At the latter stage of the vacuum cooling step, the vacuum cooling rate decreases. Taking this timing, the process proceeds to the second cold air cooling step instead of the vacuum cooling step. The cold air cooling rate in the second cold air cooling step is slower than the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period of the vacuum cooling step, but can be cooled to a low temperature in the chilled region.

  The switching from the first cold air cooling step to the vacuum cooling step and the switching from the vacuum cooling step to the second cold air cooling step are performed as follows. That is, it detects and detects the amount of change in either the cooling time, the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, the temperature of the object to be cooled, or the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, the temperature of the object to be cooled. When the value becomes the first switching set value, the first cold air cooling process is switched to the vacuum cooling process, and when the detected value becomes the second switching set value, the vacuum cooling process to the second cold air cooling process. Switch.

  The switching timing from the first cold air cooling step to the vacuum cooling step (first switching timing) is preferably in the vicinity where the product temperature becomes the first temperature set value, and natural evaporation from the object to be cooled occurs. The timing is reduced. The first switching timing is obtained in advance by experiments, but the first switching setting value can be determined based on the first temperature setting value.

  Also, the switching timing (second switching timing) from the vacuum cooling step to the second cold air cooling step is preferably a timing at which the vacuum cooling rate in the latter stage of the vacuum cooling step is lower than the cold air cooling rate. The second switching setting value is determined.

  The second switching timing of “the latter vacuum cooling rate is lower than the cold air cooling rate” is to continuously monitor the vacuum cooling rate in the vacuum cooling step, and compared with the cold air cooling rate in the cold air cooling step, The timing when the former becomes later than the latter can be used. This timing can be set with a slight width before and after the timing at which the latter vacuum cooling rate becomes equal to the cooling air cooling rate. The second switching timing can be determined not based on the pinpoint, but based on the integrated value per unit time of the vacuum cooling rate and the cold air cooling rate. Further, the second switching timing can be set when the pressure or temperature in the cooling chamber becomes a value obtained by adding a set value to the final pressure or temperature due to the vacuum cooling characteristics. The final ultimate pressure (temperature) means a pressure (temperature) that can be finally reached, although an infinite time is required depending on the vacuum cooling characteristics.

  In addition, the second switching timing is determined in advance through experiments, such as an elapsed time (cooling time) from the start of cooling to "the latter vacuum cooling rate is lower than the cold air cooling rate", the pressure in the cooling chamber, and the temperature in the cooling chamber. , One of the temperatures of the object to be cooled, or the amount of change in either the pressure in the cooling chamber, the temperature in the cooling chamber, or the temperature of the object to be cooled is obtained as the second switching set value, and the detection means It can be when the detected value becomes the second switching set value.

Furthermore, the second switching timing is set when the time required for the first cold air cooling step, the vacuum cooling step and the second cold air cooling step (set cooling time) and the set cooling temperature are set. The time, the vacuum cooling characteristic, and the cold air cooling characteristic can be set. The outline of this setting is as follows. In the time (horizontal axis) -temperature (vertical axis) characteristic, the cold air cooling characteristic curve (time-temperature characteristic curve) is traced back so that the final point determined by the set cooling time and the set cooling temperature is the end point. The time-product temperature characteristic curve corresponding to the vacuum cooling characteristic is drawn from the point where the first cold air cooling process is completed, and the point where both curves intersect is defined as the second switching timing. By determining the second switching set value by setting the timing as described above, the cooling can be reliably performed to the determined temperature in the determined time.

  Next, each component of the first embodiment will be described. The object to be cooled is preferably a food, but is not limited thereto. The object to be cooled is accommodated in the cooling chamber and cooled. The cooling chamber may be of any type, type, and size as long as it forms a sealed space for accommodating the object to be cooled and can take in and out the object to be cooled. This cooling chamber can be referred to as a cooling tank, a cooling compartment, a cooling container, or the like.

  The first cold air cooling step and the second cold air cooling step are performed by a cold air cooling means for cooling an object to be cooled with cold air. Preferably, the cold air cooling means includes a cooling heat exchanger that cools the air in the cooling chamber, a fan that circulates the air in the cooling chamber, and the object to be cooled and the cooling heat exchanger. It is comprised from the circulation path formation member which forms a circulation path so that the circulation flow of air may be formed with a fan. The circulation path is preferably formed in the cooling chamber by disposing the cooling heat exchanger and the fan in the cooling chamber, but the heat exchanger and / or the fan is disposed outside the cooling chamber. And a circulation path can be comprised by connecting these and the said cooling chamber with a ventilation duct.

  The cooling heat exchanger may be any heat exchanger that can be cooled to a low temperature (for example, −10 ° C. or lower) that can cool the object to be cooled to the chilled region by cooling with cold air. And an evaporator that evaporates the liquefied refrigerant supplied from the cooling unit and cools the air in the cooling chamber by indirect heat exchange. However, the heat exchanger for cooling can be a heat exchanger that uses cold water supplied from a cold water production apparatus (chiller) or brine supplied from a branler as a refrigerant.

  By the way, the first cold air cooling step is not a heat exchanger cold air cooling using the cooling heat exchanger, but introduces outside air into the cooling chamber, and applies the outside air to the object to be cooled, and then discharges the outside air cold air. This can be done by cooling. Moreover, this 1st cold wind cooling process can be performed combining the said heat exchanger cold wind cooling and the said external air cold wind cooling.

The vacuum cooling step is performed by a vacuum cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum. The vacuum cooling means includes a vacuum line connected to said cooling chamber configured to include a vacuum means provided in the vacuum line (pressure reducer). The decompressor can be a vacuum line or a water ejector. The decompressor may be a combination of a steam ejector, a heat exchanger for steam condensation, and a vacuum pump or water ejector. The vacuum pump is preferably a water ring vacuum pump.

  The switching of each process is performed by a control means such as a microcomputer. This control means controls the operation of the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means by the cooling program stored in advance. The cooling program includes at least a first program for sequentially performing the first cold air cooling step, the vacuum cooling step, and the second cold air cooling step. The first cooling pattern is realized by this first program.

(Method Embodiment 2)
The second embodiment is a composite cooling method that enables vacuum cooling and cold air cooling of an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a first cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled, and vacuum cooling the object to be cooled. The first cooling pattern for sequentially performing the vacuum cooling process and the second cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air, the vacuum cooling process for vacuum cooling the object to be cooled, and the cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled are sequentially performed. The second cooling pattern to be performed can be selected.

  Since the first cooling pattern in the second embodiment is the cooling pattern according to the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  The second cooling pattern is a cooling pattern in which the first cold air cooling step in the first cooling pattern is omitted. In this second cooling pattern, the initial product temperature is not more than the first temperature set value, the set cooling temperature is not more than the second temperature set value, the object to be cooled contains moisture, and the moisture can be evaporated. Suitable for cooling.

  Since the vacuum cooling process and the cold air cooling process of the second cooling pattern are the same as the vacuum cooling process and the second cold air cooling process of the first cooling pattern, respectively, the description thereof is omitted.

  According to the second embodiment, when it is desired to cool the object to be cooled to the chilled region, when the initial product temperature is higher than the first temperature set value, the first cooling pattern is selected, and the initial product temperature is When the temperature is lower than the first temperature set value, the object to be cooled can be cooled to a low temperature in a short time by selecting the second cooling pattern and using the cooling pattern according to the initial product temperature.

(Method Embodiment 3)
The third embodiment is a composite cooling method that enables vacuum cooling and cold air cooling of an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a first cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled, and vacuum cooling the object to be cooled. The first cooling pattern for sequentially performing the vacuum cooling process to be performed and the second cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled, the vacuum cooling process for cooling the object to be vacuumed, and the cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled are sequentially performed. The second cooling pattern and the third cooling pattern for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air can be selected.

  The first cooling pattern in the third embodiment is the same as the cooling pattern in the first embodiment, and the second cooling pattern is the same as the second cooling pattern in the second embodiment. To do.

The third cooling pattern performs a cold air cooling process from the start to the end of cooling. The third cooling pattern is packaged so that the set cooling temperature is equal to or lower than the second temperature set value and the object to be cooled 3 does not contain moisture, or the moisture cannot be evaporated even if it contains moisture. Suitable for cooling foods Of course, this third cooling pattern can also be applied to a cooling object having the same properties, with the set cooling temperature set to the second temperature set value or higher, regardless of the set cooling temperature and the initial product temperature. It is suitable for cooling foods that are not suitable for vacuum cooling, such as liquid foods and soft water.

  The cold air cooling process of the third cooling pattern is the same as the first cold air cooling process, the second cold air cooling process, and the cold air cooling process of the second cooling pattern, respectively, and thus description thereof is omitted. .

  According to the third embodiment, when the object to be cooled is a food suitable for vacuum cooling and it is desired to cool to the chilled region, when the initial product temperature is higher than the first temperature set value, the first cooling is performed. When the pattern is selected and the initial product temperature is lower than the first temperature set value, the second cooling pattern is selected, and the object to be cooled is a food that is not suitable for vacuum cooling and is to be cooled to the chilled region. By selecting the third cooling pattern, the object to be cooled can be cooled to a low temperature in a short time by the cooling pattern according to the property of the object to be cooled and the initial product temperature.

(Method Embodiment 4)

  The fourth embodiment is a composite cooling method that enables vacuum cooling and cold air cooling of an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a first cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled, and vacuum cooling the object to be cooled. A first cooling pattern that sequentially performs a vacuum cooling process and a second cold air cooling process that cools the object to be cooled, a vacuum cooling process that vacuum cools the object to be cooled, and a cold air cooling process that cools the object to be cooled are sequentially performed. Two cooling patterns, a third cooling pattern for performing a cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled, a fourth cooling pattern for performing a vacuum cooling process for vacuum cooling the object to be cooled, and a cold air cooling for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air A fifth cooling pattern in which a process and a vacuum cooling process for vacuum-cooling an object to be cooled can be selected.

  The first cooling pattern in the fourth embodiment is the same as the cooling pattern in the first embodiment, the second cooling pattern is the second cooling pattern in the second embodiment, and the third cooling pattern is the Since this is the same as the third cooling pattern of the third embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

The fourth cooling pattern is to perform a true air retirement process to the end from the start of cooling. In the fourth cooling pattern, the initial product temperature is not more than the first temperature set value, the set cooling temperature is not less than the second temperature set value, the object to be cooled contains moisture, and the moisture can be evaporated. Suitable for cooling.

  Since the vacuum cooling process of this 4th cooling pattern is the same as the vacuum cooling process of said 1st-3rd cooling pattern, respectively, the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The fifth cooling pattern performs a vacuum cooling step after the cold air cooling step. In the fifth cooling pattern, the initial product temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature set value, the set cooling temperature is equal to or higher than the second temperature set value, the object to be cooled contains moisture, and the moisture can be evaporated. Suitable for cooling.

  Since the cold air cooling process of the fifth cooling pattern is the same as the first cold air cooling process of the first cooling pattern, and the vacuum cooling process is the same as the vacuum cooling process of the first cooling pattern, the explanation thereof Is omitted.

  According to the fourth embodiment, when the object to be cooled is a food suitable for vacuum cooling, and the initial product temperature is higher than the first temperature set value when it is desired to cool to the chilled region, the first Select a cooling pattern. When the initial product temperature is lower than the first temperature set value, the second cooling pattern is selected. When the object to be cooled is a food material that is not suitable for vacuum cooling and it is desired to cool to the chilled region, the third cooling pattern is selected. Thereby, a to-be-cooled object can be cooled to low temperature in a short time with the cooling pattern according to the property of the to-be-cooled object, and initial stage product temperature. In addition, if the object to be cooled is a food suitable for vacuum cooling and does not require cooling to the chilled region, by selecting the fourth cooling pattern and the fifth cooling pattern according to the initial product temperature, The object to be cooled can be cooled to a low temperature in a short time by a cooling pattern corresponding to the initial product temperature.

(Embodiment 5 of the method)
Next, a fifth embodiment of the composite cooling method of the present invention will be described. The fourth embodiment is characterized in that, in the first to fourth embodiments, the vacuum cooling step is composed of a first vacuum cooling step and a second vacuum cooling step executed thereafter. .

  In the fifth embodiment, the first vacuum cooling step is performed by a first vacuum cooling means. The first vacuum cooling characteristic is that the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is fast and the vacuum cooling rate is slowed in the latter period. Further, the second vacuum cooling step is performed by a second vacuum cooling means, and the second vacuum cooling characteristic is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the first period is high and the vacuum cooling rate is slowed in the second period. Then, the second cold air cooling step is performed by the second cold air cooling means, and the second cold air cooling characteristic is the same as that of the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means in the previous period. It is slower and faster than the slowed-down vacuum cooling rate.

  In the fifth embodiment, the switching from the first vacuum cooling step to the second vacuum cooling step may be any one of a cooling time, a pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, a temperature of an object to be cooled, or the cooling A change amount of any one of the indoor pressure, the same temperature, and the temperature of the object to be cooled can be detected, and the change can be performed when the detected value becomes the third switching set value.

Then, the third switching換設value is preferably the Vacuum cooling rate of late by the first vacuum cooling means and timing to be reduced from the cold air cooling rate by the cold air cooling unit, also the in Ru limited thereto Absent.

  Further, the switching from the first cold air cooling step to the first vacuum cooling step and the switching from the second vacuum cooling step to the second cold air cooling step are respectively the first cold air cooling step of the first embodiment. Since this is the same as the switching from the vacuum cooling step to the second cold air cooling step, the description thereof will be omitted.

  In the fifth embodiment, the vacuum cooling process is performed in two stages, the first vacuum cooling process by the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling process by the second vacuum cooling means. Compared to the case of vacuum cooling with excessive cooling capacity from the beginning of cooling, the energy required for the operation of the vacuum cooling means can be reduced, and the quality of ingredients that cause a problem of quality deterioration of the object to be cooled due to rapid cooling Can be suppressed.

  The first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means can be configured as follows as a first aspect suitable for a composite cooling device having a relatively small cooling capacity. That is, the cold air cooling means is configured to execute the first cold air cooling step and the second cold air cooling step by indirect heat exchange of the air in the cooling chamber with a heat exchanger for cooling. And said 1st vacuum cooling means is comprised so that said 1st vacuum cooling may be performed by the action | operation of the decompressor connected with the said cooling chamber. The second vacuum cooling means is configured to perform the second vacuum cooling step by condensing the vapor from the object to be cooled by the cooling heat exchanger with the cooling chamber sealed under a low pressure. Is done.

  The decompressor of the first vacuum cooling means can be a vacuum pump or a water ejector. The vacuum pump is preferably a water ring vacuum pump.

As configuration elements for sealing the cooling chamber of the second vacuum cooling means, in the vacuum line with the pressure reducer, the on-off valve provided between the pressure reducer and the cooling chamber, said second vacuum cooling By closing the on-off valve during the operation of the means, the cooling chamber can be sealed. The on-off valve is preferably a valve that performs two opening and closing operations, such as an electromagnetic valve, but may be a check valve.

The operation of the first vacuum cooling means is to open the on-off valve and operate the pressure reducer, and the operation of the second vacuum cooling means is after the cooling chamber is in a low pressure state. The on-off valve is closed and the cooling heat exchanger is operated, that is, the refrigerant is supplied to perform the cooling action.

  In the second vacuum cooling step, steam is generated from the object to be cooled in a sealed space under reduced pressure, and the generated steam is condensed on the surface of the cooling heat exchanger to evaporate from the object to be cooled. Facilitate. In order to ensure the action of the second vacuum cooling step, it is important that there is no air in the cooling chamber that prevents vapor condensation. For this reason, it is desirable to provide an air exclusion process before the first vacuum cooling process. In this air exclusion step, preferably, air is exhausted by supplying steam (steaming) to the cooling chamber or supplying warm water (supplying water) and operating the decompressor to fill the cooling chamber with steam. To be configured. Moreover, this air exclusion process can be configured to be performed in the order of the exhaust gas → the steam supply → the exhaust gas, and this may be performed once or a plurality of times.

  The second vacuum cooling step is performed using the cooling heat exchanger not only for cooling cold air but also as a cold trap for condensing steam from the object to be cooled. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a steam ejector as the decompressor, and in some cases, a steam condensation heat exchanger (condensation heat exchanger) provided on the upstream side of the decompressor can be omitted. The configuration of the cooling means can be simplified.

  Further, the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling means can be configured as follows as a second aspect suitable for a composite cooling apparatus having a relatively large cooling capacity. That is, the decompression line, the steam ejector provided in the decompression line, the condensation heat exchanger, and the decompressor are provided. And said 1st vacuum cooling means is comprised so that a 1st vacuum cooling process may be performed by the action | operation of the said pressure reduction device. Further, the second vacuum cooling means is configured to execute the second vacuum cooling step by operating the steam ejector and the condensing heat exchanger in addition to the operation of the decompressor.

<Embodiment of the apparatus>
As mentioned above, although the embodiment of the composite cooling method of this invention was described, this invention includes Embodiment 1-11 of the following composite cooling apparatus.

(Embodiment 1 of the apparatus)
Embodiment 1 of this apparatus includes a vacuum cooling means for vacuum cooling an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air, and a control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means. The control means includes a first cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled, a vacuum cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum, and a second cold air cooling for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air. The process is performed sequentially.

  Since the terminology used in the first embodiment of the apparatus is the same as that in the method embodiment, the description thereof is omitted. According to the first embodiment, rough heat removal of a high-temperature object to be cooled is performed in the first cold air cooling process, and then a first vacuum cooling process capable of rapid cooling is performed, and then low-temperature cooling is possible. Since the second cold air cooling step is performed, it is possible to provide a composite cooling device capable of cooling an object to be cooled having a relatively high initial temperature to a low temperature in a short time.

(Embodiment 2 of the apparatus)
Embodiment 2 of this apparatus is the same as Embodiment 1 of the apparatus in that either one of the cooling time, the pressure and temperature in the cooling chamber, the temperature of the object to be cooled, the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature and the object to be cooled. Detecting means for detecting any amount of change in the temperature of the cooling object, wherein the control means starts from the first cold air cooling step to the vacuum cooling when the detected value of the detecting means reaches a first switching set value; Switching to a process, and when the detected value reaches a second setting switching fixed value, the vacuum cooling process is switched to the second cold air cooling process.

  According to the second embodiment of the apparatus, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment of the apparatus, the cooling time, the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, the temperature of the object to be cooled, or the pressure in the cooling chamber, Based on the amount of change in either the temperature or the temperature of the object to be cooled, the first cold air cooling step, the vacuum cooling step, and the second cold air cooling step can be appropriately switched.

(Embodiment 3 of the apparatus)
Embodiment 3 of this apparatus is the same as Embodiment 2 of the apparatus, wherein the control means compares the initial temperature of the object to be cooled with the first switching set value (temperature) to determine the first cooling step. Is omitted.

  According to the third embodiment of the apparatus, in addition to the effect of the second embodiment of the apparatus, when the initial temperature of the object to be cooled is lower than a predetermined value, the first cold air cooling step is omitted. There is an effect that appropriate cooling according to the initial temperature of the object to be cooled can be performed.

(Embodiment 4 of the apparatus)
Embodiment 4 of this apparatus includes a vacuum cooling means for vacuum-cooling an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air, and a control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means. The control means includes a first cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled, a vacuum cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum, and a second cold air cooling for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air. It is possible to select a first cooling pattern for sequentially performing the process, a vacuum cooling process for cooling the object to be vacuumed, and a second cooling pattern for sequentially performing a cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air.

  According to the fourth embodiment of the apparatus, since the first cooling pattern and the second cooling pattern are selected according to the initial temperature of the object to be cooled, a short time according to the initial temperature of the object to be cooled. , Low temperature cooling can be performed.

(Embodiment 5 of the apparatus)
Embodiment 5 of this apparatus includes a vacuum cooling means for vacuum-cooling an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air, and a control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means. The control means includes a first cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled, a vacuum cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum, and a second cold air cooling for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air. A first cooling pattern for sequentially performing the process, a vacuum cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum, a second cooling pattern for sequentially performing a cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled, and a cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air It is possible to select a third cooling pattern for performing the above.

  According to Embodiment 5 of the apparatus, the first cooling pattern and the second cooling pattern are selected according to the initial temperature of the object to be cooled, and the first cooling pattern or the second cooling pattern is selected according to the property of the object to be cooled. By selecting the second cooling pattern and the third cooling pattern, it is possible to cool to a low temperature in a short time with an appropriate cooling pattern according to the initial temperature of the object to be cooled and the properties of the object to be cooled. .

(Embodiment 6 of the apparatus)
Embodiment 6 of this apparatus includes a vacuum cooling means for vacuum-cooling an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber, a cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air, and a control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means. The control means includes a first cold air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled, a vacuum cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum, and a second cold air cooling for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air. A first cooling pattern for sequentially performing the process, a vacuum cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum, a second cooling pattern for sequentially performing a cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled, and a cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air A third cooling pattern for performing cooling, a fourth cooling pattern for performing a vacuum cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled, a cooling air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled and a vacuum cooling process for vacuum cooling the object to be cooled. Wherein the a fifth cooling pattern to allow selection performed.

  According to Embodiment 6 of this apparatus, when it is necessary to cool the object to be cooled to a low temperature such as a chilled region, the first cooling pattern and the second cooling according to the initial temperature of the object to be cooled. By selecting the pattern, and selecting the first cooling pattern or the second cooling pattern and the third cooling pattern according to the properties of the object to be cooled, the initial temperature of the object to be cooled and the temperature of the object to be cooled are selected. Cooling to a low temperature can be performed in a short time with an appropriate cooling pattern according to the properties. When there is no need to cool the object to be cooled to a low temperature such as a chilled region, the third cooling pattern, the fourth cooling pattern, and the fifth cooling are performed according to the initial temperature and the properties of the object to be cooled. By selecting the pattern, it is possible to cool to the set cooling temperature in a short time according to the properties of the object to be cooled.

(Embodiment 7 of the apparatus)
Embodiment 7 of this apparatus is the same as Embodiments 1 to 6 of the apparatus, wherein the vacuum cooling means is a first vacuum cooling means having a first vacuum cooling characteristic and a second vacuum cooling having a second vacuum cooling characteristic. And the control means performs the vacuum cooling step by a first vacuum cooling step by the first vacuum cooling unit and a second vacuum cooling step by the second vacuum cooling unit.

  According to the seventh embodiment of the apparatus, in addition to the effects of the first to sixth embodiments of the apparatus, it is possible to cool down to a low temperature after executing a vacuum cooling process capable of rapid and uniform cooling as much as possible. Since a cold air cooling process is performed, the object to be cooled can be cooled to a low temperature in a short time. Moreover, since the vacuum cooling process is performed in two stages, the first vacuum cooling process by the first vacuum cooling means and the second vacuum cooling process by the second vacuum cooling means, it is necessary for the operation of the vacuum cooling means. In addition to reducing the energy, foods that cause a problem of quality deterioration of the object to be cooled due to rapid cooling have the effect of suppressing the deterioration in quality.

(Embodiment 8 of the apparatus)
In the eighth embodiment of the device, either the cooling time by the vacuum cooling means, the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, or the temperature of the object to be cooled in the seventh embodiment of the device is detected. Detecting means for detecting any change amount of the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, and the temperature of the object to be cooled; and the control means is configured to detect the first value when the detection value of the detecting means reaches a set value. Switching from the vacuum cooling step to the second vacuum cooling step is characterized.

  According to the eighth embodiment of the apparatus, in addition to the effect of the seventh embodiment of the apparatus, it is possible to appropriately set the switching timing from the first vacuum cooling process to the second vacuum cooling process. There is an effect.

(Embodiment 9 of the apparatus)
Embodiment 9 of this apparatus is the same as Embodiment 7 or 8 of the apparatus, wherein the first vacuum cooling means has a first vacuum cooling characteristic in which the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is fast and the vacuum cooling rate is slowed in the latter period. The second vacuum cooling means has a second vacuum cooling characteristic in which the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is high and the vacuum cooling rate in the latter part is slowed down, and the cold air cooling means has the cold air cooling characteristic in the cold air cooling rate. Is slower than the vacuum cooling rate of the first period of the first vacuum cooling unit and the second vacuum cooling unit and faster than the slowed down vacuum cooling rate of the second stage, and the control unit is configured to control the latter vacuum by the second vacuum cooling unit. Switching from the second vacuum cooling step to the cold air cooling step is performed at a timing when the cooling rate is lower than the cold air cooling rate.

  According to the ninth embodiment of the apparatus, in addition to the effects of the seventh or eighth embodiment of the apparatus, the vacuum cooling process capable of rapid and uniform cooling can be performed to the maximum and then cooled to a low temperature. Since the cold air cooling process is performed, the object to be cooled can be cooled to a low temperature in a short time.

(Embodiment 10 of the apparatus)
Embodiment 10 of this apparatus is configured such that, in Embodiments 7 to 9 of the apparatus, the cold air cooling means cools the air in the cooling chamber by indirect heat exchange with a heat exchanger for cooling, The first vacuum cooling means is configured to execute a first vacuum cooling process by operating a decompressor connected to the cooling chamber, and the second vacuum cooling means is configured to seal the cooling chamber under a low pressure. As described above, the second vacuum cooling step is performed by condensing steam from the object to be cooled by the cooling heat exchanger.

  According to the tenth embodiment of this apparatus, in addition to the effects of the seventh to ninth embodiments of the apparatus, the cooling heat exchanger for cooling cold air is used as a cold trap during vacuum cooling. There exists an effect that the structure of a vacuum cooling means can be simplified.

(Embodiment 11 of the apparatus)
An eleventh embodiment of this apparatus is the same as in the seventh to ninth embodiments of the present invention, a decompression line connected to the cooling chamber, a steam ejector, a heat exchanger for condensation and a decompressor provided in the decompression line. The first vacuum cooling means is configured to perform a first vacuum cooling step by the operation of the decompressor, and the second vacuum cooling means includes the steam ejector, the heat exchanger for condensation, and the The second vacuum cooling step is performed by the operation of the decompressor.

  According to the eleventh embodiment of this apparatus, in addition to the effects of the seventh to ninth embodiments of the apparatus, there is an effect that a large capacity composite cooling apparatus can be easily provided.

  Hereinafter, a specific example 1 of the composite cooling method of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a composite cooling device 1 in which the first embodiment is implemented, and FIGS. 2 to 7 are flowcharts for explaining a main part of a control procedure in the first embodiment.

  First, the configuration of the composite cooling device 1 will be described. The composite cooling device 1 is a cooling device that can perform vacuum cooling and cold air cooling, can selectively execute various cooling patterns, and has an object temperature to be cooled (hereinafter referred to as a product temperature) in a chilled region. The cooling target 3 can be cooled in a short time so that the temperature becomes low.

  The composite cooling device 1 includes a cooling chamber 2, a vacuum cooling means 4 for cooling the object 3 in the cooling chamber 2 in a vacuum, a cold air cooling means 5 for cooling the object 3 in cold air, and the vacuum cooling means. 4 and a controller 6 as control means for controlling the cold air cooling means 5 are provided as main parts.

  The controller 6 is provided with a timer 7 by software. The controller 6 is configured to control the vacuum cooling means 4, the cold air cooling means 5, and the like based on a cooling program composed of first to fifth programs stored in advance.

The first to fifth programs are the properties of the object to be cooled 3 (whether the food is suitable for vacuum cooling), the product temperature at the beginning of cooling (hereinafter referred to as initial product temperature), and the product to be reached (cooled). It is selected according to the temperature (set cooling temperature). That is, the property condition of the object to be cooled 3 that the object to be cooled 3 is a food suitable for vacuum cooling, and the initial product that the initial product temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature set value (for example, 70 ° C.). The temperature condition and the set cooling temperature are the second temperature set values (for example, 1
The program can be selected according to the cooling temperature condition of 0 ° C. or higher or lower.

  Next, each component of the composite cooling device 1 will be described. The cooling chamber 2 forms a sealed space in which the object to be cooled 3 is accommodated, and includes an opening for taking in and out the object to be cooled 3 and a door for opening and closing the object (both not shown). The cooling chamber 2 is divided into an upper first region 81 and a lower second region 82 by a partition wall 8. In the first area 81, the object to be cooled 3 is accommodated, and in the second area 82, the cooling heat exchanger 9 constituting a part of the cold air cooling means 5 is arranged. The to-be-cooled object 3 is the foodstuff accommodated in the container.

  The cooling heat exchanger 9 is a well-known evaporator that performs a cooling action by evaporating the liquefied refrigerant supplied from a condensing unit 11 having a condenser (not shown) that liquefies the refrigerant of the refrigerator 10. Has been.

The cold air cooling means 5 cools the object 3 to be cooled with cold air. The cold air cooling means 5 includes a cooling heat exchanger 9 for cooling the air in the cooling chamber 2, and a fan 13 as an air circulation means driven by a motor 12 disposed outside the cooling chamber 2. including. Then, by providing openings (or gaps) 14 and 14 between the constituent wall of the cooling chamber 2 and the partition wall 8 to form an air circulation path (reference number omitted) in the cooling chamber 2, It is configured to have a cold air cooling function. In this embodiment, the partition wall 8 constitutes the circulation path constituting member with the constituent wall of the cooling chamber 2.

  The vacuum cooling means 4 has a first vacuum cooling means 41 having a first vacuum cooling characteristic in which the vacuum cooling speed in the previous period is high and the vacuum cooling speed becomes slow in the latter period, and the vacuum cooling speed in the previous period is fast and the vacuum cooling in the latter period. It is comprised from the 2nd vacuum cooling means 42 which has the 2nd vacuum cooling characteristic in which a speed | rate becomes slow.

  Specifically, the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42 are configured as follows. That is, the first vacuum cooling means 41 includes a decompression line 15 connected to the cooling chamber 2, a water-sealed vacuum pump 16 as a decompressor provided in the decompression line 15, the cooling chamber 2 and An opening / closing valve 17 is provided between the vacuum pumps 16 and keeps the cooling chamber 2 hermetically closed when closed.

  The first vacuum cooling means 41 is configured to perform the first vacuum cooling step by operating (operating) the vacuum pump 16 with the on-off valve 17 open. The on-off valve 17 is a valve that only opens and closes, but can be a valve whose opening degree can be adjusted. The decompression line 15 may be provided with a check valve (not shown) for preventing the flow in the direction of the cooling chamber 2 as necessary. The first vacuum cooling characteristic of the first vacuum cooling means 41 having such a configuration is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is fast and the vacuum cooling rate is slowed in the latter period.

  The second vacuum cooling means 42 has a function of condensing steam from the object to be cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 9 with the inside of the cooling chamber 2 sealed under a low pressure, and a second vacuum cooling step Configured to perform. Elements constituting the second vacuum cooling means 42 are constituent elements of the cooling chamber 2, the cooling heat exchanger 9, the on-off valve 17, and the first vacuum cooling means 41. Closing the inside of the cooling chamber 2 under a low pressure is realized by closing the on-off valve 17 after the first vacuum cooling step. As with the first vacuum cooling characteristic, the second vacuum cooling characteristic of the second vacuum cooling means 42 having such a configuration is such that the vacuum cooling rate in the previous period is high and the vacuum cooling rate is slowed in the latter period.

  The cold air cooling characteristic of the cold air cooling means 5 is such that the characteristic of the temperature range above the first temperature set value (first cold air cooling characteristic) is faster than the vacuum cooling rate and below the second temperature set value. The cooling air cooling rate is slower than the first vacuum cooling rate of the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42 and faster than the slowed vacuum cooling rate of the latter stage. It is said.

  In the first embodiment, in order to ensure the operation of the second vacuum cooling step, an air exclusion step is provided and executed before the first vacuum cooling step. The air exhausting step is configured to exclude air by supplying steam from the first steam supply means 18 to the cooling chamber 2 and filling the cooling chamber with steam while operating the vacuum pump 16. is doing. Specifically, the first steam supply means 18 includes a first steam supply line 19 for supplying steam into the cooling chamber 2, a steam supply source 20, and a first steam supply valve for controlling steam supply. 21 is provided.

  The cooling chamber 2 is provided with a return pressure means 22 for returning the pressure in the cooling chamber 2 from negative pressure to atmospheric pressure after the vacuum cooling step. The return pressure means 22 includes a return pressure line 23 connected to the cooling chamber 2, and a return pressure valve 24 and a sterilization filter 25 provided in the middle of the return pressure line 23. The return pressure valve 24 is a valve whose opening degree can be adjusted in order to adjust the return pressure speed, but can be a valve that is only opened and closed. Further, the return pressure line 23 can be provided with a check valve (not shown) that prevents the outward flow from the inside of the cooling chamber 2.

  The controller 6 is configured to control the operation of the first vacuum cooling means 41, the second vacuum cooling means 42, the steam supply means 18, the cold air cooling means 5 and the like according to the cooling program stored in advance. ing.

  In order to control the cooling program, the product temperature sensor 26 that detects the product temperature of the object 3 to be cooled, the indoor pressure sensor 27 that detects the pressure (temperature) in the cooling chamber 2, and the refrigerant of the refrigerator 10 A refrigerant pressure sensor 28 and a refrigerant temperature sensor 29 are provided for detecting the pressure and temperature of the circuit, respectively. These sensors are connected to the controller 6 to control the condensing unit 11, the motor 12, the vacuum pump 16, the on-off valve 17, the first steam supply valve 21, the return pressure valve 24, and the like. .

  The cooling program includes a first cooling pattern for sequentially performing a first cold air cooling process by the cold air cooling means 5, a vacuum cooling process by the vacuum cooling means 41 and 42, and a second cold air cooling process by the cold air cooling means 5. A program for executing a second cooling pattern for performing the second cold air cooling process after performing the vacuum cooling process (second program), and performing only the cold air cooling process by the cold air cooling means 5 A program for executing a third cooling pattern (third program), a program for executing a fourth cooling pattern for performing only the vacuum cooling step (fourth program), a first cooling air cooling step, and a vacuum cooling step for sequentially performing the first cooling air cooling step A program (fifth program) for executing the five cooling patterns is included.

  As described above, the first to fifth programs are configured so that they can be selected according to the property condition of the object 3 to be cooled, the initial product temperature condition, and the cooling temperature condition.

Referring to FIG. 2, the object to be cooled 3 is a food suitable for vacuum cooling, that is, a food that contains water and can be evaporated, and is an initial product under the condition that it is desired to cool to the chilled area in a short time. When the temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature set value, the first program is selected and executed. When the initial product temperature is lower than the first temperature set value, the second program is selected and executed. . When the initial product temperature is equal to or higher than the first temperature set value under the condition that the object to be cooled 3 is a food suitable for vacuum cooling and it is desired to cool in a short time to a temperature range higher than the chilled range. The fifth program is selected and executed. If the initial product temperature is lower than the first temperature set value, the fourth program is selected and executed. Further, if the object to be cooled 3 is a food material that is not suitable for vacuum cooling or a food material in which the contained water cannot evaporate, the third program is selected and executed.

Next, the first program and the switching timing from the previous Kihiya air cooling step in the fifth program to said first vacuum cooling step (hereinafter, referred to as a first vacuum switching timing. The first switching timing in the embodiment Switching timing from the first vacuum cooling step to the second vacuum cooling step (hereinafter referred to as second vacuum switching timing, which corresponds to the third switching timing in the embodiment) and the second. The switching timing from the vacuum cooling process to the second cold air cooling process (hereinafter referred to as cold air switching timing, which corresponds to the second switching timing in the embodiment) will be described.

  That is, the first vacuum switching timing is set when the detection value of the product temperature sensor 26 as the detecting means becomes the first switching set value.

In addition, the second vacuum switching timing and the cold air switching timing are obtained in advance by experiments based on the first vacuum cooling characteristics and the second vacuum cooling characteristics, respectively. The second vacuum cooling switching timing is an elapsed time (cooling time) from the start of the first vacuum process until the vacuum cooling rate in the latter stage of the first vacuum cooling process reaches the vicinity of the cold air cooling rate of the second cold air cooling process. the previously obtained as the third switching set value, measurement value measured by the timer 7 as a detection means is a time became the third switching換設value. The cold air switching timing is the elapsed time (cooling time) from the start of the second vacuum cooling process until the latter vacuum cooling rate of the second vacuum cooling process reaches the vicinity of the cold air cooling speed of the second cold air cooling process. Is obtained as the second switching set value, and the measured value by the timer 7 becomes the third switching set value.

The second switching set value and the third switching set value reach the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, and the vicinity regardless of the cooling time (measurement time by the timer 7). The temperature can be determined by any one of the temperatures of the object to be cooled 3 or the amount of change in the pressure in the cooling chamber 2, the temperature in the cooling chamber 2, or the temperature of the object to be cooled 3. Then, when the indoor pressure sensor 25 detects the indoor pressure or the indoor temperature, or the product temperature sensor 7 detects the product temperature, when the detected value becomes the third switching set value, Switching from the vacuum cooling process to the second vacuum cooling process can be configured to switch from the second vacuum cooling process to the second cold air cooling process when the detected value becomes the second switching set value. . When the first to third switching setting values are set according to the product temperature, the first switching setting value, the second switching setting value, and the third switching setting value are set to the first temperature setting value and the second switching value, respectively. The temperature set value can be the third set temperature. The first switching set value can also be set by time other than the product temperature, room pressure, room temperature, or the like.

  The operation of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

<Preparation stage>
The user opens the door, accommodates the object to be cooled 3 in the cooling chamber 2, and closes the door to make it sealed. In this state, the on-off valve 17, the first steam supply valve 21, and the return pressure valve 24 are all closed, and the motor 12, the vacuum pump 16, and the condensing unit 11 are all stopped (operated). State. The steam generation source 20 can be in an operating state in advance.

<Cooling program selection>
In this state, the user selects the first to fifth programs after starting operation with an operation switch (not shown). This selection can be performed according to the initial product temperature, the set cooling temperature, and the type of the object to be cooled 3.

  With this selection, referring to FIG. 3, when processing step S1 (hereinafter, processing step SN is simply referred to as SN) is selected from the first program to the fifth program, the processing steps S2 to S6 are performed. One program to the fifth program are executed. Hereinafter, the operation of each operation program will be described.

<First program: cold air cooling → vacuum cooling → cold air cooling switching>
The first program is suitable for cooling foodstuffs having an initial product temperature of about 70 ° C. or higher and a set cooling temperature of 10 ° C. or lower, and the object to be cooled 3 contains moisture, and the moisture can evaporate. Now, the initial product temperature is 90 ° C. and the set cooling temperature is 3 ° C.

(First cold air cooling process)
When this first program is selected, the processing procedure of FIG. 4 is executed. In the first cold air cooling step S21, the on-off valve 17, the first steam supply valve 21 and the return pressure valve 24 are closed, the vacuum pump 16 is stopped, and the condensing unit 11 and the fan 13 are operated. . As a result, in the cooling chamber 2, the fan 13 → the cooling heat exchanger 9 → the opening 14 → the object to be cooled 3 → the opening 14 → the cold air circulation flow as indicated by the one-dot broken line arrow is formed. The Due to this circulating flow, the air in the cooling chamber 2 is cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 9 and the temperature is lowered, thereby cooling the object 3 to be cooled. By such cold air cooling, the product is cooled until the product temperature reaches about 70 ° C. When the product temperature sensor 26 detects that the product temperature has decreased to 70 ° C., the first cold air cooling step S21 is terminated.

  In this first cold air cooling step S21, without operating the condensing unit 11, the return pressure means 22 and the on-off valve 17 are opened, and the vacuum pump 16 is operated, so that the outside air is supplied to the cooling chamber 2. By being discharged through the decompression line 15 while being introduced into the apparatus, the object to be cooled 3 can be cooled by outside air (outside air introduction cooling). In this case, the operation of the fan 13 can be performed as necessary.

(Air exclusion process)
When the first cold air cooling step S21 ends, the process proceeds to the air exclusion step S22. This air exclusion process S22 is performed as follows. The steam generation source 20 is set in a state in which steam can be supplied, the on-off valve 17 and the first steam supply valve 21 are opened, the return pressure valve 24 is closed, and the vacuum pump 16 is operated. Then, steam is supplied from the steam generation source 20 into the cooling chamber 2, and the air in the cooling chamber 2 is discharged outside the room through the decompression line 15 together with the supplied steam. Eventually, the inside of the cooling chamber 2 is filled with steam. At the end of this air exclusion process, the inside of the cooling chamber 2 is at a low pressure below atmospheric pressure. In this air evacuation step, exhaust by the operation of the vacuum pump 16 and steaming by opening the on-off valve 21 are performed simultaneously, but exhaust → steaming → exhaust is performed in this order, and this is repeated once to several times. Can be configured to do.

(First vacuum cooling process)
When the air evacuation step S22 ends, the process proceeds to S23, where the first vacuum cooling step is performed. This first vacuum cooling step S23 is performed as follows. The on-off valve 17 is opened, the first steam supply valve 21 is closed, the return pressure valve 24 is closed, and the vacuum pump 16 is operated. Then, the gas in the cooling chamber 2 is discharged to the outside through the decompression line 15. The pressure in the cooling chamber 2 decreases along with the first vacuum cooling characteristic, and the temperature of the object to be cooled 3 decreases from 70 ° C. due to evaporation of the vapor from the object to be cooled 3 according to this pressure decrease. go. This product temperature decrease rate is rapid in the initial stage, and becomes slower in the later stage as the temperature decreases. When the time measured by the timer 7 reaches the second switching set value, the process proceeds to the second vacuum cooling step of S24. The vacuum cooling rate at the time of this transition is lower than the cooling rate due to the cold air cooling characteristics of the cold air cooling means 5. The product temperature at the time of this transition is about 20 ° C.

(Second vacuum cooling process)
In the second vacuum cooling step S24, the on-off valve 17, the first steam supply valve 21, and the return pressure valve 24 are closed, the vacuum pump 16 is stopped, and the condensing unit 11 is operated. By the operation of the condensing unit 11, the temperature in the cooling heat exchanger 9 is set to about −10 ° C. Since the temperature reduction of the cooling heat exchanger 9 by the condensing unit 11 requires a predetermined time from the start, the condensing unit 11 may be started a predetermined time before the first switching set value. desirable.

  In this second vacuum cooling step S24, the inside of the cooling chamber 2 is sealed at a low pressure, and the steam in the cooling chamber 2 moves to the cooling heat exchanger 9, where it condenses, The pressure in the chamber 2 maintains a low pressure state. As a result, steam is continuously generated from the object 3 to be cooled, and the product temperature decreases. This product temperature decrease is made in accordance with the second vacuum cooling characteristic, and is rapidly performed in the initial stage, and the rate of decrease is slowed down in the later stage as the temperature decreases. When the time measured by the timer 7 reaches the second switching set value, the process proceeds to the pressure recovery step of S25. The vacuum cooling rate at the time of the transition is lower than the cooling rate due to the second cold air cooling characteristic of the cold air cooling means 5. Moreover, the product temperature at the time of this transition is about 10 ° C.

(Return pressure process)
The return pressure step S25 is performed by opening the return pressure valve 24. As a result, outside air is introduced into the cooling chamber 2 through the return pressure line 23, and the inside of the cooling chamber 2 returns to atmospheric pressure. The return pressure process is detected by the indoor pressure sensor 27. When the atmospheric pressure is detected, the return pressure process is terminated, and the process proceeds to the second cold air cooling process in S26. In the first embodiment, the operation of the condensing unit 11 is continued and the operation of the fan 13 is stopped during the decompression process. However, if necessary, the operation of the condensing unit 11 can be stopped and the fan 13 can be operated.

(Second cold air cooling process)
In the second cold air cooling step S26, as in the first cold air cooling step S21, the on-off valve 17, the first steam supply valve 21, and the return pressure valve 24 are closed, and the vacuum pump 16 is stopped. The condensing unit 11 and the fan 13 are operated. As a result, in the cooling chamber 2, the fan 13 → the cooling heat exchanger 9 → the opening 14 → the object to be cooled 3 → the opening 14 → the cold air circulation flow as indicated by the one-dot broken line arrow is formed. The Due to this circulating flow, the air in the cooling chamber 2 is cooled by the cooling heat exchanger 9 to lower the temperature, and the object to be cooled 3 is cooled by heat exchange. By such cold air cooling, the product is cooled until the product temperature becomes about 3 ° C. When the product temperature sensor 26 detects that the product temperature has decreased to 3 ° C., the second cold air cooling step S26 is terminated.

In the second cold air cooling step, condensed water (drain) is generated from the surface of the object to be cooled 3 and the cooling heat exchanger 9 and is stored in the inner bottom of the cooling chamber 2. This drain is discharged as follows. The on-off valve 17 is opened and the vacuum pump 16 is operated. Then, the drain is discharged out of the cooling chamber 2 through the decompression line 15. When the drain is discharged, the drain pressure can be discharged smoothly by opening the return pressure valve 24. The drain generated in the first cold air cooling step S21 is similarly discharged out of the cooling chamber 2.

(End of cooling operation)
When the second cold air cooling step S26 is completed, the user can operate the operation switch to stop the cooling operation and take out the object 3 to be cooled in the cooling chamber 2. Of course, the second cold air cooling step can be continued for refrigeration of the object 3 after the second cold air cooling step.

  As described above, in the first program, the object 3 to be cooled is removed by the first cold air cooling step S21. When the product temperature is about 70 ° C. or higher, the temperature of the object to be cooled 3 is high, and natural evaporation from the object to be cooled 3 is dominant, so that the vacuum cooling by operating the vacuum cooling means 4 is effectively performed. I will not. In this first program, rough heat removal is performed not by vacuum cooling but by cold air cooling, so that the object to be cooled 3 can be effectively cooled and the total cooling time can be shortened.

<Second program: Switching from vacuum cooling to cold air cooling>
The second program has an initial product temperature of about 70 ° C. or less, a set cooling temperature of about 10 ° C. or less, and the object to be cooled 3 contains moisture, and is suitable for cooling foods that can evaporate the moisture. . Now, the initial product temperature is 70 ° C. and the set cooling temperature is 3 ° C.

  When this second program is selected, the processing procedure shown in FIG. 5 is executed. That is, the air exclusion step S31 → first vacuum cooling step S32 → second vacuum cooling step S33 → return pressure step S34 → cold air cooling step S35 is sequentially executed.

  The second program is different from the first program in that the first cold air cooling step S22 in FIG. 4 is deleted.

  The air exclusion step S31, the first vacuum cooling step S32, the second vacuum cooling step S33, the return pressure step S34, and the cold air cooling step S36 of FIG. 5 are respectively the air exclusion step S22, the first vacuum cooling step S23, and the first vacuum cooling step S23 of FIG. Since this corresponds to the two vacuum cooling step S24, the return pressure step 25, and the second cold air cooling step S26, the description thereof is omitted. The switching timing from the first vacuum cooling step to the second vacuum cooling step and the switching timing from the second vacuum cooling step to the cold air cooling step (including the return pressure step) are respectively set in the first program. Since it is the same as the second vacuum switching timing and the cold air switching timing, description thereof is omitted.

<Third program: Cool air cooling>
The third program is suitable for cooling foodstuffs that do not contain moisture, or foodstuffs that are packaged so that the moisture cannot evaporate even if they contain moisture.

  When this third program is selected, the cold air cooling step S4 of FIG. 3 is executed. This cold air cooling step S4 is similar to the first cold air cooling step S21 of the first program (FIG. 4), and the on-off valve 17, the first steam supply valve 21, and the return pressure valve 24 are closed, and the vacuum pump 16 is stopped, and the condensing unit 11 and the fan 13 are operated. In other words, a cold air circulation flow as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 1 is formed, and the object to be cooled 3 is cooled by this cold air circulation flow. The cold air cooling step S5 ends when the value detected by the product temperature sensor 26 reaches the set cooling temperature.

<Fourth program: Vacuum cooling>
The fourth program is suitable for cooling an ingredient having an initial product temperature of about 70 ° C. or lower, the set cooling temperature of about 10 ° C. or higher, the object to be cooled 3 containing moisture, and the moisture can be evaporated. Yes. Now, the initial product temperature is set to 70 ° C., and the set cooling temperature is set to 10 ° C.

  When this fourth program is selected, as shown in FIG. 6, the air exclusion step S51 → the first vacuum cooling step S52 → the second vacuum cooling step S53 → the return pressure step S54 is sequentially executed.

  The fourth program differs from the first program in that the first cold air cooling step S21 and the second cold air cooling step S26 in FIG. 4 are deleted, and the end of the second vacuum cooling step 53 is 10 ° C. It is a point that has become the timing.

  In the following description, the air exclusion step S51, the first vacuum cooling step S52, the second vacuum cooling step S53, and the return pressure step S54 in FIG. 6 are respectively the air exclusion step S22, the first vacuum cooling step S23 in FIG. Since this corresponds to the second vacuum cooling step S24 and the return pressure step 25, description thereof will be omitted. The second vacuum switching timing from the first vacuum cooling step S52 to the second vacuum cooling step S53 is the same as the second vacuum switching timing of the first program, and the description thereof is omitted. In the following, the parts of the fourth program that are different from the first program will be mainly described.

  In FIG. 6, the air exclusion step S51, the first vacuum cooling step S52, and the second vacuum cooling step S53 are performed in the same manner as the first program of FIG. In the second vacuum cooling step S53, when the value detected by the product temperature sensor 26 reaches 10 ° C., the second vacuum cooling step S53 is terminated, and the return pressure step S54 is executed as in the first program. The cooling operation is finished.

<Fifth program: Cool air cooling → Vacuum cooling>
The fifth program is suitable for cooling foodstuffs having an initial product temperature of about 70 ° C. or higher and a set cooling temperature of 10 ° C. or higher, and the object to be cooled 3 contains moisture, and the moisture can evaporate. Now, the initial product temperature is 90 ° C. and the set cooling temperature is 10 ° C.

  When this fifth program is selected, the processing procedure shown in FIG. 7 is executed. That is, the cold air cooling step S61 → the air exclusion step S62 → the first vacuum cooling step S63 → the second vacuum cooling step S64 → the return pressure step S65 is sequentially executed.

  The fifth program is different from the first program in FIG. 4 in that the second cold air cooling step S26 in FIG. 4 is deleted.

  In the following description, the cold air cooling step S61, the air exclusion step S62, the first vacuum cooling step S63, the second vacuum cooling step S64, and the return pressure step S65 of FIG. Since this corresponds to the air exclusion step S22, the first vacuum cooling step S23, the second vacuum cooling step S24, and the return pressure step S25, description thereof is omitted. Further, the switching from the cold air cooling step S61 to the air exclusion step S62 and the switching from the first vacuum cooling step S63 to the second vacuum cooling step S64 are the same as the first program of FIG. Description is omitted.

According to the first embodiment configured as described above, the following operational effects are obtained. When it is desired to cool the foodstuff 3 suitable for vacuum cooling to the chilled region in a short time, by selecting and executing the first program and the second program according to the initial product temperature, The to-be-cooled object 3 can be cooled in a short time. In addition, when the object to be cooled 3 is a food suitable for vacuum cooling and it is desired to cool in a short time to a temperature range higher than the chilled range, the fourth program and the fifth program according to the initial product temperature By selecting and executing this, the object to be cooled 3 can be similarly cooled in a short time. Furthermore, when the object to be cooled 3 is not suitable for vacuum cooling and the state in which the contained moisture cannot evaporate, the third program can be selected and executed to cool in a short time. As described above, by selecting the first to fifth programs, it is possible to realize cooling according to the property, initial product temperature, and set cooling temperature of the object 3 to be cooled. Cooling can be realized with high quality in a short time.

  Further, since the vacuum cooling process is performed in two stages, the first vacuum cooling process by the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling process by the second vacuum cooling means 42, the vacuum cooling means 4 Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the need for a large cooling facility in order to increase the cooling capacity. In addition, the energy required for the operation of the vacuum cooling means can be reduced compared to the one that starts vacuum cooling with an excessive cooling capacity from the beginning of vacuum cooling, and the quality of the object to be cooled becomes a problem due to rapid cooling. Then, deterioration of quality can be suppressed.

  Further, since the cooling heat exchanger 9 for cooling the cold air is also used as a cold trap for condensing the vapor of the second vacuum cooling means 42, the equipment of the vacuum cooling means can be simplified, and the composite cooling device initials Cost can be reduced.

  Next, another embodiment (hereinafter referred to as device embodiment 2) of the composite cooling device 1 (hereinafter referred to as device embodiment 1) for carrying out Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This apparatus embodiment 2 has the same configuration as the apparatus embodiment 1 in that the vacuum cooling means 4 is composed of the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42, etc. The different parts are mainly described.

  This apparatus embodiment 2 is different from the apparatus embodiment 1 in the configuration of the first vacuum cooling means 41. In the device embodiment 1, the constituent elements of the first vacuum cooling means 41 are the decompression line 15, the on-off valve 17, and the vacuum pump 16. In the embodiment 2, in addition to these constituent elements, The condensation heat exchanger 31 is provided on the upstream side of the vacuum pump 16. The on-off valve 17 is provided between the condensation heat exchanger 31 and the cooling chamber 2. A water supply line 32 is connected to the condensation heat exchanger 41. The water supply to the condensation heat exchanger 31 is controlled by opening and closing the water supply valve 33 provided in the water supply line 32, and the operation of the condensation heat exchanger 31 is controlled. The water supply valve 33 is controlled by the controller 6.

  The first vacuum cooling means 41 of the apparatus embodiment 2 opens the on-off valve 17 and operates the condensation heat exchanger 31 and the vacuum pump 16 to execute the first vacuum cooling step. The first vacuum cooling characteristic of the first vacuum cooling step is the same as that of the first vacuum cooling of the first embodiment, but the vacuum cooling capacity is the first vacuum cooling means by the cooling action of the condensation heat exchanger 31. In addition, the cooling chamber 2 can be efficiently excluded from the air.

  As described above, in the device embodiment 2, the configuration different from that of the device embodiment 1 has been described. In the second embodiment, the first to fifth programs are executed in the same manner, and the description thereof is omitted.

Next, another composite cooling apparatus 1 (hereinafter referred to as apparatus embodiment 3) for carrying out the embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This device embodiment 3 is suitable for a composite cooling device having a relatively large cooling capacity. In the apparatus embodiment 3, the apparatus according to the apparatus embodiment 1 and the apparatus embodiment 2 are configured in that the vacuum cooling means 4 includes the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42. The different parts are mainly described below.

This apparatus embodiment 3 is different from the apparatus embodiment 1 in the configuration of the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42. In the first embodiment, the first vacuum cooling means 41
Is the reduced pressure exhaust cooling including the vacuum pump 16, and the second vacuum cooling means 42 is the reduced pressure hermetic cooling using the cooling heat exchanger 9, but in this apparatus embodiment 2, the first vacuum cooling means 41 and the second vacuum cooling means 42 are reduced-pressure exhaust cooling.

Specifically, the configuration is as follows. That is, the condensation heat exchanger 31 is provided on the upstream side of the vacuum pump 16, and the steam ejector 34 is provided on the upstream side of the condensation heat exchanger 31 as a decompressor for the vacuum cooling means. A second steam supply line 35 is connected to the steam ejector 34, and a second steam supply valve 36 is provided in the second steam supply line 35. Then, the steam supply to the steam ejector 34 is controlled by opening and closing the second steam supply valve valve 36 controlled by the controller 6, and the operation of the steam ejector 34 is controlled. The on-off valve 17 is provided between the steam ejector 34 and the cooling chamber 2.

  The first vacuum cooling means 41 of the apparatus embodiment 3 is configured to open the on-off valve 17 and execute the first vacuum cooling step by the operation of the vacuum pump 16. The first vacuum cooling characteristic of the first vacuum cooling step is the same as that of the first vacuum cooling of the apparatus embodiment 1.

  The second vacuum cooling means 42 is configured to execute the second vacuum cooling step by operating the steam ejector 34 and the condensing heat exchanger 31 in addition to the operation of the vacuum pump 16. . The second vacuum cooling characteristic of the second vacuum cooling step is the same as that of the first vacuum cooling, but the vacuum cooling capacity is reduced by the cooling action of the steam ejector 34 and the heat exchanger 31 for condensation. Therefore, the cooling rate becomes faster accordingly.

Use With regard to the first to fifth programs, in this apparatus embodiment 3, unlike the device in Example 1 and the device in Example 2, the second vacuum cooling step, the cooling heat exchanger 9 The air-exclusion step S21 is performed by supplying steam before the vacuum cooling step is performed because it is not performed by the reduced-pressure hermetic cooling (air-exclusion is important for effective cooling). , S32, S41, S61 are omitted. In relation to this program difference, in this embodiment apparatus 3, the steam supply means 18 is omitted.

  As described above, the configuration of the third embodiment of the present invention is different from that of the first embodiment.

  The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the first to fifth programs can be selectively executed. However, at least the first program may be included, and the cooling program can be configured as follows. Only the first program is executed. Further, only the first and second programs are selected and executed. Further, only the first to third programs are selected and executed. Further, only the first to second programs and the fourth to fifth programs are selected and executed.

Further, a first vacuum cooling step the vacuum cooling process by the first vacuum cooling unit 41, the according to the second vacuum cooling unit 42 has been two-stage structure as consisting of the second vacuum cooling step, in FIG. 1 or FIG. 8 The composite cooling device 1 shown can be used to perform a one-stage vacuum cooling process. In other words, taking the first program as an example, as shown in FIG. 10, the vacuum cooling step S71 can be a one-step process in which the second vacuum cooling step S24 in FIG. 4 is omitted. The vacuum cooling step S71 corresponds to the first vacuum step S23 of FIG.

It is explanatory drawing explaining schematic structure of Example 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure explaining application of the cooling program of the Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart figure explaining the cooling program of the Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart figure explaining the other cooling program of the Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart figure explaining the other cooling program of the Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart figure explaining the other cooling program of the Example 1. FIG. It is a flowchart figure explaining the other cooling program of the Example 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining schematic structure of Example 2 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining schematic structure of Example 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart figure explaining the other Example cooling program of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Composite cooling device 2 Cooling chamber 3 Object to be cooled 4 Vacuum cooling means 5 Cold air cooling means 6 Controller 41 First vacuum cooling means 42 Second vacuum cooling means

Claims (2)

A combined cooling apparatus comprising: a vacuum cooling means for vacuum cooling an object to be cooled in a cooling chamber; a cold air cooling means for cooling the object to be cooled; and a control means for controlling the vacuum cooling means and the cold air cooling means. ,
A detecting means for detecting any one of a cooling time, a pressure in the cooling chamber, a temperature, a temperature of the object to be cooled, or a change in any of the pressure in the cooling chamber, the same temperature, and the temperature of the object to be cooled;
The control means sequentially performs a first cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled, a vacuum cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum, and a second cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air,
When the detection value of the detection means becomes the first switching set value, the first cooling air cooling process is switched to the vacuum cooling process, and when the detection value becomes the second setting switching set value, from the vacuum cooling process. Switch to the second cold air cooling step,
The first switching set value is set such that a cooling air cooling rate in the first cooling air cooling step is faster than a vacuum cooling rate in the vacuum cooling step in a region until the detection value by the detecting means becomes the first switching setting value. The second switching set value is set so that the vacuum cooling rate at the latter stage of the vacuum cooling step is higher than the cold air cooling rate of the second cold air cooling step at the switching timing from the vacuum cooling step to the second cold air cooling step. A composite cooling device, which is set to be slow . In addition to the first cooling pattern, the control means sequentially performs a first cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled, a vacuum cooling process for vacuum cooling the object to be cooled, and a second cold air cooling process for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air. Then, the first cooling air cooling step is omitted, and a second cooling pattern for sequentially performing a vacuum cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled in vacuum and a cooling air cooling step for cooling the object to be cooled with cold air is selectively selected from the first cooling pattern. And configure to do
When the product temperature sensor is provided as the detection means, the first switching set value is the first temperature set value, and the initial product temperature of the object to be cooled is higher than the first temperature set value, the first cooling pattern The combined cooling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second cooling pattern is selected when the initial product temperature is lower than the first temperature set value .

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